Wilder Shores

Wilder Shores represents the most significant stylistic departure in Belinda Carlisle's career. Released in 2017, it is a collection of Kundalini yoga mantras set to pop-influenced arrangements. Following her personal journey into sobriety and spiritual practice, Carlisle collaborated with producer Gabe Lopez to create a record that honored her new path without completely abandoning her melodic roots. The album features eight traditional chants and a concluding acoustic reimagining of her 1987 hit 'Heaven Is a Place on Earth,' which recontextualizes the song's romantic lyrics into a spiritual aspiration. Critics noted the sincerity of the project, with AllMusic highlighting how her distinctive voice lends a unique authority to the mantras. It stands as a rare example of a mainstream pop icon successfully transitioning into the world of devotional music without it feeling like a gimmick, instead serving as a mature reflection of her late-career identity.