By Azzam Bilal 
HangupsMusic.com – New York, The landscape of contemporary avant-pop is set to shift once again as the visionary cellist, composer, and vocalist Kelsey Lu officially announces their second full-length studio album, So Help Me God. Scheduled for release on June 12, the project marks a significant milestone in Lu’s career, serving as their debut for the influential independent label Dirty Hit. This announcement ends a five-year wait for a follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2019 debut, Blood, a period during which Lu has transitioned from a rising indie darling to a polymathic force in the worlds of high fashion, cinema, and experimental music.
So Help Me God is the culmination of a nearly decade-long creative arc. According to Lu, the record was meticulously crafted over seven years of profound personal and artistic transformation. This expansive timeline is reflected in the album’s sonic architecture, which Lu co-produced alongside two heavyweights of modern production: Jack Antonoff and Yves Rothman. Antonoff, known for his era-defining work with Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey, and Lorde, brings a certain pop sensibilities and polished intimacy to the project, while Rothman, a frequent collaborator with Yves Tumor and Blondshell, likely contributes the grittier, more experimental textures that have long defined Lu’s output.
The collaborative spirit of the album extends far beyond the production booth. So Help Me God boasts an impressive and eclectic roster of guest contributors, highlighting Lu’s standing as a "musician’s musician." The guest list includes the legendary Sonic Youth co-founder Kim Gordon, whose presence suggests a lean toward avant-garde noise and punk ethos. Joining her is the Mercury Prize-winning soul innovator Sampha, whose delicate vocal arrangements often mirror the vulnerability found in Lu’s own work. The album also features jazz titan Kamasi Washington, adding a layer of spiritual jazz grandeur, and the esteemed violinist Lady Jess, ensuring that the classical foundations of Lu’s training remain at the forefront of the new material.
To herald the arrival of the new era, Lu has released the lead single, “Running to Pain.” The track is a masterful evolution of the "chamber-pop" tag often applied to their music, pushing the boundaries of the genre into more theatrical and emotionally volatile territory. It is a song that balances the precision of classical string arrangements with the visceral impact of modern electronic production. The single is accompanied by a striking music video directed by Savanah Leaf, the acclaimed filmmaker behind the 2023 drama Earth Mama. The visual features a captivating performance by Garance Marillier, the French actress who rose to international fame for her roles in the visceral body-horror films Raw and Titane. The collaboration between Leaf, Marillier, and Lu results in a cinematic experience that mirrors the intense emotional stakes of the music.
In a statement released alongside the announcement, Lu provided insight into the philosophical and emotional bedrock of the new record. They described So Help Me God as an exploration of dualities—devotion and desire, collapse and becoming. Lu noted that the music seeks to reconcile the feeling of breaking down with the act of believing in something intangible. The title itself, So Help Me God, carries a weight of both desperation and oath-taking, perhaps referencing Lu’s well-documented upbringing in a strict religious environment and their subsequent journey toward self-actualization through art. It is a record about the cyclical nature of rebirth, an idea that Lu has embodied throughout their career as they move between the worlds of classical performance and experimental pop.
While So Help Me God is Lu’s first full-length album in five years, they have hardly been stagnant in the interim. Since the release of Blood, Lu has maintained a steady presence in the music world through a series of high-profile collaborations and multidisciplinary projects. In 2019, they released the Blood Transfusion EP, which offered reimagined versions of tracks from their debut. Their collaborative resume has expanded to include work with electronic heavyweight Jamie xx, the boundary-pushing Yves Tumor, and the techno-clash producer Boys Noize on the track “Ride or Die.”
Furthermore, Lu has made significant inroads into the world of film scoring. They provided the musical backdrop for the Netflix documentary Daughters, a poignant look at the lives of incarcerated fathers and their children, and contributed to the score of A24’s Earth Mama. These projects have allowed Lu to flex their muscles as a composer, proving their ability to craft narrative-driven soundscapes that enhance visual storytelling. This experience in film scoring appears to have bled into the new album, which is described as holding "many different worlds at once," suggesting a cinematic breadth that goes beyond standard song structures.
The transition to Dirty Hit represents a new chapter for Lu’s business operations as well. Joining a roster that includes The 1975, Wolf Alice, and Beabadoobee, Lu is now part of a label known for fostering idiosyncratic artists who bridge the gap between cult appeal and mainstream recognition. This partnership suggests that So Help Me God may receive the kind of global push that Lu’s talent has long merited, positioning them as a central figure in the next wave of alternative music.
Fans will not have to wait until June to hear the new material in a live setting. Lu has announced a series of intimate performances scheduled for next month at the Blue Note Jazz Clubs in both New York City and Los Angeles. These venues, renowned for their history and acoustic intimacy, provide the perfect setting for Lu’s cello-driven compositions and vocal prowess. These shows are expected to offer a first-hand look at how the studio experiments of So Help Me God translate to the stage, likely featuring the hybrid of live instrumentation and electronic manipulation that has become a hallmark of Lu’s live sets.
The tracklist for So Help Me God reveals a ten-song journey that begins with "Reaper" and concludes with the evocatively titled "Cutting Off the Head of a Ghost." Other titles, such as "Portrait of a Lady on Fire"—likely a nod to Céline Sciamma’s acclaimed film—and "American Sonnet," suggest a record that is deeply engaged with literature, cinema, and the complexities of modern identity. "Only the Lonely" and "Better Than That" point toward a continued exploration of interpersonal dynamics and the internal landscape of the soul.
As the music industry prepares for the June 12 release, the anticipation surrounding So Help Me God is palpable. Kelsey Lu has spent years building a reputation as one of the most original voices of their generation, an artist who refuses to be confined by the traditional boundaries of genre or medium. With a production team led by Jack Antonoff and a guest list of legendary innovators, the new album is poised to be more than just a collection of songs; it is an intentional statement of artistic survival and spiritual renewal. In a world of fast-paced releases and fleeting trends, Lu’s seven-year journey toward this moment stands as a testament to the power of slow, deliberate creation.
So Help Me God Tracklist:
01 Reaper
02 Portrait of a Lady on Fire
03 What Can I Do
04 Running to Pain
05 Comfort
06 American Sonnet
07 8 52
08 Only the Lonely
09 Better Than That
10 Cutting Off the Head of a Ghost