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The Blessed Unrest

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Untitled

The Blessed Unrest is the fourth full-length studio album by American singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles. The album was released on July 12, 2013 through Epic Records.[1] The lead single from the album, titled "Brave," was released digitally on April 23, 2013.[2]

Background

On February 26, 2013, Bareilles posted a video on YouTube stating that she was "Making a Record" and to "stay tuned for more updates."[3] Following this, a video series began with featuring six 2-minute installments showing Sara recording her album. On July 9th, a week before the release, Bareilles made the album available for free streaming on iTunes.

Recording

The Blessed Unrest was recorded in New York City and Los Angeles in early 2013 with co-producers John O'Mahony and Kurt Uenala. Electric Lady Studios was used to record the tracks in New York City.[4]

Promotion

On March 27, Bareilles announced Brave Enough Tour, an 18 city US tour ahead of the album's release.[5] Tickets to the solo acoustic tour sold out in just three minutes.[6] In June, Bareilles also announced a co-headlining tour with OneRepublic, setting to kick off on August 29.[7]

Sara performed "Brave" and "I Choose You" on Live! with Kelly and Michael on July 17, 2013. She performed "Brave" on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on July 19, 2013, appeared on the VH1 Top 20 Video Countdown on July 20, 2013, and is scheduled to perform on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on July 22, 2013.[8]

Singles

"Brave" was released on April 23, 2013 as the lead single from the album. It was co-written by Jack Antonoff from the band Fun. An official lyric video was premiered on April 17, 2013.[9] The song debuted and peaked at #61 at the US Billboard Hot 100, and #20 on its Digital Songs chart. The song has received positive reviews, many deeming it as one of her most "anthemic" singles to date.

In the 3rd webisode leading up to the album's release, Bareilles revealed that the songs she was making with Mark Endert were "slated to be singles". Those songs were "I Choose You" and "Chasing the Sun"

"I Choose You" was played on Live! with Kelly and Michael on July 17, making it a likely second single choice.

Music and lyrics

At AbsolutePunk, Craig Manning wrote that "Bareilles uses the studio as an instrument, as a character that adds life rather than subtracting it."[10] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic told that the music is "moody and textured, rolling out at a deliberate pace and colored in blues and greys, skillfully skirting the edges of alienation".[11] At Billboard, Jason Lipshutz felt that the album is "exciting when viewed in its larger context as a transitional album; the 12-song collection has its share of light fare that could earn spins on adult contemporary radio, but it's also more lyrically daring and serious-sounding".[12] Elysa Garnder of USA Today stated that the release has "lingering traces of preciousness are mitigated by her sinewy hooks and thoughtful, tasteful delivery."[13]

At Rolling Stone, Stacey Anderson touched on that "The Blessed Unrest is full of broad, exposition-heavy vignettes of heartache and resiliency; the songs feel groomed for rom-com soundtracks."[14] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times felt that "vocally, Ms. Bareilles sounds bright, too, and comfortable [...] doing her familiar trick of making the melancholy chirp."[15]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic70/100[16]
Review scores
SourceRating
AbsolutePunk85%[10]
Allmusic[11]
Billboard75%[12]
Rolling Stone<rev name=rollingstonefanrating>Anderson, Stacey (July 16, 2013). "Sara Bareilles, 'The Blessed Unrest'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 16, 2013.</ref>
"Rolling Stone Fan Rating"[13]
USA Today

The Blessed Unrest garnered generally positive reception from music critics. At Metacritic, they assign a weighted average score based off of reviews and ratings from selected mainstream critics, and the Metascore is a 70, based off of six reviews.[16]

At AbsolutePunk, Craig Manning felt that Bareilles built "the sort of stunning and nuanced arrangements that elevate her songs beyond traditional singer/songwriter fare."[10] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic noted that "its melancholy is warm and inviting."[11] At Billboard, Jason Lipshutz evoked that the "new album was the result of unrest, but as its title suggests, she has positively embraced her dissatisfaction and subsequently grown as an artist."[12] Elysa Gardner of USA Today called this Bareilles' "most mature and satisfying to date, with fewer of the twee touches that marred her previous fare."[13]

However, Stacey Anderson at Rolling Stone highlighted that the release "hints at more adventurous paths left unexplored in its abstract piano and slightly distorted harmonies [...] odd, intriguing tools she could use for a second-act career twist, if she indulges them."[14] Because of this, Anderson noted that Bareilles was "just too diplomatic."[14] At The New York Times, Jon Caramanica was mixed on the album, when he alluded to how "Ms. Bareilles is hiding behind styles that aren’t her own."[15]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Brave[17]"Sara Bareilles, Jack AntonoffMark Endert3:41
2."Chasing the Sun"BareillesEndert4:29
3."Hercules"BareillesBareilles, John O'Mahony, Kurt Uenala4:22
4."Manhattan[18]"BareillesBareilles, O'Mahony4:39
5."Satellite Call"BareillesBareilles, O'Mahony, Uenala4:51
6."Little Black Dress"BareillesBareilles, O'Mahony3:32
7."Cassiopeia"BareillesBareilles, O'Mahony, Uenala3:33
8."1000 Times"BareillesBareilles, O'Mahony4:30
9."I Choose You[19]"Bareilles, Jason Blynn, Pete HarperEndert3:39
10."Eden"Bareilles, Matt HalesBareilles, O'Mahony, Uenala4:05
11."Islands"Bareilles, HalesBareilles, O'Mahony, Uenala4:21
12."December"BareillesBareilles, O'Mahony, Uenala5:01
Total length:50:35
iTunes Store bonus track
No.TitleLength
13."I Wanna Be Like Me"3:28
Total length:54:03
Japan and Target bonus track[20][21]
No.TitleLength
13."Beautiful Girl"4:02
14."Parking Lot"3:34
Total length:58:11
Official site pre-order bonus track
No.TitleLength
13."Root Down"2:42

The tracklist was confirmed via iTunes on May 14th.[22]

References

  1. ^ "Blessed Unrest: Amazon.co.uk: Music". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-07-17.
  2. ^ "Brave: Sara Bareilles: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2013-05-23.
  3. ^ "Sara is Making a Record..." YouTube. 2013-02-26. Retrieved 2013-07-16.
  4. ^ Luerssen, John D. (May 28, 2013). "Sara Bareilles Offers Inside Look at Making of 'The Blessed Unrest'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
  5. ^ Newman, Melinda. "Sara Bareilles set to release new album this summer". HitFix. Retrieved 24 April 2013.
  6. ^ Borja, Feliz. "SARA BAREILLES Reveals Album Title "The Blessed Unrest" For Her Third Studio Album This July!". MYX. Retrieved 24 April 2013.
  7. ^ "Sara Bareilles, OneRepublic Announce Co-Headlining Tour". Billboard.com. 4 June 2013. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
  8. ^ "The Late Night TV Page". interbridge.com. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
  9. ^ "Sara Bareilles "Brave" Lyric Video Premiere on VEVO". Epic Records. Retrieved 24 April 2013.
  10. ^ a b c Manning, Craig (July 15, 2013). "Sara Bareilles – The Blessed Unrest". AbsolutePunk. Retrieved July 16, 2013.
  11. ^ a b c Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (July 16, 2013). "The Blessed Unrest – Sara Bareilles : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". Allmusic. Retrieved July 16, 2013.
  12. ^ a b c Lipshutz, Jason (July 16, 2013). "Sara Bareilles, 'The Blessed Unrest': Track-By-Track Review". Billboard. Retrieved July 16, 2013.
  13. ^ a b c Gardner, Elysa (July 16, 2013). "Listen Up: Sara Bareilles, more". USA Today. Retrieved July 16, 2013.
  14. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference rollingstone was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ a b Caramanica, Jon (July 15, 2013). "Sara Bareilles, George Duke and Ace Hood". The New York Times. Retrieved July 16, 2013.
  16. ^ a b Metacritic (July 16, 2013). "Critic Reviews for The Blessed Unrest". CBS Interactive. Retrieved July 18, 2013.
  17. ^ Sara Bareilles - Brave (Live from Atlanta)
  18. ^ Sara Bareilles - Manhattan (lyric video)
  19. ^ Sara Bareilles - I Choose You (Live at the Manderley Bar)
  20. ^ "The Blessed Unrest : Sara Bareilles | HMV ONLINE - EICP-1583 [English Site]". Hmv.co.jp. Retrieved 2013-07-16.
  21. ^ "Sara Bareilles - The Blessed Unrest - Only at Ta..." Target. 2013-03-27. Retrieved 2013-07-16.
  22. ^ "iTunes - Music - The Blessed Unrest by Sara Bareilles". Itunes.apple.com. 2013-07-12. Retrieved 2013-07-16.
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