Compliments Please
Studio album by
Self Esteem
Released1 March 2019
GenrePop, Experimental pop
Length52:42
LabelFiction Records
Self Esteem chronology
Compliments Please
(2019)		 Prioritise Pleasure
(2021)

Compliments Please is the first studio album by the British musician Self Esteem, aka Rebecca Lucy Taylor, released on 1 March 2019.

Writing and recording

Taylor has said that she wrote most of the record whilst happily in a relationship, but that "Rollout", "In Time" and "I'm Shy" were written in the aftermath of the breakup of that relationship.[1] Tracks for the album were recorded by Taylor in Margate from January to September 2018 with producer and co-writer Johan Hugo Karlberg.[2] Taylor signed a record deal with Fiction Records in April 2018.[3] During the period of recording she played live at Latitude, Tramlines and a sold out show at Omeara Theatre London,[4] followed by an eight-show UK tour in autumn 2018.[5]

Music and lyrics

"(Feelings)", the spoken word beginning to the record, features an American woman speaking about the frustrations and compromises of being in a band, something which Taylor experienced while in Slow Club.[6] The audio is Taylor's recording of Los Angeles Uber driver Kelly Jones, who was speaking about her own experience of being a singer in a band.[1]

"Girl Crush" is critical of performative bisexuality and about Taylor's own experience of being approached by heterosexual women to experience homosexual relationships as a curiosity or a dare.[7][8] It has been contrasted to Katy Perry's "I Kissed A Girl" which has been criticised for trivialising same-sex relationships.[1]

Taylor has said that "Wresting" is about the early stages of many relationships in which both parties try not to seem too enthusiastic.[9] "Rollout", with its refrain "What I might have achieved / If I wasn't trying to please you" has been described by Taylor as being the story of her 20s, trying to people-please in her music, her romantic relationships, her family and in wider society.[7]

Release and reception

The first single "Wrestling" was released in July 2018 followed by "Rollout" in September 2018, "The Best" in January 2019 and "Girl Crush" in February 2019.[10] Compliments Please was released on 1 March 2019 on Fiction Records.[11] Described as "brewing a concoction of high octane, R&B infused pop"[12] it was well received critically, with an average rating of 80/100 according to Metacritic.[13] A deluxe version was released in October 2019 with an additional track "Rooms".[14]

Compliments Please was reissued on vinyl on 22 April 2023 for Record Store Day,[15] causing it to enter the vinyl charts top 10.[16]

Track listing

Source:[17]

All tracks are written by Rebecca Lucy Taylor

No.TitleLength
1."(Feelings)"0:33
2."The Best" (Co-writer: Johan Karlberg)3:50
3."Steady I Stand" (Co-writer: Johan Karlberg, Oluwaseye Adelekan)3:51
4."Girl Crush" (Co-writer: Johan Karlberg, Jacob Vetter, Sophie Galpin)4:04
5."Favourite Problem" (Co-writer: Johan Karlberg, Jacob Vetter, Oluwaseye Adelekan, Esau Mwamwaya)3:49
6."(Hobbies)"2:10
7."I'm Shy" (Co-writer: Johan Karlberg)3:15
8."Peach You Had To Pick" (Co-writer: Johan Karlberg, Jacob Vetter)4:05
9."In Time" (Co-writer: Johan Karlberg, Jacob Vetter)3:26
10."Monster" (Co-writer: Johan Karlberg, Jacob Vetter)3:10
11."Actors"2:47
12."Wrestling" (Co-writer: Johan Karlberg, Oluwaseye Adelekan)3:33
13."(Truly Free)" (Co-writer: Jacob Vetter)0:48
14."She Reigns" (Co-writer: Johan Karlberg)4:37
15."Rollout" (Co-writer: Johan Karlberg)3:16
16."On The Edge Of Another One"2:01
17."Rooms" (Bonus track on deluxe edition. Co-writer: Johan Karlberg, Jacob Vetter, David Maclean)3:20
Total length:52:42

Personnel

Musicians

  • Rebecca Lucy Taylor – vocals, guitar, percussion, drums, keys
  • Johan Hugo Karlberg – programming, keys
  • Jacob Vetter – keys, guitar, bass, percussion, backing vocals
  • Oluwaseye Adelekan – guitar, bass, percussion, backing vocals
  • Sophie Galpin – backing vocals, strings
  • Kelli Blanchett – backing vocals
  • Raven Bush – strings
  • Resound Choir – Joseph Clarke, Mariah Hargrove, Jessica Fox
  • Kelly Jones – spoken word on (Feelings)
  • Alessandro Babalola – spoken word on (Hobbies)
  • Genesis Lynea – spoken word on (Truly Free)

Production

  • Johan Hugo Karlberg – production, recording, engineering
  • Jacob Vetter – co-producer tracks 2–5, 8–11 and 14
  • Mixing – James Dring
  • Mastering – Jason Mitchell

Artwork

  • Cover photo – Charlotte Patmore
  • Painting (inside cover) – Francesca Hague, edited by Ian Hall

References

  1. 1 2 3 "How Rebecca Taylor found her self-esteem | Interview". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
  2. ↑ "Self Esteem announces debut album with lead single "The Best"". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 2023-03-26.
  3. ↑ Taylor, Rebecca Lucy [@SELFESTEEM___] (April 4, 2018). "Last night I signed a deal with @FictionRecords as a solo lady. I am very happy and excited. And hungover. https://t.co/SHIyBQP1Jr" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 10 February 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2023 – via Twitter.
  4. ↑ Taylor, Rebecca Lucy [@SELFESTEEM___] (September 22, 2018). "Baby just let in your truth. https://t.co/bn0b4oLlzm" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 10 February 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2023 – via Twitter.
  5. ↑ Taylor, Rebecca Lucy [@SELFESTEEM___] (October 3, 2018). "DOING SMALL TOUR ideally won't be this cheap to see me for much longer lads so come to this ! https://t.co/ZKx3uIy0nN https://t.co/h2fsPr1cpG" (Tweet). Retrieved 10 February 2023 – via Twitter.
  6. ↑ ""I'm pretty f***ing selfish. I do it for myself.": An interview with Self Esteem". Varsity Online. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
  7. 1 2 "Self Esteem is better off on her own". BBC News. 2019-06-07. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
  8. ↑ "Self Esteem challenges gender specifics on new single "Girl Crush"". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 2023-04-28.
  9. ↑ "Self Esteem debuts new song "Wrestling" plays one-off London headline show". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 2023-04-28.
  10. ↑ "self esteem | Dork". readdork.com. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
  11. ↑ Snapes, Laura (2019-03-01). "Self Esteem: Compliments Please review – sly, covetous pop". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2019-03-20.
  12. ↑ "Self Esteem's Compliments Please is an exhilarating statement of intent". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 2023-04-28.
  13. ↑ Compliments Please by Self Esteem, retrieved 2023-02-04
  14. ↑ "Self Esteem unveils new track "Rooms" from deluxe edition of debut album". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
  15. ↑ "@SELFESTEEM___". Twitter. Retrieved 2023-03-26.
  16. ↑ "Official Vinyl Albums Chart Top 40 | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2023-05-19.
  17. ↑ Compliments Please (Deluxe), 2019-10-10, retrieved 2023-03-15
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.