Spark is the third studio album by American rock duo Whitney. It was released on September 16, 2022, on Secretly Canadian.[8]

Spark
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 26, 2022 (2022-09-26)
StudioSonic Ranch, Tornillo, Texas
Length38:18
LabelSecretly Canadian
Producer
Whitney chronology
Candid
(2020)
Spark
(2022)
Singles from Spark
  1. "Real Love"
    Released: June 16, 2022
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic64/100[1]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Clash7/10[3]
Exclaim!7/10[4]
The Line of Best Fit7/10[5]
Pitchfork5.8/10[6]
Under the Radar7.5/10[7]

Background

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In the fall of 2019, band members Julian Ehrlich and Max Kakacek left Chicago for Portland, Oregon, after they both had recently gone through breakups. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they stayed in a rented house in Portland longer than expected, where they began working on what would become Spark.[8][9] They wrote the album in Portland over the course of 14 months.[10] It was recorded at Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, Texas.[7]

The album is noted for its classic pop sound, rather than the duo's previous folk-soul sound.[9][11] Kakacek described it as "trying to make music that sounds like the early 2000s," with influences including Usher, Ne-Yo, and Gwen Stefani.[8] The album was produced by Brad Cook and John Congleton.[8]

The album was announced on June 16, 2022, along with the release of the single "Real Love".[11] On September 29, 2022, the band began a North American and European tour in support of the album.[11]

Track listing

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Spark track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Nothing Remains"3:00
2."Back Then"2:29
3."Blue"3:05
4."Twirl"4:32
5."Real Love"2:56
6."Memory"3:53
7."Self"2:40
8."Never Crossed My Mind"3:25
9."Terminal"3:11
10."Heart Will Beat"2:51
11."Lost Control"2:48
12."County Lines"3:22
Total length:38:18

Charts

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Chart performance for Spark
Chart (2022) Peak
position
US Top Current Album Sales (Billboard)[12] 91

References

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  1. ^ "Critic Reviews for Spark by Whitney". Metacritic. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  2. ^ Donelson, Marcy. "Spark Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  3. ^ "Whitney - SPARK". Clash. 14 September 2022. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  4. ^ Sylvester, Daniel (14 September 2022). "Whitney Find Their 'SPARK' in Slick Studio Experimentation". Exclaim!. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  5. ^ Kuscher, Oliver (16 September 2022). "Whitney reignite their Spark". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  6. ^ Howe, Brian (19 September 2022). "Whitney: SPARK". Pitchfork. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  7. ^ a b Moody, Mark (14 September 2022). "Whitney: SPARK". Under the Radar. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  8. ^ a b c d Cohen, Jonathan (12 September 2022). "Whitney's 2000s-Era Pop Inspirations Hit Just Right On Spark". Spin. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  9. ^ a b Covington, Abigail (16 September 2022). "The Beautiful Bromance That Is Whitney". Esquire. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  10. ^ Xie, Teresa (16 September 2022). "The Story Behind Every Song On Whitney's New Album SPARK". Stereogum. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  11. ^ a b c Corcoran, Nina (16 June 2022). "Whitney Announce New Album Spark and Tour, Share New Song". Pitchfork. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  12. ^ "Whitney Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved June 16, 2023.