Singular: Act II
| Singular: Act II | ||||
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| Released | July 19, 2019 | |||
| Recorded | 2017–19 | |||
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| Length | 28:46 | |||
| Label | Hollywood | |||
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| Sabrina Carpenter chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Singular: Act II | ||||
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Singular: Act II is the fourth studio album by American singer Sabrina Carpenter, released on July 19, 2019 by Hollywood Records (her last album with the label). The album is considered the second half of a two-piece project, being supplemented by her third studio album Singular: Act I (2018). Carpenter wrote and recorded the songs from 2017 to 2019, at the same time as Act I and extending beyond Act I's release.[1] Carpenter originally intended to release the album alongside Act I as a full album entitled Singular,[2] however, Carpenter split up the album due to differences in lyrical content.[3]
The album was supported by the release of three singles "Pushing 20", "Exhale" and "In My Bed" as well as one promotional single "I'm Fakin". Additionally, the album features a guest appearance from American rapper Saweetie.
The album received positive reviews from music critics, and commercially the album debuted at number 138 on the US Billboard 200.
Background and release[]
After I wrote Singular, which was one album initially, it became two albums over time. I describe Act II as Act I upside down where Act I makes you feel comfortable with yourself and Act II makes you feel a little uncomfortable with yourself, in the way that we need in order to grow. It's that and it's also a more vulnerable side of confidence. There is also confidence in being vulnerable and there is also strength in that weaker side of yourself and just kind of letting your emotions run loose.
— Carpenter discussing Singular: Act II's difference from Act I[4]
On June 2, 2018, Carpenter officially announced her third studio album Singular, and that it was scheduled for a winter 2018 release.[5] On October 22, 2018, Carpenter announced that Singular would be released in two acts with Act I being released November 9, 2018, and act II "coming soon".[6] After the release of Act I, Carpenter revealed that Act II would be released in early 2019.[7] On December 30, 2018, Carpenter did a 2018 recap on Instagram where she played a clip of a song from the album, later revealed to be "Take Off All Your Cool". On February 13, 2019, Carpenter revealed in an interview at the Grammy Museum that the album will come along with her tour.[8] On March 2, 2019, Carpenter performed two new songs from the album, "Pushing 20" and "Exhale" at the opening show of her tour in Orlando, Florida.[9] She also performed the tracks throughout the tour. On May 3, 2019, Carpenter changed her Singular: Act I Instagram to Singular: Act II.[10] This coincided with the release of "Exhale". On May 9, 2019, Nylon magazine reported that Carpenter had scheduled July 26, 2019, as the release date for Singular: Act II.[11] On May 14, 2019, Carpenter posted a snippet of one of the album's songs on her social media,[12] later revealed to be "Tell Em". She posted another on May 31, 2019,[13] later revealed to be "In My Bed".
On June 4, 2019, Carpenter revealed the album artwork by sending it to her fans in multiple cities around the United States using Apple's AirDrop feature.[14][15] Later that day, Carpenter formally announced the album via her social media and that the release date had been pushed up to July 19, 2019.[16][17] Carpenter revealed the track list the next day.[18] Pre-orders for the album started on June 7, 2019.[19]
Composition[]
Musically, Singular: Act II is a dance,[20] dance-pop, pop and R&B record.[21][22] Lyrically, the album discusses self-reflection and self-discovery.[23][24] The opening track of the album "In My Bed" features an "electro-kissed production"[25] and a synth-laden beat[26] that lyrically, is about when life feels like a lot to deal with.[27] Carpenter described it as "opening the door" to Singular: Act II.[23] The album's second track is "Pushing 20" which Carpenter wrote for her 20th birthday in May 2019.[28] The song is a pop song with trap and hip-hop influences[29] that lyrically is about not listening to other's opinions and being one's self.[30] "I Can't Stop Me" has a trap beat[23] and mixes pop with hip-hop.[31] Is about when a significant other tries to tell you what's good for you.[24] It is the album's sole collaboration featuring Saweetie. "I'm Fakin" has tropical house and pop influences[32] and is about the ups and downs of a relationship.[33][34] "Take Off All Your Cool" contains pop and electropop vibes[32] song about when someone is being someone else instead of one's self.[23] "Tell Em" is a synth-pop song with pop and R&B sensibilities[24][32] about not owing anyone an explanation for what one does.[23] "Exhale", which Carpenter describes as her "most personal song yet"[35] is an R&B ballad with pop undertones[32] about anxiety.[36][37] "Take You Back" is an electropop[32] and bubblegum pop song[38] about realizing that you don't need someone in your life anymore.[39] The closing track of the album entitled "Looking At Me" is a dance-pop,[32] dance,[38] pop and hip hop song influenced by Latin and dancehall.[31][38] about owning confidence and being the center of attention.[3]
Critical reception[]
Erica Russel of PopCrush called the album "a glossy, hook-laden collection of danceable pop and R&B" as well as saying the record shows Carpenter's "intimate perspectives, emotions and internal musings about everything from love to growing up".[3] Dylan Kelly of L'Officiel said that " Each song focuses on a different issue that you will probably face at one point in you life with varied rhythms and beats that allow for different emotions to consume you as you make your way through the album."[39] Brendan Wetmore of Paper said the album is "a culmination of pop eras — a rich plurality that separates itself from anything modern hit-writing has tried to glue together in recent years" and that it is a "truly great standalone pop record".[24] Kristine Hope Kowalski of YsbNow said "Act II is a satisfying follow-up to the first album installment, filled with empowering jams and emotional moments that take the whole listening experience to the next level. And while we aren't left on a musical cliffhanger, it's clear that the curtain isn't falling with this thrilling release."[40] Tatiana Brown of Affinity gave the album a 5/5 and said it "Is The Album Everyone Needs To Hear."[32]
Promotion[]
In support of both Singular: Act I and Singular: Act II, Carpenter embarked on the Singular Tour in March 2019.[41]
Singles[]
"Pushing 20" was released as the album's lead single on March 8, 2019.[42] The song was released ahead of Carpenter's 20th birthday and was eighth to be performed on the Singular Tour.[28] Larisha Paul of Earmilk commented on the song saying "The single shows Carpenter continuing to tap into production areas previously unexplored within her discography, with its bouncy, bass-heavy production drawing heavily on hip-hop influenced trap elements while holding true to a distinct pop sound".[43]
"Exhale" was released as the album's second single on May 3, 2019.[44] Carpenter described the song as being her most personal song yet and was performed as the encore on the Singular Tour.[45][46] The song received a music video, directed by Mowgly Lee, released on May 17, 2019.[47][48] On June 7, 2019, Singular: Act II was made available for pre-order, and the third single, "In My Bed", was released alongside.[49] The music video for the song was released through the Marie Claire Magazine on June 28, 2019.[50]
Promotional single[]
The album's first promotional single, "I'm Fakin", was released on July 12, 2019, a week before the album's release.[33]
Track listing[]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "In My Bed" |
| 3:09 | |
| 2. | "Pushing 20" |
| Felder | 2:46 |
| 3. | "I Can't Stop Me" (featuring Saweetie) |
| 3:41 | |
| 4. | "I'm Fakin" |
|
| 2:55 |
| 5. | "Take Off All Your Cool" |
| 3:03 | |
| 6. | "Tell Em" |
|
| 4:40 |
| 7. | "Exhale" |
| 2:44 | |
| 8. | "Take You Back" |
| Jeberg | 2:48 |
| 9. | "Looking at Me" |
| Carlsson[a] | 3:00 |
| Total length: | 28:46 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10. | "Sue Me" (a cappella) |
| 3:23 |
| 11. | "Alien" (acoustic; with Jonas Blue) |
| 3:24 |
| Total length: | 35:33 | ||
Notes
- ^[a] signifies an also vocal producer
- ^[b] signifies a vocal producer
- ^[c] signifies an executive producer
- ^[d] signifies a co-producer
- ^[e] signifies an additional producer
Credits and personnel[]
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Singular: Act II.[53]
Recorded, engineered, mixed and mastered at[]
- Los Angeles, California (SuCasa Recording, Eagle Pop Studios and MXM Studios)
- Venice, California (The Stellar House)
- Burbank, California (Resonate Studios)
- Defi Studios
- Hollywood Hills, California (Big Noize Studios)
- Studio Borgen
- New York City (Sterling Sound)
- Virginia Beach, Virginia (MixStar Studios)
- Sydney, Australia (Hercules Street Studios)
Vocals[]
- Sabrina Carpenter — vocals (all tracks), backing vocals (7, 9)
- CJ Baran — backing vocals (9)
- Trevor Brown — backing vocals (5)
- Johan Carlsson — backing vocals (7, 9)
- Warren "Oak" Felder — backing vocals (5)
- Ross Golan — backing vocals (7)
Instrumentation[]
- Nils-Petter Ankarblom — synthesizer (7)
- Trevor Brown — bass, guitar (5)
- David Bukovinszky — cello (7, 9)
- Mattias Bylund — synthesizer (7, 9)
- Gunhild Carling — trumpet (9)
- Johan Carlsson — electric guitar (7), synthesizer, guitar (9)
- Jonas Jeberg — instrumentation (8)
- Mattias Johansson — violin (7, 9)
- Zaire Koalo — drum programming (5)
- Mauricio Rengifo — keyboard, synthesizer (4)
- Andrés Torres — keyboard, synthesizer, electric guitar (4)
Production[]
- Johan Carlsson — production, vocal production (7, 9)
- Warren "Oak" Felder — production (2, 5)
- Jonas Jeberg — production (8)
- Mike Sabath — production, vocal production (1)
- Stargate — production (3)
- Sidney Swift — production (6)
- Mauricio Rengifo — production (4)
- Andrés Torres — production (4)
- Trevor Brown — co-production (5)
- Zaire Koalo — co-production (5)
- Dayyon Alexander Drinkard — additional production (6)
- Steph Jones — vocal production (1)
- Noah Passovoy — vocal production (7)
- Danny D — executive production (3)
- Tim Blacksmith — executive production (3)
Technical[]
- Chris Gehringer — mastering (all tracks)
- Eric J. Dubowsky — mixing (2-5)
- Serban Ghenea — mixing (7-9)
- Mike Sabath — mixing (1)
- Sidney Swift — mixing, programming (6)
- CJ Baran — programming (9)
- Johan Carlsson — programming (7, 9)
- Warren "Oak" Felder — programming (5), engineering (2, 5)
- Mikkel Eriksen — programming, recording (3)
- Mauricio Rengifo — programming, arranging (4)
- Andrés Torres — arranging (4)
- Connor L. Barkhouse — engineering (6)
- John Hanes — engineering (7-9)
- Keith Sorrells — assistant engineers (2)
Design[]
- Amber Park – creative direction, design
- Kieren Welsh – design assistant
- Mr. Iozo – photography
Charts[]
| Chart (2019) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Digital Albums (ARIA)[54] | 13 |
| French Download Albums (SNEP)[55] | 55 |
| UK Download Albums (OCC)[56] | 53 |
| US Billboard 200[57] | 138 |
| US Top Albums Sales (Billboard)[58] | 24 |
Release history[]
| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | July 19, 2019 | Hollywood | [59] | |
| United States | CD | [60] | ||
| Japan | Universal | [61] | ||
| Various | July 26, 2019 | [62] | ||
| October 18, 2019 | LP |
References[]
- ^ Fields, Taylor (July 19, 2019). "Sabrina Carpenter on How Self-Reflection Helped Inspire 'Singular: Act II'". iHeartRadio. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
- ^ Sabrina Carpenter (June 2, 2018), Sabrina Carpenter - Singular Album Trailer, retrieved July 23, 2019
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Russell, Erica. "Sabrina Carpenter on Fan Theories, ASMR and How 'Singular Act II' Shows 'Vulnerable' Confidence". PopCrush. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
- ^ "Sabrina Carpenter Talks Pushing 20, Singular Act 2 & Life". April 1, 2019. Retrieved June 5, 2019 – via YouTube.
- ^ Sabrina Carpenter (June 2, 2018), Sabrina Carpenter - Singular Album Trailer, retrieved July 19, 2019
- ^ Carpenter, Sabrina (October 22, 2018). "Singular: Act 1 Out 11/9 Act 2 coming soonpic.twitter.com/MLOFMH4djR". Retrieved March 2, 2019 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Sabrina Carpenter reveals details of new album "Singular: Act 1" - Music News - ABC News Radio". ABC News Radio Online. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
- ^ Sabrina Carpenter Videos (February 13, 2019), Sabrina Carpenter talks about upcoming tour and Singular: Act 2 coming with it!, retrieved March 2, 2019
- ^ "here's the set list :)pic.twitter.com/iDA46BX6Ir". March 2, 2019. Retrieved March 2, 2019 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Singular: Act II (@singularact2) • Instagram photos and videos". Retrieved June 1, 2019 – via Instagram.
- ^ "Sabrina Carpenter Explains Why She's Not "A Delicate Flower"". Nylon. May 9, 2019. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
- ^ Carpenter, Sabrina (May 14, 2019). "pic.twitter.com/SMJnpg5xpg". @SabrinaAnnLynn. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
- ^ "Sabrina Carpenter on Instagram: '