Puberty 2

Puberty 2 is the fourth studio album by Japanese-American indie rock musician Mitski, released on June 17, 2016, through Dead Oceans. The album received widespread acclaim from music critics, with many praising Mitski's emotional delivery and lyrically-complex themes, which include longing, love, depression, alienation, and racial identity.

Puberty 2
Studio album by
Mitski
ReleasedJune 17, 2016 (2016-06-17)
RecordedAcme Studios
(Westchester, New York)
Genre
Length31:25
LabelDead Oceans
ProducerPatrick Hyland
Mitski chronology
Bury Me at Makeout Creek
(2014)		 Puberty 2
(2016)		 Be the Cowboy
(2018)
Singles from Puberty 2
  1. "Your Best American Girl"
    Released: March 1, 2016[1]
  2. "Happy"
    Released: May 3, 2016[2]

Background and recording

In a Q&A with Stereogum regarding Puberty 2, Mitski stated that after the breakout indie success of her third studio album, Bury Me at Makeout Creek, she felt out of touch with music, and that she "went back to her roots" in recording Puberty 2 by drawing inspiration from the compositions of all three of her previous studio albums. She also stated that in contrast to her previous album, Bury Me at Makeout Creek, Puberty 2's music would not be made with the intent to be performed live at DIY venues in similar renditions, and instead she would create new renditions of the songs to perform live.[3] The album was recorded entirely in the now-defunct Acme Studios in Westchester, New York, over a two-week period with producer and longtime collaborator Patrick Hyland.[3]

Composition

The New York Times labeled the sound of Puberty 2 as "an impressive collection of D.I.Y. punk and indie rock".[4] According to Jillian Mapes of Pitchfork, Puberty 2's composition contains second-wave emo, "wistful dream pop", "slow-simmering electronics", "brusquely strummed folk-punk", surf guitar, and "plenty of '60s pop hooks". Mapes also noted Mitski's vocal delivery on the album to go through different "modes", including "deadpan disenfranchisement, smooth R&B, dream pop croon, gasping-for-breath pleas, [and] wall of harmonies (with herself)".[5]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?8.2/10[6]
Metacritic87/100[7]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[8]
The A.V. ClubA[9]
Consequence of SoundA−[10]
Financial Times[11]
The Guardian[12]
Pitchfork8.5/10[5]
Q[13]
Rolling Stone[14]
Spin9/10[15]
Uncut8/10[16]

Puberty 2 was released to widespread acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 87, based on 22 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[7] Critics praised the album's more restrained and nuanced emotional trajectory, as well as its complex lyrical themes, which include longing, love, depression, alienation, and racial identity.[10][17] Laura Snapes of NPR commented on the album's subtlety, writing that Puberty 2 "is a strike against the happy/sad poles that govern our lives."[18] Katie Rife of The A.V. Club deemed it "a triumphant new step in her evolution".[9]

Accolades
Publication Accolade Year Rank Ref.
The A.V. Club The A.V. Club's Top 50 Albums of 2016 2016
8
[19]
Paste The 50 Best Albums of 2016 2016
5
[20]
Pitchfork The 20 Best Rock Albums of 2016 2016 N/A
[21]
The 50 Best Albums of 2016 2016
18
[22]
The 200 Best Albums of the 2010s 2019
30
Rolling Stone 50 Best Albums of 2016 2016
23
[23]
Rough Trade Albums of the Year 2016
73
[24]
The Skinny Top 50 Albums of 2016 2016
15
[25]
Stereogum The 50 Best Albums of 2016 2016
8
[26]
Time The Top 10 Best Albums 2016
3
[27]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Mitski Miyawaki.

No.TitleLength
1."Happy"3:40
2."Dan the Dancer"2:25
3."Once More to See You"3:01
4."Fireworks"2:37
5."Your Best American Girl"3:32
6."I Bet on Losing Dogs"2:50
7."My Body's Made of Crushed Little Stars"1:56
8."Thursday Girl"3:08
9."A Loving Feeling"1:32
10."Crack Baby"4:52
11."A Burning Hill"1:49
Total length:31:25
Japanese CD bonus tracks[28]
No.TitleLength
12."Fireproof" (One Direction cover)1:49
13."I'm a Fool to Want You" (Frank Sinatra cover)3:49
Total length:37:03

Personnel
  • Mitski – music, performance, album art
  • Patrick Hyland – production, performance, mastering, photographs

Charts
Chart (2016) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[29] 137
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[30] 5
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[31] 18
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[32] 19
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[33] 32
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gollark: We would simply enforce it by updating zoneinfo.
gollark: Having both use the same system isn't great.
gollark: People want time both for vaguely saying things about... availability and their personal schedule I guess... and actually unambiguously defining points in time.
gollark: Fascinating.

References
  1. S, Andrew (March 1, 2016). "Mitski Announces 'Puberty 2' Out June 17th On Dead Oceans". Dead Oceans. Archived from the original on August 18, 2017. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
  2. Andrew (May 3, 2016). "Mitski Shares New Single, "Happy"". Dead Oceans. Archived from the original on June 12, 2017. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
  3. Rettig, James (June 8, 2016). "Q&A: Mitski Goes Back To Her Roots On Puberty 2". Stereogum. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
  4. Caramanica, Jon (June 2, 2016). "Mitski's 'Puberty 2' Mines Her Scars for Raw Meaning". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
  5. Mapes, Jillian (June 22, 2016). "Mitski: Puberty 2 Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
  6. "Puberty 2 by Mitski reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved October 12, 2019.
  7. "Reviews for Puberty 2 by Mitski". Metacritic. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
  8. Donelson, Marcy. "Puberty 2 – Mitski". AllMusic. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
  9. Rife, Katie (June 17, 2016). "Adulthood is such sweet sorrow on Mitski's powerful Puberty 2". The A.V. Club. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
  10. Dolan, Ciara (June 15, 2016). "Mitski – Puberty 2". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
  11. Hunter-Tilney, Ludovic (June 17, 2016). "Mitski: Puberty 2 — review". Financial Times. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
  12. Jonze, Tim (June 16, 2016). "Mitski: Puberty 2 review – unflinching confessional pop full of wit and pain". The Guardian. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
  13. Solomon, Kate (2016). "Mitski: Puberty 2". Q (30th anniversary special ed.) (361): 112.
  14. Exposito, Suzy (June 17, 2016). "Puberty 2". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
  15. Weiss, Dan (June 13, 2016). "Review: Mitski Really Gives Emo Something to Write Home About on 'Puberty 2′". Spin. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
  16. Wallace, Wyndham (July 2016). "Mitski: Puberty 2". Uncut (230): 78.
  17. Breihan, Tom (June 14, 2016). "Album Of The Week: Mitski Puberty 2". Stereogum. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
  18. Snapes, Laura (June 9, 2016). "Review: Mitski, 'Puberty 2'". NPR. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
  19. "The A.V. Club's Top 50 Albums of 2016". The A.V. Club. December 12, 2016. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  20. "The 50 Best Albums of 2016". Paste. November 30, 2016. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
  21. "The 20 Best Rock Albums of 2016". Pitchfork. December 7, 2016. Retrieved December 7, 2016.
  22. Frank, Alex (December 13, 2016). "The 50 Best Albums of 2016". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 12, 2017.
  23. Spanos, Brittany (November 28, 2016). "50 Best Albums of 2016". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 12, 2017.
  24. "Albums of the Year". Rough Trade. November 14, 2016. Archived from the original on November 16, 2016. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
  25. "Top 50 Albums of 2016". The Skinny. December 1, 2016. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
  26. "The 50 Best Albums of 2016". Stereogum. December 1, 2016. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
  27. "The Top 10 Best Albums". Time. November 22, 2016. Retrieved November 28, 2016.
  28. "Puberty 2 Mitski CD Album". CDJapan. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
  29. "Ultratop.be – Mitski – Puberty 2" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 2, 2019.
  30. "Mitski Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  31. "Mitski Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  32. "Mitski Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  33. "Mitski Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
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