Wikipedia

Fake Sugar

Fake Sugar is the debut solo studio album by American singer Beth Ditto, known for her work with the dance-punk band Gossip. Produced by Jennifer Decilveo, it was released on June 16, 2017, through Virgin Records. The album's first single, "Fire", was released in April 2017.[1] Incorporating influences from a wide array of genres, the album is regarded as Ditto's "embracement of her Southern roots".[2]

Fake Sugar
Studio album by
Beth Ditto
ReleasedJune 16, 2017 (2017-06-16)
Genre
Length42:26
LabelVirgin
ProducerJennifer Decilveo
Beth Ditto chronology
EP
(2011) 		Fake Sugar
(2017)

Composition

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Fake Sugar is a Southern rock[3] and pop album.[4] AllMusic reported that the album's "polished pop ambitions allow Ditto to try on different sounds, whether it's the stomping glam-pop of "Oo La La" or "Go Baby Go," a tribute to Suicide's Alan Vega that borrows the duo's sleek beats."[2] The A.V. Club stated: "The record revolves around pulsating disco grooves, corrugated pogo-punk riffs, and a glittering pop sheen, all arranged so there’s plenty of room for Ditto to stretch her voice and approach."[5] The Guardian wrote that the record "runs the gamut of classic 1970s and 80s pop – Fleetwood Mac, Blondie, Suicide, Paul Simon – alongside the odd angular stomper that nods to the Soulwax remixes of her former band."[6] Paste magazine noted that "while there are still elements of dance-pop weaved throughout the record, the album falls more comfortably between honky-tonk, soul and disco."[7] PopMatters stated that Fake Sugar's sound "moves seamlessly from straight dance pop to a rawer, more soulful brand of R&B-indebted punk."[8]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic74/100[9]
Review scores
SourceRating
The A.V. ClubB[5]
AllMusic     [2]
DIY     [10]
The Guardian     [6]
The Independent     [11]
musicOMH     [4]
The Observer     [12]
Paste7.0/10[7]
Pitchfork6.1/10[3]
PopMatters          [8]

At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 74, based on 17 reviews, indicating "generally positive reviews".[9] The A.V. Club critic Annie Zaleski stated: "Ditto’s powerhouse voice remains a steely, piercing instrument imbued with Southern sass and dynamic range."[5] AllMusic's Heather Phares described the record as "a welcome return from a one-of-a-kind voice and personality who was missing from music for too long."[2] Calling the album as a "surprisingly sweet listen", DIY magazine critic Lisa Wright thought that Fake Sugar "paints Ditto as a more diverse, often even restrained artist than the larynx-shredding punk aggressor of the mid-00s."[10] Kate Hutchinson of The Guardian commented that the album "doesn’t make it much clearer what kind of pop star Ditto wants to be – but she’s one to be strutted to, at the very least."[6] The Independent's Andy Gill described it as "a bit of a mixed bag – no great surprise".[11]

musicOMH's John Murphy was mixed in his assessment of the record, stating: "It’s that smoothing of Ditto’s edges that prevents Fake Sugar from moving from a good, perfectly serviceable pop album to something truly great."[4] Emily Mackay of The Observer wrote: "A couple of songs hang too much on their belting choruses, but moments such as the disco-Stones shuffle of Oo La La and the unabashed, dreamy balladry of Love in Real Life more than compensate, and it's a comfort to hear Ditto’s wise, dauntless voice once more."[12] Paste critic Ilana Kaplan noted that the album "bridges the gap between love and loss and taps into her Southern roots to create a record that fully encompasses the person she's become."[7] Pitchfork's Laura Snapes stated: "Ditto’s non-traditional view down a well-trodden path is welcome, but you do wish she'd kick up the dust a bit more."[3] John Paul of PopMatters wrote that "there’s nothing fake about Ditto anywhere on the album, making Fake Sugar an overwhelmingly welcome return from one of pop music’s greatest vocal talents."[8] The Skinny's Nadia Younes described the record as "a real reinvention for Beth Ditto, but it’s not so much of a reinvention that her signature traits are unrecognisable."[13]

Track listing

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Fake Sugar track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Fire"
3:10
2."In and Out"
  • Ditto
  • Decilveo
3:41
3."Fake Sugar"
  • Ditto
  • Decilveo
3:30
4."Savoir Faire"
  • Ditto
  • Decilveo
3:38
5."We Could Run"
  • Ditto
  • Decilveo
3:30
6."Oo La La"
3:30
7."Go Baby Go"
  • Ditto
  • Decilveo
3:04
8."Oh My God"
  • Ditto
  • Decilveo
4:45
9."Love in Real Life"
  • Ditto
  • Decilveo
4:05
10."Do You Want Me To?"
  • Ditto
  • Decilveo
3:09
11."Lover"
3:37
12."Clouds (Song for John)"
  • Ditto
  • Decilveo
2:31
Total length:42:26

Charts

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Chart performance for Fake Sugar
Chart (2017) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[14] 89
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[15] 23
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[16] 51
French Albums (SNEP)[17] 24
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[18] 22
Italian Albums (FIMI)[19] 80
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[20] 11
UK Albums (OCC)[21] 47
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[22] 3

References

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  1. ^ "Gossip's Beth Ditto Announces Debut Solo Album *Fake Sugar* - Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. April 3, 2017. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d "Fake Sugar - Beth Ditto - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
  3. ^ a b c "Beth Ditto: Fake Sugar Album Review - Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
  4. ^ a b c "Beth Ditto – Fake Sugar - Album Reviews - musicOMH". www.musicomh.com. June 23, 2017. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
  5. ^ a b c "The Drums, Portugal. The Man, Ride, and more in this week's music reviews". avclub.com. June 16, 2017. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
  6. ^ a b c Hutchinson, Kate (June 15, 2017). "Beth Ditto: Fake Sugar review – sequinned stompers to strut to". The Guardian. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
  7. ^ a b c "Beth Ditto: Fake Sugar Review". pastemagazine.com. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
  8. ^ a b c "Beth Ditto: Fake Sugar". popmatters.com. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
  9. ^ a b "Fake Sugar by Beth Ditto". metacritic.com. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
  10. ^ a b "Beth Ditto - Fake Sugar". DIY. June 16, 2017. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
  11. ^ a b "Album reviews: Fleet Foxes, Royal Blood, Beth Ditto, and more". independent.co.uk. June 14, 2017. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
  12. ^ a b Mackay, Emily (June 18, 2017). "Beth Ditto: Fake Sugar review – southern punk swagger". The Observer. Retrieved June 28, 2017 – via The Guardian.
  13. ^ "Beth Ditto's Fake Sugar - Album Review - The Skinny". theskinny.co.uk. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
  14. ^ "ARIA Chart Watch #426". auspOp. June 24, 2017. Archived from the original on August 8, 2017. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
  15. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Beth Ditto – Fake Sugar" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 29, 2017.
  16. ^ "Ultratop.be – Beth Ditto – Fake Sugar" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 27, 2017.
  17. ^ "Le Top de la semaine : Top Albums – SNEP (Week 25, 2017)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved June 28, 2017.[permanent dead link‍]
  18. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Beth Ditto – Fake Sugar" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
  19. ^ "Album – Classifica settimanale WK 25 (dal 2017-06-16 al 2017-06-22)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
  20. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Beth Ditto – Fake Sugar". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
  21. ^ "Beth Ditto | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved June 27, 2017.
  22. ^ "Beth Ditto Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
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