Cupid Deluxe
| Untitled | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 75/100[2] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [3] |
| Mixmag | [4] |
| The Observer | [5] |
| Pitchfork Media | (8.5/10)[6] |
| Rolling Stone | [7] |
| Slant Magazine | [8] |
| Spin | (8/10)[1] |
| This Is Fake DIY | [9] |
| Under the Radar |   [10] |
Cupid Deluxe is the second album by Dev Hynes as Blood Orange, and is the follow up to 2011's Coastal Grooves. The album was released on 18 November 2013 in the UK, and was available worldwide a week earlier on iTunes on 12 November 2013.
Between albums, Hynes has written and produced music for the likes of Solange, Sky Ferreira, MKS, and more.
Cupid Deluxe shows a more expansive aural palate than the previous release Coastal Grooves, while still retaining the pop sensibilities that Hynes has showcased since his days in Test Icicles and Lightspeed Champion. The album features many guest appearances, including performances from David Longstreth (Dirty Projectors), Caroline Polachek (Chairlift), Samantha Urbani (Friends), Clams Casino, Despot, Adam Bainbridge (Kindness), Skepta and more. The album was streamed in full on Hynes' own YouTube channel on 5 November 2013.[11]
Speaking about the album, Hynes said it was inspired by "New York City, the Big Apple. I lived in Brooklyn for some time and finally made the leap into Manhattan. So a lot of the record is about that, transitions, life transitions. Moving from a stable position to an unstable position. Something we have all been through."[12]
In August 2014, Pitchfork Media ranked the album as one of the top 100 albums of the decade up to that point.[13]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Devonté Hynes, except "Always Let U Down" written by Paul Draper and Dominic Chad.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Chamakay" | 4:20 |
| 2. | "You're Not Good Enough" | 4:21 |
| 3. | "Uncle ACE" | 4:17 |
| 4. | "No Right Thing" | 4:11 |
| 5. | "It Is What It Is" | 5:07 |
| 6. | "Chosen" | 6:45 |
| 7. | "Clipped On (feat. Despot)" | 3:11 |
| 8. | "Always Let U Down" | 5:14 |
| 9. | "On the Line" | 5:07 |
| 10. | "High Street" | 2:58 |
| 11. | "Time Will Tell" | 5:39 |
Personnel
- Devonté Hynes – vocals, main instrumentation, composition, arrangement
- Despot - vocals on "Clipped On"
- Dave Longstreth - vocals on "No Right Thing"
- Caroline Polachek - vocals on "Chamakay", backing vocals on "Chosen"
- Samantha Urbani - vocals on "You're Not Good Enough", "No Right Thing", "It Is What It Is", "Chosen", "Always Let U Down", "On The Line", "Time Will Tell"
- Skepta - vocals on "High Street"
- Clams Casino - additional production on "No Right Thing"
- David "DJ" Ginyard - Bass
- Jason Arce - Saxophones and clarinet
- Adam Bainbridge (Kindness) - Saxophone arrangement, vocals and drum tracks on "On The Line", "Time Will Tell"
- Mikaelin 'Blue' Bluespruce - Engineer
References
- ^ a b Walters, Barry (15 November 2013). "Blood Orange's 'Cupid Deluxe' Is a Marvel of Sweetly Pained, Outsider-Oriented R&B". SPIN. Retrieved 12 August 2014. Cite error: The named reference "Walters" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ "Cupid Deluxe Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
- ^ AllMusic review
- ^ Griffiths, Sean (27 November 2013). "Blood Orange". Development Hell Ltd. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
- ^ Fox, Killian (17 November 2013). "Blood Orange: Cupid Deluxe – review". The Observer. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
- ^ "Pitchfork Review".
- ^ "Rolling Stone Review".
- ^ "Slant Review".
- ^ "DIY Review".
- ^ Davis, Hays (18 November 2013). "Blood Orange Cupid Deluxe". Under the Radar Magazine. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
- ^ "Youtube Cupid Deluxe (Album Stream)".
- ^ "NME - Blood Orange streams new album 'Cupid Deluxe' ahead of release - listen".
- ^ http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/9465-the-top-100-albums-of-2010-2014/.
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