Valentine (Snail Mail album)

Valentine is the second studio album by American musician Snail Mail. The album was released on November 5, 2021, through Matador Records.[1]

Valentine
Studio album by
Snail Mail
ReleasedNovember 5, 2021 (2021-11-05)
RecordedEarly 2021
StudioBrad Cook's Studio, Durham, North Carolina
GenreIndie rock
Length31:34
LabelMatador
Producer
  • Brad Cook
  • Lindsey Jordan
Snail Mail chronology
Lush
(2018)		 Valentine
(2021)
Singles from Valentine
  1. "Valentine"
    Released: September 15, 2021
  2. "Ben Franklin"
    Released: October 13, 2021
  3. "Madonna"
    Released: October 27, 2021

Background

Lindsey Jordan tried to begin writing material for her second album immediately after her debut, Lush. However, she struggled to write because she was on tour and lacked opportunities for solitude. During the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jordan returned to her parents' home in Baltimore, where she began to start working seriously on Valentine.[2] In November 2020, Jordan spent 45 days in a rehab facility in Arizona, an experience she references directly in "Ben Franklin".[2]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic88/100[3]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
Clash8/10[5]
Gigwise[6]
The Line of Best Fit9/10[7]
NME[8]
Pitchfork8.5/10[9]
Slant[10]

Valentine received critical acclaim upon release, earning a Metacritic score of 88/100[3] and the 'Best New Music' certification by Pitchfork.[9] Olivia Horn of Pitchfork wrote that Jordan "flirts with pop—sharpening her hooks, reaching for the synths and strings", in contrast to the "limited possibilities of a three-piece rock band" on her previous album Lush. Horn rated the album 8.5/10, stating that Jordan's songwriting was "dazzlingly sharp and passionate".[9] In a glowing review for NME, El Hunt wrote that "Jordan's songwriting is as astute as ever, and her exploration of love here is set to a rich palette of explorative strings and synths", rating the album 5 stars out of 5.[8] Writing for AllMusic, Marcy Donelson gave the album 3.5 starts out of 5, arguing that while Valentine represents a "bold musical step" for Jordan, it nevertheless "leaves some of her distinctiveness behind."[4]

Accolades
Critics' rankings for Valentine
Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
Entertainment Weekly The 10 Best Albums of 2021
6
[11]
Paste The 50 Best Albums of 2021
10
[12]
Pitchfork The 50 Best Albums of 2021
15
[13]
NME The 50 Best Albums of 2021
24
[14]
Rolling Stone 50 Best Albums of 2021
32
[15]
Stereogum The 50 Best Albums of 2021
2
[16]
The New York Times: Lindsay Zoladz Best Albums of 2021
3
[17]
USA Today: Patrick Ryan 5 Best Albums of 2021
3
[18]

Track listing

All tracks were written by Lindsey Jordan.[19]

Valentine track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Valentine"3:16
2."Ben Franklin"3:02
3."Headlock"3:12
4."Light Blue"2:34
5."Forever (Sailing)"4:18
6."Madonna"2:53
7."c. et al."3:23
8."Glory"2:20
9."Automate"3:09
10."Mia"3:27
Total length:31:34
Japanese edition (bonus track)[20]
No.TitleLength
11."Adore U" (Valentine Demo)3:37

Charts
Chart performance for Valentine
Chart (2021) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[21] 35
Scottish Albums (OCC)[22] 7
UK Albums (OCC)[23] 35
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[24] 3
US Billboard 200[25] 61
US Alternative Albums[26] 7
US Independent Albums[27] 10
US Top Rock Albums[28] 6

References
  1. "Snail Mail - "Valentine"". September 15, 2021.
  2. "Snail Mail Can't Help But Confess". Pitchfork. September 21, 2021. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  3. "Valentine by Snail Mail Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  4. Donelson, Marcy. "Valentine – Snail Mail". AllMusic. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  5. Oxford, Jack. "Snail Mail - Valentine". Clash. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  6. Rigotti, Alex. "The indie-rock darling continues her reign with a record full of lust and longing". Gigwise.
  7. Campbell, Caleb. "Snail Mail brilliantly captures the dizzying stakes of loving too young and too hard on Valentine". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  8. Hunt, El. "Snail Mail – 'Valentine' review: a beautiful progression from her influential debut". NME. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  9. Horn, Olivia. "Snail Mail – Valentine". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  10. Amen, John. "Review: Snail Mail's Valentine Represents a Plunge into Sober Self-Assessment". Slant Magazine. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  11. "The 10 best (and 3 worst) albums of 2021". Entertainment Weekly. December 8, 2021. Retrieved December 15, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. "The 50 Best Albums of 2021". Paste. November 29, 2021. Retrieved November 30, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. Gordon, Arielle (December 7, 2021). "The 50 Best Albums of 2021". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  14. "The 50 best albums of 2021". NME. December 10, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  15. "50 Best Albums of 2021". Rolling Stone. December 3, 2021. Retrieved December 4, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. "The 50 Best Albums of 2021". Stereogum. December 6, 2021. Retrieved December 15, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  17. "Best Albums of 2021". The New York Times. December 2, 2021. Retrieved December 15, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  18. "10 best albums of 2021". USA Today. December 13, 2021. Retrieved December 15, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  19. Ruiz, Matthew (September 15, 2021). "Snail Mail Announces New Album Valentine, Shares New Video: Watch". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  20. "BEATINK.COM Valentine". Beatink.com. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  21. "Australiancharts.com – Snail Mail – Valentine". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  22. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  23. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  24. "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  25. "Billboard 200 – November 20, 2021". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  26. "Alternative Albums – November 20, 2021". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  27. "Independent Albums – November 20, 2021". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  28. "Top Rock Albums – November 20, 2021". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
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