Cupid Deluxe | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 18 November 2013 | |||
Recorded | 2011–2013 New York City | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 51:10 | |||
Label | Domino | |||
Producer | Devonté Hynes | |||
Blood Orange chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Cupid Deluxe | ||||
|
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 7.5/10 [3] |
Metacritic | 75/100 [4] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [5] |
Chicago Tribune | [6] |
The Guardian | [7] |
The Independent | [8] |
Los Angeles Times | [9] |
NME | 6/10 [10] |
Pitchfork | 8.5/10 [11] |
Rolling Stone | [12] |
Spin | 8/10 [1] |
Vice | B+ [13] |
Cupid Deluxe is the second album by Dev Hynes as Blood Orange, and is the follow-up to 2011's Coastal Grooves . The album was released on 18 November 2013 in the UK, and was available worldwide a week earlier on iTunes on 12 November 2013.
Between albums, Hynes has written and produced music for the likes of Solange, Sky Ferreira, MKS, and more.
Cupid Deluxe shows a more expansive aural palate than the previous release Coastal Grooves, while still retaining the pop sensibilities that Hynes has showcased since his days in Test Icicles and Lightspeed Champion. The album features many guest appearances, including performances from David Longstreth (Dirty Projectors), Caroline Polachek (Chairlift), Samantha Urbani (Friends), Clams Casino, Despot, Adam Bainbridge (Kindness), Skepta and more. The album was streamed in full on Hynes' own YouTube channel on 5 November 2013. [14]
Speaking about the album, Hynes said it was inspired by "New York City, the Big Apple. I lived in Brooklyn for some time and finally made the leap into Manhattan. So a lot of the record is about that, transitions, life transitions. Moving from a stable position to an unstable position. Something we have all been through." [15]
Pitchfork Media ranked the record 35th among their top 200 albums of the 2010s article. [16]
All tracks are written by Devonté Hynes, except "Always Let U Down" written by Paul Draper and Dominic Chad
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Chamakay" | 4:20 |
2. | "You're Not Good Enough" | 4:21 |
3. | "Uncle ACE" | 4:17 |
4. | "No Right Thing" | 4:11 |
5. | "It Is What It Is" | 5:07 |
6. | "Chosen" | 6:45 |
7. | "Clipped On (feat. Despot)" | 3:11 |
8. | "Always Let U Down" | 5:14 |
9. | "On the Line" | 5:07 |
10. | "High Street" | 2:58 |
11. | "Time Will Tell" | 5:39 |
"Always Let U Down" is a cover of I Can Only Disappoint U by the English alternative rock band Mansun from their album Little Kix (2000).
Test Icicles were a short-lived rock band that formed in England in 2004, primarily influenced by post-hardcore, dance-punk and indie rock but containing musical elements from a variety of genres. The band was formed by Rory Attwell and Sam Mehran, who were later joined by Dev Hynes. Hynes and Mehran were both 18 years old at the time of the band's inception. The group has since become notable due to the later success of its members.
For Screening Purposes Only is the debut studio album by UK dance-punk trio Test Icicles, released in 2005. It was critically praised for being unique and compelling in an increasingly homogenous indie music scene. Following the group's split in February 2006, the album remains Test Icicles' only LP.
Devonté Hynes, also known as Blood Orange and formerly Lightspeed Champion, is an English singer, songwriter, record producer and director based in New York City. From 2004 to 2006, Hynes was a member of the band Test Icicles, playing guitar, synth, and occasionally performing vocals. They released one full-length album in 2005. Hynes went on to release two solo studio albums as Lightspeed Champion and subsequently five more as Blood Orange, between 2008 and 2019.
Falling off the Lavender Bridge is the debut album by British artist Lightspeed Champion, which was released on 21 January 2008. The album features the singles "Galaxy of the Lost", "Midnight Surprise" and "Tell Me What It's Worth".
Alec Reinstein, better known by his stage name Despot, is an American hip hop artist from Queens, New York City. He was signed to rapper El-P's label Definitive Jux in 2004. Despot has been a part of the New York underground rap scene for over a decade. Despot is associated with the Smart Crew collective and was a co-owner of Santos Party House.
Mikaelin 'Blue' Bluespruce is an American, New York City based mix engineer and record producer. He has worked with notable artists of many different genres including: Solange Knowles, Nas, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Skepta, Dev Hynes, Marsha Ambrosius, Alloe Blacc, Common, & Prince Royce.
Coastal Grooves is the debut studio album by Blood Orange. It was released August 30, 2011 under Domino Recording Company. The album featured no guest appearances and was produced by Ariel Rechtshaid in Los Angeles. Domino Record Company describes the album as highlighting the glamour and drama of New York City in the 1980s.
Caroline Elizabeth Polachek is an American singer, producer, and songwriter. Raised in Connecticut, Polachek cofounded the indie pop band Chairlift while studying at the University of Colorado. The duo emerged from the late-2000s Brooklyn music scene with the sleeper hit "Bruises". In 2014, she released her first solo project, Arcadia, as Ramona Lisa. Under CEP, she released Drawing the Target Around the Arrow in 2017.
LP1 is the debut studio album by English singer-songwriter FKA Twigs, released on 11 August 2014 by Young Turks. Production for the album is handled by FKA Twigs herself, alongside Emile Haynie, Arca, Cy An, Devonté Hynes, Clams Casino, Paul Epworth, Sampha and Tic.
Emotion is the third studio album by Canadian singer and songwriter Carly Rae Jepsen. It was released on June 24, 2015 in Japan and worldwide on August 21, 2015 through 604, School Boy, and Interscope Records. Looking to transition from the bubblegum pop-oriented nature of her second studio album, Kiss (2012), Jepsen found inspiration in 1980s music and alternative styles. She enlisted a team of mainstream and indie collaborators, including Sia, Mattman & Robin, Dev Hynes, Ariel Rechtshaid, Rostam Batmanglij, Greg Kurstin, and Peter Svensson of the Cardigans, culminating in a largely synth-pop-centric effort.
Samantha Urbani is an American singer, songwriter, visual artist, filmmaker and producer from Mystic, Connecticut. She formed Friends; after three years, a trio of singles, and the album Manifest! on Fat Possum records the group disbanded. Urbani went on to collaborate and tour with Dev Hynes for several years before embarking on a solo career.
The discography of British singer, composer, songwriter, producer and author Dev Hynes consists of work with groups like Test Icicles and solo work produced under the aliases Lightspeed Champion and Blood Orange. This list is also comprehensive of productions credited to his given name, Devonté Hynes.
Konnichiwa is the fourth studio album by British rapper Skepta. The title is the greeting "hello" in the Japanese language. After numerous delays, it was released on 6 May 2016 by Boy Better Know. Konnichiwa features guest appearances from Jme, Boy Better Know, D Double E, Novelist, Wiley, Chip, Pharrell Williams, ASAP Nast and Young Lord. Konnichiwa was executively produced by Skepta himself, who produced all but three songs on the album. Pharrell also worked on production with Skepta on the album.
Freetown Sound is the third album by Dev Hynes recording as Blood Orange. It was released on 28 June 2016, three days before its originally announced release date of 1 July 2016. The album contains guest appearances by Empress Of, Debbie Harry, Nelly Furtado, Kelsey Lu and Carly Rae Jepsen. The album cover is a 2009 photograph titled Binky and Tony Forever by American artist Deana Lawson.
The 1st is the second studio album by American singer Willow. It was released on October 31, 2017, through MSFTSMusic, Roc Nation and Interscope Records. It was written and produced entirely by Willow.
Negro Swan is the fourth studio album by Blood Orange, an alias of British musician Dev Hynes. It was released on 24 August 2018 by Domino. The album was preceded by the singles "Charcoal Baby" and "Jewelry".
Angel's Pulse is a mixtape by Dev Hynes as Blood Orange. It was released via Domino Recording Company on 12 July 2019. It is his first release since his fourth studio album Negro Swan (2018). Originally released digitally, it was later released on compact disc, vinyl, and cassette tape on 4 October 2019.
Nymph is the debut studio album by British rapper and singer Shygirl. It was released on 30 September 2022 on vinyl, CD, cassette and digital download, through Because Music. The album was announced alongside the release of its lead single "Firefly" on 10 May 2022. The second single "Come for Me" was released on 7 June 2022. The album was shortlisted for the 2023 Mercury Prize.
Desire, I Want to Turn Into You is the fourth overall studio album by American singer-songwriter and producer Caroline Polachek, and her second to be under her own name. It was released on February 14, 2023, by Sony Music, The Orchard, and Polachek's imprint Perpetual Novice. Polachek produced most of the album alongside Danny L Harle.
Palo Alto (Music from the Motion Picture) is the soundtrack to the 2013 film Palo Alto directed by Gia Coppola. The album released by Domino Recording Company on June 3, 2014 features tracks from Devonté Hynes and Robert Schwartzman, the film's composers, along with Tonstartssbandht, Mac DeMarco, Nat Wolff and Jack Kilmer. A score album for the film was released on the same day.
The album follows a similar kitchen-sink-funk feel, as Hynes pilfers the best bits from disco, soul, and R&B...