Times (album)

Last updated

Times
SG Lewis - Times.png
Studio album by
Released19 February 2021 (2021-02-19)
Recorded2018–2020 [1]
Genre
Length40:10
Label
Producer
SG Lewis chronology
Dusk Dark Dawn
(2019)
Times
(2021)
AudioLust & HigherLove
(2023)
Singles from Times
  1. "Chemicals"
    Released: 24 April 2020
  2. "Impact"
    Released: 5 August 2020
  3. "Feed the Fire"
    Released: 26 October 2020
  4. "Time"
    Released: 8 December 2020
  5. "One More"
    Released: 2 February 2021

Times is the debut studio album by English singer-songwriter SG Lewis. It was released on 19 February 2021 by Virgin EMI and PMR Records. It features guest appearances from Rhye, Lucky Daye, Nile Rodgers, Frances, Robyn, Channel Tres and Lastlings.

Contents

Background

SG Lewis announced Times through his social media accounts on 27 October 2020. [2] With the announcement, he said:

This album is an ode to the present moment, and the finite chances we have to celebrate it. It's an exploration of escapism and euphoria, and the memories attached to those experiences. [3]

Five singles from Times were released prior to the release of the album; "Chemicals", [4] "Impact", [5] "Feed the Fire", [6] "Time" [7] and "One More". [8]

Composition

Times is a disco album [9] [10] with dance-pop, [11] house, [12] chillwave, electropop and funk influences. [13]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.1/10 [14]
Metacritic 75/100 [15]
Review scores
SourceRating
Clash 8/10 [13]
DIY Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [11]
MusicOMH Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [16]
NME Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [17]
Pitchfork 6.9/10 [18]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [12]

At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised score out of 100 to critic ratings from publications, the album received an average score of 75 based on 6 reviews, indicating a "generally favourable" response. [15]

Alexis Petridis of The Guardian gave Times a rating of 4 out of 5 stars, and wrote that "Lewis is really skilled at producing disco-infused pop-house" and that his "talent lies in [adding] subtle touches." [12] Writing for NME , Ben Jolley gave the same rating, describing the album as "an incredibly cohesive collection of slide-across-the-kitchen-floor dance-pop bangers that encourage you to hold on to the good times." [17] Dani Blum of Pitchfork praised the album as a "pristine" one made of "frictionless bangers", but noted that the songs are "so controlled that they never come close to catharsis." [18]

Year-end lists

Critical rankings for Times
PublicationListRankRef.
Billboard The 50 Best Albums of 2021: Staff List
47
[19]

Track listing

Times track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Time" (featuring Rhye)
4:19
2."Feed the Fire" (featuring Lucky Daye)Lewis4:05
3."Back to Earth"
  • Lewis
  • Finlay Robson
  • Jay Mooncie
Lewis4:01
4."One More" (featuring Nile Rodgers)
  • Lewis
  • Bunetta
  • Rodgers
3:16
5."Heartbreak on the Dancefloor" (featuring Frances)Lewis3:15
6."Rosner's Interlude"LewisLewis1:08
7."Chemicals"
  • Lewis
  • Burnetta
  • Hugo
4:15
8."Impact" (with Robyn and Channel Tres)
  • Lewis
  • Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs
4:44
9."All We Have" (featuring Lastlings)Lewis6:50
10."Fall"
  • Lewis
  • Cooke
  • Higginbottom
Lewis4:17
Total length:40:10

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal. [20]

Musicians

Technical

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for Times
Chart (2021)Peak
position
Lithuanian Albums (AGATA) [21] 77
Scottish Albums (OCC) [22] 31
UK Albums (OCC) [23] 46
UK Dance Albums (OCC) [24] 1

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for Times
Chart (2021)Position
Australian Dance Albums (ARIA) [25] 46

Release history

Release history for Times
RegionDateFormat(s)VersionLabelRef.
Various19 February 2021Standard Virgin EMI [26] [27] [28] [29]

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References

  1. "Will Dance Music Save 2021? SG Lewis Thinks So". Hypebeast. 18 February 2021. Archived from the original on 22 February 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  2. SG Lewis [@SGLewis_] (27 October 2020). "his album is an ode to the present moment, and the finite chances we have to celebrate it. It's an exploration of escapism and euphoria, and the memories attached to those experiences. / 'times'- Out everywhere 19th February 2021" (Tweet) via Twitter.
  3. Lavin, Will (27 October 2020). "SG Lewis announces long-awaited debut album, 'Times'". NME . Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  4. Ross, Alex Robert (24 April 2020). "Hear SG Lewis's slinky new song "Chemicals"". The FADER . Archived from the original on 6 June 2020. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  5. "SG Lewis, Robyn and Channel Tres link up for new single". DIY . 6 August 2020. Archived from the original on 23 October 2020. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  6. "SG Lewis announces debut album 'times'". DIY . 27 October 2020. Archived from the original on 2 December 2020. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  7. Murray, Robin (9 December 2020). "SG Lewis, Rhye Team Up On New Single 'Time'". Clash . Archived from the original on 9 December 2020. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  8. "NME Radio Roundup 8 February: FKA twigs & Headie One, H.E.R & more". NME . 8 February 2021. Archived from the original on 8 February 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
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