Am I a Girl?

Last updated
Am I a Girl?
AmIAGirlPoppy.jpeg
Studio album by
ReleasedOctober 31, 2018 (2018-10-31)
RecordedMid-2017 – January 10, 2018, [1] October 2018
Genre
Length39:28
Label
Producer
Poppy chronology
Poppy.Remixes
(2018)
Am I a Girl?
(2018)
Choke
(2019)
Singles from Am I a Girl?
  1. "In a Minute"
    Released: July 27, 2018
  2. "Time Is Up"
    Released: August 22, 2018
  3. "Fashion After All"
    Released: October 12, 2018
  4. "Hard Feelings"
    Released: October 19, 2018
  5. "X"
    Released: October 25, 2018

Am I a Girl? is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Poppy. It was released on October 31, 2018, by Mad Decent. Musically, it's primarily a dance-pop record that would later expand on the nu metal genre. The album was recorded with several producers and co-writers including Vaughn Oliver, Wax Motif, Fernando Garibay, Zakk Cervini and more.

Contents

Before its release, Poppy had described the album as having a French, vaporwave and Kate Bush influence. [1] [2] The album features guest appearances from Diplo, Garibay and vocals from Grimes. [3] It was supported by five singles, all of which featured a pop sound but later explored metal with the final single.

Composition

Am I a Girl? has been labelled by critics as a dance-pop, synth-pop, electropop, and nu metal album. [4] [5] [6] The final tracks of the record, "Am I a Girl?", "Play Destroy", and "X" explore heavy metal.

Promotion

Singles

"In a Minute" was released as the lead single from the album on July 27, 2018. [3] On August 10, the second single "Time Is Up" featuring Diplo was released alongside a music video. [7]

On October 12, 2018, Poppy released "Fashion After All" as the third single, followed by fourth single "Hard Feelings" on October 19. "X" was released as the fifth and final single from the album on October 25, 2018. The music video for "X" was released on November 5, 2018. [8] [9]

On October 30, 2018, "Play Destroy", which features Canadian singer Grimes, was released early on Poppy's YouTube channel several hours before the album was out worldwide. [10] This track received critical attention for its blend of pop and heavy metal. [11] [12] [13] Despite not being featured on the album, "Immature Couture" was released as a promotional single in September using Am I a Girl?'s album artwork. [14]

Following the viral success of "Girls In Bikinis" on TikTok, Mad Decent intended to release an exclusive vinyl of "Girls In Bikinis" / "Fashion After All" on November 26, 2020 through Record Store Day's website. However, Poppy stated that she didn't consent to put out the vinyl and later said she's grateful that she left the record label. The vinyl was eventually not released. [15]

Tour

In late 2018 and early 2019, Poppy embarked on the Am I a Girl? Tour in support of the album. [16]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [17]
Highsnobiety 3.0/5 [18]

Am I a Girl? received polarized reviews from music critics. Highsnobiety described Poppy as "intriguing if not wholly charismatic" and found that the album "is an enjoyable enough club record, but it fails to add anything new to the conversation". [18] AllMusic noted Poppy's sense of humor is evident during the record and remarked that while "not as cohesive as Poppy.Computer , Am I a Girl? definitely isn't stale, and it succeeds at expanding Poppy's sound and identity enough to keep fans listening and guessing." [17]

Maura Johnston of Rolling Stone described the album's shift into metal music in its latter half as a satisfying "critique of the mental whipsawing one has to do in order to survive in 2018", [19] and Poppy referred to the genre as "Poppymetal". [20]

Track listing

Credits adapted from Tidal. [21]

Am I a Girl?
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."In a Minute"Ryosuke "Dr. R" Sakai2:53
2."Fashion After All"
Wax Motif3:23
3."Iconic"
  • Wilcox
  • Mixter
  • Pereira
2:52
4."Chic Chick"
  • Wilcox
  • Mixter
  • English
  • Pereira
Vaughn Oliver2:54
5."Interlude 1"PereiraSakai0:47
6."Time Is Up" (featuring Diplo)
  • Pentz
  • Alvaro
  • Helsloot
  • Oliver
3:29
7."Aristocrat" (featuring Garibay)
  • Mixter
  • Wilcox
  • Garibay
  • R. Padilla
  • Daniel Padilla
  • Pereira
  • Garibay
  • Padilla
  • DNNYD
3:21
8."Hard Feelings"
  • Mixter
  • Pereira
  • Garibay
  • R. Padilla
  • D. Padilla
  • Chris Greatti
  • Wilcox
  • Garibay
  • Padilla
  • DNNYD
3:39
9."Girls in Bikinis"
  • Wilcox
  • Mixter
  • Pereira
Oliver2:25
10."The Rapture Ball"
  • Mixter
  • Wilcox
  • English
  • Pereira
  • Pentz
Aryay3:00
11."Interlude 2"PereiraSakai1:06
12."Am I a Girl?"
  • Wilcox
  • Mixter
  • Pereira
  • Mixter
  • Zakk Cervini
3:37
13."Play Destroy" (featuring Grimes)
  • Greatti
  • Boucher
3:05
14."X"
  • Cervini
  • Greatti
  • Mixter
  • Pereira
  • Greatti
  • Cervini
2:54
Total length:39:28

Notes

Related Research Articles

Nu metal is a subgenre of alternative metal that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop, funk, industrial, and grunge. Nu metal rarely features guitar solos or other displays of musical technique, and emphasizes rhythm with instrumentation that is heavily syncopated. Nu metal guitarists typically use seven-string guitars that are down-tuned to produce a heavier sound. Vocal styles are often rhythmic and influenced by hip hop, and include singing, rapping, screaming and sometimes growling. DJs are occasionally featured to provide instrumentation such as sampling, turntable scratching and electronic background music. Nu metal is one of the key genres of the new wave of American heavy metal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fernando Garibay</span> American music producer (born 1982)

Fernando Garibay is a Polymath, American Record Producer, Songwriter, Entrepreneur, and Academic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grimes</span> Canadian musician (born 1988)

Claire Elise Boucher, known professionally as Grimes, is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Her early work has been described as extending from "lo-fi R&B" to futuristic dance-pop, and has incorporated influences from electronic music, hip hop, and rock. Her lyrics often touch on science fiction and feminist themes. The visuals in her videos are elaborate and sometimes have fantasy themes. She has released five studio albums.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poppy (singer)</span> American singer and YouTuber (born 1995)

Moriah Rose Pereira, known professionally as Poppy and formerly as That Poppy, is an American singer, songwriter, and YouTuber. She first earned recognition for starring in surreal performance art videos on YouTube as an uncanny valley-like android who commented on and satirized internet culture and modern society. This led to the release of a pilot for the proposed 2018 surreal comedy online series I'm Poppy on YouTube Premium.

<i>Poppy.Computer</i> 2017 album by Poppy

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poppy discography</span> Artist discography

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Time Is Up (song)</span> 2018 single by Poppy featuring Diplo

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"Play Destroy" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Poppy featuring Canadian musician Grimes from the former's second studio album Am I a Girl? (2018).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">X (Poppy song)</span> 2018 single by Poppy

"X" is a song by American singer Poppy. It was released on October 25, 2018 by Mad Decent as the fifth and final single from her second studio album Am I a Girl? (2018). The song was written by Poppy, Titanic Sinclair, Chris Greatti and the producer Zakk Cervini. Musically, the song explores heavy metal, a musical departure for Poppy, whose discography is primarily composed of pop music.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cry (Ashnikko song)</span> 2020 single by Ashnikko featuring Grimes

"Cry" is a song by American singer and rapper Ashnikko featuring vocals from Canadian singer-songwriter Grimes. It was released on June 17, 2020 through Parlophone Records as the lead single from Ashnikko's debut mixtape, Demidevil. It was produced by Ebenezer and written by Ashnikko, Grimes, Ebenezer, and Faangs. A nu metal, rap rock, and hyperpop track, its lyrics are dedicated to Ashnikko's ex-best friend who had sex with her ex-boyfriend.

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References

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  5. Bein, Kat (November 30, 2018). "Poppy Breaks Down New Album 'Am I A Girl?' And Says She Was 'Bullied' By Grimes". Billboard . Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  6. Shutler, Ali (January 10, 2020). "Poppy - 'I Disagree' review: a very modern pop star sheds her satirical skin". NME. Retrieved 10 January 2020. The follow-up came a year later with 'Am I A Girl?'. An album in three acts, it questioned identity, celebrity and climate change while exploring the world of electro-pop [...]
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  8. Fair, Anna. "Poppy Continues Heavy Metal Domination with Bloody New Video". Alternative Press . Retrieved November 13, 2018.
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  14. Immature Couture, 2018-10-05, retrieved 2024-03-27
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  17. 1 2 Phares, Heather. "Am I a Girl? – Poppy". AllMusic . Retrieved January 10, 2020.
  18. 1 2 Indiana, Jake (November 5, 2018). "'Am I a Girl?' Doesn't Offer Any Answers on Poppy's Pop Stardom". Highsnobiety . Retrieved January 23, 2019.
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