Positive Spin
| Positive Spin | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 18 August 2023 | |||
| Length | 44:28 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer |
| |||
| Gretta Ray chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Positive Spin | ||||
Positive Spin is the second studio album by Australian singer-songwriter Gretta Ray, released on 18 August 2023 through EMI Music Australia.
On 24 May 2023, Ray hosted a fan event using her official Discord server in the northern suburbs of Melbourne. The activity was a scavenger hunt that guided fans to letters that spelt out the album's name.[6] The album was officially announced a day later, along with a tour titled The Big Pop Show.[7]
The album was nominated for the 2023 Australian Music Prize.[8] At the 2023 J Awards, the album was nominated for Australian Album of the Year.[9]
A deluxe version of the album, titled Positive Spin +, was released on 15 March 2024. It includes reworked versions of the songs "Upgraded" and "Heartbreak Baby", as well as the tracks "Roses" and "Better", a collaboration with Japanese Wallpaper.[5]
Singles
[edit]Positive Spin was preceded by four singles; The first was "Dear Seventeen" on 3 May 2023, a letter to her younger self in the beginning of her career, warning her of the perils and joys she's yet to experience. The album's second single, "Heartbreak Baby", which triple j described as "a bubbly pop song that's as full of heart as it is heartbreak",[7] was released on 25 May 2023 alongside its music video."America Forever", which features vocals from Maisie Peters and Carol Ades, was released as a single on 4 July 2023, and the album's final single, "Don't Date The Teenager", was released on 3 August 2023.[4]
"Roses" was released as a single alongside the deluxe version on 13 March 2024. In a press statement, Ray described the song as "warm and optimistic", saying that it "always belonged on a version of Positive Spin".[5]
Reception
[edit]Lauren deHollogne from Clash rated the album 8 out of 10 and said that "Positive Spin is melancholic and heartbreaking at times, but its bubbly nature is always there to pick the listener right back up."[10]
Antigoni Pitta from The Line of Best Fit rated the album 6 out of 10 and called the album "a handbook for embracing change in your early 20s", saying that Ray "makes a case for optimism as she joins the ranks of pop artists singing about the trials and tribulations of young womanhood."[11]
Rolling Stone Australia noted the influence of American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and placed the album at Number 12 on their list of the best Australian albums of 2023.[12]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Positive Spin" | 3:22 | |
| 2. | "Upgraded" |
| 3:33 |
| 3. | "Nobody Here" |
| 4:20 |
| 4. | "Heartbreak Baby" | 3:37 | |
| 5. | "Dear Seventeen" |
| 4:11 |
| 6. | "Don't Date The Teenager" |
| 3:30 |
| 7. | "Loving Somebody" |
| 4:04 |
| 8. | "The Cool Boy" |
| 3:20 |
| 9. | "Can't Keep It Casual" |
| 3:22 |
| 10. | "You've Already Won" |
| 3:26 |
| 11. | "Light On" |
| 3:36 |
| 12. | "America Forever" (with Maisie Peters and Carol Ades) | 4:02 | |
| Total length: | 44:28 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Roses" |
| 4:02 |
| 14. | "Upgraded" (Reimagined) |
| 3:45 |
| 15. | "Heartbreak Baby" (Acoustic) |
| 4:18 |
| 16. | "Better" (with Japanese Wallpaper) |
| 4:42 |
| Total length: | 61:15 | ||
Charts
[edit]| Chart (2023) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[13] | 17 |
Release history
[edit]| Region | Date | Format | Label | Edition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | 18 August 2023 | EMI Music Australia | Standard | [14] | |
| Australia | [15][16] | ||||
| Various | 15 March 2024 | Positive Spin + (Deluxe) | [5] |
References
[edit]- ^ "Dear Seventeen - Single - Album by Gretta Ray". Apple Music. 3 May 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- ^ "Heartbreak Baby - Single - Album by Gretta Ray". Apple Music. 25 May 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- ^ "America Forever - Single - Album by Gretta Ray". Apple Music. 4 July 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- ^ a b "Don't Date the Teenager - EP - Album by Gretta Ray". Apple Music. 3 August 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Gretta Ray Releases Deluxe Edition Of 'Positive Spin', Shares 'Roses'". Music Feeds. 14 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
- ^ "Letter From Gretta - A Northern Suburb Scavenger Hunt". Instagram. 18 May 2023. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
- ^ a b "Gretta Ray announces new album and The Big Pop Show tour - triple j". ABC. 25 May 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- ^ Brandle, Lars (6 December 2023). "Troye Sivan Shortlisted for Australian Music Prize". Billboard. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- ^ "Check out all the nominees for the 2023 J Awards! - triple j". ABC. 31 October 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- ^ "Gretta Ray - Positive Spin // Reviews - Clash Magazine". Clash. 14 August 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- ^ "Gretta Ray: Positive Spin review - a handbook for embracing change". The Line of Best Fit. 18 August 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- ^ "The 25 Best Australian Albums of 2023". Rolling Stone Australia. 21 December 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
- ^ "ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. 28 August 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- ^ "Positive Spin - Album by Gretta Ray - Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- ^ "Positive Spin - JB Hi-Fi". JB Hi-Fi. 18 August 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- ^ "Positive Spin (Vinyl) - JB Hi-Fi". JB Hi-Fi. 18 August 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2024.