Forevher
2019 album by Shura
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Forevher (stylized in lowercase) is the second studio album by the English musician Shura. It was released on 16 August 2019 by American independent record label Secretly Canadian. The album follows Shura's critically acclaimed debut album, Nothing's Real (2016). The album artwork of Forevher is a reference to the 1882 marble sculpture The Kiss, by French sculptor Auguste Rodin.[7][8]
| Forevher | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 16 August 2019 | |||
| Studio | ||||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 44:00 | |||
| Label | Secretly Canadian | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Shura chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Forevher | ||||
The album was preceded by three singles: "Bklynldn", "Religion (U Can Lay Your Hands on Me)" and "The Stage". "Religion" was supported by a music video; directed by Chloe Wallace.
A deluxe edition of the album was released on 26 March 2021, which contained three new tracks, one demo previously released on Bandcamp in 2020 and five acoustic versions of songs that appeared on the standard edition. A music video was released on 17 February 2021 to accompany one of the deluxe tracks "Obsession".
Composition
Critical reception
Forevher received critical acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, the album received an average score of 83, based on 15 reviews.[14] Aimee Cliff of Pitchfork stated that Forevher is "looser, livelier and more ecstatic than her debut, detailing the headlong rush of falling in love"; whilst also noting "string flutters mimicking skipped heartbeats, and basslines settling into deep, well-worn grooves."[12] Callum Bains of PopMatters viewed Forevher as an "enjoyably varied album of catchy dance songs, summer jams, and introspective ballads."[11] John Murphy of musicOMH described the sound of the album as "laid-back funk", concluding that the album "is the sound of a woman happy, in love, and going from strength to strength as a songwriter".[9] Writing for NME, El Hunt comments that the record "queers up and skewers the traditional love song, beautifully articulating the giddiness of romance", adding that it "has the feel of a wonkily altered classic, drifting from warm blue pop that colours the sleeve, to quieter interludes."[15] Sophia Simon-Bashall of The Line of Best Fit remarked that the record is "equally insular and nostalgic", adding that the content "feels like an endless dreamscape". They conclude that "Shura has created something hopeful and delightfully light" in Forevher, "setting it apart from much of pop's current offerings."[16]
Accolades
| Publication | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Independent | The 50 Best Albums Of 2019 | 29 | [17] |
| The Line of Best Fit | The Best Albums of 2019 Ranked | 32 | [18] |
| Albumism | The 50 Best Albums of 2019 | 37 | [19] |
| Rough Trade | Albums Of The Year - 2019 | 50 | [20] |
Track listing
- All tracks produced by Shura and Joel Pott.
- All track titles are stylized in all lowercase, except track 5, whose title is stylized in all uppercase.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "That's Me, Just a Sweet Melody" | 1:12 | |
| 2. | "Side Effects" |
| 4:14 |
| 3. | "Religion (U Can Lay Your Hands on Me)" |
| 4:07 |
| 4. | "The Stage" |
| 4:37 |
| 5. | "Bklynldn" |
| 4:01 |
| 6. | "Tommy" |
| 4:16 |
| 7. | "Princess Leia" |
| 3:43 |
| 8. | "Flyin'" |
| 3:37 |
| 9. | "Forever" |
| 3:56 |
| 10. | "Control" |
| 5:00 |
| 11. | "Skyline, Be Mine" |
| 5:17 |
| Total length: | 44:00 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "magazine launch - demo" |
| 0:58 |
| 2. | "elevator girl ft. Ivy Sole" |
| 3:26 |
| 3. | "obsession" | 3:31 | |
| 4. | "t-shirt" |
| 3:46 |
| 5. | "side effects - acoustic" |
| 3:58 |
| 6. | "religion (u can lay your hands on me) - acoustic" |
| 4:25 |
| 7. | "the stage - acoustic" |
| 4:42 |
| 8. | "Bklynldn - acoustic" |
| 3:26 |
| 9. | "forever - acoustic" |
| 3:43 |
| Total length: | 75:50 | ||
Personnel
Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Forevher.[33]
Musicians
- Shura – synthesizers (track 5); programming (tracks 1, 5, 8); vocals (all tracks); piano (tracks 1, 5, 10); guitar (track 6); percussion (tracks 3, 4, 10, 11)
- Joel Laslett Pott – guitar (tracks 2–11); synthesizers (tracks 2–11); programming (all tracks); backing vocals (tracks 2, 4, 5, 7, 9); percussion (tracks 2–5, 8–11); piano (tracks 1, 2, 5, 8, 9); synth bass (tracks 4, 6, 7); Mellotron (tracks 2, 4, 10); Wurlitzer (track 7)
- Luke Saunders – synthesizers (tracks 3, 11); guitar (tracks 3, 4, 11); backing vocals (tracks 4, 5)
- Liam Hutton – drums (tracks 2–5, 8–11)
- Axel Ekermann – bass (tracks 2–5, 8–11)
- Rosie Lowe – backing vocals (tracks 2, 5–9)
- Kerry Leatham – backing vocals (tracks 2, 5, 6, 8, 9)
- Reva Gauntlett – backing vocals (tracks 2, 5, 6, 8)
- Pauline Le Mell – backing vocals (tracks 5, 8)
- Daniel Moyer – programming (track 3)
- Peter Gordon – saxophone (tracks 5, 8)
- Jonny Pilcher – strings arrangement (tracks 5, 8); piano (track 6)
- Will Miller – trumpet and horns arrangement (track 6)
- Jono Ma – synthesizers, percussion (track 11)
- Orlando Higginbottom – piano (track 4)
Technical
- Shura – production
- Joel Laslett Pott – production, recording engineering
- Daniel Moyer – recording engineering
- Jono Ma – recording engineering, additional production (track 11)
- Tom Archer – production assistance (tracks 2, 3, 5–10)
- Jamie McEvoy – production assistance (track 10)
- Marta Salogni – mixing
- Heba Kadry – mastering
- Nathanael Graham – assistance (tape recording) (track 6)
Artwork
- Hollie Fernando – photography
- Ellen Blocksidge – modelling
- Milly Cope – modelling
- Katie Evans – printing
- Miles Johnson – design
Charts
| Chart (2019) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[34] | 32 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[35] | 61 |
| UK Album Downloads (OCC)[36] | 48 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC)[37] | 5 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard)[38] | 44 |
| US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[39] [permanent dead link] | 19 |