You're the One is the third solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Rhiannon Giddens, released through Nonesuch Records on August 18, 2023. The album was produced by Jack Splash and contains only original compositions, with a guest appearance by Jason Isbell.[2] It received generally positive reviews from critics.
| You're the One | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 19, 2023 | |||
| Genre | Americana[1] | |||
| Length | 41:27 | |||
| Label | Nonesuch | |||
| Producer | Jack Splash | |||
| Rhiannon Giddens chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background
editGiddens expressed that she hoped listeners would "just hear American music. Blues, jazz, Cajun, country, gospel, and rock—it's all there. [...] They're fun songs, and I wanted them to have as much of a chance as they could to reach people who might dig them but don't know anything about what I do".[2]
Critical reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 77/100[3] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| All About Jazz |   [4] |
| The Irish Times | [5] |
| Mojo | [6] |
| Paste | 8.0/10[7] |
| Pitchfork | 6.8/10[8] |
| Uncut | 7/10[9] |
You're the One received a score of 77 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on nine critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception.[3] Mojo wrote that its "tunes about finding love, rejecting losers, and criticising corrupt systems are a patchwork of assorted American pops",[6] and Uncut felt that "the countrier [Giddens] keeps it, the better".[9] David Browne of Rolling Stone wrote that the album "occasionally suffers from its lofty goals [...] but on her most outward-looking record, Giddens melds the past and present, writing a bold new future for herself in the process".[10] Glide Magazine's Jim Hynes stated that the album "embraces pop, rock, blues, jazz, and gospel" and is "the crowning achievement of her three recordings so far", leaving listeners "wondering if there is anything she can't do".[11]
Katharine Cartwright of All About Jazz found that the album "focuses on Giddens as a songwriter, in a variety of idioms" and is "yet another extraordinary offering from a great American musician whose work is consistently and superbly 'beyond category,' to quote Duke Ellington".[4] Amanda Wicks, reviewing the album for Pitchfork, wrote that Giddens "seems more interested in playing a variety of parts than fully inhabiting any one. Each song feels like a costume she dons for the duration of the track" and that she also "seeks livelier rhythms and vocal styles infused with jazz, country, and zydeco".[8] Paste's Laura Dzubay opined that the album "finds pure emotion unfolding at the forefront. It's a deeply fun album that beckons the listener's attention immediately" and that "Giddens touches nothing carelessly, and it's true even—maybe especially—in the songs on You're the One".[7]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Too Little, Too Late, Too Bad" | 3:44 |
| 2. | "You're the One" | 3:25 |
| 3. | "Yet to Be" (featuring Jason Isbell) | 3:39 |
| 4. | "Wrong Kind of Right" | 4:39 |
| 5. | "Another Wasted Life" | 4:47 |
| 6. | "You Louisiana Man" | 4:06 |
| 7. | "If You Don't Know How Sweet It Is" | 3:01 |
| 8. | "Hen in the Foxhouse" | 3:47 |
| 9. | "Who Are You Dreaming Of" | 3:25 |
| 10. | "You Put the Sugar in My Bowl" | 2:58 |
| 11. | "Way Over Yonder" | 3:11 |
| 12. | "Good Ol' Cider" | 0:45 |
| Total length: | 41:27 | |
Charts
edit| Chart (2023) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[12] | 139 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[13] | 12 |
| UK Album Downloads (OCC)[14] | 33 |
| US Folk Albums (Billboard)[15] | 16 |
| US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[16] | 26 |
References
edit- ^ Browne, David (August 15, 2023). "Rhiannon Giddens Doesn't Just Want to Be a Folk Singer Anymore, and We're Here for It". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
- ^ a b Freeman, Jon (May 9, 2023). "Rhiannon Giddens Just Won a Pulitzer. Now She's Dropping Her First Solo Album in Six Years". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
- ^ a b "You're the One by Rhiannon Giddens Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
- ^ a b Cartwright, Katharine (August 11, 2023). "Rhiannon Giddens: You're the One album review". All About Jazz. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
- ^ Breen, Joe (August 18, 2023). "You're the One: Rhiannon Giddens is so gifted that even this flawed album gladdens the heart". The Irish Times. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
- ^ a b "Rhiannon Giddens – You're the One". Mojo. September 2023. p. 83.
- ^ a b Dzubay, Laura (August 18, 2023). "Rhiannon Giddens Knows Herself and the Listener on You're the One". Paste. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
- ^ a b Wicks, Amanda (August 18, 2023). "Rhiannon Giddens: You're the One Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
- ^ a b "Rhiannon Giddens – You're the One". Uncut. September 2023. p. 43.
- ^ Browne, David (August 15, 2023). "Rhiannon Giddens Doesn't Just Want to Be a Folk Singer Anymore, And We're Here For It". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
- ^ Hynes, Jim (August 15, 2023). "Rhiannon Giddens Broadens Her Musical Scope On Diverse You're the One (Album Review)". Glide Magazine. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Rhiannon Giddens – You're the One" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
- ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
- ^ "Rhiannon Giddens Chart History (Top Americana/Folk Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
- ^ "Rhiannon Giddens Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved August 31, 2023.