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.
Background
Poppy released her sixth studio album Negative Spaces in November 2024, which was critically acclaimed, and also marked her first collaboration with British producer Jordan Fish. She embarked on the They're All Around Us Tour in support of the record. On September 2, 2025, Poppy premiered the then-unreleased song "Bruised Sky" at her concert in Worcester, Massachusetts.[1] The same month, she collaborated with Courtney LaPlante of Spiritbox and Amy Lee of Evanescence on the single "End of You", and was previously featured on Babymetal's single "From Me to U" earlier that year.[2][3]
On October 23, 2025, Poppy announced the Constantly Nowhere Tour and released "Unravel" as the album's lead single.[4][5] The tour commenced in Brisbane, Australia on January 20, 2026.[6] On November 12, 2025, Poppy announced Empty Hands, along with the release of its second single, "Bruised Sky".[7][8] On December 4, the third single, "Guardian", was released.[9] On January 23, "Time Will Tell" was released along with album as the fourth single.[10]
According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Empty Hands received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 75 out of 100 from 5 critic scores.[19] Anne Rickson of Blabbermouth wrote, "'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."[20] 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] Sarah Jamieson of DIY wrote, "Empty Hands feels defiant in its ambition but never disingenuous or forced."[21] Emily Wilkes of Kerrang! called it "her most chameleonic, creative body of work to date."[22] 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."[24] 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."[23] Georgia Haskins, writing for Wall of Sound, called it "her most assertive and self-assured work to date."[25]
Track listing
All lyrics are written by Moriah Pereira; all music is composed by Pereira and Jordan Fish, alongside additional writers as noted.
123456Zaple, Trevor (January 29, 2026). "Poppy: Empty Hands". Spectrum Culture. Archived from the original on March 9, 2026. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
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