You Could Start a Cult
"You Could Start a Cult" is a song by Irish singer-songwriter Niall Horan, included on his third studio album The Show, released through Capitol Records on 9 June 2023. The song was written by Horan, Mark Landon, Ruel Vincent van Dijk, and its producers Joel Little, John Ryan, and Julian Bunetta. A duet version of the song, with American singer-songwriter Lizzy McAlpine, was released on 27 October 2023, as the lead single from the album's expanded edition, subtitled The Encore.
Background
Earlier in 2023, Niall Horan performed Lizzy McAlpine's breakthrough song "Ceilings" during his BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge set. While announcing the duet version and the deluxe edition of his album, Horan stated about McAlpine: "I've been a huge fan of hers for a while now and am so grateful she was able to hop on the song and write a special new verse."
Composition
"You Could Start a Cult" was described by People as a "delicate love ballad".
Published on 9 June 2023, Horan performed the song at the Sirius XM Studios for the Hits 1 Celebrity Session series. The official Vevo Live performance of the solo version of the song was released on 16 June 2023.