Era 1

Last updated

The Summer I Couldn't Do Better
Kim Petras The Summer I Couldn't Do Better Compilation Artwork.png
Compilation album by
Kim Petras
Released4 August 2022
Recorded2017–2019
Length41:08
Label
Producer

"Era 1" [1] is a series of eleven songs by German singer and songwriter Kim Petras, each released individually from 1 August 2017 to 7 February 2019 by Amigo Records and Republic Records. [2] [3] It precedes the release of her debut mixtape, Clarity (2019). All eleven tracks feature co-writing credits by Petras, Aaron Joseph and Dr. Luke, as well as co-production credits by Aaron Joseph and Dr. Luke (under his pseudonym Made in China).

Contents

The singles themselves received generally positive reviews from critics upon their original release, who mainly praised the overall dance-pop sound, as well as their catchiness. The collection of singles is noted to have contributed to Petras' commercial breakthrough, as a few of the tracks entered various Billboard charts upon their release.

Background and release

The "Era 1" title was coined by Petras in a 2019 tweet following the release of the last three singles, declaring the project as "complete". [2] [1] Petras also described the project as a "full rainbow", in reference to all the single covers utilizing a gradient of colors, and wished to complete "Era 1" before releasing her debut mixtape, Clarity . [4] To coincide with the release of Clarity, Petras embarked on the Broken Tour in 2019, which also included the majority of "Era 1" on its setlist.

"I Don't Want It at All" was the first single from the project, released on 1 August 2017; a music video co-starring Paris Hilton was released on 30 October 2017. [5] The second and third singles, "Hills" and "Hillside Boys", were released on 22 September 2017. The fourth single, "Slow It Down", was released on 10 November 2017. The fifth single, "Faded", was released on 15 December 2017, and a music video was released on 25 January 2018. [6] The sixth single, "Heart to Break" was released on 14 February 2018, and a music video was released on 26 April 2018. [7] The seventh single, "Can't Do Better", was released on 8 June 2018. The eighth single, "All the Time", was released on 24 August 2018. The ninth to eleventh singles, "1, 2, 3 Dayz Up", "Homework" and "If U Think About Me...", were released on 7 February 2019, marking the final releases from the project. [8]

In 2022, following the inclusion of "Can't Do Better" in season 1 of the TV series The Summer I Turned Pretty , [9] UMG Recordings released The Summer I Couldn't Do Better compilation onto streaming platforms on 4 August 2022, containing all eleven singles in release order, though it has since been delisted. [10]

Critical reception

"I Don't Want It at All"

AllMusic called the song an "'80s-infused dance-pop tune". Galore magazine said it was a "bratty banger", while Entertainment Weekly described it as a "shop-'till-you-drop-anthem". Bakersfield.com labeled the track a "21st-century pop update of Madonna's 'Material Girl'". Noisey writer Colin Joyce called the song a "glitzy paean to consumerist excess".

Billboard ranked the single as the second best "Era 1" single, noting: "From the effortlessly cool, synth-heavy intro to the song's bratty lyricism, Petras separated herself from her pop peers by dreaming up an expensive fantasy in this escapist jam."

"Heart to Break"

Billboard ranked the single as the best "Era 1" single, calling it "a master class" and pointing out that "if this is the quality of pop music she's able to serve up so early in her career, we're going to be paying attention to Petras for years to come".

"1, 2, 3 Dayz Up"

Chloe Gilke of Uproxx was positive in their review of the song and cited as "one of Petras' best releases to date" further dubbing it as "a party anthem that clicks and pops with producer Sophie's electro-pop magic." A writer for DIY proclaimed the song as "an addictive pop banger made all the better by Sophie's slick production". Salvatore Maicki of The Fader was also positive in their review, calling the song "straight up beach party music". Robin Murray of Clash Music called the song "supremely addictive" and further added that track is "superbly feminine while linked utterly to digital developments, it manages to be both an outrageous pop statement and a real 'wtf?' moment." Justin Horowitz of All Things Go praised the pairing for being "celebrated faces of women in the trans community and have used their talents to spread awareness and equality regarding LGBTQA+ rights."

The music blog Bit Of Pop Music gave a mixed review, saying that the song might be a bit basic and repetitive in terms of vocals and lyrics" but stated that "the production is impeccable". The Bozo gave the song a lukewarm review but compared it to the sounds of Charli XCX and praised it as their favorite out of the three songs released together.

Billboard ranked the song as the fifth best "Era 1" single, noting that "the track has all the makings of a pop hit straight out of 2010, but its bubbly, tropical touches update the sound for the modern era".

Track listings

"I Don't Want It at All" digital single
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."I Don't Want It at All"
4:10
"Hills" digital single
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Hills" (featuring Baby E)
  • Petras
  • Joseph
  • Brandon Hamlin
  • Ethan Lowery
  • Gottwald
  • B Ham
  • Joseph
  • Made in China
3:59
"Hillside Boys" digital single
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Hillside Boys"
  • Petras
  • Joseph
  • Jon Castelli
  • Gottwald
  • Jon Castelli
  • Joseph
  • Made in China
3:38
"Slow It Down" digital single
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Slow It Down"
  • Petras
  • Joseph
  • Walter
  • Allan Peter Grigg
  • Gottwald
  • Kojak
  • Cirkut
  • Joseph
  • Made in China
3:44
"Faded" digital single
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Faded" (featuring Lil Aaron)
  • Petras
  • Joseph
  • Jennings
  • Walter
  • Noel Fisher
  • Gottwald
  • Detail
  • Joseph
  • Made in China
4:04
"Heart to Break" digital single
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Heart to Break"
  • Petras
  • Joseph
  • Walter
  • Jacob Kasher Hindlin
  • Gottwald
  • Cirkut
  • Joseph
  • Made in China
3:45
"Can't Do Better" digital single
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Can't Do Better"
  • Petras
  • Joseph
  • Walter
  • Gottwald
  • Cirkut
  • Joseph
  • Made in China
3:08
"All the Time" digital single
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."All the Time"
  • Petras
  • Joseph
  • Walter
  • Gottwald
  • Cirkut
  • Joseph
  • Made in China
3:15
"1, 2, 3 Dayz Up" digital single
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."1, 2, 3 Dayz Up" (featuring Sophie)
  • Sophie
  • Joseph
  • Made in China
3:33
"Homework" digital single
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Homework" (featuring Lil Aaron)
  • Petras
  • Joseph
  • Jennings
  • Lowery
  • Gottwald
  • Joseph
  • Made in China
4:18
"If U Think About Me..." digital single
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."If U Think About Me..."
  • Petras
  • Joseph
  • Alexander Castillo Vasquez
  • Lowery
  • Gottwald
  • A.C.
  • Joseph
  • Made in China
3:28
The Summer I Couldn't Do Better track listing [10]
No.TitleLength
1."I Don't Want It at All"4:10
2."Hills" (featuring Baby E)3:59
3."Hillside Boys"3:38
4."Slow It Down"3:44
5."Faded" (featuring Lil Aaron)4:04
6."Heart to Break"3:45
7."Can't Do Better"3:08
8."All The Time"3:15
9."1, 2, 3 Dayz Up" (featuring Sophie)3:33
10."Homework" (featuring Lil Aaron)4:18
11."If U Think About Me..."3:28
Total length:41:08

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Song 2</span> 1997 single by Blur

"Song 2" is a song by English rock band Blur. The song is the second song on their eponymous fifth studio album. Released physically on 7 April 1997, "Song 2" peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart, number four on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart, and number six on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, becoming one of their biggest U.S. hits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim Petras</span> German singer and songwriter (born 1992)

Kim Petras is a German singer and songwriter based in Los Angeles, California, United States. Between 2016 and 2020, she released music as an independent artist under her own imprint, BunHead Records, before signing with Amigo and Republic Records in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charli XCX</span> English singer and songwriter (born 1992)

Charlotte Emma Aitchison, known professionally as Charli XCX, is an English singer and songwriter. Born in Cambridge and raised in Start Hill, Essex, she began posting songs on Myspace in 2008, which led to her discovery by a promoter who invited her to perform at warehouse raves. In 2010, she signed a recording contract with Asylum Records, releasing a series of singles and mixtapes throughout 2011 and 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clarity (Zedd song)</span> 2012 single by Zedd

"Clarity" is a song by Russian-German DJ Zedd featuring the vocals of singer Foxes. It was released on 14 November 2012 as the third single from the former's debut studio album of the same name. The song was written by Zedd, Matthew Koma, Porter Robinson and Skylar Grey. It was released as iTunes Single of the Week on 2 October 2012, and as an 4-track remix EP on 12 February 2013, by Interscope Records. Zedd released an extended mix of the song exclusively on Beatport on 18 February 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sophie (musician)</span> British music producer and DJ (1986–2021)

Sophie Xeon, known mononymously as SOPHIE, was an English music producer, songwriter, and DJ. Her work is known for its brash take on pop music and is distinguished by experimental sound design, "sugary" synthesized textures, and incorporation of underground dance styles. It would help pioneer the 2010s hyperpop microgenre.

<i>Pop 2</i> (mixtape) 2017 mixtape by Charli XCX

Pop 2 is the fourth mixtape by English singer Charli XCX, released on 15 December 2017 by Asylum Records. Executively produced by A. G. Cook of PC Music, sessions for the mixtape began several months before its release and featured a wide variety of guest contributions. The mixtape was backed by its only single "Out of My Head" featuring Alma and Tove Lo, released exactly one week before its release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heart to Break</span> 2018 song by Kim Petras

"Heart to Break" is a song by German singer-songwriter Kim Petras. It was released on 14 February 2018. The music video was released on 26 April 2018. The track was produced by Dr. Luke and Cirkut, and written by Luke, Cirkut, and Petras as well as Aaron Joseph and Jacob Kasher. It is the sixth of eleven singles, released from 2017 to 2019, that form Petras' "Era 1".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Don't Want It at All</span> 2017 single by Kim Petras

"I Don't Want It at All" is the debut international single by German singer Kim Petras, released on 1 August 2017. It was co-written and co-produced by Petras and Aaron Jennings, along with Dr. Luke and Cirkut. It is the first of eleven songs, released from 2017 to 2019, that form Petras' "Era 1" project.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim Petras discography</span>

German singer and songwriter Kim Petras has released two studio albums, two mixtapes, one compilation album, one demo album, four extended plays (EPs), 22 singles, and eighteen promotional singles. Petras began releasing several promotional singles from 2008 to 2014. Petras's debut single "I Don't Want It at All" was released in 2017 and reached the top 60 on Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart, as would her 2018 single "Heart to Break". The singer premiered her second extended play Turn Off the Light, Vol. 1 on October 1, 2018, charting on the US Independent and Heatseekers Albums charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1, 2, 3 Dayz Up</span> 2019 single by Kim Petras

"1, 2, 3 Dayz Up" is a song by German singer-songwriter Kim Petras featuring Scottish producer Sophie. It is the final of eleven singles, from 2017 to 2019, that form Petras' Era 1 project.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broken Tour</span> 2019 concert tour by Kim Petras

The Broken Tour was the debut concert tour by German recording artist Kim Petras in support of her debut mixtape Clarity (2019). The tour was announced by Petras via her social media accounts on April 30, 2019. It started on 11 June 2019 in Nashville, United States and concluded on 4 September 2019 in Cologne, Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All I Do Is Cry</span> 2019 promotional single by Kim Petras

"All I Do Is Cry" is a song by German singer Kim Petras from her debut mixtape Clarity (2019). First released as the fifth promotional single from the album on 23 May 2019 by BunHead Records, it was re-released two years later on streaming services with a changed date of 2021 under Amigo and Republic Records. Petras released this song among others from the same album in preparation for her North American tour.

<i>Charli</i> (album) 2019 studio album by Charli XCX

Charli is the third studio album by English singer Charli XCX. It was released through Asylum and Atlantic Records UK on 13 September 2019. Charli was preceded by the singles "1999" with Troye Sivan, "Blame It on Your Love" featuring Lizzo, and "Gone" with Christine and the Queens. Charli was also promoted by the promotional singles "Cross You Out" featuring Sky Ferreira, "Warm" featuring Haim, "February 2017" featuring Clairo and Yaeji, and "2099" also featuring Sivan. Musically, it has been described as avant-pop, electropop, futurepop, and hyperpop.

"Click" is a song by English singer Charli XCX featuring German singer Kim Petras and Estonian rave rapper Tommy Cash from Charli XCX's third studio album Charli (2019).

<i>Clarity</i> (mixtape) 2019 mixtape by Kim Petras

Clarity is the debut mixtape and first full-length project by German singer Kim Petras, released on 28 June 2019. Nine of its twelve tracks were released beforehand, beginning in April 2019. It was produced by Made in China, Aaron Joseph, Brandon Hamlin, Jussifer, Oliver and Ben Billions. Petras stated that this project is her "personal journey over the last two years".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reminds Me</span> 2020 single by Kim Petras

"Reminds Me" is a song by German singer Kim Petras, released as a single on 11 February 2020. Australian rapper the Kid Laroi and American rapper Juice Wrld (posthumously) released a cover of the song, re-titled "Reminds Me of You", on 8 December 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malibu (Kim Petras song)</span> 2020 single by Kim Petras

"Malibu" is a song by German singer-songwriter Kim Petras. It was released as a single on 7 May 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unholy (Sam Smith and Kim Petras song)</span> 2022 single by Sam Smith and Kim Petras

"Unholy" is a song by British singer Sam Smith and German singer Kim Petras. It was released on 22 September 2022 through EMI Records and Capitol Records as the second single from Smith's fourth studio album Gloria (2023) and as a bonus track on Petras's debut studio album Feed the Beast (2023). It was teased by Smith on their TikTok account a month before its release and went viral due to its use in thirst trap-style videos. Produced by Ilya, Omer Fedi, Blake Slatkin, Jimmy Napes, and Cirkut and written by them alongside Smith and Petras, "Unholy" is a sexually charged electropop, dance-pop, and synth-pop song with choral and hyperpop influences, which marked a shift away from ballads for Smith. It uses the Phrygian dominant scale and its lyrics are about a family man who cheats on his wife at a strip club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alone (Kim Petras and Nicki Minaj song)</span> 2023 single by Kim Petras and Nicki Minaj

"Alone" is a song by German singer Kim Petras and Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj. It was released on 21 April 2023 through Amigo Records and Republic Records as the lead and only single from Petras' debut studio album, Feed the Beast (2023). The song was produced by Dr Luke and Rocco Did It Again!. The song became a top 10 hit in Turkey and a top 40 hit in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Slovakia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feed the Beast World Tour</span> 2023–2024 concert tour by Kim Petras

The Feed the Beast World Tour was the third headlining tour by German singer and songwriter Kim Petras, in support of her debut studio album Feed the Beast. The tour commenced on 4 August 2023 in Mountain View and concluded in Milan, Italy on 5 March 2024.

References

  1. 1 2 ""ERA 1 is complete , thank u for everything Whoo Ah..."". Twitter. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  2. 1 2 Piedra, Xavier (12 February 2019). "Every Kim Petras 'Era 1' Single Ranked: Critic's Picks". Billboard. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  3. ↑ "Kim Petras". Spotify. Archived from the original on 1 September 2024. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  4. ↑ "Kim Petras Wants It All, And She Doesn't Care If She Pisses People Off". Junkee. 14 March 2019. Archived from the original on 23 August 2019. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  5. ↑ Feeney, Nolan. "Kim Petras parties with Paris Hilton in dreamy 'I Don't Want It At All' video". EW.com. Archived from the original on 3 February 2018. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  6. ↑ Crowley, Patrick (25 January 2018). "Kim Petras Releases '90s Sitcom-Inspired 'Faded' Music Video". Billboard. Archived from the original on 13 September 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  7. ↑ Jagota, Vrinda. "Kim Petras Can Make Even Heartbreak Glamorous". PAPER Magazine. Archived from the original on 21 January 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  8. ↑ Bloom, Madison (7 February 2019). "Listen to Kim Petras and SOPHIE's New Song "1,2,3 dayz up"". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  9. ↑ "The Summer I Turned Pretty Soundtrack: Hits From Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Cardi B And So Many More". Capital. Archived from the original on 19 March 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  10. 1 2 "The Summer I Couldn't Do Better". 4 August 2022. Archived from the original on 1 September 2024. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.