World Wide Pop Explained

World Wide Pop
Type:studio
Artist:Superorganism
Cover:Superorganism - World Wide Pop.png
Alt:A crowd of people gathered under a globe projecting multi-coloured beams of light
Released:15 July 2022
Genre:Indie pop
Length:40:19
Label:Domino
Prev Title:Superorganism
Prev Year:2018
Next Title:World Wide Pop – Reeeemix!
Next Year:2022

World Wide Pop is the second album by London-based indie pop band Superorganism, released on 15 July 2022 by Domino Recording Company.[1] The album features guest appearances from musicians Chai, Pi Ja Ma, Stephen Malkmus, Dylan Cartlidge, Boa Constrictors, and Gen Hoshino.[2] The album is the group's first since the exit of members Ruby, Robert Strange, and Emily (real name Mark Turner),[3] the latter of whom was caught in controversy in 2019 after filing restraining orders against two women who spoke out against him.[4] The album was followed by an EP of remixes by artists including Lewis OfMan, DJ Sabrina the Teenage DJ, and the band themselves, released by Domino 28 October 2022.[5]

Singles

Lead single "Teenager" was released alongside the album's announcement on 7 March 2022, with an accompanying music video starring actor Brian Jordan Alvarez.[6] Subsequent singles, all with their own music videos as well, were "It's Raining", released 31 March;[7] "Crushed.zip" released 27 April;[8] "On & On" released 25 May;[9] and "Into the Sun" released 28 June.[10]

Style and reception

The Skinnys Anita Bhadani wrote that the album, "Superorganism's ambitiously weird take on pop", isn't new for subverting pop but is made more special because "in a saturated scene Superorganism have pulled off something wholly unique and – most importantly – fun." The album's "future-facing sound draws more from the 'cut-and-paste' ethos of the indie heyday than hyperpop", and while its maximalist core can sometimes be overdone such as on "Solar System", "on the whole it finds the sweet spot between chaos and structure, silliness and depth, and it's a banger."

Slant Magazines Steve Erickson wrote that the band's "sophomore effort doubles down on their copy-and-paste approach, but this time with mixed results." Given the rise of hyperpop in the intervening years since the band's 2018 debut album, "songs like "Black Hole Baby" sound kitschy and backward-looking in comparison—more Avalanches than 100 gecs." The first album's "groovier, danceable tempos have been replaced with more upbeat, jittery arrangements on World Wide Pop, and while the group's personality shines through in the album's aggressive, deceptively cheery production, the songs hint at an anxiety that's never fully fleshed out." Ultimately, the album "succumbs to sameiness, with several songs in a row set to a similarly frantic tempo and overly compressed, treble-heavy sound mix." Erickson closes by noting lyrics from "Put Down Your Phone" which "allude to the slow disintegration of our attention spans", stating that "Unfortunately, merely calling out our hyperactive attention spans doesn't prevent Superorganism from surrendering to it."

Year-end lists

Track listing

All tracks are written and produced by Superorganism, except where noted.

Charts

Chart (2022)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[12] 64

Notes and References

  1. News: Pearis . Bill . 7 March 2022 . Superorganism announce new album & tour, share "Teenager" ft Chai & Pi Ja Ma . . 5 July 2022.
  2. News: Skinner . Tom . 7 March 2022 . Superorganism announce second album World Wide Pop with new single "Teenager" . . 5 July 2022.
  3. News: Minsker . Evan . 7 March 2022 . Superorganism Announce New Album World Wide Pop, Share Video for New Song "Teenager" . . 5 July 2022.
  4. News: Hogan . Marc . 9 January 2019 . Superorganism's Mark Turner Sought Restraining Orders Against Two Women Who Spoke Out Against Him . . 5 July 2022.
  5. News: October 6, 2022 . Superorganism announce new EP World Wide Pop - Reeeemix! . . October 29, 2022.
  6. News: Rettig . James . 7 March 2022 . Superorganism – "Teenager" (Feat. Chai & Pi Ja Ma) . . 5 July 2022.
  7. News: Lavin . Will . 31 March 2022 . Superorganism team up with Stephen Malkmus for new song "It's Raining" . NME . 5 July 2022.
  8. News: Rettig . James . 27 April 2022 . Superorganism - "Crushed.zip" . . 5 July 2022.
  9. News: Brodsky . Rachel . 25 May 2022 . Superorganism – "On & On" . . 5 July 2022.
  10. News: Arnone . Joey . 28 June 2022 . Superorganism Share New Song "Into the Sun" . . 5 July 2022.
  11. News: December 23, 2022 . Under the Radars Top 100 Albums of 2022 . Under the Radar . December 26, 2022.
  12. Web site: Billboard Japan Hot Albums – Week of July 20, 2022. Billboard Japan. ja. 20 July 2022.