Empress Of rebuilds from the ashes with help from Blood Orange and Cecile Believe for new album Dream House

Speaking about the album's origins, the artist – born Lorely Rodriguez – says: "One afternoon I made a little voice memo while playing a piano mumbling the phrase, 'I wanna build a dream for you.' That's when this whole thing kind of started. Like a little spark. Someone said a phoenix isn't born, it's remembered and in making this album I remembered why I make music".

Dream House was created alongside longtime collaborator Cecile Believe – also known for her vocal work across a body of SOPHIE's music – who also features on the track "SYW". Blood Orange appears elsewhere on the record, following Rodriguez's recent guest appearance during his Coachella set. Her mother, Reina, also contributes vocals, having rebuilt their family home alongside her daughter during the album's creation .

Alongside the announcement, Rodriguez has shared new single "Wild Storm". The track was written years prior but took on new resonance when Rodriguez rediscovered it while processing the devastation. The accompanying music video was filmed at sunset on the rooftop of her new home, with the fire-ravaged landscape still visible in the distance.

The album follows 2024's For Your Consideration, which saw Rodriguez embracing camp, fantasy and her role as executive producer. To mark the new album's release, Empress Of will perform at Music Hall of Williamsburg in New York on 30 September. The show is one of the venue's final performances before it closes this autumn, representing a full-circle moment for the artist who played there earlier in her career. Tickets for the show go on sale 1 July.

Dream House artwork