World's Gone Wrong

World's Gone Wrong
World's Gone Wrong
Studio album by Lucinda Williams
Released	January 23, 2026
Studio	Room & Board (Nashville); Electric Lady (New York);
Length	47:35
Label	Highway 20; Thirty Tigers;
Producer	Ray Kennedy; Tom Overby;
Lucinda Williams chronology

World's Gone Wrong is the sixteenth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams. It was released on January 23, 2026, under Williams' own label Highway 20 Records with distribution by Thirty Tigers.

Background

World's Gone Wrong features nine original songs composed by Williams and a cover of Bob Marley and the Wailers' "So Much Trouble in the World", heard here as a duet with Mavis Staples.^[2] The album also features additional guest appearances from Brittney Spencer ("The World's Gone Wrong" and "Something's Gotta Give") and Norah Jones ("We've Come Too Far to Turn Around").^[3]

The album was produced by Tom Overby and Ray Kennedy and recorded at the Room & Board Studio in Nashville, Tennessee.^[4]

Promotion

The album's lead single, "The World's Gone Wrong", was released on October 30, 2025, simultaneously with the album's announcement. A performance video coincided with the song's release.^[5] The second single, "So Much Trouble in the World", was released on December 12, 2025.^[6]

Critical reception

In an article published by the Oxford American, writer Jim Beaugez commented, "World’s Gone Wrong articulates the anger, hope, and inspiration she’s carried since the protests of her youth, with songs that explore the struggles of race, poverty, and trauma that continue to shadow America today." The article also references parallels with the 2017 Jesmyn Ward novel Sing, Unburied, Sing, which inspired the song "Sing Unburied Sing": "In the same way Ward uses song as a medium for the marginalized, Williams recognizes the act of singing as protest and affirmation." ^[7] John Amen of Beats Per Minute wrote, "Williams examines the 'dark age' we’re currently traversing but refuses to surrender to despair". He concluded, "World’s Gone Wrong extends Williams’ fertile run, infused with the aesthetic adventurousness and undiluted honesty that have characterized her work for over four decades".^[8]

Track listing

*World's Gone Wrong* track listing
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"The World's Gone Wrong" (featuring Brittney Spencer)	Lucinda Williams Tom Overby Doug Pettibone	5:07
2.	"Something's Gotta Give" (featuring Brittney Spencer)	Williams Overby Pettibone	5:38
3.	"Low Life"	Williams James Krivchenia Adrianne Lenker Alexander Meek Travis Stephens	4:24
4.	"How Much Did You Get for Your Soul?"	Williams Overby Pettibone	4:00
5.	"So Much Trouble in the World" (featuring Mavis Staples)	Bob Marley	4:35
6.	"Sing Unburied Sing"	Williams Overby Pettibone	3:31
7.	"Black Tears"	Williams Overby Pettibone	5:39
8.	"Punchline"	Williams Marc Ford Overby Pettibone	5:38
9.	"Freedom Speaks"	Williams Overby Pettibone	4:04
10.	"We've Come Too Far to Turn Around"	Williams	4:59
Total length:			47:35

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.^[1]

Lucinda Williams – vocals
Ray Kennedy – production, mixing (all tracks), recording (tracks 1, 2, 4–10)
Tom Overby – production
John Rooney – recording (3)
Pete Lyman – mastering
Brady Blade – drums (all tracks), tambourine (3), djembe (5)
David Sutton – electric bass (1–4, 6–10), backing vocals (3), upright bass (5)
Doug Pettibone – electric guitar (1–7, 9, 10), backing vocals (3, 6, 7), resonator guitar (8), piano (9)
Marc Ford – electric guitar (1, 2, 4, 6–9), acoustic guitar (3, 5), backing vocals (3), slide guitar (5, 10)
Rob Burger – Hammond B3 (1–4, 6, 8, 9), Wurlitzer (4), Vox Jaguar (5)
Brittney Spencer – backing vocals (1, 2)
Mickey Raphael – harmonica (3)
Maureen Murphy – backing vocals (4, 6, 7, 9)
Mavis Staples – vocals (5)
Siobhan M. Kennedy – backing vocals (6, 7)
Norah Jones – vocals, piano (10)
Mark Seliger – photography
Fetzer Design – design

Charts

Chart performance for *World's Gone Wrong*
Chart (2026)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)^[9]	94
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)^[10]	30
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)^[11]	46
Croatian International Albums (HDU)^[12]	12
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)^[13]	77
French Rock & Metal Albums (SNEP)^[14]	53
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)^[15]	37
German Rock & Metal Albums (Offizielle Top 100)^[16]	11
Norwegian Physical Albums (IFPI Norge)^[17]	5
Swedish Physical Albums (Sverigetopplistan)^[18]	7
Scottish Albums (OCC)^[19]	8
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)^[20]	44
UK Albums Sales (OCC)^[21]	8
UK Americana Albums (OCC)^[22]	2
UK Independent Albums (OCC)^[23]	5
US Top Album Sales (Billboard)^[24]	14

References

1 2 World's Gone Wrong (Media notes). Lucinda Williams. Highway 20 Records, Thirty Tigers. January 23, 2026.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
↑ Whitfield, Mark (October 30, 2025). "Lucinda Williams returns with new album "World's Gone Wrong"". Americana UK. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
↑ Kelly, Tyler Damara (October 30, 2025). "Norah Jones, Mavis Staples and Brittney Spencer feature on Lucinda Williams' new album, World's Gone Wrong". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
↑ Moderelli, Rob (October 30, 2025). "Lucinda Williams Unveils New Album 'World's Gone Wrong'". Relix Media. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
↑ Richards, Sam (October 30, 2025). "Lucinda Williams announces new album, World's Gone Wrong". Uncut. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
↑ Moderelli, Rob (December 12, 2025). "Lucinda Williams and Mavis Staples Share Bob Marley Cover to Preview 'World's Gone Wrong'". Relix Media. Retrieved January 19, 2026.
↑ Beaugez, Jim (March 25, 2026). "Lucinda Williams Has Had Enough". Oxford American. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
↑ Amen, John (January 23, 2026). "Album Review: Lucinda Williams – World's Gone Wrong". Beats Per Minute. Retrieved April 8, 2026.
↑ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 2 February 2026". The ARIA Report. No. 1874. Australian Recording Industry Association. February 2, 2026. p. 6.
↑ "Austriancharts.at – Lucinda Williams – World's Gone Wrong" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
↑ "Ultratop.be – Lucinda Williams – World's Gone Wrong" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
↑ "Lista prodaje 9. tjedan 2026" [Sales list week 9, 2026] (in Croatian). HDU. March 1, 2026. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Lucinda Williams – World's Gone Wrong" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 31, 2026.
↑ "Top Rock & Metal Albums (Semaine du 30 janvier 2026)" (in French). Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Lucinda Williams – World's Gone Wrong" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved January 31, 2026.
↑ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts Top 20 Rock/Metal-Charts – 30 Januar 2026" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
↑ "Fysisk Albums 2026 uke 05" (in Norwegian Bokmål). IFPI Norge. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
↑ "Veckolista Album Fysiskt, vecka 5" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved January 31, 2026.
↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart on 30/1/2026 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 31, 2026.
↑ "Swisscharts.com – Lucinda Williams – World's Gone Wrong". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
↑ "Official Albums Sales Chart on 30/01/2026 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 31, 2026.
↑ "Official Americana Albums Chart on 30/1/2026 – Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 31, 2026.
↑ "Official Independent Albums Chart on 30/1/2026 – Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 31, 2026.
↑ "Lucinda Williams Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved February 3, 2026.

[liner-1] 1 2 World's Gone Wrong (Media notes). Lucinda Williams. Highway 20 Records, Thirty Tigers. January 23, 2026.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

[2] Whitfield, Mark (October 30, 2025). "Lucinda Williams returns with new album "World's Gone Wrong"". Americana UK. Retrieved November 3, 2025.

[3] Kelly, Tyler Damara (October 30, 2025). "Norah Jones, Mavis Staples and Brittney Spencer feature on Lucinda Williams' new album, World's Gone Wrong". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved November 3, 2025.

[4] Moderelli, Rob (October 30, 2025). "Lucinda Williams Unveils New Album 'World's Gone Wrong'". Relix Media. Retrieved November 3, 2025.

[5] Richards, Sam (October 30, 2025). "Lucinda Williams announces new album, World's Gone Wrong". Uncut. Retrieved November 3, 2025.

[6] Moderelli, Rob (December 12, 2025). "Lucinda Williams and Mavis Staples Share Bob Marley Cover to Preview 'World's Gone Wrong'". Relix Media. Retrieved January 19, 2026.

[Oxford_American-7] Beaugez, Jim (March 25, 2026). "Lucinda Williams Has Had Enough". Oxford American. Retrieved March 29, 2026.

[8] Amen, John (January 23, 2026). "Album Review: Lucinda Williams – World's Gone Wrong". Beats Per Minute. Retrieved April 8, 2026.

[9] "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 2 February 2026". The ARIA Report. No. 1874. Australian Recording Industry Association. February 2, 2026. p. 6.

[ac_Austria_Lucinda_Williams-10] "Austriancharts.at – Lucinda Williams – World's Gone Wrong" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 1, 2026.

[ac_Flanders_Lucinda_Williams-11] "Ultratop.be – Lucinda Williams – World's Gone Wrong" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 8, 2026.

[12] "Lista prodaje 9. tjedan 2026" [Sales list week 9, 2026] (in Croatian). HDU. March 1, 2026. Retrieved March 11, 2026.

[ac_Netherlands_Lucinda_Williams-13] "Dutchcharts.nl – Lucinda Williams – World's Gone Wrong" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 31, 2026.

[14] "Top Rock & Metal Albums (Semaine du 30 janvier 2026)" (in French). Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique. Retrieved February 2, 2026.

[ac_Germany_Lucinda_Williams-15] "Offiziellecharts.de – Lucinda Williams – World's Gone Wrong" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved January 31, 2026.

[16] "Offizielle Deutsche Charts Top 20 Rock/Metal-Charts – 30 Januar 2026" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved February 2, 2026.

[17] "Fysisk Albums 2026 uke 05" (in Norwegian Bokmål). IFPI Norge. Retrieved February 1, 2026.

[18] "Veckolista Album Fysiskt, vecka 5" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved January 31, 2026.

[ac_Scotland_-19] "Official Scottish Albums Chart on 30/1/2026 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 31, 2026.

[ac_Switzerland_Lucinda_Williams-20] "Swisscharts.com – Lucinda Williams – World's Gone Wrong". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 2, 2026.

[21] "Official Albums Sales Chart on 30/01/2026 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 31, 2026.

[ac_UKAmericana_-22] "Official Americana Albums Chart on 30/1/2026 – Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 31, 2026.

[ac_UKIndependent_-23] "Official Independent Albums Chart on 30/1/2026 – Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 31, 2026.

[ac_BillboardAlbumSales_Lucinda_Williams-24] "Lucinda Williams Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved February 3, 2026.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]