The Gods We Can Touch

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The Gods We Can Touch
Aurora - The Gods We Can Touch.jpeg
Studio album by
Aurora
Released21 January 2022
RecordedNovember 2019 – July 2021
Genre
Length49:55
Label
Producer
Aurora chronology
A Different Kind of Human (Step 2)
(2019) 		The Gods We Can Touch
(2022)
Singles from The Gods We Can Touch
  1. "Exist for Love"
    Released: 14 May 2020
  2. "Cure for Me"
    Released: 7 July 2021
  3. "Giving In to the Love"
    Released: 14 October 2021
  4. "Heathens"
    Released: 2 December 2021
  5. "A Dangerous Thing"
    Released: 7 January 2022
  6. "Everything Matters"
    Released: 7 January 2022
  7. "A Temporary High"
    Released: 27 January 2022

The Gods We Can Touch is the third studio album by Norwegian pop singer and songwriter Aurora, released on 21 January 2022 through Decca Records and Glassnote Records.

The album was preceded by six singles, "Exist for Love", "Cure for Me", "Giving In to the Love", "Heathens", "A Dangerous Thing", and "Everything Matters", featuring French singer Pomme.

Background and release[]

Aurora began production on a new album in November 2019.[1] She hinted at plans to release a new album soon after the release of her A Different Kind of Human (Step 2) album. In an interview with Riff Magazine, she revealed she was working on two albums at once, one of which she has said is "longer into the future". Of the closer album, she stated, "The perspective is much bigger. It's still quite political, and it's still quite opinionated and it's also very emotional. It's even more about the individuals that make the army. It's an album for every individual within the big army of love".[2] She further detailed the album in an interview with Motley, stating "My next album will be dressed in an armour of hardness. But I'm also really exploring the soft, delicate part of me, which I want to open up even more on my next album".[3]

Clearing her Instagram feed in May 2020, Aurora began hinting at "the beginning of a new era".[4] She released the lead single for The Gods We Can Touch, "Exist for Love", on 14 May 2020.[5] She additionally released a song for the 2020 film The Secret Garden in September 2020, and confirmed the album she would release would not be another "step" album.[6]

In April 2021, Aurora's single "Runaway" began growing in popularity on TikTok. In an interview with NME regarding the song's newfound success, Aurora described the themes of the upcoming album: "I’m asking questions to everything that made us the way we are now; in our past, in politics, religion, and in weird ways of thought we have created that make no sense – like racism, not being a feminist or burning women for being witches. All of these strange things that we have convinced ourselves are the right thing to do, which is just so odd... I just wonder where it started, you know, this cruelty, and the good things of course".[7]

"Cure for Me" was released as The Gods We Can Touch's next single on 7 July 2021.[8] She detailed its position on the forthcoming album: "["Cure for Me"] has something in common with the album in that I'm experimenting with new things and new sides of me. It's easy for me to make a really 'Aurora' album – that feels like nature and mother Earth. That comes really naturally to me. So I'm really enjoying doing something different." She described her intentions to be experimental on the forthcoming album, and stated the album would not discuss themes like "doom, gloom, COVID and horror", instead of focusing on "more playful and fun" songs, whilst also referencing "a lot of things that bother [her] with society and our history". She also stated that album was finished, and her intentions to release the album before the end of 2021.[9]

On 14 October, she released "Giving In to the Love" as the album's next single, and officially announced The Gods We Can Touch, and its release date of 21 January 2022.[10]

On 2 December, she released "Heathens" as the album's fourth single,[11] and "A Dangerous Thing" and "Everything Matters", featuring French singer Pomme, as the fifth and sixth singles on 7 January 2022.[12] "A Temporary High" served as the seventh single, released on 27 January 2022.[13]

Promotion[]

To promote the album, Aurora announced a co-headlining concert tour with American singer-songwriter Sub Urban that will visit the United States in 2022.[14]

Music and lyrics[]

The Gods We Can Touch has been characterised to be an electropop record,[15][16][17][18] along with folk-pop,[16][19] ethereal,[19][18] art pop,[20] electro-folk,[18] and synth-pop.[18] The sound of the album incorporates an eclectic and multifaceted style,[16][21][18] set with vast soundscapes, electronic textures, Western elements, intimate orchestrations, multiple layers, and textures.[22][16] Musical influences of the record draws from chamber pop, global music, Latin music, and arena rock.[23][24]

The lyrical themes are heavily inspired predominantly by Greek mythology.[24][16][22] Furthermore, the styles of lyrical writing have been described as dark and disturbing, with a maximal and introspective style.[19][25][16] The lyrics throughout the songs of the record also talk about self-empowerment, abuse, and heartbreak.[15] Aurora's sopranolike vocal performance throughout the album was described by many critics as "ethereal",[16][18][21][19] with interludes to songs that showcase her voice and vocal tone shifts.[22][15] Georgia Griffiths from The Music writes that Aurora is "channelling Lana Del Rey, [and] the next it’s Santigold" in her vocal performances on the record.[22]

Critical reception[]

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.9/10[26]
Metacritic81/100[27]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[28]
Clash8/10[25]
DIY[23]
Dork[29]
Gigwise[17]
The Line of Best Fit9/10[19]
musicOMH[30]
NME[31]
Under the Radar[32]

The Gods We Can Touch was met with critical acclaim upon release.[33] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised score out of 100 to ratings from publications, the album received a mean score of 81 based on 9 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[27]

The Line of Best Fit writer Tom Williams praised the album as an "ethereal masterpiece" and stated that Aurora's sound is "like heaven on Earth."[19] Steven Loftin of Dork called Aurora on the album "exciting as she is intriguing" and makes the "world feels like a better place."[29] The Clash's Finlay Holden called the record "high-reaching" and noted that the themes of "angry, celebratory, wallowing and cathartic energies exhibit themselves in a maximalist way."[25] Ben Hogwood from musicOMH states that the record consisted of "futuristic production and intriguing, sometimes daring melodies" despite being rooted in a "deep and very distant past."[30]

Chris Hamilton-Peach of DIY writes that "Aurora's celestial spark remains her calling card" on the album.[23] Gigwise writer Tom Taylor sees Aurora as she "experiments with genre in her joyful new album" while also being reliant on "high-energy, electro-pop anthems."[17] Andrew Trendell of NME notes that the record "seizes the opportunity to take the world on and fight with all her power" and is loaded with "idiosyncratic quirks and enchanting notions."[31] Hayden Godfrey from Under the Radar felt that the record showcases Aurora's "glorious highs and careful lows" towards the production.[32] According to Marcy Donelson from AllMusic, the record only expands on Aurora's "already mystical bearing."[28]

Track listing[]

Digital and CD track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."The Forbidden Fruits of Eden"Aurora Aksnes
0:40
2."Everything Matters" (featuring Pomme)
  • Aurora
  • Skylstad
  • Hartman[c]
3:33
3."Giving In to the Love"
  • Aurora
  • Skylstad
3:01
4."Cure for Me"
  • Aksnes
  • Skylstad
  • Aurora
  • Skylstad
3:18
5."You Keep Me Crawling"
  • Aksnes
  • Skylstad
  • Aurora
  • Skylstad
2:59
6."Exist for Love"
  • Aksnes
  • Glen Roberts
  • Skylstad
  • Aurora
  • Skylstad
4:10
7."Heathens"
  • Aksnes
  • Skylstad
  • Odd Martin Skalnes
  • Aurora
  • Skylstad
3:45
8."The Innocent"
  • Aksnes
  • Roberts
  • Skylstad
  • Aurora
  • Skylstad
3:27
9."Exhale, Inhale"
  • Aksnes
  • Roberts
  • Skylstad
  • Aurora
  • Skylstad
3:32
10."A Temporary High"
  • Aksnes
  • Skylstad
  • Aurora
  • Skylstad
3:23
11."A Dangerous Thing"
  • Aurora
  • Skylstad
  • Sjølie[c]
3:35
12."Artemis"Aksnes
  • Aurora
  • Skylstad
2:38
13."Blood in the Wine"
  • Aksnes
  • Askjell Solstrand
  • Fredrik Svabø
3:29
14."This Could Be a Dream"
  • Aksnes
  • Skylstad
  • Aurora
  • Skylstad
4:08
15."A Little Place Called the Moon"
  • Aurora
  • Tellez
4:10
Total length:49:55
Vinyl track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Forbidden Fruits of Eden"Aksnes0:40
2."Cure for Me"
  • Aksnes
  • Skylstad
3:18
3."The Innocent"
  • Aksnes
  • Roberts
  • Skylstad
3:27
4."A Dangerous Thing"
  • Aksnes
  • Sjølie
3:35
5."Exist for Love"
  • Aksnes
  • Roberts
  • Skylstad
4:10
6."Heathens"
  • Aksnes
  • Skylstad
  • Skalnes
3:45
7."Blood in the Wine"
  • Aksnes
  • Solstrand
  • Svabø
3:29
8."Exhale, Inhale"
  • Aksnes
  • Roberts
  • Skylstad
3:32
9."A Temporary High"
  • Aksnes
  • Skylstad
3:23
10."The Woman I Am"
  • Aksnes
  • Roberts
  • Skylstad
3:06
11."This Could Be a Dream"
  • Aksnes
  • Skylstad
4:08
12."Artemis"Aksnes2:38
13."The Devil Is Human"
2:55
14."Everything Matters" (featuring Pomme)
  • Aksnes
  • Pommet
  • Hartman
3:33
15."A Little Place Called the Moon"
  • Aksnes
  • Tellez
4:10
Total length:49:49

Personnel[]

Musicians[]

  • Aurora – vocals, production, piano (tracks 2, 11), percussion (tracks 3, 7), synthesizer (tracks 4, 7), organ (track 4)
  • Magnus Skylstad – production, programming (tracks 2, 4, 6–7), synth bass (track 3), organ (track 3), drums (tracks 3–4, 6–7), bass (tracks 4, 6–7), synthesizer (tracks 4, 6), synth pads (tracks 6–7), strings (track 7), percussion (track 7, 11), baritone guitar (track 11), piano (track 11)
  • Fredrik Svabø – guitar (tracks 2–3, 7), acoustic guitar (track 11)
  • Askjell Solstrand – piano (track 2)
  • Pomme – featured vocals (track 2)
  • Jamie Hartman – production (track 2)
  • Alexander von Mehren – drum machine (track 4)
  • Isobel Waller-Bridge – string arrangement (track 6)
  • Glen Roberts – acoustic guitar (track 6)
  • Maddie Cutter – cello (track 6)
  • Galya Bisengalieva – violin (track 6), viola (track 6)
  • Odd Martin Skalnes – guitar (track 7), percussion (track 7)
  • Martin Sjølie – co-production (track 11), electric guitar (track 11), drums (track 11), bass (track 11)

Technical[]

  • Magnus Skylstad – engineer (tracks 2, 4, 7, 11), mixing, recording engineer (track 3), studio personnel
  • Alex Whartman – mastering, studio personnel
  • Josh Gudwin – mixing (track 4), studio personnel
  • Robin Schmidt – mastering (track 6)

Design[]

  • Aurora – art direction
  • Leif Podhajsky – art direction, artwork, package design
  • Xin Li – photography

Charts[]

Chart performance for The Gods We Can Touch
Chart (2022) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[34] 100
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[35] 24
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[36] 25
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[37] 29
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[38] 28
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[39] 47
French Albums (SNEP)[40] 56
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[41] 11
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[42] 1
Polish Albums (ZPAV)[43] 31
Scottish Albums (OCC)[44] 7
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[45] 53
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[46] 16
UK Albums (OCC)[47] 8
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[48] 6
US Current Album Sales (Billboard)[49] 56

Release history[]

Release dates and formats for The Gods We Can Touch
Region Date Format(s) Label Ref.
Various 21 January 2022
[50]
[51]

References[]

  1. ^ "『アナ雪2』の不思議な"声"AURORA（オーロラ）が語る、音楽観と死生観「人間として生きることは難しいこと」". Billboard Japan.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ "Q&A: Aurora builds her army of love on follow-up to 'A Different Kind of Human'". RIFF Magazine. 28 October 2019. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  3. ^ Magazine, Motley (3 December 2019). "Interview: AURORA". Motley. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  4. ^ "AURORA on Instagram: "I am emerging with a new story... A new song… The beginning of a new era."". Instagram. Archived from the original on 26 November 2021.
  5. ^ "Listen to Aurora's powerful new love song 'Exist For Love'". NME. 15 May 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  6. ^ "AURORA debuts 'The Secret Garden' and tells us about new album progress". NME. 4 September 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  7. ^ "Aurora's 'Runaway' soars up the charts following TikTok success". NME. 9 April 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  8. ^ TotalNtertainment (9 July 2021). "'Cure For Me' new single from Aurora". TotalNtertainment. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  9. ^ Trendell, Andrew (7 July 2021). "Aurora talks new single 'Cure for Me': "Why is it so difficult to let others be themselves?"". NME. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  10. ^ Moore, Sam (14 October 2021). "Aurora announces new album 'The Gods We Can Touch' and shares 'Giving In to the Love'". NME. Archived from the original on 14 October 2021. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
  11. ^ "Untitled". Twitter. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  12. ^ Clarke, Patrick (7 January 2022). "AURORA shares two new singles, 'A Dangerous Thing' and 'Everything Matters'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  13. ^ Paul, Larisha (27 January 2022). "Aurora Is Obsessed With Time In Light Soaked 'A Temporary High' Music Video". udiscovermusic. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  14. ^ "Aurora Presents The Gods We Can Touch Tour". Majestic Detroit. Archived from the original on 18 November 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  15. ^ a b c Aurora, "The Gods We Can Touch" album review, Northern Transmissions, 23 January 2022, by Mimi Kenny
  16. ^ a b c d e f g Dubois, Aymeric (25 January 2022). "AURORA: The Gods We Can Touch". Spectrum Culture. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  17. ^ a b c Taylor, Tom (18 January 2022). "Album Review: AURORA – The Gods We Can Touch". Gigwise. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  18. ^ a b c d e f Taylor, Tom (15 February 2022). "Album Review: Aurora – The Gods We Can Touch". Renowned For Sound. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  19. ^ a b c d e f Williams, Tom (17 January 2022). "The Gods We Can Touch is AURORA's ethereal masterpiece". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  20. ^ Franco, Frederick (21 January 2022). "MITOLOGÍA EN LA VIDA DIARIA: EL ART POP DE AURORA EN SU DISCO 'THE GODS WE CAN TOUCH'". Sopitas.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  21. ^ a b Andrea, Talia (23 January 2022). "AURORA: The Gods We Can Touch – Review". Vinyl Chapters. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  22. ^ a b c d Griffiths, Georgia (21 January 2022). "AURORA / The Gods We Can Touch". The Music. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  23. ^ a b c Hamilton-Peach, Chris (19 January 2022). "Aurora – The Gods We Can Touch". DIY. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  24. ^ a b Hobbs, Matt (25 January 2022). "Aurora The Gods We Can Touch". God Is in the TV. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  25. ^ a b c Holden, Finlay (19 January 2022). "Aurora – The Gods We Can Touch". Clash. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  26. ^ "Aurora The Gods We Can Touch". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  27. ^ a b "The Gods We Can Touch Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  28. ^ a b Donelson, Marcy (21 January 2022). "Aurora The Gods We Can Touch". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  29. ^ a b Loftin, Steven (19 January 2022). "Aurora – The Gods We Can Touch". Dork. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  30. ^ a b Hogwood, Ben (21 January 2022). "Aurora – The Gods We Can Touch". musicOMH. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  31. ^ a b Trendell, Andrew (19 January 2022). "Aurora – 'The Gods We Can Touch' review: a seductive mix of bangers and class". NME. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  32. ^ a b Godfrey, Hayden (20 January 2022). "Aurora – The Gods We Can Touch". Under The Radar. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  33. ^ Trendell, Andrew (7 February 2022). "Five things we learned from our In Conversation video chat with Aurora". NME. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  34. ^ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 31 January 2022". The ARIA Report. No. 1665. Australian Recording Industry Association. 31 January 2022. p. 6.
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  36. ^ "Ultratop.be – Aurora %5BNO%5D – The Gods We Can Touch" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  37. ^ "Ultratop.be – Aurora %5BNO%5D – The Gods We Can Touch" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  38. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Aurora %5BNO%5D – The Gods We Can Touch" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  39. ^ "Aurora: The Gods We Can Touch" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  40. ^ "Top Albums (Week 4, 2022)". SNEP. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  41. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Aurora %5BNO%5D – The Gods We Can Touch" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  42. ^ "Album 2022 uke 4". VG-lista. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  43. ^ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  44. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  45. ^ "Top 100 Albums Weekly". Promusicae. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  46. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Aurora %5BNO%5D – The Gods We Can Touch". Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  47. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  48. ^ "Aurora Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  49. ^ "Aurora Chart History (Current Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  50. ^ "The Gods We Can Touch by Aurora on Apple Music". Apple Music. Archived from the original on 14 October 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  51. ^ "The Aphrodite Bundle". Aurora. Archived from the original on 26 November 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
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