| Kick IIIII | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 3 December 2021 | |||
| Recorded | 2018–2021 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 41:43 | |||
| Language |
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| Label | XL | |||
| Producer | Arca | |||
| Arca chronology | ||||
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Kick IIIII (stylized as kiCK iiiii) is the eighth studio album by Venezuelan record producer and singer Arca. The album was surprise released on 3 December 2021 as the fifth and final entry in the Kick quintet. The album was released with no singles or prior announcement.
Upon the release of Kick I , news surfaced that Arca would be releasing three more Kick albums to make a tetralogy. In an interview, she stated: "There will be four volumes. The third one is a little bit more introverted than Kick I, a little bit more like my self-titled album, I guess. The fourth one is piano only, no vocals. Right now, the least defined one, strangely, is the third one. It's all gestating right now [...] Each Kick exists in a kind of quantum state until the day that I send it to mastering. I try to not commit until I have to. But I have a vision for it. The second one is heavy on backbeats, vocal manipulation, mania, and craziness." [2]
Kick IIIII would end up being similar to Arca's previous description of the fourth entry, focusing entirely on quieter ambient pieces, focused mainly on piano, plucked strings and swirling pads. Famed Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto makes a guest vocal appearance on "Sanctuary".
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 77/100 [3] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| The A.V. Club | B− [5] |
| Evening Standard | [6] |
| Exclaim! | 8/10 [7] |
| The Guardian | [8] |
| The Line of Best Fit | 8/10 [9] |
| Loud and Quiet | 8/10 [10] |
| NME | [11] |
| Pitchfork | 7.8/10 [12] |
| The Skinny | [13] |
On review aggregate site Metacritic, Kick IIIII received a score of 77 out of 100, based on reviews from 13 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [3] Philip Sherburne of Pitchfork would find the album to be "the most understated" of the Kick series, likening it to "an Easter egg in a video game—a sparkly basket of jewels collected from the crevices of Arca’s more imposingly monumental works." [12] The Guardian 's Alexis Petridis called the album an Aphex Twin-inspired take on ambient music, stating that its "moments of blissed-out loveliness" were able to "coexist with disquiet". [8]
Writing for NME , El Hunt opined that Kick IIIII was Kick's "most meandering" installment, fixating "on conjuring up an atmosphere, and living within it," [11] while Safiya Hopfe of Exclaim! remarked that the work "signifies our landing on a planet where peace is possible" in the context of the series. [7]
All tracks are written by Arca, except "Fireprayer", written by Arca and Sia
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "In the Face" | 0:46 |
| 2. | "Pu" | 2:35 |
| 3. | "Chiquito" (transl. Tiny) | 3:07 |
| 4. | "Estrogen" | 2:43 |
| 5. | "Ether" | 4:04 |
| 6. | "Amrep" | 2:55 |
| 7. | "Sanctuary" (featuring Ryuichi Sakamoto) | 3:08 |
| 8. | "Tierno" (transl. Tender) | 3:44 |
| 9. | "Músculos" (transl. Muscles) | 5:21 |
| 10. | "La Infinita" (transl. The Infinite One) | 4:49 |
| 11. | "Fireprayer" | 3:54 |
| 12. | "Crown" | 4:37 |
| Total length: | 41:43 | |
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"KLK" is a song recorded by Venezuelan musician Arca featuring vocals by Spanish new flamenco singer Rosalía. Written by both of the performers in Barcelona, Spain, the track was released on 22 June 2020 through XL Recordings and Columbia Records as the fourth single off Arca's fourth studio album Kick I.
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Kick II is the fifth studio album by Venezuelan record producer and singer Arca. The album was scheduled to be released on 3 December 2021, but released early on 30 November 2021, through XL Recordings as a continuation to her 2020 record Kick I, and is the second entry in Kick quintet. Kick II was supported by three singles: "Born Yesterday", featuring vocals by Australian musician Sia, as well as "Prada" and "Rakata", released as a double single. Its cover art was photographed by Frederik Heyman. The album received positive reviews and was nominated for the Libera Award for Best Latin Album and the Latin Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album.
Kick III is the sixth studio album by Venezuelan record producer and singer Arca. The album was scheduled to be released on 3 December 2021, but released early on 1 December 2021, through XL Recordings as a continuation to her 2020 record Kick I, and is the third entry in the Kick quintet. Kick II, Kick III, Kick IIII and Kick IIIII were released the same week. Kick III is supported by lead single "Incendio" and "Electra Rex". The album received positive reviews from critics.
Kick IIII is the seventh studio album by Venezuelan record producer and singer Arca. The album was scheduled to be released on 3 December 2021, but released early on 2 December 2021, through XL Recordings as a continuation to her 2021 record Kick III, and is the fourth entry in the Kick quintet. Kick IIII was supported by the accompanying lead single "Queer" featuring Planningtorock, and features cellist Oliver Coates, Garbage frontwoman Shirley Manson, Planningtorock, as well as production from Cardopusher.
