Queen Elizabitch is the second studio album by American rapper CupcakKe. It was self-released on March 31, 2017. The album was preceded by its leading single "Cumshot". However, the album's track "CPR", got attention from the video-sharing app, TikTok. The song received over 100 million streams on the music-streaming app Spotify.
| Queen Elizabitch | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 31, 2017 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop[1] | |||
| Length | 38:52 | |||
| Label |
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| CupcakKe chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Queen Elizabitch | ||||
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Background and release
editOn March 28, CupcakKe revealed the album cover and track listing.[2] Queen Elizabitch was self-released on March 31, 2017, in distribution to TuneCore.[3]
On April 8, the album was briefly removed from streaming services due to a production discrepancy, but returned days later.[4]
Composition
editAccording to Pitchfork writer Briana Younger, album opener "Scraps" features "disquieting keys and decaying synths".[5] "33rd" has been described in The Fader as an "all-out pop banger".[6] Pitchfork's Younger also described "Biggie Smalls" as a body-positive song about beauty standards and eating disorders, and its production as a "jungle-like trance".[5] She pointed to "Tarzan" as a drill track,[5] while she and The Fader, as well as Stereogum, referred to the album closer "Reality Pt. 4" as an a capella track reflecting on CupcakKe's life and politics.[5][6][7]
Promotion
editSingles
edit"Cumshot" was released as a digital download on February 24, 2017 as the album's lead single.[5][8]
Music videos
edit"Cumshot" received a music video on March 10, 2017.[9] "Reality Pt. 4" received a black-and-white music video on April 19, 2017. The visual was described by Pranav Trewn of Stereogum as "dark".[7][10] "Quick Thought" received a music video on May 14, 2017. It was directed by Brandon Holmes. According to Peter Helman of Stereogum, the video features CupcakKe as the leader of a "colorful stick-up crew armed with bright red guns".[11][12] "CPR" received a music video on May 29, 2017.[13] "Biggie Smalls" came out with a music video on June 16, 2017.[14] "33rd" received a video on July 2, 2017.[15] "Barcodes" received a music video on July 17, 2017.[16] "Scraps" received a music video on August 8, 2017.[17]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Pitchfork | 7.6/10[5] |
| Vice (Expert Witness) | B+[18] |
Pitchfork writer Briana Younger wrote of the album thus: "The amazingly explicit Chicago rapper has begun to embody the totality of her experience on record. Social issues, violence, and wild sex are all approached with the same fiery conviction."[5]
The album was included on Rolling Stone's "40 Best Rap Albums of 2017" list at position 17.[19]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Scraps" | Elizabeth Eden Harris | Harris | 3:24 |
| 2. | "33rd" | Harris | Def Starz | 3:40 |
| 3. | "CPR" | Harris | Harris | 3:28 |
| 4. | "Author" | Harris | Harris | 3:24 |
| 5. | "Quick Thought" | Harris | Harris | 3:25 |
| 6. | "Biggie Smalls" | Harris | Def Starz | 3:51 |
| 7. | "Barcodes" | Harris | Def Starz | 3:01 |
| 8. | "Cumshot" | Harris | Def Starz | 3:29 |
| 9. | "Civilized" | Harris | Harris | 3:01 |
| 10. | "Toys "R" Us" | Harris | Harris | 2:29 |
| 11. | "Tarzan" | Harris | Harris | 3:05 |
| 12. | "Reality, Pt. 4" | Harris | Harris | 2:34 |
References
edit- ^ "40 Best Rap Albums of 2017". Rolling Stone. December 22, 2017. Retrieved February 4, 2018.
- ^ Wass, Mike (March 27, 2017). "CupcakKe Unveils The Cover Of New LP, 'Queen Elizabitch'". Idolator. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
- ^ a b "Queen Elizabitch by cupcakKe on Apple Music". iTunes. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
- ^ Lee, Christina (April 8, 2017). "Cupcakke's 'Queen Elizabitch' Taken Down From Streaming Services". Idolator. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g Younger, Briana. "CupcaKke: Queen Elizabitch". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
- ^ a b Dandridge-Lemco, Ben (March 31, 2017). "Listen To CupcakKe's New Album Queen Elizabitch". The Fader. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
- ^ a b Trewn, Pranav (April 19, 2017). "CupcakKe – "Reality Pt 4" Video". Stereogum. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
- ^ "Cumshot – Single". iTunes. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
- ^ "CupcakKe - Cumshot (Official Music Video)". March 10, 2017. Retrieved April 19, 2017 – via YouTube.
- ^ "CupcakKe - Reality Pt 4 (Official Music Video)". April 19, 2017. Retrieved April 19, 2017 – via YouTube.
- ^ "CupcakKe - Quick Thought (Official Video)". May 14, 2017. Retrieved May 14, 2017 – via YouTube.
- ^ Helman, Peter (May 14, 2017). "CupcakKe – "Quick Thought" Video". Stereogum. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
- ^ "CupcakKe - CPR (Official Music Video)". YouTube. May 29, 2017. Retrieved May 29, 2017.
- ^ "CupcakKe - Biggie Smalls (Official Music Video)". June 16, 2017. Retrieved June 16, 2017 – via YouTube.
- ^ cupcakKe (July 2, 2017). "CupcakKe - 33rd" – via YouTube.
- ^ cupcakKe (July 17, 2017). "CupcakKe - Barcodes" – via YouTube.
- ^ cupcakKe (August 8, 2017). "CupcakKe - Scraps" – via YouTube.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (January 11, 2019). "Expert Witness". Vice. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
- ^ "40 Best Rap Albums of 2017". Rolling Stone. December 22, 2017. Retrieved February 4, 2018.