You Can't Kill Me is the second studio album by American singer-musician 070 Shake. It was released on June 3, 2022. It is the final album to be released under the partnership between GOOD Music and Def Jam Recordings, as they parted ways in October following GOOD founder Kanye West's antisemitic remarks.[4][5]
| You Can't Kill Me | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 3, 2022 | |||
| Genre | [1][2][3] | |||
| Length | 48:52 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer |
| |||
| 070 Shake chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from You Can't Kill Me | ||||
| ||||
Background
editIn August 2021, 070 Shake announced the title of her next album, You Can't Kill Me Because I Don't Exist. On April 22, 2022, she released "Skin and Bones" as the first single of the album, along with a music video.[6] She also announced the new title of the album, shortened to You Can't Kill Me. On May 4, 2022, she released the album's second single, "Web". She also announced the album's tracklist, cover art, and release date on the same date.[7] On May 20, 2022, she released the album's third single, "Body", featuring Christine and the Queens.[8]
Critical reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 7.4/10[9] |
| Metacritic | 74/100[10] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Clash | 8/10[1] |
| The Observer |   [11] |
| HipHopDX | 3.6/5[12] |
| Pitchfork | 7.0/10[2] |
| Rolling Stone |  [13] |
| The Line of Best Fit | 8/10[14] |
| The Music | [3] |
According to the review aggregator Metacritic, You Can't Kill Me received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 74 out of 100 from 6 critic scores.[10] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave the album a 7.4 out of 10 based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[9]
The album received praise for its production. Writing for The Line of Best Fit, Wepea Buntugu praised the album's "large, swelling beats and instrumentation" and "strong, rousing choruses."[14] Pitchfork's Eric Torres described the album as "full of keening synths, electric guitars, and heavy drum beats."[2] Writing for HipHopDX, Matthew Ritchie described the album as having a "lush array of synth-pop and soul elements" but wrote that Shake, at times, "veiled behind the strength of the album’s production."[12] The album's writing received a more mixed reception. The Observer's Ammar Kalia criticized the album as having "too many moments where Balbuena adopts a middling mumble, stumbling over her melodies."[11] Pitchfork's Torres described her songwriting as "woozy" and "plaintive" with an "intoxicating touch."[2] The Line of Best Fit's Buntugu described Shake's lyricism as "fascinating", writing: "she condenses the main messages of each song into a few words, and the whole punch of a track may take up just about a verse or even less."[14] 070 Shake's vocal performance on the album received praise. The Observer's Kalia praised her voice as "soaring."[11] Pitchfork's Torres described her voice as "despairing" and "rafters-reaching."[2] Writing for The Music, Cyclone Wehner concludes writing, "You Can't Kill Me thematises transience and the cosmic vagaries of consciousness, volition and inevitability in the digital age, but it really is destined to be a sleeper classic."[3]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Web" | 2:06 | ||
| 2. | "Invited" |
| 2:42 | |
| 3. | "History" |
| 4:51 | |
| 4. | "Medicine" |
|
| 3:15 |
| 5. | "Skin and Bones" |
| 3:34 | |
| 6. | "Blue Velvet" |
|
| 4:37 |
| 7. | "Cocoon" |
|
| 3:21 |
| 8. | "Body" (with Christine and the Queens) |
|
| 3:31 |
| 9. | "Wine & Spirits" |
|
| 3:16 |
| 10. | "Come Back Home" |
| 5:02 | |
| 11. | "Vibrations" |
|
| 3:41 |
| 12. | "Purple Walls" |
|
| 2:50 |
| 13. | "Stay" |
| 2:43 | |
| 14. | "Se Fue la Luz" |
|
| 3:26 |
| Total length: | 48:55 | |||
Notes
Personnel
editMusicians
- 070 Shake – vocals
- Johan Lenox – background vocals (track 1), synthesizer (2, 9, 11, 13)
- Mike Dean – synthesizer (tracks 1, 4, 8, 10), guitar (1, 4)
- Dave Hamelin – guitar (tracks 2, 9, 10, 14), piano (4, 9, 10, 14), drums (4), synthesizer (7, 9, 13, 14), programming (12)
- Vincent Giovinazzo – guitar (tracks 2, 9), keyboards (11)
- Marza Wilks – cello (tracks 2, 9, 12)
- WondaGurl – keyboards (track 3), programming (5)
- Yasmeen Al-Mazeedi – violin (tracks 3, 12, 14)
- Christine and the Queens – additional vocals (track 8)
- Dave Sitek – synthesizer (track 8)
- Todor Kobakov – piano (track 10)
- Ink – additional vocals (track 11)
- Ryan Svedson – trumpet (track 13)
- Dontae Winslow – trumpet (track 14)
Technical
- Mike Dean – mastering (all tracks), mixing (tracks 1, 2, 4–14)
- Mark "Spike" Stent – mixing (track 3)
- Jenna Felsenthal – engineering
- Dave Hamelin – engineering (tracks 2–6, 9, 13)
- Ryan Svedson – engineering (tracks 6, 13), mix engineering (7)
- Tommy Rush – mixing assistance (tracks 1, 2, 4–14)
- Sean Solymar – engineering (8), mixing assistance (tracks 1, 2, 4, 6–14)
- Matt Wolach – mixing assistance (track 3)
- Johan Lenox – string arrangement (tracks 3, 6, 12, 14), vocal arrangement (3)
- Todor Kobakov – string arrangement (track 10)
Charts
edit| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[15] | 6 |
References
edit- ^ a b Miller, Isabella (2022-06-03). "070 Shake - YOU CAN'T KILL ME". Clash. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Torres, Eric (June 7, 2022). "070 Shake: You Can´t Kill Me Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
- ^ a b c Wehner, Cyclone (8 June 2022). "Album Review: 070 Shake - 'You Can't Kill Me'". The Music. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
- ^ Price, Joe. "Kanye West and G.O.O.D. Music's Relationship With Def Jam Reportedly Ended in 2021 (UPDATED)". Complex. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
- ^ "Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music No Longer Signed To Def Jam". HipHopDX. 2022-10-25. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
- ^ Helfand, Raphael. "070 Shake shares "Skin and Bones" with video". The Fader. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
- ^ Rose, Jordan. "070 Shake Shares New Song "Web," Reveals Album Release Date, Cover Art, and Tracklist for 'You Can't Kill Me'". Complex. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
- ^ Aubrey, Elizabeth (2022-05-23). "070 Shake teams up with Christine And The Queens on new song 'Body'". NME. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
- ^ a b "You Cant Kill me by 070 Shake reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
- ^ a b "You Can't Kill Me by 070 Shake Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
- ^ a b c Kalia, Ammar (5 Jun 2022). "070 Shake: You Can't Kill Me review – a subdued follow-up to Modus Vivendi". The Guardian. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
- ^ a b Ritchie, Matthew (June 9, 2022). "070 Shake | You Can't Kill Me Album Review". HipHopDX. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
- ^ "Quick Hits". Rolling Stone. July 2022. p. 120. ISSN 0035-791X. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
- ^ a b c Buntugu, Wepea (10 June 2022). "070 Shake refuses to remain static on You Can't Kill Me". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
- ^ "070 Shake Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 September 2023.