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X's (album)

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X's
A blurred image of two people kissing each other.
Studio album by
Cigarettes After Sex
ReleasedJuly 12, 2024 (2024-07-12)
RecordedAugust 2020 – February 2022 (Los Angeles)[1]
Genre
Length38:13
Label
ProducerGreg Gonzalez
Cigarettes After Sex chronology
Cry
(2019) 		X's
(2024)
Singles from X's
  1. "Tejano Blue"
    Released: February 28, 2024
  2. "Dark Vacay"
    Released: April 16, 2024
  3. "Baby Blue Movie"
    Released: June 4, 2024

X's is the third studio album by American ambient pop band Cigarettes After Sex, released through Partisan Records on July 12, 2024. It was preceded by the release of three singles, "Tejano Blue", "Dark Vacay" and "Baby Blue Movie". It received generally favorable reviews from critics upon release.

Background

[edit]

Following the band's second studio album, Cry (2019), they released several singles which were recorded during the sessions of their self-titled album.[2] They then announced X's on February 28, 2024.[3] The band's lead musician Greg Gonzalez stated that the album "feels brutal" to him. The musician revealed how he actually had to "write" and "sing" about a loss (of a four-year relationship), instead of just talking about it which would simply "scratch the surface".[4] Only then, he would be able to "learn from it" or "relive" it instead of just trying to forget about it.[5]

Music and writing

[edit]

An ambient pop and shoegaze album,[6] X's sees Gonzalez exploring "slow-dance pop ballads" of the 1970s and 1980s, while the lyrics deal with romance and intimacy.[7] Writing "Tejano Blue", its second track, it was inspired by Gonzalez's life in his hometown, El Paso, Texas, as well as Selena's "Como la Flor" and Cocteau Twins and "somehow" tried combining the sound of both artists.[3] "Hideaway" focuses on a specific moment in Gonzalez's life, when he and his girlfriend went to a beach near Marina del Rey, California to let their problems fade away.[8] "Dark Vacay", the sixth track, is about someone Gonzalez fell in love with a long time ago and how they fell apart while travelling through Europe, eventually breaking up after.[9] The title of its next track, "Baby Blue Movie", is a reference to softcore pornography and was primarily a reference to pornography before adding "Baby" onto the title.[10][11] The final track, "Ambien Slide", uses a Tejano beat.[12]

Promotion

[edit]

The album's lead single, "Tejano Blue", was released on February 28, 2024. The album was officially announced on the same day.[13] On the same day, the band announced that they will embark on the X's World Tour throughout 2024 and 2025, in support of the album.[14] "Dark Vacay" was released as the album's second single on April 16, 2024.[15] "Baby Blue Movie" was released on June 4, 2024, as the album's third single.[16]

Reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?6.6/10[17]
Metacritic69/100[18]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[19]
Clash8/10[20]
The Independent9/10[21]
The Irish Times[22]
The Line of Best Fit6/10[23]
MusicOMH[24]
Sputnikmusic3.8/5[25]

X's received generally favorable reviews from critics. According to Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received "generally favourable reviews" based on an weighted average score of 69, from five critic scores.[18] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 6.6 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[17]

In a positive review, Tom White of The Independent proposed that X's is "made for late-night headphones moments" and added that it "shapes up to further cement [Cigarettes After Sex's] appeal".[21] Writing for Clash, Matthew Mclister supposed that the album is "undeniably alluring from the off" and considered it to be the band's "most consistent" album.[20] Heather Phares of AllMusic suggested that the album "frequently feels like some of their most personal work" and added that it "delivers enough glamorous brooding to keep fans happily miserable".[19]

In Lauren Murphy's review for The Irish Times, she wrote that the album is "not the most dynamic album [to] hear in 2024", further stating that "after several listens [the album's] songs take on a meditative quality that becomes hypnotic and even enjoyable in places".[22] Michael Hoffman of The Line of Best Fit said that Cigarettes After Sex "deliver[s] another set of songs that more or less could fit on any of their previous albums".[23]

Track listing

[edit]

All tracks are written by Greg Gonzalez.

X's track listing
No.TitleLength
1."X's"3:33
2."Tejano Blue"3:54
3."Silver Sable"3:52
4."Hideaway"4:37
5."Holding You, Holding Me"3:30
6."Dark Vacay"3:33
7."Baby Blue Movie"4:05
8."Hot"3:57
9."Dreams from Bunker Hill"3:39
10."Ambien Slide"3:33
Total length:38:13

Personnel

[edit]

Cigarettes After Sex

  • Greg Gonzalez – vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar
  • Randall Miller – bass
  • Jacob Tomsky – drums

Additional musician

Production

Artwork

  • Randall Miller – graphic design
  • Vance Wellenstein – graphic design
  • Min Byung Hun – cover photo

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for X's
Chart (2024) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[26] 32
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[27] 9
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[28] 8
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[29] 5
Croatian International Albums (HDU)[30] 5
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[31] 6
French Albums (SNEP)[32] 24
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[33] 7
Hungarian Physical Albums (MAHASZ)[34] 23
Lithuanian Albums (AGATA)[35] 19
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[36] 32
Polish Albums (ZPAV)[37] 11
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[38] 7
Scottish Albums (OCC)[39] 4
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[40] 31
Swedish Physical Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[41] 3
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[42] 10
UK Albums (OCC)[43] 12
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[44] 2
US Billboard 200[45] 32
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[46] 6
US Top Rock & Alternative Albums (Billboard)[47] 10

References

[edit]
  1. ^ X's (LP liner notes). Cigarettes After Sex. Partisan Records. 2024. PTKF3035-1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. ^ Castro, Lauren (February 28, 2024). "Cigarettes After Sex Is More Addictive Than Ever". Texas Monthly. Archived from the original on February 28, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Kelly, Tyler Damara (February 28, 2024). "Cigarettes After Sex announce their forthcoming album, X's". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  4. ^ Pearis, Bill (February 28, 2024). "Cigarettes After Sex announce new LP & 2024 tour, playing Madison Square Garden". BrooklynVegan. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  5. ^ Carter, Daisy (February 28, 2024). "Cigarettes After Sex confirm new album X's with world tour announcement". DIY. Archived from the original on February 28, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  6. ^ Chowdhury, Ayaan Paul (August 9, 2024). "Cigarettes After Sex interview: In conversation with Greg Gonzalez ahead of their X's tour in India". The Hindu. Archived from the original on August 9, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  7. ^ Ragusa, Paolo (February 28, 2024). "Cigarettes After Sex Announce New Album X's, Detail World Tour". Consequence. Archived from the original on February 28, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  8. ^ Mitra, Jay (July 2, 2024). "Cigarettes After Sex want their music to be medicine". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  9. ^ Kelly, Tyler Damara (April 16, 2024). "Cigarettes After Sex share new track, "Dark Vacay"". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on September 13, 2024. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
  10. ^ Deville, Chris (June 4, 2024). "Cigarettes After Sex Share New Single "Baby Blue Movie": Listen". Stereogum. Archived from the original on June 4, 2024. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  11. ^ Partridge, Ken (June 4, 2024). "Cigarettes After Sex Reference Softcore Porn On New Song "Baby Blue Movie"". Genius. Archived from the original on September 13, 2024. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  12. ^ Angan, Kara (June 3, 2024). "Cigarettes After Sex Are Ready To Confront Nostalgia In X's". Billboard Philippines. Archived from the original on July 14, 2024. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  13. ^ Deville, Chris (February 28, 2024). "Cigarettes After Sex Announce New Album X's: Hear "Tejano Blue"". Stereogum. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  14. ^ Grimes, Navier (February 28, 2024). "Cigarettes After Sex Announce World Arena Tour + New LP, Share "Tejano Blue" Single". Live Nation Entertainment. Archived from the original on September 13, 2024. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  15. ^ Rettig, James (April 16, 2024). "Cigarettes After Sex – "Dark Vacay"". Stereogum. Archived from the original on September 13, 2024. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
  16. ^ Kelly, Tyler Damara (June 4, 2024). "Cigarettes After Sex unveils new single, "Baby Blue Movie"". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on June 4, 2024. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  17. ^ a b "X's by Cigarettes After Sex reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Archived from the original on July 15, 2024. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
  18. ^ a b "X's by Cigarettes After Sex - Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Archived from the original on July 16, 2024. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
  19. ^ a b Phares, Heather. "X's – Cigarettes After Sex Review". AllMusic. Archived from the original on September 13, 2024. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  20. ^ a b Mclister, Matthew (July 11, 2024). "Cigarettes After Sex - X's". Clash. Archived from the original on September 13, 2024. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  21. ^ a b White, Tom (July 10, 2024). "One Republic, Travis and Marc Almond offer up new releases". The Independent. Archived from the original on September 13, 2024. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  22. ^ a b Murphy, Lauren (July 4, 2024). "Cigarettes After Sex: X's - One-note approach lends itself to meditative pleasures". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on July 9, 2024. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  23. ^ a b Hoffman, Michael (July 11, 2024). "Cigarettes After Sex: X's Review - familiar intimacy". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on September 13, 2024. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  24. ^ Murphy, John (July 11, 2024). "Cigarettes After Sex – X's". MusicOMH. Archived from the original on August 30, 2024. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
  25. ^ Jack, Benjamin (July 12, 2024). "Review: Cigarettes After Sex - X's". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
  26. ^ "ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. July 22, 2024. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  27. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Cigarettes After Sex – X's" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  28. ^ "Ultratop.be – Cigarettes After Sex – X's" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  29. ^ "Ultratop.be – Cigarettes After Sex – X's" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  30. ^ "Lista prodaje 38. tjedan 2024" (in Croatian). HDU. September 25, 2024. Archived from the original on September 25, 2024. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  31. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Cigarettes After Sex – X's" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
  32. ^ "Top Albums (Week 29, 2024)". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  33. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Cigarettes After Sex – X's" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  34. ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista (fizikai hanghordozók) – 2024. 30. hét". MAHASZ. Archived from the original on July 31, 2024. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  35. ^ "2024 29-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. July 19, 2024. Archived from the original on July 19, 2024. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  36. ^ "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. July 22, 2024. Archived from the original on July 19, 2024. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  37. ^ "OLiS - oficjalna lista sprzedaży - albumy" (in Polish). OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Note: Change the date to 12.07.2024–18.07.2024 under "zmień zakres od–do:". Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  38. ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Cigarettes After Sex – X's". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  39. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
  40. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Cigarettes After Sex – X's". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  41. ^ "Veckolista Album Fysiskt, vecka 29". Sverigetopplistan. Archived from the original on July 27, 2024. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  42. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Cigarettes After Sex – X's". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  43. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  44. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
  45. ^ "Billboard 200: Week of July 27, 2024". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 22, 2024. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  46. ^ "Independent Albums: Week of July 27, 2024". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 23, 2024. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  47. ^ "Top Rock & Alternative Albums: Week of July 27, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
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