Hopelessness (album)

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Hopelessness
Studio album by
Anohni
Released6 May 2016
Genre
Length41:39
Hostess (Japan)
Producer
Anohni chronology
Hopelessness
(2016) 		Paradise
(2017)
Singles from Hopelessness
  1. "4 Degrees"
    Released: 30 November 2015
  2. "Drone Bomb Me"
    Released: 9 March 2016

Hopelessness is the debut solo album by British-American artist

production by Hudson Mohawke and Oneohtrix Point Never,[2] the album departs from the chamber pop style of her previous work, instead exploring an electronic sound and engaging directly with political and environmental themes in the form of protest songs.[3][4]

Hopelessness was released to critical acclaim. It peaked at number 26 on the UK album charts and number 121 in the US. Hopelessness was nominated for a

BRIT Awards
in 2017.

Background and recording

Following her plaintive,

Antony and the Johnsons in the early 2000s, Anohni began developing a radically different "Trojan horse" project that would instead feature a "glossy, plastic sound" while dealing more directly with political and environmental issues.[5] Discussing her decision to move away from her earlier style, she reasoned: "at this point, I really feel like it's all hands on deck. An artist that's fiddle-faddling in opaque, gossamer gestures — I mean it's fine to do that, totally fine, but there's no time left."[5] Conceptualized and recorded over three years, Anohni first began to collaborate with electronic musician Daniel Lopatin,[5] whose work as Oneohtrix Point Never she had previously covered.[6]

Anohni and Lopatin initially speculated on creating "a kind of

New York Times, Anohni explained that "the kind of relentless, exuberant, almost ecstatic positiveness of Hudson's music was the perfect foil for more challenging lyrics than people would be used to hearing from me."[5] Both producers worked on the tracks, with Anohni also taking part in the production process; Mohawke recalled: "she's not just writing these songs. She loves getting in there and twisting stuff up in Pro Tools and chopping stuff up and editing and rearranging. She's permanently finding all of these little magic things that wouldn't have occurred to us."[5] Lopatin stated that "her range is crazy, the ideas are nuts, the movement is wild — you basically don't have to do that much. "[5]

Composition

Hopelessness is an

AIDS epidemic, stating that "rage is a really fun place to dance from—expressions of anger sublimated into something beautiful are invigorating, especially if you feel like you’re telling the truth."[9] Critic Jon Pareles noted that "she comes at her topics from unexpected angles — sometimes identifying with forces of destruction, sometimes mourning their ravages." She attempted to maintain a focus on the personal:

I tried to keep a focus on myself in terms of addressing my complicity in so many of these issues — as a taxpayer, as a consumer, as a passive participant. I got to thinking perhaps as an artist, even as an artist with the best of intentions, that I was kind of a microcosm of the brokenness of the whole system. That within my body I contained the whole conflict.[5]

Commenting on "4 Degrees" in a fan interview earlier in the year, Hegarty had stated that she had "grown tired of grieving for humanity", adding that she felt she "was not being entirely honest by pretending that I am not a part of the problem. '4 Degrees' is kind of a brutal attempt to hold myself accountable, not just valorize my intentions but also reflect on the true impact of my behaviors."[10] The song references projected temperature rise by 2100 and its effect on the extinction of wildlife.[11][12] The song "Obama" depicts disillusionment with the tenure of US President Barack Obama.[9]

Promotion and release

On 23 February 2015, Anohni announced Hopelessness via the Antony and the Johnsons' website and Facebook account. In the announcement, Anohni described the album as "an electronic record with some sharp teeth".[13][14] In a fan interview, Anohni described the upcoming album as "as different as could be from my previous work", adding she was "not sure that many of [those] who prefer the early chamber music style will enjoy it". Characterising it as a "dance / experimental electronic record with quite a dark thematic undertow", she revealed spring 2016 as the release date.[10] On 30 November 2015, Anohni released "4 Degrees", the first song off of Hopelessness, along with an accompanying message: "In solidarity with the climate conference in Paris, giving myself a good hard look, not my aspirations but my behaviors, revealing my insidious complicity. It's a whole new world. Let’s be brave and tell the truth as much as we can."[15][16]

On 9 March 2016, Anohni announced the release of the album's second single "Drone Bomb Me" via Facebook.[17] The song, which premiered on Annie Mac's show on BBC Radio 1 later that day, was accompanied by a music video which she described as "insanely beautiful".[18] As revealed shortly after the announcement on Anohni's Instagram account, the video was directed by Nabil Elderkin and stars English supermodel Naomi Campbell.[19] On the same day, Anohni also revealed that Hopelessness will be released on 6 May 2016, along with the album's track listing.[20][21]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?8.1/10[22]
Metacritic83/100[23]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[24]
The A.V. ClubB+[25]
The Guardian[4]
The Independent[26]
NME4/5[27]
The Observer[28]
Pitchfork9.0/10[29]
Q[30]
Rolling Stone[31]
Spin9/10[32]

Hopelessness was critically acclaimed, as evidenced by its

Spin called the album "a potent political statement," and described the music as "gorgeous, matching the intensity of the subject matter without overwhelming it and giving the appropriate space to ANOHNI’s voice, which remains a glorious instrument."[32] Jenn Pelly of Pitchfork praised the album, stating, "Anohni, HudMo, and OPN meet on an astral plane and construct a sleek salon there, where we can reflect on the current moment and perhaps be spurred to action," calling the album "some of the most accessible and pristinely infectious music that any of these people have made.[29] Writing for NPR, Ann Powers said of the album, "The subject matter on Hopelessness can be grisly — state-sponsored execution, torture, animals expiring in trees — but the music, and Anohni's singing especially, brings the emotional rush of revelation."[33]

Accolades

Publication Accolade Year Rank Ref.
Thump
 		The 33 Best Albums of 2016 2016
1
[34]
Consequence of Sound
 		Top 50 Albums of 2016 2016
5
[35]
The Guardian Albums of the Year 2016
6
[36]
Rough Trade Albums of the Year 2016
6
[37]
New York Times
 		The Best Albums of 2016 2016
8
[38]
Pitchfork The 50 Best Albums of 2016 2016
8
[39]
The 200 Best Albums of the 2010s 2019
48
[40]
NME NME's Albums of the Year 2016 2016
8
[41]
The Skinny Top 50 Albums of 2016 2016
8
[42]
Billboard 50 Best Albums of 2016 2016
16
[43]
Stereogum The 50 Best Albums of 2016 2016
19
[44]
NPR The Best 50 Albums Of 2016 2016
32
[45]
Rolling Stone
 		50 Best Albums of 2016 2016
35
[46]
Paste The 50 Best Albums of 2016 2016
38
[47]
Mojo The 50 Best Albums of 2016 2016
42
[48]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."
Daniel Lopatin
  • Birchard
    • Hudson Mohawke
    • Oneohtrix Point Never
    • Anohni
    		3:51
    3."Watch Me"
    • Anohni
    • Birchard
    • Hudson Mohawke
    • Anohni
    		3:26
    4."Execution"
    • Anohni
    • Birchard
    • Hudson Mohawke
    • Anohni
    		3:38
    5."I Don't Love You Anymore"
    • Anohni
    • Lopatin
    • Oneohtrix Point Never
    • Anohni
    		5:00
    6."Obama"
    • Anohni
    • Lopatin
    • Hudson Mohawke
    • Oneohtrix Point Never
    		4:11
    7."Violent Men"
    • Anohni
    • Lopatin
    • Oneohtrix Point Never
    • Anohni
    		2:10
    8."Why Did You Separate Me from the Earth?"
    • Anohni
    • Birchard
    • Hudson Mohawke
    • Anohni
    		3:36
    9."Crisis"
    • Anohni
    • Lopatin
    • Birchard
    • Hudson Mohawke
    • Oneohtrix Point Never
    • Anohni
    		4:42
    10."Hopelessness"
    • Anohni
    • Lopatin
    		Oneohtrix Point Never3:54
    11."Marrow"
    • Anohni
    • Birchard
    • Hudson Mohawke
    • Anohni
    		3:01
    Total length:41:39

    Personnel

    Charts

    Chart (2016) Peak
    position
    Australian Albums (ARIA)[50] 35
    Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[51] 28
    Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[52] 13
    Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[53] 53
    Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[54] 21
    French Albums (
    SNEP)[55]
    		 48
    German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[56] 29
    Irish Albums (IRMA)[57] 25
    Italian Albums (FIMI)[58] 39
    Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[59] 53
    Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[60] 17
    UK Albums (OCC)[61] 26
    US Billboard 200[62] 121
    US
    Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[63]
    		 8
    US Independent Albums (Billboard)[64] 6
    US
    Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[65]
    		 11

    Year-end charts

    Chart (2016) Position
    Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[66] 151

    References

    1. ^ Pitchfork Staff (8 October 2019). "The 200 Best Albums of the 2010s". Pitchfork. Retrieved 6 May 2023. ...ANOHNI embraces electronic dance music as a compelling vehicle for truth-telling without losing its serrated edge.
    2. ^ a b "Antony Announces New Album HOPELESSNESS, Co-Produced with Oneohtrix Point Never and Hudson Mohawke". Pitchfork Media. 23 February 2015. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
    3. ^ a b c Warner, Andrea. "ANOHNI HOPELESSNESS". Exclaim!. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
    4. ^ a b c Jonze, Tim (5 May 2016). "Anohni: Hopelessness review – the most profound protest record in decades". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
    5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Pareles, Jon (21 April 2016). "Anohni: Embracing a New Name, and Sound". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
    6. Pitchfork Media
      . Retrieved 22 August 2016.
    7. ^ Basweld, Frankie (6 May 2016). "Anohni HOPELESSNESS". The Quietus. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
    8. ^ Partridge, Kenneth (6 May 2016). "Anohni makes pop music for a world about to burst". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
    9. ^
      Pitchfork Media
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    10. ^
      Pitchfork
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    12. ^ "Antony Hegarty's 4 Degrees: a climate change anthem for our doomed planet". the Guardian. 1 December 2015. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
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    25. ^ Partridge, Kenneth (6 May 2016). "Anohni makes pop music for a world about to burst". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
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    28. ^ Empire, Kitty (8 May 2016). "Anohni: Hopelessness review – a radical album for a time of crisis". The Observer. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
    29. ^ a b Pelly, Jenn (5 May 2016). "ANOHNI: HOPELESSNESS". Pitchfork. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
    30. ^ Harrison, Ian (June 2016). "Voice of Dissent". Q (359): 116.
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