Paranoia, Angels, True Love (also written as Paranoïa, Angels, True Love) is the fourth studio album by French singer Christine and the Queens, released through Because Music on 9 June 2023. It comprises the second, third and fourth parts of a series following Redcar les adorables étoiles (prologue) (2022), on which Héloïse Letissier adopted the moniker "Redcar".[1] The album was preceded by the single "To Be Honest", and includes collaborations with Madonna, 070 Shake and Mike Dean.[3]
| Paranoia, Angels, True Love | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 9 June 2023 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 96:49 | |||
| Language |
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| Label | Because | |||
| Producer |
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| Christine and the Queens chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Paranoia, Angels, True Love | ||||
Background edit
Héloïse Letissier called the album "the second part of an operatic gesture" including Redcar les adorables étoiles (prologue) (2022), and noted that it was inspired by "the glorious dramaturgy" of Tony Kushner's play Angels in America (1991). He also called it "a key towards heart-opening transformation, a prayer towards the self".[3]
Critical reception edit
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 7.8/10[7] |
| Metacritic | 81/100[8] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [9] |
| DIY | [1] |
| Evening Standard | [10] |
| The Guardian | [2] |
| The Independent | [11] |
| The Line of Best Fit | 9/10[12] |
| Pitchfork | 6.8/10[13] |
| The Skinny | [14] |
| Slant Magazine | [15] |
| The Telegraph | [16] |
Paranoia, Angels, True Love received a score of 81 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on nine critics' reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[8] Otis Robinson of DIY found that "the record's brilliance lies in an innovative ocean of modern opera, blending elements of soul, pop, trap, R&B, drum 'n' bass and musical theatre", but that the "presence of hip hop producer Mike Dean on the album lends a post-pop sound". He concluded that it is "a far way away from debut Chaleur humaine, yet just as unafraid", and "like no other exploration of grief – a new magnum opus".[1]
Rachel Aroesti of The Guardian described Paranoia, Angels, True Love as a "masterpiece" where the despair of Letissier over the recent death of his mother "sublimated into astonishingly beautiful experimental pop, drenched in warm celestial light, punctured by spikes of confused pain", and produced a work that is "hypnotically melodic, clever, stylish, serious, fun, addictively unexpected and euphorically danceable."[2] Eric Mason of Slant Magazine described the album as "the culmination of the French singer's ambitious approach to pop conventions" as well as "a collection of wiry, introspective songs that break from pop conventions while asserting the life-affirming power of love".[15]
David Smyth of the Evening Standard found Paranoia, Angels, True Love to be "weird and absolutely wonderful" in contrast to the "weird and alienating" Redcar, with "songs of breathtaking beauty" that are a "long way from the smooth, sophisticated electronic pop" of Chaleur humaine.[10] Reviewing the album for The Line of Best Fit, Tanatat Khuttapan opined that it is Letissier's "largest, most ambitious album to date" and "as enthralling and enigmatic as the tales of the mystique, embellished in epic theatrics and artful references", but found that some tracks would work better as "spoken poems [...] due to their slack, unmoving instrumentation".[12]
Helen Brown of The Independent summarised the album as "requiring serious investment on the listener's part" as it is "too long and rambling to bring Christine and the Queens any new fans, or much action on the singles chart. Its self-indulgence may even tire some existing fans. But if you give it time to grow its wings, it can really lift you up."[11] Reviewing the album for AllMusic, Heather Phares compared it less favourably to Letissier's previous work, writing: "As a whole it doesn't feel as rewarding as the diamond-like clarity and brilliance of Chris or La Vita Nuova. Even if it's missing some of the electrifying immediacy of those works, there's a lot of challenging and emotionally powerful music here for fans to appreciate."[9]
Neil McCormick of The Telegraph wrote that "with every new release, the work of Heloise Letissier becomes harder to summarise", finding there to be "many absolutely gorgeous moments" but that "the overwhelming mood is oppressive as it proceeds at a relentlessly mid tempo pace [...], frequently building to bombastic quasi-religious choral electro goth climaxes, with crunching drums, overloaded vocals and wailing lead guitar". He ultimately called it "a lot".[16] Peyton Thomas of Pitchfork summarised that the album is a "raw, dreamlike, 20-song epic that still feels like a first draft" and that for "every stunner" track ("Tears Can Be So Soft", "I Met an Angel" and "True Love"), there is "a head-scratcher" ("Full of Life", "Let Me Touch You" and "Aimer, puis vivre"), comparing the latter set of tracks to Roman marble statues "stripped, over millennia, of their paint" and calling them "not all fully formed, and often crying out for color".[13]
Track listing edit
All lyrics are written by Héloise Letissier
| No. | Title | Music | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Overture" |
| 1:23 | |
| 2. | "Tears Can Be So Soft" |
|
| 5:11 |
| 3. | "Marvin Descending" |
|
| 4:06 |
| 4. | "A Day in the Water" |
|
| 4:01 |
| 5. | "Full of Life" |
|
| 4:32 |
| 6. | "Angels Crying in My Bed" (featuring Madonna) |
|
| 4:26 |
| 7. | "Track 10" |
|
| 11:09 |
| No. | Title | Music | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Overture" (featuring Mike Dean) |
|
| 1:26 |
| 2. | "He's Been Shining for Ever, Your Son" |
|
| 5:01 |
| 3. | "Flowery Days" |
| Christine and the Queens | 3:00 |
| 4. | "I Met an Angel" (featuring Madonna) |
|
| 6:06 |
| 5. | "True Love" (featuring 070 Shake) |
|
| 5:47 |
| 6. | "Let Me Touch You Once" (featuring 070 Shake) |
| Dean | 3:15 |
| 7. | "Aimer, puis vivre" |
| Christine and the Queens | 4:50 |
| No. | Title | Music | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Shine" |
|
| 5:52 |
| 2. | "We Have to Be Friends" |
|
| 4:14 |
| 3. | "Lick the Light Out" (featuring Madonna) |
|
| 6:31 |
| 4. | "To Be Honest" |
|
| 3:41 |
| 5. | "I Feel Like an Angel" |
|
| 4:31 |
| 6. | "Big Eye" |
|
| 7:47 |
| Total length: | 96:49 | |||
Notes edit
- ^[a] signifies an additional producer
Sample credits edit
- "Tears Can Be So Soft" contains a sample of Marvin Gaye's "Feel All My Love Inside", written by Gaye and Leon Ware.[17]
- "Full of Life" contains a sample of Johann Pachelbel's Canon in D.[18]
- "Track 10" contains a sample of Emerson, Lake & Palmer's "Lucky Man", written by Greg Lake.[19]
Charts edit
| Chart (2023) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[20] | 9 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[21] | 9 |
| French Albums (SNEP)[22] | 19 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[23] | 40 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[24] | 7 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[25] | 25 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[26] | 7 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC)[27] | 2 |
| US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[28] | 97 |
| US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[29] | 24 |
References edit
- ^ a b c d Robinson, Otis (8 June 2023). "Christine and the Queens – Paranoia, Angels, True Love review". DIY. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
- ^ a b c Aroesti, Rachel (9 June 2023). "Christine and the Queens: Paranoïa, Angels, True Love review – a grief-stricken masterpiece". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
- ^ a b c Jones, Damian (8 March 2023). "Christine and the Queens announce new album Paranoia, Angels, True Love and share single 'To Be Honest'". NME. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
- ^ Richards, Will (17 April 2023). "Christine & The Queens teams up with 070 Shake on new single 'True Love'". NME. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
- ^ Audrey, Elizabeth (9 May 2023). "Listen to Christine and the Queens' emotive new song 'Tears Can Be So Soft'". NME. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
- ^ Kreps, Daniel (7 June 2023). "Christine and the Queens Spend 'A Day in the Water' on New Song". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
- ^ "Paranoia, Angels, True Love by Christine and the Queens reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
- ^ a b "Paranoia, Angels, True Love by Christine and the Queens Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
- ^ a b Phares, Heather (9 June 2023). "Christine and the Queens – Paranoia, Angels, True Love Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
- ^ a b Smyth, David (8 June 2023). "Christine and the Queens: Paranoia, Angels and True Love album review: songs of breathtaking beauty". Evening Standard. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
- ^ a b Brown, Helen (8 June 2023). "Christine and the Queens, Paranoia, Angels, True Love review: Sometimes heavenly, sometimes testing". The Independent. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
- ^ a b Khuttapan, Tanatat (6 June 2023). "Christine and the Queens: Paranoïa, Angels, True Love Review – an astounding odyssey". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
- ^ a b Thomas, Peyton (14 June 2023). "Christine and the Queens: Paranoia, Angels, True Love Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
- ^ Fitzgerald, Lucy (6 June 2023). "Christine and the Queens – Paranoia, Angels, True Love". The Skinny. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
- ^ a b Mason, Eric (5 June 2023). "Christine and the Queens Paranoïa, Angels, True Love Review: A Multifaceted Manifesto for Love". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
- ^ a b McCormick, Neil (9 June 2023). "Janelle Monáe gets physical, Niall Horan feels the weight of the world – the week's best albums". The Telegraph. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
- ^ Aubrey, Elizabeth (9 May 2023). "Listen to Christine and the Queens' emotive new song 'Tears can be so soft'". NME. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
- ^ Jones, Daisy (8 June 2023). "'My fluidity, my dignity': The radical kingdom of Christine and the Queens". Dazed Digital. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
- ^ "Paranoia, Angels, True Love Credits". Christine and the Queens Website. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Christine and the Queens – Paranoïa, Angels, True Love" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Christine and the Queens – Paranoïa, Angels, True Love" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
- ^ "Top Albums (Week 24, 2023)". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Christine and the Queens – Paranoïa, Angels, True Love" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Christine and the Queens – Paranoïa, Angels, True Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
- ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
- ^ "Christine and the Queens Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^ "Christine and the Queens Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
External links edit
- Paranoia, Angels, True Love at Discogs (list of releases)