Fake Sugar | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | June 16, 2017 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 42:26 | |||
Label | Virgin | |||
Producer | Jennifer Decilveo | |||
Beth Ditto chronology | ||||
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Fake Sugar is the debut solo studio album by American singer Beth Ditto, known for her work with the dance-punk band Gossip. Produced by Jennifer Decilveo, it was released on June 16, 2017, through Virgin Records. The album's first single, "Fire", was released in April 2017. [1] Incorporating influences from a wide array of genres, the album is regarded as Ditto's "embracement of her Southern roots". [2]
Fake Sugar is a Southern rock [3] and pop album. [4] AllMusic reported that the album's "polished pop ambitions allow Ditto to try on different sounds, whether it's the stomping glam-pop of "Oo La La" or "Go Baby Go," a tribute to Suicide's Alan Vega that borrows the duo's sleek beats." [2] The A.V. Club stated: "The record revolves around pulsating disco grooves, corrugated pogo-punk riffs, and a glittering pop sheen, all arranged so there’s plenty of room for Ditto to stretch her voice and approach." [5] The Guardian wrote that the record "runs the gamut of classic 1970s and 80s pop – Fleetwood Mac, Blondie, Suicide, Paul Simon – alongside the odd angular stomper that nods to the Soulwax remixes of her former band." [6] Paste magazine noted that "while there are still elements of dance-pop weaved throughout the record, the album falls more comfortably between honky-tonk, soul and disco." [7] PopMatters stated that Fake Sugar's sound "moves seamlessly from straight dance pop to a rawer, more soulful brand of R&B-indebted punk." [8]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 74/100 [9] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
The A.V. Club | B [5] |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
DIY | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Guardian | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Independent | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
musicOMH | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Observer | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Paste | 7.0/10 [7] |
Pitchfork | 6.1/10 [3] |
PopMatters | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 74, based on 17 reviews, indicating "generally positive reviews". [9] The A.V. Club critic Annie Zaleski stated: "Ditto’s powerhouse voice remains a steely, piercing instrument imbued with Southern sass and dynamic range." [5] AllMusic's Heather Phares described the record as "a welcome return from a one-of-a-kind voice and personality who was missing from music for too long." [2] Calling the album as a "surprisingly sweet listen", DIY magazine critic Lisa Wright thought that Fake Sugar "paints Ditto as a more diverse, often even restrained artist than the larynx-shredding punk aggressor of the mid-00s." [10] Kate Hutchinson of The Guardian commented that the album "doesn’t make it much clearer what kind of pop star Ditto wants to be – but she’s one to be strutted to, at the very least." [6] The Independent 's Andy Gill described it as "a bit of a mixed bag – no great surprise". [11]
musicOMH's John Murphy was mixed in his assessment of the record, stating: "It’s that smoothing of Ditto’s edges that prevents Fake Sugar from moving from a good, perfectly serviceable pop album to something truly great." [4] Emily Mackay of The Observer wrote: "A couple of songs hang too much on their belting choruses, but moments such as the disco-Stones shuffle of Oo La La and the unabashed, dreamy balladry of Love in Real Life more than compensate, and it's a comfort to hear Ditto’s wise, dauntless voice once more." [12] Paste critic Ilana Kaplan noted that the album "bridges the gap between love and loss and taps into her Southern roots to create a record that fully encompasses the person she's become." [7] Pitchfork 's Laura Snapes stated: "Ditto’s non-traditional view down a well-trodden path is welcome, but you do wish she'd kick up the dust a bit more." [3] John Paul of PopMatters wrote that "there’s nothing fake about Ditto anywhere on the album, making Fake Sugar an overwhelmingly welcome return from one of pop music’s greatest vocal talents." [8] The Skinny 's Nadia Younes described the record as "a real reinvention for Beth Ditto, but it’s not so much of a reinvention that her signature traits are unrecognisable." [13]
Album track listing as adapted from Deezer: [14]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Fire" |
| 3:10 |
2. | "In and Out" |
| 3:41 |
3. | "Fake Sugar" |
| 3:30 |
4. | "Savoir Faire" |
| 3:38 |
5. | "We Could Run" |
| 3:30 |
6. | "Oo La La" |
| 3:30 |
7. | "Go Baby Go" |
| 3:04 |
8. | "Oh My God" |
| 4:45 |
9. | "Love in Real Life" |
| 4:05 |
10. | "Do You Want Me To?" |
| 3:09 |
11. | "Lover" |
| 3:37 |
12. | "Clouds (Song for John)" |
| 2:31 |
Total length: | 42:26 |
Chart (2017) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA) [15] | 89 |
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [16] | 23 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [17] | 51 |
French Albums (SNEP) [18] | 24 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [19] | 22 |
Italian Albums (FIMI) [20] | 80 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [21] | 11 |
UK Albums (OCC) [22] | 47 |
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) [23] | 3 |
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