Deacon | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | March 26, 2021 | |||
Genre | R&B [1] | |||
Length | 29:09 | |||
Label | Secretly Canadian | |||
Producer |
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Serpentwithfeet chronology | ||||
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Singles from Deacon | ||||
Deacon (stylized in all caps) is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Serpentwithfeet. It was released on March 26, 2021, by Secretly Canadian. [5]
A year after the release of Serpentwithfeet's debut studio album Soil (2018), he released a single titled "Receipts" with singer and rapper Ty Dolla Sign. [6] They further worked on the latter's album Featuring Ty Dolla Sign (2020), with the single "Ego Death" along with rapper Kanye West, singer-songwriter FKA Twigs, and record producer Skrillex. [7] Serpentwithfeet also contributed his vocals on "Serpentwithfeet Interlude" on the same album. [8] On the same year, he released an extended play titled Apparition on April 30. [9]
On January 25, 2021, Serpentwithfeet announced the release date of the album alongside the single "Fellowship", co-produced by musicians Sampha and Lil Silva. [2] He released the second single titled "Same Size Shoe" on February 17, 2021. [3] Three days prior to the album release, he released the third single, "Heart Storm", a collaboration with singer Nao. [4]
Aggregate scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 8.0/10 [10] |
Metacritic | 86/100 [11] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Clash | 9/10 [1] |
Consequence of Sound | A− [13] |
DIY | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Entertainment Weekly | A− [15] |
The Independent | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
NME | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Observer | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Pitchfork | 7.7/10 [19] |
Rolling Stone | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Deacon received rave reviews from contemporary music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 from reviews from mainstream critics, the album received a score of 86, based on 15 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". [11] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 8.0 out of 21, based on their assessment of the critical consensus. [10]
Rachel Brodsky of The Independent gave the album a perfect score and described it as a "a stunning celebration of black, gay love. [...] It is also a groundbreaking proclamation of personal acceptance." [16] Laura Dzubay at Consequence of Sound gave the album an A−, described it as a "bountiful collage of love and care." [13] Shahzaib Hussain of Clash gave it 9 out of 10, deemed it as an "early contender for Album of the Year" then described Deacon as a "triumph". He further stated that "it realizes and relives love's quiet, archived moments, be it romantic or spiritual." [1] Ross Horton of The Line of Best Fit called it "blood-red" and "heart-bursting", further stated that it is "quite clearly, a complex, rich and elegant collection that points at one very simple truth: love is central to a life well lived." [21] Heather Phares of AllMusic compared the album to Serpentwithfeet's previous releases and called it more "soothing and fulfilling". Phares stated that Serpentwithfeet "transforms into a beautiful, fully realized work of art for his audience to savor." [12] El Hunt of NME gave it a four out of five stars and called it "a meticulous excavation of heartbreak". [17] Ben Tipple of DIY gave the album four out of five stars and called the album "looks for hope in love, much like in the spirituality that birthed it." [22] Claire Shaffer of Rolling Stone gave the album four out of five stars and praised the "cheekiness and humor" of it. Shaffer described the album as a "party record for people partying alone in their living room." [20] Adlan Jackson at Pitchfork rated the album 7.7 out of 10, saying that the album "could use a few more awe-inspiring moments, but by celebrating simplicity, it enshrines the Black, queer love at its center as something blessedly uncomplicated and precious." [19]
In June 2021, Billboard named the album among the best 15 albums released by LGBTQ artists so far in 2021. [23]
Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
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Paste | The 50 Best Albums of 2021 | 14 |
All tracks are written by Josiah Wise, except where noted.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Hyacinth" |
| 3:19 | |
2. | "Same Size Shoe" |
| 3:30 | |
3. | "Malik" |
| 1:24 | |
4. | "Amir" | 2:56 | ||
5. | "Dawn" | serpentwithfeet | 0:33 | |
6. | "Sailors' Superstition" | Take a Daytrip | 2:56 | |
7. | "Heart Storm" (with Nao) |
|
| 3:13 |
8. | "Wood Boy" |
|
| 2:44 |
9. | "Derrick's Beard" | serpentwithfeet | 1:38 | |
10. | "Old & Fine" |
| 3:13 | |
11. | "Fellowship" |
|
| 3:39 |
Total length: | 29:09 |