''*69'' ("star sixty-nine") is the second studio album by Chicago-based singer
Emily Blue. It was released independently by Blue in collaboration with
Audiotree
Audiotree is an American music record label located in Chicago, founded in 2011. The company records and publishes live music sessions. It also promotes artists and organizes live events, and invites artists from around the world to enter a prof ...
, originally on 8 August 2018 as an
extended play
An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record. , then re-issued on 27 March 2019 with four additional tracks as a full studio album. The album was produced by Max Perenchio (The Pelican Boy).
Background and production
Blue announced that she was writing material for an upcoming EP in March 2018, along with the release of the first single off the EP, "Cellophane".
A few months after the EP's release, Blue added "Daddy" and three bonus tracks labeled as "voicemails" to the tracklist, making the EP her second full studio album.
Composition
''*69'' is a
synth-pop album characterized by sharp electronic instruments and a mix of heavy
glitch
A glitch is a short-lived fault in a system, such as a transient fault that corrects itself, making it difficult to troubleshoot. The term is particularly common in the computing and electronics industries, in circuit bending, as well as among ...
- and '80s pop-inspired sounds.
Do312 defined the album, when it was still in production, as "
ving far from her previous work", and "less traditional and more character-driven, painting a portrait of Blue as a fiery pop-songstress from another realm".
Musically, the album marked a sharp turn in style for Blue, whose debut album ''Another Angry Woman'' was composed of soft indie pop tracks. Scapi Magazine defined ''*69'' as "a soundscape of vulnerability
hat
A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...
cuts deep, though you might not realize it at first". They also praised Blue's "avant-pop, experimental ambiance".
J.R. Nelson of the
Chicago Reader described the style of the album as a "surprise" considering the genre of the singer's past releases, and praised *69 for its unique sound: "a few listens to Blue's radio-ready solo jams, such as Microscope and Falling in Love make it clear that she can translate her razor-sharp hooks into any musical language". Blue went on to win Chicago Reader's Best Pop Artist Award 2019 by virtue of ''*69s acclaim.
''*69'' co-songwriter and producer Max Perenchio passed away at the age of 33 on November 26, 2020. The album was his final studio album production during his lifetime.
Emily Blue is set to release an album in honor of Perenchio, titled ''The Afterlove'', posthumously credited to him, having co-written and produced the album in the weeks prior to his death.
Critical reception
The album's success with music reviewers was key in Emily Blue winning the
Chicago Reader Best Pop Artist Award in 2019.
Wiwibloggs
Wiwibloggs is a fansite and YouTube channel focusing on the Eurovision Song Contest, launched in 2009. It has a seasonal audience, peaking at 250,000 page views per day during the week of Eurovision in May 2016, based on Google Analytics data.
...
positively reviewed "Microscope" in their Wednesday Wishlist special in summer 2020.
Track listing
Adapted from
Spotify
Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active us ...
and
Discogs
Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the ...
.
Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''*69''.
Musicians
*
Emily Blue – lead vocals, lyrics
* Max Perenchio - lyrics (tracks 1–7, 9), production (tracks 1–7, 9)
* Uuskhy (Joseph Meland) - lyrics (track 8), production (track 8)
Artwork
* Ross Feighery - photography
Others
* Christian Mulvany
*
Ryan Hadarah
* John Garrison
Release history
* Original release (EP, 5 tracks): 8 August 2018 (on streaming platforms 10 August 2018)
* Full release (LP, 9 tracks): 27 March 2019
References
{{Authority control
2018 albums