| Deacon | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| 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 | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 8.0/10 [10] |
| Metacritic | 86/100 [11] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic [12] |   |
| Clash [1] | 9/10 |
| Consequence of Sound [13] | A− |
| The Independent [14] | |
| NME [15] | |
| Pitchfork [16] | 7.7/10 |
| Rolling Stone [17] | |
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." [14] 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." [18] 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". [15] 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." [19] 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." [17] 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." [16]
In June 2021, Billboard named the album among the best 15 albums released by LGBTQ artists so far in 2021. [20]
| Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |||
FNZ are an Australian record production duo composed of Michael "Finatik" Mulé and Isaac "Zac" De Boni. The group was formed in 2009, signing to fellow producer Jim Jonsin's Rebel Rock Entertainment the following year. They first received credits on his productions for much of the following decade, although they've since expanded their work doing so independently by the 2020s.
Tyrone William Griffin Jr., known professionally as Ty Dolla Sign, is an American singer, songwriter and record producer from Los Angeles, California. He gained initial recognition for his guest appearance on fellow Los Angeles rapper YG's 2010 single "Toot It and Boot It", which entered the Billboard Hot 100. He signed with Atlantic Records in 2012, and Wiz Khalifa's Taylor Gang Entertainment the following year.
"Fade" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his seventh studio album, The Life of Pablo (2016). The song features vocals from Post Malone and Ty Dolla Sign. It was first played at West's Yeezy Season 2 show in September 2015, before later being released for digital download and streaming as the third and final single from the album on September 9, 2016, through GOOD Music and Def Jam. 11 days later, the aforementioned labels serviced the song to radio stations across the United States. A hip house song with club elements, it samples Mr. Fingers's "Mystery of Love", Rare Earth's and The Undisputed Truth's respective cover versions of "(I Know) I'm Losing You", Hardrive's "Deep Inside", and Barbara Tucker's "I Get Lifted ". The lyrics of the song focus on trying to hold on to a fading love.
Nasir Pemberton, known professionally as Digital Nas or DN, is an American record producer, singer and songwriter from Atlanta, Georgia. He first gained recognition for his production work for Lil Yachty, and later for his work with Kanye West on his albums Donda (2021) and Vultures 1 (2024), both of which debuted atop the Billboard 200.
They is an American R&B duo from Los Angeles, California, consisting of Dante Jones and Andrew "Drew Love" Neely. The duo started their career in 2015, releasing the debut extended play Nü Religion, which received critical acclaim. That year, they released the commercially successful single "Working for It" in collaboration with Zhu and Skrillex. In 2016, they began touring with singer Bryson Tiller. The following year, the duo released their debut studio album, Nü Religion: Hyena. In 2020, They signed to Avant Garden Records under Island Records and released their second studio album, The Amanda Tape, on October 23, 2020.
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"Wouldn't Leave" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his eighth studio album, Ye (2018). The song includes vocals from PartyNextDoor, Ty Dolla Sign and Jeremih. It was produced by West and co-produced by Ty Dolla Sign, while additional production was handled by Mike Dean and Noah Goldstein. A minimalist track that includes gospel elements, the song contains a sample of "Baptizing Scene", performed by Reverend W.A. Donaldson. The former is a tribute to Kim Kardashian, including West addressing her reaction to his "slavery was a choice" statement. In May 2018, the song was revealed by West to be set for release on the album.
"Violent Crimes" is a song by American rapper Kanye West, released as the final track on his eighth studio album, Ye (2018). The song features vocals from Ty Dolla Sign and 070 Shake, along with a voicemail message from Nicki Minaj. It was written by West, 7 Aurelius, Irv Gotti, 070 Shake, Mike Dean, Kevin Parker, Ty Dolla Sign, Malik Yusef, and Pardison Fontaine, and produced by the former three. Fontaine was revealed by West to have contributed to most of the writing, and felt unhappy with him for revealing this information.
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Josiah Wise, known professionally as serpentwithfeet, is an R&B musician based in Brooklyn, New York City. Wise released the EP Blisters in 2016, his debut studio album soil in 2018, his second EP Apparition in 2020, and his second studio album Deacon in 2021. His third studio album, Grip, was released in 2024.
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