| Extreme | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 15 January 2022 | |||
| Recorded | 2019–2020 | |||
| Studio | Lighthouse Studios, Berlin | |||
| Genre | Synth-pop | |||
| Length | 41:31 | |||
| Label |
| |||
| Producer | Molly Nilsson | |||
| Molly Nilsson chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Extreme | ||||
| ||||
Extreme is the ninth studio album by Swedish singer-songwriter Molly Nilsson, released on 15 January 2022.
Regarding the album's title, Nilsson gave the following explanation:
I was thinking about the title Extreme right after I'd made Twenty Twenty . At the time, I just thought that it was kind of a fun title—a good working title to [remind myself to] be playful and not hold myself back. It turned into thinking of 'extremes' in this black-and-white, polarized society, and the struggles between all the different sides and all these different ways of thinking. [1]
After the release of her previous album 2020 , Nilsson went through a period of "creative depression". [1] Extreme was then "largely written" in 2019 and "mainly recorded" in 2020. [2]
Power has been noted as the central topic on Extreme. [3] [4] In the album's promotional material, label Night School Records wrote: "It's a record about power. About how to fight it, how to take it and how to share it." [5]
"Absolute Power" was released as the album's first single on 12 October 2021, along with a music video. [6] "Pompeii" was released as the album's second music video on 22 November 2021. [7]
The album was released on vinyl, CD, and as a digital download. [8]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [9] |
| Crack | 7/10 [10] |
| Loud and Quiet | 6/10 [11] |
| Mindies | 8.6/10 [12] |
| Musikexpress | [13] |
| Norman Records | [14] |
| Spectrum Culture | 7.5/10 [3] |
Extreme received critical acclaim. [15] In a positive review, Tim Sendra of AllMusic called Extreme "both Nilsson's most interesting album and a striking reboot", citing her experimentation with "new moods" and “new genres". [9] Jana-Maria Mayer of German Musikexpress characterized the album as a "romantic indictment of the Anthropocene" and praised Nilsson's songwriting. [13]
Sophia McDonald of Loud and Quiet , in a mixed-to-positive review, considered Extreme "an LP that is generally surprising in its trajectory" and noted its "nostalgic fun", but criticized it for a lack of "closeness" and "intimacy" to Nilsson in comparison with earlier works. [11]
The closing track "Pompeii" was highlighted by Raphael Helfand of The Fader as a "happy-sad classic" that serves as a "rallying cry for resilience in the face of impossible odds". [2] The track was also praised by German Musikexpress . [13]
All tracks are written by Molly Nilsson.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Absolute Power" | 3:49 |
| 2. | "Earth Girls" | 4:11 |
| 3. | "Fearless Like a Child" | 4:02 |
| 4. | "Kids Today" | 4:04 |
| 5. | "Intermezzo: The Wheel of Fortune" | 3:36 |
| 6. | "Sweet Smell of Success" | 4:20 |
| 7. | "Obnoxiously Talented" | 3:38 |
| 8. | "Avoid Heaven" | 3:37 |
| 9. | "Take Me to Your Leader" | 3:01 |
| 10. | "They Will Pay" | 2:42 |
| 11. | "Pompeii" | 4:31 |
| Total length: | 41:31 | |
"Without You" is a song written by Pete Ham and Tom Evans of British rock group Badfinger, and first released on their 1970 album No Dice. The power ballad has been recorded by over 180 artists, and versions released as singles by Harry Nilsson (1971), T. G. Sheppard (1983) and Mariah Carey (1994) became international best-sellers. The Nilsson version was included in 2021's Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Paul McCartney once described it as "the killer song of all time".
The Curse of Love is the seventh studio album by English rock band the Coral. The album features 12 previously unreleased tracks that were recorded on an 8-track recorder between their albums The Invisible Invasion (2005) and Roots & Echoes (2007). The album was released on 20 October 2014.
Swedish rapper Yung Lean, has released seven studio albums, six EPs and three mixtapes.
Molly Lilly Maria Nilsson is a Swedish singer-songwriter and musician. She is the owner of an independent record label, Dark Skies Association, founded in 2009. As of 2004, Nilsson resides in Berlin.
Zak Arogundade Gaterud, better known as Ecco2K, is a Swedish-British designer, visual artist, and rapper. He founded Drain Gang with childhood friends Bladee, Thaiboy Digital and Whitearmor in 2013. Having experience with graphics software since he was 5, Arogundade founded the band Krossad with Bladee, his then-classmate, in 2004. Three years later, he founded his first fashion brand, Alaska, and later joined the Swedish shoe brand Eytys. Over the next decade, Ecco2K appeared on albums with Drain Gang and directed music videos before releasing his debut solo studio album, E, in 2019. He went on to release EP PXE in 2021 and Crest in 2022, the latter with Bladee. Arogundade is known as a privative and secretive person, and has incorporated queer themes in his work.
Ash Blue Gutierrez, known professionally as Glaive, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. After posting a string of hyperpop songs to SoundCloud during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic that earned him a cult following, he signed a record deal with Interscope Records and released his debut extended play, Cypress Grove, in 2020. His debut album, I Care So Much That I Don't Care at All, was released on July 14, 2023.
Noah Olivier Smith, known professionally as Yeat, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, and record producer. He is known for his experimental sound, unique lingo, and unconventional fashion sense featuring a mix of designer brands and balaclavas.
Jane Remover is an American musician. She pioneered the "dariacore" microgenre on SoundCloud with her album of the same name, released under the pseudonym Leroy. In 2021, her debut studio album, Frailty, came out, followed by Census Designated in 2023.
Jana Horn is an American folk musician based in Austin, Texas.
Great Is He is the fifth studio album by Jamaican singer Popcaan. It was released through OVO Sound on 27 January 2023. The album features guest appearances from Burna Boy, Chronic Law, Drake, and Toni-Ann Singh. Production was handled by Kid Culture, Demario Duncan, Dane Ray, The Fanatix, Anju Blaxx, Dre Skull, Tresor, Batundi, TJ Records, Dan Sky, Atto Wallace, Steven Francisco, Savchenko Anton, Mojam, and Wez. The album serves as the follow-up to Popcaan's previous album, Fixtape (2020).
Dariacore is the debut studio album by the American musician Jane Remover under the pseudonym Leroy. It was self-released on May 14, 2021. Described as a mashup album, Remover was inspired by the musician Vektroid and SoundClown music. Its name is taken from the Daria TV series. Dariacore was responsible for the creation of a genre of the same name, which inspired a wave of SoundCloud artists, and was considered one of the best albums of 2021 by The Fader. It received two sequels.
2020 is the eighth studio album by Swedish singer-songwriter Molly Nilsson, released on 2 November 2018.
Imaginations is the seventh studio album by Swedish singer-songwriter Molly Nilsson, released on 26 May 2017.
Zenith is the sixth studio album by Swedish singer-songwriter Molly Nilsson, released on 6 November 2015.
The Travels is the fifth studio album by Swedish singer-songwriter Molly Nilsson, released on 21 June 2013. It was the first of her albums to be co-released by Night School Records in addition to her own label Dark Skies Association.
Sólo Paraíso is the debut extended play by Swedish singer-songwriter Molly Nilsson, released on 28 July 2014.
History is the fourth studio album by Swedish singer-songwriter Molly Nilsson, released on 14 December 2011. It was Nilsson's final album to be entirely self-released, as she started collaborating with Night School Records afterwards. History has been cited as Nilsson's "breakout" album, including by herself.
Follow the Light is the third studio album by Swedish singer-songwriter Molly Nilsson, released on 7 June 2010.
These Things Take Time is the debut studio album by Swedish singer-songwriter Molly Nilsson, released on 13 September 2008.
Beware of the Monkey is a mixtape by American rapper Mike, released on December 21, 2022 through 10k.