| Egypt Station | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 7 September 2018 (2018-09-07) | |||
| Recorded | January 2016 – February 2018 | |||
| Studio | Henson Recording Studios, Los Angeles Patriot Studios, Los Angeles Uno Mas, Brentwood Abbey Road Studios, London Hogg Hill Mill,Icklesham KLB Studios, Sao Paulo Emmanuel Presbyterian Church, Los Angeles | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 57:30 | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| Producer |
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| Paul McCartney chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Egypt Station | ||||
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Egypt Station is the seventeenth solo studio album by the English singer-songwriterPaul McCartney, released on 7 September 2018 throughCapitol Records.[1]
Egypt Station was produced byGreg Kurstin and co-produced by McCartney, with the exception of one track produced byRyan Tedder.[1] The album is McCartney's first studio release since 2013'sNew. The album'slead single, adouble A-side consisting of the songs "I Don't Know" and "Come On to Me", was released on 20 June 2018.[2][3]
The name "Egypt Station" is shared by one of McCartney's paintings from 1988, from which the cover art is derived.[1][4] It became his first number one album in the United States since 1982'sTug of War and his first to debut atop theBillboard 200.
Egypt Station was recorded in studios inLos Angeles,London,São Paulo, andSussex.[1] McCartney began working with producerGreg Kurstin some time after the release of his 2013 albumNew and mentioned their working together several times leading up to the 20 June 2018 announcement ofEgypt Station's release.[5]
McCartney also wrote and recorded three songs withRyan Tedder.[6] Two of the songs, "Fuh You" and "Nothing for Free", were released on the album. The song "Get Enough" was also recorded with Tedder for the album, but was instead releasedNew Year's Day 2019 as a non-album single.
The song "Back in Brazil" was recorded at KLB Studios in the city ofSão Paulo.[7]
Egypt Station contains 16 tracks, including opening and penultimate ambient pieces entitled "Opening Station" and "Station II", respectively. Tracks include the singles "I Don't Know" and "Come On to Me". "Happy with You" is described as "acoustic meditation on present day contentedness", "People Want Peace" is called a "timeless anthem that would fit on virtually any album of any McCartney era", and "Despite Repeated Warnings" is called "an epic multi-movement closer".[1]
On the inspiration for the album's title and theme, McCartney said:
I liked the words 'Egypt Station'. It reminded me of the 'album' albums we used to make. ... 'Egypt Station' starts off at the station on the first song, and then each song is like a different station. So it gave us some idea to base all the songs around that. I think of it as a dream location that the music emanates from.[1]
In the promotional event "Casual Conversation", McCartney further clarified his creative process behind recordingEgypt Station and described it as a looseconcept album.
On 10 June 2018, all content was removed from McCartney'sInstagram page. That day, all of McCartney's social media pages began posting cryptic photos of symbols and McCartney playing various instruments, fueling speculation of an impending announcement.[8] The titleEgypt Station was first announced on 18 June 2018, McCartney's 76th birthday. One day later, McCartney officially announced the release of the album's first (double A-side) single, consisting of the two songs "I Don't Know" and "Come On to Me". The two songs were released on 20 June 2018. The same day, McCartney's website officially announced the title and release date ofEgypt Station, also providing information on the album's recording and creative process.[1]
McCartney agreed to film a "Carpool Karaoke" segment forThe Late Late Show with James Corden inLiverpool on 9 June 2018. As part of the segment, McCartney played a small gig at Liverpool'sPhilharmonic Dining Rooms, where he performed "Come On to Me" live for the first time. The segment was broadcast the week of 17 June 2018 in conjunction with the release of the album's first single.[9] An extended version of the segment, titled "When Corden Met McCartney (Live from Liverpool)", was broadcast byCBS on 20 August 2018.[10]
On 3 July 2018, theFreshen Up tour was announced through the official McCartney website. The tour started on 17 September 2018 inQuebec City,Canada.
On 19 July 2018, McCartney posted an image on his Instagram asking fans, "Why do you think you should attend a secret event in London with Paul next week"? Fans were asked to "post a short video using the hashtag #UnderTheStaircase". The winners of the contest were treated to a secret concert atAbbey Road Studios with a number of other celebrity guests in attendance. The set list included four songs from the upcoming album, including "Come On to Me" and the live debuts of "Confidante", "Fuh You", and a song that had been previously unmentioned, called "Who Cares". Later the same week, McCartney played a surprise concert atThe Cavern Club in Liverpool.
On 25 July 2018, McCartney held a talk titled "Casual Conversation" at theLiverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA). Moderated byJarvis Cocker, the event was live-streamed onFacebook, and he answered questions from LIPA students as well as viewers online.[11]
On 15 August 2018, McCartney released "Fuh You" as the second single from the album. On 3 September 2018, McCartney's YouTube channel released a series of videos titled "Egypt Station – Words Between the Tracks". The videos feature McCartney briefly describing the composition and inspiration of each track from the standard edition album.
On 7 September 2018, to celebrate the launch of the album, McCartney performeda "secret" concert atGrand Central Terminal that was live-streamed onYouTube. Music only videos of each performance were later uploaded to his YouTube channel.
During the lead-up promotion to the album's release date, lyric videos were released on YouTube for the first singles "Come On To Me", "I Don't Know", and "Fuh You". SinceEgypt Station's release, official music videos were released for "Fuh You", "Back In Brazil" and "Come On To Me". The music videos are a creative departure from many of McCartney's previous music videos in that they each focus on the lives of ordinary people with McCartney only appearing briefly (on stage) in the conclusion of "Back In Brazil".
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 74/100[12] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [13] |
| Consequence of Sound | B−[14] |
| The Daily Telegraph | [15] |
| The Guardian | [16] |
| musicOMH | [17] |
| NME | [18] |
| The Observer | [19] |
| Pitchfork | 5.8/10[20] |
| Rolling Stone | [21] |
| Slant Magazine | [22] |
Egypt Station has been well received by music critics. OnMetacritic, the album has an overall score of 74 out of 100 compiled from the scores of 25 music critics, indicating "generally favourable reviews".[12]
In the review forAllMusic,Stephen Thomas Erlewine opined that "all the slower songs are peppered with haunting images of darkness creeping at the edges, while McCartney revives the carnality that markedPress – not just on the straightforward 'Fuh You,' but 'Come on to Me,' a considerably better song than the Tedder exercise. Such twists are welcome, but what's satisfying aboutEgypt Station is what's always satisfying about a McCartney record: the hooks and imagination that are so rampant they seem effortless."[13] Dan Stubbs fromNME gave the album 4 out of 5 stars, saying, "McCartney’s always been about inclusivity and openness, but this latest glimpse into his life feels like a particularly enlightening one."[18] Reviewing the album forThe Observer, Kitty Empire also gave the album 4 out of 5 stars. In the review she states that "the finest songs here land immediately and hum with urgency."[19]
Writing a four-star review inRolling Stone,Rob Sheffield claimed, "Make a list of all the songwriters who were composing great tunes in 1958. Now make an overlapping list of the ones who are still writing brilliant songs in 2018. Your list reads: Paul McCartney."[21] Chris Willman atVariety stated, "If it doesn't make for McCartney's most coherent collection, it's endearing how enthusiastically he strives, at 76, to avoid doing just one thing when he can do a dozen. Bitch, he's Macca."[23]
In 2019,Egypt Station was nominated for theFryderyk Music Award (in Poland) for the best foreign album of 2018, but did not win, losing the award toAnthem of the Peaceful Army byGreta Van Fleet.[24]
Egypt Station debuted at number one on the USBillboard 200 in the issue dated 22 September 2018, earning 153,000album equivalent units (of which 147,000 were pure album sales).[25] It is McCartney's first US number one album sinceTug of War in 1982, as well as his eighth number one album overall and his first to debut atop the chart.[25] The album dropped to number eight in its second week, earning an additional 37,000 album-equivalent units in the United States.[26]
All tracks produced by Greg Kurstin and McCartney, except "Fuh You" by Ryan Tedder and McCartney, "Nothing for Free" and "Get Enough" by Ryan Tedder, Zach Skelton and McCartney.[27]
All tracks are written byPaul McCartney, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Opening Station" | 0:42 | |
| 2. | "I Don't Know" | 4:27 | |
| 3. | "Come On to Me" | 4:11 | |
| 4. | "Happy with You" | 3:34 | |
| 5. | "Who Cares" | 3:13 | |
| 6. | "Fuh You" |
| 3:23 |
| 7. | "Confidante" | 3:04 | |
| 8. | "People Want Peace" | 2:59 | |
| 9. | "Hand in Hand" | 2:35 | |
| 10. | "Dominoes" | 5:02 | |
| 11. | "Back in Brazil" | 3:21 | |
| 12. | "Do It Now" | 3:17 | |
| 13. | "Caesar Rock" | 3:29 | |
| 14. | "Despite Repeated Warnings" | 6:58 | |
| 15. | "Station II" | 0:46 | |
| 16. | "Hunt You Down/Naked/C-Link" | 6:22 | |
| Total length: | 57:30 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17. | "Get Started" | 3:41 | |
| 18. | "Nothing for Free" (feat.Ryan Tedder) |
| 3:15 |
| Total length: | 64:26 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Get Started" | 3:41 | |
| 2. | "Nothing for Free" (feat. Ryan Tedder) |
| 3:15 |
| 3. | "Frank Sinatra's Party" | 2:44 | |
| 4. | "Sixty Second Street" | 3:57 | |
| 5. | "Who Cares" (full length) | 5:33 | |
| 6. | "Get Enough" |
| 2:58 |
| 7. | "Come On to Me" (live atAbbey Road Studios) | 4:19 | |
| 8. | "Fuh You" (live atThe Cavern Club) | 3:35 | |
| 9. | "Confidante" (live atLIPA) | 3:16 | |
| 10. | "Who Cares" (live atGrand Central Station) | 3:02 | |
| Total length: | 36:20 | ||
with
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| France (SNEP)[70] | Gold | 50,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
