Free I.H: This Is Not the One You've Been Waiting For is a mixtape by American indie rock band Illuminati Hotties. It was self released on July 17, 2020.[1] The mixtape comes after accusations to the band's former label, Tiny Engines, of violations of contractual agreements by their artists. The band bought out its contract with Tiny Engines with a cash settlement and royalties to the label on a future project. This situation inspired the creation of the mixtape, which was released to fulfill a contractual agreement with Tiny Engines.
| Free I.H: This Is Not the One You've Been Waiting For | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Mixtape by Illuminati Hotties | ||||
| Released | July 17, 2020 | |||
| Genre | Pop, rock | |||
| Label | Self released | |||
| Producer | Sarah Tudzin | |||
| Illuminati Hotties chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background
editThe mixtape comes after the band's debut album, Kiss Yr Frenemies, which was released in 2018.[2] Stevie Knipe of Adult Mom accused Tiny Engines, the band's former label, of a breach of contract due to the delayed payment of $8,000 in royalties.[3] Other artists signed to the label also alleged that similar situations occurred.[3] The co-founder of the record label, Chuck Daley, admitted to the delay of payments in an interview with Billboard.[3][4]
Following the controversy, Illuminati Hotties decided to settle its contract in cash and royalties in a future project, inspiring the content and creation of this mixtape, which also fulfilled a contractual agreement with Tiny Engines.[5][2] The album was largely written after beginning production of the album Let Me Do One More, which was released in 2021.[6][7]
The title of the mixtape's lead single, "Will I Get Cancelled If I Write a Song Called, 'If You Were a Man, You’d Be So Cancelled'", was taken from text messages between band leader Sarah Tudzin and Sadie Dupuis, who suggested its use.[2]
Reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 82/100[8] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Beats Per Minute | 79/100[1] |
| Exclaim! | 8/10[9] |
| The Line of Best Fit | 8/10[10] |
| NME |   [4] |
| No Ripcord | 8/10[11] |
| Pitchfork | 7.6/10[6] |
| Under the Radar |    [12] |
On the review aggregator website Metacritic, Free I.H has a score of 82 out of 100 based on 7 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[8] Ian Cohen of Stereogum called it "one of 2020’s most brash, defiant, and flat-out righteous projects",[2] and Francesca Rose of Exclaim! wrote that Free I.H "shows how making music can be cathartic for an artist" while giving the album an 8/10.[9] Juan Edgardo Rodriguez of No Ripcord also gave the album an 8/10, calling the mood of the album "rowdy and playful".[11] Arielle Gordon of Pitchfork gave the album a 7.6/10, claiming that while it is shorter than the band's previous release, Kiss Yr Frenemies, it "packs in more stylistic variation and studio maneuvers".[6]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "will i get cancelled if i write a song called, "if you were a man you'd be so cancelled"" | 1:14 |
| 2. | "free ppls" | 2:03 |
| 3. | "freequent letdown" | 1:57 |
| 4. | "melatonezone" | 2:12 |
| 5. | "WATTBL" | 1:23 |
| 6. | "free dumb" | 2:08 |
| 7. | "content//bedtime" | 4:14 |
| 8. | "free4all" | 1:26 |
| 9. | "b yr own b" | 2:03 |
| 10. | "K - HOT AM 818" | 0:49 |
| 11. | "superiority complex (big noise)" | 1:34 |
| 12. | "reasons 2 live" | 2:13 |
| Total length: | 23:16 | |
References
edit- ^ a b Sentz, Tim (2020-07-20). "Album Review: illuminati hotties – Free I.H: This Is Not The One You've Been Waiting For | Beats Per Minute". beatsperminute.com. Retrieved 2022-01-17.
- ^ a b c d "Illuminati Hotties Announce New Mixtape \'Free I.H.\': Read Our Interview & Hear The Scathing Lead Single". Stereogum. 2020-07-10. Retrieved 2022-01-17.
- ^ a b c Payne, Chris (2020-01-30). "How the Plight of Beleaguered Label Tiny Engines Could Bring New Solutions to Indie Rock". Billboard. Retrieved 2022-01-17.
- ^ a b "Illuminati Hotties – 'Free I.H.: This is Not The One You've Been Waiting For' review: red-hot sonic riposte to industry bullshit". NME. 2020-07-24. Retrieved 2022-01-17.
- ^ "Illuminati Hotties: the label-fighting LA punk on her wild new album". The Guardian. 2020-08-11. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
- ^ a b c "Illuminati Hotties: FREE I.H.: This Is Not the One You've Been Waiting For". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2022-01-17.
- ^ Vozick-Levinson, Simon; Vozick-Levinson, Simon (2020-07-29). "Song You Need to Know: Illuminati Hotties, 'Freequent Letdown'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2022-01-19.
- ^ a b Free I.H: This Is Not The One You've Been Waiting For [Mixtape] by Illuminati Hotties, retrieved 2022-01-17
- ^ a b "Illuminati Hotties Joyfully Stick It to the Man on 'Free I.H: This Is Not the One You've Been Waiting For' | Exclaim!". exclaim.ca. Retrieved 2022-01-17.
- ^ "Illuminati Hotties fight back on the excellent Free I.H." The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 2022-01-17.
- ^ a b "Free I.H: This Is Not the One You've Been Waiting For". No Ripcord. Retrieved 2022-01-17.
- ^ Moody, Mark. "Free I.H: This Is Not The One You've Been Waiting For". www.undertheradarmag.com. Retrieved 2022-01-17.