Let's Say for Instance is the fourth studio album by Scottish singer Emeli Sandé, released on 6 May 2022 through Chrysalis Records.[3] It is Sandé's first release with Chrysalis, and first album on an independent record label.[4][5] The album was preceded by the release of the singles "Family", "Look What You've Done" (with Jaykae), "Brighter Days" and "There Isn't Much".
| Let's Say for Instance | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 6 May 2022 | |||
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| Length | 51:34 | |||
| Label | Chrysalis | |||
| Producer |
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| Emeli Sandé chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Let's Say for Instance | ||||
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Background and musical style
editSandé explained that she "felt free to express [her]self more naturally both lyrically and musically in this album and [her] wish is that it will be an uplifting experience for each listener and that they will get to know [her] on a much deeper level".[6] Upon release in September 2021, lead single "Family" was called a departure from Sandé's previous soul sound "more towards pop",[7] while a press release accompanying the album announcement claimed Sandé "explor[es] new sonic territory through shades of classical, disco, [and] nostalgic R&B".[1]
Promotion
editLead single "Family" was released on 15 September 2021,[7] followed by the Jaykae duet "Look What You've Done" the next month, and "Brighter Days" in January 2022.[6] The album was announced on 15 February 2022.[1] Sandé will promote the album on the Brighter Days Tour, which will visit the UK and Europe across May and June 2022.[8]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [9] |
| musicOMH | [10] |
| PopMatters | 8/10[11] |
| The Scotsman | [12] |
Fiona Shepherd of The Scotsman rated the album three out of five stars and wrote that "Sandé may talk about soul-baring through her songs but there is an opaqueness to the off-the-peg inspirational messages in her lyrics which allows the listener to project their own experiences into her middle-of-the-road songs". Shepherd felt the track "Brighter Days" sounds like "Dolly Parton in gospel robes" and called "Look in Your Eyes" a "tasteful, mid-paced reverie" with "old school Terry Lewis/Jimmy Jam-style soul funk".[12] Reviewing the album for musicOMH, Martyn Young opined that it "feels like an album perfectly designed for the playlist age [...] even if as a whole work it could do with paring down". He also called it "a record that highlights a gifted songwriter and producer doing what they love and being gently experimental with it", remarking that Sandé is "free from the expectations and pressures of cultural ubiquity", thus she "can carry on doing what she's very good at".[10]
Writing for PopMatters, Peter Piatkowski called the songs on the album "for the most part, smart, uplifting pop songs with the kind of inspirational lyrics that would soothe a wide variety of adversarial circumstances", praising the album's "pleasingly diverse sound" and lyrics "which sound as if they've come from a lifetime of experience", akin to a "boxed set of the best episodes from The Oprah Winfrey Show". Piatkowski further wrote that "Sandé's warmth dominates the record and her songs are like a loving embrace", calling Let's Say for Instance "the soul album we need in these struggle-filled cultural-political times".[11]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Family" |
| Davies | 4:04 |
| 2. | "Look What You've Done" (with Jaykae) |
| Sande | 3:21 |
| 3. | "July 25th" |
| Sande | 1:52 |
| 4. | "Oxygen" |
| Fallen | 3:59 |
| 5. | "Summer" |
| Davies | 3:56 |
| 6. | "My Pleasure" |
|
| 3:06 |
| 7. | "There Isn't Much" |
|
| 3:47 |
| 8. | "September 8th" |
| Booker T | 0:47 |
| 9. | "Look in Your Eyes" |
| Booker T | 3:11 |
| 10. | "Ready to Love" |
| Green | 3:06 |
| 11. | "Wait for Me" |
| Rachet | 2:49 |
| 12. | "Another One" |
| Fallen | 2:29 |
| 13. | "Yes You Can" |
|
| 5:06 |
| 14. | "Brighter Days" |
| Green | 2:50 |
| 15. | "Superhuman" |
|
| 3:17 |
| 16. | "World Go Round" |
| Angry | 3:54 |
| Total length: | 51:34 | |||
Personnel
editMusicians
- Emeli Sandé – vocals
- Bryony James – cello
- Rosie Danvers – cello, string arrangement
- Annette Bowen – choir
- Becky Thomas – choir, vocal arrangement
- Christina Matovu – choir
- Dawn Connie Morton-Young – choir
- Josie Nugent – choir
- Kiing Gardner – choir
- Lawrence Rowe – choir
- Olivia Leisk – choir
- Red Farrell – choir
- Simons Brown – choir
- Richard Pryce – double bass
- Tommy Danvers – keyboards
- Emma Owens – viola
- Meghan Cassidy – viola
- Ellie Stanford – violin
- Hayley Pomfrett – violin
- Jenny Sacha – violin
- Patrick Kiernan – violin
- Sarah Sexton – violin
- Steve Morris – violin
- Zara Benyounes – violin
- Oli Morris - saxophone
Technical
- Sam Moses – mastering
- Matt Huber – mixing
- Nick Taylor – string engineering
Artwork
- Jimmy Turrell – artwork
- Shea McChrsytal – design, layout
- Olivia Lifungula – photography
Charts
edit| Chart (2022) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[13] | 68 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[14] | 13 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[15] | 41 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[16] | 27 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC)[17] | 5 |
References
edit- ^ a b c Major, Michael (15 February 2022). "Emeli Sandé Announces New Album 'Let's Say For Instance'". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
- ^ "Emeli Sandé Releases New Single, "There Isn't Much"". uDiscover Music. 1 April 2022. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
- ^ Williams, Zoe (5 May 2022). "'I've never felt this depth of love': Emeli Sandé on coming out, race and making music again". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
- ^ Asward, Jem (15 February 2022). "Emeli Sandé to Release New Album, 'Let's Say for Instance,' in May (Exclusive)". Variety. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
- ^ Rascoe, Ayesha. "Scottish star Emeli Sande celebrates renewal and rebirth on new album". NPR. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
- ^ a b Kenneally, Cerys (15 February 2022). "Emeli Sandé announces new album Let's Say For Instance". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
- ^ a b Stickler, Jon (16 September 2021). "Emeli Sandé Returns With New Single Family". Stereoboard. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
- ^ Peacock, Tim (15 February 2022). "Emeli Sandé Announces 'Brighter Days' UK Tour; New Album, 'Let's Say For Instance'". Yahoo!. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
- ^ Kellman, Andy. "Emeli Sandé – Let's Say for Instance | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
- ^ a b Young, Martyn (5 May 2022). "Emeli Sandé – Let's Say For Instance | Album Reviews". musicOMH. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
- ^ a b Piatkowski, Peter (6 May 2022). "Emeli Sandé: Let's Say for Instance (Album Review)". PopMatters. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
- ^ a b Shepherd, Fiona (28 April 2022). "Album reviews: Emeli Sandé | Arcade Fire | Soft Cell". The Scotsman. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Emeli Sandé – Let's Say for Instance" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Emeli Sandé – Let's Say for Instance". Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
- ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 May 2022.