Big Colors Explained

Big Colors
Type:studio
Artist:Ryan Adams
Cover:Ryan Adams - Big Colors (album cover).jpg
Alt:A black cat licking its nose against a red background.
Released:June 11, 2021
Recorded:2018
Length:38:57
Label:PAX AM
Prev Title:Wednesdays
Prev Year:2020
Next Title:Chris[1]
Next Year:2022

Big Colors is the eighteenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Ryan Adams. Originally slated for release on April 19, 2019, it was delayed following sexual misconduct allegations against Adams. It was eventually released on June 11, 2021 through Adams's label PAX AM.

Background and release

In January 2019, Adams announced his plans to release three albums that calendar year.[2] The first, Big Colors, was due to be released on April 19 and feature 15 tracks. The second, Wednesdays, was to feature 17 tracks and did not yet have a confirmed release date. Adams did not disclose the name of the third album.[2] [3] To promote Big Colors, Adams premiered the tracks "Doylestown Girl" and "Manchester" on radio and released "Fuck the Rain" as the official lead single from the album. He also announced a UK tour.[3]

The release of all three albums was put on hold after The New York Times published an article in February 2019 in which several women, including Adams's ex-wife Mandy Moore, Phoebe Bridgers, and an underage fan, accused him of abuse and sexual misconduct.[4] "Fuck the Rain" was removed from streaming services and the UK tour was cancelled.[5] [6] Adams has denied the allegations.[7]

On December 11, 2020, Adams eventually surprise-released Wednesdays with a revised track listing, including several tracks originally announced for inclusion on Big Colors.[8] The YouTube description of the music video to the Wednesdays track "I'm Sorry and I Love You" mentioned that Wednesdays was to be the first in a trilogy of albums, including the previously mentioned Big Colors and a third album called Chris.[9] On April 23, 2021, Adams surprise-released "Do Not Disturb" as the lead single from the revised edition of Big Colors on digital services. A release date of June 11 was later announced in May along with a statement from Adams: "Big Colors was created as a 1980s soundtrack to a movie that never existed. Wednesdays was a study of decline and morality; Big Colors is meant to feel like a daydream. New York, where this album was written, always propels me into new, unexpected creative spaces and this album happened to me, more than I can say I happened to it."[10]

Critical reception

Jakob Biazza wrote for the Süddeutsche Zeitung that Big Colors had a "bigger rock pose and a lighter disposition" than Wednesdays. He found that, compared to its predecessor, Big Colors was "more of a rebellion against suffering than wallowing in it". He noted that "the guitars have more twang and more biting colors" and the singing "[is] more piercing and upright", describing this sound as "colder, harder".[11] Writing for Aftonbladet, Håkan Steen called Big Colors "another very solid Ryan Adams record". He opined that the "guitars and arrangements undeniably sound like" the 1980s soundtrack described by Adams and found Big Colors "much more pop" in comparison to Wednesdays. Steen cited "It's So Quiet, It's Loud", "Manchester", and "Showtime" as album highlights, writing that they "could probably have become hits in another reality". However, he described "Power" as "silly".[12]

Personnel

Charts

Chart (2021)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[13] 91

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Camus. Alyson. March 24, 2022. Ryan Adams Announces Two New Shows And The Release Of "Chris". March 25, 2022. Rock NYC Live. en-US.
  2. Web site: Ryan Adams Details Big Colors and Wednesdays, Debuts New Single (Updated). Paste. Scott. Russell. February 15, 2019. January 10, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190110183710/https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2019/01/ryan-adams-details-big-colors-wednesdays.html. live.
  3. Web site: Skinner. Tom. Check out Ryan Adams' new track 'Fuck The Rain', featuring John Mayer. NME. June 8, 2021. January 23, 2019. June 8, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210608051739/https://www.nme.com/news/music/ryan-adams-unveils-new-track-fuck-rain-2437136. live.
  4. Web site: Bloom. Madison. Minsker. Evan. Ryan Adams' New Album Big Colors Pulled From Release After Abuse Allegations. Pitchfork. February 15, 2019. February 15, 2019. February 15, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190215225739/https://pitchfork.com/news/ryan-adams-new-album-big-colors-pulled-from-release-after-abuse-allegations/. live.
  5. News: Ryan Adams Tour Is Canceled Weeks After Allegations Emerge. Marshall. Alex. 2019-03-01. The New York Times. March 1, 2019. en-US. 0362-4331. March 1, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190301184748/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/01/arts/music/ryan-adams-tour-canceled.html. live.
  6. Ryan Adams Breaks Silence After Sexual Misconduct Allegations. Daniel. Kreps. Rolling Stone. July 20, 2019. June 8, 2021. June 8, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210608051739/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/ryan-adams-breaks-silence-instagram-861600/. live.
  7. Web site: Ryan Adams Accused of Abuse by Phoebe Bridgers, Mandy Moore, Underage Fan, More; Adams Denies It. Pitchfork. Condé Nast. Chicago, Illinois. Noah. Yoo. en. February 13, 2019. February 13, 2019. February 14, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190214012034/https://pitchfork.com/news/ryan-adams-accused-of-abuse-by-phoebe-bridgers-mandy-moore-underage-fan-more-adams-denies-it/. live.
  8. Web site: Erlewine. Stephen Thomas. Stephen Thomas Erlewine. Wednesdays - Ryan Adams | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic. AllMusic. January 6, 2021. January 8, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210108193658/https://www.allmusic.com/album/wednesdays-mw0003453493. live.
  9. Web site: Neumann. Sarah. Ryan Adams: nach Missbrauchsvorwürfen nun neues Album. Ryan Adams: a new album after abuse allegations. Rolling Stone Germany. December 16, 2020. January 6, 2021. de. January 7, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210107220346/https://www.rollingstone.de/ryan-adams-nach-missbrauchsvorwuerfen-nun-neues-album-2169123/. live.
  10. Web site: Boche. Sophie. Ryan Adams: neues Album "Big Colors". Ryan Adams: new album "Big Colors". Rolling Stone Germany. May 6, 2021. June 8, 2021. de. June 8, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210608051742/https://www.rollingstone.de/ryan-adams-neues-album-big-colors-2260147/. live.
  11. Web site: Biazza. Jakob. Alben der Woche: Neues von Ryan Adams, Maroon 5, Sleater-Kinney. Albums of the week: New [music] from Ryan Adams, Maroon 5, Sleater-Kinney. Süddeutsche Zeitung. June 11, 2021. June 12, 2021. de. June 12, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210612012233/https://www.sueddeutsche.de/kultur/alben-der-woche-ryan-adams-maroon-5-1.5318462. live.
  12. Web site: Steen. Håkan. Ryan Adams: "Big Colors" - Låtar som kunde blivit hits i annan verklighet. Ryan Adams: "Big Colors" - Songs that could have been hits in another reality. Aftonbladet. June 11, 2021. June 12, 2021. sv. June 12, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210612012245/https://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/musik/a/wewrrd/latar-som-kunde-blivit-hits-i-annan-verklighet. live.
  13. Web site: Top 100 Albums: Week 44 (2021) . El portal de Música . . November 14, 2021. es.

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