˂COPINGMECHANISM˃ is Willow’s 5th studio album, set to be released on October 7, 2022, following her previous album lately I feel EVERYTHING.
“< maybe > it’s my fault” was the 1st single from the album to be released with a visualizer on
June 24, 2022.
Then on August 5, 2022, ˂COPINGMECHANISM˃ the release date and name of the album ˂COPINGMECHANISM˃ was confirmed, via Roc Nation, along with an album’s 2nd single and visualizer “hover like a GODDESS”. Later on, the 3rd single and visualizer “curious/furious” on September 9, 2022.
˂COPINGMECHANISM˃ is said to be Willow’s most personal album to date, exploring her own emotions in a more raw light than ever before. that being said, she felt this album needed to dive into the heart of emo music to best express her feeling with this LP.
The date of ˂COPINGMECHANISM˃ was originally going to be released on September 23, but on September 14, Willow took to Twitter to state:
I’m SO grateful for all the love you’ve shown the records of the new project. I’m working on some REALLY exciting things and just needed those two extra weeks.
I wanted to go for rock. I didn’t want to go for pop punk. I didn’t want to go for what’s necessarily popular right now. I wanted to go for the heart of rock music, which to me is a deep outcry — maybe about pain, maybe about joy.
I’m going to use this [album] as a way to express myself and, hopefully, allow other people to feel the deepest parts of me. I want my life to be driven by love and where my heart wants to take me. Not where it’s like, ‘Oh, you’re doing this well, this person does this, too. So, you guys should hook up.’
—via Billboard
Yes, Apple Music features animated artwork for this release.