Perfect Picture (album)

Last updated

Perfect Picture
Hannah Diamond - Perfect Picture.jpg
Studio album by
Hannah Diamond
Released6 October 2023 (2023-10-06)
Genre Hyperpop [1]
Length40:37
Label PC Music
Producer
Hannah Diamond chronology
Reflections
(2020)		Perfect Picture
(2023)
Singles from Perfect Picture
  1. "Staring at the Ceiling"
    Released: 24 February 2022
  2. "Affirmations"
    Released: 13 July 2023
  3. "Perfect Picture"
    Released: 17 August 2023
  4. "Poster Girl"
    Released: 14 September 2023

Perfect Picture is the second studio album by British singer and visual artist Hannah Diamond. It was released on 6 October 2023 via PC Music, [2] [3] [4] [5] one of the final releases on the label before its closure at the end of 2023. [6]

Contents

The album was made in collaboration with American musician David Gamson, whom she met in 2016 when PC Music traveled to Los Angeles for their Pop City event. [3]

It was supported by the singles "Staring at the Ceiling", [7] "Affirmations", [8] the album's title track, [2] and "Poster Girl". [9]

Release

On 24 February 2022, she released "Staring At The Ceiling", the lead single for an upcoming album. More than a year later, a new single was released under the title of "Affirmations". In mid-August, the title track "Perfect Picture" was released on 17 August and came with the announcement of the album of the same title.

This was followed by "Poster Girl" in mid-September. The announcement was met with accusations that Diamond copied Swedish singer Zara Larsson's cover art for the album of the same name. [10] 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. [11]

Tour

Diamond will embark on a tour supporting the album in North America, Canada and Europe from October through to December 2023. [12] The tour was announced on 28 July after the release of the single Affirmations. On 24 August she announced the dates for Barcelona and Berlin. The last update to date took place in 30 August when she announced shows in Warsaw and Helsinki.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 78/100 [13]
Review scores
SourceRating
Clash 8/10 [14]
DIY Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]
The Line of Best Fit 9/10 [15]
Pitchfork 7.8/10 [16]
Slant Magazine Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [17]

Perfect Picture received a score of 78 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on 7 critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [13] Steve Erickson of Slant Magazine wrote that "lyrically, the songs on Perfect Picture find [Diamond] in a constant state of anxiety about her looks and public perception" and she "constructs a world of exaggerated femininity without drowning in irony". [17] DIY 's Otis Robinson called it "the pinnacle of today's hyperpop yet steers away from its once abrasive nature towards a well-rounded, rebooted version: one where all that Hannah is and can be is indeed made picture perfect". [1] Peyton Toups, reviewing the album for Pitchfork , wrote that it "embraces a blurrier resolution where pitch-shifted vocals glitch in and out of static and punchy, arpeggiated synths leap into massive choruses". [16]

Matthew Kent of The Line of Best Fit felt that Perfect Picture is more successful at capturing who Diamond is as an artist than her previous work and "speaks volumes to her work across the digital landscape cementing her status as a cult icon behind both the camera and a microphone". [15] Reviewing the album for Clash , Bryson Edward Howe commented that it "still evokes the half-remembered sound of worn-out Spice Girls cassettes, coated in the same plastic gloss as the posters adorning bedroom walls, but navigates a more complex interplay between the different brands of nostalgia within a typically kaleidoscopic soundscape". [14]

The Guardian ranked it the 46th best album of 2023. [18]

Track listing

All music is composed by Hannah Amond and David Gamson

Perfect Picture track listing
No.TitleLyricsLength
1."Perfect Picture"
2:49
2."Affirmations"
  • Amond
  • Gamson
  • Nate Campany
3:34
3."Poster Girl"
3:43
4."Want You to Know"
3:24
5."Impossible"
3:27
6."Flashback"
  • Amond
  • Gamson
  • Sigsworth
3:41
7."No FX"
3:35
8."Lip Sync"
  • Amond
  • Gamson
  • Believe
  • Marcus Andersson
3:11
9."Staring at the Ceiling"
3:43
10."Twisted"
  • Amond
  • Gamson
  • Believe
3:16
11."Divisible by Two"
  • Amond
  • Gamson
  • Believe
3:35
12."Unbreakable"
  • Amond
  • Gamson
  • Pollock
2:33
Total length:40:37

Notes

Personnel

Charts

Chart performance for Perfect Picture
Chart (2023)Peak
position
UK Album Downloads (OCC) [19] 69

Release history

Release history and formats for Perfect Picture
RegionDateFormatLabelRef.
Various6 October 2023 PC Music [2]
2 December 2023 LP [20]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zara Larsson</span> Swedish singer and songwriter (born 1997)

Zara Maria Larsson is a Swedish singer and songwriter. She first rose to prominence in 2008 after winning the second season of Talang, the Swedish version of the Got Talent format. She later attained international recognition with singles including "Lush Life" (2015), "Never Forget You" (2015), "Girls Like" (2016) with Tinie Tempah, "This One's for You" with David Guetta, "Ain't My Fault" (2016), "Symphony" (2017) with Clean Bandit, "Ruin My Life" (2018) and "On My Love" (2023) with David Guetta.

David Gamson is an American keyboardist/musician. Originally hailing from New York, he has worked with, among others, Kesha, Kelly Clarkson, Jessie J, Adam Lambert, Chaka Khan, Charli XCX, Meshell Ndegeocello, Green Gartside, Sheila E., George Benson, Luther Vandross, Donny Osmond, Miles Davis, Al Jarreau, Tony LeMans, Roger Troutman, Eden xo, Quinn XCII and Hannah Diamond.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PC Music</span> UK-based record label and art collective

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A. G. Cook</span> British music producer (born 1990)

Alexander Guy Cook is an English music producer and the head of the 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, EASYFUN, 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".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hannah Diamond</span> British singer, songwriter, photographer and visual artist

Hannah Amond, 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". Her music and visual art employs an aesthetic of hyperreality and heavily produced cuteness in tension with sincerity. Diamond released her debut studio album, Reflections, in November 2019. Her second studio album, Perfect Picture, was released in October 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zara Larsson discography</span>

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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.

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<i>So Good</i> (Zara Larsson album) 2017 studio album by Zara Larsson

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruin My Life</span> 2018 single by Zara Larsson

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<i>Reflections</i> (Hannah Diamond album) 2019 studio album by Hannah Diamond

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Worry Bout Me (Zara Larsson song)</span> Song by Zara Larsson

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wow (Zara Larsson song)</span> 2020 single by Zara Larsson

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Talk About Love (Zara Larsson song)</span> 2021 single by Zara Larsson featuring Young Thug

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The Poster Girl Tour was the third concert tour by Swedish singer-songwriter Zara Larsson, in support of her second international studio album Poster Girl (2021). Promoted by Live Nation Entertainment, the tour commenced on 19 November 2021, in Gothenburg, Sweden. It concluded in Oslo on August 20, comprising 22 shows.

<i>Venus</i> (Zara Larsson album) 2024 studio album by Zara Larsson

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Robinson, Otis (4 October 2023). "Hannah Diamond: Perfect Picture review". DIY . Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 "Hannah Diamond Shares New Song "Perfect Picture": Listen". Stereogum . 17 August 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  3. 1 2 "Hannah Diamond to release new album 'Perfect Picture'". DIY . 17 August 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  4. ↑ "Hannah Diamond shares "Perfect Picture" video, announces new album details". The FADER. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  5. ↑ "Hannah Diamond announces new album Perfect Picture". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  6. ↑ "PC Music to Cease Releasing New Music After 2023, Pivot to Archival Projects". Pitchfork. 25 June 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  7. ↑ Murray, Robin (24 February 2022). "Hannah Diamond's 'Staring At The Ceiling' Is A Pop Teaser". Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  8. ↑ O'Connor, Siobhain (13 July 2023). "Hannah Diamond has shared her new single, 'Affirmations'". Dork. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  9. ↑ "Hannah Diamond Shares New Single "Poster Girl": Listen". Stereogum. 14 September 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  10. ↑ "Hannah Diamond responds to accusations she copied Zara Larsson's album cover". The Independent. 13 September 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  11. ↑ "Hannah Diamond addresses similarities with Zara Larsson artwork for her new single, "Poster Girl"". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  12. ↑ Hatfield, Amanda (20 July 2023). "Hannah Diamond announces first headlining North American shows". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  13. 1 2 "Perfect Picture by Hannah Diamond Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic . Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  14. 1 2 Howe, Bryson Edward (3 October 2023). "Hannah Diamond – Perfect Picture". Clash . Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  15. 1 2 Kent, Matthew (29 September 2023). "Hannah Diamond: Perfect Picture review – pop vision comes into full focus". The Line of Best Fit . Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  16. 1 2 Toups, Peyton (9 October 2023). "Hannah Diamond: Perfect Picture Album Review". Pitchfork . Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  17. 1 2 Erickson, Steve (2 October 2023). "Hannah Diamond Perfect Picture Review: The Woman Inside the Machine". Slant Magazine . Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  18. ↑ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (5 December 2023). "The 50 best albums of 2023 – 50 to 41". The Guardian . Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  19. ↑ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  20. ↑ "Perfect Picture, by Hannah Diamond". Hannah Diamond. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
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