Jigsaw (Lady Sovereign album)

Jigsaw
Studio album by Lady Sovereign
Released 6 April 2009 (2009-04-06)
(see release history)
Recorded 2008
Genre Hip hop, grime, electronica
Label Midget, EMI
Producer Dr. Luke, Benny Blanco, Medasyn
Lady Sovereign chronology
Public Warning
(2006)		 Jigsaw
(2009)
Singles from Jigsaw
  1. "I Got You Dancing"
    Released: December 2008
  2. "So Human"
    Released: 3 February 2009
Alternative Covers

Jigsaw is the second studio album by English rapper Lady Sovereign, released on 6 April 2009 in the United Kingdom and 7 April 2009 in the United States under Midget Records, with distribution by EMI.[1]

Background

The album is her first to be released independently. Sovereign once said, "I feel great now. I feel like I've overcome all my dark times. I get to pick who I want to work with. No one can tell me off or make me do things because I'm the boss. It feels amazing. I've got my own label and everything works my way."[2]

The album is Sovereign's reaction and reflection of her popularity and the inability to cope with it, up to the point where she had suicidal thoughts.[3] About the album, she said, "The album is the next chapter. It's a massive leap forward for mankind."[4]

The album will also feature Sovereign singing; she explained, saying:

I was seeing someone, it was pretty deep. I was loved up. Then it all fucked up and I just wanted to sing about it really. I'm not the best singer in the world but you listen to it and you definitely feel it, you know. Rapping is second nature to me. I feel different when I sing. I feel lighter, it's fun.[2]

She explained the album's title, saying it "makes sense to call the album Jigsaw because it's kind of like different genres".[5]

Production and writing

The album includes production by Dr. Luke, Benny Blanco and Medasyn.[6] Lady Sovereign said her first album was "not consistent", but "it worked" for her. On her new album, she went on to say, "A few of the tracks explain everything that's happened in the last two years, which I didn't get a chance to at the time." On production, she said she had been listening to electro and instrumental music. She stated that working with Medasyn is "an inspiration" because they "always come up with some weird beats together".[2] Sovereign experimented with Auto-Tune in the album's lead single, "I Got You Dancing".[7]

The opening track "Let's Be Mates" is a club-oriented dance song, while "Student Union" is a 1980s synth-driven track. "Jigsaw", the title track, is a rapcore song supplemented by strings with a sung chorus.[8]

Promotion

In early December 2008, Lady Sovereign uploaded a song on her MySpace profile entitled "I Got You Dancing", calling it "an early Christmas gift".[6] In February 2009, Sovereign performed at The Echo in Los Angeles, California to promote Jigsaw.[9] She performed at the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas in mid-March and will embark on a North American tour beginning in May 2009 to promote the album.[10]

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic57/100[11]
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[12]
The Austin Chronicle[13]
BBC Music(favorable)[14]
Billboard(favorable)[15]
The Boston Globe(favorable)[16]
Los Angeles Times[17]
The Observer[18]
Pitchfork Media(3.1/10)[19]
PopMatters[20]
Rolling Stone[21]

Initial critical response to Jigsaw was mixed. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an average score of 57, based on 25 reviews.[22] ClashMusic.com commented that "Jigsaw" is "a record where standout offerings seem such because of the lack of a considered segueing between arrangements". But the review concluded that progression from "Public Warning" was evident, and that some listeners "will fall instantly in love with the cheeky wit on show, at turns charming and caustic".[23]

Track list

No. TitleWriter(s)Producer(s) Length
1. "Lets Be Mates"  Louise Harman, Gabriel OlegavichMedasyn 3:20
2. "So Human"  Louise Harman, Lukasz Gottwald, Benjamin Levin, Robert Smith, Gabriel OlegavichMedasyn 3:57
3. "Jigsaw"  Louise Harman, Gabriel OlegavichMedasyn 3:32
4. "Bang Bang"  Louise Harman, Gabriel OlegavichMedasyn 3:22
5. "I Got You Dancing"  Louise Harman, Gabriel OlegavichMedasyn 3:34
6. "Pennies"  Louise Harman, Lukasz Gottwald, Benjamin LevinMedasyn 3:05
7. "Guitar"  Louise Harman, Gabriel OlegavichMedasyn 3:33
8. "Student Union"  Louise Harman, Gabriel OlegavichMedasyn 3:06
9. "Food Play"  Louise Harman, Gabriel OlegavichMedasyn 5:13
10. "I Got The Goods"  Louise Harman, Gabriel OlegavichMedasyn 3:02

Charts

Chart (2009) Peak
position
ARIA Urban Albums Chart[24] 11

Release history

Region Date
United Kingdom 6 April 2009
United States 7 April 2009
Australia 17 April 2009

References

  1. ↑ Thiessen, Brock (8 December 2008). "Lady Sovereign Returns With New Album, Free Download". Exclaim!. Retrieved 9 December 2008.
  2. 1 2 3 Denney, Alex (17 December 2008). "Midget Bites Back: Lady Sov Album Due 2009". The Quietus. Retrieved 18 December 2008.
  3. ↑ "Lady Sovereign Pieces Together New Album". Aversion.com. Aversion Media. 22 January 2009. Retrieved 26 January 2009.
  4. ↑ Cohen, Jonathan (8 December 2008). "Lady Sovereign Starts Label, Preps Album". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. Retrieved 9 December 2008.
  5. ↑ Lash, Jolie (21 January 2009). "Lady Sovereign Returns From Music Strike". Spinner.com. AOL. Retrieved 27 January 2009.
  6. 1 2 Rayner, Ben (9 December 2008). "Lady Sovereign Returns With New Album, New Label". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 9 December 2008.
  7. ↑ O'Donnell, Kevin (22 January 2009). "Lady Sovereign Takes a Cue From Kanye and Sings on April LP 'Jigsaw'". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Retrieved 27 January 2009.
  8. ↑ Ayers, Michael D. (7 March 2009). "Rapper Lady Sovereign pieces together 'Jigsaw'". Reuters. Thomson Reuters. Retrieved 7 March 2009.
  9. ↑ "Lady Sovereign at The Echo". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company. 5 February 2009. Retrieved 7 February 2009.
  10. ↑ Wood, Ryan (5 March 2009). "British rapper Lady Sovereign on the U.S., soccer and her new album". Norwich Bulletin. GateHouse Media. Retrieved 6 March 2009.
  11. ↑ Metacritic
  12. ↑ link
  13. ↑ link
  14. ↑ link
  15. ↑ link
  16. ↑ link
  17. ↑ link
  18. ↑ link
  19. ↑ link
  20. ↑ link
  21. ↑ link
  22. ↑ "Lady Sovereign:Jigsaw (2009): Reviews". Metacritic. CNET Networks, Inc. Retrieved 14 April 2009.
  23. ↑ "Lady Sovereign Jigsaw album review". 3 April 2009.
  24. ↑ http://ariacharts.com.au/pages/charts_display_urban.asp?chart=1Q40RB&chart2=1R40RB

External links

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