Compliments Please
2019 studio album by Self Esteem From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Compliments Please is the first album by the British musician Self Esteem, released on 1 March 2019.
| Compliments Please | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1 March 2019 | |||
| Genre | Pop, Experimental pop | |||
| Length | 52:42 | |||
| Label | Fiction Records | |||
| Self Esteem chronology | ||||
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Writing and recording
Self Esteem, born Rebecca Lucy Taylor, said that she wrote most of the record whilst happily in a relationship, but that "Rollout", "In Time" and "I'm Shy" were written in the aftermath of the breakup of that relationship.[1] Tracks for the album were recorded by Taylor in Margate from January to September 2018 with producer and co-writer Johan Hugo Karlberg.[2] Taylor signed a record deal with Fiction Records in April 2018.[3] During the period of recording she played live at Latitude, Tramlines and a sold out show at Omeara Theatre London,[4] followed by an eight-show UK tour in autumn 2018.[5]
Music and lyrics
"(Feelings)", the spoken word beginning to the record, features an American woman speaking about the frustrations and compromises of being in a band, something which Taylor experienced while in Slow Club.[6] The audio is Taylor's recording of Los Angeles Uber driver Kelly Jones, who was speaking about her own experience of being a singer in a band.[1]
"Girl Crush" is critical of performative bisexuality and about Taylor's own experience of being approached by heterosexual women to experience homosexual relationships as a curiosity or a dare.[7][8] It has been contrasted to Katy Perry's "I Kissed A Girl" which has been criticised for trivialising same-sex relationships.[1]
Taylor has said that "Wresting" is about the early stages of many relationships in which both parties try not to seem too enthusiastic.[9] "Rollout", with its refrain "What I might have achieved / If I wasn't trying to please you" has been described by Taylor as being the story of her 20s, trying to people-please in her music, her romantic relationships, her family and in wider society.[7]
Release and reception
The first single "Wrestling" was released in July 2018 followed by "Rollout" in September 2018, "The Best" in January 2019 and "Girl Crush" in February 2019.[10] Compliments Please was released on 1 March 2019 on Fiction Records.[11] Described as "brewing a concoction of high octane, R&B infused pop"[12] it was well received critically, with an average rating of 80/100 according to Metacritic.[13] A deluxe version was released in October 2019 with an additional track "Rooms".[14]
Compliments Please was reissued on vinyl on 22 April 2023 for Record Store Day,[15] causing it to enter the vinyl charts top 10.[16]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Feelings" | 0:33 | |
| 2. | "The Best" | Johan Karlberg | 3:50 |
| 3. | "Steady I Stand" |
| 3:51 |
| 4. | "Girl Crush" |
| 4:04 |
| 5. | "Favourite Problem" |
| 3:49 |
| 6. | "Hobbies" | 2:10 | |
| 7. | "I'm Shy" | Karlberg | 3:15 |
| 8. | "Peach You Had to Pick" |
| 4:05 |
| 9. | "In Time" |
| 3:26 |
| 10. | "Monster" |
| 3:10 |
| 11. | "Actors" | 2:47 | |
| 12. | "Wrestling" |
| 3:33 |
| 13. | "Truly Free" | Vetter | 0:48 |
| 14. | "She Reigns" | Karlberg | 4:37 |
| 15. | "Rollout" | Karlberg | 3:16 |
| 16. | "On the Edge of Another One" | 2:01 | |
| 17. | "Rooms" (bonus track on deluxe edition) |
| 3:20 |
| Total length: | 52:42 | ||
All tracks are written by Rebecca Lucy Taylor with others noted.
Notes:
- "Feelings", "Hobbies", and "Truly Free" are stylised with parentheses.
Personnel
Musicians
- Rebecca Lucy Taylor – vocals, guitar, percussion, drums, keys
- Johan Hugo Karlberg – programming, keys
- Jacob Vetter – keys, guitar, bass, percussion, backing vocals
- Oluwaseye Adelekan – guitar, bass, percussion, backing vocals
- Sophie Galpin – backing vocals, strings
- Kelli Blanchett – backing vocals
- Raven Bush – strings
- Resound Choir – Joseph Clarke, Mariah Hargrove, Jessica Fox
- Kelly Jones – spoken word on (Feelings)
- Alessandro Babalola – spoken word on (Hobbies)
- Genesis Lynea – spoken word on (Truly Free)
Production
- Johan Hugo Karlberg – production, recording, engineering
- Jacob Vetter – co-producer tracks 2–5, 8–11 and 14
- Mixing – James Dring
- Mastering – Jason Mitchell
Artwork
- Cover photo – Charlotte Patmore
- Painting (inside cover) – Francesca Hague, edited by Ian Hall
References
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