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My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross

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My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross
A black-and-white photo of the activist Marsha P. Johnson
Studio album by
Anohni and the Johnsons
ReleasedJuly 7, 2023
GenreSoul
Length41:19
LabelSecretly Canadian
Producer
Anohni and the Johnsons chronology
Turning
(as Antony and the Johnsons)
(2014) 		My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross
(2023)
Anohni chronology
Paradise
(2017) 		My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross
(2023)
Singles from My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross
  1. "It Must Change"
    Released: May 16, 2023
  2. "Sliver of Ice"
    Released: June 13, 2023
  3. "Why Am I Alive Now?"
    Released: July 5, 2023

My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross is the fifth studio album by Anohni and the Johnsons, formerly known as Antony and the Johnsons. It was released on July 7, 2023, by Secretly Canadian. The album was co-produced by Jimmy Hogarth, and features contributions from Leo Abrahams, Chris Vatalaro, Samuel Dixon, and Rob Moose.

The album was announced in May 2023. The lead single, "It Must Change", was released the same day, along with a music video starring Munroe Bergdorf. Two more singles were released after, each with their own music videos, as well as a fourth video for the song "Scapegoat".

The album, primarily consisting of soul music,[1] was received positively by critics and included on a number of publications' year-end lists. It also charted in several countries. The album cover features a photo of the LGBTQ rights activist Marsha P. Johnson, the band's namesake.

Background and recording

[edit]

The album is the band's first since 2010's Swanlights, and Anohni's first since her 2017 EP Paradise.[2]

Anohni and producer Jimmy Hogarth's original points of reference were jazz singers Nina Simone and Jimmy Scott.[3] The two began working together in 2022, piecing together demos based on the former's lyrics, with Anohni playing piano and Hogarth playing guitar.[2] They would immediately record those demos as soon as they were finished, getting through three or four songs a day across two weeks, with the record mostly finished after that.[3] Later, Hogarth brought together a studio band including Leo Abrahams, Chris Vatalaro, Samuel Dixon, and Rob Moose who provided string arrangements.[2] Many of the vocal recordings on the album were Anohni's first takes.[3]

Themes

[edit]

The album covers a variety of topics, including prejudice within the context of a broader societal upheaval on "It Must Change" and environmentalism on "There Wasn't Enough".[3] "Sliver of Ice" was inspired by a conversation Anohni had with Lou Reed weeks before he died in 2013, with lyrics pulled directly from things he said about an ice cube in his mouth and his realization of the beauty of cold water.[3]

Marsha P. Johnson was Anohni's muse for the album. Anohni, then studying experimental theatre at New York University, met Johnson in the summer of 1992, just six days before Johnson was found dead in the Hudson River.[3] Anohni has regarded Johnson as a "spiritual guide", named her band after Johnson, and has written about her before on songs such as "River of Sorrow" from the Johnsons' self-titled debut album.[3]

Release

[edit]

The album was first teased on May 9 when Anohni posted a photo of two billboards in Camden Town to her Instagram page.[4] The first billboard had the band's new name, Anohni and the Johnsons, and the second had the words "It Must Change" handwritten in all caps.[4] The caption on the post confirmed that "It Must Change" is the name of the band's upcoming single.[4][5] "It Must Change" was released on May 16 with a music video directed by Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard and starring Munroe Bergdorf.[2] That same day, the band announced the album as well as its release date, track listing, and album cover featuring a photo of Marsha P. Johnson, the band's namesake,[3] taken by Alvin Baltrop.[2] The album was released on July 7, 2023, by Secretly Canadian.[2]

The second single, "Sliver of Ice", was released on June 13 along with a music video.[6] The third, "Why Am I Alive Now?", was released on July 5, with a music video directed by Hunter Schafer.[7] A music video for "Scapegoat" was released on October 5, directed by Anohni's sister Sara Hegarty.[8]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?8.2/10[9]
Metacritic88/100[10]
Review scores
SourceRating
The Arts Desk[11]
Beats Per Minute85%[12]
Clash9/10[13]
DIY[14]
NME[15]
The Observer[16]
Paste9.3/10[17]
Pitchfork8.7/10[18]
Slant Magazine[19]

According to the review aggregator Metacritic, My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 88 out of 100 from 17 critic scores.[10]

NME's Patrick Clarke wrote that Anohni "eschews experimental sonics for warm vintage soul, but the results are no less vital" on the album, which he felt is "the most accessible thing she's ever made".[15] Ed Lawson of DIY felt that "it's the sonically softer side that hits harder" and "it's an easy listen for an artist who's often embraced the abrasive", writing that the listener should "expect to cry – then get fired up".[14] Hannah Jocelyn of Pitchfork described the album as "a soulful and intense record that provides a safe place to grieve nothing less than the destruction of the planet", and of the record's sound, noted "These songs sound organic, often like they were recorded live in the studio with barely any reverb, vocal processing, or production flourishes. Anohni's voice—and its origin story—is powerful enough to carry them alone."[18] Michael Cragg of The Observer noted that "Anohni continues to soundtrack oppression, loss and alienation with heart-aching precision" and that the arrangements "add a soulful swagger to often brutally direct lyrics".[16]

Spencer Kornhaber of The Atlantic states that the album "explicitly aligns her with the American protest-music tradition." Describing Anohni as "One of the most uncompromising artists of the 21st century", Kornhaber goes on to note that "Although lovely, these new songs still have a gruesome honesty."[20] Charles Lyons-Burt of Slant Magazine found that the album includes "some of Anohni's most laidback and unfussy arrangements to date" and "marked by minimalist, sometimes gloomy guitar strumming" but called it a "pity, then, that so much of the music on My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross undeserves her anguished storytelling".[19] Jenn Pelly of The New York Times stated "The title of Anohni's soulful new album ... is a testament to the hard work of carrying stories through time. It underscores the roots of the imposing stakes and unwavering purpose that have long been synonymous with Anohni". Pelly describes that Anohni and the record's co-producer Jimmy Hogarth composed "a fervent Muscle Shoals sound for Anohni's pointed, long-gestating lyrics."[21]

Joe Muggs of The Arts Desk concluded that the album "does feel like an artist continuing to inhabit themselves in a very thought-through way", which makes its sound "genuinely a bold choice, in the same way the electronics of its predecessor were. A tough listen, but an impressive move".[11] Richie Assaly of the Toronto Star states "the album sees the artist — whose celestial, sonorous voice remains a singular force of nature — resume her role as a radical truth-teller."[22] John Amen of Beats Per Minute wrote that the album, "shows Anohni pivoting between stunningly direct and entrancingly oblique manifestos. A listener is left voyeuristically spellbound, striving to reconcile what they've encountered with the life they're currently living."[12]

Year-end lists

[edit]
My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross on year-end lists
Publication # Ref.
Crack 8 [23]
GQ UK — [24]
Les Inrockuptibles 9 [25]
Loud and Quiet 31 [26]
Mojo 26 [27]
Mondo Sonoro 5 [28]
The New York Times
(Lindsay Zoladz) 		10 [29]
The Quietus 97 [30]
Rolling Stone 17 [31]
Uncut 38 [32]

Track listing

[edit]

All tracks are written by Anohni Hegarty.

My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross track listing
No.TitleLength
1."It Must Change"4:55
2."Go Ahead"1:30
3."Sliver of Ice"3:41
4."Can't"4:40
5."Scapegoat"5:22
6."It's My Fault"2:15
7."Rest"5:45
8."There Wasn't Enough"4:55
9."Why Am I Alive Now?"5:59
10."You Be Free"2:17
Total length:41:19

Personnel

[edit]

Anohni and the Johnsons

Additional contributors

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross
Chart (2023) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[33] 24
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[34] 80
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[35] 42
French Albums (SNEP)[36] 123
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[37] 52
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[38] 26
Scottish Albums (OCC)[39] 20
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[40] 69
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[41] 49
UK Album Downloads (OCC)[42] 11
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[43] 7
US Top Current Album Sales (Billboard)[44] 53

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Torres, Eric (December 4, 2023). "The 50 Best Albums of 2023". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Bloom, Madison (May 16, 2023). "Anohni Announces New Album, Shares Video for New Song". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on May 16, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Myers, Owen (May 19, 2023). "Anohni on anger, empathy and trans rights: "The UK is one of the most misogynist countries in the world"". The Guardian. Archived from the original on May 23, 2023. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c Dunworth, Liberty (May 11, 2023). "Anohni and the Johnsons to reunite for first new music in a decade". NME. Archived from the original on May 11, 2023. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  5. ^ Fu, Eddie (May 10, 2023). "Anohni and the Johnsons Reuniting for First New Music in More Than a Decade". Consequence. Archived from the original on May 10, 2023. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  6. ^ Jones, Abby (June 13, 2023). "Anohni and the Johnsons Share New Single "Sliver of Ice"". Consequence. Archived from the original on June 30, 2023. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  7. ^ Rettig, James (July 5, 2023). "Anohni and the Johnsons – "Why Am I Alive Now?"". Stereogum. Archived from the original on July 5, 2023. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  8. ^ Carter, Daisy (October 5, 2023). "Anohni and the Johnsons Present "Scapegoat" Video". DIY. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  9. ^ "My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross by Anohni reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Archived from the original on July 6, 2023. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
  10. ^ a b "My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross by Anohni & the Johnsons Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Archived from the original on July 10, 2023. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  11. ^ a b Muggs, Joe (July 5, 2023). "Album: Anohni – My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross". The Arts Desk. Archived from the original on July 5, 2023. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  12. ^ a b Amen, John (July 13, 2023). "Album Review: Anohni and the Johnsons – My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross". Beats Per Minute. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
  13. ^ Murray, Robin (July 7, 2023). "Anohni and the Johnsons - My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross". Clash. Archived from the original on July 7, 2023. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  14. ^ a b Lawson, Ed. "Anohni and the Johnsons – My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross review". DIY. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  15. ^ a b Clarke, Patrick (July 5, 2023). "Anohni – My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross review: a sublime soul reinvention". NME. Archived from the original on July 6, 2023. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  16. ^ a b Cragg, Michael (July 9, 2023). "Review: Anohni and the Johnsons: My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross review – piercing heartache". The Observer. Archived from the original on July 9, 2023. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  17. ^ Mitchell, Matt (July 5, 2023). "Album of the Week | Anohni and the Johnsons: My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross". Paste. Archived from the original on July 6, 2023. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  18. ^ a b Jocelyn, Hannah (July 10, 2023). "Anohni and the Johnsons: My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross Album Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on July 10, 2023. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  19. ^ a b Lyons-Burt, Charles (July 3, 2023). "Review: Anohni and the Johnsons My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on July 5, 2023. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  20. ^ Kornhaber, Spencer (July 5, 2023). "Anohni's Message: To Save the World, We'll Have to Forgive Ourselves". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on July 5, 2023. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  21. ^ Pelly, Jenn (June 27, 2023). "Anohni Isn't Afraid of the Darkness". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 27, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  22. ^ Assaly, Richie (July 6, 2023). "Anohni searches for hope at the end of the world". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on July 11, 2023. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  23. ^ Twells, John (December 4, 2023). "The Top 50 Albums of the Year". pp. Crack. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  24. ^ Sharma, Ruchira; Dawson, Brit; Jones, Daisy (November 22, 2023). "The best albums of 2023". GQ UK. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
  25. ^ "Best of 2023". Les Inrockuptibles. November 29, 2023.
  26. ^ Butchard, Skye (November 24, 2023). "Loud and Quiet Albums of the Year 2023". Loud and Quiet. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  27. ^ "Mojo's 75 Best Albums of 2023". Mojo. November 9, 2023.
  28. ^ "MondoSonoro's Best Albums of 2023". Mondo Sonoro. November 30, 2023.
  29. ^ Zoladz, Lindsay (November 30, 2023). "Best Albums of 2023: SZA, Olivia Rodrigo, 100 gecs and More". The New York Times. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  30. ^ Hedderman, Zara (December 4, 2023). "Quietus Albums of the Year 2023". The Quietus. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  31. ^ Grow, Kory (November 30, 2023). "The 100 Best Albums of 2023". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  32. ^ "Uncut's 75 Best Albums of 2023". Uncut. November 7, 2023.
  33. ^ "Ultratop.be – Anohni and the Johnsons – My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
  34. ^ "Ultratop.be – Anohni and the Johnsons – My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
  35. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Anohni and the Johnsons – My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
  36. ^ "Lescharts.com – Anohni and the Johnsons – My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  37. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Anohni and the Johnsons – My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
  38. ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Anohni and the Johnsons – My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
  39. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  40. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Anohni and the Johnsons – My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
  41. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Anohni and the Johnsons – My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  42. ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  43. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  44. ^ "Anohni Chart History (Top Current Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
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