Villains (Emma Blackery album)
| Villains | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Recorded | October 2017 - April 2018 | |||
| Studio | Various | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 39:24 | |||
| Label | RWG Records | |||
| Producer | Toby Scott | |||
| Emma Blackery chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Villains | ||||
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Villains is the debut studio album by English singer-songwriter Emma Blackery, released on August 31, 2018 through RWG Records. The album was announced on May 22 via Twitter.[1] The lead single, "Dirt"[2], was released over 2 months before the announcement with "Agenda"[3] being released the day before and the other two singles ("Icarus"[4] and "Take Me Out"[5]) released after.
Background and recording
All of the songs from the album were previewed in some form prior to its release. Blackery's YouTube series 'In Pursuit Of A Dream'[6] (IPOAD) showcased occasional glimpses of the recording of vocals for the album as well as the production as she worked primarily with producer Toby Scott. Also, she premiered 3 songs from the album ("Fake Friends", "Petty" and Third Eye") at a mini-concert at Vidcon US 2018.[7] As well as this, the week before the album's release, she released short snippets of every song not featured in a single, to her Twitter and Instagram pages.
The album was a drastic change in style for Blackery as her previous EPs[8] were mostly centred around the "Pop-Punk" genre. While some were quick to dismiss this change as her 'selling out', the album has received critical acclaim from fans around the world, hitting #2 on the Australian Pop charts.[9] Blackery described the album as the story of the stages she had gone through the previous summer (anger, defiance, reflection, distrust).[10]
Singles
On 16 March 2018, RWG Records released "Dirt", produced by Toby Scott, in FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) format on 16 March.[11][12] The song, on Spotify's New Music Friday UK playlist,[13][14] was described by Record of the Day as a "slick combination of Scandi-pop" and "sassy American pop";[11] Blackery described "Dirt" as "best served cold".[15] She also released "Agenda" that month with a lyric video on Vevo,[16] followed by"Icarus" and "Take Me Out."[12][17][18][19]
Villains Tour
To celebrate the Album's release, Blackery embarked on a separate UK-only tour with HMV, on which she held seven in-store album signings and performances of tracks from the album. The mini-tour began on August 31, 2018 in Southend and concluded on September 6, 2018 in Belfast.[citation needed]
The European Villains Tour planned for March 2018 was postponed to October.[20][21][22] London based singer-songwriter Lilly Ahlberg was the Special Guest on the tour.[23] On 4 October 2018, the tour started in the Parkteatret (Oslo), followed by performances in Stockholm, Copenhagen, Sugarfactory (Amsterdam), Hamburg, Berlin, Vienna, Munich, Cologne, Frankfurt, Academy 2 (Manchester), O2 Institute2 (Birmingham), The Garage (Glasgow), Tramshed (Cardiff), and ended at KOKO (London) on 25 October 2018.[24][25] A reviewer for Never Enough Notes at KOKO observed "angst, passion, and energy in every word" and stated that Blackery has "a knack for live shows; full of attitude, high energy and a phenomenal vocal performance".[26]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Music | Dedication1 | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Villains Pt. 1" | Emma Blackery | For My Captor | 3:37 |
| 2. | "Dirt" | Emma Blackery / Toby Scott | For the Judas | 3:18 |
| 3. | "Agenda" | Emma Blackery / Toby Scott | For the Excluders | 3:16 |
| 4. | "Fake Friends" | Emma Blackery / Toby Scott | For the Narcissist | 3:36 |
| 5. | "Icarus" | Emma Blackery / Toby Scott | For the Fool | 3:36 |
| 6. | "Take Me Out" | Emma Blackery / Toby Scott | For the Suspected | 3:06 |
| 7. | "Petty" | Emma Blackery / Toby Scott | For the Big Mouth | 2:48 |
| 8. | "Third Eye" | Emma Blackery / Maxwell Cooke | For the Manipulator | 4:24 |
| 9. | "What I Felt With You" | Emma Blackery / Toby Scott | For the One I Loved | 3:52 |
| 10. | "Burn The Witch" | Emma Blackery / Toby Scott | For the Purge of Hatred | 3:11 |
| 11. | "Villains Pt. 2" | Emma Blackery / Peter Hutchings | For the Worst Of Them All | 4:47 |
| Total length: | 39:24 | |||
- 1: The album's vinyl artwork features messages telling the listener what or who each track is about.
References
- ^ https://twitter.com/emmablackery/status/998971790830469121
- ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuOF8NtGwEo
- ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNaFG4JT8AY
- ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TklEhgZql4Q
- ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvEkIOSx3qs
- ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QOn_cYv8TY&list=PLcli6enEWp-sRU1YYMqrqzhCuAENBL6Me
- ^ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VidCon#2018_(9th_annual_VidCon_US,_2nd_annual_VidCon_Europe/Australia)
- ^ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emma_Blackery#Extended_plays
- ^ https://twitter.com/ViktoriaSquires/status/1035317147554041857
- ^ https://twitter.com/emmablackery/status/1022789662203674624
- ^ a b "Dirt". recordoftheday.com. 20 March 2018. Archived from the original on 1 January 2019.
Her previous releases have clocked up over 6 million combined streams
- ^ a b TV News Desk (22 June 2018). "Emma Blackery Releases New Single 'Icarus'". BroadwayWorld. Archived from the original on 3 April 2019.
Emma is forced to consider her own part in her downfall
- ^ Joanna Turner (22 March 2018). "Emma Blackery Releases New Single Dirt". TenEightyMagazine.com. Archived from the original on 29 March 2019.
- ^ Annemarie Cutruzzola (19 March 2018). "Emma Blackery Returns With Sassy New Single "Dirt"". CelebMix.com. Archived from the original on 29 March 2019.
- ^ "We Talk Music in Our EXCLUSIVE Interview With Emma Blackery!". TrendingAllDay.com. March 2018. Archived from the original on 3 April 2019.
The cover art of you holding a lemon is honestly iconic
- ^ Emma Blackery – Agenda (Lyric Video) on YouTube, 2018.
- ^ Katrina Rees (23 June 2018). "Emma Blackery releases new single 'Icarus'". CelebMix.com. Archived from the original on 1 April 2019.
- ^ Jon Stickler. "Emma Blackery Shares New Song Take Me Out From Upcoming Debut Album 'Villains' – Stereoboard". Stereoboard.com. Archived from the original on 1 April 2019.
- ^ Rafael Jóvine Frometa (10 August 2018). "Emma Blackery releases new single 'Take Me Out'". Ventsmagazine.com. Archived from the original on 1 April 2019.
- ^ Beth Jefferies (28 November 2017). "Emma Blackery Announces European Tour". TenEightyMagazine.com. Archived from the original on 3 January 2018.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|dead-url=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Felix Goth (29 January 2018). "Spotlight05/18: Emma Blackery". Eventim (in German). Archived from the original on 27 April 2019.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|dead-url=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Beth Jefferies (12 February 2018). "Emma Blackery Postpones European Tour". TenEightyMagazine.com. Archived from the original on 15 February 2018.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|dead-url=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Emma Blackery European Tour 2018". wizpro.com (in German). 27 November 2017. Archived from the original on 28 January 2019.
Plus Guest Lilly Ahlberg
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|dead-url=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Helen Payne (4 May 2018). "Emma Blackery Unveils New Single Agenda". stereoboard.com. Archived from the original on 29 January 2019.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|dead-url=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Emma Blackery - Beta". dancedeets.com (in Danish). 2018. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
- ^ Amy Butcher (19 November 2018). "LIVE | Emma Blackery at KOKO, London | 29 October 2018". neverenoughnotes.co.uk. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
Emma Blackery's live performance delivered intoxicating synth melodies and passionate vocals at London's KOKO