Unfortunately, Terror Jr is the debut studio album by American pop duo Terror Jr, released on January 25, 2019, through Effess and Atlantic Records.[2] It was supported by the singles "Heaven Wasn't Made for Me", "A-OK (Everything's Perfect)", and "Terrified".[2]
| Unfortunately, Terror Jr | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 25, 2019 | |||
| Recorded | 2017–2018 | |||
| Genre | Pop[1] | |||
| Length | 45:59 | |||
| Label |
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| Producer |
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| Terror Jr chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Unfortunately, Terror Jr | ||||
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Background
editDavid Singer-Vine revealed that the duo started out with over 100 songs, and in order to reduce the number to 15, they kept only those that "closely represented who they wanted to be in terms of future growth", with Singer-Vine stating "We want to be great. [...] These songs on this album, it's a departure in a sense of the scale of it all. I think this is the grandest we've appeared."[1] The process took over a year, and the duo said in a press release that "There are no soft moments on our album and that's intentional... We don't want to be background music... The point is to engage. We hope that people listen to these songs with questions and come out with answers."[2]
Lisa Vitale said of the album title: "I kind of think of it as the signature at the end of a letter. It's signed from us to the world. There is a bit of darkness and melancholy to a lot of the songs and to the state of the world right now. Even though they sound happy, when you look closely, it's a reflection on how we feel."[1]
Critical reception
editNewsweek called the album "a bubblegum ode to modern culture" that includes "blunt statements on politics", "a blatant Trump mention", and "deep, eerie and melancholy messages and images" that "defines" the duo "as something larger than pop as we know it".[1] Highsnobiety called the album "delicious" and "even juicier than you could have imagined".[2] Billboard said the album features "the duo combining their danceable sound with sociopolitical themes, such as women's reproductive rights, LGBT rights and substance abuse", highlighting the line "These days got me in a slump/ White women voted for Trump" in "A-OK (Everything's Perfect)".[3] Paper called the song "Pretty" a "dark, contemptuous take on the ennui of living in a female body", saying it "feels refreshing and rebellious".[4]
Track listing
editTrack listing adapted from AllMusic.[5]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Maker" | 3:24 | ||
| 2. | "Losers R Lovers" |
| DallasK | 2:57 |
| 3. | "Yamaguchi" |
| Shawn Wasabi | 3:03 |
| 4. | "Terrified" |
| Simon Says | 2:58 |
| 5. | "Pretty" |
|
| 3:15 |
| 6. | "Heaven Wasn't Made for Me" |
| Jesser | 2:53 |
| 7. | "Have You" |
| Wendy Wang | 3:03 |
| 8. | "Hungoverheadcrack" |
|
| 2:46 |
| 9. | "Little Bit" |
|
| 3:03 |
| 10. | "Loner" |
| The Stereotypes | 3:18 |
| 11. | "Kinda Iconic" |
|
| 2:33 |
| 12. | "A-OK (Everything's Perfect)" |
|
| 3:33 |
| 13. | "Favorite Bitch" |
| Mike Schulz | 3:10 |
| 14. | "Isolation" |
|
| 3:01 |
| 15. | "Happy Place" |
| Wang | 3:02 |
| Total length: | 45:59 | |||
References
edit- ^ a b c d Wynne, Kelly (January 24, 2019). "'Unfortunately, Terror Jr' Welcomes Fans To Their Darkest Fears and Favorite Pleasures With Politics, Culture and Terrified Love". Newsweek. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
- ^ a b c d Gore, Sydney (January 26, 2019). "Terror Jr Drops Delicious Debut Album 'Unfortunately, Terror Jr'". Highsnobiety. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
- ^ Acevedo, Angelica (January 24, 2019). "Terror Jr Debuts Hypnotic New Single 'Kinda Iconic': Exclusive". Billboard. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
- ^ Goldfine, Jael (January 18, 2019). "Hear Terror Jr's Deliciously Dark New Political Anthem 'Pretty'". Paper. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
- ^ "Unfortunately, Terror Jr. – Terror Jr | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved February 1, 2019.