Nurture | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | April 23, 2021 | |||
Recorded | June 14, 2015–December 12, 2020 [1] | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 59:01 | |||
Label | Mom + Pop | |||
Producer | Porter Robinson | |||
Porter Robinson chronology | ||||
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Singles from Nurture | ||||
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Nurture is the second studio album by American electronic music producer Porter Robinson, released on April 23, 2021, by Mom + Pop Music. The album was written in the years following Robinson's debut album Worlds (2014), a period when Robinson struggled with mental illness and writer's block. As a result, the album represents a significant stylistic shift in his work; critics noted that the album features a greater emphasis on acoustic instruments and personal lyrics, while retaining many elements of the innovative electronic style of Worlds. The album also prominently features Robinson's voice, as well as a processed, higher-pitched version. The album features themes of depression, and of learning to find beauty in everyday life and the natural world. Several songs also explore themes of family and love for the first time in Robinson's discography.
Several singles were released for the album, beginning with "Get Your Wish" in January 2020. Originally planned for release in September 2020, the album was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading Robinson to alter the tracklist and release additional singles. Nurture released to general critical acclaim, entering popular charts in several regions, including at number 1 on the Billboard Top Dance/Electronic Albums in the United States. The album was also featured on the year-end lists of several publications. Between September 2021 and November 2023, Robinson performed the album in multiple regions as part of the Nurture Live tour.
Porter Robinson experienced an initial surge of popularity at age 18, [2] after the release of several festival-oriented electronic dance music works such as "Say My Name" (2010) and Spitfire (2011). Robinson grew increasingly dissatisfied with his performances, and said that he experienced "four or five fully-blown anxiety attacks onstage" while touring in 2013. [3] His desire to change his musical style led him to write his debut album Worlds (2014), a work that DJ Mag 's John Ochoa has retrospectively described as a "breakthrough" that precipitated a wider shift in the electronic music industry. [4]
As a result of the album's positive reception, Robinson had set high expectations for himself, [5] saying in 2018 that he felt he was "under a lot of pressure to do something akin to a follow-up". [6] However, in the years following the album's release, this led to an extended period of depression and writer's block during which he released very little music. [7] [8] In 2016, Robinson released "Shelter", a collaboration with friend and fellow electronic producer Madeon. [9] In 2017, Robinson released Virtual Self , a eurodance- and trance-inspired production released under an alias of the same name. [10] "Ghost Voices", a single from the EP, was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording in 2018. [11]
In January 2020, Robinson announced the album and released its lead single, "Get Your Wish". [12] The announcement was made through a video that featured cryptic messages and hints, including obscured links and geographic coordinates. [13] Nurture was originally intended to be released in September 2020, but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, Robinson altered the tracklist, extending the length of the album from 11 to 14 songs, [14] and released additional promotional singles. [7] On December 18, 2020, Robinson announced that the album was complete, and would release in "a few months". [15] The release date was later announced to be April 23, 2021. [16]
On the composition of Nurture, Robinson said that it "came after a period of real creative struggle and just a very difficult time emotionally". [17] He claimed that he produced a hundred demos attempting to replicate Worlds's style, [6] but eventually decided that "Worlds itself became something for [him] to resist". [10] This resulted in lyrical content that focuses on the topics of depression and writer's block, according to AllMusic 's Paul Simpson. [9] Our Culture 's Konstantinos Pappis wrote that the album as a whole places more emphasis on lyrics. [7] For the album's title, Robinson considered "Only Hope" before Nurture was ultimately chosen due to its similarity with the word "nature". The choice of Nurture as the album's title also serves as a reference to the nature versus nurture debate, which Robinson hoped could "make [people] feel like they can change the way they think of themselves and improve themselves." [18]
The Line of Best Fit 's Sophie Walker noted that this is the first time that Robinson has prominently featured his singing voice in his work. [17] However, PopMatters 's Chris Conaton wrote that songs such as "Look at the Sky" often harmonize his voice with a heavily processed version, [19] which is autotuned and increased in pitch to sound more feminine. [7] [20] According to Robinson, the processed version of his voice served to add a "corruption and artificiality" to the sound, [21] while also giving "a way of not having to risk the rejection of really trying to sing". [22]
Several critics felt that there are significant stylistic differences between Nurture and Robinson's previous works. Robinson stated that he followed an approach of "no supersaws, no 808 subs, [and] no classic breakbeats" for most of the songs on the album, [23] which Pappis ascribed to his resolve to avoid the "strictures of dance music". [7] With this pursuit of what Robinson referred to as a "less dance-y sound", he moved away from "drop-driven" songwriting and employed different styles. [24] Walker highlighted the experimentation displayed in "Dullscythe" and "Wind Tempos" in particular, calling it "Nurture's foundation". [17] MusicOMH 's Ben Devlin felt that the album is more similar to pop and indie styles, while still retaining some heavier electronic elements. [20] Critics also discussed the album's diverse instrumentation, [9] [20] with NME 's Ben Jolley highlighting Robinson's use of the piano, which he felt was "pivotal in his recovery [from depression]". [2]
Critics noted multiple influences on Robinson's stylistic choices on the album. Spectrum Culture's Aaron Paskin found the reflective lyrics and piano riff of "Get Your Wish" to be reminiscent of Bon Iver's "33 'God' " (2016). [25] Both Conaton and Slant 's Charles Lyons-Burt identified a reference to the piano riff of LCD Soundsystem's "All My Friends" (2007), [23] with Conaton also noting a reference to the Postal Service's "Such Great Heights" (2003) in "Dullscythe". [19] Paskin compared the sampling technique used in "Musician" to the approaches of Daft Punk. [25] Walker noted that Robinson's work is heavily influenced by J-pop and Japanese culture, [17] and "Do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do", according to Simpson, contains elements from the Shibuya-kei genre. [9] Reviewers also attributed the more atmospheric tone in some songs to the influence of Joe Hisaishi and the soundtracks of Studio Ghibli's films, with Conaton finding similarities in "Wind Tempos", [19] and Walker citing the opening song "Lifelike". [17] Speaking about the ambient songs, Robinson stated that Masakatsu Takagi and his work on the soundtrack of Wolf Children (2012) were "one of the first inspirations". [26] Additionally, Robinson has said that his contemporary Madeon is a major inspiration for his work, [27] and cited the album Good Faith (2019) as a key influence for Nurture. [28]
In March 2020, Robinson and Samuel Burgess-Johnson conducted a photoshoot for the album cover, experimenting with several ideas before deciding to use a picture in which Robinson dropped into a bed of flowers on an impulse. Robinson sees the cover as indicative of the album's personal tone, saying "I struggle to be bold and it's a bold album cover." [29]
Several songs on Nurture explore Robinson's struggles with depression and writer's block. Simpson wrote that "Mirror" and "Something Comforting" both address Robinson's self-critical inner voice, while "Musician" focuses on overcoming the burnout that was preventing him from writing music. [9] Lyons-Burt felt that "Look at the Sky" has a "sense of disillusionment", [23] but Pitchfork 's Colin Joyce noted that it also looks ahead to a brighter future, calling it a "ballad of hard-won optimism". [21] Jolley felt that the closing song "Trying to Feel Alive" also reflects Robinson's struggles with his mental health. [2] However, Joyce felt that the song shows Robinson has realized that "struggle gives life its color in the first place". [21] According to Simpson, Robinson expresses the futility of striving for a "finish line", and instead learning to find fulfillment in simply living and creating music. [9]
According to Robinson, Nurture has a focus on "finding the beauty in everyday and reality as it is", which is reflected in the album's tagline of "everything we need is already here". He contrasted this with Worlds, which he felt was more about "escaping to faraway dreamlands". [24] Jolley felt that Robinson's rediscovery of "the beauty of everyday life" led to a renewed appreciation for the natural world. As a result, the album incorporates more organic sounds, as well as more acoustic instruments like the piano and orchestra. [2] Paskin noted this theme in the opening song "Lifelike", which makes use of piano, strings, and ambient bird sounds; Robinson himself described the song as "a window into the worldview of Nurture". [25] However, multiple critics noted the juxtaposition of artificial and natural elements in the album, such as the clean and processed versions of Robinson's voice, [7] [19] and the usage of synthesizers along with the acoustic instruments. [17] [23]
Robinson explores a new theme of family on Nurture, dedicating a song to his mother, and two to his partner Rika Mikuriya; Jolley wrote that here Robinson renders himself "more vulnerable than ever before". [2] According to Pappis, "Sweet Time" describes the feeling of falling so deeply in love that one faces "the fear of dying for the first time". [7] Simpson noted the contrast between the introspection of the album and the "fantasy, escapism, and technology" of Robinson's previous works. [9] Joyce especially highlighted the thematic differences with the music video of "Shelter", which features a simulation that is created to escape a dystopic reality. [21] Jolley concluded that the closing quote of "Mirror" [note 1] is a reflection of "[Robinson]'s journey as an artist" and the message of the album as a whole. [2] Reflecting on the overall tone of the album, Robinson said that it is "very melancholic; there's a lot of pain, there's a lot of sadness, but there's also a lot of hope". [29]
Nurture was released by Mom + Pop on April 23, 2021. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart – the second of Robinson's albums to do so – and appeared on national charts in several other regions including Australia [30] and Japan. [31] According to MRC Data, the album earned an equivalent of 14,000 album sales in its first week. [32]
Robinson premiered the album's live set on April 24, 2021, at Secret Sky, his own virtual festival. The performance was streamed online, and featured "live edits" of several songs from Nurture and Worlds. [33] Robinson played the live set in person for the first time at his music festival Second Sky in September 2021. [34] This was followed by the Nurture Live tour, which played in North America from September–November 2021. [35] Dates for a European tour were announced later that year, which he played in April 2022. [36] Robinson played on an Asian tour in March 2023, [37] and performed his last set for an extended North American tour at the Coachella festival on April 23, 2023. [38] In November 2023, Robinson played several concerts as part of an Australian tour. [39]
Nurture was preceded by six singles to promote its release. The leading single "Get Your Wish" released on January 29, 2020, and "Something Comforting" released on March 10, 2020. [40] Following the album's delay and tracklist alterations, [14] "Mirror" released on August 26, 2020, [41] "Look at the Sky" released on January 27, 2021, [42] "Musician" released on March 3, 2021, [43] and "Unfold", a collaboration between Robinson and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, released on April 22, 2021, one day before the album. [44]
Aggregate scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 7.5/10 [45] |
Metacritic | 78/100 [46] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [9] |
Clash | 8/10 [47] |
The Line of Best Fit | 9/10 [17] |
MusicOMH | [20] |
NME | [2] |
Our Culture | [7] |
Pitchfork | 7.6/10 [21] |
PopMatters | 7/10 [19] |
Slant Magazine | [23] |
Spectrum Culture | 75% [25] |
According to review aggregator site Metacritic, Nurture received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 78 out of 100 from 8 critic reviews. [46] Review aggregator AnyDecentMusic? reports an overall score of 7.5 out of 10 based on 7 critic reviews. [45]
Reviewers praised Nurture's composition, with Conaton highlighting Robinson's "knack for melody", [19] and Devlin noting that the songwriting is "cutesy but massively endearing". [20] Clash 's Josh Crowe felt that Robinson's vocals have a "wonderful rawness" that complement the euphoric messages of songs such as "Look at the Sky". [47] Jolley also noted a "jubilant energy" on "Something Comforting" and "Musician". [2] Pappis considers "Blossom" to be the album's "most heartfelt moment", effectively condensing Robinson's love and the "simple transcendence" of his realization to appreciate everyday life. [7] Joyce felt that Nurture "mirror[s] the twists and turns of his headspace". [21] Paskin wrote that Robinson was able to produce Nurture by "freeing himself of the pressure to recapture the success of Worlds", and felt that the album is a worthy sophomore work due to its distinct identity. [25]
Multiple reviewers expressed their appreciation for the album's sonic palette, with Simpson noting the "rippling pianos [and] lush acoustic guitars ... along with propulsive beats [and] neon synths", [9] and Devlin writing about engaging sound design, such as the "crispy downsampled guitar" on "Do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do". [20] While Paskin showed a regard for Robinson's experimentation on "Dullscythe", citing his "[virtuosic] production skills", Pappis felt that songs like "Mother" and "Sweet Time" are among the "weakest cuts" from the album, and are sonically unable to match the emotional intensity of the lyrics. [7] Lyons-Burt also found "Mother" to be "cacophonous" due to its drum production. [23] Additionally, Devlin felt that the album is slightly repetitive, with Paskin commenting that the "pop tunes do tend to run together". [25] Walker wrote that the length of the album obscured some of the highlights, and added that even "Unfold" felt "somewhat anticlimactic thirteen tracks deep". [17]
Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Billboard | Best Albums of 2021 | 30 | [48] |
The Fader | 50 Best Albums of 2021 | 1 | [49] |
Our Culture | 50 Best Albums of 2021 | 1 | [50] |
Paste | 50 Best Albums of 2021 | 41 | [51] |
Slant Magazine | 50 Best Albums of 2021 | 30 | [52] |
All tracks are written by Porter Robinson, except where noted.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Lifelike" | 1:35 | |
2. | "Look at the Sky" | 5:10 | |
3. | "Get Your Wish" | 3:39 | |
4. | "Wind Tempos" |
| 6:04 |
5. | "Musician" |
| 3:59 |
6. | "Do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do" | 3:35 | |
7. | "Mother" | 3:46 | |
8. | "Dullscythe" | 4:00 | |
9. | "Sweet Time" | 4:12 | |
10. | "Mirror" | 5:07 | |
11. | "Something Comforting" | 4:42 | |
12. | "Blossom" | 3:46 | |
13. | "Unfold" (with Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs) |
| 4:46 |
14. | "Trying to Feel Alive" | 4:40 | |
Total length: | 59:01 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
15. | "Fullmoon Lullaby" (with Wednesday Campanella) |
| 4:03 |
Total length: | 63:04 |
Chart (2021) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA) [30] | 27 |
Canadian Albums (Billboard) [56] | 57 |
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [31] | 74 |
Japanese Hot Albums ( Billboard Japan ) [57] | 50 |
UK Dance Albums (OCC) [58] | 5 |
US Billboard 200 [59] | 52 |
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [60] | 6 |
US Top Dance/Electronic Albums (Billboard) [61] | 1 |
Porter Weston Robinson is an American DJ and electronic music producer. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, and raised in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Robinson began producing electronic music during his adolescence. He signed to Skrillex's record label OWSLA at the age of 18 and released the extended play Spitfire in 2011. He appeared on Billboard's 21 Under 21 list in 2012.
Sonny John Moore, known professionally as Skrillex, is an American DJ, record producer, and singer. Raised in Northeast Los Angeles and Northern California, he began his career in 2004 as the lead vocalist of the post-hardcore band From First to Last. He recorded their first two studio albums with the band, Dear Diary, My Teen Angst Has a Bodycount (2004) and Heroine (2006), before leaving to pursue a solo career in 2007. He began his first tour as a solo artist in late 2007. After recruiting a new band lineup, Moore joined the Alternative Press Tour to support bands such as All Time Low and the Rocket Summer, and appeared on the cover of Alternative Press's annual "100 Bands You Need to Know" issue.
Hugo Pierre Leclercq, better known by his stage name Madeon, is a French musician, DJ, songwriter, singer and music producer from Nantes, based in Los Angeles. He initially came to widespread public attention at age 17 through a YouTube video, "Pop Culture", where he performed a mash-up of 39 different popular songs in real-time using a Novation Launchpad. It received millions of hits in its first few days of release. Madeon has cited the Beatles and Daft Punk as his greatest musical influences.
"Language" is a song by American electronic music producer and DJ Porter Robinson. The song was uploaded on YouTube by Porter Robinson on April 1, 2012. The song was released in the United States on Big Beat Records as a digital download on April 10, 2012. The song was later released in the United Kingdom in an EP package from the Ministry of Sound on August 12, 2012. It debuted at number nine on the UK Singles Chart. The song features uncredited vocals from Heather Bright. The song received remixes from producers Kayzo together with Gammer, and from Jauz.
Spitfire is the debut extended play (EP) by American electronic music producer Porter Robinson, released on September 13, 2011, through Owsla. After releasing his 2010 single "Say My Name", Robinson expressed desire to explore different musical genres by producing an EP, diverging from his traditional eurodance style. Spanning a range of genres, Spitfire marked the inaugural release on Owsla and caused Beatport to crash following its promotion by musicians Skrillex and Tiësto. The EP charted at UK Dance Albums, Dance/Electronic Albums and Heatseekers Albums, with Robinson subsequently embarking on a tour to promote it. Songs "The State" and "Unison" received particular attention for their libertarian themes and use in DJ sets, respectively.
Worlds is the debut studio album by the American electronic music producer Porter Robinson, released on August 12, 2014, by Astralwerks. Initially known for his heavier bass-centric production, Robinson became increasingly dissatisfied with the electronic dance music (EDM) genre, believing it limited his artistic expression. In 2012, Robinson released his first song with a greater emphasis on melody, "Language", and decided thereafter to prioritize aesthetic and emotional qualities in his work. He was inspired by media that evoked nostalgia for his childhood, and wrote music integrating elements taken from anime, films, and sounds from 1990s video games.
"Sea of Voices" is a song recorded by American electronic music producer Porter Robinson. It was released on March 2, 2014, as the first single from his debut studio album Worlds (2014), and features uncredited vocals from Breanne Düren. After becoming dissatisfied with the electronic dance music of his prior discography, Robinson decided to alter his style to prioritize aesthetic and emotional qualities in his work. Although Robinson released the song without any leading marketing in an effort to surprise his fans, it was well-received by audiences, becoming a trending topic on Twitter and charting on the Billboard US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs. Critics highlighted the song's atmospheric production and unusual compositional structure. Robinson would later cite "Sea of Voices" as an inspiration on his later single "Unfold" (2021).
"Sad Machine" is a song recorded by the American electronic music producer Porter Robinson for his debut studio album, Worlds (2014). For the song, Robinson had the concept of a duet between a robot and a human — these vocals are provided by a Vocaloid voice and Robinson himself, respectively. He wanted it to contain elements of fiction and nostalgia. Critics noted the song as synth-pop and the inspirations from Passion Pit, M83, and Sigur Rós.
The discography of American musician Porter Robinson consists of three studio albums, one remix album, three live albums, eight extended plays, one DJ mix, 33 singles, and 22 music videos. He first released music under Ekowraith in 2008, starting with "Booming Track".
"Ghost Voices" is a song by American electronic music producer Porter Robinson under the alias Virtual Self. It was released on November 8, 2017 as the second single from the alias' self-titled debut EP, which uses early 2000s sounds and aesthetics. Robinson said that "Ghost Voices" was the easiest song from the EP to compose, and he used a house-styled drum pattern and a trance-styled break. In 2018, the song received an official music video and was remixed by Raito and Robinson himself, the latter remix being called "Angel Voices". "Ghost Voices" received a nomination for Best Dance Recording at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards.
Virtual Self is the debut extended play (EP) by the American electronic music producer Porter Robinson under the alias Virtual Self. It was self-released on November 29, 2017. After releasing his debut studio album Worlds (2014), a deviation from his earlier sound, Robinson struggled to create a follow-up; he underwent a period of writer's block that was intensified by depression. He then started planning the Virtual Self alias, using electronic music and Internet webpages from the early 2000s as main sources of inspiration.
"Get Your Wish" is a song recorded by American electronic music producer Porter Robinson. It was released on January 29, 2020, as the first single from his second studio album Nurture. Robinson wrote, produced, and provided vocals for the track. The song contains elements of 2000s era Japanese animation soundtracks.
"Something Comforting" is a song recorded by American electronic music producer Porter Robinson. Released on March 10, 2020 as the second single from his second studio album Nurture, the song was written and produced by Robinson himself. Robinson also provided the vocals for the track. The song is representative of Robinson's struggles with creative blocks and depression.
"Look at the Sky" is a song by American electronic music producer Porter Robinson. It was released on January 27, 2021, as the fourth single from his second studio album Nurture. The song is featured in the soundtrack of the video game Forza Horizon 5, on the Horizon Pulse radio station. It is also featured as a playable song in the arcade game Dance Dance Revolution A3, as well as the online Battle Royale video game Fortnite as a lobby music track in collaboration with Coachella 2023.
"Mirror" is a song by American record producer Porter Robinson. It was released on August 26, 2020, as the third single from his second studio album Nurture (2021), by Mom + Pop. The song addresses themes of shame and self-criticism, and Robinson viewed it as a means to overcome his fears of external disapproval. "Mirror" was released to a generally positive reception, and an associated music video was released on September 9, 2020.
"Musician" is a song by American record producer Porter Robinson. It is the fifth single from Robinson's second album Nurture, released on March 3, 2021.
"Unfold" is a song by American record producer Porter Robinson and British singer-songwriter and producer Orlando Higginbottom, known professionally as Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs. It is the sixth and final single from Robinson's second album Nurture, released on April 22, 2021, one day before the rest of the album, by Mom + Pop Music. The song is the only listed collaboration on Nurture; Robinson has stated that this was a contributing factor in making the song a callback to his debut album Worlds (2014). "Unfold" released to general critical acclaim. On May 19, 2021, a lyric video for the song was released.
"Everything Goes On" is a single by American electronic music producer Porter Robinson, released in collaboration with video game League of Legends on July 14, 2022. It was Robinson's first release since his album Nurture (2021).
Smile! :D is the third studio album by American electronic music producer Porter Robinson, released on July 26, 2024, through Mom + Pop Music. In recording the album, Robinson sought to break away from many stylistic elements of his previous work. The music on the record draws from pop-punk, early 2000s rave, and hyperpop influences.