Pop
Natalie Imbruglia reveals she almost quit music during ‘dark’ period of perimenopause
Natalie Imbruglia has opened up about how hormonal changes affected her mental wellbeing and ultimately inspired material on her new album, Algorithm.
Natalie Imbruglia almost quit music during a "dark" battle of perimenopause that left her feeling as though part of her personality had disappeared.
The Torn hitmaker began experiencing symptoms five years ago, which left her struggling emotionally as the hormonal changes exacerbated her underlying attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
Natalie said the changes left her feeling as though she had lost part of herself, grieving the person she had been before her symptoms arrived.
She told The Sunday Times: "Let’s just say it was a grieving process. I was really angry. I fell off a cliff. It felt like someone had taken some of my personality."
Perimenopause is the transition towards menopause, when fluctuating hormone levels can trigger everything from hot flushes and disrupted sleep to anxiety, low mood, brain fog and problems concentrating. It usually begins in a woman's 40s, while menopause itself typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 55.
For Natalie, 51, the impact became so overwhelming that while touring in 2021, she reached a point where she believed she would have to walk away from music altogether.
Recalling the moment, Natalie told the Telegraph: "I walked in before a show, and said: 'Guys, I’m gonna have to quit'. I couldn’t process information. I just couldn’t tolerate being like this."
Natalie was eventually able to get her symptoms under control after starting hormone-replacement treatment and undergoing cognitive behavioural therapy.
And having once feared perimenopause could force her out of music altogether, she has now turned that difficult period into creative material.
The Australian singer explores some of what she went through on her new album, Algorithm, even bringing the subject into writing sessions with her male collaborators.
She said: "They’re silent, and I was saying: 'Well, come on guys, you’re married, right?' And I would just pour my heart out to these guys about everything I was dealing with mentally ...
"It was so dark we just had to find the humour in it. But these are things that a lot of women won’t say to their partners – I’ve even been hushed by other women while talking about menopause in front of their husbands at a dinner party.
"But me being me, I always like to go the other way."
Natalie's willingness to put those experiences into her music reflects her determination to talk openly about a subject she believes women have historically been expected to keep private.
The Neighbours alum also sought advice from menopause campaigner Davina McCall, who helped her better understand what she was experiencing as she dealt with "anger and anxiety".
Now managing her symptoms with HRT creams, Natalie has welcomed the fact menopause is increasingly being discussed openly rather than treated as something "shameful or taboo".
And for a singer who once stood backstage believing she might have to quit, Algorithm has given her the chance to channel one of the darkest chapters of her life into part of her music.
Algorithm, released today (04.09.26), is Natalie’s seventh studio album and sees her taking a more personal role behind the scenes, having co-written and co-produced the record. The album draws on some of the challenges she has faced in recent years, including her experiences with perimenopause, OCD and other deeply personal struggles.
