Two is the second studio album by Australian recording artist Lenka. It was released on 19 April 2011 in the United States through Epic Records and on 28 February 2011 in Singapore.[1][5]
| Two | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 19 April 2011[1] | |||
| Genre | Pop[2] | |||
| Length | 38:55 | |||
| Label | Epic | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Lenka chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Two | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Oklahoma Gazette | positive[2] |
| AbsolutePunk | 68/100[4] |
The album was Lenka's second solo album after having been a member of the group Decoder Ring. The first single from the album, "Heart Skips a Beat", was released on 11 February 2011 to little commercial success. Because of this lack of success,[6] Two failed to chart as well as its predecessor, Lenka (2008).
Singles
edit"Heart Skips a Beat" was the first official single.[7] and was released on the 11 February 2011, to little success. A music video was released on 17 March 2011 through Vevo.[8] However, the song was well received by critics.[citation needed]
The album's title track, "Two", was the second single. Its music video was premiered on 30 June 2011 on YouTube.[9] Like its predecessor, "Two" failed to achieve any commercial success.
"Everything at Once" was initially released as the second promotional single from the album through iTunes.[10] Lenka performed the song on Jimmy Kimmel Live! along with "Heart Skips a Beat".[11][12] The song was used in a TV advertisement for Windows 8 in 2012,[13] leading to its release as the third official single on 4 November 2012. The single was a commercial success and became Lenka's second most successful single after "The Show".[14]
Promotional singles
edit"Roll with the Punches" was the first promotional single released from the album, on 8 November 2010.[15]
Critical reception
editTwo was well received by most critics, earning 4 stars out of 5 from AllMusic. AbsolutePunk also gave the album a positive review with a grade of 68%, stating, "...if you're looking for harmless hooks and melodies that are recycled, yet playful, Lenka certainly has you covered."[4]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Two" |
|
| 3:16 |
| 2. | "Heart Skips a Beat" | Lenka | Guy Sigsworth | 3:21 |
| 3. | "Roll with the Punches" |
| Ben H. Allen | 3:19 |
| 4. | "Sad Song" | Lenka | David Kosten | 3:25 |
| 5. | "Everything at Once" | Lenka | David Kosten | 2:37 |
| 6. | "Blinded by Love" | Lenka | David Kosten | 3:50 |
| 7. | "Here to Stay" | Eg White, Lenka |
| 4:02 |
| 8. | "You Will Be Mine" |
| Guy Sigsworth | 3:28 |
| 9. | "Shock Me into Love" |
| Guy Sigsworth | 3:26 |
| 10. | "Everything's OK" | Lenka | Sunny Levine | 3:50 |
| 11. | "The End of the World" | Lenka | Sunny Levine | 4:14 |
| Total length: | 38:55 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Maybe I Love You" | Lenka | 3:27 |
| 13. | "Wrote Me Out" |
| 4:24 |
| Total length: | 46:46 | ||
Personnel
edit- Lenka – vocals, autoharp, Fender Rhodes, keyboards, Mellotron, organ, percussion, piano, synthesizer
- Ben H. Allen – mixing, piano, production (track 3)
- Ian Archer – guitar
- Guy Aroch – photography
- Adam Ayan – mastering
- Sigurdur Birkis – drums
- Lukas Burton – A&R
- Jason Cooper – drums
- Danny T. Levin – horn
- Samuel Dixon – bass guitar
- Mike DuClos – bass
- Chris Elms – engineer, guitar, mixing, programming
- Rob Gardner – engineer
- James Gulliver Hancock – artwork, design
- Robby Handley – bass guitar
- Joe Hegleman – management
- Danny Kalb – mixing
- Erik Kertes – bass guitar
- David Kosten – engineer, keyboards, mixing, percussion, production (tracks 4-7), programming
- Sunny Levine – drums, engineer, production (tracks 10, 11), programming
- Dougal Lott – engineer
- Andy Page – engineer, guitar, mixing, programming
- Eamon Ryland – guitar, Mellotron, pedal steel
- Kevin Salem – additional production (track 7), bass, engineer, guitar, mixing
- Ron Shapiro – management
- Guy Sigsworth – keyboards, production (tracks 8, 9), strings
- Eg White – drums, engineer, guitar, keyboards, producer
- David Wrench – engineer
- Amir Yaghmai – guitar, violin
Charts
edit| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian (Flanders) Albums Chart[18] | 132 |
| Belgian (Wallonia) Albums Chart[19] | 69 |
| Swiss Albums Chart[20] | 88 |
| US Billboard 200[21] | 196 |
| US Billboard Top Heatseekers[21] | 5 |
Release history
edit| Country | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Singapore | 28 February 2011 | Digital download |
| United States | 19 April 2011 |
References
edit- ^ a b Amazon.com: Two: Lenka
- ^ a b Carradini, Stephen (6 April 2011). "Pleasant pop songs that don't ask too much of you". Oklahoma Gazette. Archived from the original on 23 June 2012. Retrieved 15 May 2012.
- ^ Hoffman, Ross. "Two - Lenka (review)". AllMusic. Retrieved 15 May 2012.
- ^ a b "Chorus.fm".
- ^ Lanham, Tom. "Lenka releases sophomore album aptly titled 'Two' | Tom Lanham | Backstage Pass |". San Francisco Examiner. Sfexaminer.com. Archived from the original on 26 March 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2012.
- ^ Two, Sony Legacy, 19 April 2011, retrieved 7 October 2018
- ^ "Australian singer Lenka returns with sophomore album "Two"". GantDaily.com. 13 January 2011. Archived from the original on 13 March 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2012.
- ^ "Lenka - Heart Skips A Beat". YouTube. 17 March 2011. Retrieved 12 March 2012.
- ^ Video on YouTube
- ^ "iTunes Store". iTunes Store. Retrieved 12 March 2012.
- ^ Video on YouTube [dead link]
- ^ "Lenka's medical-chic performance on Jimmy Kimmel | The Official Lenka Site". Lenkamusic.com. 21 April 2011. Archived from the original on 15 March 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2012.
- ^ "Windows 8: Lenka - Everything Once (TV Spot) - YouTube". YouTube. 26 October 2012. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
- ^ Paitandy, Priyadarshini (20 November 2013). "Being 'Everything at once'". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- ^ Cheung, Nadine (8 November 2010). "Song Premiere: Lenka, 'Roll With the Punches' on Cambio". Jsyk.com. Archived from the original on 9 October 2011. Retrieved 12 March 2012.
- ^ "Two (Bonus Track Version) by Lenka on iTunes". iTunes Store. 19 April 2011. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
- ^ "Two - Lenka - Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
- ^ Steffen Hung. "Lenka - Two". ultratop.be. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
- ^ Steffen Hung. "Lenka - Two". ultratop.be. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
- ^ Steffen Hung. "Lenka - Two". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 12 March 2012.
- ^ a b "Two - Lenka". Billboard. Retrieved 12 March 2012.