User:Mrs. Hastings/sandbox/Drew Hacks/Studio 4

Vertigo Truth is the fourth studio album by American singer Drew Hacks. It was released on June 14, 2028, through Columbia Records. The singer began work on the project in secrecy in March 2026, following the media scrutiny and social media discussions about him and his endeavors throughout the previous year. Spotlights were centered on Hacks after he won nine categories at the A|67th Grammy Awards — the most in a single ceremony in history — and various of his previous releases seeing sales increases, including the Album of the Year winner Stay a Bit with Me (2023). Startled by the commentary, Hacks moved in May 2025 to a more private residence in Raleigh, North Carolina. Several music publications associated the loud interest in Hacks to the commercial performance and massive distribution of "A|Golden Showers", the fourth single of Stay a Bit with Me. Departing from the tradition used in his previous two albums of recording songs in a home studio, Hacks developed Vertigo Truth entirely in Westlake Recording Studios and the Village (both is Los Angeles), where he recorded his debut Strange Intentions of a Stilted One (2016). Studio sessions wrapped on February 3, 2027, while work on visual identity and concept continued through June 2027.

Musically, Vertigo Truth is primarily an electroclash album, being influenced by derivative sub-genres of alternative rock and electropop. Hacks sonically described it as an "punch in the face" due to its "rogue" and "rush" atmosphere, resultant of the feelings he felt throughout 2025. Lyrically, the album deals with the psychological and physical impacts of the media discussion about his career and personal life. Several music critics described the lyrical content as "tougher" and "denser" than Hacks' previous releases. A visual album, Vertigo Truth was accompanied by a homonym film, which was broadcast on June 28, 2028, on HBO. It features music videos for each of the album tracks, organized in the same order as the track listing. Long time collaborator Sophie Muller acted as a co-director and consultant for the film. Production wrapped on December 28, 2027, Hacks' birthday, when he released a press statement announcing he was "actively working" on his forthcoming fourth studio album. The singer eventually revealed that the statement was issued to "confuse" audiences.

"A|Sealing My Future" was surprise-released on May 1, 2028, as the album's lead single and Hacks' first release in almost four years. The song's themes of future, career and other people's opinions were subject of both criticism and praise. It debuted atop the US Billboard Hot 100 and performed successfully in various other regions. The second single, "A|Doing What I'm Doing" featuring Childish Gambino and Mariah the Scientist, was surprise-released on July 22, to moderate commercial success; it peaked at number three on the Hot 100. "A|Phony Phoner", "A|Heaven Venom" featuring Caroline Polachek, and "A|Strapped to a Sling" followed in September, October and December 2028, with all of them achieving individual commercial success and reaching number one in the United States. Vertigo Truth was further promoted by an accompanying tour of the same name, which took place between September 13, 2028, and July 4, 2029. A second, co-headlining tour with Polachek, Heaven Venom: The Experience, took place between September 2 and 27, 2029.

Vertigo Truth debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, becoming Hacks' third consecutive album to do so. By the end of 2028, it had sold over 1.6 million copies in the United States, making it the fourth-best-selling album of the year in the country, and it was the third-best-selling album of 2023, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), with 2 million copies sold worldwide. Upon its release, the album was met with critical acclaim, with reviewers praising its songwriting (particularly Hacks' depiction of his life events), production, concept, sonority, and visual identity. Hacks was also praised for his vocal performance, songwriting abilities, and music production knowledge. The album's accompanying film was also subject of critical praise; many deemed it Hacks' best work with audiovisual media, while some considered the film's story and organization as a "hallmark" for visual albums in general and derivative of Beyoncé's works.