Home Video is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Lucy Dacus.[4][5][6] It was released on June 25, 2021, via Matador.[7] It was promoted by the singles "Thumbs", "Hot & Heavy", "VBS", "Brando", and "Going Going Gone". The album received critical acclaim and placed on many critics' year-end lists.

Home Video
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 25, 2021
Genre
Length45:36
LabelMatador
Producer
Lucy Dacus chronology
2019
(2019)
Home Video
(2021)
The Record
(2023)
Singles from Home Video
  1. "Thumbs"
    Released: March 9, 2021
  2. "Hot & Heavy"
    Released: April 13, 2021
  3. "VBS"
    Released: May 19, 2021
  4. "Brando"
    Released: June 8, 2021
  5. "Going Going Gone"
    Released: August 7, 2021

Background

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In late February 2021, certain fans of Dacus received a VHS tape of a new song in the mail. On March 9, 2021, the song was released using the title "Thumbs". It had long been a staple of Dacus' live performances prior to its release. Dacus explained the way the song came about in a press release.

Like most songs I write, I wasn't expecting it and it made me feel weird, almost sick.

— Lucy Dacus[8]

Home video footage is used in the album's music videos, as Dacus "wanted to visualize the moment when you first reflect on your childhood, which I think can also be the moment that childhood is over."[9]

Promotion

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Prior to the album's announcement, "Thumbs" was released as the lead single on March 9, 2021. On April 13, 2021, Dacus released the lead single for the album, "Hot & Heavy".[10] The release of "Hot & Heavy" was accompanied by the album's official announcement.[4] Dacus performed the song on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.[11] On May 19, 2021, Dacus released the album's third single, "VBS".[10] "Brando" was released as the fourth single on June 8, 2021. The song was sent to adult alternative radio on June 14, 2021.[12] Dacus promoted the album with a 28-city tour across North America in 2021.[6] A shortened version of "Going Going Gone" was released as a single on August 7, 2021.[13]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic85/100[14]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [15]
Clash8/10[16]
Exclaim!9/10[17]
NME     [18]
Pitchfork7.7/10[2]
Rolling Stone     [19]
Slant     [20]
Tom Hull – on the WebB+ (  )[21]

Home Video was met with widespread critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 85, based on 18 reviews.[14]

Reviewing for AllMusic, Marcy Donelson wrote that, "With Dacus' warm vocals and melodies leading the way throughout, Home Video is an engrossing set steeped in life lessons and nostalgia."[15] In Clash, Rebecca Sibley declared it "a powerful album" and "another exquisite offering from Lucy Dacus",[16] while Pitchfork's Peyton Thomas appraised it as "a bold statement, a powerful post-adolescent text in its own right".[2] Exclaim! reviewer Dylan Barnabe claimed that, "Dacus has long been heralded for her ability as a raconteur, and Home Video further cements this reputation. It is a deeply personal album filled with raw vignettes of young adulthood that claw at our collective consciousness."[17] Writing for NME, Rhian Daly believed that, "for the most part, Dacus proves that looking back at your past might make you cringe, but there is beauty and value in those faltering, gawky days."[18] Rolling Stone magazine's Angie Martoccio hailed the album as "her greatest work yet — a cohesive and poignant collection of tales from her teenage years in Richmond, Virginia", with stories "woven like a quilt, with several dark patches reminiscent of her hero Bruce Springsteen's The River".[19] Jeremy Winograd shared similar praise in his review for Slant Magazine, saying that, "Ultimately, it's less the nuances of Dacus's writing than her willingness to expose herself and her past so freely—even the most difficult parts—that make the strongest impression on Home Video."[20]

In June 2021, Home Video was listed as the 15th best album of the year so far by Stereogum and was included on a similar list by Slant.[22][23]

Accolades

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Critics' rankings for Home Video
Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
Associated Press AP's Top Albums of 2021
The Guardian The 50 Best Albums of 2021
48
The New York Times Lindsay Zoladz's Best Albums of 2021
9
NPR The 50 Best Albums of 2021
3
Paste The 50 Best Albums of 2021
28
Rolling Stone 50 Best Albums of 2021
5
Uproxx The Best Albums Of 2021

Track listing

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All tracks are written by Lucy Dacus and produced by Lucy Dacus, Colin Pastore, Jacob Blizard, and Jake Finch

Home Video track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Hot & Heavy"4:10
2."Christine"2:33
3."First Time"4:14
4."VBS"3:56
5."Cartwheel"3:24
6."Thumbs"4:25
7."Going Going Gone"3:13
8."Partner in Crime"4:38
9."Brando"3:00
10."Please Stay"4:19
11."Triple Dog Dare"7:44
Total length:45:36
Japanese edition (bonus track)[31]
No.TitleLength
12."No Scholar" (2014) 

Personnel

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Performers

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  • Lucy Dacus (all tracks)
  • Dominic Angelella (tracks 7, 11)
  • Liza Anne (track 7)
  • Sutton Baker (track 7)
  • Julien Baker (tracks 7, 10-11)
  • Beans (track 7)
  • Jacob Blizard (all tracks)
  • Phoebe Bridgers (tracks 7, 10)
  • Preston Cochran (track 11)
  • Keilan Creech (tracks 7, 10-11)
  • Camille Faulkner (tracks 1-3)
  • Jake Finch (tracks 1-5, 7-11)
  • Hadley Kennary (track 7)
  • Patrick Hyland (track 7)
  • Marin Leong (track 7)
  • Mitski (track 7)
  • Collin Pastore (tracks 2-3, 11)
  • Scottie Prudhoe (tracks 6, 11)
  • Ali Thibodeau (track 7)
  • Mackenzie Werner (track 11)
  • Harrison Whitford (track 7)

Technical

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  • Jacob Blizard – producer
  • Preston Cochran – engineer
  • Lucy Dacus – producer
  • Shawn Everett – mixing
  • Jake Finch – producer
  • Bob Ludwig – engineer
  • Collin Pastore – producer
  • Scottie Prudhoe – engineer

Charts

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Chart performance for Home Video
Chart (2021) Peak
position
Scottish Albums (OCC)[32] 6
UK Albums (OCC)[33] 85
UK Americana Albums (OCC)[34] 2
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[35] 8
US Billboard 200[36] 104
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[37] 9
US Folk Albums (Billboard)[38] 3
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[39] 16
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[40] 10

References

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  1. ^ Aswad, Jem (June 25, 2021). "Lucy Dacus' 'Home Video' Is a Southern Short-Story Collection With an Indie-Rock Soundtrack: Album Review". Variety. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Thomas, Peyton (June 24, 2021). "Lucy Dacus: Home Video Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
  3. ^ Empire, Kitty (June 27, 2021). "Lucy Dacus: Home Video review – forthright vignettes of a Virginia girlhood". The Observer. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Martoccio, Angie (2021-04-13). "Lucy Dacus Announces 'Home Video,' Hear the Lead Single 'Hot and Heavy'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2021-05-31.
  5. ^ "Lucy Dacus announces third album 'Home Video' with new single 'Hot & Heavy'". NME. 2021-04-13. Retrieved 2021-05-31.
  6. ^ a b Strauss, Matthew (13 April 2021). "Lucy Dacus Announces Album and Tour, Shares Video for New Song 'Hot & Heavy'". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2021-05-31.
  7. ^ "Lucy Dacus shares animated video for new single "VBS"". Treble. 2021-05-19. Retrieved 2021-05-31.
  8. ^ "Lucy Dacus teases 'Thumbs' single release with mysterious VHS deliveries". NME. 2021-03-10. Retrieved 2021-05-31.
  9. ^ Clarke, Patrick (April 13, 2021). "Lucy Dacus announces third album 'Home Video' with new single 'Hot & Heavy'". NME. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  10. ^ a b Salzman, Eva. "Review: Singles for the week 4/12". The Ithacan. Retrieved 2021-06-01.
  11. ^ "Lucy Dacus Performs 'Hot & Heavy' On 'Colbert'". JamBase. Retrieved 2021-06-01.
  12. ^ "Triple A Future Releases". All Access. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  13. ^ "Going Going Gone (Edit) - Single by Lucy Dacus". Apple Music. Archived from the original on August 7, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
  14. ^ a b "Home Video by Lucy Dacus Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  15. ^ a b Donelson, Marcy. "Home Video - Lucy Dacus | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  16. ^ a b Sibley, Rebecca (23 June 2021). "Lucy Dacus - Home Video". Clash. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  17. ^ a b "Lucy Dacus' Look to Her Past on 'Home Video' Heralds Her Bright Future". Exclaim!. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  18. ^ a b Daily, Rhian (June 23, 2021). "Lucy Dacus – 'Home Video' review: vivid snapshots and a fair few musical risks". NME. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  19. ^ a b Martoccio, Angie (June 22, 2021). "Lucy Dacus' 'Home Video' Plays Like a Brilliant Coming of Age Memoir". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  20. ^ a b Winograd, Jeremy (June 21, 2021). "Review: Lucy Dacus's Home Video Is a Powerful, Empathetic Tribute to the Past". Slant Magazine. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  21. ^ Hull, Tom (July 5, 2021). "Music Week". Tom Hull – on the Web. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  22. ^ "The 50 Best Albums Of 2021 So Far". Stereogum. June 8, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  23. ^ "The Best Albums of 2021 … So Far". Slant. June 29, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  24. ^ "AP's top albums of 2021: 'Sour,' 'Donda,' H.E.R. and Eilish". The Associated Press. December 16, 2021. Retrieved December 29, 2021.
  25. ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2021". The Guardian. 3 December 2021. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  26. ^ Pareles, Jon; Caramanica, Jon; Zoladz, Lindsay (December 2, 2021). "Best Albums of 2021". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 2, 2021. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
  27. ^ Renee Klahr (1 December 2021). "The 50 Best Albums of 2021". NPR. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  28. ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2021". Paste. 29 November 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  29. ^ "50 Best Albums of 2021". Rolling Stone. 3 December 2021. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  30. ^ "The Best Albums Of 2021". Uproxx. November 29, 2021. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  31. ^ "BEATINK.COM Home Video". Beatink.com. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  32. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  33. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  34. ^ "Official Americana Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 1, 2022.
  35. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  36. ^ "Lucy Dacus Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  37. ^ "Lucy Dacus Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  38. ^ "Lucy Dacus Chart History (Top Americana/Folk Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  39. ^ "Lucy Dacus Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  40. ^ "Lucy Dacus Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 6, 2023.