Michelle Zauner wrote the debutÂ

Â album in the weeks after her mother died of cancer, thinking she would quit music entirely once it was done. That wasnâ€™t the case. Zauner was forced to confront her grief whenÂ

Â was released to acclaim in 2016. Â Her sophomore album,Â

, is a transmutation of mourning, a reflection that turns back on the cosmos in search of healing.Â

The titleÂ

Â

alludes to the promise of something that may or may not be there. Like a hope in something more. The songs are about human resilience and the strength it takes to claw out of the darkest of spaces. It builds space where there is none, and suggests that in the face of tragedy, we find ways to keep on living. Â