"Beauty Stab" is the second studio album by the English pop band ABC, released on November 14, 1983. The album marked a departure from the lush, stylized production of their debut album, The Lexicon of Love (1982), adopting a more guitar-driven sound. It was recorded over three months in 1983, with sessions at Sarm Studios, Townhouse Studios, and Abbey Road Studios. The album was produced by ABC alongside Gary Langan, who had been the audio engineer on The Lexicon of Love. The rhythm section featured Andy Newmark on drums and Alan Spenner on bass guitar, both of whom had recently worked with Roxy Music.
Despite high expectations, Beauty Stab was met with mostly negative reviews from critics, and the band members themselves expressed dissatisfaction with the direction taken. Founding member Stephen Singleton left the band shortly after the album's promotion. Martin Fry later reflected that, in hindsight, they should have followed a more similar path to their debut rather than trying to reinvent their sound. Commercially, the album didn't achieve the same success as its predecessor, peaking at No. 12 on the UK Albums Chart. It was certified Gold by the BPI for over 100,000 copies shipped but only spawned two Top 40 singles, neither of which made the Top 10.
In 2005, Beauty Stab was reissued as a digitally remastered CD with three bonus tracks.
