The Second Act (album) explained

The Second Act is the sixth studio album by Australian singer-songwriter Missy Higgins. The album was released on 6 September 2024 through .

Upon announcement of the album in April 2024, Higgins called the album as "a kind of sequel" to her debut The Sound of White, released twenty years ago to the day.^[1] About the two albums, Higgins said "They're both looking forward nervously and wondering what comes next. They're both asking questions like 'who am I?' and 'who do I want to be?'".^[2]

Singles

"You Should Run" was released on 23 February 2024 as the album's lead single. Higgins described the song as "an intensely personal song". Mary Varvaris from The Music called the song "emotional" and "powerful"^[3] while Ali Hill from 91.7 called it "heart-breaking".^[4]

"The Second Act" was released on 5 April 2024 as the album's second single. The single reflects on life after a painful divorce.^[5] Higgins said the song is about "picking yourself up, dusting yourself off and heading out into the world."^[1]

"A Complicated Truth" was released on 19 July 2024 as the album's third single. The song sees Higgins explaining to her daughter the reasons she and her dad don't live together anymore.

"Craters" was released on 6 September 2024 alongside the full album as its fourth single. The song explores grief, its visibility to others and the lasting effects on life.

Reception

Bryget Chrisfield from Beat Magazine descried the album as "raw, emotional and soothing".^[6] The Australian called it Higgins' "rawest album to date – both with regards to its extremely personal subject matter, and its pared-back and primarily solo piano-based songs."^[7]

Personnel

• Missy Higgins – vocals, production, engineering
• Brandon Love – production (tracks 1, 4–7, 9–11)
• Anna Laverty – production (tracks 2, 3, 8)
• Nao Anzai – mastering, mixing

Charts

Chart (2024)! scope="col"

Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[8]	1

Release history

Region!scope="col"

Date	Format(s)	Label	Catalogue	Reference
Australia	6 September 2024	CD, digital download	Eleven	6525128
		Vinyl		6525129	[9]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Missy Higgins Is Ready for Her Second Act, Announces New Album . Rolling Stone Australia. 5 April 2024. 5 May 2024.
2. Web site: The Second Act . JB Hi-Fi. 5 May 2024.
3. Web site: Missy Higgins Adds New Shows To 'The Second Act' Australian Tour . The Music. 23 February 2024. 5 May 2024.
4. Web site: Listen to Missy Higgins' heart-breaking new single 'You Should Run' . 917 The Wave. 23 February 2024. 5 May 2024.
5. Web site: Missy Higgins drops new single 'Second Act' ahead of album release. Kix Country. 5 April 2024. 5 May 2024.
6. Web site: Raw, emotional and soothing: The Second Act sees Missy Higgins mourn a marriage gone cold . Beat Magazine. 6 September 2024. 7 September 2024.
7. Web site: Missy Higgins exorcises divorce demons on The Second Act. The Australian. September 2024. 7 September 2024.
8. Web site: ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart. Australian Recording Industry Association. 16 September 2024. 13 September 2024.
9. Web site: The Second Act (Orange Vinyl). JB Hi-Fi. 5 May 2024.