Producer Lorely Rodriguez Artist Empress Of Label Terrible Records | Systems
(2013) Me
(2015) Release date 11 September 2015 | |
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Released September 11, 2015 (2015-09-11) (Standard release)
June 2016 (2016-06) (Cassette release) Genres Dream pop, Electropop, Trip hop Similar Poison Season, Half Free, Have You In My Wilderness, Depression Cherry, Fading Frontier | ||
Me is the debut studio album by American singer and songwriter Empress Of, released on September 11, 2015 by XL Recordings and Terrible Records. The first single, "Water Water", was released April 14, 2015. The second single, "Kitty Kat", was released July 20, 2015 along with the album's announcement.
Contents
Background and development
Upon adopting the stage name Empress Of in 2012, Lorely Rodriguez began uploading her first recordings onto YouTube: a collection of minute-long snippets designated with a specific color. These demos, dubbed Colorminutes, were produced day-to-day as an exercise for Rodriguez to hone her technical proficiency and creative discipline. A few became the basis for her first release "Champagne", which garnered the attention of Terrible Records, through which she released her first EP Systems in April 2013 and later signed a joint deal with XL Recordings for her debut studio album.
Rodriguez found herself with writer's block after initial recording sessions for Me, which took place in a Williamsburg studio: "Living in New York as an artist is a hard thing to do. Everyone’s hustling, everyone’s got this really tense energy because it’s so hard to live here and make it here and pursue your dreams as an artist if you’re not super privileged. But, I was writing a bunch of shitty demos, and I didn’t want to tour that for two years, because, you know, you make a record and you tour it forever." Rodriguez contacted a friend over her predicament and desire to leave the city, to which he offered up his parents' empty vacation house in Mexico. Rodriguez left for the writing retreat in December 2013, leaving behind four jobs as a nanny and music teacher, to the secluded village of Valle de Bravo on Lake Avándaro.
Release
Me was preceded by four singles: Water Water, Kitty Kat, How Do You Do It, and Standard. The album was announced on July 20, 2015, upon the release of second single Kitty Kat.
On March 14, 2016, Empress Of released a new single titled Woman Is a Word. In May 2016, it was revealed that Me would be re-released on cassette with bonus tracks, to be sold on tour in June. The bonus tracks would include Woman Is a Word; a Spanish version of Water Water titled Agua Agua; and exclusive new remixes. Agua Agua was first shared by Rodriguez via SoundCloud in June 2015.
Critical reception
Online magazine Pitchfork Media reviewed the album positively, awarding it Best New Music.
Track listing
All tracks written by Lorely Rodriguez.
Songs
1Everything Is You3:45
2Water Water3:41
3Standard3:39