Gaslighter | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | July 17, 2020 | |||
Recorded | 2018–2020 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | ||||
Length | 46:54 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Producer |
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The Chicks chronology | ||||
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Singles from Gaslighter | ||||
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Gaslighter is the eighth studio album by American country band the Chicks. It was released on July 17, 2020, by Columbia Records. Produced by Jack Antonoff and the Chicks, it is the group's first album in fourteen years, and first to be released under their new name (though some physical pressings of the album still carry the "Dixie Chicks" name). The album was preceded by the release of three singles: "Gaslighter", "Julianna Calm Down", and "March March". The album received critical acclaim.
The Chicks began to hint at a new album in June 2018 when Natalie Maines posted several photos from the recording studio on Instagram. [2] While Maines and her bandmates Emily Strayer and Martie Maguire continued to drop small hints that new music might be in the works, they did not confirm that an album was planned until a year later when Maines posted a video clip to Instagram in which the trio took turns saying, "Dixie Chicks. Album. Coming." This was followed by producer Jack Antonoff saying, "Someday." [3]
In August 2019, in the midst of their divorce, Maines' ex-husband Adrian Pasdar asked the court to give him access to all of Maines' unreleased music over concerns it might violate a confidentiality clause in their prenuptial agreement, although he had previously argued in divorce proceedings that the couple's prenuptial agreement was invalid, claiming that Maines should owe him financial support. Pasdar stated that he wanted to know if any of the unreleased material might contain lyrics that pertain to their breakup. Maines' legal team filed a response to Pasdar's new motion, saying that if he succeeds in overturning the validity of the agreement, it also invalidates the confidentiality clause. [4] Their divorce was finalized in December [5] after Maines and Pasdar settled out of court.
In September 2019, Maines revealed during her Spiritualgasm podcast that the album would be titled Gaslighter. [6] She went on to say that the album was originally planned to be something simple, like an album of covers, to fulfill their contract with Sony, but after her divorce from Pasdar, she had been inspired to start writing songs again. [6] She said, "When I started getting a divorce, I had a lot to say, so that kind of sparked me being ready [to make new music]. Songwriting is really hard for me, and I think, for many years, I didn't want to analyze my life or my relationship. I was just in it and dedicated and devoted...I just was not ready to open up like that." [6] During the same podcast, host Sterling Jones mentions a song titled "Go It Alone," which Maines revealed is actually titled "My Best Friend's Weddings". [7] The title of the album refers to gaslighting. [8]
On June 25, 2020, the band changed their name to the Chicks, dropping "Dixie", [9] which referenced any of the American South, the Antebellum South, or the American Mason–Dixon line. The name change followed criticism that the word had connotations of American slavery. [9] [10]
The album was announced on March 4, 2020, with a scheduled release date of May 1. [11] [12] On April 21, the release was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [13] [14] On June 11, the album's release was rescheduled for July 17. [15]
The lead single, "Gaslighter", was released to critical acclaim on March 4, 2020, along with the album's pre-order. [16] [17] The music video was directed by Seanne Farmer and was released the same day. The song deals with lead singer Natalie Maines' bitter divorce from ex-husband Adrian Pasdar. [18] It peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and number 36 on the Country Airplay chart. The song also peaked at number 31 on the Canada Country chart.[ citation needed ]
"Julianna Calm Down" was released as the album's first promotional single on May 1. [19] The song peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Country Digital Song Sales chart.[ citation needed ] The album's third single, "March March", was released on June 25, along with its accompanying music video. [20] The song peaked at number 32 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. "Sleep at Night" was released as the album's fourth single on July 17, along with its accompanying music video.[ citation needed ]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 7.8/10 [21] |
Metacritic | 82/100 [22] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
And It Don't Stop | A− [23] |
The Daily Telegraph | [24] |
Entertainment Weekly | A [25] |
Exclaim! | 8/10 [26] |
The Guardian | [27] |
The Independent | [28] |
Paste | 8.6/10 [29] |
Pitchfork | 7.0/10 [30] |
Rolling Stone | [31] |
Gaslighter was met with widespread critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received a weighted average score of 82 based on 21 reviews. [22] Album of the Year, which also assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, gave the album a weighted average score of 82 based on 24 reviews. [32] At AnyDecentMusic?, which assigns a normalized rating out of 10 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received a weighted average score of 7.8 based on 19 reviews. [21]
In a review for The Daily Telegraph , Neil McCormick called it "stunning", praising Antonoff's "slick, tasteful production" and "perfectly balanced vocal arrangements". [24] Writing for Entertainment Weekly , Maura Johnston said that "by blending early-21st-century pop savvy with the storytelling that made country music so crucial to the American canon, Gaslighter is all fire and nerve." [25] Chris Willman, in a review for Variety , praised the album's songwriting, saying that "each new incendiary lyrical moment seems to top the last, before grievance gives way to beautiful grief." [33] Laura Dzubay, in Consequence of Sound , praised the group's "management of tone throughout" as "masterful and consistent". She felt that the album was "anchored to place by restrained instrumentation and artful, deliberate counterpoints between highs and lows." [34] Writing for American Songwriter , Lynne Margolis said that the album is "so full of emotion, it takes a while to absorb it all". She went on to say that the album's "not perfect, and it's not meant to be. But the juxtaposition of slickness and rawness somehow works." [35]
Ellen Johnson reviewed the album for Paste , calling it "the best country album of 2020". She felt the album "forces empathy onto the listener while reminding us we don't have to be superheroes to make a difference." [29] Writing for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine praised the album's arrangements as "subtle and sly" and "accentuating the emotions underpinning the songs". [1] The Guardian called it "pertinent on its own terms" instead of sounding like "three middle-aged musicians straining to recapture their relevance." [27] Annabel Nugent, in a review for The Independent , said that while the album "is not a reinvention for the trio by any means", it is "still political" and "still resilient". [28] Mikael Wood reviewed the album for the Los Angeles Times , calling it the group's "most personal effort yet". [36]
In his Substack-published "Consumer Guide" column, Robert Christgau said that while the songs have a "pro forma" effect attributable to Antonoff, "Maines has never written with more righteous anger and sisterly concern—more humanity." [23] More critical was Claire Shaffer of Rolling Stone , felt that the tracks on the album "fall into easy, radio-friendly categories: empowerment anthem, cheeky ukulele kiss-off, [and] minimalist protest song." She noted that the "arrangements dissolve most of the group's lingering connections to their street-corner bluegrass origins." [31]
Publication | Accolade | Rank |
---|---|---|
Consequence of Sound | Top 50 Albums of 2020 | 38 [37] |
Entertainment Weekly | Top 15 Albums of 2020 | 6 [38] |
Time | Top 10 Albums of 2020 | 4 [39] |
On the US Billboard 200, Gaslighter debuted at number 3 with 84,000 album-equivalent units, becoming the band's fifth top 5 album and first in the streaming era. Including 71,000 album sales, it was the best-selling album in its debut week. [40]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Gaslighter" |
| 3:23 | |
2. | "Sleep at Night" |
|
| 3:12 |
3. | "Texas Man" |
|
| 3:44 |
4. | "Everybody Loves You" |
|
| 3:38 |
5. | "For Her" |
|
| 5:26 |
6. | "March March" |
|
| 3:53 |
7. | "My Best Friend's Weddings" |
|
| 4:18 |
8. | "Tights on My Boat" |
|
| 3:02 |
9. | "Julianna Calm Down" |
|
| 4:46 |
10. | "Young Man" |
|
| 4:09 |
11. | "Hope It's Something Good" |
|
| 4:05 |
12. | "Set Me Free" |
|
| 3:18 |
Total length: | 46:54 |
Adapted from the album liner notes. [41]
The Chicks
Additional musicians
| Production
Other personnel
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Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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Natalie Louise Maines is an American musician. She is the lead vocalist for the country band the Chicks.
Home is the sixth studio album by American country music band Dixie Chicks, released on August 27, 2002, through Monument and Columbia Records. It is notable for its acoustic bluegrass sound, which stands in contrast with their previous two country pop albums.
Wide Open Spaces is the fourth studio album and the major label debut of American country music band Dixie Chicks. It was their first record with new lead vocalist Natalie Maines, and became their breakthrough commercial success. It received diamond status by the RIAA on February 20, 2003, in the United States, having shipped 13 million units worldwide, while spending more than six years in the Australian ARIA music charts Country Top 20.
Taking the Long Way is the seventh studio album by American country music group Dixie Chicks. Released on May 23, 2006, through Columbia Nashville, it was also the group's last album released under the “Dixie Chicks” name. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and sold over 2.5 million copies in the U.S., being certified 2× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America on July 11, 2007. It won five Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year in February 2007.
"Landslide" is a song by the British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, written and performed by Stevie Nicks. The song was first featured on the band's self-titled album Fleetwood Mac (1975). The original recording also appears on the compilation albums 25 Years – The Chain (1992), The Very Best of Fleetwood Mac (2002) and 50 Years – Don't Stop (2018), while a live version was released as a single 23 years later from the live reunion album The Dance (1997). "Landslide" reached No. 51 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 10 on the Adult Contemporary chart. "Landslide" was certified gold in October 2009 for sales of over 500,000 copies in the United States. According to Nielsen Soundscan, "Landslide" sold 2,093,186 copies in the United States as of 2017.
The Chicks are an American country music band composed of Natalie Maines, along with Emily Strayer and Martie Maguire, who are sisters. Their discography comprises eight studio albums, two live albums and 28 singles.
"Goodbye Earl" is a country murder ballad written by Dennis Linde. Initially recorded by the band Sons of the Desert for an unreleased album in the late 1990s, the song gained fame when it was recorded by Dixie Chicks on their fifth studio album, Fly. After charting from unsolicited airplay in late 1999, the song was released as that album's third single in 2000, peaking at #13 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts. The CD single includes a 'B-Side' cover of "Stand By Your Man" by Tammy Wynette. In 2021, it was listed at No. 469 on Rolling Stone's "Top 500 Best Songs of All Time".
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The Chicks are an American country band from Dallas, Texas. The band consists of Natalie Maines and sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Strayer. Maguire and Strayer, both née Erwin, founded the band in 1989, with bassist Laura Lynch and vocalist and guitarist Robin Lynn Macy. They performed bluegrass and country music, busking and touring the bluegrass festival circuits and small venues for six years without attracting a major label. In 1992, Lynch replaced Macy as the lead vocalist.
"Without You" is a song written by Eric Silver and Natalie Maines, and recorded by American country music group Dixie Chicks. It was released in August 2000 as the fifth single from their album Fly. In January 2001, it hit number one on the U.S. country singles chart. It also reached number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"You Were Mine" is a song recorded by American country music group Dixie Chicks. Released in December 1998 as the fourth single from the album Wide Open Spaces, the song spent two weeks atop the U.S. Country singles chart in March 1999; that same month, it reached #34 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped Canada's country music chart for a week.
"I Can Love You Better" is a song written by Pamela Brown Hayes and Kostas and recorded by American country music group the Dixie Chicks. It was the first single released by the group to feature Natalie Maines following their former lead vocalist Laura Lynch's departure from the group in 1995. The song premiered to country radio on October 27, 1997, as the group's debut single from their fourth studio album and major label debut Wide Open Spaces (1998).
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"Gaslighter" is a song recorded by American country music group Dixie Chicks from their eighth studio album of the same name. The song was written and produced by the group and Jack Antonoff. "Gaslighter" was the final release by the group before changing their name to "The Chicks" in June 2020.
Chemtrails over the Country Club is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey. It was released on March 19, 2021, by Interscope and Polydor Records. Del Rey enlisted producer Jack Antonoff as her co-producer for the majority of the album, after working with him on her previous studio album, Norman Fucking Rockwell! (2019), while previous collaborator Rick Nowels produced one of the album's tracks. The album features collaborations with Nikki Lane, Weyes Blood, and Zella Day.
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