Bodyparts (album)

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Bodyparts
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 22, 2012 (2012-09-22)
RecordedMalvern Airlines (London, England)
Burnt River Cabin
(Kinmount, Canada)
Urca72 (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
GenreElectropop[1]
Length41:27
LabelDragonette, Inc.
Producer
Dragonette chronology
Mixin to Thrill
(2010)
Bodyparts
(2012)
Royal Blues
(2016)
Singles from Bodyparts
  1. "Let It Go"
    Released: April 2, 2012
  2. "Live in This City"
    Released: August 7, 2012
  3. "My Legs"
    Released: May 20, 2013

Bodyparts is the third studio album by Canadian electronic music band Dragonette, self-released on September 22, 2012 by Dragonette, Inc.. The album was nominated for Dance Recording of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2013.[2]

Background and recording[edit]

Recording sessions took place in London, England; Kinmount, Canada; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.[3] Lead singer Martina Sorbara listened to a Phoebe Snow album the entire period the band was making the album. She stated, "I find that when we're writing I think I'm more inspired by hearing something that's really different from our sound and then thinking about how that would work in conjunction with what we do. Like hearing an old 70s smooth music track and thinking, 'what would happen if we tried incorporating this into an electropop track?' But really there's not a clear line to what we do."[4]

The band decided to name the album Bodyparts because it often mentions body parts in the lyrics.[5] Dragonette announced the title on June 21, 2012.[6] Sorbara remarked that she saw the word as "something musical, beautiful and sexual."[5]

The band released the album's artwork on July 25.[7] In mid-2012, the band launched a contest inviting fans to submit their own versions of the song "Untouchable", using Dragonette's original lyrics alone. The winning track was announced on September 7, and will be used as a B-side to a future Dragonette single.[6][8]

Release and promotion[edit]

Two tracks from the album, "Right Woman" and "Rocket Ship", were uploaded to Dragonette's SoundCloud page on March 5 and June 19, 2012, respectively.[9][10] The band posted the official sampler for Bodyparts online on September 4, 2012.[11] On September 11, the album was officially streamed in full on The Hype Machine.[12][13]

"Let It Go" was released as the album's lead single on April 2, 2012.[14] It reached number twenty-three on the Canadian Hot 100, becoming the band's highest-peaking solo single on the chart to date.[15] The album's second single, "Live in This City", was released on August 7, 2012,[16] charting at number sixty-five in Canada.[15] "My Legs" was released on May 20, 2013 as the third and final single from the album.[17]

To promote the album, Dragonette embarked on a North American fall tour, which kicked off at the Red River Exhibition in Winnipeg on June 23, 2012 and ended at Babylon in Ottawa on October 20.[6][7] The trio also performed "Let It Go" and "Hello" on Good Morning America's Summer Concert Series in Central Park in New York City on July 20, 2012.[7][18]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[19]
Consequence of SoundD−[1]
Slant Magazine[20]

Allmusic's Heather Phares wrote, "With each album they've released, Dragonette have become more confident and focused, and Bodyparts is no exception; it should please not only longtime fans, but those won over by 'Hello'—though it might leave some listeners hungering for something quite as undeniable as that single."[19] Greg White of So So Gay viewed Bodyparts as Dragonette's "strongest effort to date", commenting that the band "seem to have landed closer to the mark they've always been aiming for; a perfect blend of electro-pop glamour with a moderate dose of rock 'n roll swagger", although he felt that "[t]he album could use a little more variety".[21] Jonathan Keefe of Slant Magazine opined that "[w]hile nothing on the album approaches the tawdry heights of past singles 'I Get Around' and 'Gone Too Far,' Bodyparts does improve in the latter half", which "showcases far more of Dragonette's distinctive personality." He continued, "Bodyparts is the first album on which Dragonette seem like they're maybe a little bit ashamed of themselves, hiding their most sordid tales behind some overly polite, anonymous dance tracks that are uncharacteristically vanilla."[20]

Track listing[edit]

All tracks are written by Dan Kurtz and Martina Sorbara, except where noted

No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."Run Run Run"Dragonette4:07
2."Live in This City"
  • Dragonette
  • Davey Badiuk[a]
2:56
3."Let It Go"Dragonette3:32
4."Untouchable"Dragonette3:48
5."Lay Low"Dragonette3:11
6."Right Woman" (writers: Felix Bloxsom, Kurtz, Sorbara)
  • Bloxsom
  • Dragonette
3:59
7."My Legs"
  • Dragonette
  • Rene Arsenault[a]
3:18
8."Giddy Up" (writers: Arsenault, Kurtz, Sorbara)
  • Bloxsom
  • Dragonette
  • Arsenault[a]
3:17
9."Rocket Ship"Dragonette3:31
10."Riot"Badiuk3:04
11."My Work Is Done"Dragonette3:01
12."Ghost"Dragonette3:43
Total length:41:27
iTunes bonus track[22]
No.TitleLength
13."Cuckoo"2:17
Japanese edition bonus tracks[23]
No.TitleLength
13."Holidaisy"3:37
14."Let It Go" (Laidback Luke Remix)6:05
15."Let It Go" (Trippple Nippples Remix)2:45
Total length:53:54
Notes
  • ^[a] signifies an additional producer.
  • LP pressings of the album omit the track "Rocket Ship".[24]

Personnel[edit]

Credits adapted from Bodyparts liner notes.[3]

Dragonette
  • Dragonette – production
  • Martina Sorbara – vocals, keyboards, recorder
  • Dan Kurtz – bass, guitar, keyboards, programming, vocals
  • Joel Stouffer – drums, drum programming
Additional personnel

Charts[edit]

Chart (2012) Peak
position
US Dance/Electronic Albums[25] 17
US Heatseekers Albums[26] 33

Release history[edit]

Region Date Label Format(s)
Australia[27] September 22, 2012 onelove Digital download
Canada[28][29] September 25, 2012 Dragonette, Inc. CD, digital download
United Kingdom[30] Dragonette Inc. Digital download
United States[22][31][32] CD, LP, digital download
Japan[33][34] September 26, 2012 KSR Corp. CD, digital download

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Mojica, Frank (October 3, 2012). "Album Review: Dragonette — Body Parts". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  2. ^ "Complete list of 2013 Juno Awards nominees". canada.com. Postmedia News. February 19, 2013. Retrieved April 10, 2013.
  3. ^ a b Bodyparts (CD liner notes). Dragonette. Dragonette Inc. 2012. 0253715026.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  4. ^ Nancy (March 22, 2012). "Interview: Dragonette". Discobelle. Retrieved September 15, 2012.
  5. ^ a b Nunn, Jerry (October 17, 2012). "Dragonette singer talks Toronto, videos and gay fans". Windy City Times. 28 (2): 26. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
  6. ^ a b c Hudson, Alex (June 21, 2012). "Dragonette Announce 'Bodyparts' Album". Exclaim!. Retrieved September 15, 2012.
  7. ^ a b c "Bodyparts Album Artwork + Good Morning America Performance". dragonetteonline.com. July 25, 2012. Archived from the original on September 8, 2012. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  8. ^ "Create a song for Dragonette". Talenthouse. Retrieved September 15, 2012.
  9. ^ Daw, Robbie (March 7, 2012). "Dragonette Is "The Right Woman" In A New Track From Their Forthcoming Album". Idolator. Buzz Media. Retrieved September 15, 2012.
  10. ^ Hogan, Marc (June 20, 2012). "Hear Dragonette's Electro-Pop Blast 'Rocket Ship'". Spin. Buzz Media. Retrieved September 15, 2012.
  11. ^ Baggs, Michael (September 4, 2012). "Listen: Dragonette stream sampler of new album Bodyparts". Gigwise. Retrieved September 15, 2012.
  12. ^ Lansky, Sam (September 11, 2012). "Stream Dragonette's 'Bodyparts' Album". Idolator. Buzz Media. Retrieved September 15, 2012.
  13. ^ Glazer, Eliot (September 11, 2012). "Stream the New Dragonette Album, Bodyparts". Vulture. New York Media, LLC. Retrieved September 15, 2012.
  14. ^ "Let it Go – Single by Dragonette". iTunes Store US. Apple Inc. Retrieved September 15, 2012.
  15. ^ a b "Dragonette – Chart history: Billboard Canadian Hot 100". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
  16. ^ "Live In This City – Single by Dragonette". iTunes Store US. Apple Inc. Retrieved September 15, 2012.
  17. ^ Rahman, Ray (April 2, 2013). "Hear the dancey new Dragonette single 'My Legs' – EXCLUSIVE". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved April 10, 2013.
  18. ^ Bernstein, Alyssa (June 28, 2012). "ABC News Announces More Acts to GMA Summer Concert Series". ABC News. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  19. ^ a b Phares, Heather. "Bodyparts – Dragonette". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved September 26, 2012.
  20. ^ a b Keefe, Jonathan (September 24, 2012). "Dragonette: Bodyparts". Slant Magazine. Retrieved September 26, 2012.
  21. ^ White, Greg (September 27, 2012). "Album Review: Dragonette – Bodyparts". So So Gay. Archived from the original on October 2, 2012. Retrieved October 2, 2012.
  22. ^ a b "Bodyparts (Bonus Track Version) by Dragonette". iTunes Store US. Apple Inc. Retrieved September 15, 2012.
  23. ^ Bodyparts (Japanese CD liner notes). Dragonette. KSR Corp. 2012. KCCD-500.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  24. ^ Bodyparts (LP liner notes). Dragonette. Dragonette Inc. 2012.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  25. ^ "Dragonette – Chart history: Dance/Electronic Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
  26. ^ "Dragonette – Chart history: Heatseekers Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
  27. ^ "Bodyparts (Bonus Track Version) by Dragonette". iTunes Store Australia. Apple Inc. Retrieved September 25, 2012.
  28. ^ "BODYPARTS by DRAGONETTE". HMV Canada. Retrieved September 25, 2012.[permanent dead link]
  29. ^ "Bodyparts by Dragonette". iTunes Store Canada. Apple Inc. Retrieved September 25, 2012.
  30. ^ "Bodyparts (Bonus Track Version) by Dragonette". iTunes Store UK. Apple Inc. Retrieved September 25, 2012.
  31. ^ "Bodyparts: Dragonette (Audio CD)". Amazon. Retrieved September 25, 2012.
  32. ^ "Bodyparts: Dragonette (Vinyl)". Amazon. Retrieved September 25, 2012.
  33. ^ "Body Parts". KSR. Archived from the original on October 5, 2012. Retrieved October 4, 2012.
  34. ^ "Bodyparts by Dragonette". iTunes Store Japan. Apple Inc. Retrieved October 4, 2012.