diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 4725ed1..150e953 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -221,6 +221,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "bindgen",
  "bytes",
  "chrono",
+ "color-thief",
  "event-listener",
  "futures",
  "gettext-rs",
@@ -334,6 +335,12 @@ version = "3.16.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "79296716171880943b8470b5f8d03aa55eb2e645a4874bdbb28adb49162e012c"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "bytemuck"
+version = "1.19.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "8334215b81e418a0a7bdb8ef0849474f40bb10c8b71f1c4ed315cff49f32494d"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "byteorder"
 version = "1.5.0"
@@ -455,6 +462,15 @@ dependencies = [
  "libloading",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "color-thief"
+version = "0.2.2"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "e6460d760cf38ce67c9e0318f896538820acc54f2d0a3bfc5b2c557211066c98"
+dependencies = [
+ "rgb",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "concurrent-queue"
 version = "2.5.0"
@@ -2081,6 +2097,15 @@ dependencies = [
  "windows-registry",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "rgb"
+version = "0.8.50"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "57397d16646700483b67d2dd6511d79318f9d057fdbd21a4066aeac8b41d310a"
+dependencies = [
+ "bytemuck",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "ring"
 version = "0.17.8"
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index ccdb9ec..999de5e 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ adw = { version = "0.7.0", package = "libadwaita", features = ["v1_6"] }
 async-channel = "2.3.1"
 bytes = "1.8.0"
 chrono = { version = "0.4.38", features = ["serde"] }
+color-thief = "0.2.2"
 event-listener = "5.3.1"
 futures = "0.3.31"
 gettext-rs = { version = "0.7.2", features = ["gettext-system"] }
diff --git a/resources/style.css b/resources/style.css
index a81ecfb..3877351 100644
--- a/resources/style.css
+++ b/resources/style.css
@@ -1,3 +1,13 @@
+window.background > * {
+  /* from amberol */
+  background: linear-gradient(127deg, color-mix(in srgb, var(--background-color-0) 55%, transparent), color-mix(in srgb, var(--background-color-0) 0%, transparent) 70.71%),
+              linear-gradient(217deg, color-mix(in srgb, var(--background-color-1) 55%, transparent), color-mix(in srgb, var(--background-color-1) 0%, transparent) 70.71%),
+              linear-gradient(336deg, color-mix(in srgb, var(--background-color-2) 55%, transparent), color-mix(in srgb, var(--background-color-2) 0%, transparent) 70.71%);
+  transition-property: background;
+  transition-duration: 250ms;
+  transition-timing-function: ease;
+}
+
 #seek-scale slider {  
   margin: 0px;
   opacity: 0%;
diff --git a/src/ui/window.rs b/src/ui/window.rs
index a1f9d76..27e94e8 100644
--- a/src/ui/window.rs
+++ b/src/ui/window.rs
@@ -87,6 +87,8 @@ mod imp {
 
         #[property(get, set)]
         refreshing_albums: Cell<bool>,
+
+        css_provider: gtk::CssProvider,
     }
 
     impl Default for Window {
@@ -146,6 +148,8 @@ mod imp {
 
                 mpris_player: Default::default(),
                 refreshing_albums: Cell::new(true),
+
+                css_provider: gtk::CssProvider::new(),
             }
         }
     }
@@ -171,6 +175,10 @@ mod imp {
         fn constructed(&self) {
             self.parent_constructed();
 
+            if let Some(display) = gdk::Display::default() {
+                gtk::style_context_add_provider_for_display(&display, &self.css_provider, 420);
+            }
+
             use gio::ActionEntry;
 
             let action_seek_backward = ActionEntry::builder("seek-backward")
@@ -671,32 +679,41 @@ mod imp {
 
                     match window.song() {
                         Some(song) if song.id() == song_id => {
-                            let texture = gdk::Texture::from_bytes(&glib::Bytes::from_owned(bytes))
-                                .expect("could not create texture from cover art for {song_id}");
+                            let loader = gtk::gdk_pixbuf::PixbufLoader::new(); // TODO: pass mime type?
+                            loader.write(&bytes).unwrap();
+                            loader.close().unwrap();
+                            let pixbuf = loader.pixbuf().unwrap();
+
+                            let texture = gdk::Texture::for_pixbuf(&pixbuf);
                             window.set_playing_cover_art(Some(&texture.clone().into()));
 
-                            // from g4music
-                            let snapshot = gtk::Snapshot::new();
-                            snapshot.push_blur(512.0 * 0.1);
-                            snapshot.push_opacity(0.5);
-                            texture.snapshot(&snapshot, 512.0, 512.0);
-                            snapshot.pop();
-                            snapshot.pop();
+                            // from amberol
+                            let palette = color_thief::get_palette(
+                                pixbuf.pixel_bytes().unwrap().as_ref(),
+                                if pixbuf.has_alpha() {
+                                    color_thief::ColorFormat::Rgba
+                                } else {
+                                    color_thief::ColorFormat::Rgb
+                                },
+                                5,
+                                4,
+                            )
+                            .unwrap();
 
-                            use gtk::graphene;
-                            let rect = graphene::Rect::new(0.0, 0.0, 512.0, 512.0);
-                            if let Some(node) = snapshot.clone().to_node() {
-                                window.set_background(Some(
-                                    window
-                                        .native()
-                                        .unwrap()
-                                        .renderer()
-                                        .unwrap()
-                                        .render_texture(node, Some(&rect)),
-                                ));
-                            } else {
-                                todo!();
+                            let mut css = String::new();
+                            css.push_str(":root {");
+                            let n_colors = palette.len();
+                            for (i, color) in palette.into_iter().enumerate() {
+                                css.push_str(&format!("--background-color-{i}: {color}; "));
                             }
+                            for i in n_colors..3 {
+                                css.push_str(&format!(
+                                    "--background-color-{i}: var(--window-bg-color); "
+                                ));
+                            }
+                            css.push_str("}");
+
+                            window.imp().css_provider.load_from_string(&css);
                         }
                         _ => {
                             event!(
@@ -762,6 +779,7 @@ mod imp {
             match self.state.get() {
                 State::Active => {}
                 State::FileLoading => {}
+                State::FileLoaded => {}
                 State::Seeking => {}
 
                 other => panic!("invalid state transition: EndFile from {other:?}"),