Times (album) explained

Times (album) should not be confused with x (Ed Sheeran album).

Times
Type:	studio
Artist:	SG Lewis
Cover:	SG Lewis - Times.png
Recorded:	2018–2020^[1]
Genre:	Disco dance-pop house
Length:	40:10
Label:	Virgin EMI PMR
Producer:	SG Lewis Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs Julian Bunetta Nile Rodgers Chad Hugo
Prev Title:	Dusk Dark Dawn
Prev Year:	2019
Next Title:	AudioLust & HigherLove
Next Year:	2023

Times is the debut studio album by English singer-songwriter SG Lewis. It was released on 19 February 2021 by Virgin EMI and PMR Records. It features guest appearances from Rhye, Lucky Daye, Nile Rodgers, Frances, Robyn, Channel Tres and Lastlings.

Background

SG Lewis announced Times through his social media accounts on 27 October 2020.^[2] With the announcement, he said:

Five singles from Times were released prior to the release of the album; "Chemicals",^[3] "Impact",^[4] "Feed the Fire",^[5] "Time"^[6] and "One More".^[7]

Composition

Times is a disco album^{[8] [9]} with dance-pop,^[10] house, chillwave, electropop and funk influences.

Critical reception

At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised score out of 100 to critic ratings from publications, the album received an average score of 75 based on 6 reviews, indicating a "generally favourable" response.^[11]

Alexis Petridis of The Guardian gave Times a rating of 4 out of 5 stars, and wrote that "Lewis is really skilled at producing disco-infused pop-house" and that his "talent lies in [adding] subtle touches."^[12] Writing for NME, Ben Jolley gave the same rating, describing the album as "an incredibly cohesive collection of slide-across-the-kitchen-floor dance-pop bangers that encourage you to hold on to the good times."^[13] Dani Blum of Pitchfork praised the album as a "pristine" one made of "frictionless bangers", but noted that the songs are "so controlled that they never come close to catharsis."

Year-end lists

Publication! scope="col" class="unsortable"

List	Rank
Billboard	The 50 Best Albums of 2021: Staff List		^[14]

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.^[15]

Musicians

• SG Lewis – vocals, bass, drums, programming, synthesizer, bass programming, keyboards
• Julian Bunetta – drums, strings, synthesizer, programming
• Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs – piano, drum programming, synthesizer
• Rhye – vocals
• Matt Johnson – keyboards
• Simon Hale – string arrangement, strings
• Lucky Daye – vocals
• Finlay Robson – bass, keyboards
  • Jay Moon – flute John Ryan – bass
• Nile Rodgers – guitar
• Frances – keyboards, vocals
• Chad Hugo – synthesizer
• Channel Tres – vocals
• Robyn – vocals
• Joshua Dowdle – drums, synthesizer
• Amy Dowdle – vocals

Technical

• • Stuart Hawkes – mastering engineer Mike Marsh – mastering engineer
• Matt Colton – mastering engineer
• Nathan Boddy – mixer, mastering engineer
  • SG Lewis – mixer, recording engineer Mark "Spike" Stent – mixer
• Tristan Hoogland – recording engineer
• Ludvig Larsson – recording engineer
• Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs – recording engineer
• Peter Geiser – vocal engineer
• Michael Freeman – assistant mixer

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2021)! scope="col"

Peak position
Lithuanian Albums (AGATA)^[16]	77

Year-end charts

Chart (2021)! scope="col"

Position
Australian Dance Albums (ARIA)^[17]	46

Release history

Region! scope="col"

Date	Format(s)	Version	Label
Various	19 February 2021		Standard	Virgin EMI	^[18] ^[19] ^[20]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Will Dance Music Save 2021? SG Lewis Thinks So. 2021-02-22. 2021-02-18. Hypebeast. https://web.archive.org/web/20210222113249/https://hypebeast.com/2021/2/sg-lewis-times-album-interview. 2021-02-22. live.
2. 1321023465433030657. SGLewis_. his album is an ode to the present moment, and the finite chances we have to celebrate it. It's an exploration of escapism and euphoria, and the memories attached to those experiences. / ‘times’- Out everywhere 19th February 2021. SG Lewis.
3. Web site: Ross. Alex Robert. 2020-04-24. Hear SG Lewis's slinky new song "Chemicals". live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200606005332/https://hypebeast.com/2020/4/sg-lewis-chemicals-single-stream. 2020-06-06. 2021-02-24. The FADER.
4. Web site: 2020-08-06. SG Lewis, Robyn and Channel Tres link up for new single. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20201023050630/https://diymag.com/2020/08/06/listen-sg-lewis-robyn-channel-tres-impact. 2020-10-23. 2021-02-24. DIY.
5. Web site: 2020-10-27. SG Lewis announces debut album 'times'. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20201202023445/https://diymag.com/2020/10/27/sg-lewis-debut-album-times-listen-feed-the-fire-lucky-daye. 2020-12-02. 2021-02-24. DIY.
6. Web site: Murray. Robin. 2020-12-09. SG Lewis, Rhye Team Up On New Single 'Time'. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20201209103445/https://www.clashmusic.com/news/sg-lewis-rhye-team-up-on-new-single-time. 2020-12-09. 2021-02-24. Clash.
7. Web site: 2021-02-08. NME Radio Roundup 8 February: FKA twigs & Headie One, H.E.R & more. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210208220158/https://www.nme.com/blogs/radio-roundup-8-february-fka-twigs-headie-one-her-sg-lewis-2875383. 2021-02-08. 2021-02-24. NME.
8. Web site: 2021-02-19. First Spin: The Week's Best New Dance Tracks From Dawn Richard, Kaytranada, Purple Disco Machine & More. 2021-02-22. Billboard.
9. Web site: Irvin. Jack. 2021-02-18. SG Lewis on Crafting "times" as an Ode to Nightlife. 2021-02-22. FLOOD.
10. Web site: Hamilton-Peach. Chris. SG Lewis - times Review. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210222113117/https://diymag.com/2021/02/18/sg-lewis-times-album-review. 2021-02-22. 2021-02-22. DIY.
11. Web site: Times by SG Lewis. 22 February 2021. Metacritic.
12. Web site: Petridis. Alexis. 2021-02-18. SG Lewis: Times review – soaring, subtle disco for kitchen dancefloors. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210221033632/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/feb/18/sg-lewis-times-review-soaring-subtle-disco-for-kitchen-dancefloors. 2021-02-21. 2021-02-22. The Guardian.
13. Web site: Jolley. Ben. 17 February 2021. SG Lewis – 'times' review: kitchen disco bangers that ache with nostalgia. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210222103451/https://www.nme.com/reviews/album/sg-lewis-times-review-2882727. 22 February 2021. 22 February 2021. NME.
14. Web site: Best Albums of 2021: Staff List. Billboard. 6 December 2021. 6 December 2021. Katie. Bain.
15. Web site: Credits / times / SG Lewis . . 23 February 2021 . 19 February 2021.
16. Web site: 2021 8-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100). lt. AGATA. 26 February 2021. 2 July 2021.
17. Web site: ARIA Top 50 Dance Albums for 2021 . . 15 January 2022 . 15 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220115152251/https://www.aria.com.au/charts/2021/dance-albums-chart/ . 15 January 2022 . live.
18. Web site: times CD. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20210222105137/https://shop.sglewismusic.com/%2A/%2A/times-CD/6RAS0000000. 2021-02-22. 2021-02-22. SG Lewis Store.
19. Web site: times LP. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20210222105346/https://shop.sglewismusic.com/%2A/%2A/times-LP/6RAU0000000. 2021-02-22. 2021-02-22. SG Lewis Store.
20. Web site: Signed times Cassette. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20201201105504/https://shop.sglewismusic.com/*/*/Signed-times-Cassette/6RBE0000000. 2020-12-01. 2021-02-22. SG Lewis Store.