Paint My Bedroom Black

Paint My Bedroom Black is the debut studio album by the English singer-songwriter Holly Humberstone, released on 13 October 2023 by Polydor Records.^[3]

Paint My Bedroom Black
Standard cover
Studio album by Holly Humberstone
Released	13 October 2023 (2023-10-13)
Genre	Pop^[1] alternative pop^[2]
Length	41:57
Label	Polydor Darkroom Geffen
Producer	Noah Conrad Ethan Gruska Rob Milton Parisi Jonah Summerfield
Holly Humberstone chronology
Can You Afford to Lose Me? (2022) Paint My Bedroom Black (2023) Working in Progress (2024)
Singles from Paint My Bedroom Black
"Antichrist" Released: 28 June 2023 "Room Service" Released: 28 June 2023 "Superbloodmoon" Released: 28 July 2023 "Into Your Room" Released: 21 September 2023 "Kissing in Swimming Pools" Released: 5 October 2023 "Paint My Bedroom Black" Released: 11 October 2023

Background

In 2020, Holly Humberstone broke out with the release of her single "Falling Asleep at the Wheel".^[3] In November 2021, Humberstone's second extended play (EP) The Walls Are Way Too Thin was released to positive critical reception.^[4][5] In April and May 2022, Humberstone toured as a supporting act with Olivia Rodrigo on her Sour Tour.^[6]

On 29 June 2023, Paint My Bedroom Black was announced to be releasing on 13 October.^[7]

Singles

On 28 June 2023, the tracks "Antichrist" and "Room Service" were released simultaneously as a double A-side single.^[8] "Antichrist" is about a breakup Humberstone experienced where she felt she was "inevitably going to have to hurt the person who I wanted so much to love". The music video for "Antichrist" was shot in an abandoned hospital in the Czech Republic which Humberstone claimed was "definitely haunted".^[9] "Room Service" was written by Humberstone while touring with Olivia Rodrigo when she was "missing home and my friends" and felt she "was being left behind" in being away from home on tour. The music video for "Room Service" debuted on 12 July 2023.^[10]

The third single "Superbloodmoon", a collaboration with d4vd, was released on 28 July 2023.^[11]

Release and promotion

Paint My Bedroom Black is available in black and purple coloured vinyl formats, both of which are 140g pressings produced using 100% recycled eco-mix vinyl material. The purple coloured vinyl LP comes with an alternate album cover. An exclusive 140g light blue-coloured vinyl edition with a black album cover is available from Humberstone's official website shop.^[12]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	75/100^[13]
Review scores
Source	Rating
DIY	^[1]
Evening Standard	^[14]
The Line of Best Fit	6/10^[15]
The Guardian	^[16]
The Independent	^[17]
NME	^[18]
The Skinny	^[19]
The Telegraph	^[20]

Paint My Bedroom Black received a score of 75 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on twelve critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception.^[13] DIY's Ben Tipple commented that the album is "at once escapist and heavily personal" and "a dark, pop-perfect, melancholic fantasy".^[1] Maya Georgi of Rolling Stone called it "an amalgamation of flashing colors, moving from cerulean blue to super blood moon orange at hyper-speed" and opined that it "doubles down on her voracious honesty, laying bare her deepest regrets, doom scroll nights, and drinking habits".^[21] Reviewing the album for The Line of Best Fit, Emma Thimgren found it to be "full of slick melodies and the songs are so very neatly crafted, yet the reach towards a bigger sound loses the immediacy between Humberstone and the listener".^[15] Emma Cooper-Raeburn of The Skinny felt that the "influences of Damien Rice and Phoebe Bridgers are evident throughout" the album, which "demonstrates Humberstone's progress in her talent and career [...] although all of the tracks on the record blend seamlessly together, many sadly sound similar to the last".^[19]

Rolling Stone mentioned Paint My Bedroom Black as one of the best albums of 2023.^[22] NME placed the album at number 39 on their compilation of the 50 best albums of 2023, stating that it was "filled with everything that she does best: diaristic confessions on friendships, crushes and heartbreaks; softly-sung lyrics; brooding melodies for fans to escape within".^[23]

Track listing

Paint My Bedroom Black track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Paint My Bedroom Black"	Holly Humberstone Rob Milton	Milton	3:49
2.	"Into Your Room"	Humberstone Ethan Gruska Milton	Milton Gruska	3:29
3.	"Cocoon"	Humberstone Milton	Milton	3:06
4.	"Kissing in Swimming Pools"	Humberstone Milton	Milton	4:47
5.	"Ghost Me"	Humberstone Benjamin Leftwich Milton	Milton	3:37
6.	"Superbloodmoon" (featuring D4vd)	Humberstone David Burke Scott Harris Milton	Milton	2:31
7.	"Antichrist"	Humberstone Ines Dunn Milton	Milton	3:20
8.	"Lauren"	Humberstone Gruska Milton	Milton Gruska	2:58
9.	"Baby Blues"	Humberstone Milton Giampaolo Parisi Marco Parisi	Milton Parisi	1:18
10.	"Flatlining"	Humberstone Noah Conrad Milton Jonah Summerfield	Milton Conrad Summerfield	3:02
11.	"Elvis Impersonators"	Humberstone Conrad Milton Summerfield	Milton Conrad Summerfield	2:52
12.	"Girl"	Humberstone Conrad Milton Summerfield	Milton Conrad Summerfield	3:22
13.	"Room Service"	Humberstone Milton	Milton	3:46
Total length:				41:57

DTC Acoustic CD and cassette bonus tracks^[24][25]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
14.	"Into Your Room"	Humberstone Gruska Milton	3:35
15.	"Cocoon"	Humberstone Milton	3:21
16.	"Antichrist"	Humberstone Dunn Milton	3:35
17.	"Paint My Bedroom Black"	Humberstone Milton	4:02
Total length:			56:30

DTC Voicenotes CD and cassette bonus tracks^[26][27]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
14.	"Roadside Flowers"	Humberstone Milton Johnny Coffer	2:54
15.	"Ghost Me"	Humberstone Leftwich Milton	3:35
16.	"Easy Does It"	Humberstone Milton Conrad Summerfield	2:29
17.	"Kissing in Swimming Pools"	Humberstone Milton	4:49
Total length:			55:44

Notes

• Acoustic edition bonus tracks are subtitled "Acoustic" and were produced by Milton.
• Voicenotes edition bonus tracks are subtitled "Voicenote" and were produced by Humberstone.

Personnel

• Holly Humberstone – vocals, background vocals (all tracks); piano (tracks 1, 5, 7, Acoustic tracks), tambourine (4), vibraphone (8), guitar (Voicenotes tracks); acoustic guitar, Wurlitzer organ (Acoustic tracks)
• Matt Colton – mastering (1-13, Acoustic tracks)
• Jeremy Cooper - mastering (Voicenotes tracks)
• Lee Smith – mixing (1-13, Acoustic tracks), drums (4–7)
• Rob Milton – synthesizer (1-13), guitar (1–12, Acoustic tracks), programming (1–3, 5, 6, 8, 10–12), percussion (1, 4, 7, 12, Acoustic tracks), bass (3, 5, 6), background vocals (3, 11, 13), keyboards (6), acoustic guitar (13, Acoustic tracks), piano synthesizer (Acoustic tracks)
• Ethan Gruska – synthesizer (2, 8); guitar, programming (2); bass, drums, percussion (8)
• Rob Slater – drums (3, 7)
• Max Clilverd – pedal steel (4, 5)
• Angelica Bomford – cello (4)
• Julian Bayliss – conductor, piano (4)
• Joseph Lowe – viola (4)
• Anastasia Vaina – violin (4)
• Chloë Meade – violin (4)
• Benjamin Leftwich – guitar (5)
• Jamie Lockhart – strings (5)
• D4vd – vocals, background vocals (6)
• Giampaolo Parisi – programming, synthesizer, vocal programming (9)
• Marco Parisi – programming, synthesizer, vocal programming (9)
• Noah Conrad – piano, synthesizer (10–12); guitar (11)
• Jonah Summerfield – programming, synthesizer (10–12)

Charts

Chart performance for Paint My Bedroom Black

Chart (2023)	Peak position
Australian Hitseekers Albums (ARIA)^[28]	15
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)^[29]	94
Scottish Albums (OCC)^[30]	3
UK Albums (OCC)^[31]	5

Release history

Release dates and formats for Paint My Bedroom Black

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label	Ref.
Various	13 October 2023	CD digital download LP streaming	Polydor	^[3]

References

1. Tipple, Ben (11 October 2023). "Holly Humberstone – Paint My Bedroom Black review". DIY. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
2. Cragg, Michael (15 October 2023). "Holly Humberstone: Paint My Bedroom Black review – soul-searching in soulless hotel rooms". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
3. Shanfield, Ethan (29 June 2023). "Holly Humberstone Announces Debut Album, 'Paint My Bedroom Black'". Variety. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
4. Richards, Will (4 August 2021). "Holly Humberstone announces new EP 'The Walls Are Way Too Thin'". NME. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
5. Williams, Sophie (10 November 2021). "Holly Humberstone – 'The Walls Are Way Too Thin' EP review: a soul-baring triumph". NME. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
6. Walsh, Charlotte (20 May 2022). "Touring With Olivia Rodrigo Is Great, But Holly Humberstone Is Still a Homebody". Vulture. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
7. Aramesh, Waiss (29 June 2023). "Holly Humberstone Had to Yearn for Home to Make Her Debut Album 'Paint My Bedroom Black'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
8. Damara Kelly, Tyler. "Holly Humberstone announces her highly anticipated debut album". The Line of Best Fit.
9. Dunn, Frankie (28 July 2023). "The duality of Holly Humberstone". i-D. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
10. Carter, Daisy (14 July 2023). "Holly Humberstone Shares New Video For 'Room Service'". DIY. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
11. Richards, Will (29 July 2023). "Holly Humberstone and d4vd team up on new track 'Superbloodmoon'". NME.
12. "HH1004_Vinyl (Blue) & Signed Art Card". Holly Humberstone. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
13. "Paint My Bedroom Black by Holly Humberstone Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
14. Smyth, David (12 October 2023). "Holly Humberstone - Paint My Bedroom Black review: strangely familiar, for a debut". Evening Standard. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
15. Thimgren, Emma (9 October 2023). "Holly Humberstone: Paint My Bedroom Black review – graduates from teenage bedroom pop to a broader pop tonality". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
16. Cragg, Michael (15 October 2023). "Holly Humberstone: Paint My Bedroom Black review – soul-searching in soulless hotel rooms". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
17. Brown, Helen (13 October 2023). "Holly Humberstone review, Paint My Bedroom Black: Singer's debut album is more shades of grey". The Independent. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
18. Geraghty, Hollie (12 October 2023). "Holly Humberstone – 'Paint My Bedroom Black' review: a remarkable artist builds out her walls". NME. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
19. Cooper-Raeburn, Emma (11 October 2023). "Holly Humberstone – Paint My Bedroom Black album review". The Skinny. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
20. Grant, Kristen (13 October 2023). "Holly Humberstone tackles the loneliness of fame in Paint My Bedroom Black". The Telegraph. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
21. Georgi, Maya (11 October 2023). "Holly Humberstone Is Going Through It, And That's a Good Thing". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
22. "The Best Albums of 2023 So Far". Rolling Stone. 1 November 2023. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
23. NME (2023-12-08). "The best albums of 2023". NME. Retrieved 2023-12-31.
24. Paint My Bedroom Black (Acoustic) CD #1
25. Paint My Bedroom Black (Acoustic) cassette #1
26. Paint My Bedroom Black (Voicenotes) CD #2
27. Paint My Bedroom Black (Voicenotes) cassette #2
28. "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 23 October 2023". The ARIA Report. No. 1755. Australian Recording Industry Association. 23 October 2023. p. 25.
29. "Ultratop.be – Holly Humberstone – Paint My Bedroom Black" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
30. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
31. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 October 2023.

External links

• Paint My Bedroom Black at Discogs (list of releases)