| The Beautiful Liar | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 24, 2021 (2021-09-24) | |||
| Length | 36:03 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer |
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| X Ambassadors chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Beautiful Liar | ||||
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The Beautiful Liar is the third studio album by Americanrock bandX Ambassadors. It was released on September 24, 2021 byKidinakorner andInterscope Records. The album follows X Ambassadors' second album,Orion (2019) and the band's EPBelong (2020). It isconcept album, playing similarly to aradio drama.
Their multi-collaborative series(Eg) andBelong EP were material largely recorded weeks before thelockdowns as a result of theCOVID-19 pandemic. All three band members wrote and composed the album's tracks virtually, starting with what they had before the lockdown and expanding upon it.[1]
It expresses themes of insanity, powerlessness, self-doubt, and anxiety.[2] Lead singer Sam and keyboardist Casey Harris say the album was influenced by theradio shows they would listen to as children instead of TV because of Casey'sblindness. Sam said "I wanted to make an album that felt as unhinged as I did, and as the whole world felt around me. So Adam [Levin], Casey and I carved ourselves a space where we could all be as ugly, weird, funny, and f'd up as we wanted to be."[3]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| Melodic | [5] |
The Beautiful Liar received generally positive reviews from critics. Matt Collar ofAllMusic gave the album a 4 out of 5 stars and wrote that "The Beautiful Liar is a quirky, oddly intriguing experience, whose conceptual elements interrupt the corporate pop flow of the album". He praised the songs "My Own Monster", "Love Is Death", and "Reincarnated".[4] Johan Wippsson fromMelodic called the album "a strong comeback from one of the best and most exciting bands in the pop genre right now", calling tracks "Somebody Who Knows You" and "Okay" favorites.[5]
All tracks are written and produced by Sam Harris, Casey Harris, and Adam Levin. Additional writers and producers are included below
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Chapter One: The Sleeping Giant" | 0:43 | ||
| 2. | "Beautiful Liar" | Ricky Reed |
| 4:09 |
| 3. | "My Own Monster" |
| Wells | 3:05 |
| 4. | "Adrenaline" | Wells |
| 2:45 |
| 5. | "Bullshit" |
| 2:13 | |
| 6. | "Chapter Two: Enter the Shadow" | 1:13 | ||
| 7. | "Conversations With My Friends" | Wells | 0:56 | |
| 8. | "I Can See The Light..." |
|
| 0:35 |
| 9. | "Palo Santo" |
|
| 2:43 |
| 10. | "Theater Of War" | 1:08 | ||
| 11. | "A Brief Word From Our Sponsors--" | 0:32 | ||
| 12. | "Love Is Death" |
| Mercereau | 3:33 |
| 13. | "Somebody Who Knows You" |
| Scharff | 3:44 |
| 14. | "Okay" |
| 4:45 | |
| 15. | "Reincarnated" | Wells | 2:33 | |
| 16. | "Author's Note" | 1:19 | ||
| Total length: | 36:03 | |||
Note
| The Beautiful Liar | |
|---|---|
| Presentation | |
| Starring | Rory Anne Dahl Emily Hampshire Sam Nelson Harris |
| Genre |
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| Language | English |
| Length | 30-40 minutes |
| Production | |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 9 |
| Publication | |
| Original release | November 3, 2021 |
A nine-episode companionpodcast to the album was released on November 3, 2021, onAmazon Music, releasing on all other services November 17, 2021.[6] It is produced and published byQCode Media. It is asuperhero origin story, following a blind teenager named Clementine who suddenly loses her father and has to juggle moving to a new school with her new secret friend, Shadow. It stars Rory Anne Dahl as Clementine andEmily Hampshire as the shadow.[7]