Fin (Syd album)

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Fin
Studio album by
Syd
ReleasedFebruary 3, 2017
Recorded2015–16
Studio
  • The Loft
  • Haze's Room
  • McCadden Enterprises
  • Rahki's Room
Genre
Length37:11
LabelColumbia
Producer
Syd chronology
Fin
(2017) 		Always Never Home
(2017)
Singles from Fin
  1. "All About Me"
    Released: January 11, 2017
  2. "Body"
    Released: January 24, 2017

Fin is the debut studio album by American R&B singer Syd. It was released on February 3, 2017, by Columbia Records.

Background[edit]

After Ego Death, the members of the Internet decided that they would venture on solo projects to flesh out their individual styles.[1] When speaking about what the album would entail, Syd stated:

"This album is not that deep, but I feel like this is my descent into the depth I want the band to get to... For me, this is like an in-between thing — maybe get a song on the radio, maybe make some money, have some new shit to perform."[2]

The album has a more pop-influenced feel in comparison to her output with the Internet. However, Syd states that she has always been influenced by pop, and that the album is inspired by popular artists from her time, including Usher and Brandy.[3] Influences of trap also appear throughout,[4] most notably on the single "All About Me".[5]

"All About Me" was released as Fin's lead single on January 11, 2017. A music video for the song was released a day earlier on Syd's Vevo page.[6] On January 24, "Body" was released as the album's second single. The song's audio was also released on the singer's Vevo page.[7]

Release and reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.7/10[8]
Metacritic81/100[9]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[10]
Clash8/10[11]
Exclaim!8/10[12]
The Guardian[13]
The Line of Best Fit8/10[14]
The New Zealand Herald[15]
Pitchfork8.1/10[16]
PopMatters8/10[17]
State4/5[18]
Vice (Expert Witness)A−[19]

Fin was released by Columbia Records on February 3, 2017, to widespread critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 81, based on 10 reviews.[9] Reviewing Fin for NPR, Lars Gotrich wrote that Syd "has an affinity for the '90s R&B singers who kept their emotions open and voices close, like Aaliyah (see 'Know') or the ladies in TLC ('Smile More', 'Nothin' To Somethin'') — embracing the limitations of their range, but finding the core of the performance via self-styled confidence".[2][20] In Vice, Robert Christgau found the singer distinct from contemporary R&B's "voice-plus-sound" aesthetic, particularly because of her "soft and slender" voice, "her brave sighs and whispers", and "how easily her voice carries this music unaugmented by her former guitar and drum kit". He appreciated her themes of financial success and especially love, while naming "Dollar Bills" the album's highlight.[19]

Accolades[edit]

Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
Complex 50 Best Albums of 2017
11
[21]
Exclaim! Exclaim!'s Top 10 Soul and R&B Albums of 2017
9
[22]
Highsnobiety Top 25 Albums of 2017
24
[23]
The Independent Top 30 Albums of 2017
8
[24]
The Line of Best Fit Top 50 Albums of 2017
19
[25]
Okayplayer Top 15 Albums of 2017
15
[26]
Pitchfork The 50 Best Albums of 2017
36
[27]
Thrillist Top 40 Albums of 2017
4
[28]

Track listing[edit]

Fin track listing
No.TitleLyricsMusicProducer(s)Length
1."Shake Em Off"
Hit-Boy3:00
2."Know"
  • Green
  • Rose Marie Tan
  • Syd
  • Eaholtz
  • Tan
  • Green
  • Bennett
  • Michael Davidson
Green3:35
3."No Complaints"SydBennettSyd1:13
4."Nothin to Somethin"SydBennettSyd3:29
5."All About Me"Syd
Lacy3:31
6."Smile More"SydBennettSyd4:01
7."Got Her Own"
  • Syd
  • Green
3:06
8."Drown in It"
  • Syd
  • Green
  • Kilhoffer
  • JGramm
1:10
9."Body"
  • Syd
  • Green
  • Tan
MeLo-X4:22
10."Dollar Bills" (featuring Steve Lacy)
  • Syd
  • Lacy
3:08
11."Over" (featuring 6lack)
  • Syd
  • Green
  • Bennett
  • Eaholtz
  • Muhammad
HazeBanga3:11
12."Insecurities"
Rahki3:25

Personnel[edit]

Musicians

  • Syd – vocals
  • Michael Davidson – additional keyboards (track 2)
  • Rose Marie Tan – background vocals (tracks 2, 9)
  • Nick Green – background vocals (tracks 2, 12)
  • Lamont Savor – guitar (track 6)
  • Steve Lacy – guitar (track 10)
  • Rahki – bass, drum programming (track 12)
  • Brent Faiyaz – background vocals (track 12)
  • Keith Askey – guitar (track 12)
  • Robert Glasper – piano (track 12)

Technical

  • Colin Leonard – mastering
  • Fabian Marasciullo – mixing
  • Syd – recording (tracks 1–6, 9–11)
  • Todd Cooper – recording (track 7)
  • Anthony Kilhoffer – recording (track 8)
  • Stuart Schenck – recording (track 12)
  • McCoy Socalgargoyle – recording assistance

Visuals

  • Justin Brown – photography

Charts[edit]

Chart (2017) Peak
position
New Zealand Heatseekers Albums (RMNZ)[29] 10
US Billboard 200[30] 75
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[31] 32

References[edit]

  1. ^ "The Internet Win Alone, Together". thefader.com. Archived from the original on 4 February 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2017.
  2. ^ a b "Syd's Solo Debut 'Fin' Can Smoke Out The Quiet Storm". npr.org. Archived from the original on 3 February 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2017.
  3. ^ "Listen to Syd's Debut Solo Album 'Fin'". pigeonsandplanes.com. Archived from the original on 3 February 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2017.
  4. ^ "Syd's Fin Is More Than Just an Internet Side Project". Vulture. Archived from the original on 2 March 2017. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
  5. ^ "Syd 'Fin' Cheat Code Album Review - DJBooth Article". DJBooth.net. Archived from the original on 2017-05-17. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
  6. ^ ""All About Me" by Syd Review | Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. Archived from the original on 27 April 2017. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
  7. ^ "Syd Shares Steamy New Single, 'Body'". NPR.org. Archived from the original on 23 March 2017. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
  8. ^ "Fin by Syd reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Archived from the original on March 5, 2017. Retrieved March 4, 2017.
  9. ^ a b "Reviews for Fin by Syd". Metacritic. Archived from the original on February 21, 2017. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
  10. ^ Kellman, Andy. "Fin – Syd". AllMusic. Archived from the original on March 3, 2017. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
  11. ^ Kalia, Ammar (February 9, 2017). "Syd – Fin". Clash. Archived from the original on March 5, 2017. Retrieved March 4, 2017.
  12. ^ Patrick, Ryan B. (February 2, 2017). "Syd: Fin". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on March 5, 2017. Retrieved March 4, 2017.
  13. ^ Aroesti, Rachel (February 16, 2017). "Syd: Fin review – subtly tearing up the R&B playbook". The Guardian. Retrieved March 4, 2017.
  14. ^ Killin, James (February 8, 2017). "Syd displays an exquisite ear for balance and aggregation on solo debut Fin". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on September 25, 2020. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  15. ^ "Album review: Syd, 'Fin'". The New Zealand Herald. February 16, 2017. Archived from the original on March 3, 2017. Retrieved March 4, 2017.
  16. ^ Frank, Alex (February 8, 2017). "Syd: Fin". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on March 5, 2017. Retrieved March 4, 2017.
  17. ^ Pontecorvo, Adriane (February 7, 2017). "Syd: Fin". PopMatters. Archived from the original on March 5, 2017. Retrieved March 4, 2017.
  18. ^ Keogh, Stephen (February 21, 2017). "Syd – Fin". State. Archived from the original on February 22, 2017. Retrieved March 4, 2017.
  19. ^ a b Christgau, Robert (March 3, 2017). "On Syd's Depth and Resonance: Expert Witness with Robert Christgau". Vice. Archived from the original on June 2, 2017. Retrieved March 4, 2017.
  20. ^ "Syd's Fin Is A Cool, Confident, Sexy Solo Debut". MTV. Archived from the original on 3 February 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2017.
  21. ^ Scott, Damien; Speiser, Rebecca (December 7, 2017). "The Best Albums of 2017". Complex.com. Archived from the original on June 23, 2018. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
  22. ^ "Exclaim!'s Top 10 Soul and R&B Albums". Exclaim!. Nov 30, 2017. Archived from the original on January 6, 2018. Retrieved Jan 5, 2018.
  23. ^ Boyer, Jake (December 14, 2017). "The 25 Best Albums of 2017". Highsnobiety.com. Archived from the original on December 15, 2017. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
  24. ^ O'Connor, Roison (November 27, 2018). "The 30 Best Albums of 2017". Independent.co.uk. Archived from the original on November 28, 2017. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
  25. ^ "The Best Albums of 2017". Thelineofbestfit.com. December 14, 2017. Archived from the original on February 25, 2019. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
  26. ^ "Best Albums of 2017". Okayplayer.com. December 18, 2017. Archived from the original on December 22, 2018. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
  27. ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2017". Pitchfork. December 12, 2017. Archived from the original on December 12, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  28. ^ Jackson, Dan (December 21, 2017). "Best Albums of 2017". Thrillist.com. Archived from the original on December 27, 2019. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
  29. ^ "NZ Heatseekers Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. February 13, 2017. Archived from the original on February 11, 2017. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
  30. ^ "Syd Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  31. ^ "Syd Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2017.
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