Heterosexuality
A photo of the artist sat on a stool in the middle of a room with blue walls and a dingy concrete floor.
Studio album by
Shamir
ReleasedFebruary 11, 2022 (2022-02-11)
Genre
Length37:24
LabelAntiFragile Music
ProducerHollow Comet
Shamir chronology
Shamir
(2020)		 Heterosexuality
(2022)		 Homo Anxietatem
(2023)
Singles from Heterosexuality
  1. "Gay Agenda"
    Released: October 12, 2021[1]
  2. "Cisgender"
    Released: November 9, 2021[2]
  3. "Reproductive"
    Released: January 13, 2022[3]
  4. "Caught Up"
    Released: February 8, 2022[4]

Heterosexuality is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Shamir. It was released on February 11, 2022, by AntiFragile Music.[5][6]

Composition

Heterosexuality is an industrial,[6][7] synth-pop,[5] avant-garde pop,[8] noise pop,[9] indie rock,[10] shoegaze,[11] and lo-fi[11] album with influences from R&B,[12] dream pop[13] alternative rock,[10] alt-pop,[12] industrial rap,[6] new jack swing,[6] tropicália,[6] bossa nova,[6] lounge pop,[12] and art punk.[13]

Lyrically, the album's ten tracks tell a narrative cycle, beginning with a trio of songs about "aggressive nonconformity as a political statement". On "Stability", Shamir expresses how that fight can take a toll and "unearths traumas, both universal ones and his own unique struggles". The album then "moves into a false, saccharine golden hour" with lyrics about "helplessness hardening into nihilism". On the last two songs, Shamir "entertains the slightest possibility of hope" and the fight returns.[14]

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.7/10[15]
Metacritic79/100[16]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[12]
The A.V. ClubB[6]
DIY[17]
Exclaim!9/10[14]
The Line of Best Fit8/10[8]
Loud and Quiet8/10[18]
MusicOMH[10]
Pitchfork6.5[7]
Rolling Stone[9]
The Skinny[19]

According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Heterosexuality received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 79 out of 100 from 13 critic scores.[16] AnyDecentMusic? has an average of 7.7 of 10 from 14 ratings.[15]

AllMusic's Heather Phares says "While its seeming contradictions make it a slightly more challenging listen than Shamir was, Heterosexuality acknowledges how complicated just existing can be with the wit, creativity, and unguarded emotions that have been a vital part of Shamir's music since the beginning."[12] The A.V. Club's Max Freedman writes "Now that [Shamir]'s growing to love himself, he can finally start loving other people anew, too. It's been a long time coming, but Heterosexuality is an engaging way for it to arrive."[6] DIY's Ben Tipple says the album "provides space for a poignant message, one that supersedes outdated expectations."[17] Exclaim!'s Rachel Kelly writes that "Shamir is economical with this album — not a bar or lyric is wasted, every moment is carefully curated to hit exactly where it needs to. This precision is why the album works so beautifully. Heterosexuality captivates and transports the listener, making an ethereal landscape out of dissonance and nihilism. It never repeats itself, it does not stutter, and it absolutely never apologizes."[14]

The Line of Best Fit's Sam Franzini says "Heterosexuality is an interesting title choice for an album for which norm-subverting is wholly within the music; it'd be like Björk titling an album Disco. But this album has it all, and listeners who crave forward-thinking, statement-making pop will find homes with "Gay Agenda", "Cisgender", and "Abomination", while those less involved can relax with the jams of "Cold Brew", "Nuclear", and "Stability"".[8] Loud and Quiet's Guia Cortassa writes that "there's more than enough to be mesmerised by in the multifaceted talent of this chameleonic artist."[18] Pitchfork's Peyton Thomas says the album "stands as a powerful alternative to the zero-calorie pride anthems that pepper the pop charts every June."[7]

Year-end lists

Heterosexuality on year-end lists
Publication # Ref.
Billboard 47 [20]
PopMatters 50 [21]
Sound Opinions
(Jim DeRogatis)		 20 [22]
Sound Opinions
(Greg Kot)		 18 [22]
Treble 42 [23]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Shamir

Heterosexuality track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Gay Agenda"2:48
2."Cisgender"5:05
3."Abomination"2:43
4."Stability"3:10
5."Caught Up"3:23
6."Father"3:57
7."Cold Brew"3:48
8."Marriage"3:21
9."Reproductive"4:35
10."Nuclear"4:27
Total length:37:24

Personnel

  • Shamir Bailey – vocals, guitar (2, 4–6, 8–10), bass (4, 5, 8–10)
  • Hollow Comet – producer, guitar (2, 5, 8, 9)
  • Justin Tailor – mixing engineer
  • Ryan Schwabe – mastering engineer
  • Kyle Pulley – recording engineer (2, 4, 5, 7–10)
  • Danny Murillo – assistant recording engineer (4, 5, 7–10), drums (4, 5, 9, 10), bass (10), Rhodes piano (10)
  • Eric Bogacz – vocal producer (1, 2, 7)

References

  1. ↑ Minsker, Evan (October 12, 2021). "Watch Shamir's Video for New Song "Gay Agenda"". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Shamir Announces New Album Heterosexuality, Shares "Cisgender" Video". Pitchfork. November 9, 2021. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  3. ↑ Mier, Tomás (January 13, 2022). "Shamir Breaks the Chains of a Past Life in Lo-Fi "Reproductive" Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  4. ↑ Arnone, Joey (February 8, 2022). "Shamir Shares New Single "Caught Up"". Under the Radar. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  5. 1 2 Piatkowski, Peter (February 11, 2022). "Shamir Thrills With New Album Heterosexuality". PopMatters. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Freedman, Max (February 10, 2022). "Shamir braves industrial beats—and his trauma—on the remarkable Heterosexuality". The A.V. Club. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  7. 1 2 3 Thomas, Peyton (February 15, 2022). "Shamir: Heterosexuality Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  8. 1 2 3 Franzini, Sam (March 4, 2022). "Heterosexuality shows Shamir at the top of his creative game". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  9. 1 2 Lopez, Julyssa (February 14, 2022). "Shamir Rejects Expectations and Embraces Messiness on Heterosexuality". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  10. 1 2 3 Devlin, Ben (February 11, 2022). "Shamir - Heterosexuality". MusicOMH. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  11. 1 2 Unterberger, Andrew (June 6, 2022). "Best Albums of 2022 So Far: Staff Picks". Billboard. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 Phares, Heather. "Heterosexuality - Shamir". AllMusic. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  13. 1 2 Watkins, Michael (February 14, 2022). "Shamir - Heterosexuality Review". Under the Radar. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  14. 1 2 3 Kelly, Rachel (February 9, 2022). "Shamir's Heterosexuality Is Unapologetic". Exclaim!. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  15. 1 2 "Heterosexuality by Shamir reviews". AnyDecentMusic. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  16. 1 2 "Heterosexuality by Shamir Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  17. 1 2 Tipple, Ben (February 9, 2022). "Shamir - Heterosexuality". DIY. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  18. 1 2 Cortassa, Guia (February 7, 2022). "Shamir - Heterosexuality". Loud and Quiet. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  19. ↑ Younes, Nadia (February 7, 2022). "Shamir album review: Heterosexuality". The Skinny. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  20. ↑ Lynch, Joe (December 6, 2022). "The 50 Best Albums of 2022". Billboard. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  21. ↑ Piatkowski, Peter (December 6, 2022). "The 80 Best Albums of 2022". PopMatters. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  22. 1 2 "Sound Opinions #889: The Best Albums of 2022, Plus RIP Christine McVie". December 9, 2022. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
  23. ↑ Langdon, Hickman (December 5, 2022). "The 50 Best Albums of 2022". Treble. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
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