Alice Phoebe Lou – Oblivion
South African-born, Berlin-based singer-songwriter Alice Phoebe Lou releases her sixth album “Oblivion” via Nettwerk Music Group, marking her first entirely self-produced record and one of our Spotlight albums for Week 43. Recorded at Berlin’s La Pot Studio with longtime collaborators Ziv Yamin and Dekel Adin, the album returns to the stripped-back simplicity of her busking days while showing growth earned over five previous albums.
The title track “Oblivion” sits at the album’s center, built around layered vocals and rhythmic piano. Lou plays synth and piano herself, with Yamin handling co-production, engineering, and mixing, while Adin co-produced and engineered. David Parry mastered the track. Lou sings about being “flung into oblivion / no time no space I’m in between,” describing a moment of meeting someone with golden skin who makes loneliness disappear. The song captures isolation’s weight—”when you’re inside your home for too long / well the world don’t feel real”—before finding connection.
Lou describes “Oblivion” as a place where you can forget external judgment and access your true essence. She drew from songs written over the past decade, embracing imperfection by keeping vocal cracks and other “mistakes” that would’ve been scrapped years ago. The production focuses on acoustic guitar, piano, and her voice, with minimal additional elements.
Influences from Nick Drake, Joni Mitchell, and Leonard Cohen shape the album’s approach. “Mind Reader” addresses difficult communication in relationships, while “Pretender” reflects on personal growth. Lou has spent 2025 touring extensively, playing three sold-out nights at LA’s Lodge Room before joining Remi Wolf at Red Rocks. She wrapped a European tour with multiple sold-out shows, then hit the road with her side project strongboi, supporting Men I Trust.
Early 2026 brings the Oblivion Tour to North America, with major stops at New York’s Webster Hall and LA’s The Wiltern.
Tracklist:
- Sailor
- Pretender
- Mind Reader
- Sparkle
- The Surface
- Oblivion
- You and I
- Old Shadows
- Darling
- Skyline
- With or Without
