Nymph (album)

Nymph
Studio album by
Shygirl
Released30 September 2022 (2022-09-30)
Recorded2021
Genre
Length32:31
Label
Producer
Shygirl chronology
Alias
(2020) 		Nymph
(2022) 		Nymph_o
(2023)
Singles from Nymph
  1. "Firefly"
    Released: 10 May 2022
  2. "Come for Me"
    Released: 7 June 2022
  3. "Coochie (A Bedtime Story)"
    Released: 20 July 2022
  4. "Nike"
    Released: 1 September 2022
  5. "Shlut"
    Released: 27 September 2022

Nymph is the debut studio album by British rapper and singer Shygirl. It was released on 30 September 2022 on vinyl, CD, cassette and digital download,[2] through Because Music.[3][4] The album was announced alongside the release of its lead single "Firefly" on 10 May 2022.[5] The second single "Come for Me" was released on 7 June 2022.[6] The album was shortlisted for the 2023 Mercury Prize.[7]

Background

[edit]

On 20 November 2020, Shygirl released her second extended play, Alias, via the Because Music label. Featuring additional production by Kai Whiston, Sophie, and Sega Bodega, Alias was critically praised by outlets such as Pitchfork and NME and received a column in Vogue.[8][9][10] After pursuing other projects such as a performance film titled "Blu",[11] a remix EP, and being featured on a remix of Lady Gaga and Blackpink's "Sour Candy" on Lady Gaga's Dawn of Chromatica remix album,[12] Nymph had its writing process commence in late September 2021 and end in December of the same year.[13]

Composition

[edit]

Nymph is primarily a pop album,[1] through critics have noted that the album resists strict genre classification.[14][15] "Firefly", "Heaven", and "Coochie (A Bedtime Story)" are all hyperpop songs with the latter incorporating trap beats.[15][16][17][18] UK garage and 2-step are present on both "Firefly" and "Wildfire", while "Nike" and "Missing U" incorporate rap music.[17][18] "Poison" is a Europop-inspired blog house track "with a raucous accordion hook and club-ready bass squelches".[14][18] "Honey" merges jungle breakbeats and liquid drum 'n' bass into a "sultry" R&B ballad.[16][17] The Arca-produced "Come for Me" has been described as a "mutant" reggaetón song containing "sparse, militant drum patterns sound like they’ve been swallowed by broken subwoofers."[17][18]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic84/100[19]
Review scores
SourceRating
Crack8/10[18]
The Line of Best Fit9/10[14]
NME[1]
The Observer[20]
Pitchfork8.0/10[21]
The Skinny[15]
The Telegraph[17]

Nymph was met with universal acclaim upon its release. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 84, based on 10 reviews.[22] Cameron Cook of Pitchfork praised the album, stating that each track unveiled "some new aspect of Shygirl’s persona, musicality, or, most often, both", and finding that her "siren song" enticed a listener "toward somewhere brighter and more introspective."[21]

The Guardian's Ammar Kalia further noted her "experimenting with its more irreverent aspects" with the record, in comparison to her earlier work having "explored the darker side of the dancefloor",[16] whereas Dhruva Balram of NME found that the album generated "a gleaming collage of club sounds, with each element wholly unique in its execution."[1] Writing for The Skinny, Abbie Aitken found that Nymph "slithers through a jungle of sound" and essentially "created an entire genre".[15]

Track listing

[edit]

Credits adapted from the album's official liner notes.

Nymph track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Woe"
  • Shygirl
  • Karma Kid
  • Sega Bodega
3:40
2."Come for Me"
  • Shygirl
  • Arca
3:44
3."Shlut"
  • Shygirl
  • BloodPop
  • Sega Bodega
2:12
4."Little Bit"
  • Shygirl
  • Sega Bodega
  • Shygirl
  • Sega Bodega
1:20
5."Firefly"
  • Shygirl
  • Kingdom
  • Sega Bodega
  • Cecile Believe[a]
3:18
6."Coochie (A Bedtime Story)"
  • Shygirl
  • Karma Kid
  • Mura Masa
  • Sega Bodega
3:02
7."Heaven"
  • Shygirl
  • Mura Masa
  • Kingdom
  • Sega Bodega[a]
2:44
8."Nike"
  • Shygirl
  • Mura Masa
  • Oscar Scheller
  • Shygirl
  • Mura Masa
  • Scheller
2:07
9."Poison"
  • Shygirl
  • Harle
  • Sega Bodega
  • Shygirl
  • Harle
  • Sega Bodega[a]
2:48
10."Honey"
  • Shygirl
  • Vegyn
  • Mura Masa[a]
  • Sega Bodega[a]
3:40
11."Missin U"
  • Shygirl
  • Sega Bodega
  • Shygirl
  • Sega Bodega
1:00
12."Wildfire"
  • Shygirl
  • Sega Bodega
  • BloodPop
  • Goldstein
2:56
Total length:32:31
Nymph in the Wild track listing[23]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Crush" (live edit) (featuring Erika de Casier)
  • Shygirl
  • de Casier
  • Casey MQ
3:03
2."Shlut" (live edit)
  • Shygirl
  • BloodPop
2:53
3."Coochie (A Bedtime Story)" (VIP mix)
  • Shygirl
  • Cosha
  • Karma Kid
  • Mura Masa
  • Sega Bodega
  • Shygirl
  • Karma Kid
  • Mura Masa
  • Sega Bodega
3:40
4."BB Trek" (DJ Zinc Mashup) (bonus track)
  • Shygirl
  • Sega Bodega
Sega Bodega2:31
Total length:12:07

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies an additional producer
  • "Shlut" features additional vocals by Cosha and Sega Bodega.
  • "Firefly" features additional vocals by Cecile Believe.

Sample credits

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for Nymph
Chart (2022) Peak
position
Australian Hitseekers Albums (ARIA)[24] 9
Scottish Albums (OCC)[25] 12
UK Albums (OCC)[26] 34
UK Dance Albums (OCC)[27] 1
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[28] 10
US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[29] 64
US Top Dance/Electronic Albums (Billboard)[30] 7

Nymph_o

[edit]
Nymph_o
Remix album by
Shygirl
Released14 April 2023 (2023-04-14)
Length32:17
Label
Producer
Shygirl chronology
Nymph
(2022) 		Nymph_o
(2023) 		Club Shy
(2024)
Singles from Nymph_o
  1. "Poison (Club Shy mix)"
    Released: 5 December 2022
  2. "Heaven (featuring Tinashe)"
    Released: 28 February 2023
  3. "Woe (I See It From Your Side) (Björk Remix)"
    Released: 21 March 2023
  4. "Playboy/Positions"
    Released: 4 April 2023

A deluxe edition/remix album, titled Nymph_o, was announced on 28 February 2023, and released on 14 April 2023.[31] It features new songs, as well as remixes of the album's tracks.

It was preceded by the single releases of "Poison (Club Shy mix)",[32] and a remix of "Heaven", featuring American singer Tinashe.[33] Björk's remix of "Woe" was released as a single on 21 March,[34] followed by "Playboy/Positions" on 4 April.[35]

Additionally, "Unconditional" was originally released in June 2020 exclusively on Bandcamp to raise funds for Black Lives Matter during the George Floyd protests.[36]

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Angel" (with Fatima Al Qadiri)
  • Shygirl
  • Fatima Al Qadiri
  • Kingdom
  • Shygirl
  • Fatima Al Qadiri
  • Kingdom
3:49
2."Heaven" (featuring Tinashe)
  • Shygirl
  • Mura Masa
  • Kingdom
  • Sega Bodega
2:18
3."Crush" (featuring Erika de Casier)
  • Shygirl
  • Casey MQ
  • de Casier
2:53
4."Woe (I See It from Your Side)" (Björk remix)
  • Shygirl
  • Karma Kid
  • Mura Masa
  • Sega Bodega
  • Björk
  • Cosha
  • Shygirl
  • Karma Kid
  • Mura Masa
  • Sega Bodega
  • Björk
3:44
5."Shlut" (featuring Sevdaliza)
  • Shygirl
  • BloodPop
  • Sega Bodega
  • Sevdaliza
  • Cosha
  • Shygirl
  • Sega Bodega
2:09
6."Nike" (featuring Deto Black)
  • Shygirl
  • Scheller
  • Mura Masa
  • Deto Black
  • Shygirl
  • Scheller
  • Mura Masa
2:44
7."Playboy/Positions"
  • Shygirl
  • Mura Masa
  • Karma Kid
  • Cosha
  • Shygirl
  • Mura Masa
  • Karma Kid
2:34
8."Poison" (Club Shy mix)
  • Shygirl
  • Harle
  • Sega Bodega
  • Shygirl
  • Harle
  • Sega Bodega
3:35
9."Firefly" (Kingdom edit)
  • Shygirl
  • Kingdom
  • Mura Masa
  • Sega Bodega
  • Harle
  • Shygirl
  • Kingdom
  • Mura Masa
  • Sega Bodega[a]
3:31
10."Wildfire" (Eartheater remix)
  • Shygirl
  • Sega Bodega
  • Goldstein
  • Eartheater
2:58
11."Unconditional" (with Arca)
  • Shygirl
  • Arca
  • Shygirl
  • Arca
2:02
Total length:32:22

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies an additional producer.
  • "Playboy/Positions" features additional vocals by Obongjayar.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d Balram, Dhruva (29 September 2022). "Shygirl – 'Nymph' review: pop rulebreaker shines with a little help from her friends". NME. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  2. ^ Shygirl, Shygirl - Nymph. Shygirl., archived from the original on 5 June 2023, retrieved 29 September 2022
  3. ^ "Shygirl announces debut album 'Nymph'". Mixmag. Archived from the original on 13 May 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  4. ^ "Shygirl - Nymph". Rough Trade US. Archived from the original on 17 May 2022. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  5. ^ "Shygirl Announces Debut Album Nymph, Shares Video for New Song "Firefly"". Pitchfork. 10 May 2022. Archived from the original on 10 May 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  6. ^ Bloom, Madison (7 June 2022). "Shygirl: "Come for Me" Track Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 17 June 2024. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  7. ^ Snapes, Laura (27 July 2023). "Mercury Prize 2023: Arctic Monkeys tie Radiohead's record for most nominations". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 27 July 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  8. ^ Bardhan, Ashley. "Shygirl - Alias EP". Pitchfork. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  9. ^ Jolley, Ben (25 November 2020). "Shygirl – 'Alias' review: futuristic club-rap bangers from underground queen's fantasy universe". NME. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  10. ^ Hess, Liam (2 December 2020). "The Many Faces of Shygirl, London's Most Stylish Breakout Rapper". Vogue. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  11. ^ Brady, Keegan (29 June 2021). "The U.K. Rapper Shygirl Makes Futuristic Club Anthems for Whatever Comes Next". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  12. ^ Curto, Justin (3 September 2021). "Get in Girls, We're Going Back to Chromatica". Vulture. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  13. ^ Ewens, Hannah. "Shygirl is hungry for everything". Rolling Stone UK. Archived from the original on 28 September 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
  14. ^ a b c Chatterton, Caitlin (1 October 2022). "Shygirl appears effortless on the long-awaited Nymph". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on 2 October 2022. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  15. ^ a b c d Aitken, Abbie (30 September 2022). "Shygirl – Nymph". The Skinny. Archived from the original on 17 June 2024. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  16. ^ a b c Kalia, Ammar (2 October 2022). "Shygirl: Nymph review – a sensuous, playful debut". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 17 June 2024. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  17. ^ a b c d e Krol, Charlotte (30 September 2022). "Shygirl, Nymph". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 30 September 2022. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  18. ^ a b c d e Whiteley, Caroline (30 September 2022). "Shygirl Nymph". Crack. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  19. ^ "Nymph by Shygirl Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 4 October 2022. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  20. ^ Kalia, Ammar (2 October 2022). "Shygirl: Nymph review – a sensuous, playful debut". The Observer. Archived from the original on 17 June 2024. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  21. ^ a b Cook, Cameron (6 October 2022). "Shygirl: Nymph Album Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 17 June 2024. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  22. ^ "Nymph by Shygirl". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 17 June 2024. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  23. ^ "Nymph in the Wild by Shygirl". Bandcamp. Archived from the original on 29 July 2023. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  24. ^ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 10 October 2022". The ARIA Report. No. 1701. Australian Recording Industry Association. 10 October 2022. p. 24.
  25. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  26. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  27. ^ "Official Dance Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  28. ^ "Heatseekers Albums: Week of October 15, 2022". Billboard. Archived from the original on 17 June 2024. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  29. ^ "Top Album Sales: Week of October 15, 2022". Billboard. Archived from the original on 11 October 2022. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  30. ^ "Top Dance/Electronic Albums: Week of October 15, 2022". Billboard. Archived from the original on 11 October 2022. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  31. ^ "Shygirl announces deluxe version of Nymph album with new remix of "Heaven" featuring Tinashe". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on 3 March 2023. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  32. ^ "Shygirl shares Club Shy mix of "Poison"". The FADER. Archived from the original on 3 March 2023. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  33. ^ "Shygirl teams up with Tinashe for new version of 'Heaven'". DIY. 1 March 2023. Archived from the original on 17 June 2024. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  34. ^ Wilkes, Emma (22 March 2023). "Shygirl teams up with Björk on new version of 'Woe'". NME. Archived from the original on 17 June 2024. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  35. ^ "Shygirl Shares New Track "Playboy / Positions": Listen". Stereogum. 4 April 2023. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  36. ^ "unconditional, by Shygirl + Arca". Shygirl. Archived from the original on 3 March 2023. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
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