Idina (stylized as idina.) is the eponymous fifth studio album by singer Idina Menzel. It was released on September 23, 2016, by Warner Bros. Records.[3]

Idina
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 23, 2016 (2016-09-23)
GenrePop[1][2]
Length45:36
LabelWarner Bros.
ProducerGreg Wells, Eric Rosse
Idina Menzel chronology
Holiday Wishes
(2014)
Idina
(2016)
Christmas: A Season of Love
(2019)
Singles from I Stand
  1. "Queen of Swords"
    Released: 2016
  2. "Small World"
    Released: 2017
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
NewsdayB+[2]

Overview

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In late 2015, Menzel announced via Twitter and in interviews that she was working on a new studio album, set to be released in Fall 2016. On August 5, 2016 at midnight, Menzel appeared on Facebook Live from the Skylark Rooftop in New York City to announce that the album would be released on September 23, 2016, and gave a world premiere performance of her single "I See You".[4]

The week after she announced the album, Menzel appeared on Facebook Live again from The Berkshires with her all-girl performing arts camp A Broader Way, where she gave another sneak preview of a song from the album titled "Queen of Swords" along with the campers. The song was released as a single several days later. Music videos for both "I See You" and "Queen of Swords" were posted to her YouTube channel.

On September 9, Menzel released her third single, "Small World". The fourth single, "Perfect Story", and an accompanying music video were released on September 16.

Menzel also said that the album was her most personal to date.[5]

The album was supported the following year by a World Tour which played in over 50+ cities across North America, Europe, and Asia.[6]

Reception

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The album received fairly positive reviews from music critics. AllMusic awarded it 3.5 stars, saying she was able to "craft a sound that's expansive enough to resonate with fans of her stage work while adding a bit of a modern age," particularly drawing attention to "Queen of Swords", "Cake", and "I Do". The review also noted that the album was very personal and was a vast improvement on her last pop album, I Stand.[1] Newsday gave the album a B+, noting her "gorgeous voice" and mentioning "Queen of Swords", "I See You", and "Perfect Story" as stand-out tracks.[2]

Track listing

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Standard edition[7]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Small World"Wells3:35
2."Like Lightning"
Rosse3:39
3."Queen of Swords"Wells4:20
4."I See You"
Rosse3:39
5."Everybody Knows"
  • Wells
  • Stephen Wrabel
Wells3:25
6."Show Me"
Wells5:02
7."Last Time"
Rosse3:57
8."I Do"
  • Menzel
  • Rosse
  • Sloan
Rosse3:29
9."Cake"
Wells2:54
10."Extraordinary"
Wells3:33
11."Perfect Story"
Wells3:39
12."Nothin' in This World"
  • Menzel
  • Connor Pledger
  • Rosse
Rosse4:24
Total length:45:36
Target edition bonus tracks[8]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
13."Bitter Core"
  • Menzel
  • Mae
  • Rosse
3:05
14."Stronger Than Hate"
2:46
Total length:51:36
Japanese edition bonus track[9]
No.TitleLength
15."Blind"4:02
Total length:55:38

Charts

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Chart (2016) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[10] 129
Scottish Albums (OCC)[11] 47
UK Albums (OCC)[12] 86
US Billboard 200[13] 29

References

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  1. ^ a b c Monger, Timothy. "idina. – Idina Menzel | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-11-28.
  2. ^ a b c "'Idina.' review: Idina Menzel turns her attention to pop". Newsday. 2016-09-21. Retrieved 2016-11-28.
  3. ^ Robinson, Will; Clark, Noelene (August 5, 2016). "Idina Menzel announces self-titled album, performs new song live". Entertainment Weekly. United States. Archived from the original on August 6, 2016. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
  4. ^ "World Premiere of "I See You" by Idina Menzel". 2016-04-18. Retrieved 2016-11-28 – via YouTube.
  5. ^ "Idina Menzel / New Album Out Now". Idinamenzel.com. Retrieved 2016-11-28.
  6. ^ "Idina Menzel to Embark on 2017 World Tour!". BroadwayWorld.com. BroadwayWorld. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
  7. ^ "idina. by Idina Menzel on Apple Music". iTunes Store (US). Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  8. ^ "Idina Menzel - idina. (Target Exclusive) : Target". Target. September 23, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  9. ^ "Idina Menzel - idina". Warner Music Japan. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  10. ^ "Ultratop.be – Idina Menzel – Idina." (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  11. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
  12. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
  13. ^ "Idina Menzel Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2016.