Mr.Arroz
Staff member
he/him/his
#15
Take Me Apart
8.885
Highest score: 10 x 12 (@constantino, @paperboyfriendd, @Jwentz, @CorgiCorgiCorgi, @LE0Night, @R92, @lalaclairi_, @K94, @ohnostalgia, @Heaven on Earth, @AshleyKerwin)
Lowest scores: 6 x 2 (@Sprockrooster, @happiestgirl)
My score: 10
Track background: Track number third on Take Me Apart, the album’s titular song was produced by Al Shux, Jam City, Ariel Rechtshaid, Arca, Loric Sih & kwes., and written by Kelela, with Mocky, Al Shux & BOOTS. Following the narrative of “Frontline”, which sees a defiant lover leave their partner, and “Waitin”, with said lover running into their former mate while out and about, “Take Me Apart” delves further into that relationship beginning/developing once again, but this time, with a newer open-ness, lessening of fear, and a furthering of intensity. Kelela discusses it here:
My thoughts: This is gorgeous. GOR-JUSSSSSSSSS. First off, let me say that that opening melody is a bit too damn difficult to replicate a capella, but damn if I won’t keep trying to get it right.
ANYWAY.
The way the production simultaneously layers, buries, and propels her vocal throughout this is BRILLIANT, and nothing short of. I guess for me, this album the most out of any here really reaches me, as so much of its subject matter has become my own story these last few years since moving out on my own and walking within my own romantic, material, and sexual agencies. This song is literally “the one” when it comes to the LP, as it perfectly encapsulates every little last thing it has to offer: vocals, lyrics, production, and narrative. Having fallen into love with someone, having had to leave him, only to reunite with him TWICE, and then come to terms with finally laying our time to history’s hands, was... hard, to say the least. But through it all, I found what I consider "me", as well as the affection that I’m now able to give and receive to someone who makes more sense. There is no friendship or thought of the past, but it’s liberating in the sense that in the end, I've gotten closer to what I think might be happiness. So in many ways, “Take Me Apart” really grounded my experience, normalizing it, while helping me arrive at my own stage of self-determination. It performed fucking WELL here. I’m proud, of it, and somehow... maybe myself too.
Your thoughts:
@TRAVVV (7) - Upon initial listen, I wasn’t too keen on this track. But repeated listens have revealed it to be a MASSIVE track - that middle 8 melody is something else!
@Jwentz (10) - My second choice for an 11, such a gorgeous track.
@Bangers&Bops (9.5) - This hovers in the silky realm between drum ’n’ bass and rhythm & quad. So fucking lush.
@AshleyKerwin (10) - The millennial Someday is Tonight.
@ohnostalgia (10) - Yes, ma’am. (I’m sorry).
@constantino (10) - Out of all the songs on the album, this is perhaps the biggest throwback to her Cut 4 Me sound, and I’m not mad about it. The copy, jittering nature of the melody in particular is what reminds me of her older material, but the fullness of the production towards the end of the track keeps it on-par with her evolved 2017 sound. EDIT: WHEW does this grow with repeated listens, she did that.
@Solenciennes (7) - I think this suffers from being the only album in the rate I’ve not heard any material from at all prior to rating, given a bit of time this will probably be one of those ones that grow on me. The music’s great, but I think it overwhelms the vocals and lyrics because there’s so much going on. I think that says more about how easily distracted I am than anything else but yeah.
@Trouble in Paradise (8.5) - This is a vocal standout for me. The production and lyrics are also on point.
Live performances:
AND NO MORE
Take Me Apart
8.885
Highest score: 10 x 12 (@constantino, @paperboyfriendd, @Jwentz, @CorgiCorgiCorgi, @LE0Night, @R92, @lalaclairi_, @K94, @ohnostalgia, @Heaven on Earth, @AshleyKerwin)
Lowest scores: 6 x 2 (@Sprockrooster, @happiestgirl)
My score: 10
Track background: Track number third on Take Me Apart, the album’s titular song was produced by Al Shux, Jam City, Ariel Rechtshaid, Arca, Loric Sih & kwes., and written by Kelela, with Mocky, Al Shux & BOOTS. Following the narrative of “Frontline”, which sees a defiant lover leave their partner, and “Waitin”, with said lover running into their former mate while out and about, “Take Me Apart” delves further into that relationship beginning/developing once again, but this time, with a newer open-ness, lessening of fear, and a furthering of intensity. Kelela discusses it here:
My thoughts: This is gorgeous. GOR-JUSSSSSSSSS. First off, let me say that that opening melody is a bit too damn difficult to replicate a capella, but damn if I won’t keep trying to get it right.
ANYWAY.
The way the production simultaneously layers, buries, and propels her vocal throughout this is BRILLIANT, and nothing short of. I guess for me, this album the most out of any here really reaches me, as so much of its subject matter has become my own story these last few years since moving out on my own and walking within my own romantic, material, and sexual agencies. This song is literally “the one” when it comes to the LP, as it perfectly encapsulates every little last thing it has to offer: vocals, lyrics, production, and narrative. Having fallen into love with someone, having had to leave him, only to reunite with him TWICE, and then come to terms with finally laying our time to history’s hands, was... hard, to say the least. But through it all, I found what I consider "me", as well as the affection that I’m now able to give and receive to someone who makes more sense. There is no friendship or thought of the past, but it’s liberating in the sense that in the end, I've gotten closer to what I think might be happiness. So in many ways, “Take Me Apart” really grounded my experience, normalizing it, while helping me arrive at my own stage of self-determination. It performed fucking WELL here. I’m proud, of it, and somehow... maybe myself too.
Your thoughts:
@TRAVVV (7) - Upon initial listen, I wasn’t too keen on this track. But repeated listens have revealed it to be a MASSIVE track - that middle 8 melody is something else!
@Jwentz (10) - My second choice for an 11, such a gorgeous track.
@Bangers&Bops (9.5) - This hovers in the silky realm between drum ’n’ bass and rhythm & quad. So fucking lush.
@AshleyKerwin (10) - The millennial Someday is Tonight.
@ohnostalgia (10) - Yes, ma’am. (I’m sorry).
@constantino (10) - Out of all the songs on the album, this is perhaps the biggest throwback to her Cut 4 Me sound, and I’m not mad about it. The copy, jittering nature of the melody in particular is what reminds me of her older material, but the fullness of the production towards the end of the track keeps it on-par with her evolved 2017 sound. EDIT: WHEW does this grow with repeated listens, she did that.
@Solenciennes (7) - I think this suffers from being the only album in the rate I’ve not heard any material from at all prior to rating, given a bit of time this will probably be one of those ones that grow on me. The music’s great, but I think it overwhelms the vocals and lyrics because there’s so much going on. I think that says more about how easily distracted I am than anything else but yeah.
@Trouble in Paradise (8.5) - This is a vocal standout for me. The production and lyrics are also on point.
Live performances:
AND NO MORE
