Scenery (Emily King album)
Scenery is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Emily King. It was released by ATO Records on February 1, 2019, making it her first on the label. Following 2015's The Switch, King reunited with producer Jeremy Most to work on the album. Scenery peaked at number six on the US Billboard Heatseekers Albums. The song "Look at Me Now" gained a nomination for Best R&B Song at the 2020 Grammy Awards.
Scenery | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | February 1, 2019 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 44:00 | |||
Label | ATO | |||
Producer | Jeremy Most | |||
Emily King chronology | ||||
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Emily King studio album chronology | ||||
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Singles from Scenery | ||||
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Critical reception
Aggregate scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 76/100[1] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Exclaim! | 7/10[3] |
Now | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Pitchfork | 7.7/10[5] |
Pop Magazine | 4.5/5[6] |
Scenery received generally positive reviews from contemporary music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 76, based on eight reviews.[1] Andy Kellman of AllMusic rated the album four out of five stars. He wrote that the album "refines the seemingly instinctive and contemporary hybrid sound of 2015's The Switch with more mature pop informed by traditional singer/songwriters, classic R&B into the post-disco era, the high-tech end of mid-'80s top 40 radio, and even a little gospel. All elements are recombined while being neither overtly retro nor wholly allegiant to anything other than durable songcraft (with the occasional sonic flourish)."[2]
Pitchfork's Maggie Lange foung that the "album maps life's changes to sleek, vibrant R&B that's packed with 1980s soundtrack flourishes and big moments; it's the perfect frame for her extraordinary voice."[5] Ryan B. Patrick from Exclaim! found that "with Scenery, [King] makes a statement [...] The 12-track project comes ever-so-close to its intended level of sublime, yet plays things on the safe side: pleasant, powerful, precise. It waves over listening with its earnestness — soothing the consciousness rather than expanding it. It's a clear articulation of King's mastery and intent; Scenery is musically sound, entrancing and implores that you take a look."[3] Chaka V. Grier noted that "with her sparkling 80s-R&B-evoking voice, King sounds like she emanates music rather than sings it [...] In a lesser writer's hands, love songs could convey hackneyed lyrics about desire and heartbreak, but not King. She adds magic to the mundane, cracking it open to reveal multifaceted nuances: longing, pleasure, resentment, jealousy and also self-love."[4]
Accolades
Publication | List | Work | Ranking | Ref |
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Pop Magazine | Best Albums of 2019 | Scenery | 18 | [7] |
Track listing
All tracks are written by Emily King and Jeremy Most and produced by Jeremy Most.
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Remind Me" | 4:03 |
2. | "Teach You" | 4:07 |
3. | "Can't Hold Me" | 4:27 |
4. | "Look at Me Now" | 3:12 |
5. | "Caliche" | 3:53 |
6. | "Blue Light" | 3:47 |
7. | "Forgiveness" | 3:47 |
8. | "Running" | 3:47 |
9. | "Interlude (What Love Is)" | 1:43 |
10. | "Marigolds" | 3:02 |
11. | "2nd Guess" | 3:53 |
12. | "Go Back" | 4:14 |
Total length: | 44:00 |
Charts
Chart (2019) | Peak position |
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US Top Current Albums (Billboard)[8] | 86 |
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[9] | 6 |
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[10] | 14 |
Change of Scenery
Change of Scenery | ||||
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EP by | ||||
Released | October 11, 2019 | |||
Length | 19:59 | |||
Label | ATO | |||
Producer | Jeremy Most | |||
Emily King chronology | ||||
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Change of Scenery is a remix EP by American singer-songwriter Emily King, featuring remixes of songs from her third studio album Scenery. It was released on October 11, 2019 by ATO Records.[11]
Track listing
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Forgiveness" (Wynne Bennett Remix) | 3:11 |
2. | "Can't Hold Me" (Machinedrum Remix) | 4:11 |
3. | "Blue Light" (Taylor McFerrin Remix) | 3:27 |
4. | "Go Back" (Wantigga Remix) | 3:32 |
5. | "Can't Hole Me" (King Britt Anthem Mix) | 5:38 |
Total length: | 19:59 |
Instrumental album
Scenery (Instrumentals), An album of instrumental versions of all the album's tracks (excluding "Interlude (What Love Is)") was released on June 19, 2020.[12]
References
- "Scenery Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved May 5, 2019.
- "Scenery - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved May 5, 2019.
- Patrick, Ryan B. (January 30, 2019). "Emily King: Scenery". Exclaim!. Retrieved May 5, 2019.
- Grier, Chaka V. (February 4, 2019). "Review: Emily King invites us into her whimsical world on Scenery". Now. Retrieved May 5, 2019.
- Lange, Maggie (February 1, 2019). "Review: Scenery". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 5, 2019.
- Nelson, Josiah (February 5, 2019). "Review: Emily King – Scenery". Pop Magazine. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
- "Best Albums of 2019". Pop Magazine. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
- "Emily King Chart History: Top Current Albums". Billboard. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
- "Emily King Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 5, 2019.
- "Emily King Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
- "Change of Scenery (Remix EP) by Emily King". Tidal. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
- "Scenery (Instrumentals) by Emily King". Tidal. Retrieved June 20, 2020.