Gasms is a studio album by American soul music vocalist Smokey Robinson, released in 2023. It was the first album of all-new material from Robinson since 2009. A concept album about sex and other forms of pleasure, the release has received controversy for its title and themes,[1] as well as positive critical assessment. The song lyrics and titles include several sexual connotations.[2]
| Gasms | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 28, 2023 | |||
| Genre | Soul music | |||
| Length | 40:41 | |||
| Language | English | |||
| Label | TLR Records | |||
| Producer |
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| Smokey Robinson chronology | ||||
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When people think of gasms, they think of orgasms first and foremost ... I tell everybody: 'Whatever your gasm is, that's exactly what I'm talking about.'
—Smokey Robinson on the meaning of the album title and its conceptual focus[1]
Recording, release, and promotion
editRobinson worked on the music on this album for five or six years prior to release[3][4] and worked intimately with J. J. Blair to mix the album.[5] Sessions included songs that Robinson had written up to 20 years prior.[6] Gasms was announced in January 2023 and was accompanied by the lead single "If We Don't Have Each Other";[7] "How You Make Me Feel" followed as a single.[4] Robinson also toured behind the release.[8]
Reception
editPublic reception of the album and song titles resulted in controversy and disbelief, as reported by Blavity[9] and The Root,[10] particularly since Robinson is known for milder romantic songs, rather than explicitly about sex.[3][11] Although his wife and stepdaughter tried to talk him out of it,[11] Robinson wanted to stir up controversy with the title,[12] but interprets "gasms" as not only orgasms, but "anything that makes you feel good".[13] His goal was to initiate controversy and curiosity about the music to encourage listeners to engage with it.[14]
For NPR's All Songs Considered, critics Ayana Contreras, Christina Lee, Hazel Cills, and Robin Hilton highlighted this album as one of the best releases of the week. Contreras points out the sparse mixing and gentle singing that Robinson displays, allowing the strength of his vocals to shine on the recording.[15] Editors of AllMusic Guide scored this release 2.5 out of five stars, with critic Andy Kellman praising the "humorously raunchy" tone present on some tracks among "a collection of clean and pleasant love songs" as well as the "low-key" instrumentation that complements his voice.[16] Evan Rytlewski of Pitchfork gave this album a 7.2 out of 10, noting that Robinson is one of the very few musicians to remain vital into his eighties and "an indelible talent" who has "made the kind of record only he can".[17]
Track listing
edit- "Gasms" – 4:24
- "How You Make Me Feel" – 4:28
- "I Wanna Know Your Body" – 4:23
- "I Keep Callin' You" – 4:03
- "Roll Around" – 4:24
- "Beside You" – 4:34
- "If We Don't Have Each Other" – 4:19
- "You Fill Me Up" – 4:19
- "I Fit in There" – 5:47
Personnel
editPersonnel adapted from AllMusic Guide:[18]
- Smokey Robinson – vocals, mixing, production
- Brandon Behymer – engineering
- Karrie Benoit-Morales – vocals
- Bill Bergman – saxophone
- J. J. Blair – engineering, mixing[5]
- Rick Braun – trumpet
- Brandon Brown – bass guitar
- Gorden Campbell – drums
- Eric Erickson – engineering
- Steve Ferrone – drums
- Chuck Findley – trumpet
- Brian French – engineering, mixing
- David Garfield – keyboards, piano, arrangement, string arrangement, production
- Roland Gajate Garcia – percussion
- Sharlotte Gibson – vocals
- Gary Gold – keyboards, drum programming, engineering, production
- James Harrah – guitar
- Kenya Hathaway – vocals
- Dorian Holley – vocals
- Paul Jackson, Jr. – guitar
- Leon Lacey – keyboards, drum programming, production
- Nick Lane – string arrangement
- Ivri Lider – keyboards, production
- Ricky Lawson – drums
- Steve Luxenberg – instrumentation, production
- Amon Nehesi – instrumentation, production
- Khari Parker – drums
- Ray Parker, Jr. – guitar[16]
- Cory Rooney – keyboards, arrangement, drum programming, production
- Steve Sykes – engineering
- Freddie Washington – bass guitar
- David Williams – guitar
- Joe Zook – mixing
Chart performance
editGasms spent one week on the Billboard Top Current Album Sales chart, placing 61 on May 13, 2023 and "If We Don't Have Each Other" peaked at 28 in six weeks on the Adult R&B Airplay chart.[19]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Hattenstone, Simon (April 27, 2023). "'At 83, I still feel sexual': Smokey Robinson on love, joy, drugs, Motown – and his affair with Diana Ross". The Guardian. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
- ^ Greene, Andy (April 23, 2023). "Smokey Robinson on Meeting MLK, Drugs, and Why He Called His New Album 'Gasms'". The Last Word. Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
- ^ a b McCollum, Brian (April 28, 2023). "Smokey Robinson on new 'Gasms' album: A controversial title, new songs and old ones, more". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
- ^ a b Lamarre, Carl (April 28, 2023). "Here's Why Smokey Robinson Thought His New Album's Title 'Would Cause Controversy'". Billboard. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
- ^ a b Kennedy, Mark (April 28, 2023). "Smokey Robinson turns seductive with new album 'Gasms'". Associated Press. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
- ^ Baltin, Steve (May 6, 2023). "Saturday Conversation: Smokey Robinson On New Music, Motown, George Harrison And More". Forbes.com. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
- ^ Blistein, Jon (January 27, 2023). "Smokey Robinson Is Ready to Give Your Ears 'Gasms' With New Album". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
- ^ Graham, Adam (May 8, 2023). "Smokey Robinson to play Detroit concert, add to packed summertime day". The Detroit News. ISSN 1055-2715. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ Jones, Monique (February 4, 2023). "Smokey Robinson's Album Title 'Gasms' And Its Colorful Tracklist Ignite Twitter Firestorm: 'Not This Being Real?'". Blavity. Yahoo! News. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
- ^ Connor, Jay (January 31, 2023). "The Tracklist for Smokey Robinson's GASMS Proves He's Really Bout That Life". The Root. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
- ^ a b Wood, Mikael (April 28, 2023). "Smokey Robinson on love, Motown and sex at 83: 'I feel as good as I felt when I was 40'". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
- ^ Graff, Gary (April 24, 2023). "Motown legend Smokey Robinson is cruisin' into another new album". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
- ^ France, Lisa Respers (February 5, 2023). "Smokey Robinson explains his "Gasms" title for new album". CNN. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
- ^ Enos, Morgan (May 2, 2023). "Living Legends: Smokey Robinson On New Album 'Gasms,' Meeting The Beatles & Staying Competitive". The Recording Academy. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
- ^ Contreras, Ayana; Lee, Christina; Cills, Hazel; Hilton, Robin (April 28, 2023). "New Music Friday: The best releases out on April 28". All Songs Considered. NPR. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
- ^ a b Kellman, Andy (April 28, 2023). "Smokey Robinson – Gasms". AllMusic Guide. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
- ^ Rytlewski, Evan (May 2, 2023). "Smokey Robinson: Gasms". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
- ^ "Smokey Robinson – Gasms | Credits". AllMusic Guide. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
- ^ "Smokey Robinson". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
External links
edit- Gasms at MusicBrainz (list of releases)
- Smokey Robinson Speaks On His New Album 'GASMS' from WBLS
- Interview on Bullseye with Jesse Thorn, August 1, 2023
- Performance for Tiny Desk Concert, October 16, 2023
- Music legend Smokey Robinson: The Sound of Motown, why music brings people together, new album 'Gasms', concert in Chicago
