| Hopelessness | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 6 May 2016 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 41:39 | |||
| Label | Secretly Canadian(US) Rough Trade(UK) Hostess(Japan) | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Anohni chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Hopelessness | ||||
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Hopelessness is the debut solo album byBritish-American artistAnohni, frontwoman ofAnohni and the Johnsons, released on 6 May 2016 onSecretly Canadian,Rough Trade, andHostess.[2] Featuring co-production byHudson Mohawke andOneohtrix Point Never,[2] the album departs from thechamber pop style of her previous work, instead exploring anelectronic sound and engaging directly with political and environmental themes in the form ofprotest songs.[3][4]
Hopelessness was released to critical acclaim. It peaked at number 26 on the UK album charts and number 121 in the US.Hopelessness was nominated for aMercury Prize in 2016, and Anohni was nominated for Best British Female at theBRIT Awards in 2017.
Following her plaintive,chamber pop-styled work with the groupAntony and the Johnsons in the early 2000s, Anohni began developing a radically different "Trojan horse" project that would instead feature a "glossy, plastic sound" while dealing more directly with political and environmental issues.[5] Discussing her decision to move away from her earlier style, she reasoned: "at this point, I really feel like it's all hands on deck. An artist that's fiddle-faddling in opaque, gossamer gestures — I mean it's fine to do that, totally fine, but there's no time left."[5] Conceptualized and recorded over three years, Anohni first began to collaborate with electronic musician Daniel Lopatin,[5] whose work asOneohtrix Point Never she had previously covered.[6]
Anohni and Lopatin initially speculated on creating "a kind ofBlade Runner–Kitarō–Japanimation soundtrack" before producer Ross Birchard, better known for his work in hip hop (cf.Kanye West) asHudson Mohawke, became involved with the project in 2014.[5] Birchard and Anohni had also collaborated on Birchard's 2015 albumLantern, during which time he sent Anohni the demo of what would become "Drone Bomb Me." Speaking to theNew York Times, Anohni explained that "the kind of relentless, exuberant, almost ecstatic positiveness of Hudson's music was the perfect foil for more challenging lyrics than people would be used to hearing from me."[5] Both producers worked on the tracks, with Anohni also taking part in the production process; Mohawke recalled: "she's not just writing these songs. She loves getting in there and twisting stuff up inPro Tools and chopping stuff up and editing and rearranging. She's permanently finding all of these little magic things that wouldn't have occurred to us."[5] Lopatin stated that "her range is crazy, the ideas are nuts, the movement is wild — you basically don't have to do that much. "[5]
Hopelessness is anelectropop,dance,experimental, andsynth-pop album.[3][7][8] Lyrically, Anohni developed a stark political approach which addressed issues such assurveillance,drone warfare,capital punishment and environmental crisis.[5] She explained toPitchfork that she drew influence from 80's dance music during theAIDS epidemic, stating that "rage is a really fun place to dance from—expressions of anger sublimated into something beautiful are invigorating, especially if you feel like you’re telling the truth."[9] Critic Jon Pareles noted that "she comes at her topics from unexpected angles — sometimes identifying with forces of destruction, sometimes mourning their ravages." She attempted to maintain a focus on the personal:
I tried to keep a focus on myself in terms of addressing my complicity in so many of these issues — as a taxpayer, as a consumer, as a passive participant. I got to thinking perhaps as an artist, even as an artist with the best of intentions, that I was kind of a microcosm of the brokenness of the whole system. That within my body I contained the whole conflict.[5]
Commenting on "4 Degrees" in a fan interview earlier in the year, Hegarty had stated that she had "grown tired of grieving for humanity", adding that she felt she "was not being entirely honest by pretending that I am not a part of the problem. '4 Degrees' is kind of a brutal attempt to hold myself accountable, not just valorize my intentions but also reflect on the true impact of my behaviors."[10] The song referencesprojected temperature rise by 2100 and its effect on theextinction of wildlife.[11][12] The song "Obama" depicts disillusionment with the tenure of US PresidentBarack Obama.[9]
On 23 February 2015, Anohni announcedHopelessness via the Antony and the Johnsons' website andFacebook account. In the announcement, Anohni described the album as "an electronic record with some sharp teeth".[13][14] In a fan interview, Anohni described the upcoming album as "as different as could be from my previous work", adding she was "not sure that many of [those] who prefer the earlychamber music style will enjoy it". Characterising it as a "dance / experimental electronic record with quite a dark thematic undertow", she revealed spring 2016 as the release date.[10] On 30 November 2015, Anohni released "4 Degrees", the first song off ofHopelessness, along with an accompanying message: "In solidarity with theclimate conference in Paris, giving myself a good hard look, not my aspirations but my behaviors, revealing my insidious complicity. It's a whole new world. Let’s be brave and tell the truth as much as we can."[15][16]
On 9 March 2016, Anohni announced the release of the album's second single "Drone Bomb Me" via Facebook.[17] The song, which premiered onAnnie Mac's show onBBC Radio 1 later that day, was accompanied by a music video which she described as "insanely beautiful".[18] As revealed shortly after the announcement on Anohni's Instagram account, the video was directed byNabil Elderkin and stars English supermodelNaomi Campbell.[19] On the same day, Anohni also revealed thatHopelessness will be released on 6 May 2016, along with the album's track listing.[20][21]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 8.1/10[22] |
| Metacritic | 83/100[23] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [24] |
| The A.V. Club | B+[25] |
| The Guardian | [4] |
| The Independent | [26] |
| NME | 4/5[27] |
| The Observer | [28] |
| Pitchfork | 9.0/10[29] |
| Q | [30] |
| Rolling Stone |  [31] |
| Spin | 9/10[32] |
Hopelessness was critically acclaimed, as evidenced by itsaverage score of 83, meaning "universal acclaim", based on 30 reviews on the review aggregatorMetacritic.[23] Tim Jonze ofThe Guardian calledHopelessness "as profound a protest record as anyone has made in decades, brimming with anger, and yet, somehow, oddly accessible," concluding that, "For all its bleakness, Hopelessness leaves you feeling anything but."[4] Writing forExclaim!, Andrea Warner characterizedHopelessness as "a shimmering, shadowy electronic pop protest record that thunders and sparks, avenges and retreats, attacks and empowers," noting Anohni's "ownership and authority over her artistic voice that we've not yet seen before."[3] T. Cole Rachel ofSpin called the album "a potent political statement," and described the music as "gorgeous, matching the intensity of the subject matter without overwhelming it and giving the appropriate space to ANOHNI’s voice, which remains a glorious instrument."[32] Jenn Pelly ofPitchfork praised the album, stating, "Anohni, HudMo, and OPN meet on an astral plane and construct a sleek salon there, where we can reflect on the current moment and perhaps be spurred to action," calling the album "some of the most accessible and pristinely infectious music that any of these people have made.[29] Writing forNPR, Ann Powers said of the album, "The subject matter onHopelessness can be grisly — state-sponsored execution, torture, animals expiring in trees — but the music, and Anohni's singing especially, brings the emotional rush of revelation."[33]
| Publication | Accolade | Year | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thump | The 33 Best Albums of 2016 | 2016 | 1 | |
| Consequence of Sound | Top 50 Albums of 2016 | 2016 | 5 | |
| The Guardian | Albums of the Year | 2016 | 6 | |
| Rough Trade | Albums of the Year | 2016 | 6 | |
| New York Times | The Best Albums of 2016 | 2016 | 8 | |
| Pitchfork | The 50 Best Albums of 2016 | 2016 | 8 | |
| The 200 Best Albums of the 2010s | 2019 | 48 | ||
| NME | NME's Albums of the Year 2016 | 2016 | 8 | |
| The Skinny | Top 50 Albums of 2016 | 2016 | 8 | |
| Billboard | 50 Best Albums of 2016 | 2016 | 16 | |
| Stereogum | The 50 Best Albums of 2016 | 2016 | 19 | |
| NPR | The Best 50 Albums Of 2016 | 2016 | 32 | |
| Rolling Stone | 50 Best Albums of 2016 | 2016 | 35 | |
| Paste | The 50 Best Albums of 2016 | 2016 | 38 | |
| Mojo | The 50 Best Albums of 2016 | 2016 | 42 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Drone Bomb Me" | 4:10 | ||
| 2. | "4 Degrees" |
|
| 3:51 |
| 3. | "Watch Me" |
|
| 3:26 |
| 4. | "Execution" |
|
| 3:38 |
| 5. | "I Don't Love You Anymore" |
|
| 5:00 |
| 6. | "Obama" |
|
| 4:11 |
| 7. | "Violent Men" |
|
| 2:10 |
| 8. | "Why Did You Separate Me from the Earth?" |
|
| 3:36 |
| 9. | "Crisis" |
|
| 4:42 |
| 10. | "Hopelessness" |
| Oneohtrix Point Never | 3:54 |
| 11. | "Marrow" |
|
| 3:01 |
| Total length: | 41:39 | |||
| Chart (2016) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[50] | 35 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[51] | 28 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[52] | 13 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[53] | 53 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[54] | 21 |
| French Albums (SNEP)[55] | 48 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[56] | 29 |
| Irish Albums (IRMA)[57] | 25 |
| Italian Albums (FIMI)[58] | 39 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[59] | 53 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[60] | 17 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[61] | 26 |
| USBillboard 200[62] | 121 |
| USTop Alternative Albums (Billboard)[63] | 8 |
| USIndependent Albums (Billboard)[64] | 6 |
| USTop Rock Albums (Billboard)[65] | 11 |
| Chart (2016) | Position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[66] | 151 |
...ANOHNI embraces electronic dance music as a compelling vehicle for truth-telling without losing its serrated edge.
