Ugly (Tom Odell song)

Last updated
"Ugly"
Ugly by Tom Odell.jpg
Single by Tom Odell
from the album A Wonderful Life
ReleasedAugust 8, 2025 (2025-08-08)
Length4:31
Label
Songwriters
Composers
Producers
Tom Odell singles chronology
"Don't Cry, Put Your Head On My Shoulder"
(2025)		"Ugly"
(2025)		"When I Close My Eyes"
(2025)
Music video
"Ugly" on YouTube

"Ugly" is a song by British singer and songwriter Tom Odell. [1] It was released on 8 August 2025 through UROK and Virgin Music, as the third single from his seventh studio album, A Wonderful Life (2025) [2] [3]

Contents

Background and release

"Ugly" was written by Tom Odell, Laurie Blundell, and Josefina Proto. [4] The track was co-produced by Odell with Cityfall, and appears as the seven track on A Wonderful Life . [5] [6] The songs tackles Odell's body image issues, and his self-confidence struggles. [7] [2]

In the single's press release, Odell said of the track: [3]

"Something I’ve never really talked about is some of my own weird shame around my body, and it feels so uncomfortable to actually say that in a song. But when you say it, it’s really fucking powerful. "Ugly is an exploration of what it feels like to be a human being - of looking out at the world and feeling like everybody seems to glide through life so easily, but the experience of actually living it yourself is so fraught and it’s not pretty." [8]

— Tom Odell talking about "Ugly", via Stereoboard [9]

It was released alongside an accompanying music video directed by Alex Leggatt on 8 August, 2025. [10] [11]

Reception

Upon its release, "Ugly" was met with positive reviews from music critics, who praised the "honest and personal" lyrical content. [12] We Love That Sound noted that the song felt like Odell's "unofficial answer to Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful"," while dubbing it as "one of [his] Odell's strongest songs" to date. [13] Nadine Kloppert of MonkeyPress described the track as a "deeply personal piece that opens up a view directly into the heart of the longplayer." [14]

Track listing

  1. "Ugly" — 4:31
  1. "Ugly" — 4:31
  2. "Don't Cry, Put Your Head On My Shoulder" — 3:51
  3. "Don't Let Me Go" — 4:52

Personnel

Credits adapted from TIDAL. [16]

Release history

"Ugly" release history
RegionDateFormat(s)LabelRef.
Various8 August 2025 [15] [17]

References

  1. ↑ "Tom Odell celebrates the beauty of imperfection with 'Ugly'". AFAS Dome. Retrieved 2025-11-04.
  2. 1 2 Bergamini, Isabella (2025-08-09). "Tom Odell Drops New Song "Ugly" -". mxdwn Music. Retrieved 2025-11-04.
  3. 1 2 Stickler, Jon. "Tom Odell Teases Upcoming Album 'A Wonderful Life' With New Single Ugly - Stereoboard". Stereoboard.com. Retrieved 2025-11-04.
  4. ↑ Maeoka, Toshio. "Tom Odell Releases New Song "Ugly"". pm studio world wide news. Retrieved 2025-11-04.
  5. ↑ Alper, Eric (2025-08-12). "Tom Odell Unveils "Ugly" Ahead of Soul-Stirring New Album 'A Wonderful Life'". That Eric Alper. Retrieved 2025-11-04.
  6. ↑ "Tom Odell – Ugly". This Is Pop. 2025-09-03. Retrieved 2025-11-04.
  7. ↑ "Tom Odell unveils new single 'Ugly'". FrontView Magazine. 2025-08-11.
  8. ↑ "Tom Odell Teases Upcoming Album 'A Wonderful Life' with New Single Ugly - Stereoboard".
  9. ↑ "Tom Odell Teases Upcoming Album 'A Wonderful Life' with New Single Ugly - Stereoboard".
  10. ↑ "Tom Odell Shares 'Ugly' Video". antiMusic. 2025-08-09. Retrieved 2025-11-04.
  11. ↑ Tom Odell (2025-08-08). Tom Odell - Ugly (Official Music Video) . Retrieved 2025-11-04– via YouTube.
  12. ↑ "Tom Odell su emotivo track "Ugly" explora vulnerabilidad y la autoaceptación, tema de su nuevo álbum" (in Spanish). 2025-08-15. Retrieved 2025-11-04.
  13. ↑ "Tom Odell - Ugly Review". We Love That Sound (in German). 2025-08-12. Retrieved 2025-11-04.
  14. ↑ Kloppert, Nadine (2025-08-11). "TOM ODELL entblößt in "Ugly" die ungeschönte Seite des Menschseins". Monkeypress.de (in German). Retrieved 2025-11-04.
  15. 1 2 Ugly - Tom Odell - Deezer, Deezer, retrieved 2025-11-04
  16. 1 2 Tom Odell - Ugly - Credits, TIDAL, 2025-08-08, retrieved 2025-11-04
  17. ↑ "Tom Odell - Ugly on YouTube Music". YouTube Music. Retrieved 2025-11-04.
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