How to Be Human

How To Be Human
Studio album by
Released31 October 2025 (2025-10-31)
Genre
Length48:22
Label
Producer
  • William James Watson
  • Jordan Riley
  • Rob Milton
  • Ed Thomas
  • bren.
  • Kurisu
  • Will Hargreaves
  • Jonah Summerfield
Cat Burns chronology
Early Twenties
(2024)
How To Be Human
(2025)

How To Be Human is the second studio album by British singer-songwriter Cat Burns, released on 31 October 2025 through Since '93 and RCA Records. The album was preceded by the singles "Please Don't Hate Me", "All This Love" and "GIRLS!",[1] and received generally positive reviews from critics.[2] Several of the tracks on the album relate to grief and loss after Burns' "first heartbreak" and the death of her father and grandfather.[3][4]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Album of the Year65/100[2]
Review scores
SourceRating
Stereoboard[5]
Beats Per Minute78/100[6]
DIY[7]
MusicOMH[8]
The Arts Desk[9]

The album was generally well-received by critics.[2] Mary Chiney, writing for Beats Per Minute, praised the album's "honesty", saying Burns "tells her truth, and trusts that's enough."[6] Rolling Stone UK wrote that the album was "rich with humanity" and a "perfect portrait of processing grief".[10] Otis Robinson, writing for DIY, rated the album 3½ stars and said that while the album "colours grief in no new strokes, its profundity and earnestness is no less admirable".[7]

Joe Muggs, writing for The Arts Desk, said the album was "heavily over-engineered" and that "it feels like there's something that's far more her waiting to get out."[9]

Track listing

How To Be Human track listing[11]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Come Home"
  • William James Watson
  • Riley
3:01
2."Can Time Move Faster"
  • Burns
  • O'Connell
  • Riley
  • Rob Milton
  • Riley
3:09
3."I Hope It's Me"
  • Burns
  • Britten Newbill
  • Ed Thomas
  • Watson
  • Thomas
3:50
4."Small Talk"
 3:26
5."Sad Forever"
Milton3:07
6."All This Love"
  • Burns
  • O'Connell
  • Riley
  • Milton
  • Riley
  • Jonah Summerfield[a]
3:26
7."I Love You, But"
  • Burns
  • Skies
  • Stok
Watson3:06
8."Today"
  • Burns
  • Skies
  • Stok
Watson2:33
9."Gemini"
  • Burns
  • Steph Jones
  • O'Connell
  • Riley
  • Milton
  • Riley
2:35
10."GIRLS!"
  • Burns
  • Chris Thomas
  • Newbill
  • bren.
  • Kurisu
  • Brendan Grieve[a]
2:22
11."There's Just Something About Her"
  • Burns
  • O'Connell
  • Riley
  • Milton
  • Riley
3:12
12."Lavender"
  • Burns
  • O'Connell
  • Riley
  • Milton
  • Riley
  • Summerfield[a]
3:06
13."Please Don't Hate Me"
  • Burns
  • Will Hargreaves
  • Watson
  • Watson
  • Hargreaves
3:34
14."I Wish You Well"
  • Burns
  • Skies
  • Stok
Milton2:30
15."When I'm With You"
  • Burns
  • Hargreaves
  • Watson
Watson2:45
16."How To Be Human"
  • Burns
  • Skies
  • Stok
  • Milton
  • Summerfield
2:40
Total length:48:22
  • ^[a] signifies an additional producer

Charts

Chart performance for How To Be Human
Chart (2024) Peak
position
UK Albums (OCC)[12] 5
Scottish Albums (OCC)[13] 9

References

  1. ^ Damian Jones (17 October 2025). "Cat Burns shares mellow new single 'Please Don't Hate Me' amid stint on 'The Celebrity Traitors'". NME. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  2. ^ a b c "How To Be Human". Album of the Year. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  3. ^ Robin Murray (21 August 2025). "Cat Burns Announces New Album 'How To Be Human'". Clash. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  4. ^ Mark Savage (31 October 2025). "Cat Burns' new album shows a softer side to the Traitors star". BBC News. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  5. ^ Jack Press (5 November 2025). "Cat Burns - How To Be Human (Album Review)". Stereoboard. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  6. ^ a b Mary Chiney (5 November 2025). "Album Review: Cat Burns – How To Be Human". Beats Per Minute. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  7. ^ a b Otis Robinson (31 October 2025). "Cat Burns - How To Be Human". DIY. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  8. ^ John Murphy (4 November 2025). "Cat Burns - How To Be Human". MusicOMH. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  9. ^ a b Joe Muggs (31 October 2025). "Cat Burns finds 'How to Be Human' but maybe not her own sound". The Arts Desk. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  10. ^ "9 albums you need to hear this week". Rolling Stone UK. 31 October 2025. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  11. ^ "How to Be Human". MusicBrainz. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  12. ^ "Official Albums Chart on 13/11/2025 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  13. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart on 13/11/2025 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 February 2026.