Empty Hands is the seventh studio album by American singer Poppy. It was released through Sumerian Records on January 23, 2026. The album's lyrics were written solely by Poppy, while production was handled by Jordan Fish, who also produced her previous album Negative Spaces (2024).
Empty Hands debuted at number 137 on the US Billboard 200 becoming her second entry on the chart since her third album, I Disagree (2020). It also entered the charts in several countries including Australia and the UK, and becoming her first album to do so in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, and Switzerland.
Empty Hands was announced on November 12, 2025, along with the release of its second single, "Bruised Sky".[6][7] The album features 13 tracks that were produced and co-written by Jordan Fish, who had previously worked with Poppy on her sixth album Negative Spaces (2024).[8] On December 4, the third single, "Guardian", was released.[9] On the same day as the album release, a music video was released for the album's fourth single, "Time Will Tell".[10]
Empty Hands received generally positive reviews from critics. According to Anne Rickson of Blabbermouth, "'Empty Hands' sounds like Poppy doing exactly what she wants, without overthinking it. When she's fired up and emotionally invested, her music hits on another level, and this album captures that energy from start to finish."[19] Joe Edwards of Boolin Tunes wrote, "[the album is] missing that key element that has always made Poppy an act worth following – experimentation, and dabbling in new sounds."[11] Shannon Garner of Clash noted on the continued "evolution" of Poppy's musical style and the "confrontational" tone of the album.[16] Emily Wilkes of Kerrang! called it "her most chameleonic, creative body of work to date."[20] Ixora Cook of New Noise Magazine complemented the albums' lyrical themes of romantic grief, loss, and betrayal by stating, "the lyrics are...filled with some of the most vitriolic things I've ever heard Poppy say, [and] they're some of the most vivid, specific feelings we've ever heard her extrapolate upon."[17]
Roman Kamshin of Showbiz by PS wrote, "Empty Hands isn’t a bad album; it’s just far too safe for an artist as multifaceted as Poppy."[22] Trevor Zaple of Spectrum Culture praised Poppy's vocal performance, but felt that "her own concepts take a backseat to shiny radio metal necessities."[12] Ryan P of Sputnikmusic wrote that Poppy's "vocal chops are really up to par, both harsh and clean," but also noted that the album is "sidetracked by...unimaginative industrial/electronic bits...[and falls] into the trap that plagues a lot of modern, accessible metal."[13] Will Marshall of Stereoboard wrote, "For all the fun to be had with ‘Empty Hands’ it simply doesn’t feel as experimental...as Poppy can be."[21] Georgia Haskins, writing for Wall of Sound, called it "her most assertive and self-assured work to date."[23]
Track listing
All lyrics are written by Moriah Pereira; all music is composed by Pereira and Jordan Fish, alongside additional writers as noted.
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