Bed of Stone
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (September 2014) |
| Bed of Stone | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 25 August 2014 | |||
| Recorded | 2013 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 47:17 | |||
| Label | Naive Records | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Aṣa chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Bed of Stone | ||||
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Bed of Stone is the third studio album by Nigerian-French recording artist Aṣa. It was released on 25 August 2014 through Naive Records. Recorded in the East-Sussex area in the UK, the album was co-written and produced by Blair MacKichan, a British producer that has already worked with Sia and Lily Allen. Bed of Stone is, according to the label company an album that goes "right to the heart". It features a folk sound similar to her previous albums Beautiful Imperfection and Aṣa.
Its lead single, "Dead Again" was released in May, 2014, while a clip video has broadcast the same day. The song is the opening track of the record, it is a piano ballad that deals with a bitter love. The album was acclaimed by critics upon release.
Critical reception
[edit]Bed of Stone received widespread critical acclaim upon release. Pop Magazine rated the album 4 out of 5 stars, and called it "a full and rounded musical experience," as well as a more "personal" album than Aṣa's previous releases. They also praised the album's musical style, calling it "smooth" and "graceful".[1] Festus Okubor Goziem of 360Submissions also praised Bed of Stone, and deemed it a "masterful, controlled, [and] confident album." They further applauded Aṣa for her vocal delivery, and compared her to Florence and the Machine, Alabama Shakes and The Civil Wars.[2] Bellanaija acclaimed the album, stating that the album was "one of the best albums you would hear this year"; they further praised it by calling it "Grammy-winning music".[3] Udochukwu Ikwuagwu of The Breaking Times gave Bed of Stone another acclaimed review. He rated the album an 8 out of 10, and called it a "near-masterpiece"; Aṣa's vocal delivery and songwriting, as well as the album's production, were particularly acclaimed.[4] Oscar Okeke of Lo Batan gave a positive, albeit more critical, review of the album. Rating the album a B on a scale of A to F, Okeke praised the album's production and its lyrical content, but was more critical of Aṣa's vocal delivery; "Intensified vocals and a surge of instrumentals is what the album needs. It’s called a musical frisson, and Asa could have given us more of it," Okeke said in his review.[5]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Music | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Dead Again" | Aṣa | Blair MacKichan | 3:07 |
| 2. | "Eyo" | Asa, | MacKichan | 3:16 |
| 3. | "Satan Be Gone" | Asa, | MacKichan | 2:36 |
| 4. | "Bed of Stone" | Asa | Constant | 4:20 |
| 5. | "Moving on" | Asa | Asa | 4:16 |
| 6. | "Grateful" | Asa | MacKichan | 2:45 |
| 7. | "Society" | Asa | MacKichan | 3:03 |
| 8. | "How Did Love Find Me" | Asa | MacKichan | 3:41 |
| 9. | "Ife" | Asa | Constant | 3:46 |
| 10. | "Situation" | Asa | MacKichan | 2:40 |
| 11. | "New Year" | Asa | MacKichan | 3:01 |
| 12. | "The One That Never Comes" | Asa | MacKichan | 4:06 |
| Total length: | 47:52 | |||
| No. | Title | Music | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Sometimes I Wonder" | Asa | MacKichan | 2:59 |
| 14. | "Shine Your Light" | Asa | MacKichan | 3:34 |
Chart performance
[edit]| Chart | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| French Albums Chart[6] | 38 |
| French Physical Albums Chart[7] | 44 |
| French Digital Albums Chart[8] | 9 |
| Swiss Albums Chart | 64 |
References
[edit]- ^ Perkins, Mai (30 August 2014). "Review: Asa - Bed Of Stone". Pop Magazine.
- ^ "Asa's Bed Of Stone review".
- ^ "Should You Bump This – Music Review: Asa – Bed of Stone".
- ^ "Album review: Bed of Stone - Asa".
- ^ "Album Review - Bed Of Stone - Asa".
- ^ "Asa : Bed Of Stone" (in German). Chartsinfrance. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
- ^ "Asa : Bed Of Stone" (in German). Chartsinfrance. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
- ^ "Asa : Bed Of Stone" (in German). Chartsinfrance. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
