Crystal Sky | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 15 May 2015 | |||
Recorded | 2014–15 [1] | |||
Studio | ||||
Length | 51:28 | |||
Label |
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Producer |
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Lena chronology | ||||
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Singles from Crystal Sky | ||||
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Crystal Sky is the fourth studio album by German singer Lena Meyer-Landrut. It was released by We Love Music and Universal Music on 15 May 2015. Taking her work further into the electro pop genre, Meyer-Landrut worked with a variety of new collaborators on the album, including production teams Biffco and Beatgees, who would contribute a more electronic, bass-heavy, experimental and danceable sound to the album, along with club sounds, dubstep elements and computer-generated retro effects. [4]
The album earned largely polarizing reviews from music critic some of who felt it lacked variety and individuality while others complimented Crystal Sky for its international sound and compared it favorably to English singer Ellie Goulding. In Germany, the album debuted at number two on the German Albums Chart and was eventually certified Gold by the Bundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI) in 2023. Lead single "Traffic Lights" became a top 20 in Germany, while "Wild & Free," recorded for the comedy film Fack ju Göhte 2 (2015) and included on the deluxe edition of Crystal Sky became Meyer-Landrut's sixth top ten hit.
In early 2014, Meyer-Landrut began principal work on her fourth studio album. In January, she traveled to New York City to engage in talks with record producer Bosko. [1] In May 2014, she visited the Yoad Nevo studios in London and in June 2014. she worked with Australian singer-songwriter Kat Vinter in Berlin and with Israeli-American singer-songwriter Rosi Golan in Los Angeles. In Brighton, she worked with the Biffco producer team. Further she worked with AFSHeeN and Berlin production team Beatgees who already produced a remix of "Neon (Lonely People)" and the children's song "Schlaft alle" for the compilation album Giraffenaffen 3 which was released in November 2014. On 7 August 2014, Meyer-Landrut revealed via her Twitter account that the title of the album would be Crystal Sky. [5]
"Traffic Lights" was released as the lead single ahead of the album on 1 May 2015. The song entered the German singles chart at #14. The album followed two weeks later on CD, digital and limited CD+DVD version featuring music videos.
The next single "Wild & Free was released in September and served as the title track of the German comedy film Fack ju Göhte 2 (2015). It was later included on the deluxe CD+DVD version of the album released on 23 October 23, 2015.
"Beat to My Melody" was released as the third and final single from the album. A Remix EP was released on 8 April 2016 via Universal Music.
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
CDStarts.de | 5/10 [6] |
HNA | [7] |
Laut.de | [8] |
Rolling Stone | [9] |
Crystal Sky was released to generally polarizing reviews from music critics. MusikWoche editor Dietmar Schwenger called it "an exciting, contemporary album. The 14 new songs don't rely on catchy tunes and sure-fire airplay, but rather on intricate electronic landscapes and abstract beats, which often only unfold their magic on the second listen." [10] WDR 2 critic Oliver Rustemeyer remarked that "for its diverse influences from home and abroad, Crystal Sky is extremely homogeneous. Opulent and powerful sounds collide with wide synth pads. Effects, alienation and other technical gadgets remain so subtle that the 14 numbers still pass as danceable pop. However, common mainstream structures are being broken down." [11] hr3 summed the album as "an electronically inspired pop glitter that offers a lot of artfully composed music." [12] HNA 's Johanna Daher called it a "well-made album." [7]
Münchner Merkur critic Marco Mach found that with Crystal Sky, Meyer-Landrut "reinvents herself and presents a courageous electronic and danceable glittering work [...] This is a new Lena who is sure to scare away old fans and win fewer new ones. Who sounds a little too much like Ellie Goulding and Kylie Minogue." [13] Markus Brandstetter from Laut.de felt that "for a pop production, there's little to complain about [...] But as international as the record tends to be, it sounds interchangeable in a sea of similar high-gloss electro-pop productions. A perfectly crafted and thoroughly enjoyable commissioned work and also a completely understandable step forward on the part of Meyer-Landrut. For a really memorable and independent work, Crystal Sky lacks a bit of substance." [8] Malin Kompa from Radio Bremen found that Crystal Sky "still sounds pop, but really more electronic than you're used to from Lena." [14]
Sebastian Zabel from the German issue of Rolling Stone magazine gave Crystal Sky two and a half out of five stars. He found that the album was "surprisingly here today, namely close to Goulding and Charli XCX – electro-pop, international standard." Zabel also noted, however, that it lacked "stubbornness." [9] Similarly, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung critic Hannah Feiler wrote that Crystal Sky was suitable for the masses but lacked "individuality." She concluded the album was "too overloaded and as if intoxicated by the synth sound." [15] Aaron Clamann, writing for Rheinische Post noted that "taken on its own, almost every track on the album would make you want to listen to it in the background on the radio. But when heard in one piece, they just seem overwhelming. Above all, the changing rhythms just seem confusing." [16] Dietmar Kanthak from Kölnische Rundschau called the album "empty and without life." He dismissed the album as "interchangeable" and felt that Meyer-Landrut's voice sounded helium-like. [4]
Crystal Sky debuted and peaked at number two on the German Albums Chart in the week of 22 May 2015. [17] It became Meyer-Landrut's fourth consecutive to reach the top two of the chart and would spend 18 weeks inside the top 100. [17] In 2023, eight years after its original release, the album was eventually certified Gold by the Bundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI) for shipment figures in excess of 100,000 copies. [18] In Austria and Switzerland, Crystal Sky became her lowest-charting album yet, peaking at number 25 on the Austrian Albums Chart and number 40 on the Swiss Albums Chart. [19] [20]
All tracks produced by Biffco and Beatgees, with additional programming by Steven Malcolmson. Original production on "Lifeline" by AFSHeen and Josh Cumbee.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "The Girl" |
| 4:09 |
2. | "Keep on Living" | 3:21 | |
3. | "Traffic Lights" |
| 2:48 |
4. | "All Kinds of Crazy" |
| 3:40 |
5. | "Beat to My Melody" |
| 3:36 |
6. | "Sleep Now" |
| 3:47 |
7. | "Lifeline" |
| 3:06 |
8. | "4 Sleeps" |
| 4:06 |
9. | "We Roam" |
| 3:47 |
10. | "Crystal Sky" |
| 3:28 |
11. | "Invisible" |
| 3:31 |
12. | "Catapult" (featuring Kat Vinter and Little Simz) |
| 5:09 |
13. | "In the Light" |
| 3:18 |
14. | "Home" |
| 3:42 |
Total length: | 51:28 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "The Girl" |
| 4:09 |
2. | "Keep on Living" |
| 3:21 |
3. | "Wild & Free" |
| 3:13 |
4. | "Traffic Lights" |
| 2:48 |
5. | "All Kinds of Crazy" |
| 3:40 |
6. | "Galaxies" |
| 3:17 |
7. | "Beat to My Melody" |
| 3:36 |
8. | "Sleep Now" |
| 3:47 |
9. | "Lifeline" |
| 3:06 |
10. | "4 Sleeps" |
| 4:06 |
11. | "We Roam" |
| 3:47 |
12. | "Crystal Sky" |
| 3:28 |
13. | "Invisible" |
| 3:31 |
14. | "Catapult" (featuring Kat Vinter and Little Simz) |
| 5:09 |
15. | "Back in Time" |
| 3:26 |
16. | "In the Light" |
| 3:17 |
17. | "Home" |
| 3:42 |
18. | "Beat to My Melody" (Madizin Mix) |
| 3:38 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
19. | "Satellite" | 2:55 | |
20. | "Stardust" |
| 3:31 |
21. | "Taken By a Stranger" |
| 3:24 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Traffic Lights" (Music video) | |
2. | "Catapult" (Music video) | |
3. | "Home" (Music video) |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Traffic Lights" (MTV Live Sessions) | |
2. | "Beat to My Melody" (MTV Live Sessions) | |
3. | "4 Sleeps" (MTV Live Sessions) | |
4. | "Catapult" (MTV Live Sessions) | |
5. | "Junimond" (MTV Live Sessions) | |
6. | "Wild & Free" (Music video) | |
7. | "Traffic Lights" (Music video) | |
8. | "Catapult" (Music video) | |
9. | "Home" (Music video) | |
10. | "Making of Wild & Free" (Behind the Scenes) | |
11. | "Making of Traffic Lights" (Behind the Scenes) |
Chart (2015) | Peak position |
---|---|
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [19] | 25 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [17] | 2 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [20] | 40 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Germany (BVMI) [18] | Gold | 100,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Edition(s) | Formats | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Various | 15 May 2015 | Standard |
| [1] [22] | |
23 October 2015 |
| [23] [21] |
Lena Johanna Therese Meyer-Landrut, also known by the mononym Lena, is a German singer. She rose to fame after representing Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 in Oslo, winning the event with the song "Satellite". Both "Satellite" and her debut album My Cassette Player (2010) debuted at number one in Germany and became platinum sellers. With her three entries from the German national final Unser Star für Oslo, Meyer-Landrut set an all-time chart record in her home country by debuting with three songs in the top five of the German Singles Chart. She represented Germany for the second consecutive time in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 in Düsseldorf with the song "Taken by a Stranger", finishing in tenth place.
"Satellite" is a song by German singer Lena Meyer-Landrut. It was written by American songwriter Julie Frost and Danish songwriter John Gordon and recorded by Meyer-Landrut for Unser Star für Oslo, the German pre-selection show for the Eurovision Song Contest 2010. An untempo bubbly three-chord song, the lyrics of "Satellite" deal with unconditional love. One out of three songs which Meyer-Landrut presented during the pre-selection final, her version of the song was chosen via televoting on 12 March 2010.
My Cassette Player is the debut studio album of German singer Lena Meyer-Landrut. It was released by Universal Music Germany on 7 May 2010 in German-speaking Europe. After winning Unser Song für Oslo, the German final for the Eurovision Song Contest 2010, Meyer-Landrut began work on her debut album, with entertainer Stefan Raab producing and co-writing most of the material. Several song which she had recorded during the national finals, including winning entry "Satellite," were also included.
"Love Me" is a song by German singer Lena Meyer-Landrut, co-written by her and entertainer Stefan Raab. It was one of three songs performed by Meyer-Landrut in the final of Unser Star für Oslo, the national pre-selection programme for Germany's entry to the Eurovision Song Contest 2010. However, the audience chose "Satellite" to be her designated song for the contest in Oslo. "Love Me" was made available for digital download on 13 March 2010 and is also featured on Meyer-Landrut's maxi single "Satellite". The song subsequently charted in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, reaching peak positions of No. 4, #28 and No. 39 respectively.
'"Bee" is a song recorded by German singers Lena Meyer-Landrut and Jennifer Braun, composed by American-Israeli songwriter Rosi Golan, American singer-songwriter Mayaeni Strauss and Norwegian songwriter Per Kristian Ottestad. Both Braun and Meyer-Landrut released their versions of the song, but Meyer-Landrut's version outperformed Braun's, reaching number three in the German singles chart while Braun's version peaked at No. 21.
The discography of German singer Lena Meyer-Landrut consists of five studio albums, three extended plays, nineteen singles, three promotional singles, one video album and nineteen music videos.
Julie Frost is an American songwriter, singer, guitarist and record producer. She is the recipient of Golden Globe and Eurovision Song Contest awards for songs written, as well as a Parent's Choice Award for album production and performance. She is also the founder of the non-profit "Songs For Elephants", with the mission to help mobilize the music and entertainment industry in support of the world's elephants.
Good News is the second studio album released by German singer Lena Meyer-Landrut. It was released by Universal Music on 8 February 2011 in German-speaking Europe, following her win of the Eurovision Song Contest in 2010. The album includes all songs Meyer-Landrut performed during the televised preselection process for the song that she would perform at the 2011 contest to defend her title. Recorded within five weeks only, she reteamed with mentor, entertainer Stefan Raab, to work on the majority of the album.
"Taken by a Stranger" is a song recorded by German singer Lena for her second studio album Good News (2011), released as a CD single on 22 February 2011 by We Love Music. Gus Seyffert, Nicole Morier and Monica Birkenes wrote the song, while production was handled by Stefan Raab and Reinhard Schaub. Seyffert had originally penned the track for Birkenes to record, but her label rejected it and it was eventually given to Lena. Musically, "Taken by a Stranger" is a 1980s and grufti-influenced electropop song characterized by synthesizer sounds. Lyrically, it revolves around the connection between two strangers. While compared to the works of English band The Cure by one reviewer, other speculated lyrical themes were sadomasochism, psychosexual development, kidnapping and sexual fantasy.
"Stardust" is a song recorded by German singer Lena Meyer-Landrut. It was written by Rosi Golan and Tim Myers and produced by Swen Meyer for her same-titled third studio album (2012). Built upon a percussion-heavy melody, the song was released by Universal Music Germany on 21 September 2012 as the album's lead single. Meyer-Landrut described "Stardust" as "Michael Jackson meets The Kelly Family."
Stardust is the third studio album by German singer Lena Meyer-Landrut. It was released by Universal Music on 12 October 2012. Recording for the album took place in Stockholm, London, and Hamburg. A departure from her previous work on her debut album My Cassette Player (2010) and follow-up Good News (2011), both of which had been chiefly produced by former mentor, entertainer Stefan Raab, the singer worked with Swen Meyer and Sonny Boy Gustafsson on the majority of Stardust.
"Mr. Arrow Key" is a song by German recording artist Lena Meyer-Landrut. It was written by Meyer-Landrut, Linda "Miss Li" Carlsson and Sonny Boy Gustafsson for her third studio album Stardust (2012), while production was helmed by the latter. "Mr. Arrow Key" was released as the album's third and final single and reached the top fifty of the German Singles Chart.
"Traffic Lights" is a song by German recording artist Lena Meyer-Landrut. It was written by Hayley Aitken, Alexander James and Harry Sommerdahl and produced by production teams Beatgees and Biffco for her fourth studio album, Crystal Sky (2015). The song was released by Universal Music Germany as the album's lead single on 1 May 2015. The remix EP followed on 12 June 2015.
"Wild & Free" is a song by German recording artist Lena Meyer-Landrut. It was written by Meyer-Landrut, Sarah Connor, Tim Myers, and production team Beatgees, and produced by the latter along with Myers for the soundtrack of the motion picture Fack ju Göhte 2 (2015). The song was released on 11 September 2015 as a digital single and later included on the deluxe version of Lena's Crystal Sky album.
"Beat to My Melody" is a song by German recording artist Lena Meyer-Landrut. It was written by Meyer-Landrut, Johnny Coffer, Sam Preston, and Katrina Noorbergen for the former's fourth studio album Crystal Sky (2015). The song was released by Universal Music Germany as the album's third single on 1 April 2016.
Only Love, L is the fifth studio album by German singer Lena Meyer-Landrut. It was released by Polydor Records on 5 April 2019. A pop album that incorporates elements of dancehall, trap and R&B, Meyer-Landrut reunited with previous collaborators Philip Böllhoff, Sipho Sililo, David Vogt and Hannes Büsche from production team Beatgees to work on the majority of material for Only Love, L, while additional production was provided by Beatzarre, Jr Blender, Djorkaeff, Jugglerz, and Pascal Reinhardt.
"Better" is a song performed by German singers Lena Meyer-Landrut and Nico Santos. It was written by both performers along with Kate Morgan, Joseph Walter, and Pascal "Kalli" Reinhardt, while production was helmed by the latter. The song was released by Universal Music Group as a digital single on 16 August 2019 and peaked at number 15 on the German Singles Chart. "Better" also reached the top 20 in Austria.
Not So Silent Night is the eleventh studio album by German singer Sarah Connor. It was released on 18 November 2022 by Polydor Records. Her second Christmas album after Christmas in My Heart (2005) and a follow-up to Herz Kraft Werke (2019), it marked Connor's first English language album since Real Love (2010). A breakaway from most modern Christmas albums, the album omits cover versions of Christmas standards and carols, but instead features twelve original songs, co-written by Connor.
"Looking for Love" is a song by German singer Lena Meyer-Landrut. It was written by Meyer-Landrut along with Yanek Stärk, David Vogt, Joe Walter and frequent collaborators Philip Böllhoff, Sipho Sililo, David Vogt and Hannes Büsche from production team Beatgees, while production was helmed by Stärk and Beatgees. The song was released by Polydor as a standalone single on 23 June 2022 and later included as a bonus track on her sixth studio album Loyal to Myself (2024).
"What I Want" is a song by German singer Lena Meyer-Landrut. It was written by Meyer-Landrut along with Joe Walter and Pascal "Kalli" Reinhardt, while production was helmed by the latter. Expected so serve as the lead single from her sixth studio album, Loyal to Myself (2024), it was issued by Polydor on 16 June 2023 but later demoted and replaced by the album's title track after Meyer-Landrut decided to revamp much of the album in favor of a different sound.