Death of a Cheerleader (album)
| Death of a Cheerleader | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 25, 2021 | |||
| Genre | Indie rock | |||
| Label | City Slang | |||
| Producer | Sarah Tudzin | |||
| Pom Pom Squad chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Death of a Cheerleader | ||||
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Death of a Cheerleader is an album by Pom Pom Squad.
Background[edit]
Musically, Berrin pulled inspiration from riot grrrl bands, 60's girl groups, Billie Holiday, and Motown.[1][2][3] The title of "Second That" is a nod to the Smokey Robinson hit, "I Second That Emotion."[3]
Berrin cited feelings of isolation as a person of color in the music industry as an inspiration for Death of a Cheerleader, stating that "I wanted to define myself in different terms than other people defined me."[4] Berrin also took inspiration from the realization that she is queer, describing many of the songs as having been inspired by someone who taught her "a lot about my queerness and the space that it occupies inside of me."[5] As she describes in an interview for The Village Voice:
...I have always played with this cheerleader archetype since I started [Pom Pom Squad]. I was growing up in these predominantly white neighborhoods. The young women with the most value were beautiful athletic popular cheerleaders. I was aspiring to, 1) an impossible standard, 2) a white standard, and 3) something that I didn’t even want, which was the validation and attention of the dudes around me. When I fell in love and realized that I didn’t want that at all, it just changed everything about me.[6]
Critical reception[edit]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 7.9/10[7] |
| Metacritic | 87/100[8] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Clash | 9/10[9] |
| The Line of Best Fit | 9/10[10] |
| Paste | 8.7/10[11] |
| Pitchfork | 6.9/10[2] |
| The Upcoming |   [12] |
Upon its release, Death of a Cheerleader received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 87, which indicates "universal acclaim", based on 7 reviews.[8]
Rachel Saywitz in The Line of Best Fit claims the Pom Pom Squad "subvert expectations, all the while converting the pain points of adolescence and the boredom of high school suburbia into whimsical fantasy."[10]
In a review published in Consequence, Paolo Ragusa writes that "Mia Berrin solidifies her place among the newest class of indie stalwart songwriters, carving out this space in a fearless and vulnerable way."[13]
"Equally indebted to pioneering girl groups as well as her punk heroes, the album is a fiery and compelling—albeit slightly uneven—exploration of love, anger, and coming-of-age," writes Abby Jones for Pitchfork.[2]
Accolades[edit]
| Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paste | The 50 Best Albums of 2021 | 44
|
Track listing[edit]
All tracks are written by Mia Berrin, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Soundcheck" | 0:51 | |
| 2. | "Head Cheerleader" | 3:08 | |
| 3. | "Crying" | 3:09 | |
| 4. | "Second That" | 2:32 | |
| 5. | "Cake" | Henson Popa, Berrin | 1:48 |
| 6. | "Lux" | 1:39 | |
| 7. | "Crimson + Clover" | Tommy James, Peter Lucia | 2:03 |
| 8. | "Red with Love" | 2:28 | |
| 9. | "Forever" | Berrin, Garret Chabot | 3:10 |
| 10. | "Shame Reactions" | Shelby Keller, Berrin | 1:32 |
| 11. | "Drunk Voicemail" | 3:29 | |
| 12. | "This Couldn't Happen" | Lionel Newman, Dorcas Cochran | 1:26 |
| 13. | "Be Good" | 2:36 | |
| 14. | "Thank You and Goodnight" | 0:23 | |
| Total length: | 30:21 | ||
Personnel[edit]
Pom Pom Squad
- Mia Berrin – vocals
- Mari Alé Figeman – bass
- Shelby Keller – drums and percussion
- Alex Mercuri – lead guitar
Additional musicians
- Em Sgouros – vibraphone (1, 12, 13)
- Tegan Quin – guest vocals (2)
- Spencer Peppet – additional vocals (3, 7, 9, 12)
- Henson Popa – additional vocals (5, 7)
- Lydia Paulos – cello (3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 13)
- Camellia Hartman – violin (3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 13)
- Lizzie No – Harp (3, 8, 9, 12, 13)
- Sarah Tudzin – additional programming, additional guitar (7) additional keys (3, 4)
- Noah Weinman – horns (13)
References[edit]
- ^ "Death of a Cheerleader". Bandcamp. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
- ^ a b c Jones, Abby (June 30, 2021). "Pom Pom Squad: Death of a Cheerleader Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
- ^ a b "About Pom Pom Squad". Pom Pom Squad - Official Website. Archived from the original on June 28, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- ^ Campbell, Erica (June 22, 2021). "Pom Pom Squad explore the teenage experience on their upcoming album". AltPress. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
- ^ Spanos, Brittany (June 25, 2021). "Pom Pom Squad's Teen Spirit". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
- ^ Callwood, Brett (August 5, 2021). "Ra, Ra, Ra: The Pom Pom Squad Kill Their Inner Cheerleader". The Village Voice. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
- ^ "Death Of A Cheerleader by Pom Pom Squad reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
- ^ a b "Death of a Cheerleader by Pom Pom Squad Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
- ^ Waterhouse, Chloe (June 27, 2021). "Pom Pom Squad - Death Of A Cheerleader". Clash. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
- ^ a b Saywitz, Rachel (June 24, 2021). "On Death of a Cheerleader Pom Pom Squad dig into the joy and rage of teen life". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
- ^ Martin, Clare (June 24, 2021). "Pom Pom Squad Create a Cinematic Masterpiece with Death of a Cheerleader". Paste. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
- ^ Wall, Jessica (June 21, 2021). "Pom Pom Squad – Death of a Cheerleader". The Upcoming. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
- ^ Ragusa, Paolo (June 24, 2021). "Pom Pom Squad Assemble a Winning Debut Album in Death of a Cheerleader". Consequence. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
- ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2021". Paste. November 29, 2021. Archived from the original on November 29, 2021. Retrieved November 30, 2021.