After wrapping up a mesmerizing UK & European tour in the past weeks, Norwegian alt-pop superstar AURORA today releases her second book, What Happened To The Heart? —named after her critically acclaimed fourth studio album. In this new release, AURORA offers an intimate look into the creative process behind her UK Top 10 album, and follows the success of her bestselling debut book The Gods We Can Touch, which sold over 14,000 copies and required additional print runs due to high demand.
Published jointly by Faber Music & Decca Records, it is available as a hardback edition in store and online from today.
What Happened To The Heart? serves as a logbook, a personal travel journal that invites readers to accompany AURORA on her introspective journey behind the creation of her latest record, that she previously described as her “most personal and cathartic album”. This book delves into the profound reflections and experiences that shaped her music, revealing the deep emotions and ideas that gave life to each song.
This full-colour reproduction of AURORA’s personal notebook is a captivating collection, featuring all the song lyrics from the album, original artwork, and stunning photography. What Happened To The Heart? is a one-of-a-kind, immersive gold mine for fans, beautifully presented as a cloth-bound hardcover. Fans will also have the opportunity to order exclusive merch to accompany the book including artwork cards and bookmarks. Alongside the book, AURORA is also releasing a special edition vinyl version of What Happened To The Heart?.
Speaking about the book, AURORA says: “This book contains every thought that came to mind the first time I asked myself the question that became the very seed of my fourth album; “What Happened To The Heart?”. I found myself in a dark place, and as I looked out at the world it seemed to find itself in an even darker place than I. So I searched for light in the only place I know: music. In this book you will find what you may not hear in the music, I hope it touches your soul."
In April 2022, AURORA read a letter that changed her life. It was co-written by indigenous activists, titled ‘We Are the Earth’, and called for a revolution: a collective response to global warming – to “heal the land”. They described being connected to the land “through our hearts”, and the earth as “the heart that pulsates within us.” The letter led AURORA to consider a question: what happened to the heart? And so 27-year-old AURORA began studying books on human anatomy, wanting to understand when and why Western culture lost touch with the deeper purpose of our most vital organ. Therefore AURORA threw herself into chaos, writing this new record during the tour for UK Top 10 album ‘The Gods We Can Touch’, with only one rule: she could only write in unsafe spaces, to build her armour. Her album What Happened To The Heart? is the chronicle of this exploration.
Following a busy festival season, including a standout set on Glastonbury’s Park Stage, AURORA has concluded her UK & European tour, which received widespread media praise. The tour featured sold-out shows in major cities like London, Manchester, and Paris, with over 200,000 tickets already sold across the world. Due to high demand, including a sold-out performance at London’s Royal Albert Hall, AURORA added six extra arena shows, culminating in her biggest UK performance to date at OVO Arena Wembley on May 3rd, 2025. Tickets below.
With over a million album sales, 2.6 billion streams, and recent milestones like her book selling 14,000 copies and her hit single "Cure For Me" featured in Fortnite, AURORA is pulling in a bigger audience than ever before.
As AURORA prepares to embark on the second and third legs of her global What Happened To The Earth? tour, with stops in South America and North America, the release of her new book marks another exciting moment in what is shaping up to be her most thrilling era yet.
