| Motordrome | |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | MØ |
| Cover: | MØ - Motordrome.png |
| Genre: | Pop • electropop • disco |
| Length: | 32:15 |
| Label: | Columbia |
| Producer: |
|
| Prev Title: | Walshy Fire Presents: MMMMØ – The Mix |
| Prev Year: | 2019 |
Motordrome is the third album by Danish singer and songwriter MØ, released on 28 January 2022 through Columbia Records.[1] It was announced alongside the release of the singles "Brad Pitt" and "Goosebumps" on 12 November 2021, and also includes the singles "Live to Survive" and "Kindness".[2] MØ embarked on a tour in Europe and North America from February 2022 in support of the album.[3]
MØ began work on Motordrome to help herself "out of a downward spiral – out of the motor d[r]ome of her own head".[2] She characterised the album as being "about both the sadness and the joy of making changes in your life" and stated that she hopes Motordrome feels "genuine" to listeners in the sense that "there are stories there that they can connect with".[4] [3] She also expressed that the album "represents a huge change in my life. Even though I'm still doing what I love doing, it does feel like a new chapter. That is scary, but it's freeing."[3]
"Live to Survive" was issued as the first single on 28 May 2021,[5] followed two months later by second single "Kindness" on 30 July.[6] The official album announcement on 12 November 2021 was accompanied by the dual third singles "Brad Pitt" and "Goosebumps".[2] On 28 January 2022, the fourth single "New Moon" was released, alongside the album.[7] The fifth single, "True Romance", was released on 17 June.[8] Two months later, "Spaceman" was released as the album's sixth single on 12 August.[9]
Motordrome has received generally favourable reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 68 based on ten reviews. Writing for Slant Magazine, Charles Lyons-Burt gave the album rating 2.5 out of 5 stars and wrote, "When Ørsted ramps up the bombast, Motordrome reaches a serviceable level of pop pageantry. But most of the singer's cooed melodies feel comparatively half-hearted. Ultimately, the album has a way of getting your attention and failing to keep it." In a positive review Gigwises Adam England stated that "MØ sound might have evolved to incorporate both her previous material and her teenage tastes, but this could be her best album yet. It's algorithm, baby." El Hunt from NME stated "The record doesn't always hit the mark" and add that "The immensely memorable hooks on show certainly help, too – but after 'Motordrome's fizzled out, you're left wishing the engines revved a little louder." The Independents Helen Brown opined that "Tracks have enough energy to keep limbs twitching, but not enough force to pull bystanders from the walls." Writing for Clash, Robin Murray felt that "Motordrome utilises its 10 track span to broach a number of fresh ideas; spinning the dial once more, MØ is able to conjure something fresh, taking risks that few peers would attempt". Writing for The Line of Best Fit, John Amen lauded the album, concluding that "Motordrome is a multifaceted delight and an early contender for pop album of the year."
Motordrome charted only in Denmark, debuting at number nine on the Danish Albums Chart.
MØ made the first announcement of her Motordrome World Tour Chapter One tour dates on November 12, 2021, and ticket sales were available from November 17, 2021.[10] The tour covered Europe and North America. However, on December 17 on social media, the singer wrote that concert dates in Europe had been postponed from February to May due to coronavirus restrictions.[11] In March, the singer performed with Imagine Dragons as a support act on their North American tour Mercury World Tour. The tour began on February 26, 2022, in Chicago.
| North America | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 February 2022 | Chicago | US | Concord Music Hall |
| 4 March 2022 | Bellingham | Wild Buffalo House of Music | |
| 10 March 2022 | San Francisco | August Hall | |
| 13 March 2022 | San Diego | The Observatory North Park | |
| 7 April 2022 | Carrboro | Cat's Cradle | |
| 9 April 2022[12] | Miami Beach Convention Center | ||
| 10 April 2022 | St. Petersburgh | Jannus Live | |
| 11 April 2022 | Atlanta | Terminal West | |
| 13 April 2022 | Philadelphia | Union Transfer | |
| 14 April 2022 | New York | Webster Hall | |
| 15 April 2022 | Boston | Royale | |
| 17 April 2022 | Washington | ||
| Europe | |||
| 12 May 2022 | Oslo | Norway | Parkteatret |
| 13 May 2022 | Stockholm | Sweden | Debaser |
| 15 May 2022 | Warsaw | Poland | Niebo |
| 16 May 2022 | Berlin | Germany | Kesselhaus |
| 19 May 2022 | London | UK | Heaven |
| 20 May 2022 | Paris | France | Le Trabendo |
| 22 May 2022 | Amsterdam | Netherlands | Melkweg Old Hall |
| 24 May 2022 | Brussels | Belgium | Le Botanique |
| 28 May 2022[13] | Jelling | Denmark | Mølvangvej |
| 2 June 2022[14] | Aarhus | Eskelunden | |
| 25 June 2022[15] | Odense | Tusindårsskoven | |
| 8 July 2022[16] | Madrid | Spain | IFEMA |
| 23 July 2022[17] | Abbots Ripton | UK | Grange Farm |
| 4 August 2022[18] | Allinge | Denmark | Theaterstræde |
| 12 August 2022[19] | Helsinki | Finland | Suvilahti |
| 13 August 2022[20] | Gothenburg | Sweden | Slottsskogen |
| Latin America | |||
| 20 November 2022[21] | Mexico City | Mexico | Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez |
| Europe | |||
| 5 May 2023[22] | Copenhagen | Denmark | Tivoli |
| 8 June 2023[23] | Kværndrup | Egeskov Castle | |
| 14 July 2023[24] | Allinge | Theaterstræde | |
| 20 July 2023[25] | Tårnby | Øresundsparken | |
| 21 July 2023 | Kolding | Hylkedalvej | |
| 22 July 2023 | Aarhus | Marienlystvej | |
| 23 July 2023 | Aalborg | Trekanten | |
| 27 July 2023 | Esbjerg | Skibhøj | |
| 28 July 2023 | Odense | Dyreskuepladsen | |
| 29 July 2023 | Næstved | Holsted | |
| 30 July 2023 | Valby | Valbyparken | |
| 2 August 2023[26] | Skanderborg | Skanderborg Dyrehave | |
Notes
Musicians
Technical
| Date | Version | Format | Label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | 28 January 2022 | Standard | Columbia | ||
| 8 July 2022 | LP | [27] | |||
| 12 August 2022 | The Dødsdrom Edition | [28] |