Hannah Diamond | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Hannah Amond [1] |
Born | Norwich, England | 20 June 1991
Genres | |
Occupations |
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Instrument | Vocals |
Years active | 2012–present |
Labels | PC Music |
Website | hannahdiamond |
Hannah Amond (born 20 June 1991), [2] known professionally as Hannah Diamond, is an English singer, songwriter, photographer, and visual artist. She has recorded on A.G. Cook's PC Music label since 2013, beginning with her debut single "Pink and Blue". [3] Her music and visual art employs an aesthetic of hyperreality and heavily produced cuteness in tension with sincerity. [4]
Diamond released her debut studio album, Reflections, in November 2019, followed by her second studio album, Perfect Picture , in October 2023. She also works as a photographer, producing visual artwork and promotional materials for herself as well as other artists and publications. [5]
Diamond met GFOTY through a friend, and GFOTY introduced her to A. G. Cook. [6] After a vocalist failed to show up to a session with Cook, the two worked on their first musical collaboration. In 2012, they recorded Diamond's first solo song, titled "Attachment". [7] Diamond released her debut single "Pink and Blue" through PC Music in October 2013. The song resembles a lullaby, with a harshly synthetic quality. [8] The attention received by "Pink and Blue" helped to introduce the fledgling label, [9] and it placed 5th on Fact's list of "The 100 best tracks of the decade so far". [10]
The following January, Diamond appeared on A. G. Cook's "Keri Baby". The song toyed with the idea of Diamond as an MP3 file or a digital entity on a screen. [11] [12] Diamond made her first live performance in April, at Basement in London. [13] She released "Attachment" as her second single later that month. "Attachment" is a melancholy ballad about modern relationships, with a high-pitched melody backed by farcical harmonies. [14] [15]
Diamond's third solo single "Every Night" was released in November 2014 and became PC Music's first single available through the iTunes Store. [17] The song discusses feelings of desire and showcases a more bold personality than Diamond's earlier songs. [18] Her vocals are childlike and staccato, supported by "oh-ooh-oh" harmonies. [17] [19] The production drew comparisons to La Bouche and "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen. [17] [20] "Every Night" received nearly 200,000 plays on SoundCloud within two weeks, and it became Diamond's first song to appear on a Billboard chart, reaching 28th on the Emerging Artists chart. [17]
March 2015 saw Diamond head to the US to play the PC Music showcase at the Empire Garage in Austin, Texas as part of SXSW. Her performance was very well received with The Guardian calling it a "well-crafted performance, as much about the aesthetic and choreography as the camp songs" [21] and according to Flavorwire was the one "who impressed the most." [22] On 8 May 2015, Diamond performed as part of a PC Music show at BRIC House in Brooklyn, New York as part of the Red Bull Music Academy Festival. The show was billed as the premiere of Pop Cube, "a multimedia reality network". [23] In November 2015, Diamond released her song "Hi" with a music video made in conjunction with i-D magazine. After having the resources to produce her first music video, she selected "Hi" as a "way of tying up my older material, and a good way of introducing my next phase". [24] Diamond had begun recording a full-length album, originally planned for release in 2015. [24] [25]
February 2016 saw Hannah Diamond collaborate with Charli XCX on a new track titled "Paradise", which featured on XCX's Vroom Vroom EP, the first release on XCX's label Vroom Vroom Recordings. According to the singer, the label will combine her "love for bubblegum pop with mystery and darkness." [26] In October that year, Diamond released the new single "Fade Away" with a lyric video via PC Music. [27] On 22 December 2016, Diamond released a free single, "Make Believe", which was produced by easyFun and A.G. Cook. [28] [29]
On 13 December 2017, she released a new mix, Soon I won't see you at all, which contains three new tracks, one of which is a cover of "Concrete Angel" by Gareth Emery. It was made available on YouTube for streaming with a link to a ZIP file of the mix in the description. [30] On 16 November 2018, Diamond released "True", which is the lead single from her debut album Reflections . [31]
On 17 September 2019, Diamond released the song "Part of Me" with Danny L Harle. Just over a month later, on 30 October, Diamond released the single "Invisible" with its accompanying music video. With this release, she also announced the release date for Reflections and revealed the album artwork. On 13 November, Diamond released another single leading up to the release of her album, titled "Love Goes On". The song was released with an accompanying music video.
On 31 October 2019, she announced her first headlining tour "The Invisible Tour" and added new dates on 1 November 4 and 28 November 2019. The tour began on 4 December 2019. On 22 November 2019, her debut album Reflections was released, and the tracklist was revealed the day before. On 5 February 2020, she announced that she would be the opening act in 4 shows for Carly Rae Jepsen’s Dedicated Tour. The Reflections remix album was released in April 2020, [32] and the vinyl was released in early 2020.
In 2020, Diamond featured on the remix for 100 gecs' "xXXi_wud_nvrstøp_ÜXXx" alongside Estonian rapper Tommy Cash, and appeared on A. G. Cook's two 2020 albums 7G and Apple . In 2021, Diamond appeared on the Danny L Harle single, "Boing Beat", from his debut album Harlecore , and featured on the remix for A. G. Cook's "The Darkness", alongside Sarah Bonito of Kero Kero Bonito. She appeared on labelmate Namasenda's debut Unlimited Ammo mixtape in October 2021, and designed much of the project's single and album artwork. [33]
Diamond begun teasing a second album in mid-2021 via social media. [34] [35] After debuting a new song at PC Music's Pitchfork Music Festival London showcase [36] and previewing it on TikTok, [37] Diamond released the single "Staring at the Ceiling" on 24 February 2022. A year later, she released "Affirmations" as the second single from the album. "Perfect Picture" was released as the third single on 17 August. The same day, her second album with the same name was announced for release on 6 October.
The fourth single, "Poster Girl", was released on 14 September. [38] The announcement was met with accusations that Diamond copied Swedish singer Zara Larsson's cover art for the album of the same name. [39] Diamond addressed this, stating that "there is no joy to be found in using someone else's experience", and affirmed the legacy and influence her own photography and art from PC Music have had on culture. [40]
Perfect Picture marked a departure from the hopeless sound presented on Reflections, with Pitchfork author Peyton Toups writing "As Diamond steers away from the icy, sad-girl trappings of her earlier work, she morphs into a more upbeat, motivational pop star" [41] .
Growing up, Diamond followed the work of fashion photographers such as Mert and Marcus, David LaChapelle, and Nick Knight. [7] She studied fashion communication and styling, and her early work focused on internet celebrities. [42] She is a member of Diamond Wright, which has made promotional images for QT, latex clothing brand Meat, and PC Music artist Princess Bambi. [16] In 2015, she shot Charli XCX in global commercial campaigns for Boohoo and Lynx Impulse. [43] Before the founding of PC Music, Diamond worked with Cook on marketing material for makeup brand Illamasqua. [42] She has also done work as co-editor and director of photography for LOGO Magazine. [16]
She cited the futuristic visuals for TLC's "Waterfalls" music video as influential for their emphasis on technology. [44] Diamond's music is often inspired by high-definition imagery and fashion campaigns. [6] Cook describes her as an artist "in control of [her] own image", noting Diamond's involvement in producing the promotional material. [5] Her cover artwork uses heavy photo retouching to produce unnatural, hyperreal versions of herself. [42] [45] The covers show Diamond in front of empty, one-dimensional spaces. [46] Her outfits are influenced by London streetwear, and she is known for wearing her trademark pastel pink puffer jacket. [5] [47] January 2016 saw Diamond feature on the cover of OKgrl, a new online platform created by stylist Louby Mcloughlin & DVTK, the ex digital directors of fashion brand Kenzo. [48] Diamond has also spent time designing typefaces, including a new font which was featured in the lyric video for her song, "True". [49]
As a photographer, Diamond's work includes a 2018 cover feature for DIY, featuring Years & Years' Olly Alexander. [50] Diamond shot Sophia Webster's Spring/Summer 2019 campaign, [51] the cover feature of the second issue of the French magazine Jalouse, which features Migos rapper Offset, [52] and a L'Officiel editorial for Charli XCX promoting her new album Charli . [53]
In 2020, Diamond took over a creative director position for UK alt-pop band Sundara Karma. [54] Along with the band's frontman Oscar Pollock, she co-directed the music video for their single "Kill Me", [55] In addition to making a series of promotional graphics, including the single artwork. [56] Shots from their visual collaboration were featured on the cover of DIY magazine in 2019. [57]
Hannah Diamond discography | |
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Studio albums | 2 |
EPs | 2 |
Singles | 14 |
Title | Album details |
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Reflections | |
Perfect Picture |
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Title | Album details |
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Reflections Remixes |
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Reflections Hard Drive |
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Title | Year | Album |
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"Pink and Blue" | 2013 | Non-album single |
"Attachment" | 2014 | PC Music Volume 1 |
"Every Night" | ||
"Hi" | 2015 | PC Music Volume 2 |
"Fade Away" | 2016 | Reflections |
"Make Believe" | ||
"True" | 2018 | |
"Part of Me" (with Danny L Harle) | 2019 | Non-album single |
"Invisible" | Reflections | |
"Love Goes On" | ||
"The Darkness" (Remix) (with A. G. Cook and Sarah Bonito) | 2021 | Apple vs. 7G |
"Staring at the Ceiling" | 2022 | Perfect Picture and PC Music Volume 3 |
"Affirmations" | 2023 | Perfect Picture |
"Perfect Picture" | ||
"Poster Girl" |
Title | Year | Album |
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"Keri Baby" (A. G. Cook featuring Hannah Diamond) | 2014 | PC Music Volume 1 |
"Drop FM" (A. G. Cook featuring Hannah Diamond) | 2015 | Non-album single |
"All I Need" (Umru, Fraxiom, and Tony Velour featuring Hannah Diamond) | 2022 | comfort noise |
Title | Year | Other artist(s) | Album |
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"Close Your Eyes" | 2013 | A. G. Cook | Nu Jack Swung |
"What I Mean" | 2014 | Non-album single | |
"Paradise" | 2016 | Charli XCX | Vroom Vroom |
"Out Of My Head REMIX" | 2017 | A. G. Cook, Mykki Blanco, Dorian Electra, Tommy Cash | Non-album single |
"Cool 3D World" | 2018 | Tommy Cash | ¥€$ |
"xXXi_wud_nvrstøp_ÜXXx (Remix)" | 2020 | 100 gecs, Tommy Cash | 1000 gecs and the Tree of Clues |
"Acid Angel" | A. G. Cook | 7G | |
"DJ Every Night" | |||
"Alright" | |||
"The Darkness" | Apple | ||
"Acoustic Angel" | — | Appleville (Golden Ticket) | |
"Where Are You Christmas?" | Pop Caroler's Songbook | ||
"Boing Beat" | 2021 | Danny L Harle, MC Boing | Harlecore |
"Play With My Heart" | — | Tetris Beat - Essentials, Vol. 1 | |
"Steel" | Namasenda | Unlimited Ammo | |
"Candyboy (Hannah Diamond's Shine)" | Casey MQ | babycasey: ultra | |
"Better Than That" | Erika de Casier, caro♡ | The Sensational Remixes | |
"Kiss" | 2022 | Himera | Sharing Secrets |
"Always and Forever" | 2024 | Sophie | Sophie |
Charlotte Emma Aitchison, known professionally as Charli XCX, is an English singer and songwriter. Born in Cambridge and raised in Start Hill, Essex, Charli XCX began posting songs on Myspace in 2008 before entering the London rave scene. She signed a recording contract with Asylum Records in 2010, releasing a series of singles and mixtapes throughout 2011 and 2012. She later featured on "I Love It" with Swedish duo Icona Pop, with the song becoming her first number-one in the UK and receiving global success. Her debut studio album, True Romance (2013), was released to positive reviews but failed to meet commercial expectations.
English singer Charli XCX has released six studio albums, five mixtapes, three extended plays, one live album, one soundtrack album, one remix album, two DJ mixes, 48 singles, and 13 promotional singles. In 2007, XCX began recording her debut album on a loan granted by her parents. Titled 14, after her age at the time, it received only a restricted public release. Two singles, "!Franchesckaar!" and double A-side "Emelline" / "Art Bitch", were released in late 2008 under Orgy Music. In June 2012, Charli XCX released her first mixtape, titled Heartbreaks and Earthquakes, a one-track file consisting of eight songs. A second mixtape, titled Super Ultra, was released in November of the same year. Charli XCX's major-label debut studio album, True Romance, was released in April 2013, and peaked at number 85 on the UK Albums Chart. While failing to appear on any main album charts internationally, the album reached number five on the Heatseekers Albums chart in the United States and number 11 on the ARIA Hitseekers chart in Australia. The album spawned five singles—"Stay Away", "Nuclear Seasons", "You're the One", "You " and "What I Like". In 2012, Charli XCX was featured on Icona Pop's song "I Love It", which peaked at number one in the UK and reached the top 10 in various countries including the US, Canada, Ireland and Germany.
Caroline Elizabeth Polachek is an American singer, producer, and songwriter. Raised in Connecticut, Polachek cofounded the indie pop band Chairlift while studying at the University of Colorado. The duo emerged from the late-2000s Brooklyn music scene with the sleeper hit "Bruises". In 2014, she released her first solo project, Arcadia, as Ramona Lisa. Under CEP, she released Drawing the Target Around the Arrow in 2017.
"Boom Clap" is a song by English singer Charli XCX, released as the first single from the soundtrack album of The Fault in Our Stars (2014) and is also featured on her second studio album, Sucker. There are two existing mixes of this song: the first and original one is heard in the film, the film's soundtrack, and the music video shot in Amsterdam; the second mix is heard on the music video shot in Japan and in Sucker.
Sucker is the second studio album by English singer Charli XCX, released on 15 December 2014 by Asylum and Atlantic Records. The album was met with positive reviews from critics, praising its throwback style, and ended up being included on many year-end lists for best albums of 2014. Sucker spawned the singles "Boom Clap", "Break the Rules", "Doing It" and "Famous".
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.
PC Music is a record label and art collective based in London and run by producer A. G. Cook. It was founded in 2013, uploading its first releases to SoundCloud that year. Artists on its roster have included Hannah Diamond, GFOTY, Danny L Harle, Easyfun, Namasenda, and Planet 1999. The label's releases have been showcased on the compilations PC Music Volume 1 (2015), Volume 2 (2016), and Volume 3 (2022). Following a decade-long run, since 2024 the label is now only dedicated to archival projects and special reissues.
Alexander Guy Cook is an English music producer and the head of the now-closed UK record label PC Music. Cook released his first solo singles in 2014. He has also collaborated with PC Music artists such as Hannah Diamond, GFOTY, Finn Keane, Danny L Harle and Felicita. He formed the one-off project QT with musician Sophie and performance artist Hayden Dunham, producing the 2014 single "Hey QT".
"Doing It" is a song by English singer Charli XCX from her second studio album, Sucker (2014). An alternative version of the song featuring English singer Rita Ora was released on 3 February 2015 as the album's third single. The single peaked at number eight on the UK Singles Chart. "Doing It" was named "Best New Track" the week of its release by Pitchfork.
Daniel Jack Eisner Harle is a British music producer and composer who records under the name Danny L Harle. He was formerly signed to the London-based PC Music label and is a member of Dux Content with A. G. Cook. He has produced, composed, and remixed music for a number of artists; most prominently, he executive produced Caroline Polachek's 2019 album Pang and 2023 album Desire, I Want to Turn Into You. He released his debut album Harlecore (2021) through the label Mad Decent, featuring collaborations with Polachek, Hudson Mohawke, and Lil Data.
Vroom Vroom is the second extended play (EP) by English singer Charli XCX, released on 26 February 2016 by Vroom Vroom Recordings. It features production work from English producer Sophie.
Number 1 Angel is the third mixtape by English singer Charli XCX, released on 10 March 2017 by Asylum Records. The mixtape contains ten tracks and was created in Los Angeles as a collaboration with producer A. G. Cook, the founder of PC Music. Several other producers associated with the label also contributed to the mixtape, including Sophie, who previously produced Charli XCX's extended play Vroom Vroom. Musically, it has been labeled as avant-pop and electropop.
"Every Night" is a song recorded by the English singer Hannah Diamond, released as a non-album single on 24 November 2014 through PC Music. Diamond joined PC Music in 2013 and released two solo singles before "Every Night". It was written by A. G. Cook and Diamond and produced by Cook. Critics described it as dance-pop and synth-pop, with Diamond's child-like vocals accompanied by pulsating beats. "Every Night" was PC Music's first commercially available single and later appeared on their first compilation album, PC Music Volume 1 (2015).
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.
Reflections is the debut studio album by British singer and visual artist Hannah Diamond. It was released on 22 November 2019 via PC Music.
Finn Keane, previously known as Easyfun, is a British songwriter and record producer. He is known for his frequent collaborations with Charli XCX, his releases on experimental pop label PC Music, and his work with the label's founder A. G. Cook in the duo Thy Slaughter. His work with Charli XCX has earned him two nominations at the Grammy Awards; Album of the Year for Brat and Best Dance Pop Recording for "Von Dutch".
"Ringtone" is a song by American experimental musical duo 100 gecs, composed of Dylan Brady and Laura Les, from 100 Gecs' debut studio album 1000 Gecs (2019). Its remix, included on their remix album 1000 Gecs and the Tree of Clues (2020), features vocals from British singer Charli XCX, American rapper Rico Nasty, and British singer Sarah Bonito of the indie pop band Kero Kero Bonito. The song is a remix of "Ringtone". The song's production is glitchy with "80's video game-inspired blips" and uses heavy bass and Auto-Tune.
how i'm feeling now is the fourth studio album by English singer Charli XCX, released on 15 May 2020. Released eight months after her previous LP, Charli (2019), the album was conceived in the span of six weeks during the COVID-19 lockdown in a "do it yourself" collaborative process with her fans. Charli XCX, A. G. Cook and BJ Burton served as the album's executive producers.
Apple vs. 7G is the debut remix album by British producer A. G. Cook. It compiles reworked versions of songs from his first two albums 7G and Apple, both released in 2020. It was released on 28 May 2021 by Cook's label PC Music. A deluxe "Silver Edition" includes 7 extra tracks and is exclusively available for purchase on Bandcamp. Many of the remixes featured were premiered on various compilation albums, DJ mixes or hidden zip files prior to Apple vs. 7G's release. The album was promoted by seven singles.
Crash is the fifth studio album by English singer Charli XCX, released on 18 March 2022. It was her last album to be released under her record contract with Asylum Records. Charli announced the album title, release date, and artwork on 4 November 2021. Her website was also updated with information about the album's 2022 tour. The album was preceded by the four singles "Good Ones", "New Shapes" featuring Christine and the Queens and Caroline Polachek, "Beg for You" featuring Rina Sawayama, "Baby" and two promotional singles, "Every Rule" and "Used to Know Me", the latter released as the fifth single in April 2022.