On his new album, Sufjan Stevens draws inspiration from both Joan Didion and Ariana Grande alike.
, and earlier this year he released an experimental album he made with his former stepfather and label directorcame as Stevens was just beginning to mull leaving New York, the city where he lived when he wrote much of the music he is known for, from his odes to Flint and Detroit on 2003’s.
While he was planning his next move, Stevens began writing a suite of songs using the only implements he had—his computer, some synthesizers, and a drum machine. It’s a real departure for the multi-instrumentalist, whose songs can range from symphonic jaunts onaren’t something you would mistake for, say, chill lo-fi beats. His trademark falsetto delivery and sonic layering still stand out, and the songs play with orchestral highs and lows even if the list of instruments is limited.
song kind of woke me up, ‘Thank U, Next,’” he said. “It seems like she was tonally able to balance an understanding of a situation and of the value of [seeing] things diplomatically—but was also so over it.” He told me that he was afraid the album would come off as too angry. But upon listening, it’s almost hard to find anger that isn’t tinged with sadness or resignation. The title track is accusatory and disdainful, but it ends with a repeated refrain of “What now?” Even the songs that discuss romantic love, like “Video Game” and “Landslide,” are also concerned with betrayal, pain, and defeat.
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