Extreme (Molly Nilsson album)
| Extreme | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 15 January 2022 | |||
| Recorded | 2019–2020 | |||
| Studio | Lighthouse Studios, Berlin | |||
| Genre | Synth-pop | |||
| Length | 41:31 | |||
| Label |
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| Producer | Molly Nilsson | |||
| Molly Nilsson chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Extreme | ||||
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Extreme is the ninth studio album by Swedish singer-songwriter Molly Nilsson, released on 15 January 2022.
Background[edit]
Regarding the album's title, Nilsson gave the following explanation:
I was thinking about the title Extreme right after I'd made Twenty Twenty. At the time, I just thought that it was kind of a fun title—a good working title to [remind myself to] be playful and not hold myself back. It turned into thinking of 'extremes' in this black-and-white, polarized society, and the struggles between all the different sides and all these different ways of thinking.[1]
Production[edit]
After the release of her previous album 2020, Nilsson went through a period of "creative depression".[1] Extreme was then "largely written" in 2019 and "mainly recorded" in 2020.[2]
Themes[edit]
Power has been noted as the central topic on Extreme.[3][4] In the album's promotional material, label Night School Records wrote: "It's a record about power. About how to fight it, how to take it and how to share it."[5]
Promotion[edit]
"Absolute Power" was released as the album's first single on 12 October 2021, along with a music video.[6] "Pompeii" was released as the album's second music video on 22 November 2021.[7]
Release[edit]
The album was released on vinyl, CD, and as a digital download.[8]
Critical reception[edit]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [9] |
| Crack | 7/10[10] |
| Loud and Quiet | 6/10[11] |
| Mindies | 8.6/10[12] |
| Musikexpress | [13] |
| Norman Records | [14] |
| Spectrum Culture | 7.5/10[3] |
Extreme received critical acclaim.[15] In a positive review, Tim Sendra of AllMusic called Extreme "both Nilsson's most interesting album and a striking reboot", citing her experimentation with "new moods" and “new genres".[9] Jana-Maria Mayer of German Musikexpress characterized the album as a "romantic indictment of the Anthropocene" and praised Nilsson's songwriting.[13]
Sophia McDonald of Loud and Quiet, in a mixed-to-positive review, considered Extreme "an LP that is generally surprising in its trajectory" and noted its "nostalgic fun", but criticized it for a lack of "closeness" and "intimacy" to Nilsson in comparison with earlier works.[11]
The closing track "Pompeii" was highlighted by Raphael Helfand of The Fader as a "happy-sad classic" that serves as a "rallying cry for resilience in the face of impossible odds".[2] The track was also praised by German Musikexpress.[13]
Track listing[edit]
All tracks are written by Molly Nilsson.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Absolute Power" | 3:49 |
| 2. | "Earth Girls" | 4:11 |
| 3. | "Fearless Like a Child" | 4:02 |
| 4. | "Kids Today" | 4:04 |
| 5. | "Intermezzo: The Wheel of Fortune" | 3:36 |
| 6. | "Sweet Smell of Success" | 4:20 |
| 7. | "Obnoxiously Talented" | 3:38 |
| 8. | "Avoid Heaven" | 3:37 |
| 9. | "Take Me to Your Leader" | 3:01 |
| 10. | "They Will Pay" | 2:42 |
| 11. | "Pompeii" | 4:31 |
| Total length: | 41:31 | |
References[edit]
- ^ a b Blair, Ed (24 January 2022). "Where to Start Exploring the Dazzling World of Molly Nilsson". Bandcamp. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
- ^ a b Helfand, Raphael (18 January 2022). "Molly Nilsson fights the power on Extreme". The Fader. Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
- ^ a b Pinfold, Will (12 June 2022). "Molly Nilsson: Extreme". Spectrum Culture. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
- ^ Möller, Christoph (15 January 2022). "Pop-Hymnen über falsch verteilte Macht: "Extreme" von Molly Nilsson". Deutschlandfunk (in German). Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
- ^ "Molly Nilsson: Extreme | Night School Records". Archived from the original on 10 July 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
- ^ Darville, Jordan (12 October 2021). "Molly Nilsson reveals new album Extreme, shares "Absolute Power"". The Fader. Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
- ^ Darville, Jordan (22 November 2021). "Molly Nilsson shares new song/video "Pompeii"". The Fader. Archived from the original on 1 December 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
- ^ "Extreme, by Molly Nilsson". Molly Nilsson. Archived from the original on 16 July 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
- ^ a b Sendra, Tim. "Extreme Review by Tim Sendra". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 31 July 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
- ^ O'Neill, Lauren (27 January 2022). "Molly Nilsson: 'Extreme' review". Crack. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
- ^ a b McDonald, Sophia (10 January 2022). "Molly Nilsson - Extreme - Album Review". Loud and Quiet. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
- ^ Rivas, Noé R. (18 January 2022). "Reseñamos el nuevo disco de Molly Nilsson". Mindies (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 September 2023.
- ^ a b c Mayer, Jana-Maria (28 January 2022). "Review: Molly Nilsson - Extreme". Musikexpress (in German). Archived from the original on 17 March 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
- ^ Mikardo-Greaves, Fred (27 May 2022). "Molly Nilsson - 'Extreme': Reviews". Norman Records. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
- ^ "ByteFM - Molly Nilsson". ByteFM (in German). Archived from the original on September 29, 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2023.