Swedish artist and producer Thea Gustafsson, known as Becky and the Birds, steps into a new era with her debut album, Only Music Makes Me Cry Now. Entirely self-produced, the record is a testament to Gustafsson’s boundless creativity, blending emotional release with sonic innovation to deliver her most ambitious work to date.
Gustafsson began crafting the album in 2021, channeling insight from collaborations with Dijon, Seinabo Sey, and Låpsley, alongside inspiration from live music scenes in London and Stockholm. Deep dives into obscure Bandcamp finds, film influences like Blue Valentine and Aftersun, and the teachings of Eckhart Tolle’s A New Earth also informed her process. The result is a deeply personal collection that serves as both a catharsis and a clean slate, exploring heartbreak, healing, and rediscovery through haunting soundscapes and lyrical introspection.
The album’s intimate core is underscored by inventive production techniques, including audio samples from Gustafsson’s daily life—voicemails, city noise, and archival demos—woven into its ethereal and erratic sound. Of Only Music Makes Me Cry Now‘s creative journey, Gustafsson explains she needed to “let it all out to take it all in.” The tracks reflect this raw emotionality, supported by hypnotic beats and lush, layered vocals that push the boundaries of modern production.
Lead single “To trust you” exemplifies this approach, blending looped vocals, stomping 808s, and transportive guitar lines to explore themes of betrayal and self-reclamation. Other highlights, like the wistful “I made my baby cry” and the transportive “Anymore,” further showcase Gustafsson’s ability to merge vulnerability with sonic boldness.
By revisiting the carefree experimental spirit that first drew her to production, while incorporating the skills honed over her career, Gustafsson has created what she calls her “strongest Becky and the Birds material to date.” Only Music Makes Me Cry Now is a brave, exploratory record that invites listeners into a world of emotional release and sonic innovation.