If Nevermore (album)
| If Nevermore | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 6, 2025 | |||
| Recorded | 2022–2024 | |||
| Genres | ||||
| Length | 43:10 | |||
| Label | AWAL | |||
| Producers |
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| Sub Urban chronology | ||||
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| Singles from If Nevermore | ||||
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| Alternate cover | ||||
 Deluxe edition cover | ||||
If Nevermore is the second studio album by the American singer-songwriter Sub Urban. It was released by AWAL on June 6, 2025, and serves as the follow up to his first studio album, Hive (2022). He began recording the album alongside Jake Weinberg between 2022 and 2024. The project was promoted through six singles—"Skinny Loser", "See Myself", "Make Me Forget", "Fingernails", "Mascara", and "In Sunder"—as well as an accompanying tour. The album was written and recorded in Los Angeles, with production handled by various record producers, including Arkane Skye and Geoffry Hufford. Upon release, If Nevermore had received praise from critics.
Background and recording
In 2019, Sub Urban signed to the American record label Warner Records,[2] following the virality of his song "Cradles".[2][3] The next year, Maisonneuve released his debut extended play (EP), Thrill Seeker;[4] which spawned his second major hit, "Freak".[5][6] Following the release of his debut studio album, Hive, in 2022, Sub Urban had begun working on new material for If Nevermore. Recording took place between 2022 and 2024, with the album expanding on his "dark" and "theatrical pop" style.[1] In an interview, Sub Urban had stated that: "This entire independent project spans some of my deepest turmoil from the start of my career ‘til now. Uphill battles I may never get to genuinely speak on through any other voice but music. Reality became less definitive when some of these songs were realized. Thank you to the ones who can hear me through all these raging walls and continue to follow me into the dark".[7]
Composition
If Nevermore is a dark pop album that incorporates elements of various genres.[1][8] The album consists of 14 tracks and clocks out at about 43 minutes.[1] "Hiraeth" is a theatrical song that mixes reverse sounds, beat skips, and a "dark", "alluring vibe", which is "simply enchanting".[9] Production for the album was handled by multiple record producers, including Sub Urban himself, Daniel Garrity, and Elle Rizk, among others.[10]
Release and promotion
The album's lead single "Skinny Loser" was released on September 20, 2024.[11] Sub Urban had later officially announced If Nevermore in March 2025,[12] with the release of the double singles "Make Me Forget" and "Fingernails". On June 6, 2025, If Nevermore was released through AWAL.[1] In April 2026, Maisonneuve would release If Nevermore (Anhedonia); an expanded edition of If Nevermore,[7][12] which included the additional EP Anhedonia.[12] Throughout September and October 2026, Maisonneuve is expected to embark on The Bell Tolls headlining tour across North American in support of If Nevermore (Anhedonia).[7]
Critical reception
Emily McCormack of Melodic Magazine wrote that "The sound itself is liminal, chaotic, and chill all wrapped in one".[12] The reviewer felt that If Nevermore was one of "[his] most powerful works yet".[12] While in another review, she regarded "Skinny Loser", the album's lead single, as one of its standout tracks.[13]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Mycelium Eyes" | 3:54 |
| 2. | "What You Sow" | 3:32 |
| 3. | "Skinny Loser" | 3:28 |
| 4. | "Stay Still" | 3:09 |
| 5. | "Like Love" | 2:19 |
| 6. | "In Sunder" | 3:28 |
| 7. | "Clip Thru U" | 3:32 |
| 8. | "Mascara" | 2:16 |
| 9. | "Make Me Forget" | 3:05 |
| 10. | "Fingernails" | 3:07 |
| 11. | "This Void Can Be Satiated" | 2:46 |
| 12. | "Fill This Empty Mall with Water and Ivy" | 3:10 |
| 13. | "See Myself" | 2:31 |
| 14. | "When I Can't Make You Mine" | 2:47 |
| Total length: | 43:10 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 15. | "Hiraeth" | 3:20 |
| 16. | "Chemical Coffins" | 2:03 |
| 17. | "555" | 3:07 |
| 18. | "Lord of Nothing" | 3:38 |
| Total length: | 55:21 | |
Notes
- Track 8 is stylized as "Clip thru U."
- Track 12 is stylized in sentence case as "Fill this empty mall with water and ivy."
Personnel
Credits adapted from Tidal.[10]
- Daniel Maisonneuve – songwriting, production, mixing
- Arkane Skye – electric guitar
- Skye Abrams – songwriting
- Graydon Fritzching – engineering, mastering
- Daniel Garrity – production
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "If Nevermore by Sub Urban". Apple Music. June 6, 2025. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
- 1 2 Leight, Elias (October 12, 2020). "How Do You Predict the Next TikTok Music Hit? With a Ton of Data". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
- ↑ "In Room Z1 with Sub Urban". Office Magazine. February 28, 2026. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
- ↑ Parker, Tom (June 25, 2020). "The compelling story of Sub Urban, the boy who dropped out of school and then went viral". Beat Magazine. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
- ↑ Johnson, John (March 3, 2021). "Sub Urban brings tentacles to a gunfight in new video for "Cirque"". South Central Illinois. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
- ↑ Rutherford, Kevin (March 24, 2020). "Sub Urban Rocks 'Cradles' to No. 1 on Alternative Songs Chart". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
- 1 2 3 McCormack, Emily (April 2, 2026). "Sub Urban announces The Bell Tolls headline tour following 'If Nevermore (Anhedonia)' release". Melodic Magazine. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
- ↑ McCormack, Emily (October 31, 2025). "You can't drain the mercury: Sub Urban releases haunting new single, Mercury". Melodic Magazine. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
- ↑ McCormack, Emily (March 5, 2026). "Sub Urban releases enchanting single "Hiraeth" ahead of 'If Nevermore' deluxe album". Melodic Magazine. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
- 1 2 "Sub Urban - If Nevermore". Tidal. June 6, 2025. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
- ↑ "Skinny Loser - Single by Sub Urban". Apple Music. September 20, 2024. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 McCormack, Emily (April 14, 2026). "Sub Urban's 'If Nevermore (Anhedonia)' is a delightfully unsettling trip through the human mind — Album Review". Melodic Magazine. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
- ↑ McCormack, Emily (October 31, 2025). "You can't drain the mercury: Sub Urban releases haunting new single, Mercury". Melodic Magazine. Retrieved May 13, 2026.