Tom Odell unveils new single ‘Ugly’

Global star and award-winning singer-songwriter Tom Odell unveils his new song ‘Ugly’.

“Something I’ve never really talked about is some of my own weird shame around my body, and it feels so uncomfortable to actually say that in a song,” says Odell. “But when you say it, it’s really fucking powerful. ‘Ugly’ is an exploration of what it feels like to be a human being - of looking out at the world and feeling like everybody seems to glide through life so easily, but the experience of actually living it yourself is so fraught and it’s not pretty.”

The song comes ahead of his new album, A Wonderful Life, out on September 5—pre-save HERE.

In lead up to release, Odell also shared “Don’t Cry, Put Your Head On My Shoulder” and “Don’t Let Me Go.” Recently, Odell appeared on CBS Saturday Morning to perform “Don’t Let Me Go” alongside an interview with Anthony Mason.

A Wonderful Life was written partly as a reaction to the news cycle and “the sense, almost every week, that the world is ending in some capacity—which it is, for some people.” Odell’s lyrics channel the despair, frustration and helplessness in the modern world.

He recorded A Wonderful Life in Church Studios, HOXA and RAK Studios’ legendary Room One, the space that birthed classic albums from Radiohead, The Pogues, Ultravox and more. Odell and his band recorded everything live with the instruments “bleeding in on one another” for a more authentic sound.

ABOUT TOM ODELL

Though Odell first came to prominence as a chart-topping artist, it’s never been mainstream success that fuels him. “I never applied to the role of pop star, and I always felt like I was being perceived in the wrong way,” he reflects. As he’s committed further to his own vision—crafting intensely personal songs dealing with mental health struggles, body image issues and beyond—he’s seen the connections spread across the globe. “It alleviates some of the loneliness of existing,” he suggests of why his music has resonated so strongly, “which is what we’re all going through, together.”

Odell has amassed a rabid following, with multiple headline world tours, 31 million monthly listeners on Spotify and over 14 billion career streams. His sixth album Black Friday reached number five on Spotify’s Top Album Debut Global Chart and the haunting title track has earned over 700 million combined streams since its late-2023 release. Fans also re-discovered his first ever single, 2012’s “Another Love,” which has become an anthem on TikTok to show solidarity with the people of Ukraine and soared to over four billion plays on Spotify alone. With more imminent from Odell, he continues to push boundaries and unite people through his art.

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