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Positive Spin

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Positive Spin
Studio album by
Released18 August 2023
Length44:28
Label
Producer
Gretta Ray chronology
Begin To Look Around
(2021)
Positive Spin
(2023)
Singles from Positive Spin
  1. "Dear Seventeen"
    Released: 3 May 2023[1]
  2. "Heartbreak Baby"
    Released: 25 May 2023[2]
  3. "America Forever"
    Released: 4 July 2023[3]
  4. "Don't Date The Teenager"
    Released: 3 August 2023[4]
  5. "Roses"
    Released: 15 March 2024[5]

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]
Positive Spin track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Positive Spin"3:22
2."Upgraded"
  • Ray
  • Maestro The Baker
3:33
3."Nobody Here"
  • Ray
  • Omri Dahan
4:20
4."Heartbreak Baby"3:37
5."Dear Seventeen"
  • Ray
4:11
6."Don't Date The Teenager"
  • Ray
  • Hailey Collier
3:30
7."Loving Somebody"
  • Ray
  • Japanese Wallpaper
4:04
8."The Cool Boy"
3:20
9."Can't Keep It Casual"
  • Ray
  • Maestro The Baker
3:22
10."You've Already Won"
  • Ray
  • Evan Klar
3:26
11."Light On"
  • Ray
  • Japanese Wallpaper
3:36
12."America Forever" (with Maisie Peters and Carol Ades)4:02
Total length:44:28
Positive Spin + track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
13."Roses"
  • Ray
  • Japanese Wallpaper
4:02
14."Upgraded" (Reimagined)
  • Ray
  • Maestro The Baker
3:45
15."Heartbreak Baby" (Acoustic)
  • Ray
  • Japanese Wallpaper
4:18
16."Better" (with Japanese Wallpaper)
  • Ray
  • Japanese Wallpaper
4:42
Total length:61:15

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for Positive Spin
Chart (2023) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[13] 17

Release history

[edit]
Release history and formats for Positive Spin
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

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  1. ^ "Dear Seventeen - Single - Album by Gretta Ray". Apple Music. 3 May 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  2. ^ "Heartbreak Baby - Single - Album by Gretta Ray". Apple Music. 25 May 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  3. ^ "America Forever - Single - Album by Gretta Ray". Apple Music. 4 July 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Don't Date the Teenager - EP - Album by Gretta Ray". Apple Music. 3 August 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d "Gretta Ray Releases Deluxe Edition Of 'Positive Spin', Shares 'Roses'". Music Feeds. 14 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  6. ^ "Letter From Gretta - A Northern Suburb Scavenger Hunt". Instagram. 18 May 2023. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Gretta Ray announces new album and The Big Pop Show tour - triple j". ABC. 25 May 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  8. ^ Brandle, Lars (6 December 2023). "Troye Sivan Shortlisted for Australian Music Prize". Billboard. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  9. ^ "Check out all the nominees for the 2023 J Awards! - triple j". ABC. 31 October 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  10. ^ "Gretta Ray - Positive Spin // Reviews - Clash Magazine". Clash. 14 August 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  11. ^ "Gretta Ray: Positive Spin review - a handbook for embracing change". The Line of Best Fit. 18 August 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  12. ^ "The 25 Best Australian Albums of 2023". Rolling Stone Australia. 21 December 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  13. ^ "ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. 28 August 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  14. ^ "Positive Spin - Album by Gretta Ray - Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  15. ^ "Positive Spin - JB Hi-Fi". JB Hi-Fi. 18 August 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  16. ^ "Positive Spin (Vinyl) - JB Hi-Fi". JB Hi-Fi. 18 August 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2024.