Broken Hearts Club (album)
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| Broken Hearts Club | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 8 April 2022 | |||
| Genre | R&B, Alternative R&B | |||
| Length | 38:55 | |||
| Label | Columbia Records | |||
| Syd chronology | ||||
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Broken Hearts Club is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Syd. The album was released through Columbia Records on April 8, 2022.
Background[edit]
Syd, a member of the Grammy-nominated band The Internet, released her second solo album five years after the release of her debut solo album, Fin.[1] Whilst Fin has been described as a 'confident' and self-assured album, Broken Hearts Club is more 'vulnerable' - inspired by contrasting experiences of love and heartbreak.[2][3] Syd began work on the album in the midst of a relationship, and finished it after the couple separated. The album follows a similar narrative pattern to her personal experience, starting with "CYBAH": a song about starting a new relationship, and closing with "Missing Out": which looks back on an ended relationship as both parties move on.[4] In an interview with NME, Syd spoke about experiencing a creative period after she was diagnosed with depression and began to see a therapist, which enabled her to finish work on the album.[2]
Syd, the former engineer for ex-band Odd Future, produced most of the record herself, collaborating on some songs with Rodney (Darkchild) Jerkins, bandmate Steve Lacy, and ForteBowie.[3] Other collaborators include Smino, Kehlani on "Out Loud", Nicky Davey, Brandon Shoop, Troy Taylor, G Koop and Lucky Daye on "CYBAH".[5]
"Missing Out" was released as a single in February 2021, with "Fast Car" and "Right Track" coming out in July and September of the same year respectively. In a press conference for "Fast Car", Syd said that the track was created because she 'wanted to make something for the gay Black girls'.[6][7] The accompanying music video for the song, which the Gay Times called one of 'her most queer tracks to date', features Syd driving with a female love interest.[8]
Release and reception[edit]
Broken Hearts Club received positive reviews, with NME giving it four out of five stars and calling it 'arguably the R&B star's strongest project to date'.[5] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 82, based on 10 critic reviews.[9] Pitchfork gave the album a 7.5, saying that the album's more traditional sound than Fin, 'reaffirms her considerable versatility' and that the album is finished with 'artful finesse'.[10] Rolling Stone gave the album four stars, arguing it was an 'epic tale of love and loss with lush production'.[11] Independent music website The Quietus called the album 'terrific'.[4] The Guardian, giving 3 stars, called the album a 'mixed bag', stating that Syd was stronger on tracks where she collaborated with other artists.[12] Okayplayer included the album on their '22 Best Albums of 2022' list.[13]
The album will be her last released by Columbia Records.[2]
Track listing[edit]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "CYBAH (with Lucky Daye)" | Brandon Shoop, David Debrandon Brown, Michael La Vell McGregor, Syd (Sydney Loren Bennett) | Brandon Shoop | 4:04 |
| 2. | "Tie The Knot" | Syd, Tatiana Tenise Matthews | Syd | 2:32 |
| 3. | "Fast Car" | Brandon Hodge, Naji Kareen Lomax, Shawntoni Ajanae Nichols, Shonn Hinton, Syd, Troy Taylor | Troy Taylor, Brandon "B.A.M." Hodge, Raymond Hinton | 3:30 |
| 4. | "Right Track (feat. Smino)" | Christopher Smith Jr., Denzel Mbeng Ayuk-Okata, Paul Mond, Syd | ForteBowie | 2:38 |
| 5. | "Sweet" | Javonte Pollard, Shawntoni Nichols, Syd | Syd | 2:30 |
| 6. | "Control" | Rodney Jerkins, Syd | Rodney Jerkins | 2:20 |
| 7. | "No Way" | Dave Rosser, Nicholas Eaholtz, Syd | Nick Green, Dave Rosser | 3:03 |
| 8. | "Getting Late" | Syd | Syd | 3:10 |
| 9. | "Out Loud (feat. Kehlani)" | Rob Mandell, Kehlani Parrish, Shawntoni Nichols, Syd, Tatiana Tenise Matthews | Syd, G Koop | 3:23 |
| 10. | "Heartfelt Freestyle" | Denzel Mbeng Ayuk-Okata, Laura Lee Ochoa, Mark Stefan Speer, Syd | ForteBowie | 2:25 |
| 11. | "BMHWDY" | Rose Marie Tan, Steve Lacy, Syd | Steve Lacy | 3:07 |
| 12. | "Goodbye My Love" | Daniel Stanfill, Syd | Biloba | 2:14 |
| 13. | "Missing Out" | Syd | Syd | 4:00 |
| Total length: | 38:55 | |||
References[edit]
- ^ "Syd: Fin". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2023-02-27.
- ^ a b c Balram, Dhruva (2022-04-01). "Syd: "I don't care about validation anymore. I know I'm a genius"". NME. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
- ^ a b Pearce, Sheldon (2022-04-14). "On Syd's "Broken Hearts Club," an Evasive Player Falls in Love". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
- ^ a b Evans, Nathan. "The Quietus | Reviews | Syd". The Quietus. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
- ^ a b Balram, Dhruva (2022-04-07). "Syd – Broken Hearts Club' review: arguably the R&B star's strongest project to date". NME. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
- ^ Bloom, Madison (2021-07-16). "Syd Shares Video for New Song "Fast Car"". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
- ^ Love, Tirhakah (2022-04-12). "Syd's New Love Story". Vulture. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
- ^ Corner, Lewis (2021-07-16). "Syd releases stunning new single Fast Car: 'It's for the gay Black girls'". GAY TIMES. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
- ^ Broken Hearts Club by Syd, retrieved 2022-12-30
- ^ Pearce, Sheldon. "Syd: Broken Hearts Club". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
- ^ Conteh, Mankaprr (2022-04-08). "Syd's 'Broken Hearts Club' is More Than Mood Music -- It's a Motion Picture". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
- ^ "Syd: Broken Hearts Club review – introspection with a little help from her friends". the Guardian. 2022-04-10. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
- ^ "Okayplayer's 22 Best Albums of 2022". Okayplayer. 2022-12-20. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
- ^ Broken Hearts Club, 2022-04-08, retrieved 2022-12-31
- ^ "Broken Hearts Club by Syd". Genius. Retrieved 2022-12-31.