Struggler

Last updated

Struggler
Genesis Owusu - Struggler.png
Studio album by
Released18 August 2023
Studio
Genre
Length37:58
Label
Producer
Genesis Owusu chronology
Smiling with No Teeth
(2021)
Struggler
(2023)
Singles from Struggler
  1. "Leaving the Light"
    Released: 19 May 2023 [1]
  2. "Tied Up!"
    Released: 12 July 2023 [2]
  3. "Survivor"
    Released: 1 December 2023 [3]

Struggler is the second studio album by Australian musician Genesis Owusu, released on 18 August 2023 through Ourness. [1] The album was supported with a world tour, across North America, Europe and Australia between October and December 2023. [4]

Contents

At the 2023 ARIA Music Awards, the album won Album of the Year, Best Independent Release and Best Hip Hop/Rap Release and was nominated for Best Produced Release, Best Engineered Release and Best Solo Artist. [5] [6] At the 2023 J Awards, the album was nominated for Australian Album of the Year. [7] The album was nominated for the 2023 Australian Music Prize. [8]

At the AIR Awards of 2024, the album was nominated for Independent Album of the Year and Best Independent Hip Hop Album or EP, while the album was nominated for Independent Publicity Team of the Year and Independent Marketing Team of the Year. [9]

"Survivor" was added to the tracklisting on 1 December 2023.

Content

In a press statement upon announcement in May 2023, Owusu said, "The struggler runs through an absurd world with no 'where' or 'why' at hand. Just an instinctual inner rhythm, yelling at them to survive the pestilence and lightning bolts coming from above. A roach just keeps roaching." [4]

As with Owusu's previous album, Smiling with No Teeth , Struggler has been described as incorporating elements from a wide variety of genres. Timothy Monger of AllMusic observed a "collision of experimental post-punk, rap, and R&B", [10] while Wesley McLean of Exclaim! described the album as "amalgamating elements of post-punk, R&B, hip-hop, funk, new wave, psychedelic rock and more". [11] Tracks such as "See Ya There" and "Tied Up!" were stylistically compared to the work of Prince. [10] [11]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 82/100 [12]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [10]
Exclaim! 8/10 [11]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [13]
NME Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [14]

Struggler received a score of 82 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on eleven critics' reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". [12] Sophie Williams of NME considered Struggler "the work of an artist giving power to some of his most radical sonic ideas. Songs don't often build to a crescendo, they begin there" as "Owusu's stylistic choices are both unexpected and impressive, visiting all corners of his eclectic taste". [14]

Reviewing the album for AllMusic, Timothy Monger claimed that, "Owusu could have gone any number of ways on his sophomore set, but it's a testament to his artistic conviction that he chose to make something so risky and complex. Even better, he pulled it off." [10] Shaad D'Souza of The Guardian contrasted it to Owusu's "brilliant debut" album Smiling with No Teeth as "an ill-defined retread that plays it too safe" and "comparatively mild, Owusu-Ansah seemingly riffing and stalling in hope of a grand set piece that never arrives". [14]

Consequence ranked Struggler 37th on its list of the 50 Best Albums of 2023. [15]

Track listing

Struggler track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Leaving the Light"
3:10
2."The Roach"
2:38
3."The Old Man"
  • Owusu-Ansah
  • Christensen
  • Hart
  • Hart
  • Psymun
2:24
4."See Ya There"
Klippel4:39
5."Freak Boy"
  • Owusu-Ansah
  • Evigan
2:28
6."Tied Up!"
  • Owusu-Ansah
  • Sol Was
  • Sol Was
  • Henry Was
3:09
7."That's Life (A Swamp)"
  • Klippel
  • Dave Hammer
5:26
8."Balthazar"
  • Owusu-Ansah
  • Evigan
  • Jackson Rau
3:00
9."Stay Blessed"
  • Owusu-Ansah
  • Nate Campany
  • Kyle Shearer
Valley Girl2:57
10."What Comes Will Come"
  • Owusu-Ansah
  • Pat Morrissey
Morrissey3:51
11."Stuck to the Fan"
  • Owusu-Ansah
  • Di Francesco
  • Klippel
  • Ma
Klippel4:16
Total length:37:58

Notes

Personnel

Musicians

Technical

Visuals

Charts

Chart performance for Struggler
Chart (2023)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [16] 4

Related Research Articles

<i>Trustfall</i> 2023 studio album by Pink

Trustfall is the ninth studio album by American singer Pink. It was released on February 17, 2023, through RCA Records. Her first studio album since Hurts 2B Human (2019), Pink worked on the production and lyrics with Fred Again, David Hodges, Max Martin, Johnny McDaid, and Shellback, and others. The Lumineers, Chris Stapleton and First Aid Kit feature as guest vocalists. Sonically, Trustfall is a dance-pop record, with inclusion of various subgenres, such as pop rock and folk. Lyrically, it speaks of various subjects, including motivation, self-acceptance, loss and love.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holy Holy (Australian band)</span> Australian indie rock band

Holy Holy are an Australian indie rock band formed by songwriters Timothy Carroll and Oscar Dawson (guitar) in 2011. The pair were later joined by touring musicians Ryan Strathie (drums), Graham Ritchie and Matt Redlich. They have released four top-20 studio albums and have been nominated for two ARIA Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirin J. Callinan</span> Australian musician

Kieran John Callinan, known by his stage name Kirin J. Callinan, is an Australian singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is also a founding member of Mercy Arms and has played with the Night Game, Jack Ladder and the Dreamlanders, Mark Ronson and Genesis Owusu.

<i>Graffiti U</i> 2018 studio album by Keith Urban

Graffiti U is the tenth studio album by New Zealand-born Australian country music singer Keith Urban. It was released on 27 April 2018, through Hit Red and Capitol Records Nashville. The album was heavily influenced by experiences from Urban's youth, and includes the singles "Female", "Parallel Line", "Coming Home", and "Never Comin' Down". The album has received mixed reviews from critics but received a nomination for CMA Award for Album of the Year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genesis Owusu</span> Ghanaian-Australian singer (born 1998)

Kofi Owusu-Ansah, known by his stage name Genesis Owusu, is a Ghanaian-Australian rapper and singer from Canberra. He is the younger brother of fellow hip hop rapper, Kojo Owusu-Ansah p.k.a. Citizen Kay. Owusu's debut studio album, Smiling with No Teeth, reached the ARIA Albums Chart top 30. At the 2021 ARIA Music Awards he won four trophies for Album of the Year, Best Hip Hop Release, Best Independent Release and Best Cover Art.

<i>Ball Park Music</i> (album) 2020 studio album by Ball Park Music

Ball Park Music is the sixth studio album by Australian indie rock band Ball Park Music. It was written and recorded in Brisbane throughout the 2019–20 Australian bushfire season, and released on 23 October 2020. The album was preceded by three singles – "Spark Up!", "Day & Age" and notably "Cherub", which polled at number four in the Triple J Hottest 100 of 2020.

"First Nation" is a song by Australian rock band Midnight Oil featuring Jessica Mauboy and Tasman Keith. The song was released on 25 September 2020 as the second single from the band's twelfth studio album The Makarrata Project; a themed mini-album of collaborations with Indigenous artists.

<i>Today Were the Greatest</i> 2021 studio album by Middle Kids

Today We're the Greatest is the second studio album by Australian alternative-indie rock band Middle Kids, released on 19 March 2021. The album peaked at number 5 on the ARIA Charts. At the 2021 ARIA Music Awards, the album won Best Rock Album. At the J Awards of 2021, the album was nominated for Australian Album of the Year.

<i>Smiling with No Teeth</i> 2021 studio album by Genesis Owusu

Smiling with No Teeth is the debut studio album by Australian musician Genesis Owusu, released on 5 March 2021 through Ourness. The album features a guest appearance from Kirin J. Callinan and production from Callinan, Andrew Klippel, Dave Hammer, Harvey Sutherland, Joe LaPorta, and Matt Corby.

<i>Weirder & Weirder</i> 2022 album by Ball Park Music

Weirder & Weirder is the seventh studio album by Australian indie rock band Ball Park Music, released on 27 May 2022 through Prawn Records. It was preceded by three singles, including "Sunscreen" and "Stars in My Eyes" – the latter polled at number eight in the Triple J Hottest 100 of 2022. The band also embarked on a headline Australian tour in support of the album from June 2022, their first in three years. Weirder & Weirder peaked at number two on the ARIA Albums Chart and was nominated for several awards, including Best Independent Album and Best Rock Album at the 2022 ARIA Awards, winning Album of the Year at the 2023 Queensland Music Awards.

<i>In Our Own Sweet Time</i> 2022 studio album by Vance Joy

In Our Own Sweet Time is the third studio album by Australian singer-songwriter Vance Joy. The album was released on 10 June 2022 through Liberation Music. The album was announced on 7 April 2022 and written during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was preceded by the singles "Missing Piece", "Don't Fade", "Clarity" and "Every Side of You".

<i>The Hardest Part</i> (Noah Cyrus album) 2022 studio album by Noah Cyrus

The Hardest Part is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Noah Cyrus. It was released on September 16, 2022, by Records, LLC and Columbia Records. It was preceded by the singles "I Burned LA Down", "Mr. Percocet", "Ready to Go" and "Every Beginning Ends".

<i>As Above, So Below</i> (Sampa the Great album) 2022 studio album by Sampa the Great

As Above, So Below is the second studio album by Zambian singer-songwriter and rapper Sampa the Great, released on 9 September 2022 through Loma Vista Recordings. The album was recorded in Zambia after Sampa the Great relocated there from Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic, and was announced in June 2022 alongside the release of the second single. As Above, So Below peaked at number 12 on the ARIA Charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Gold (song)</span> 2022 single by Gorillaz featuring Tame Impala and Bootie Brown

"New Gold" is a song by British virtual band Gorillaz, featuring Australian music project Tame Impala, and American rapper Bootie Brown, marking the latter's second collaboration with the band since "Dirty Harry" in 2005. The track was released on 31 August 2022 as the second single from their eighth studio album, Cracker Island.

<i>Higher Than Heaven</i> 2023 studio album by Ellie Goulding

Higher Than Heaven is the fifth studio album by English singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding, released on 7 April 2023 by Polydor Records. It is her first album in three years, since Brightest Blue (2020).

<i>The First Time</i> (The Kid Laroi album) 2023 studio album by the Kid Laroi

The First Time is the debut studio album by Australian rapper and singer the Kid Laroi. It was released on 10 November 2023 through Columbia. The album contains guest appearances from Jungkook, Central Cee, Future, BabyDrill, YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Robert Glasper, and D4vd. Production was handled by FnZ, Parisi, Omer Fedi, Blake Slatkin, Bnyx, F1lthy, Emile Haynie, Clams Casino, Michael Uzowuru, Shellback, Cirkut, Louis Bell, and Mk.gee, among others.

<i>4th Wall</i> (album) 2023 studio album by Ruel

4th Wall is the debut studio album by Australian singer-songwriter Ruel, released on 3 March 2023. The album was announced on 25 January 2023.

<i>Sorry Im Late</i> (Mae Muller album) 2023 studio album by Mae Muller

Sorry I'm Late is the debut studio album by English singer Mae Muller. It was released on 29 September 2023, through Capitol Records, EMI Records and Universal Music Group. The album is supported by six singles: "Better Days", "I Just Came to Dance", "I Wrote a Song", "Me, Myself & I", "MTJL" and "Written by a Woman".

<i>IRL</i> (album) 2023 studio album by Mahalia

IRL is the second studio album by British singer-songwriter Mahalia. The album was released on 14 July 2023 through Warner Music. The album was inspired by the singer's "traumatic breakup" and her visits to "therapy". In support of the album, Mahalia embarked on a tour of the United Kingdom, Europe, North America and Australia, commencing in October 2023 in Leeds and concluding in Brisbane, Australia on 8 May 2024.

<i>World Music Radio</i> 2023 studio album by Jon Batiste

World Music Radio is the seventh studio album by American singer Jon Batiste. It was released on August 18, 2023, through Verve Records and Interscope Records. The album features guest appearances by JID, NewJeans, Camilo, Jon Bellion, Fireboy DML, Kenny G, Lil Wayne, Leigh-Anne and Lana Del Rey.

References

  1. 1 2 "Genesis Owusu Announces New Album Struggler, Shares "Leaving the Light": Stream". Consequence . 19 May 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  2. "Genesis Owusu is 'Tied Up!' on new single". NME . 12 July 2023. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
  3. "Genesis Owusu Is a "Survivor" on New Song: Stream". Consequence of Sound. 1 December 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  4. 1 2 Singh, Surej (19 May 2023). "Genesis Owusu announces sophomore album, Australia, North America and Europe tour". NME . Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  5. "Nominees Announced for 2023 ARIA Awards". Music Feeds . 21 September 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  6. "ARIA Awards 2023: Troye Sivan takes home four awards, tearful G Flip wins two. Here's the full list of winners". ABC News. 15 November 2023. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  7. "Check out all the nominees for the 2023 J Awards". Australian Broadcasting Corporation . 1 November 2023. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  8. Brandle, Lars (28 November 2023). "Troye Sivan Shortlisted for 2023 Australian Music Prize". Billboard . Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  9. "2024 AIR Awards Nominees: Genesis Owusu, Cub Sport, RVG, Teen Jesus & More". The Music . 14 May 2024. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Monger, Timothy (8 September 2023). "Genesis Owusu - Struggler Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic . Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  11. 1 2 3 McLean, Wesley (15 August 2023). "Genesis Owusu Puts the World on Notice with Struggler". Exclaim! . Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  12. 1 2 "Struggler by Genesis Owusu Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic . Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  13. D'Souza, Shaad (18 August 2023). "Genesis Owusu: Struggler review – moments of brilliance in an otherwise limp record". The Guardian . Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  14. 1 2 3 Williams, Sophie (16 August 2023). "Genesis Owusu – Struggler review: an artist at the top of his game". NME . Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  15. Krueger, J. (4 December 2023). "The 50 Best Albums of 2023 Ranked". Consequence . Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  16. "Australiancharts.com – Genesis Owusu – Struggler". Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 January 2024.