Soulful, Resilience, Endurance.

Mavis Staples returns with Sad And Beautiful World, a contemplative 10-song collection released Nov. 7, 2025 on Anti- Records. The album reflects on grief, memory and perseverance, offering a warm sense of calm in an unsettled era.

Produced by Brad Cook, the record was shaped around Staples’s voice from the earliest sessions. Spin Magazine reports that Cook began with only drums and piano under her vocals, later adding instrumental layers designed to hold space rather than compete. According to Noise11, his goal was to keep her “never overshadowed, always celebrated.” The Chicago Sun-Times described the album as “a modern-day elegy from someone who has lived through trying times and yet kept the faith,” a sentiment mirrored across its reflective arrangements.

The album blends nine covers with one original composition. The opener, “Chicago,” written by Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan, becomes a gospel-blues travelogue set to saxophone, slide guitar and Staples’s textured delivery.Blues Beats notes that guest features from Buddy Guy and Derek Trucks add grit without distracting from her central presence.

Her rendition of Kevin Morby’s “Beautiful Strangers” serves as one of the record’s emotional songs.According to Consequence of Sound, Morby praised her interpretation, saying “her version is better.” Staples turns the original’s protest urgency into a hushed, compassionate remembrance.

The title track, “Sad And Beautiful World,” leans into quiet sorrow. Its sparse arrangement allows the line “Sometimes I get so sad” to settle with heavy grace. Cook maintains that restraint through much of the album, giving each song space to breathe.

The album’s only original work, “Human Mind,” written for Staples by Hozier and Allison Russell, is an album standout. The Sun-Times highlighted her performance, quoting “I ain’t giving up baby … every tear … was love in full supply. God bless the human mind.” The song reads like a prayer for perseverance, one that aligns seamlessly with her storied past.

Gillian Welch’s “Hard Times” becomes a theme of refusal, powered by Staples’s conviction. Frank Ocean’s “Godspeed” takes on new emotional weight; Staples said in a statement via Rolling Stone that the opening line, “I will always love you,” “just crushes me every time I hear it or sing it.” The arrangement supports that vulnerability with quiet guitar and soft horns.

Curtis Mayfield’s “We Got to Have Peace” offers gentle resolve, while Leonard Cohen’s “Anthem” delivers one of the most affecting moments of the record.Mojo described her reading as “a bespoke gift … from another writer who knew about life in the shadows.”

The closer, Eddie Hinton’s “Everybody Needs Love,” becomes a communal affirmation featuring Bonnie Raitt, Katie Crutchfield, Patterson Hood and others. TheBrandon Sun observed that the song’s message, “Ain’t nobody ever find happiness living the life all alone,” lands with warmth and purpose.

Across the record, Cook maintains a restrained palette of finger-picked guitars, soft horns and light percussion. Uncut wrote that Staples is kept so forward in the mix “it’s like she’s whispering in the listener’s ear,” a production choice that underscores the album’s emotional intimacy.

Reception has been broadly positive. On Metacritic, Sad And Beautiful World holds a 90, signaling universal acclaim. The Brandon Sun awarded the album 3.5 out of 5 stars and highlighted “Beautiful Strangers,” “Human Mind” and “Hard Times” as the album’s essential entries.

Superbly produced by Brad Cook, fans called “Human Mind” “a modern spiritual hymn … profoundly compassionate.” A member of the Sparklehorse community added, “If only Mark Linkous could hear Mavis Staples sing his song. Wonderful stuff.”

Throughout Sad And Beautiful World, Staples sings from a place of lived experience rather than observation.Noise11 reported that she framed her mission simply: “Love is a choice and a force … I just want to share the compassion I feel through the songs.”

In a cultural moment marked by uncertainty, the album offers tenderness without naivete. Staples stands at the center not as an icon removed from reality but as a witness to it, guiding listeners toward light through shadow.