22, A Million

22, A Million is composed of songs written and produced from 2012 to 2016. It makes extensive use of samples, synths and brass instruments. Many of the sounds on the record were created and manipulated using a Teenage Engineering OP-1 synthesizer, along with a harmonizer designed for the band by engineer and producer Chris Messina.^[8]

More information Aggregate scores, Source ...

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	8.5/10[9]
Metacritic	87/100[10]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[11]
The A.V. Club	B+[12]
The Daily Telegraph	[13]
Entertainment Weekly	B[14]
The Guardian	[15]
The Independent	[16]
NME	4/5[1]
Pitchfork	9.0/10[17]
Q	[18]
Rolling Stone	[19]

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22, A Million received acclaim from critics, garnering a score of 87 out of 100 on Metacritic, signifying "universal acclaim" based on 41 critic reviews.^[10] Writing for Pretty Much Amazing, Peter Tabakis praised the album in his review, giving it an A, and remarking, "Not since Kid A has an album so superb pushed away and pulled closer its audience, simultaneously and with such aplomb."^[20] In his review for Rolling Stone, Will Hermes opined, "Vernon remains an oblique lyricist, but the knottiness can be compelling." It gave it four stars out of five.^[19] Paul Bridgewater of The Line of Best Fit awarded the record full marks, writing that "22, A Million captures personal crisis and resolution better than any album this century".^[21] Writing for No Depression, John Amen commented that 22, A Million "integrates the high points of Bon Iver's first three recordings ... his most focused and ambitious permutation to date."^[22]

22, A Million debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 with 71,000 units, of which 58,000 were traditional album sales. It was the highest-selling album of the week.^[37]

Sample credits

• "22 Over Soon" contains a sample of "How I Got Over", as written by Clara Ward and performed by Mahalia Jackson.
• "10 Death Breast" contains a sample of "Wild Heart", as written and performed by Stevie Nicks.
• "33 'God'" contains samples of "Dsharpg", as written and performed by Sharon Van Etten, "Morning", as written by Willis S. Graham and performed by Jim Ed Brown, "Iron Sky", as written by Paolo Nutini and Dani Castelar and performed by Paolo Nutini, and "All Rendered Truth", as written and performed by Lonnie Holley.
• "666 Upside Down Cross" contains a sample of "Standing in the Need of Prayer", as written by Dave Kingsby and performed by The Supreme Jubilees.
• "21 Moon Water" contains samples of "A Lover's Concerto", as written by Denny Randell and Sandy Linzer, and performed by The Toys.
• "00000 Million" contains a sample of "Abacus" as written and performed by Fionn Regan.^[38]