Child in Reverse is the fifth studio album by Australian singer-songwriter Kate Miller-Heidke. The album was announced on 6 August 2020 and released on 30 October 2020.[7]
| Child in Reverse | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 30 October 2020 | |||
| Recorded | Melbourne[1] | |||
| Genre | Pop[1] | |||
| Length | 37:46 | |||
| Label |
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| Producer | Evan Klar[1] | |||
| Kate Miller-Heidke chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Child in Reverse | ||||
| Singles from Child in Reverse (Deluxe Edition) | ||||
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Child in Reverse is Miller-Heidke's first studio album in six years, following on from 2014's O Vertigo!.[3] It has been described by her team as "her most pop album yet".[8]
At the 2021 ARIA Music Awards, Tony Espie was nominated for Engineer of the Year for work on this album.[9]
A deluxe edition was released on 18 March 2022.
Background
editThe album was recorded in Melbourne, produced by Evan Klar and features 11 songs about love and fear, memory and empathy, rage and redemption.[1] Miller-Heidke said "What I love about Evan's style is his freshness, a feeling of spontaneity. Musically the whole album came together really smoothly. I think that comes across when you listen to it."[10]
Despite her achievements in opera, musical theatre and screen production in recent years, Miller-Heidke said she keeps "..getting drawn back to pop music".[3] Miller-Heidke said "The minimalism, the economy... I find that incredibly rewarding and challenging. It's like a quest to nail the perfect pop song. When it can be done, for me, as a listener, it's my favourite music."[3][11]
Reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| TheMusicAU |   [12] |
Guido Farnell from The Music AU said "Child in Reverse delivers eleven nuggets of finely crafted pop tunes that are soft, dreamy and impossibly silky smooth whilst moving to compulsive grooves." Farnell commented on Miller-Heidke's lyrics saying "[She] is in an introspective mood, dealing with difficult haunting memories, disappointment and the hurt of a broken heart" adding "the struggle is real but a light touch, with airy synths and sweet pop hooks complete with the cheeky little operatic trills Miller-Heidke likes to slip in here and there, prevents this line of thought from getting completely depressing. This approach manoeuvres the album to a place where Miller-Heidke and listeners can find inner strength rather than defeat". Farrell concluded saying the album "is adult pop music which, presented in fresh feel good tones, runs very deep."[12]
ABC said "Miller-Heidke once again gives us appealing, boundary-pushing pop music that is always refreshing, often emotional, and as thought-provoking as you want it to be" calling the album "Refreshing, poignant and playful art-pop".[13]
Track listing
editAll tracks are produced by Evan Klar, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Deluded" |
| 3:26 | |
| 2. | "Simpatico" (featuring Mallrat) |
| 3:43 | |
| 3. | "Born Lucky" |
| 2:55 | |
| 4. | "Twelve Year Old Me" |
| 3:09 | |
| 5. | "You Can't Hurt Me Anymore" |
|
| 3:42 |
| 6. | "Little Roots, Little Shoots" |
| 3:36 | |
| 7. | "Hectic Glitter" |
| 3:30 | |
| 8. | "People Pleaser" |
| 3:38 | |
| 9. | "A Quiet Voice" |
|
| 3:28 |
| 10. | "Child of Divorce" |
| 3:22 | |
| 11. | "This Is Not Forever" |
| Stanley | 3:17 |
| Total length: | 37:46 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12. | "You Can't Hurt Me Anymore" (featuring Jaguar Jonze) |
|
| 3:25 |
| 13. | "Amazing" (Double J - Live at the Wireless) (featuring Jess Hitchcock) |
| Miller-Heidke | 3:28 |
| 14. | "Zero Gravity" (live at ABC's New Years Eve 2020) |
| Miller-Heidke | 3:25 |
| 15. | "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" (live at The State of Music) | 3:56 | ||
| 16. | "Paint It Black" (live) | Miller-Heidke | 2:44 | |
| 17. | "Deluded" (live at The Espy for The Sound) |
| Miller-Heidke | 3:32 |
| 18. | "People Pleaser" (live) |
| Miller-Heidke | 4:42 |
| 19. | "A Quiet Voice" (live) |
| Miller-Heidke | 4:06 |
| 20. | "You Can't Hurt Me Anymore" (live) |
| Miller-Heidke | 3:31 |
| 21. | "This Is Not Forever" (featuring Sydney Symphony Orchestra) |
| Elise McCann | 3:30 |
Notes
- ^[a] signifies a co-producer
Charts
edit| Chart (2020) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[14] | 9 |
References
edit- ^ a b c d e "Kate Miller-Heidke Returns With Her First 'Pop' Album In 6 Years". scenestr. 7 August 2020. Archived from the original on 21 September 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
- ^ "This is Not Forever - single". Apple Music. Archived from the original on 14 June 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
- ^ a b c d "Kate Miller-Heidke announces new album, Child in Reverse". NME. 6 August 2020. Archived from the original on 27 January 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
- ^ "A Quiet Voice (Lyric Video)". Facebook. 4 September 2020. Archived from the original on 30 October 2023. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
- ^ "SINGLES TO RADIO 1310". The Music Network. 9 October 2020. Archived from the original on 21 August 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
- ^ "Kate Miller-Heidke releases new song aimed at childhood abuser: You Can't Hurt Me Anymore". Perth Now. 10 March 2022. Archived from the original on 11 March 2022. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
- ^ "I'm thrilled to announce that my new album CHILD IN REVERSE is out 30 October". 6 August 2020. Archived from the original on 4 October 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2020 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Kate Miller-Heidke Confirms Child in Reverse". auspOp. August 2020. Archived from the original on 22 September 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
- ^ Kelly, Vivienne (20 October 2021). "ARIA Awards nominees revealed: Amy Shark & Genesis Owusu lead the charge". The Music Network. Archived from the original on 20 October 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
- ^ "Kate Miller-Heidke Returns to Pop Music with New LP, Child in Reverse". Rolling Stone Australia. 6 August 2020. Archived from the original on 19 September 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
- ^ "Kate Miller-Heidke Announces New Album Child in Reverse". Music Feeds. 6 August 2020. Archived from the original on 21 September 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
- ^ a b Farnell, Guido (30 October 2020). "That Was Really Scary: Kate Miller-Heidke Took a Huge Leap of Faith With Her New Album". The Music AU. Archived from the original on 4 October 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
- ^ "Kate Miller-Heidke – Child In Reverse". ABC. 2 November 2020. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
- ^ "ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. 9 November 2020. Archived from the original on 18 September 2020. Retrieved 7 November 2020.