Once Upon a Time in California

Once Upon a Time in California is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Belinda Carlisle. It is her first studio album sang in English in twenty-nine years, since the release of A Woman & a Man (1996). And her second work recorded in English since the release of her EP Kismet (2023).

Once Upon a Time in California was recorded in Los Angeles and produced by Gabe Lopez, who produced Belinda's previous studio album Wilder Shores (2017). The album is by-and-large a cover album. The tracks on the album are covers of famous Californian rock songs from the '60s and '70s, including the timeless hits, "Get Together" and "Never My Love".

Carlisle and Lopez began recording the same year Wilder Shores was released. Once Upon a Time in California was originally planned to be released in 2021 or 2022, but after decades of being apart Carlisle reunited with renowned singer-songwriter Diane Warren, who wrote "I Get Weak" and "World Without You" for Carlisle's second studio album, Heaven On Earth (1987).

Warren finished writing her song "Big Big Love" in 2022 and was looking for the perfect singer to record it, so she worked with Carlisle on releasing the song as the first single for her EP Kismet (2023). After the release of Kismet, Carlisle resumed the recording of Once Upon a Time in California. She later released the album on August 29, 2025, about eight years since the release Wilder Shores.