"Songs of a Lost World" is the fourteenth studio album by the English rock band The Cure, released on November 1, 2024. It marks the band's first new material in 16 years, following their 2008 album 4:13 Dream. The album was well-received by critics, with particular praise for its dark sound, lyrics, and Robert Smith’s vocals. It also achieved commercial success, reaching number one on the charts, becoming their first chart-topping album since Wish in 1992. The album even outsold the entire top 10 of the week combined.
The album's production began in 2019, and it was originally planned for release that year. It is the first album to feature Reeves Gabrels as a full-time member of the band, joining on guitar after he became a permanent member in 2012. It also sees the return of keyboardist Roger O'Donnell, who rejoined the band in 2011 after a six-year hiatus. Although multi-instrumentalist Perry Bamonte rejoined the band for the Shows of a Lost World tour in 2022, he did not appear on the album, as much of the recording was completed prior to his return.
The album’s music was entirely composed and arranged by Robert Smith, who also wrote all the lyrics. The track "Alone" was inspired by the Ernest Dowson poem "Dregs," and the album features recurring themes of loss, isolation, and mortality. Five of the songs, including "Alone," were performed live during the band's Shows of a Lost World tour in 2022 and 2023 before the album's release.
For the album's artwork, Smith chose an image of Bagatelle, a 1975 sculpture by Slovenian artist Janez Pirnat. The album cover was designed by Andy Vella. The booklet includes lyrics for an unreleased track, “Bodiam Sky,” which Smith mentioned might appear on a future album, potentially a follow-up to Songs of a Lost World.
The album was officially announced on September 26, 2024, with the release of the lead single "Alone" and the launch of a dedicated website. The second single, "A Fragile Thing," came out on October 9, 2024. In a press statement, Smith confirmed that the band would begin touring in support of the album in autumn 2025 after completing a projected follow-up album.
To promote the album, The Cure performed a concert at BBC Radio Theatre on October 31, 2024. The performance was broadcast live on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 6 Music, featuring live versions of several tracks from Songs of a Lost World.
The album was released in a variety of formats. In the UK, the vinyl edition was available in six variants, all pressed on bioplastic by Polydor, including black, marble stone, marble stone with obi, white, picture disc, and a glow-in-the-dark picture disc. A special US vinyl edition was released through Capitol Records. Other formats included a cassette edition and a double cassette. In addition to the standard CD, a 3-CD deluxe edition featuring instrumental versions of all eight tracks was released, along with a Blu-ray featuring Hi-Res stereo and Dolby Atmos mixes. A digital-only deluxe edition, released on November 5, 2024, included live versions of five songs recorded at Shoreline Amphitheater in 2023.
The album quickly achieved commercial success, debuting at number one on the UK Albums Chart with over 40,000 copies sold in its first week. It also reached number one in France, selling over 20,000 copies in its first week.
