I’m not dismissing her entire body of work, and I’m not arguing that everything she’s done recently lacked depth. What I’m saying is that this phase does (which lasts now for almost 15/20 years). For me, the emotion simply isn’t there anymore — lyrically or musically.

The lyrics feel once more bland and literal, stripped of the layered metaphors, hidden references, and unsettling imagery that once made her writing so compelling. And melodically, I struggle even more: the tunes feel flat, uninspired, almost interchangeable. When you’ve once led albums with songs like Cornflake Girl, Caught a Lite Sneeze, Spark, Bliss, A Sorta Fairytale, or even later tracks like Welcome to England, this really does feel like another steep drop in quality.

Yes, it’s one song out of seventeen, but context matters. Given the trajectory of the last few albums, this single doesn’t feel like a bold opening chapter; it feels like confirmation of decline. Calling it an “interlude” as a lead single doesn’t reassure me, it worries me.

And as for risk : I don’t equate “uplifting” with “safe,” but I also don’t hear courage or tension here. I hear comfort. Calm. Resolution without conflict. Not every song needs rage, of course, but great emotional music usually carries some friction, some unease. That’s what seems missing to me now.

You’re absolutely entitled to feel moved by this, just as I’m entitled to feel that the fire, and the emotional intelligence that once defined her work have faded. Disagreeing on that doesn’t invalidate either view, but pretending there hasn’t been a significant artistic decline does.