Infections of a Different Kind (Step 1) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 28 September 2018 | |||
Recorded | January–April 2018 | |||
Studio | La Fabrique (Saint-Rémy de Provence) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 33:13 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer |
| |||
Aurora chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Infections of a Different Kind (Step 1) | ||||
|
Infections of a Different Kind (Step 1) is the second studio album [lower-alpha 1] by Norwegian singer-songwriter and record producer Aurora. It was released digitally on 28 September 2018 and physically on 1 November 2019 by Decca and Glassnote Records. It serves as the first part of a two-part album, the second part being her third studio album A Different Kind of Human (Step 2) (2019). Aurora enlisted producers Askjell Solstrand, Jakwob, Couros and MyRiot, along with previous collaborators Magnus Skylstad and Electric.
Infections of a Different Kind (Step 1) was described as a pop, electropop and art pop record, though it also features elements of synth-pop, chamber pop, folk, experimental pop, and futurepop. Its lyrical themes were described as domestic abuse, global warming, connection versus connectivity, fear of intimacy, and empowerment. The album received critical acclaim from music critics, who complimented Aurora's involvement in the production of the record as well as her progression from her debut album.
Infections of a Different Kind (Step 1) was supported by the release of the singles "Queendom" and "Forgotten Love", which were released in April and August 2018, respectively. The release was a minor commercial success; it peaked at number seven in Norway and at number 191 in the Netherlands and was certified platinum in the former country. The music video of "Queendom" was nominated for Music Video of the Year at the Spellemannprisen '17.
"[Infections of a Different Kind] (Step 1) is a natural step after my first album, which was about looking into yourself, looking at all of it and accepting all of it. [...] This step is about moving on with that. I think that we are meant to really fight for each other, but I think it really prevents us having the capacity to see other people when we're in pain. First you accept that life comes with pain, then you really work on it. I really want people to listen to this step and feel like they're getting stronger."
— Aurora explaining the concept behind Infections of a Different Kind (Step 1) to NME . [1]
When announcing the release of her debut album All My Demons Greeting Me as a Friend (2016), Aurora said that it was "the first album of many" that she has planned. [2] In an interview with Gigwise , she explained that because of most of the record was recorded a year before, its sound "feels very old" and that she had "to let things go;" she also said that the writing process of her following album had already begun. [3] In October 2016, during a Facebook live stream, Aurora stated that she had fifteen demos and had written around a thousand songs to that date. [4]
On 30 September 2017, Aurora posted on her Instagram account that she began the production of her following album. [5] Some of the new material was anticipated in several live performances, including festivals like Lollapalooza and Coachella. [6] [7] Aurora travelled to La Fabrique, a farmhouse studio located in southern France, to record Infections of a Different Kind (Step 1) in January 2018. The production included new producers Askjell Solstrand and Roy Kerr and Tim Bran from MyRiot, with Aurora herself also involved in this aspect. [8] [9] [10] Her stay in France during the album's recording was filmed for Aurora's documentary Once Aurora. [11] The album was mixed and mastered in Bergen, with Aurora announcing through an Instagram story on 3 April 2018 that it was finished. [9] [12]
Aurora initially stated to Idolator in April 2018 that Infections of a Different Kind (Step 1) was originally a full-length album with 11 tracks. [13] Nevertheless, she later revealed two months later that the album was split in two parts, the first part being Infections of a Different Kind (Step 1). [14] [15] Aurora chose to divide the record to give listeners more time to every track, since she felt the original project would be "heavy and time-consuming." [16] She acknowledged during a 2019 interview with Clash that the concept of the album "was two different aspects of one process"; she decided to use scrapped tracks from Infections of a Different Kind (Step I) for her following album. [17]
According to Aurora, forty songs were written for the album and she chose the ones she considered to be the "best". [18] She revealed that some of the songs "will remain unreleased for quite some time, but also a few of them will be on the album." [19] The tracks "Animal" and "The Seed" were originally written for the album but were later included in her second album A Different Kind of Human (Step 2) , following the split of the record. Both songs were performed live alongside tracks from Infections of a Different Kind (Step 1). [20] In a September 2017 interview, Aurora was unsure to add "festival songs" like "Feeling", "Soft Universe" and "In Bottles" to the EP; "Soft Universe" was released as the EP's seventh track, while "In Bottles" made it onto A Different Kind of Human (Step 1). [21] Aside of the tracks performed live, snippets of some songs appeared in Once Aurora, with only two song titles ("Spotlight" and "Witches") appearing in the closing credits. [11]
Infections of a Different Kind (Step 1) has been described as a pop, [22] [23] electropop [24] and art pop record [25] with elements of synth-pop, chamber pop, [26] folk, experimental pop, [24] and futurepop. [27] Aurora described her musical direction as "still so fun" because of her involvement in the production, stating "I now know more about myself." [28] The EP's sound incorporates folktronica soundscapes, vocal harmonizations, expansive reverb, layered synthesizers and tribal percussion. [29] [30] [31] Its production was characterized as contained and deliberate in comparison to the intense sound of All My Demons Greeting Me as a Friend. [31]
Aurora called Infections of a Different Kind (Step 1) a "power album", with the desire "to [make] people feel powerful, to feel like they have this extra support." [9] Its lyrical themes as domestic abuse, global warming, connection versus connectivity, fear of intimacy and empowerment, written with personal and affecting lyrics. [29] [23] She commented that the meanings of the songs "depends on the way that people listen to it", wanting to leave them open to interpretation. [32] While maintaining some of the themes and stories of her previous album, the album marks the first time that Aurora has included themes of politics and sexuality in her music. [33] Most of her inspiration for the record came from the interaction that she had with her fans during her first tour. [13] The EP's title comes from the eighth track, which Aurora declared as "the most important song I've ever written". [15]
Aurora initially wanted to release new music in November 2016, however, she noted that it was not possible due to her touring schedule in promotion of her debut album. [34] In September of that year, she teased a possible release date in November 2017. [35] Aurora stated in March 2018 that the album was expected to be released in the fourth quarter of 2018, without giving an exact date. [36] A trailer titled "Our Queendom Come" was released on 5 April 2017, which led fans to speculate the name as the record's title. [37] [38] Infections of a Different Kind (Step 1) was released to digital music platforms on 28 September 2018 as a surprise release. [39] A sequel, which was revealed to be titled A Different Kind of Human (Step 2) , followed on 7 June 2019. CDs and LPs were released on 1 November 2019, a year after the record's digital release. [40] [41]
The same day of Infections of a Different Kind (Step 1)'s digital release, several magazines like Clash , The Line of Best Fit and NME interviewed Aurora about various topics, including her fame, her home, climate change, the concept behind the album and its upcoming follow-up. [42] [43] [1] She appeared on Late Night with Seth Meyers , where she performed "Queendom". The album received further promotion from her third headlining concert tour, which started on 10 October 2018 in Manchester, United Kingdom and ended on 28 May 2019 in Mexico City, Mexico. [38] [44]
"Queendom" was released as the EP's lead single on 16 April 2018, premiering on Zane Lowe's Apple Beats 1. [45] [10] The music video for "Queendom" saw its release on 2 May 2018, and it included a message to her LGBT fans; such message was portrayed by Aurora herself kissing one of her female dancers, during what was described as a "big kissing party" that shows that "every type of love is accepted and embraced" in the singer's "queendom". [46] The clip was nomitated for Music Video of the Year at the Spellemannprisen '17, eventually losing to Hkeem's "Ghettoparasitt". [47]
The song "Animal" was originally expected to be released as the second single from Infections of a Different Kind (Step 1), however it was later released as A Different Kind of Human (Step 2)'s lead single in January 2019. [48] The EP's second single, "Forgotten Love", followed on 17 August 2017. [49] A video was filmed but it was never released. However, some snippets of it appeared in a short documentary about Bergen's musical scene where Aurora was interviewed. [50]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
A Bit of Pop Music | Positive [24] |
Immortal Reviews | 94/100 [51] |
The Line of Best Fit | 9/10 [30] |
Mojo | [23] |
Mystic Sons | 8/10 [27] |
Q | [52] |
Radio UTD | [31] |
Infections of a Different Kind (Step 1) was met with acclaim from music critics. [53] Jack Bray of The Line of Best Fit praised the dynamism and flexibility of Aurora's vocals and her involvement in the production of the EP, remarking that she "never loses any instrument or voice in spite of the minutiae of her producing choices, as a result, a tangible sense of her personality comes through." [30] A writer of the blog A Bit of Pop Music shared similar thoughts in regards to its songwriting and production, commending the track "All Is Soft Inside" as her "most accomplished work to date." [24] Writing for Mystic Sons, Chris Bound agreed that "this new half-album still manages to pack one hell of a punch throughout as the frontwoman seems to take on the guise of an unstoppable juggernaut." [27] In a less favourable review, Kieron Tyler writing for Mojo commented that the record lacked musical focus, lamenting that "Aurora herself is mostly buried in the album." [23] Radio UTD's Zachary Royal suggested that she "matured quite quickly and is now more comfortable in her element." [31]
Publication | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
A Bit of Pop Music | The 20 Best Pop Albums of 2018 | — | [54] |
CJLO | Best of 2018 Top Pop Albums | 9 | [55] |
Indie88 | The Most Overlooked Albums of 2018 | — | [56] |
Immortal Reviews | Immortal Reviews' Top 50 Albums Of 2018 | 8 | [57] |
The Line of Best Fit | The Best Albums of 2018 | 41 | [22] |
Phil Marriott | Top 10 Albums of 2018 | — | [58] |
Infections of a Different Kind (Step 1) debuted at number seven on the Norwegian VG-lista Topp 40 Album, marking Aurora's biggest opening week in sales ever in the country, with 5,800 units. [59] Elsewhere in Europe, the album peaked at number 191 in the Netherlands. [60]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Queendom" |
|
| 3:27 |
2. | "Forgotten Love" |
|
| 3:28 |
3. | "Gentle Earthquakes" |
|
| 3:47 |
4. | "All Is Soft Inside" |
|
| 5:09 |
5. | "It Happened Quiet" |
|
| 4:09 |
6. | "Churchyard" |
|
| 3:46 |
7. | "Soft Universe" |
| 4:00 | |
8. | "Infections of a Different Kind" | Aksnes |
| 5:27 |
Total length: | 33:13 |
Notes
Credits adapted from Tidal. [61]
Musicians
Technical
Chart (2018–2022) | Peak position |
---|---|
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [60] | 191 |
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [59] | 7 |
Scottish Albums (OCC) [62] | 80 |
UK Album Downloads (OCC) [63] | 45 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Norway (IFPI Norway) [64] | Platinum | 20,000* |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Various | 28 September 2018 | [39] | ||
1 November 2019 |
| [40] [41] | ||
Norway | 22 November 2019 | LP | Petroleum | [65] |
My new EP is the first half of a whole album.
Glassnote Records is a record label that was launched by American music executive Daniel Glass in 2007. The label primarily has a lineup of indie rock and alternative rock artists, most notably Mumford & Sons and Phoenix. The label has also released music from popular artists in other genres, such as Chvrches, Childish Gambino and Secondhand Serenade. The label is distributed by The Orchard as of 2022.
Queendom may refer to:
Beatrice Annika Miller is an American singer and actress. She was the fifth contestant eliminated on season two of The X Factor (US) when she was 13 years old. She was later signed to Hollywood Records. Her debut EP Young Blood was released in 2014, and her debut album Not an Apology was released on July 24, 2015. In 2016, she released the single "Yes Girl". During 2017, she released the EPs Chapter One: Blue, Chapter Two: Red, and Chapter Three: Yellow. The three EPs, along with five additional songs, were collected as her second studio album, Aurora.
Mamamoo is a South Korean girl group formed and managed by Rainbow Bridge World. The group is composed of four members: Solar, Moonbyul, Wheein, and Hwasa. Known for their strong live vocals, harmonies, and writing much of their material, they are recognized as one of the premier girl groups in K-pop. They are highly regarded in the industry for their talent and ability to cross multiple genres with their music; from retro, jazz, and R&B concepts in their early years to more contemporary hip-hop, as well as emotional ballads. Since their debut in 2014, they have been noted for challenging conventional beauty standards, breaking gender stereotypes, and conducting themselves in ways that most typical K-pop stars do not.
Aurora Aksnes, known mononymously as Aurora, is a Norwegian singer, songwriter and record producer. Born in Stavanger and raised in the towns of Høle and Os, she began writing her first songs and learning dance at the age of six. After some of her songs were uploaded online and became popular in Norway, she signed a recording contract with Petroleum Records, Decca and Glassnote Records in 2014. Aurora gained recognition with her debut extended play (EP), Running with the Wolves (2015), which contained the sleeper hit "Runaway". Later that year, she provided the backing track for the John Lewis Christmas advert, singing a cover of the Oasis song "Half the World Away".
Oh My Girl is a South Korean girl group formed by WM Entertainment. The group is composed of six members: Hyojung, Mimi, YooA, Seunghee, Yubin and Arin. Originally an eight-piece group, JinE left the group in October 2017 due to health issues, and Jiho left in May 2022. Oh My Girl debuted on April 20, 2015, with an eponymous extended play.
All My Demons Greeting Me as a Friend is the debut studio album by Norwegian singer-songwriter Aurora. It was released on 11 March 2016 by Decca and Glassnote Records. The album followed the release of her debut extended play (EP) Running with the Wolves (2015), which contained two songs that were later included on the album. Aurora collaborated with several producers including Odd Martin Skålnes, Magnus Skylstad, Nicolas Rebscher, Alf Lund Godbolt, and Electric during its recording.
WJSN, also known as Cosmic Girls, is a South Korean girl group formed by Starship Entertainment and Yuehua Entertainment. The group's current lineup is composed of ten members: Seola, Bona, Exy, Soobin, Luda, Dawon, Eunseo, Yeoreum, Dayoung and Yeonjung.
Kim Ji-yeon (Korean: 김지연; born March 20, 1995), known professionally as Kei, is a South Korean singer and musical actress. She rose to fame as a member of South Korean girl group Lovelyz in November 2014. Kei officially made her solo debut with released EP on October 8, 2019, titled Over and Over. On November 16, 2021, she left Woollim Entertainment, although she remains as a member of Lovelyz. She joined Palm Tree Island in January 2022 to focus on her musical career, before moving to A2Z Entertainment later that year. In 2023, Kei participated in Mnet reality competition show Queendom Puzzle, debuting with the resulting project supergroup El7z Up in September of that year.
Sigrid Solbakk Raabe, known mononymously as Sigrid, is a Norwegian singer-songwriter. She has released two studio albums, Sucker Punch (2019) and How to Let Go (2022), both of which charted in Norway and the United Kingdom. She has also released three EPs.
Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell is an American singer and songwriter. She first gained public attention in 2015 with her debut single "Ocean Eyes", written and produced by her brother Finneas O'Connell, with whom she collaborates on music and live shows. In 2017, she released her debut extended play (EP), Don't Smile at Me. Commercially successful, it reached the top 15 of record charts in numerous countries, including the US, UK, Canada, and Australia.
Don't Kill My Vibe is the debut extended play (EP) by Norwegian singer-songwriter Sigrid. It was released on 5 May 2017 by Island Records. Following the popularity of her song "Sun" in her native Norway, Sigrid began working on several tracks that would later become an EP. She collaborated with producers Martin Sjølie, George Flint, Henry Flint, and Askjell Solstrand during its recording. A pop record, it includes elements of electropop, trip hop, synth-pop and acoustic pop. The lyrics are heavily inspired by Sigrid's experience as a young woman in the musical industry and situations people her age might encounter.
Marie Ulven Ringheim is a Norwegian singer-songwriter and record producer, known for her indie pop project girl in red. Her first EPs Chapter 1 (2018) and Chapter 2 (2019) were recorded in her bedroom and feature songs about romance and mental health. Released independently through AWAL, her debut studio album If I Could Make It Go Quiet (2021) was a critical and commercial success, and won three Norwegian Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year. She then signed to Columbia Records and released her first major-label album, I'm Doing It Again Baby!, to moderate success in 2024.
Norwegian singer-songwriter Aurora has released five studio albums, one compilation album, one soundtrack album, seven extended plays, 42 singles, ten promotional singles and 27 music videos.
A Different Kind of Human is the third studio album by Norwegian singer-songwriter and record producer Aurora. It was released on 7 June 2019 by Decca and Glassnote Records. It succeeds the album's first and previous chapter Infections of a Different Kind , which was released in September 2018. Aurora collaborated with producers including Magnus Skylstad, MyRiot, Askjell Solstrand, Odd Martin, Mark Ralph, Toby Gad, and Kill Dave during its recording. It has been categorised to be a pop, art pop, and electropop concept album.
Raveena Aurora, mononymously known as Raveena, is an American singer and songwriter. She gained a following after her first debut EP, Shanti, was released independently in 2017. Her first album, Lucid, was released independently in 2019 and distributed through Empire Distribution which rose to critical acclaim. In 2020, she released her second EP, Moonstone. After signing to Warner Records, she released her second album, Asha's Awakening, on February 11, 2022, and was met with positive reviews from critics.
"Runaway" is a song by Norwegian singer-songwriter Aurora, included in her debut extended play (EP) Running with the Wolves (2015) and debut album All My Demons Greeting Me as a Friend (2016). It was released on 16 February 2015 by Decca and Glassnote Records as the lead single of both projects. The song was written by Aurora with Magnus Skylstad and produced by the latter with Odd Martin Skålnes. Musically, "Runaway" is a downtempo folktronica, synth-pop, electronic, and electropop song with influences from Nordic-folk music. Its lyrics, which were inspired by the grief the singer experienced when being far from her family, express escaping reality and realising the need to return home.
Queendom is the sixth Korean extended play and twelfth overall by South Korean girl group Red Velvet. Marketed as the group's sixth "mini album" release, it consists of six tracks, including the lead single of the same name. The EP was released digitally by SM Entertainment on August 16, 2021, and physically on August 17, 2021.
The Gods We Can Touch is the fourth studio album by Norwegian singer-songwriter and record producer Aurora. It was released on 21 January 2022 by Decca and Glassnote Records. As in her other releases, Aurora worked with Magnus Skylstad and Askjell Solstrand, along with new collaborations with Jamie Hartman, Martin Sjølie and Matias Tellez on its production.
"Cure for Me" is a song by Norwegian singer-songwriter Aurora for her third studio album, The Gods We Can Touch (2022). It was released on 7 July 2021, through Decca and Glassnote, as the second single from the album. An electropop, disco, Europop, and dance-pop song with elements of EDM music, it interpolates "Aquarela do Brasil", written by Brazilian composer Ary Barroso. The song was inspired by conversion therapy and the LGBT community, discussing how people "don't need a cure" for being themselves. Aurora and Magnus Skylstad wrote and produced "Cure for Me".