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22, A Million

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22, A Million
Studio album by
Bon Iver
ReleasedSeptember 30, 2016 (2016-09-30)
Recorded2012–2016
StudioApril Base (Eau Claire)
Genre
Length34:10
LabelJagjaguwar
Producer
Bon Iver chronology
iTunes Session
(2012) 		22, A Million
(2016) 		I, I
(2019)
Singles from 22, A Million
  1. "22 (Over Soon)" / "10 dEAThbREasT"
    Released: August 15, 2016
  2. "33 "God""
    Released: August 29, 2016

22, A Million is the third studio album by American indie folk band Bon Iver, released on September 30, 2016.[3] Recorded in lead member Justin Vernon's April Base studio in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, the album marks a major shift in the band's sound and incorporates elements of electronic music and hip hop production influenced by Vernon's prior work with Kanye West. Most of the lyricism concerns Bon Iver's rise in popularity and how Vernon's relationship with the world has changed as a result.

22, A Million first premiered at Vernon's Eaux Claires Music Festival, and upon release the album debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200, receiving widespread acclaim from critics who praised its original sound and colorful lyricism. Several publications, including Pitchfork, Rolling Stone and The Guardian, listed 22, A Million as one of the best albums of 2016. It also received nominations for Best Alternative Music Album and Best Recording Package at the 2017 Grammy Awards. In 2019, Pitchfork and Rolling Stone included it in their list of best albums of the decade, at number 91 and 47, respectively.

Background

[edit]

22, A Million is composed of songs written and produced from 2012 to 2016. It makes extensive use of samples, synths and brass instruments. Many of the sounds on the record were created and manipulated using a Teenage Engineering OP-1 synthesizer, along with a harmonizer designed for the band by engineer and producer Chris Messina.

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?8.5/10[4]
Metacritic87/100[5]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[6]
The A.V. ClubB+[7]
The Daily Telegraph[8]
Entertainment WeeklyB[9]
The Guardian[10]
The Independent[11]
NME4/5[1]
Pitchfork9.0/10[12]
Q[13]
Rolling Stone[14]

22, A Million received acclaim from critics, garnering a score of 87 out of 100 on Metacritic, signifying "universal acclaim" based on 41 critic reviews.[5] Writing for Pretty Much Amazing, Peter Tabakis praised the album in his review, giving it an A, and remarking, "Not since Kid A has an album so superb pushed away and pulled closer its audience, simultaneously and with such aplomb."[15] In his review for Rolling Stone, Will Hermes opined, "Vernon remains an oblique lyricist, but the knottiness can be compelling." It gave it four stars out of five.[14] Paul Bridgewater of The Line of Best Fit awarded the record full marks, writing that "22, A Million captures personal crisis and resolution better than any album this century".[16] Writing for No Depression, John Amen commented that 22, A Million "integrates the high points of Bon Iver's first three recordings ... his most focused and ambitious permutation to date."[17]

Accolades

[edit]
Critical accolades received by 22, A Million
Publication Accolade Year Rank Ref.
Mojo The 50 Best Albums of 2016 2016
16
[18]
NME NME's Albums of the Year 2016 2016
50
[19]
NPR Best 50 Albums of 2016 2016
5
[20]
Paste The 50 Best Albums of 2016 2016
9
[21]
Pitchfork The 50 Best Albums of 2016 2016
12
[22]
The 20 Best Rock Albums of 2016 2016 —
[23]
The 200 Best Albums of the 2010s 2019
91
[24]
The Quietus Albums of the Year 2016 2016
88
[25]
Rolling Stone 50 Best Albums of 2016 2016
22
[26]
The 100 Best Albums of the 2010s 2019
47
[27]
Rough Trade Albums of the Year 2016
51
[28]
The Skinny Top 50 Albums of 2016 2016
3
[29]
Stereogum The 50 Best Albums of 2016 2016
15
[30]
Variance 50 Best Albums of 2016 2016
5
[31]

Commercial performance

[edit]

22, A Million debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 with 71,000 units, of which 58,000 were traditional album sales. It was the highest-selling album of the week.[32]

Track listing

[edit]
No.TitleWriter(s)Alternate titleLength
1."22 Over Soon"Justin Vernon22 (OVER S∞∞N)2:48
2."10 Death Breast"
10 d E A T h b R E a s T ⊠ ⊠2:24
3."715 Creeks"Vernon715 - CRΣΣKS2:12
4."33 'God' "Vernon33 "GOD"3:33
5."29 Strafford Apts"
  • Vernon
  • Burton
29 #Strafford APTS4:05
6."666 Upside Down Cross"Vernon666 ʇ4:12
7."21 Moon Water"
21 M♢♢N WATER3:08
8."8 Circle"
8 (circle)5:09
9."45"
  • Vernon
  • Lewis
____45_____2:46
10."00000 Million"
  • Vernon
  • Lewis
 3:53
Total length:34:10

Sample credits

Personnel

[edit]
  • Justin Vernon – "Maker", OP-1, guitar, Prophet, bass guitar, drums, M1, Messina
  • Chris Messina – "Maker's Maker"
  • BJ Burton – "Noble Black Eagle", C1 programming (track 6), C2 programming (track 6), saxophone (track 7), programming (track 8)
  • Ryan Olson – "Scream Defence", MIDI capture piano (track 1), sampler (track 7), field recorder (track 7)
  • Camilla Stavely Taylor – "Trust Ear", voices (track 7)
  • Brad Cook – "Wings"
  • Zach Hanson – "Professional Mixer"
  • Mike Perry – "Neighbour"
  • Andra Chumas – "Mother Nourishment"
  • Rob Moose – "The Whisperer", violins arrangement (track 1), violas arrangement (track 1), saxophones arrangement (tracks 2, 5, 6, 8)
  • Cherie Minske – "Rookie"
  • Jack – "The Prospector"
  • Michael Lewis – "The Oracle", saxophones (tracks 1, 6, 7, 8), Messina (track 9)
  • Drew – "Key's Grip"
  • Sad Sax of Shit – saxophones (tracks 1, 2, 4-6, 8)
    • Al Falaschi
    • Anthony Barba
    • Christopher Thomas
    • Clay Lyons
    • Clay Pufahl
    • Dustin Laurenzi
    • Mark Henderson
    • Matt Douglas
    • Nelson Devereaux
    • Peterson Ross
    • Scott Fultz
    • Michael Lewis
  • Andy Fitzpatrick – the 22000 (tracks 2, 7, 8), OP-1 (track 6)
  • Joe "Squints" Westerlund – bowed cymbals (track 4)
  • Trever Hagen – prepared trumpet (track 4)
  • Chris Rosenau – electric and acoustic guitars (track 4)
  • James Buckley – bass guitars (track 6)
  • Sean Carey – drums (tracks 6, 8), percussion (track 6), DX7 (track 7)
  • Matt McCaughan – metal drum (track 6), drums (track 8)
  • Andrew Broder – V3 programming (track 6), audible programming (track 9)
  • Jessica Stavely Taylor – voices (track 7)
  • Elise Carey – voices (track 7)
  • Colin Stetson – saxophones (track 8)
  • Michael Vincent Vognar Noyce – voice (track 8)
  • Huntley Miller – mastering
  • Eric Timothy Carlson – art

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Certifications for 22, A Million
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[61] Gold 10,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[62] Gold 100,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

[edit]
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  2. ^ a b Sacher, Andrew (30 September 2016). "Bon Iver reinvents himself again with the masterful '22, A Million' (stream it)". Brooklyn Vegan. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  3. ^ Kreps, Daniel (August 12, 2016). "Bon Iver Announce New LP '22, A Million,' Unveil Two Tracks". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on August 13, 2016. Retrieved August 14, 2016.
  4. ^ "22, A Million by Bon Iver reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Archived from the original on October 11, 2019. Retrieved October 11, 2019.
  5. ^ a b "Reviews for 22, A Million by Bon Iver". Metacritic. Archived from the original on September 30, 2016. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  6. ^ Sendra, Tim. "22, A Million – Bon Iver". AllMusic. Archived from the original on September 30, 2016. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
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  12. ^ Petrusich, Amanda (September 30, 2016). "Bon Iver: 22, A Million". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on September 30, 2016. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  13. ^ Lynskey, Dorian (November 2016). "Mission Statement". Q (365): 100.
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  62. ^ "British album certifications – Bon iver – 22, A Million". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
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