The Cure's 14th studio album, Songs Of A Lost World, marked their first full-length project in 16 years. Its unconventional rollout included black postcards and a secret website requiring the release date in Roman numerals for access.

Commercial success

• The album debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200, marking the band's best performance on that chart since Wish in 1992.

• It became the band's first No. 1 on five Billboard charts, including Top Album Sales.

• The album debuted at No. 1 in the UK with sales of 51K units.

Cultural impact

• An official album launch show was held on November 1st at The Troxy in London.

• A companion live album, Songs of a Live World: Troxy London MMXXIV, was announced.

Critical response

• Slant Magazine noted that "Unlike much of the Cure's output between the mid-1990s and 2008, Songs of a Lost World is textured and well-balanced, achieving a cinematic wall of sound worthy of comparison to 1989's Disintegration." Read full review

• Beats Per Minute praised the album as "the most exquisitely produced Cure record," highlighting how "layered instrumentation, vocal inflections and breaths are hidden deep within the mix with something new grabbing your attention on every listen." Read full review

• "'A towering, glacially-paced exorcism that simultaneously offers catharsis and makes the weight of the world feel even more overwhelming' is how Consequence characterized Songs of a Lost World." Read full review