The Ascension

The Ascension is the eighth studio album by American musician Sufjan Stevens. It was released through Asthmatic Kitty on September 25, 2020. The record was influenced by a range of artists, particularly Ariana Grande and her 2018 song "Thank U, Next". Music and lyrics NPR's Lindsay Zoladz describes The Ascension as "an 80-minute meditation that revisits nearly every one of the grand themes he has explored during his two-decade career: Love, death, faith, desire, place, country, apocalypse, resurrection." Release The album's lead single, "America", was released on July 3, 2020. A second single, "Video Game", was released on August 13 along with a music video choreographed by Jalaiah Harmon. A third single, "Sugar", and its music video were released on September 15. Critical reception