Hickey (album)

Hickey is the second studio album by the Australian guitar-pop duo Royel Otis. It was announced in June 2025 and released on 22 August 2025, via Ourness and Capitol Records.

Explaining the album title, Royel Otis said "…because love bites harder than any other emotion in the world."

At the 2025 ARIA Music Awards, the album was nominated for Best Rock Album and Group while Jamieson Kerr's work on "Car" was nominated for Best Video.

Critical reception

Alex Peters from When the Horn Blows called the album "their most emotionally charged yet" saying "the duo have delivered yet another outstanding body of work, one that captures the sting of love lost without sacrificing musical vibrancy. Hickey isn't just an album about heartbreak. It’s about the strange, beautiful tension of feeling both broken and alive at the same time."

Helen Brown from The Independent said the duo "come off as problematic exes on their second album" saying "You can really relish these songs as outpourings of vulnerability, confusion and anger. They could be perfect to help lovely folk to dance away the pain of messy breakups. But you don’t have to strain too hard to hear them on the incel's playlist either."

Liberty Dunworth from NME said "Throughout the tracklist, guitarist Royel Madden and singer Otis Pavlovic proudly lean into what they do best. Woozy guitar lines are out in full force, accentuated by shimmering synths and intriguing drum patterns, while Pavlovic's hazy vocals add the finishing touch, making each track instantly recognisable."

Sam Walker-Smart from Clash said "Following 2024's Pratts & Pain, Hickey doesn't tamper much with their winning formula. If anything, things feel slightly grander and more deliberate this time around." Walker-Smart continued "Once again, they've landed on the magic formula: that coming-of-age, memory-soaked, danceable indie we can't help but love."

Anthony Fantano of The Needle Drop rated the album a "Strong 1" (out of a possible 10 points), stating that he was "actually deeply shocked at just how vapid, substanceless, toothless, soulless it all is." Hickey would later be included on The Needle Drops "Worst Albums of 2025" list.