A Complicated Woman

A Complicated Woman
Studio album by Self Esteem
Released	25 April 2025 (2025-04-25)
Length	45:21
Label	Polydor
Producer	Johan Hugo
Self Esteem chronology
Prima Facie (2022) A Complicated Woman (2025)
Singles from A Complicated Woman
"Focus Is Power" Released: 21 January 2025 "69" Released: 14 February 2025 "If Not Now, It's Soon" Released: 24 March 2025 "The Deep Blue Okay" Released: 24 April 2025

A Complicated Woman is the third studio album by the English singer and songwriter Self Esteem. It was released on 25 April 2025 via Polydor. It follows her 2021 critically acclaimed album, Prioritise Pleasure . ^[1]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	8.0/10 [2]
Metacritic	72/100 [3]
Review scores
Source	Rating
Beats Per Minute	77% [4]
Clash	8/10 [5]
DIY	[6]
The Guardian	[7]
The Line of Best Fit	7/10 [8]
MusicOMH	[9]
Pitchfork	4.8/10 [10]
PopMatters	8/10 [11]
Record Collector	[12]
Uncut	7/10 [13]

According to the review aggregator Metacritic , A Complicated Woman received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 72 out of 100 from 14 critic scores. ^[3] AnyDecentMusic?, another aggregator, gave it an average rating of 8.0 out of 10 from a sample of 19 critical reviews. ^[2]

Track listing

A Complicated Woman track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"I Do and I Don't Care"	Rebecca Lucy Taylor Johan Hugo	4:48
2.	"Focus Is Power"	Taylor Hugo Pale Jay	3:06
3.	"Mother"	Taylor Hugo	3:33
4.	"The Curse"	Taylor Hugo Seye Adelekan	4:09
5.	"Logic, Bitch!" (featuring Sue Tompkins)	Taylor Hugo Ruth Edmonson	4:09
6.	"Cheers to Me"	Taylor Hugo Edmonson	3:54
7.	"If Not Now, It's Soon"	Taylor Hugo	2:35
8.	"In Plain Sight" (featuring Moonchild Sanelly)	Taylor Hugo Jay Sanelisiwe Twisha	4:00
9.	"Lies" (featuring Nadine Shah)	Taylor Hugo Nadine Shah	2:55
10.	"69"	Taylor Hugo Tom Rasmussen	3:29
11.	"What Now"	Taylor	2:52
12.	"The Deep Blue Okay"	Taylor Hugo	5:32
Total length:			45:21

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal. ^[14]

Musicians

• Rebecca Taylor – lead vocals (all tracks), choir arrangement (tracks 1–4, 6–8, 11–12), strings arrangement (1–2)
• Johan Hugo – drums (except 11), programming (1–7, 9–10, 12), string arrangement (1–2, 4, 6–8, 12), bass (except 1), keyboards (2–4, 6–12), synthesizer (2, 8, 10–11), percussion (3, 8–10), organ (4, 11–12), clarinet (5), horn (7, 12)
• Seraphina D'Arby – vocals (1–4, 6–8, 10–11), background vocals (5)
• Sophie Galpin – vocals (1–4, 6–8, 10–11); choir arrangement, organ (11)
• Tom Rasmussen – vocals (1–4, 6–8, 10–11), additional vocals (10)
• Damon Gould, Levi Heaton, Marged Sion, Travis Ross – vocals (1–4, 6–8, 10–11)
• Angel Silvera – vocals (1–4, 7–8, 10–11), choir arrangement (1–4, 7–8)
• Adenikè Zen, Cecilia Ventura, Desrine Ewart, Glenn Meadows, James Thompson, Janine Kelly, Jessica McKenzie, Kelli Blanchett, Maleik Loveridge, PJ Greaves, Petra Luke, Renée Lamb, Rosie "Sepha" Cheyette, Shaun Riley, Tehillah Daniel, Yasmin Green – vocals (1–4, 7–8, 10–11)
• Bryony James, Kirsten Jenson – cello (1–2, 4–5, 7–8)
• Richard Pryce – double bass (1–2, 4–5, 7–8)
• Clifton Harrison, Meghan Cassidy – viola (1–2, 4–5, 7–8)
• Charis Jenson, Hayley Pomfrett, Jenny Sacha, Kerenza Peacock, Michael Trainor, Patrick Kiernan, Sarah Sexton, Steve Morris, Zahra Benyounes – violin (1–2, 4–5, 7–8)
• Rosie Danvers – strings arrangement (1–2, 4, 6–8, 12)
• Seb Rochford – drums (1–2, 7, 12)
• Seye Adelekan – bass (2, 4, 6, 12), background vocals (4–5), guitar (4), choir arrangement (6, 12)
• Ruthlss – piano (2, 4, 6, 12)
• Pale Jay – background vocals (4–5), additional vocals (7–8, 10), guitar (8)
• Sue Tompkins – vocals (5)
• Rob Milton – piano, programming, synthesizer (6)
• Colin Elliot – strings arrangement (7–8), horn (7)
• Esau Mwamwaya – additional vocals (7)
• Stuart Price – bass, drums, programming (7)
• Moonchild Sanelly – spoken word (8)
• Nadine Shah – vocals (9)
• Seraphina Simone – additional vocals (10)
• Freddie Wordsworth – horn (12)
• Raven Bush – strings arrangement (12)

Technical

• Johan Hugo – production (all tracks), engineering (except 5)
• Rob Milton – production (6)
• Stuart Price – production (7)
• Lorna Blackwood – vocal production (1–2, 4)
• Ben Baptie – mixing (1–2, 4–5, 7–9, 11)
• Geoff Swan – mixing (3, 6, 10, 12)
• Erik Hanson – mixing assistance (1–2, 4–5, 7–8, 11)
• Matt Cahill – mixing assistance (3, 6, 9–10, 12)
• Isabel Gracefield, Tommy Bosustow – engineering (1–2, 4–8, 12)
• Gordon Davidson – engineering (1–2, 4, 7–8, 10–11)
• Louis Lion – vocal engineering (1–2, 4–7, 12)
• Colin Elliot – additional engineering (1–2)
• Gonzalo Barrera – additional engineering (11)
• Carmel Comiskey, Daniel Hayden, Freddie Light – engineering assistance (1–2, 4, 7–8, 10–11)
• Matt Colton – mastering

Charts

Chart performance for A Complicated Woman

Chart (2025)	Peak position
Scottish Albums (OCC) [15]	5
UK Albums (OCC) [16]	5

References

1. Taylor, Sam (22 January 2025). "Self Esteem has announced her new album 'A Complicated Woman' with first single 'Focus Is Power'". Dork . Retrieved 9 August 2025.
2. "Self Esteem – A Complicated Woman". Any Decent Music?. Retrieved 7 September 2025.
3. "A Complicated Woman by Self Esteem". Metacritic . Retrieved 7 September 2025.
4. Finlayson, Ray (29 April 2025). "Album Review: Self Esteem – A Complicated Woman". Beats Per Minute . Retrieved 7 September 2025.
5. Greer, Vicky (29 April 2025). "Self Esteem – A Complicated Woman: An important pop statement..." Clash . Retrieved 7 September 2025.
6. Robinson, Otis (23 April 2025). "Album Review: Self Esteem – A Complicated Woman". DIY . Retrieved 7 September 2025.
7. Petridis, Alexis (24 April 2025). "Self Esteem: A Complicated Woman review – maximalist pop for an age of uncertainty". The Guardian . Retrieved 7 September 2025.
8. Kingsley, Tom (25 April 2025). "Self Esteem plays to her strengths on A Complicated Woman". The Line of Best Fit . Retrieved 7 September 2025.
9. Murphy, John (23 April 2025). "Self Esteem – A Complicated Woman". musicOMH . Retrieved 7 September 2025.
10. Mapes, Jill (29 April 2025). "Albums: A Complicated Woman – Self Esteem". Pitchfork . Retrieved 7 September 2025.
11. Amen, John (28 April 2025). "Self Esteem Revels in Freedom, Empathy, and Pop Know-How". PopMatters . Retrieved 7 September 2025.
12. Pollock, David (21 April 2025). "A Complicated Woman | Self Esteem". Record Collector . No. 570. Retrieved 7 September 2025.
13. Ferla, Lisa-Marie (28 March 2025). "Self Esteem – A Complicated Woman". Uncut . No. 338 (May 2025). Yalding, Kent, England: Kelsey Media. p. 39. ISSN   1368-0722.
14. "A Complicated Woman / Self Esteem / Credits". Tidal . Retrieved 9 August 2025.
15. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
16. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 August 2025.