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Anus (album)

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Anus is the debut studio album by American drag performer Alaska Thunderfuck (aka Justin Honard). It was released on June 23, 2015, through Sidecar Records and Producer Entertainment Group.[1] After signing a recording contract with Producer Entertainment Group in 2013, Thunderfuck began planning the album that same year and work continued into 2015. Thunderfuck enlisted a variety of producers whose efforts resulted in a primarily hip hop record, which sees additional influences from Pop and EDM. The album features guest vocals from fellow RuPaul's Drag Race contestants: season four's Willam, and season six's Courtney Act and Laganja Estranja

The album was promoted with five singles, including the internationally successful single "Your Makeup Is Terrible", and US Billboard Hot 100 top 20 singles "Nails", "Hieeee", "This is My Hair" the title track "Anus". Thunderfuck also supported the album with a concert tour during January 2016.[2]

Background and development

Main article: Alaska Thunderfuck

It was announced in November 2012 that Alaska Thunderfuck was among 14 drag queens who would be competing on the fifth season of RuPaul's Drag Race, but would be known by the mononym Alaska.[3][4] He had previously auditioned every season for the show.[5] Alaska won the fragrance commercial-themed main challenge in the episode "Scent of a Drag Queen" and the main challenge for "Sugar Ball."[6][7] As part of the show, Alaska sang on the "We Are the World"-inspired song "Can I Get an Amen?". The song's proceeds helped benefit the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center.[8] In May 2013, during the season finale, Jinkx Monsoon was declared the winner and Alaska was declared the runner-up of the season, along with fellow competitor Roxxxy Andrews.

In October 2013, Alaska performed as Dr. Frank N. Furter in the Woodlawn Theatre's production of The Rocky Horror Show in San Antonio, Texas. RuPaul's Drag Race judge Michelle Visage and season four contestant Willam Belli also starred in the musical.[9]

Since appearing on RuPaul's Drag Race, Honard has toured and performed consistently, appearing in RuPaul's Drag Race Battle of the Seasons shows, the Drag Stars at Sea cruises, custom one-woman shows such as a Stevie Nicks tribute called "Stevie Forever", a cabaret show called "Red for Filth", and a holiday show called "Blue Christmas".[10][11][12] During the summer of 2014, she starred in a stage production of Sex and the City.[13] With brother Cory Binney, Honard has a web series sponsored by World of Wonder, called Bro’Laska.[14] Alaska recently became a spokesmodel for American Apparel alongside Willam Belli and Courtney Act.[15]

Thunderfuck has since pursued a music career, and released a string of singles, namely "Ru Girl", "Your Makeup Is Terrible", and "Nails". In June 2015, Alaska released the album, '’Anus, to positive reviews. Singles from the album included "Hieeee" and "This is My Hair".[16][17][18][19][20]

Music and lyrics

RuPaul's Drag Race alumni Willam and Laganja Estranja both contribute vocals to Anus.

All songs on the album are issued with the explicit tag, indicating swearing, except the piano introduction to "Nails".[21]

The album's opening track, "Hieeee", incorporates one of Honard's signature catchphrases, the elongated pronunciation of the word Hi. Honard summed the song up as "drag 101", stating that it utilized many drag queen sayings normally used in bar and club culture, including phrases such as "the more you drink, the prettier we look." Honard cited the buildup compiled of Laganja Estranja quotes as his favorite part of the song.[22]

The sixth and seventh tracks on the album, "Nails (Piano Introduction)" and "Nails", run concurrently in the songs' music video, but are split for the release of the album. "Nails" was one of the earliest tracks penned for Anus, written shortly after filming for RuPaul's Drag Race had concluded. The song was inspired by Honard's newfound love for artificial nails, and the feeling they give him when wearing them. Honard described "Nails (Piano Introduction)" as "show tunes-y". Honard cites "cat scratch fever, look like Sigourney Weaver, are you June Cleaver or a Labrador Retriever?" as his favorite line from the track.[23]

The song "This Is My Hair", was originally a deep, politically-driven song discussing the economy and teenage prostitution; however, the production company did not like the original version and requested Honard re-write it. Upon re-listening to the beat, he was inspired by the offensive remark of somebody telling a drag queen that they love their wig, as opposed to them loving their hair. Honard revealed the reason he sang with a Croatian accent was because he had just finished performing there. He cites "I take my vitamins" as one of his favorite lyrics from the song.[24]

Singles

On June 10, 2014, "Your Makeup Is Terrible" was released as the first single from Anus.[25] Pitchfork Media named the song as the best song ever by a RuPaul's Drag Race contestant.[26] The video for "Your Makeup Is Terrible" was released on June 9, 2014, and was directed by Saša Numić.[27]

On December 9, 2014, "Nails" was released as the second single from the album.[28] Nails was also supported by the promotional separate release of the song's music video introduction, released on the same day as the main single.[29] Honard described the video in his Let the Music Play episode: "The video's really cool, and it starts out with the piano introduction, which is like, really sweet and like, show tunes-y. It's like, really sweet and serene and she's in outer space, and then, the spaceship crashes. She gets abducted by an evil, nefarious, secret-agent-type man, who then takes her to an interrogation room and is like, ripping off her nails, with like, pliers".[23]

On June 9, 2015, "Hieeee" was released as the third single from Anus.[30] "Hieeee" charted at number five on the US Billboard Comedy Digital Tracks chart. "Hieeee" was noted as being the "best of the worst" songs by RuPaul's Drag Race contestants by Pitchfork Media.[26] Two videos were released to promote the single, both released on June 8, 2015. One video was dubbed the "official" video,[31] and was filmed in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on the closing night of the Battle of the Seasons tour.[22] The other video was titled the "unofficial" video,[32] and featured Honard showcasing gifts he had received from fans during his career.

On June 23, 2015, the same day as the album's release, "This Is My Hair" was released as Anus's fourth single.[33]

In an interview with NOISEY, Honard stated that he plans to shoot music videos for the tracks "Anus", “The Shade of It All”, "Pussy", and "Gimme All Your Money".[34]

Release and promotion

The artwork and track listing for Anus was released on June 9, 2015.[35] The album received a worldwide released on June 23, 2015, via digital distributors.[21] The CD version of the album was released on July 21, 2015,[36] while an LP version was released on November 13, 2015.[37]

Similarly to how Sharon Needles and Adore Delano promoted their albums PG-13 and Till Death Do Us Party, Honard released a series of videos through the YouTube channel of World of Wonder, titled Let The Music Play.[38] During these videos, Honard would choose a different song each episode, and discuss the songs background, content and meaning in detail. The premiere episode focused on the then-recently released single "This Is My Hair".

The song "Everything Tonight" was featured as background music in a segment of Today.[39]

Critical reception

Anus received highly positive reviews from critics.

In his review for NOISEY, John Hill simply stated, "Anus is a really fucking good album.".[34]

In his list of "The Best and Worst Music of RuPaul's Drag Divas" for Pitchfork Media, Andy Emitt praised "Your Makeup Is Terrible", writing that "If any 'Drag Race' diva rivals the immaculate confection of "Supermodel (You Better Work)", it is Alaska Thunderfuck with 'Your Makeup Is Terrible'. In her indescribable voice, Alaska satirizes the dance genre’s formulaic predictability on the song’s bridge, narrating its rhythmic shift as if surprised herself," later noting "the RuPaulian tradition in Alaska’s ability to bridge the song’s queer, camp elements with pop music aspirations through a club-ready beat." Emitt went on to list "Hieee" as one of the "fabulously worst" tracks from Drag Race Divas: "... the song sounds like the catchphrase-ready queen running out of new material live on the studio mic. Apparently, this isn’t a problem—the track thumps the hollow but always captivating reservoir of Thunderfuck tonality and delivery... When drag divas produce garbage, at least we’re laughing with them."[40]

Matthew Carenza for The Magic Critique gave the album four out of five stars, commenting that "Alaska's creative genius has continually been growing over the years, and her new album is a testament to that." Carenza went on to say that the album is "so incredibly different than any of the other queens' albums, and it's one hundred percent authentically Alaska. It's a labor of love for Alaska and everyone should grab a copy and support this queen because she's simply beyond."[41]

Luis Gonzalez for Album Confessions awarded the album four out of five stars, commenting that "staying true to her devoted fan base and her drag aesthetic allows Alaska to go above and beyond musical expectations. While it's nice to hear that the performer has not lost her comedic chops or her likable and one-of-a-kind personality, the album easily maneuvers around serious subject matter and topics buried deep within the Drag Bible."[42]

Commercial performance

Upon release, Anus topped the iTunes Dance albums chart.[43] For the week of July 11, 2015, Anus appeared on three Billboard charts: number four on the Heatseekers,[44] an extension to the Billboard 200; number three on the Dance/Electronic Albums;[45] and number fourteen on the Independent Albums chart.[46] In comparison to other RuPaul's Drag Race alumni, Anus was a commercial success, peaking higher than projects from fellow contestants Willam, Miss Fame, and Violet Chachki.

Track listing

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Anus.

No.TitleWriter(s)ProducerLength
1."Hieeee"
3:46
2."Anus"
  • Honard* Costanza* Levy
  • Costanza* Coultrup [a]
2:48
3."Pussy"
  • Honard* Costanza* Levy
  • Costanza* Coultrup [a]
2:37
4."Beard"
  • Honard* Costanza* Levy
  • Costanza* Coultrup [a]
3:06
5."This Is My Hair"
  • Honard* Costanza* Levy
  • Costanza* Coultrup [a]
3:00
6."Nails" (Piano Introduction) (featuring Jeremy Mark Mikush)
  • Honard* Mikush
Mikush1:05
7."Nails[b]"
  • Honard* Mikush* Costanza* Levy
  • Costanza* Coultrup [a]
3:16
8."Gimme All Your Money" (featuring Laganja Estranja)
  • Costanza* Coultrup [a]
3:36
9."Everything Tonight"
  • Honard* Costanza* Levy
  • Costanza* Coultrup [a]
3:34
10."Best Night Ever[b]"
  • Honard* Costanza* Levy
  • Costanza* Coultrup [a]
2:47
11."The Shade of It All" (featuring Courtney Act and Willam)
  • Costanza* Mikush* Coultrup [a]
4:41
12."Legendary"
  • Honard* Costanza* Levy
  • Costanza* Coultrup [a]
3:37
13."Killer"
  • Honard* Costanza* Levy
  • Costanza* Coultrup [a]
5:00
14."Your Makeup Is Terrible"
  • Honard* Mikush* Costanza* Levy
  • Costanza* Coultrup [a]
3:57
Total length:46:50
Notes
  • ^[a] signifies a co-producer
  • ^[b] "Nails" and "Best Night Ever" were excluded from the vinyl pressing [47]

Charts

Chart (2015) Peak
position
US Dance/Electronic Albums (Billboard)[45] 3
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[44] 4
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[46] 14

Release history

Country Date Format Label Ref.
Worldwide June 23, 2015 Digital download Sidecar [48]
July 21, 2015 CD [36]
November 13, 2015 LP [37]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Anus by Alaska Thunderfuck on Apple Music". itunes.apple.com. Retrieved November 12, 2017. {{cite web}}: no-break space character in |title= at position 36 (help)
  2. ^ "ALASKA THUNDERF#CK 'Aussie Anus Tour' @ FLUFFY". m.facebook.com. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference chicagopride was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Coughlan, Maggie (November 19, 2012). "RuPaul's Drag Race Season 5 Contestants Announced". People. Retrieved March 23, 2013.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference phillymag was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Sava, Oliver (March 19, 2013). "Scent of a Drag Queen". The A.V. Club. Retrieved March 23, 2013.
  7. ^ Sava, Oliver (April 16, 2013). "Sugar Ball". The A.V. Club. Retrieved April 19, 2013.
  8. ^ Parker, Lyndsey (March 5, 2013). "Great Musical Moments In Reality TV: RuPaul's "Can I Get An Amen"". Yahoo! Music. Retrieved March 23, 2013.
  9. ^ Shorey, Eric (October 8, 2013). "Willam, Alaska And Michelle Visage Get Ready To Rock "Rocky Horror Show": PHOTOS". New Now Next. Retrieved November 11, 2013.
  10. ^ "Alaska: Stevie Forever-The Laurie Beechman Theatre- Theatre In New York".
  11. ^ "RuPaul's Drag Race".
  12. ^ "Alaska Opens New Show, "Red For Filth," In NYC //". NewNowNext.
  13. ^ "Sex and the City Live! San Francisco Tickets - $15.00 at Victoria Theatre". Goldstar.
  14. ^ "BroLaska Starring Alaska Thunderfuck and Cory Binney". World of Wonder.
  15. ^ "Exclusive: Alaska, Courtney Act, and Willam Belli Team Up With American Apparel". Out Magazine.
  16. ^ "Alaska Thunderfuck - Nails [Official]". YouTube.
  17. ^ "The Magic Critique: 'Anus' by Alaska Thunderfuck Album Review". themagiccritique.com.
  18. ^ "Alaska's ANUS Album #1 on Dance and #38 All Categories - World of Wonder". World of Wonder.
  19. ^ "Alaska Thunderfuck Makes Better Dance Music Than Your Vanilla Garbage". NOISEY.
  20. ^ Daniel Reynolds. "Why Alaska Thunderfuck Titled Her New Album 'Anus'". Advocate.com.
  21. ^ a b "iTunes – Music – Anus – Album by Alaska Thunderfuck". iTunes Store (US). Retrieved June 26, 2015.
  22. ^ a b "Alaska Thunderfuck's "Hieeee" on Let The Music Play". YouTube. June 30, 2015. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  23. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference LTMPNails was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  24. ^ "Alaska Thunderfuck's "This Is My Hair" on Let The Music Play". YouTube. June 24, 2015. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
  25. ^ "iTunes – Music – Your Makeup Is Terrible – Single by Alaska Thunderfuck". iTunes Store (US). Retrieved June 28, 2015.
  26. ^ a b Emmitt, Andy (June 26, 2015). "The Best and Worst Music of RuPaul's Drag Divas". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
  27. ^ "Alaska Thunderfuck – Your Makeup Is Terrible [Official]". YouTube. June 9, 2014. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
  28. ^ "iTunes – Music – Nails – Single by Alaska Thunderfuck". iTunes Store (US). Retrieved June 28, 2015.
  29. ^ "iTunes – Music – Nails (Piano Introduction) – Single by Alaska Thunderfuck". iTunes Store (US). Retrieved June 28, 2015.
  30. ^ "iTunes – Music – Hieeee – Single by Alaska Thunderfuck". iTunes Store (US). Retrieved June 28, 2015.
  31. ^ "Alaska Thunderfuck – Hieeee [Official]". YouTube. June 8, 2015. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  32. ^ "Alaska Thunderfuck – Hieeee [Unofficial]". YouTube. June 8, 2015. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  33. ^ "iTunes – Music – This Is My Hair – Single by Alaska Thunderfuck". iTunes Store (US). Retrieved June 28, 2015.
  34. ^ a b Hill, John (June 24, 2015). "Alaska Thunderfuck Makes Better Dance Music Than Your Vanilla Garbage". NOISEY. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
  35. ^ Avery, Dan (June 9, 2015). "Alaska Launches Music Video For "Hieeee," Announces New Album". NewNowNext. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
  36. ^ a b "Alaska Thunderfuck Official Merchandise – Alaska Anus CD - Pre-order". AlaskaThunderfuck. Archived from the original on July 10, 2015. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
  37. ^ a b "Alaska Thunderfuck Official Merchandise – Alaska Anus Vinyl - Pre-order". AlaskaThunderfuck. Archived from the original on July 27, 2015. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
  38. ^ Zeff, Nigel (June 24, 2015). "Alaska Thunderfuck Spills The T Behind "This Is My Hair" On The Premiere Episode Of Let The Music Play!". World of Wonder. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
  39. ^ "theonlyalaska5000 – Ok so hear that music in the background ? That's #EverythingTonight from my new album #ANUS !! Thank you @TodayShow for playing me! 💜 Purchase my debut album using the link in my bio". Instagram.
  40. ^ http://pitchfork.com/thepitch/815-the-best-and-worst-music-of-rupauls-drag-divas/
  41. ^ Carenza, Matthew (June 24, 2015). "'Anus' by Alaska Thunderfuck Album Review". The Magic Critique. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
  42. ^ Gonzalez, Luis (June 28, 2015). "Alaska Thunderfuck 5000's "Anus" - Album Review". Album Confessions. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
  43. ^ Avery, Dan (June 23, 2015). "Alaska Releases Video For "This Is My Hair," Tops iTunes Dance Chart". NewNowNext. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
  44. ^ a b "Heatseeker Albums – July 11, 2015 – Billboard Chart Archive". Billboard. Retrieved July 2, 2015. (subscription required)
  45. ^ a b "Top Dance/Electronic Albums – July 11, 2015 – Billboard Chart Archive". Billboard. Retrieved July 2, 2015. (subscription required)
  46. ^ a b "Independent Albums – July 11, 2015 – Billboard Chart Archive". Billboard. Retrieved July 2, 2015. (subscription required)
  47. ^ Instagram
  48. ^ Release date references:

Official website for Alaska Thunderfuck

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Anus_(album)&oldid=810406404"