On 23 February 2015, Anohni announced "Hopelessness" via the Antony and the Johnsons' website and Facebook account. In the announcement, Anohni described the album as "an electronic record with some sharp teeth". In a fan interview, Anohni described the upcoming album as "as different as could be from my previous work", adding she was "not sure that many of [those] who prefer the early chamber music style will enjoy it". Characterising it as a "dance / experimental electronic record with quite a dark thematic undertow", she revealed spring 2016 as the release date. On 30 November 2015, Anohni released "4 Degrees", the first song off of "Hopelessness", along with an accompanying message: "In solidarity with the climate conference in Paris, giving myself a good hard look, not my aspirations but my behaviors, revealing my insidious complicity. It's a whole new world. Let’s be brave and tell the truth as much as we can."