Head over Heels (Chromeo album)

Head over Heels
Studio album by
Chromeo
ReleasedJune 15, 2018 (2018-06-15)
Recorded2016–2018
Studio
  • Chumba Meadows, Tarzana
  • Clift Studios, Brooklyn
  • Liedtke Studios, New York
  • Maddahi Vineyards, Solvang
  • No Nome Studios
  • Studio City
  • The Funklordz Writing Retreat, Ojai
  • The Mothership, Montreal
  • The Private Sector, Burbank
  • TZM Studios, Tarzana[1]
GenreFunk[2]
Length43:05
Label
Producer
Chromeo chronology
White Women
(2014) 		Head over Heels
(2018) 		Adult Contemporary
(2024)
Singles from Head Over Heels
  1. "Juice"
    Released: November 7, 2017[3]
  2. "Bedroom Calling"
    Released: January 29, 2018[4]
  3. "Must've Been"
    Released: April 6, 2018[5]
  4. "Bad Decision"
    Released: June 15, 2018[6]

Head over Heels is the fifth studio album by Canadian electro-funk duo Chromeo. It was released on June 15, 2018, via Big Beat and Atlantic Records. The album features vocals from artists such as The-Dream, French Montana, Stefflon Don, DRAM and Amber Mark, with production work from producers such as Raphael Saadiq, Rodney Jerkins and Pino Palladino.[7]

Background

The album was first announced in November 2017 and a release date for the album in April 2018.[7] It consists of "talk-box–assisted pop songs about dating mishaps, comically disastrous relationships and anxiety-inducing sexual encounters."[8] The album's recording process began 2 years before its release with Chromeo stating "...we were impatient to do the new record – so we spent the last two years working on this one [Head Over Heels]."[9]

Speaking about the album, Chromeo said: "The mission statement for this album, for us, was to kind of pen this overarching love letter to funk music and the different kinds of funk music that have influenced us throughout the years since we discovered funk music when we were teenagers all the way until now... But it's also sort of, you know, going back to the real roots of funk. We made this one much more live, just a little less electronic than our previous two, three albums."[10]

The artwork displays the legs of Chromeo members instead of a pair of women's legs, which is their signature symbol that has been on the artwork of previous albums.[11]

A video for "Don't Sleep" was released on December 7, 2018.[citation needed]

In December 2018, Chromeo received their first Grammy nomination for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical in the 61st Grammy Awards for the album.[12]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic70/100[13]
Review scores
SourceRating
Consequence of SoundB−[14]
Drowned in Sound9/10[15]
Exclaim!7/10[16]
The Independent[17]
Pitchfork5.7/10[18]
Rolling Stone[19]
Slant[20]
Spectrum Culture[21]

Pitchfork described the album as "sound[ing] expert, expensive, accomplished, while being distasteful in almost everything else", rating it 5.7 out of 10. They also implied that the album's heavy usage of guest stars was the band's attempt to emulate Daft Punk's Random Access Memories.[18] Rolling Stone described the album as consisting of moments that are "fleeting and aren't enough to make one fall head over heels", rating it with 3 out of 5 stars.[19] Songs from the album were described as "chronicles of potential partner worship of goddess devotion" by Drowned in Sound.[15] Slant Magazine called the album "White Women Part 2".[20]

Track listing

Head over Heels track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Must've Been" (featuring DRAM)
3:28
2."Don't Sleep" (featuring French Montana and Stefflon Don)
  • Chromeo
  • A-Trak
  • Darkchild
  • Oligee
  • Gladius James
  • Harrison
  • Maddahi
3:18
3."One Track Mind"
3:23
4."Count Me Out"
  • Chromeo
  • A-Trak
  • Kirkpatrick
  • Harrison
  • Maddahi
3:36
5."Bad Decision"
3:06
6."Right Back Home to You (Interlude)"
  • Gemayel
  • Macklovitch
  • Ian Smith
  • Chromeo
  • A-Trak
  • Harrison
  • Maddahi
2:43
7."Just Friends" (featuring Amber Mark)
  • Chromeo
  • A-Trak
  • Oligee
  • Harrison
  • Maddahi
3:49
8."Juice"
  • Gemayel
  • Macklovitch
  • J. Evigan
  • Douglas
  • Chromeo
  • J. Evigan
  • O'Ryan
3:17
9."Slumming It"
  • Gemayel
  • Macklovitch
  • Kirkpatrick
  • Douglas
  • Chromeo
  • A-Trak
  • Kirkpatrick
  • Harrison
  • Maddahi
4:30
10."Bedroom Calling, Pt. 1"
3:14
11."Bedroom Calling, Pt. 2" (featuring The-Dream)
  • Chromeo
  • A-Trak
  • Oliver
  • Harrison
  • Maddahi
3:24
12."Room Service"
  • Gemayel
  • Macklovitch
  • Douglas
  • Chromeo
  • Oligee
5:17
Total length:43:05

Charts

Chart performance for Head over Heels
Chart (2018) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[22] 142
French Albums (SNEP)[23] 189
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[24] 74
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[25] 62
US Billboard 200[26] 91
US Top Dance/Electronic Albums (Billboard)[27] 1

References

  1. ^ "Head Over Heels - Chromeo". AllMusic. Archived from the original on December 26, 2019. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  2. ^ Grebey, James (June 12, 2018). "Chromeo Are Here Because You Need Funk in Your Life". GQ. Archived from the original on June 24, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  3. ^ White, Nick (November 7, 2017). "Chromeo Drops 1st Single In 3 Years, 'Juice'". EDM Tunes. Archived from the original on June 26, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  4. ^ "Bedroom Calling". iTunes. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  5. ^ "Must've Been". iTunes. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  6. ^ Schatz, Lake (May 9, 2018). "Chromeo make a "Bad Decision" on funky new single: Stream". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on May 11, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  7. ^ a b Colburn, Randall (April 7, 2018). "Chromeo - Head Over Heels". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on June 22, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  8. ^ Swann, Jennifer (June 20, 2018). "Chromeo Talk Redefining Sexy on Their New LP". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 20, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  9. ^ Trendell, Andrew (May 29, 2018). "Chromeo talk to us about Prince, Stefflon Don, new album 'Head Over Heels' and music in the time of #MeToo". NME. Archived from the original on June 4, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  10. ^ Atkinson, Katie; Caulfield, Keith (June 12, 2018). "Chromeo Talk 'Head Over Heels' Album, Recruiting The-Dream & More for Their 'Love Letter to Funk'". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 23, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  11. ^ Castro-Cota, Isabella (June 15, 2018). "Stream Chromeo's New Album Head Over Heels". Spin. Archived from the original on June 17, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  12. ^ "Winners & Nominees". GRAMMY.com. Retrieved 2021-08-25.
  13. ^ "Head Over Heels". Metacritic. Archived from the original on June 18, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  14. ^ Clark, Tyler (June 18, 2018). "Chromeo Stays Consistent with Head Over Heels". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  15. ^ a b Wylde, Nicoletta (June 18, 2018). "Chromeo - Head Over Heels". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on June 24, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  16. ^ Noble-Marks, Eric (June 18, 2018). "Chromeo - Head Over Heels". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on June 20, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  17. ^ Kaplan, Ilana; Goggins, Joe (June 13, 2018). "Chromeo's 'Head Over Heels'". The Independent. Archived from the original on June 22, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  18. ^ a b Dorris, Jesse (June 18, 2018). "Head Over Heels". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on June 27, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  19. ^ a b Leight, Elias (June 15, 2018). "Review: Chromeo's 'Head Over Heels' Clings to a Proven R&B Formula". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 26, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  20. ^ a b Hoskins, Zachary (June 14, 2018). "Chromeo - Head Over Heels". Slant Magazine. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  21. ^ Lampiris, Steve (June 20, 2018). "Chromeo: Head Over Heels". Spectrum Culture. Archived from the original on June 24, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  22. ^ "Ultratop.be – Chromeo – Head Over Heels" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  23. ^ "Lescharts.com – Chromeo – Head Over Heels". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  24. ^ "Chromeo Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  25. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Chromeo – Head Over Heels". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
  26. ^ "Chromeo Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  27. ^ "Chromeo Chart History (Top Dance/Electronic Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 26, 2018.