As she returns with chaotic new single ‘More! More! More!’, Becky Hill has spoken to NME about her upcoming third album ‘Rebecca’, working classes feeling “trodden on” and the inspiration of “pop girlies having their authentic moment”.
Hill made a name for herself by co-writing huge crossover dance records with Rudimental (‘Powerless’), Wilkinson (‘Afterglow’) and Oliver Heldens (‘Gecko’) while her 2024 album ‘Believe Me Now?’ saw her straddling the worlds of dance and pop. “I still want people who discovered me on The Voice to like it, but I want to bring in people that listen to Chase & Status, Fred Again.., Four Tet and Joy Anonymous as well,“ she told NME shortly before the record was released.
Her upcoming third album ‘Rebecca’ (announced today and out September 25) is very different. Not only does it have a “punk” energy thanks to its Blur and The Prodigy influences, it also sees Hill tackling a “diverse” range of subject matters including “nepo baby” Jack Whitehall calling her “Wetherspoons Whitney” at the 2025 BRIT Awards.
“This album has definitely got something to fucking say for itself,” she has told NME about the new record.
Following on from the pulsating electro pop of ‘Hands On Me’, Becky Hill’s new single ‘More! More! More!’ deals with the juxtaposition of being an artist; trying to prioritise her well-being while also being scared she’s not doing enough. “One side is cracking the whip, the other is cracking under the pressure,” said Hill.
“I’ve never spoken about these things before and I don’t know if people are going to get it. But the worst thing you can feel towards a piece of art is nothing.”
Check out our full interview with Hill below, where she opens up about…
NME: Hey Becky! How are you feeling about ‘Rebecca’?
Becky Hill: “I wanted to make something different this time around. I have never fully given myself permission to write something that was unbelievably authentic to me, without thinking about the listener before. That came about from feeling tired of second-guessing what people wanted to hear from me, as well as worrying about losing my job and not being liked. It was written at a time where I didn’t give a fuck what people would think of it. Though now it’s got a release date and people are starting to hear the songs… I do really give a fuck. I have no idea if anyone’s going to like it, and that’s terrifying.”
Is that the normal pre-release nerves or is there more riding on ‘Rebecca’?
“My first album [‘Only Honest on the Weekend’, 2021] was difficult because it was an amalgamation of songs written over nine years that I hadn’t been allowed to release, and it only came out after I was dropped. Then I really wanted my second album to be a dance record. I love ‘Believe Me Now?’ but after the cycle wrapped up, I didn’t feel like anything was expected of me. I came away feeling like I could easily fall into the background. I went into ‘Rebecca’ thinking it could be the last album I ever make or it could be the thing that gets me dropped again. I didn’t want it to be the last album I ever write, but that fear gave me so much more freedom. If this is the last time I do it, why not enjoy it?”
How did that affect what you were making?
“That gave me a lot of room to create an album I’m incredibly proud of. I feel like I’m funny, witty, opinionated and passionate – but I don’t think that comes across in my music. I’ve been too scared to show those parts of myself in case some people don’t like them. I just hope people will be responsive to [this more honest music]. I’m watching other pop girlies have their authentic moment and that was a space I never thought that I could be in, because I just wanted to please all the people all the time.”
“There’s more confidence behind this album. I would rather look back on my time in the industry and know I did things how I wanted to do them, instead of walking away wondering if things would have been different if I hadn’t been so worried about what people wanted from me.”
What inspired ‘More! More! More!’?
“In the music industry, saying no to any opportunity always feels like it’s going to be the end of your career. You end up doing so much out of fear and a lot of the times, it’s really not worth it.
“It was written after I realised that I was so desperate for success that I was fucking myself over. I know when to say no, but I was ignoring that gut feeling because I still don’t feel like I deserve these opportunities. It’s that contrast between imposter syndrome but also believing that this could be really big if I try and do absolutely everything that comes my way.”
What do you want that track to mean to other people?
“When I came out of the session, I was worried ‘More! More! More!’ was an incredibly niche song but I do think that grind is something a lot of people are struggling with, especially in this cost of living crisis. People are pushing themselves to the limit in fear that they aren’t going to be able to feed their family, keep the lights on or support themselves.
“A lot of us feel trodden on, and we accept it. There’s a lot of that on the album and it’s where ‘Daddy Range Rover’ came from as well. That song is about the ‘Wetherspoons Whitney’ thing because how fucking dare [Whitehall] punch down.”
“I’ll take the Whitney [comparison]. I’ll take ‘landfill Whitney’, but how fucking dare he punch down and call me a Wetherspoons Whitney, because where the fuck is he frequenting? I was always brought up middle class. My parents pretended we were middle class, we couldn’t afford the middle class lifestyle, and both of them… my dad, in particular, was brought up working class, and I definitely have that mentality.”
What else are you tackling on ‘Rebecca’?
“There are still a couple of songs about me and my husband being in love. The record opens with ‘Tie Me Down’, which was all about getting married and turning something that traditionally is very pure and angelic into something that feels incredibly sexy and powerful. There are also songs about wanting to be a pop star and how easy it is to fall off the rails. You want to get fucked up because you can’t deal with the pressure, but also loving the pressure because without it, who are you?”
And why name it ‘Rebecca’?
“‘Rebecca’ means ‘to tie’ or ‘to bind’. I’ve known that since I was a little girl, and I’ve always thought it was a weird thing for a name to mean. But this album has very much felt like a form of BDSM. There’s a lot of that contrast between pleasure and pain. Sometimes you can love something so much that it causes you pain and you can trick yourself into thinking painful things are pleasurable because you care about it so much. I just felt more empowered to be pulled in different directions. There are a few themes across the record, and ‘Rebecca’ felt like an authentic, meaningful way to tie all those together. It’s a true embodiment of who I have felt like since I turned 30.”
Musically, who were you inspired by for this album?
“I wanted to make something that felt new for me, but also something that a woman hasn’t really done before in this space before. The album is a journey. It starts off with more electronic music, then goes into something inspired by Britpop and ends with anthemic strings.
“To me, there was just a real punk essence to what I was making. I was pulling from Basement Jaxx and Mura Masa’s heavier stuff. I love Blur, Gorlliaz, The Prodigy and Pendulum – records that I listened to when I was 15 that made me feel rebellious. We did a softer Becky Hill version, but there are a lot more band-led songs on this album.”
How inspirational has it been to see pop stars celebrated for their authenticity?
“The pop landscape has changed so much since I started out. Most of my successes have come from making vague dance records with other producers. They have been records that meant something to me, but they were also malleable enough to mean something to the general public. I didn’t think that I was allowed to write personal records without alienating people. I think when you’ve been dropped by a record label, you understand how fragile the industry is and you don’t want to displease anyone when you get another chance.
“But seeing Charli XCX, Zara Larsson, Lola Young and Raye be really specific and personal in their records has been inspiring. Their successes have proved that people don’t want vague music, they want something they can invest in. And that’s the music that I grew up listening to.”
So shall we get ready for ‘Rebecca Summer’?
“I haven’t necessarily been influenced by their music, but the path that they have all taken has been very inspiring. It has allowed me to be the artist I have always wanted to be. It’s been so much fun writing this album, because I haven’t written like that since I was a teenager. To go in and be very specific has been an absolute joy. I don’t know what people will make of it. All I’ve done is make music that I fucking love.”
And you’re taking part in the Music Venue Trust’s Everywhere At Once weekender next month, why are grassroots venues so important to you?
“They’re a staple of UK culture. It’s so important that people have an affordable place to go where they can detach from reality for a few hours but still feel connected to other people. The fact that so many venues are closing down is a tragedy for this country. It’s such a worthwhile cause to get behind.”
Becky Hill releases ‘Rebecca’ on September 25. Pre-order it here. Her upcoming 2026 tour dates are below. Visit here for tickets and more information.
JUNE
20 – Cornwall, Eden Project
26 – Staffordshire, Cannock Chase Forest
27 – York, Racecourse
JULY
24 – Hitchin, Priory
25 – Cheshire, Together Again Festival
AUGUST
2 – Bristol, Clifton Downs
8 – Canterbury, St. Lawrence Ground
13 – Poznan, BitterSweet Festival
15 – West Sussex, Borde Hill
22 – Colchester, Castle Park
30 – Cheshire, Creamfields
