Michelangelo Dying

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Michelangelo Dying
A pink, wrinkled fabric, with a small square in the centre with a picture of Cate Le Bon in a yellow dress, standing wet in a hall of mirrors
Studio album by
Cate Le Bon
Released26 September 2025 (2025-09-26)
Studio
Length43:18
LabelMexican Summer
Producer
  • Cate Le Bon
  • Samur Khouja
Cate Le Bon chronology
Pompeii
(2022)		 Michelangelo Dying
(2025)
Singles from Michelangelo Dying
  1. "Heaven Is No Feeling"
    Released: 3 June 2025
  2. "Is It Worth It (Happy Birthday)?"
    Released: 22 July 2025
  3. "About Time"
    Released: 3 September 2025

Michelangelo Dying is the seventh studio album by Welsh singer and producer Cate Le Bon. Produced by Le Bon and Samur Khouja, it was released on 26 September 2025 by Mexican Summer.

Background and recording

The album was made between Hydra, Cardiff, London, and Los Angeles. The album was finished in the Joshua Tree desert.[2]

Le Bon revealed the album was meant to come out a year earlier in 2024, but felt too sick and exhausted after a break-up. Le Bon described the album as: "realising you've completely abandoned yourself in the throes of this all-encompassing love. The breakup was always like an amputation that you don't really want, but you know will save you."[3]

Packaging

The album's packaging and imagery was inspired by artist Colette Lumiere's installation Recently Discovered Ruins of a Dream, which depicts a woman lying in a chamber draped in fabric, while mirrors line the floor. Le Bon said: "That's what I really wanted the record to feel like, you can roll up your sleeves and take something on, then you have a rest, because something is resolved." The picture in the centre of the album cover depicts Le Bon "drowning", surrounded by mirrors.[3]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?8.2/10[4]
Metacritic88/100[5]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarStar[6]
Clash8/10[7]
Exclaim!8/10[8]
MojoStarStarStarStarStar[9]
MusicOMHStarStarStarStarHalf star[10]
Paste8.2/10[11]
Pitchfork8.1/10[12]
Record CollectorStarStarStarStar[13]
Rolling StoneStarStarStarStarHalf star[14]
Uncut8/10[15]

According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Michelangelo Dying received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 88 out of 100 from 14 critic scores.[5]

Year-end lists

Publication List Rank Ref.
AllMusic Favorite Singer/Songwriter Albums N/A [16]
The Fader The 50 Best Albums of 2025 26 [17]
The Guardian The 50 Best Albums of 2025 23 [18]
Mojo The 75 Best Albums of 2025 28 [19]
Record Collector The Best of 2025: New Albums Top 25 14 [20]
Rolling Stone The 55 Best Indie-Rock Albums of 2025 34 [21]
Uncut Best New Albums of 2025 46 [22]
Under the Radar Top 100 Albums of 2025 70 [23]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Cate Le Bon.[1]

Michelangelo Dying track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Jerome"4:06
2."Love Unrehearsed"4:14
3."Mothers of Riches"4:34
4."Is It Worth It (Happy Birthday)?"5:47
5."Pieces of My Heart"3:39
6."About Time"3:30
7."Heaven Is No Feeling"3:48
8."Body as a River"4:30
9."Ride" (featuring John Cale)3:53
10."I Know What's Nice"5:20
Total length:43:21

Personnel

Except where noted, credits are adapted from the CD liner notes.[1]

Musicians

Technical

Design

  • H. Hawkline – art direction, photography, design
  • Cadi Lane – fabric walls
  • Christian Fritzenwanker – hair and makeup
  • Kim Howells – stylist

Charts

Chart performance for Michelangelo Dying
Chart (2025) Peak
position
French Rock & Metal Albums (SNEP)[25] 68
Scottish Albums (OCC)[26]40
UK Albums Sales (OCC)[27] 21
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[28]9

References

  1. Le Bon, Cate (26 September 2025). Michelangelo Dying (CD liner notes). Mexican Summer. MEX353.
  2. Murray, Robin (3 June 2025). "Cate Le Bon Announces New Album 'Michelangelo Dying'". Clash. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  3. Snapes, Laura (8 June 2025). "'The breakup was like an amputation that saves you': Cate Le Bon on healing from heartache and her heavy new album". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
  4. "Michelangelo Dying by Cate Le Bon Reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  5. "Michelangelo Dying by Cate Le Bon Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  6. Thomas, Fred. Michelangelo Dying – Cate Le Bon at AllMusic. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  7. Bannikov, Igor (22 September 2025). "Cate Le Bon – Michelangelo Dying | Reviews". Clash. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  8. Hill, Eric (23 September 2025). "Cate Le Bon's Craft Comes Alive in Heartbreak on 'Michelangelo Dying'". Exclaim!. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  9. Wilkinson, Roy (October 2025). "Cate Le Bon: Michelangelo Dying". Mojo. p. 81.
  10. Hogwood, Ben (25 September 2025). "Cate Le Bon – Michelangelo Dying | Album Reviews". MusicOMH. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  11. Small, Sam (25 September 2025). "Cate Le Bon Searches For Truth and Solitude On Michelangelo Dying". Paste. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  12. Bloom, Madison (30 September 2025). "Albums: Michelangelo Dying – Cate Le Bon". Pitchfork. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  13. Curran, Shaun (October 2025). "Cate Le Bon – Michelangelo Dying". Record Collector. p. 130.
  14. Dolan, Jon (24 September 2025). "Cate Le Bon Hits an Avant-Pop Peak". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  15. Martin, Piers (15 August 2025). "Cate Le Bon – Michelangelo Dying (Mexican Summer)". Uncut. No. 343 (October 2025). Yalding, Kent, England: Kelsey Media. p. 31. ISSN 1368-0722.
  16. "The AllMusic 2025 Year in Review: Favorite Singer/Songwriter Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  17. Mandel, Leah (8 December 2025). "The 50 best albums of 2025". The Fader. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
  18. Snapes, Laura (19 December 2025). "The 50 Best Albums of 2025". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  19. "The 75 Best Albums of 2025". Mojo. No. 386 (January 2026). London: H Bauer Publishing. 6 November 2025. pp. 50–61. ISSN 1351-0193.
  20. "The Best of 2025: New Albums top 25". Record Collector. No. 578 (Christmas 2025). London: Diamond Publishing Ltd. 27 November 2025. p. 118. ISSN 0261-250X.
  21. Dolan, Jon (15 December 2025). "The 55 Best Indie-Rock Albums of 2025". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
  22. "The Uncut Review of 2025: Best New Albums". Uncut. No. 346 (Review of the Year 2025). Yalding, Kent, England: Kelsey Media. 7 November 2025. pp. 60–68. ISSN 1368-0722.
  23. Jardine, Ben; et al. (25 December 2025). "Under the Radar's Top 100 Albums of 2025 Part 2 (#51–100)". Under the Radar. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
  24. "Michelangelo Dying / Cate le Bon / Credits". Tidal. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
  25. "Top 100 Rock & Metal Albums de la semaine 40, 2025" [Top 100 Rock & Metal Albums of Week 40, 2025] (in French). Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
  26. "Official Scottish Albums Chart on 3/10/2025 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  27. "Official Albums Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  28. "Official Independent Albums Chart on 3/10/2025 – Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 October 2025.