Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | July 30, 2021 | |||
Recorded | 2019–2021 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 33:47 | |||
Label | RCA | |||
Producer |
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Bleachers chronology | ||||
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Singles from Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night | ||||
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Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night is the third studio album by American indie pop act Bleachers, released on July 30, 2021, by RCA Records. Jack Antonoff began working on the album in 2019 and finished it during the COVID-19 pandemic. It received generally positive reviews from critics, and peaked at number 27 on the US Billboard 200. and this is their last for RCA, as they departed from the label in August 2023.
Jack Antonoff began recording the album in late 2019, while the band embarked on a three day "mini-tour" called the "I Love Making This Album but I'm Also Losing My Mind in Here & Need to Come Out and Play" Tour. [1] On January 6, 2020, Antonoff announced on Twitter that a new Bleachers album would come within the year, though that did not come to pass. [2]
Throughout 2020, Bleachers' official Twitter account started teasing the phrase "Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night" and starting on November 14, 2020 a phone tree was set up for fans to call to hear clips from the song. [3] On November 16, 2020, Bleachers released the lead singles "45" and "Chinatown", the latter featuring Bruce Springsteen. The same day it was announced that the album would be released in 2021. [4] On May 18, 2021, the third single "Stop Making This Hurt" was released, alongside the album's pre-order. [5]
On May 26, 2021, Bleachers performed the song "How Dare You Want More" on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon . [6] The song was released as the album's fourth single on June 9, 2021. Bleachers promoted the album with a 33-city tour across North America. [7] "Secret Life" featuring Lana Del Rey was released as a promotional single on July 28, 2021. [8] "How Dare You Want More" was sent to alternative radio and adult alternative radio on January 24, 2022. [9] [10]
Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night is a synth-pop, [11] indie pop, [11] and slow rock [12] album with elements of pop rock, [13] rock n roll, [12] alternative rock, [14] arena rock, [14] alt-pop, [13] folk, [15] baroque pop, [11] rockabilly, [13] and psychedelic music. [16] The album was conceived after a breakup in 2017 and completed during the COVID-19 pandemic. [17] It sees Antonoff expand Bleachers' musical horizons beyond the sounds of the 1980s, with a sound compared to artists like Bruce Springsteen, the Beatles, Arcade Fire, Sufjan Stevens, Vampire Weekend, the Chicks, Dirty Beaches, and Destroyer. [16] [17]
Aggregate scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 6.8/10 [18] |
Metacritic | 71/100 [19] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [20] |
DIY | [21] |
Evening Standard | [22] |
Exclaim! | 6/10 [11] |
NME | [15] |
The Observer | [23] |
Paste | 3.9/10 [16] |
Pitchfork | 6.2/10 [13] |
Rolling Stone | [17] |
Under the Radar | 7.5/10 [14] |
The album received favorable reviews from critics. On Metacritic, the album scored 71 out of 100 indicating "generally favorable reviews". Jon Blisten of Rolling Stone called the album Bleachers' "most cohesive album yet", and praised Antonoff for expanding the band's sound but criticized some of his lyricism." [17] Ethan Shanfeld of Variety said the album sees Antonoff "shelving his signature grandiosity for a more stripped-down approach." Exclaim! writer Kyle Krohner called the album "at best a heartfelt batch of tracks that are nice to experience in the moment, but rarely anytime after."
Matt Mitchell, writing for Paste gave the album a negative review, calling it "mediocrity promoted as homage, showing itself as hastily thrown-together soundcheck warm-up fusion". Jeremy Larson, writing for Pitchfork , criticized the abundant use of slapback rockabilly-style echo and the solos in one of the songs ("It's rare to find a moment on any record where it seems worth remarking how bad a solo sounds, but there it is"), and said, "It is mostly inspired, sometimes interesting, and occasionally banal". [13]
All lyrics are written by Jack Antonoff; "Don't Go Dark" co-written by Lana Del Rey
No. | Title | Music | Producer(s) | Length |
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1. | "91" |
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| 2:59 |
2. | "Chinatown" (featuring Bruce Springsteen) |
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| 4:04 |
3. | "How Dare You Want More" |
|
| 4:00 |
4. | "Big Life" | Antonoff |
| 2:30 |
5. | "Secret Life" (featuring Lana Del Rey) |
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| 3:06 |
6. | "Stop Making This Hurt" |
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| 3:19 |
7. | "Don't Go Dark" |
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| 4:03 |
8. | "45" | Antonoff |
| 3:23 |
9. | "Strange Behavior" | Antonoff | Antonoff | 3:05 |
10. | "What'd I Do with All This Faith?" |
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| 3:18 |
Total length: | 33:47 |
Musicians
Technical
Artwork
Chart (2021) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canadian Albums (Billboard) [24] | 69 |
US Billboard 200 [25] | 27 |
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard) [26] | 3 |
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [27] | 3 |
Fun is an American pop rock band based in New York City. The band consisted of Jack Antonoff, Andrew Dost, and Nate Ruess.
Jack Michael Antonoff is an American singer, musician, songwriter, and record producer. Antonoff is the lead singer of rock band Bleachers, and was the guitarist and drummer in the pop rock band Fun. He was previously the lead singer of the indie rock band Steel Train. Aside from his work with Bleachers and Fun, Antonoff has worked as a songwriter and record producer with various artists, including Taylor Swift, The 1975, Lorde, St. Vincent, Florence and the Machine, Lana Del Rey, Fifth Harmony, Kevin Abstract, Carly Rae Jepsen, The Chicks, Tegan and Sara, and Clairo. Antonoff has often been credited with having a significant impact on the sound of contemporary popular music since the mid-2010s.
Bleachers is an American rock band from New Jersey and the official stage name of songwriter and record producer Jack Antonoff. Bleachers' early music was heavily influenced by the late 1980s and early 1990s, plus the high school-based films of John Hughes while still using modern production techniques. Their debut single "I Wanna Get Better" was released in February 2014, followed by four studio albums: Strange Desire (2014), Gone Now (2017), Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night (2021), and Bleachers (2024).
Strange Desire is the debut studio album released by American indie pop act Bleachers, led by guitarist Jack Antonoff. The album was released on July 11, 2014, through RCA Records, and produced the singles "I Wanna Get Better", "Shadow" and "Rollercoaster".
"I Wanna Get Better" is the debut single by American indie pop act Bleachers, released on February 18, 2014 through RCA Records. The song is from their debut studio album Strange Desire, and was written and produced by frontman Jack Antonoff and John Hill. "I Wanna Get Better" topped the Billboard Alternative Songs chart, becoming the band's first number-one single, and also reached the top ten of the Hot Rock Songs chart. Its accompanying music video stars Antonoff as a therapist and was directed by his then girlfriend, actress and filmmaker Lena Dunham.
"Out of the Woods" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her fifth studio album, 1989 (2014). Swift wrote and produced the song with Jack Antonoff. With lyrics inspired by a failed relationship and the ensuing anxieties that Swift experienced, "Out of the Woods" is a synth-pop song with elements of Eurodance and indietronica and features heavy synthesizers, looping drums, and layered background vocals.
"Don't Take the Money" is a song recorded by American indie pop act Bleachers from their second studio album Gone Now (2017). Frontman Jack Antonoff co-wrote the song with New Zealand singer Lorde, while production was handled by Antonoff, Greg Kurstin and Vince Clarke. It was released on 30 March 2017, by RCA Records as the album's lead single. "Don't Take the Money" is a pop and synth-pop song with influences from 1980s music. According to Antonoff, the song's title is a phrase he uses frequently in a motivational context about meeting a future lover.
Gone Now is the second studio album by American indie pop act Bleachers, released on June 2, 2017. The album deals with the difficulties of growing old as well as struggling with losing people in life, told over the course of day and a lifetime. It takes inspiration from the pop sounds of the 1980s, mixed with a modern view.
"Getaway Car" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her sixth studio album, Reputation (2017). It served as a single in Australia and New Zealand on September 7, 2018, to support the Australian shows of Swift's Reputation Stadium Tour (2018). Written and produced by Swift and Jack Antonoff, it is a synth-pop song with pulsing synthesizers, programmed drums, and distorted vocals. Lyrically, the song describes Swift's efforts to exit a relationship using romance with someone else, knowing the new relationship will also end briefly because its purpose was only to "get away" from the first one.
Pop 2 is the fourth mixtape by British singer Charli XCX, released on 15 December 2017 by Asylum Records. Executive produced by A. G. Cook of PC Music, sessions for the mixtape began just several months before its release and featured a wide variety of guest contributions. The project received acclaim from music critics for its production and songwriting, and was backed by the single "Out of My Head" featuring Alma and Tove Lo.
"The Archer" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her seventh studio album, Lover (2019). Swift wrote and produced the song with Jack Antonoff, and Republic Records released it for streaming and download on July 23, 2019. The track has a 1980s-influenced minimalist, midtempo production and is a synth-pop ballad incorporating dense, echoing synthesizers and insistent kick drums. Critics also identified elements of synthwave and dream pop. The lyrics are about Swift's acknowledgement of her past mistakes and contemplation of her identity.
"Together" is a song by Australian singer-songwriter Sia from the motion picture soundtrack of the musical film Music, co-written and directed by herself. It was released on 20 May 2020, by Atlantic Records. It is also the lead single from Sia's ninth studio album, Music – Songs from and Inspired by the Motion Picture, released in February 2021.
"Chinatown" is a song by American indie pop act Bleachers featuring American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen. The song was released alongside "45" on November 16, 2020, as the dual lead singles from Bleachers' third studio album Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night, which was released on July 30, 2021. The act performed the song, along with "How Dare You Want More", in the January 15, 2022 episode of Saturday Night Live.
"Stop Making This Hurt" is a song by American indie pop act Bleachers. It released on May 18, 2021, as the third single from their third studio album Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night. The song was nominated for "Best Alternative" in 2021 MTV Video Music Awards.
Sling is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Clairo. It was released on July 16, 2021, through Fader and Republic. It serves as the follow-up to her debut album, Immunity. The album was announced on June 11, 2021, alongside the release of the lead single, "Blouse".
Thank You is the twenty-fifth studio album by American singer Diana Ross, released on November 5, 2021, by Decca Records. It marks Ross' first studio album since 2006's I Love You, and first original material since 1999's Every Day Is a New Day. The album was written during COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns in 2020 and recorded in Ross's home studio. Ross worked with songwriter and producer Jack Antonoff, as well as Jimmy Napes, Amy Wadge, Tayla Parx and Spike Stent. The title track was issued as the lead single on June 17, 2021, and is one of nine tracks on the album co-written by Ross. The album received a nomination for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album at the 65th Grammy Awards, Ross' first nomination since 1983.
Minions: The Rise of Gru is the soundtrack album for the film of the same name, released on July 1, 2022, through Decca Records. The Jack Antonoff-produced soundtrack consists of various contemporary artists covering famous funk, pop, and soul hits of the 1970s. "Turn Up the Sunshine" by Diana Ross and Tame Impala was released as the album's lead single on May 20, 2022. Four more singles followed, "Desafinado" by Kali Uchis, "Funkytown" by St. Vincent, "Hollywood Swinging" by Brockhampton, and "Dance to the Music" by H.E.R.
Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter and record producer Lana Del Rey. Released on March 24, 2023, by Interscope and Polydor Records, the album features production by Del Rey, Mike Hermosa, Jack Antonoff, Drew Erickson, Zach Dawes, and Benji. It includes collaborations with Jon Batiste, Bleachers, Father John Misty, Tommy Genesis, SYML and Riopy.
"Now That We Don't Talk" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was written by Swift for her 2014 studio album, 1989, but did not make the final track-list. She re-recorded the song and produced it with Jack Antonoff for her 2023 re-recorded album, 1989 . A synth-pop and disco song, "Now That We Don't Talk" features disco grooves, falsetto vocals, and thrumming synths. The lyrics are about contempt for an estranged ex-lover.
Bleachers is the fourth studio album by American rock band Bleachers. It was released on March 8, 2024. It is the band's first album under Dirty Hit and their own label, Bleachers Band Recordings, having departed from former label RCA Records in August 2023. The album was preceded by the release of four singles: "Modern Girl", "Alma Mater", "Tiny Moves", and "Me Before You".