Electric (Pet Shop Boys album) explained

Electric
Type:studio
Artist:Pet Shop Boys
Cover:Pet Shop Boys - Electric.png
Border:yes
Released:[1]
Recorded:September 2012 – April 2013
Genre:
Length:49:12
Label:x2
Producer:Stuart Price
Prev Title:Elysium
Prev Year:2012
Next Title:Super
Next Year:2016

Electric is the twelfth studio album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys. It was released on 14 July 2013 on the duo's own label, x2, through Kobalt Label Services. It was the duo's first album since their departure from Parlophone.[4] The single "Thursday" features a collaboration with English singer and rapper Example.

Electric reached number three on the UK Albums Chart and number 26 on the US Billboard 200, the duo's highest chart performances in both territories in 20 years. The album also performed well in other markets. It was supported by the Electric Tour which visited 46 countries through 112 concerts.[5]

Background

Pet Shop Boys recorded the album in London, Berlin and Los Angeles, starting in November 2012 and finishing with the final track, "Fluorescent", which was written and recorded in April 2013.[6] Stuart Price, who was enlisted to produce Electric,[6] finished mixing the album in late April.[7]

When Pet Shop Boys began working with Price, they made it clear that they wanted to make a "dance record". Price stated that his goal was for every track to have a "euphoric, fresh feel to it".[7] The more dance-influenced nature of Electric was a response to the "reflective mood" of their previous album, Elysium.[6]

Release

Electric is the first Pet Shop Boys studio album that was not released through Parlophone, after 28 years with the label. Pet Shop Boys announced the launch of their own label, x2, in partnership with Kobalt Label Services, for Electric[4] and future releases.[8] Chris Lowe was given credit for the name x2, pronounced "times two".[8]

The album was released in the UK on 14 July 2013 on CD, digital download, and LP formats. Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Australia, and New Zealand had an earlier release date of 12 July; and in the United States, Canada, South America, Spain, and most other countries, the album was released 16 July.[9]

Promotion

On 14 March 2013, Pet Shop Boys debuted a short trailer for Electric on YouTube.[10] The entire album was made available for streaming in the United Kingdom via The Guardian on 9 July.[11]

In support of the album, the duo embarked on the Electric Tour, which began on 22 March 2013 at the Cumbre Tajín festival in Veracruz, Mexico, where they debuted two songs from the album: "Axis" and a cover of Bruce Springsteen's 2007 song "The Last to Die".[12] The tour's first official date took place at the Movistar Arena in Santiago, Chile, on 13 May 2013.[13]

Singles

On 30 April 2013, immediately following the official album announcement, "Axis" premiered with a video and digital release.[14] The Boys Noize remix of the song was released on 14 May.[15]

The single "Vocal" premiered on 1 June 2013 on DJ Dave Pearce's BBC Radio 2 show Dance Years,[16] followed by a digital release on 3 June.[17] A CD single, digital download and 12-inch vinyl single were all released on 29 July, featuring new remixes of the song.[18] [19]

"Love Is a Bourgeois Construct" was released as a single on 2 September 2013.[20] The single contains remixes and two B-sides, "Entschuldigung!" and "Get It Online".[21]

The single "Thursday" was digitally released on 4 November 2013, with remixes and two B-sides, "No More Ballads", "Odd Man Out".[22] The video footage for the video was shot in Shanghai.[23]

"Fluorescent" was released as a limited edition 12-inch vinyl to celebrate Record Store Day 2014 on 19 April.[24]

Reception

Critical reception

Electric received widespread acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 84, based on 28 reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim". Dorian Lynskey of Q praised several songs on the album and noted, "With Electric, Pet Shop Boys have succeeded spectacularly." Simon Price, music critic for the Independent on Sunday, described the album as "sublime".[25] Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph commented that "Electric is the second really fantastic pop-dance blast of the year".

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number three in the United Kingdom on the UK Albums Chart, selling 15,715 copies in its first week, becoming Pet Shop Boys' highest-charting studio album in the UK since Very topped the chart in 1993.[26] [27]

In the United States, Electric debuted at number 26 on the Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 11,000 copies, becoming the duo's highest-charting US album since Very peaked at number 20 in 1993.[28] It also debuted at number two on Billboards Dance/Electronic Albums chart.

Track listing

Notes

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Electric.[29]

Pet Shop Boys

Additional musicians

Technical

Charts

Chart (2013)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Estonian Albums (Raadio 2)[30] 5
Greek Albums (IFPI)[31] 51
Irish Independent Albums (IRMA)[32] 3

Notes and References

  1. Web site: History: 2013. Petshopboys.co.uk.
  2. Web site: Crossfadr | DJ, Production & Dance Music News. Crossfadr.com. 26 July 2013.
  3. Pet Shop Boys' New LP Electric, Track-By-Track Preview . Turner . Luke . . 29 May 2013.
  4. Web site: Pet Shop Boys announce 'Electric' album. Billboard Staff. 30 April 2013. Billboard. 23 November 2024.
  5. Web site: Electric tour 2013-2014. Petshopboys.co.uk.
  6. Web site: Electric – the new album . petshopboys.co.uk . 30 April 2013 . 30 April 2013.
  7. Web site: Sherburne . Philip . Jacques Lu Cont Talks Tracques, Pet Shop Boys, and Les Rythmes Digitales' Return . . 24 April 2013 . 30 April 2013.
  8. Web site: Our new label . petshopboys.co.uk . 30 April 2013 . 22 October 2024.
  9. Web site: Electric released today. petshopboys.co.uk . 14 July 2013. 30 November 2024.
  10. Pet Shop Boys (performers). 14 March 2013. Pet Shop Boys - Electric - The New Album - July 2013. music video.
  11. Web site: Pet Shop Boys – Electric: Album stream . . 9 July 2013.
  12. Web site: Pet Shop Boys inicia gira mundial en Cumbre Tajín. . 23 March 2013. El Financiero. Spanish. 30 November 2024.
  13. Web site: Electric tour begins. petshopboys.co.uk . 14 May 2013. 30 November 2024.
  14. Web site: Pet Shop Boys Preview 'Pretty Banging' LP 'Electric' With Rave-y 'Axis' Video. Hogan. Marc . 30 April 2013. Spin. 30 November 2024.
  15. Web site: Axis Boys Noize Remix. petshopboys.co.uk . 13 May 2013. 30 November 2024.
  16. Web site: Vocal on Radio 2. petshopboys.co.uk . 1 June 2013. 30 November 2024.
  17. Web site: Dance to Pet Shop Boys' new single, 'Vocal . Kaye. Ben. 3 June 2013. Consequence of Sound. 1 December 2024.
  18. Web site: Pet Shop Boys / Vocal CD single . Sinclair. Paul. 15 July 2013. Super Deluxe Edition. 1 December 2024.
  19. Web site: Vocal out on CD single and download. petshopboys.co.uk . 29 July 2013. 30 November 2024.
  20. Web site: Pet Shop Boys Announce New Single Love Is A Bourgeois Construct. Stickler. Jon. 22 July 2013 . Stereoboard. 1 December 2024.
  21. Web site: Pet Shop Boys / 'Love Is A Bourgeois Construct': 9-track CD single . Sinclair. Paul. 10 September 2013. Super Deluxe Edition. 1 December 2024.
  22. Web site: Pet Shop Boys / 'Thursday' CD single. Sinclair. Paul. 7 October 2013. Super Deluxe Edition. 1 December 2024.
  23. Web site: Pet Shop Boys — Pet Texts — Shanghai . petshopboys.co.uk . 20 August 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160313122602/http://petshopboys.co.uk/pettexts/4346/201308 . 13 March 2016.
  24. Web site: Pet Shop Boys for Record Store Day vinyl . Corner . Lewis . . 27 March 2014.
  25. simon_price01 . Simon Price . 355229945879998464 . 11 July 2013 . The new @PetShopBoys album Electric is sublime. Particularly outstanding tracks: "Love Is A Bourgeois Construct", "The Last To Die", "Vocal".
  26. Web site: Lane . Daniel . Robin Thicke scores his first ever Official Albums Chart-topper with Blurred Lines. . . 21 July 2013 . 21 July 2013.
  27. Web site: Jones . Alan . Official Charts Analysis: Everything You've Come To Expect tops the Official Albums Chart . . 9 April 2016 . 21 August 2019 . subscription.
  28. Caulfield . Keith . Pet Shop Boys Earn Highest Charting Album in Nearly 20 Years . . 5 August 2013 . 25 July 2013.
  29. Electric . liner notes . . x2 . 2013 . X20003CD1.
  30. Web site: R2 Eesti müügitabel, nädal 31/2013 . et . . 25 January 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130821035239/http://r2.err.ee/myygitabel . 21 August 2013.
  31. Web site: Official IFPI Charts – Top-75 Albums Sales Chart (Week: 30/2013) . . 21 August 2019 . https://archive.today/20130805173201/http://www.ifpi.gr/charts_en.html . 5 August 2013.
  32. Web site: Top 10 Independent Artist Albums, Week Ending 18 July 2013 . . 25 January 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304003516/http://www.chart-track.co.uk/index.jsp?c=p%2Fmusicvideo%2Fmusic%2Farchive%2Findex_test.jsp&ct=240007&arch=t&lyr=2013&year=2013&week=29 . 4 March 2016.