By the Way, I Forgive You explained

By the Way, I Forgive You
Type:studio
Artist:Brandi Carlile
Cover:By the Way, I Forgive You - Brandi Carlile.png
Released:February 16, 2018
Studio:RCA Studio A (Nashville, Tennessee)
Length:43:25
Prev Title:The Firewatcher's Daughter
Prev Year:2015
Next Title:In These Silent Days
Next Year:2021

By the Way, I Forgive You is the sixth studio album by Brandi Carlile, released on February 16, 2018. "The Joke" was released as the album's lead single. The album was co-produced by Dave Cobb and Shooter Jennings.[1] [2] The album art is an original painting by Scott Avett.[3] The album won a Grammy Award for Best Americana Album in 2019, as well being nominated for Album of the Year.

Promotion

Singles

The album's lead single, "The Joke", was released on November 13, 2017.[4] Of the track, Carlile said, "There are so many people feeling misrepresented [today]...so many people feeling unloved. Boys feeling marginalized and forced into these kind of awkward shapes of masculinity that they do or don't belong in... so many men and boys are trans or disabled or shy. Little girls who got so excited for the last election, and are dealing with the fallout. The song is just for people that feel under-represented, unloved or illegal."[4] The official music video for the track was released on February 16, 2018, the same day By the Way, I Forgive You dropped. Former U.S. President Barack Obama named the track as one of his favorites of 2017.[5] "The Joke" later reached number 4 on the Adult Alternative Songs chart [6] and 43 on the Hot Rock Songs chart.[7]

A remix of "Party of One" featuring English singer-songwriter Sam Smith was released as the second single on October 17, 2018. Upon release, it was announced that a portion of the profits from the song would benefit Children In Conflict, a non-profit that aids children affected by war.[8] The song reached number 29 on the Adult Contemporary radio chart.[9] A music video of the album version starring Elisabeth Moss was released in December 2018.

Television and radio performances

Carlile appeared on television multiple times to promote the album and its singles. In January 2018, Carlile performed "The Joke" on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. In April, she performed "The Joke" and "Whatever You Do" on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and "The Joke" on The Howard Stern Show. In August, she performed "Hold Out Your Hand" on Full Frontal with Samantha Bee.

Composition

"The Mother" commemorates Carlile's daughter.[10] The song "Fulton County Jane Doe" is based on the real-life story of an unidentified murder victim in Fulton County, Georgia.[11]

Critical reception

By the Way, I Forgive You received positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 81 out of 100, which indicates "Universal acclaim" based on ten reviews.

Rolling Stone referred to "Party of One" as a "delicate masterpiece". Rolling Stone also rated the entire album as the 12th best of 2018 on its list of the 50 best albums of 2018.[12]

NPR rated the album as the 19th best of 2018.[13] Thrillist rated the album as the 36th best of 2018.[14] Vice rated it as the 22nd best album of 2018.[15] PopMatters rated it as the 63rd best album of the year.[16] Refinery29 rated it as the 9th best album.[17] Entertainment Weekly rated By the Way, I Forgive You as the 11th best album of 2018.[18] Chris Willman of Variety rated the album as the 2nd best of 2018.[19] Kevin Coffey of the Omaha World-Herald also rated it as the 2nd best of the year.[20]

Accolades

Year Association Category Nominated Work Result
2018 Artist of the Year Brandi Carlile
Song of the Year "The Joke"
Album of the Year By the Way, I Forgive You
UK Americana Awards[21] International Album of the Year
International Song of the Year "The Joke"
2019Grammy Awards[22] Album of the YearBy the Way, I Forgive You
Best Americana Album
Record of the Year"The Joke"
Song of the Year
Best American Roots Song
Best American Roots Performance

Personnel

Strings arranged by Paul Buckmaster (tracks 5, 10)

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart (2018)Position
US Top Current Album Sales (Billboard)[23] 127
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[24] 84

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Brandi Carlile: New Album Is About Life 'Being F--king Hard'. Rolling Stone. Bernstein. Jonathan. February 15, 2018. February 16, 2018.
  2. Web site: Watch Brandi Carlile's Cathartic 'The Joke' on 'Kimmel'. Rolling Stone. Betts. Stephen L. January 4, 2018. February 16, 2018.
  3. Web site: Brandi Carlile Details New Album. https://web.archive.org/web/20171115002916/http://www.cmt.com/news/1788684/brandi-carlile-details-new-album/. dead. November 15, 2017. CMT. Tingle. Lauren. November 14, 2017. February 17, 2018.
  4. Web site: Songs We Love: Brandi Carlile, 'The Joke'. Powers. Ann. November 13, 2017. December 19, 2018.
  5. Web site: Barack Obama just revealed the books and music he enjoyed most in 2017. Mejia. Zameena. January 2, 2018. December 19, 2018.
  6. Web site: Brandi Carlile Chart History. March 24, 2018. December 19, 2018.
  7. Web site: Brandi Carlile Chart History. Billboard. 2018-12-20.
  8. Web site: Party of One. Looking Out Foundation. 2018-12-20.
  9. Web site: Brandi Carlile Party Of One Chart History. Billboard. 2018-12-20.
  10. Web site: Brandi Carlile's New Single "The Mother" Is A Tribute To Her Daughter « American Songwriter. O'Rear. Caine. December 8, 2017. American Songwriter. February 16, 2018. April 2, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190402223337/https://americansongwriter.com/2017/12/hear-brandi-carliles-new-single-mother/. dead.
  11. News: Schruers . Fred . Brandi Carlile Sings Her ‘Story’ and a Soulful Tribute to Aretha Franklin in L.A. . Billboard . August 18, 2018.
  12. Web site: 50 Best Albums of 2018. Rolling Stone. Dolan. Josh. Klinkenberg. Brendan. Johnston. Maura. Maura Johnston . 6 August 2019.
  13. Web site: The 50 Best Albums of 2018. Thompson. Stephen. Katzif. Mike. Madden. Sidney. 6 August 2019.
  14. Web site: The Best Albums of 2018. Jackson. Dan. 6 August 2019.
  15. Web site: The 100 Best Albums of 2018. Domanick. Andrea. Friedlander. Emilie. 6 August 2019.
  16. Web site: The 70 Best Albums of 2018. Frahm. Jonathan. Woronzoff. Elizabeth. 6 August 2019.
  17. Web site: The 10 Best Albums of 2018 All Have One Thing In Common: They're Made By Women. Smith. Courtney. 11 August 2019.
  18. Web site: The 20 Best Albums of 2018. 11 August 2019.
  19. Web site: Chris Willman's 20 Best Albums of 2018. Willman. Chris. 12 August 2019.
  20. Web site: The 30 best albums of 2018 . Coffey. Kevin. December 29, 2018. Omaha World-Herald. December 7, 2020.
  21. Web site: Americana Music Association UK - 2019 UK Americana Awards WINNERS. theamauk.org.
  22. Web site: 61st GRAMMY Awards: Full Nominees & Winners List. 7 December 2018. GRAMMY.com.
  23. Web site: Top Current Albums – Year-End 2018. Billboard. April 24, 2021.
  24. Web site: Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2018. Billboard. November 2, 2020.