Froge

''Froge.mp3'' () is the debut mixtape by Piri & Tommy. Released on 21 October 2022 and on vinyl on 22 April 2023 on Polydor Records, the mixtape contains "Sunlight", previous singles " Soft Spot", " Beachin", "Words", and " On & On", focus track "Say It", and six additional tracks. The album was promoted by both Froge.tour, a nine-date tour, and ''Froge.tv'', a twelve-episode YouTube Shorts series. Critical reception was broadly positive, with ''Gigwise'' describing the album as the 45th best album of 2022, ''NME'' rating it amongst the twenty best mixtapes and EPs of 2022, and Ellie Dixon rating it as her favourite album of the year. Additionally, the mixtape charted at No. 13 on the UK Dance Albums Chart.

Background

In 2020, just before the second United Kingdom COVID-19 lockdown, Piri matched on Tinder with Tommy Villiers, a member of the band Porij. A couple of weeks later, one of the band's photographers retweeted one of their photo shoots, prompting her to find his Instagram account and ask him out. At the time, Piri was in a phase of drawing frogs and toads, and they started calling each other 'froge' () as a nickname. Later, a crocheted frog hat would become part of Piri's signature look. They began writing songs together after they realised that Piri could sing and Villiers could produce, starting with "Sunlight".

Release and promotion

In June 2021, the pair released " Soft Spot", which went viral on TikTok and Spotify, prompting EMI to sign the pair, re-release the track, and release " Beachin" in January 2022 and "Words" in April 2022. Polydor Records later signed them and released " On & On" in July 2022, for which a music video was released that featured Piri ingesting a hallucinogenic frog. Piri & Tommy announced their debut project in September 2022. At the time, the project was intended as a mixtape, rather than an album, as the tracks had been made as singles.

''Froge.mp3'' was released on 21 October 2022. Promotion for the mixtape included a nine-date tour, Froge.tour, in November 2022. In addition, the pair uploaded a twelve episode YouTube Shorts series, ''froge.tv'', in which Piri and Villiers explained what the album's songs were written about. The mixtape's focus track, "Say It", was added to the Capital Dance playlist. All of the tracks featured Piri on lead vocals, with Villiers providing lead vocals on "Player 2".

Reception

''Froge.mp3'' charted at No. 13 on the UK Dance Albums Chart. Reviews for the album were broadly positive; Finlay Holden of '' Dork'' gave it five stars and called it an "air-tight, comprehensive taster of their potential", while Michelangelo Matos of ''The New Yorker'' called it "charming". Paul Simpson of ''AllMusic'' likened it to PinkPantheress' ''To Hell with It'' but with "a more Ibiza-friendly sound".

''NME'' rated it amongst the twenty best mixtapes and EPs of 2022 and ''Gigwise'' described the album as the 45th best album of 2022. In January 2023, Ellie Dixon stated that ''Froge.mp3'' was her "favourite album" of the year. A more lukewarm review came from Luke Nuttall of ''The Soundboard Stereo'', who felt that little else was of the same standard as "On & On" and that the mixtape's "very light, tactile pop / drum 'n' bass" was "not in any way equipped to convey" some of the lyrics on "Beachin" such as "I got him bussin', he makin' some mayo".

Track listing

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.

Musicians
* Piri – lead vocals
* Tommy Villiers – vocals (4, 10), mixing (all except 11), mastering (3, 11)
* Jonny Breakwell – mixing (11)
* Stuart Hawkes – mastering (all except 3 and 11)

Charts

Release history

Notes

References

{{Piri

2022 mixtape albums
Debut mixtape albums
Piri & Tommy albums
Polydor Records albums