Set My Heart on Fire Immediately
Set My Heart on Fire Immediately | ||||
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Studio album by Perfume Genius | ||||
Released | May 15, 2020 (2020-05-15) | |||
Studio | Sound City (Van Nuys, California) | |||
Genre |
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Length | 50:42 | |||
Label | Matador | |||
Producer | Blake Mills | |||
Perfume Genius chronology | ||||
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Singles from Set My Heart on Fire Immediately | ||||
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Set My Heart on Fire Immediately is the fifth studio album by American musician Perfume Genius, released May 15, 2020 through Matador Records as the follow-up to 2017's No Shape. The album received critical acclaim upon release, with some critics calling it Hadreas' best work to date, praising its exploration of queer themes and homages to 80s pop and classic rock music.[1][2][3]
Set My Heart on Fire Immediately is an art rock and pop album that features elements of baroque pop, art pop, synthpop, funk, alt-pop, shoegaze, ambient, psychedelic, R&B, acoustic pop, disco, swamp rock, chamber, doo-wop, industrial, and heartland rock.[3][4][5][6][7][2][8]
Background
In an interview with Jia Tolentino, Mike Hadreas described the album as influenced by his work with choreographer Kate Wallich on a 2019 dance piece titled "The Sun Still Burns Here".[9] Hadreas composed numerous songs for the performance, with two singles, "Eye in the Wall" and "Pop Song" resulting, though neither was included on Set My Heart on Fire Immediately but its 2022 successor Ugly Season. Of the experience, Hadreas explained that the themes of embodiment in his prior music were complicated as dance felt "rebellious against [his] body." He explained that dancing "blew up this separation between [his] work and the world," resulting in changes to his songwriting, with songs now telling stories grounded in real-life settings and about real people. He cited Townes Van Zandt, Enya, and Cocteau Twins as influences on the new album.[10]
Critical reception
Aggregate scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 8.8/10[11] |
Metacritic | 91/100[12] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Daily Telegraph | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Guardian | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Independent | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Mojo | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
NME | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Pitchfork | 9.0/10[18] |
Q | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Rolling Stone | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Times | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Set My Heart on Fire Immediately received rave reviews. At review aggregator Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received a weighted average score of 91 out of 100, based on 25 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim" and making it Perfume Genius' highest rated album on the website.[12]
Accolades
Publication | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
BBC | The Best Albums and Songs of 2020 | — | [21] |
Billboard | Billboard's 50 Best Albums of 2020 – Mid-Year | — | [22] |
Consequence of Sound | The 50 Best Albums of 2020 | 4 | [23] |
Entertainment Weekly | The best albums of 2020… so far | — | [24] |
The 15 Best Albums of 2020 | 13 | [25] | |
Gaffa | 2020's 20 Best Foreign Albums | 16 | [26] |
Gigwise | The Gigwise 51 Best Albums of 2020 | 2 | [27] |
The Line of Best Fit | The Best Albums of 2020 Ranked | 7 | [28] |
NPR | The 50 Best Albums of 2020 | 35 | [29] |
Paste | Paste's 25 Best Albums of 2020 – Mid-Year | 5 | [30] |
Pitchfork | The 50 Best Albums of 2020 | 5 | [31] |
Slant | The Best Albums of 2020 (So Far) | — | [32] |
Spin | Spin's 30 Best Albums of 2020 – Mid-Year | — | [33] |
Stereogum | Stereogum's 50 Best Albums of 2020 – Mid-Year | 3 | [34] |
The 50 Best Albums of 2020 | 15 | [35] | |
Time | Best Albums of 2020 | 6 | [36] |
Under the Radar | Under the Radar's Top 100 Albums of 2020 | 7 | [37] |
Uproxx | The Best Albums Of 2020 So Far | 17 | [38] |
Variety | Variety's Best Albums of 2020 – Mid-Year | — | [39] |
Track listing
All tracks are written by Mike Hadreas, except where noted
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Whole Life" | 3:53 |
2. | "Describe" | 4:44 |
3. | "Without You" | 2:35 |
4. | "Jason" | 3:05 |
5. | "Leave" | 3:05 |
6. | "On the Floor" (Hadreas, Alan Wyffels) | 5:03 |
7. | "Your Body Changes Everything" | 4:13 |
8. | "Moonbend" (Hadreas, Blake Mills) | 5:21 |
9. | "Just a Touch" | 3:28 |
10. | "Nothing at All" | 4:27 |
11. | "One More Try" | 3:01 |
12. | "Some Dream" | 4:18 |
13. | "Borrowed Light" | 3:22 |
Total length: | 50:42 |
Personnel
Musicians
- Mike Hadreas – vocals (all tracks), synthesizers (1, 2, 5, 7, 10, 12, 13), Wurlitzer (4)
- Blake Mills – guitar (1–3, 7–9, 11, 12), bass (1, 3, 4, 7, 9, 11), synthesizers (1, 4, 8, 10, 12, 13), drums (1), glockenspiel (1), synth guitar (6, 11), harmony vocals (6, 10, 11), organ (8, 10), piano (11, 12), synth drums (12), harmonium (13)
- Matt Chamberlain – additional drums (1), drums (4, 6, 7, 10, 12)
- Rob Moose – violin (1, 3–5, 9, 13), viola (1, 3–5, 9, 13)
- Alan Wyffels – piano (1, 12), organ (3, 9), harpsichord (4), synthesizers (5, 8, 12), harmony vocals (7), flute (8), Wurlitzer (12), Rhodes (13)
- Jim Keltner – drums (2, 3, 9, 11)
- Pino Palladino – bass (2, 6, 7)
- Gabriel Cabezas – cello (3, 4, 9, 13)
- Sam Gendel – synthesizers (4), saxophone (7, 8, 12), synth drums (7), drum machine (7, 10)
- Phoebe Bridgers – harmony vocals (6)
- Ethan Gruska – harmony vocals (6), vocals (6), percussion (6)
Engineers
- Blake Mills – production
- Joseph Lorge – engineering
- Greg Koller – engineering, mixing
- Patricia Sullivan – mastering
- Ian Sefchick – mastering
Artwork
- Camille Vivier – photographs
- Andrew J. S. – art direction
Charts
Chart (2020) | Peak position |
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Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[40] | 21 |
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[41] | 39 |
Scottish Albums (OCC)[42] | 19 |
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[43] | 7 |
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[44] | 34 |
US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[45] | 24 |
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[46] | 18 |
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[47] | 45 |
US Vinyl Albums (Billboard)[48] | 21 |
Remix album
IMMEDIATELY Remixes | ||||
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Remix album by | ||||
Released | March 12, 2021 | |||
Length | 53:04 | |||
Label | Matador | |||
Producer |
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Perfume Genius chronology | ||||
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Singles from IMMEDIATELY Remixes | ||||
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A remix album, titled IMMEDIATELY Remixes, was announced on January 14, 2021.[49] It was initially announced for release on February 19, 2021,[50] however it was delayed until March 12, 2021.[citation needed] It received a limited vinyl release for Record Store Day 2021.
It was preceded by the singles, "On the Floor (Initial Talk Remix)", "Without You (Jim-E Stack Remix)", "Your Body Changes Everything (Boy Harsher Remix)", and "Describe (A. G. Cook Remix)", released April 29, 2020,[51] December 3, 2020,[52] January 14, 2021,[49] and March 3, 2021,[53] respectively.
Track listing
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Whole Life" (Jaakko Eino Kalevi Remix) | 3:41 |
2. | "Describe" (A. G. Cook Remix) | 4:23 |
3. | "Without You" (Jim-E Stack Remix) | 3:22 |
4. | "Jason" (Planningtorock 'Jason there's no rush' Remix) | 3:36 |
5. | "Leave" (Jenny Hval Remix) | 3:37 |
6. | "On the Floor" (Initial Talk Remix) | 3:37 |
7. | "Your Body Changes Everything" (Boy Harsher Remix) | 5:06 |
8. | "Moonbend" (Nídia Remix) | 4:42 |
9. | "Just a Touch" (Danny L Harle Harlecore Remix) | 3:41 |
10. | "Nothing at All" (Westerman Remix) | 4:27 |
11. | "One More Try" (Actress Remix) | 5:58 |
12. | "Some Dream" (Koreless Remix) | 3:28 |
13. | "Borrowed Light" (Katie Dey Remix) | 3:26 |
Total length: | 53:04 |
References
- ^ a b Britton, Luke Morgan (May 13, 2020). "Perfume Genius – 'Set My Heart On Fire Immediately' review: experimentalist finds strength in restraint". NME. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
- ^ a b Smith, Matthew (May 25, 2020). "Perfume Genius - Set My Heart on Fire Immediately". Retrieved September 3, 2020.
- ^ a b Horton, Ross (May 15, 2020). "Perfume Genius – Set My Heart On Fire Immediately". Music OMH. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
- ^ Almond, Grace (May 15, 2020). "Album Review: Perfume Genius - Set My Heart On Fire Immediately". Gigwise. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
- ^ Inscoe-Jones, Liam (May 17, 2020). "Mike Hadreas expands his eclectic sound on Perfume Genius' latest". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
- ^ Bell, Kaelen (May 11, 2020). "Perfume Genius Proves Himself as an Artist Unlike Any Other on 'Set My Heart on Fire Immediately'". Exclaim!. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
- ^ Johnston, Andy (May 15, 2020). "AlBUM REVIEW: PERFUME GENIUS – SET MY HEART ON FIRE IMMEDIATELY". Beats Per Minute. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
- ^ a b Dolan, Jon (May 18, 2020). "Perfume Genius Beautifully Maps His Desires on 'Set My Heart on Fire Immediately'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
- ^ Tolentino, Jia (May 12, 2020). "Perfume Genius Wants to Make You Feel Less Lonely". The New Yorker. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
- ^ Torres, Eric (May 15, 2020). "Perfume Genius Breaks Down Every Song on His Beguiling New Album, Set My Heart on Fire Immediately". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
- ^ "Set My Heart On Fire Immediately by Perfume Genius reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
- ^ a b "Set My Heart on Fire Immediately by Perfume Genius Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
- ^ Phares, Heather. "Set My Heart on Fire Immediately – Perfume Genius". AllMusic. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
- ^ McCormick, Neil (May 16, 2020). "This week's best new albums: Perfume Genius, Charli XCX, Sparks and more". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
- ^ Petridis, Alexis (May 14, 2020). "Perfume Genius: Set My Heart on Fire Immediately review – pop poet discovers new powers". The Guardian. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
- ^ O'Connor, Roisin; Bray, Elisa (May 14, 2020). "Album reviews: Perfume Genius, Sparks and Moses Sumney". The Independent. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
- ^ Segal, Victoria (June 2020). "Smell the magic". Mojo. No. 319. p. 94.
- ^ Bloom, Madison (May 18, 2020). "Perfume Genius: Set My Heart on Fire Immediately Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
- ^ Aroesti, Rachel (Summer 2020). "Perfume Genius: Set My Heart on Fire Immediately". Q. No. 413. p. 104.
- ^ Hodgkinson, Will (May 15, 2020). "Perfume Genius: Set My Heart On Fire Immediately review — a long, slow pleasure". The Times. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
- ^ Levine, Nick. "The best albums and songs of 2020". BBC. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
- ^ Billboard Staff (June 9, 2020). "The 50 Best Albums of 2020 (So Far)". Billboard. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
- ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2020". Consequence of Sound. December 1, 2020. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
- ^ "The best albums of 2020… so far". Entertainment Weekly. July 3, 2020. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
- ^ "The 15 Best Albums of 2020". Entertainment Weekly. December 4, 2020. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
- ^ "Her er årets 20 bedste udenlandske album". Gaffa. Archived from the original on November 29, 2020. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
- ^ "The Gigwise 51 Best Albums of 2020". Gigwise. December 1, 2020. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
- ^ "The Best Albums Of 2020 Ranked". The Line of Best Fit. December 3, 2020. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
- ^ Douris, Raina (December 2, 2020). "The Best Albums of 2020". NPR. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
- ^ "The Best Albums of 2020 (So Far)". Paste. June 8, 2020. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
- ^ Gaca, Anna (December 8, 2020). "The 50 Best Albums of 2020". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
- ^ "The Best Albums of 2020 (So Far)". Slant. June 29, 2020. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
- ^ Spin Staff (May 21, 2020). "The 30 Best Albums of 2020 (So Far)". Spin. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
- ^ "Best Albums of 2020 So Far". Stereogum. June 10, 2020. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
- ^ "The 50 Best Albums Of 2020". Stereogum. December 1, 2020. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
- ^ "Best Albums Of 2020". The Line of Best Fit. November 28, 2020. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
- ^ "Under the Radar's Top 100 Albums of 2020". Under the Radar. January 15, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
- ^ "The Best Albums Of 2020 So Far". Consequence of Sound. June 22, 2020. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
- ^ Aswad, Jem; Willman, Chris; Barker, Andrew (June 5, 2020). "Best Albums of 2020 So Far". Variety. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Perfume Genius – Set My Heart on Fire Immediately" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
- ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Perfume Genius – Set My Heart on Fire Immediately". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
- ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
- ^ "Perfume Genius Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
- ^ "Perfume Genius Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
- ^ "Perfume Genius Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
- ^ "Perfume Genius Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
- ^ "Perfume Genius Chart History (Vinyl Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
- ^ a b Bloom, Madison (January 14, 2021). "Perfume Genius Announces New Remix Album, Shares New Video". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
- ^ "Perfume Genius announces remix album featuring A .G. Cook, Jenny Hval, and more". The FADER. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
- ^ "Perfume Genius shares remix of 'On The Floor' by Initial Talk | NME". NME | Music, Film, TV, Gaming & Pop Culture News. April 29, 2020. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
- ^ Subscribe (December 3, 2020). "Jim-E Stack remixes Perfume Genius' 'Without You' | News". diymag.com. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
- ^ "Perfume Genius - "Describe (A. G. Cook Remix)"". Stereogum. March 3, 2021. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
- v
- t
- e
- Learning
- Put Your Back N 2 It
- Too Bright
- No Shape
- Set My Heart on Fire Immediately
- Ugly Season
- "Jonathan" (Christine and the Queens featuring Perfume Genius)
- "Good Ones (Perfume Genius Remix)" (Charli XCX)