Love Is Dead (Kerli album)

Love Is Dead
Studio album by Kerli
Released July 8, 2008 (2008-07-08)
(see release history)
Genre Pop rock, alternative rock, electropop
Length 46:13
Label The Island Def Jam Music Group
Producer David Maurice, Lester Mendez, Guy Chambers, Dead Executives, Mathias Wollo
Kerli chronology
Kerli
(2007)		 Love Is Dead
(2008)
Singles from Love Is Dead
  1. "Walking on Air"
    Released: April 8, 2008
  2. "Creepshow"
    Released: November 18, 2008

Love Is Dead is the debut studio album by Estonian recording artist Kerli. It was released in the United States on July 8, 2008 by Island Records. The album peaked at number 2 on the U.S. Heatseekers Albums chart, which measures the popularity of albums by new artists. It also reached #126 on the Billboard 200 and the top spot on the Estionian Albums Chart.

Contents

Background and writing

The album, musically, mixes different styles of music throughout the record, such as alternative rock, electronic, gothic metal, and trip hop.[1] Kerli wrote the album in over five years.[2] During an interview with entertainment website andPOP, she mentioned the album's subject:[2]

“ A lot of the songs I wrote when I was really depressed, and then the later songs I wrote after coming out from my depression, so the theme of the album pretty much is overcoming obstacles and overcoming the darkness. I’m really grateful for all these experiences because I believe that until you are absorbed by darkness you can't overcome it and face the light. ”

Release

Originally due to be released in April 2008, the album was pushed back to July 29[3] and then pushed up to July 8.[4] It eventually gained a wider European release in 2009 with a release in Italy in February, in Germany in April, and in Austria and Ireland in summer 2009.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
About.com [5]
Allmusic [6]
Artistdirect [1]
Blender [7]
Los Angeles Times [8]
Slant Magazine [9]
Vail Daily [10]

Love Is Dead received positive to mixed reviews from music critics. Rick Florino of Artistdirect raved that the album is "more than just 'alternative music;' it's alternative art. Kerli's vision extends far beyond the notes recorded on her CD, and that's instantly apparent from her twisted fairytale aesthetic."[1] Heather Phares of Allmusic concluded that "despite its faults, it is one of the most unique albums released by a major label in 2008."[6] About.com's Ben Norman agreed, stating that it is "one of the best and most unique major label offerings of 2008, and hardly something to miss. With Kerli's emergence into the dance scene, I predict that this is the album to watch."[5] Slant Magazine reviewer Sal Cinquemani complimented the album's first three tracks, "Love Is Dead", "Walking on Air", and "The Creationist", commenting that "they display enough diversity and musical savvy, if not actual talent, to warrant an endorsement", but criticized songs like "Creepshow" ("over-the-top") and "Butterfly Cry" ("plodding"). He also added that "[t]he formulas employed throughout Love Is Dead are often trite but the undeniable excitement and awe with which she approaches them is just as frequently refreshing."[9]

Christy Grosz from the Los Angeles Times wrote that "[a]lthough her songs occasionally feature the alto piano of Apple or the otherworldly trilling of Morissette or Björk, her voice can sound thin and inconsistent, giving the whole thing a somewhat derivative feel" and that "a little more creepiness would give Kerli the edge that her appearance advertises."[8] In his review for Blender, Andrew Harrison noted that "Love Is Dead's gothic gray walls of riff and throbbing drum machines are convincing enough, and Kerli has clearly lived a tough old life so far. Unfortunately, it translates into kohl-eyed pantomime, rather than cathartic music, with lyrics so hopelessly trite they sound like a feel-good tract for preschoolers."[7] Vail Daily's Charlie Owen felt that the album "reveals Kerli's talent but sounds more like she's trying to find a direction than blazing a trail."[10]

Chart performance

The album debuted at number 126 on the Billboard 200 in the United States, selling 5,500 copies in its first week. It also entered at number three on the Top Heatseekers chart (peaking at number two two weeks later) and peaked at number 141 on the Top Digital Albums chart. With this, Kerli is the first Estonian artist to chart on the Billboard 200, where the album spent four weeks before dropping off. Despite having four single releases, the only song that made any impact on the charts was "Walking on Air". Sales of the album were considered a disappointment in the U.S.; however, Kerli has already moved on to record her second album (due to be released in 2011) with support of her record label. To date, Love Is Dead has sold 67,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen Soundscan.[11]

Singles

The album's first single is called "Love is Dead," which is also the name of the respective album the song is featured on. There is a video on VEVO of it that was put of on November 21, 2009. It has, on August 14, three million views. For the album's second single, "Walking on Air" was released on April 8, 2008. It was moderately successful in some countries, peaking at number 1 in Estonia, 25 in Germany and 37 in Swizterland.[12] This was the only single from the album to chart in any major markets. A music video was released on 19 May 2008.[13] "Love Is Dead" was the first promotional single released by Kerli, and was released as a single on September 23, 2008. The song was released as a CD single after a digital release. The song received positive reviews saying that the song sounded like Army of Me by singer Björk.[14] The song did not chart in any countries, though a music video was released.

Track listing

No. Title Writer(s) Producer Length
1. "Love is Dead"   Kerli Kõiv, David Maurice, Miles Gregory   4:36
2. "Walking on Air"   Kõiv, Lester Mendez   4:27
3. "The Creationist"   Kõiv, Guy Chambers   3:38
4. "I Want Nothing"   Kõiv, Maurice   3:58
5. "Up Up Up"   Kõiv, Maurice   3:26
6. "Bulletproof"   Kõiv, Thomas Who   5:01
7. "Beautiful Day"   Kõiv, Dead Executives   3:51
8. "Creepshow"   Kõiv, Maurice, Vanessa Bley   3:12
9. "Hurt Me"   Kõiv, Mendez   3:37
10. "Butterfly Cry"   Kõiv, Krister Linder   4:39
11. "Strange Boy"   Kõiv, Maurice   3:18
12. "Fragile"   Kõiv, Peter Agren, Anders Lennartsson   4:11

Charts

Chart (2008/2009) Peak
position
Belgian Albums Chart (Flanders)[15] 61
Belgian Albums Chart (Wallonia)[15] 52
Estonian Albums Chart[16] 1
Italian Albums Chart[17] 64
Swiss Albums Chart[15] 92
U.S. Billboard 200[18] 126
U.S. Billboard Top Heatseekers[18] 2

Release history

Country Date Format Label
United States July 8, 2008 CD, digital download Island
Belgium July 25, 2008 Universal
Italy February 27, 2009
Germany April 24, 2009
Poland August 7, 2009

References

  1. ^ a b c Florino, Rick (July 7, 2008). "Love Is Dead by Kerli". Artistdirect. http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,4685371,00.html. Retrieved May 21, 2010. 
  2. ^ a b Wood, Eric Emin (July 8, 2008). "Record Deal Means Kerli Can Ditch the Rice-Only Diet". andPOP. http://www.andpop.com/article/11917. Retrieved May 21, 2010. 
  3. ^ "MTV Premieres 'Walking on Air' Video! Album set to release July 29!". ThinkTank Marketing. May 21, 2008. http://www.thinktankmktg.com/news/305-kerli-mtv-premieres-walking-on-air-video-album-set-to-release-july-29#start_news. Retrieved May 21, 2010. 
  4. ^ "Kerli's Debut Album, Love Is Dead, Gets Pushed Up to July 8 Release Date!". ThinkTank Marketing. June 6, 2008. http://www.thinktankmktg.com/news/330-kerli-s-debut-album-love-is-dead-gets-pushed-up-to-july-8-release-date#start_news. Retrieved May 21, 2010. 
  5. ^ a b Norman, Ben. "Kerli – 'Love is Dead'". About.com. http://dancemusic.about.com/od/reviews/fr/KerliLoveisDead.htm. Retrieved May 22, 2010. 
  6. ^ a b Phares, Heather. "Love Is Dead > Overview". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r1391214. Retrieved May 21, 2010. 
  7. ^ a b Harrison, Andrew. "Kerli – Love Is Dead". Blender. http://www.blender.com/guide/new/55185/love-is-dead.html. Retrieved May 21, 2010. 
  8. ^ a b Grosz, Christy (July 8, 2008). "New CDs: Beck, Kerli and Greg Laswell". Los Angeles Times. http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/reviews/la-et-recordrack8-2008jul08,0,169267.story. Retrieved May 21, 2010. 
  9. ^ a b Cinquemani, Sal (July 2, 2008). "Kerli: Love Is Dead". Slant Magazine. http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/kerli-love-is-dead/1414. Retrieved May 21, 2010. 
  10. ^ a b Owen, Charlie (June 9, 2008). "'Love is Dead' newest CD from Estonian pop star Kerli". Vail Daily. http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20080609/AE/185533405. Retrieved May 21, 2010. 
  11. ^ Amter, Charlie (January 11, 2011). "The next wave of European pop stars invade L.A.". CNN. http://edition.cnn.com/2011/SHOWBIZ/Music/01/11/european.stars.hollywood/. Retrieved April 1, 2011. 
  12. ^ http://charts.de/song.asp?artist=Kerli&title=Walking+On+Air&country=de
  13. ^ http://buzzworthy.mtv.com/2008/05/20/new-video-kerli-walking-on-air/
  14. ^ http://www.allmusic.com/album/love-is-dead-r1391214/review
  15. ^ a b c "ultratop.be – Kerli – Love Is Dead". Ultratop. http://www.ultratop.be/en/showitem.asp?interpret=Kerli&titel=Love+Is+Dead&cat=a. Retrieved May 21, 2010. 
  16. ^ "CD top100, nädal 30 – 2008" (in Estonian). Pedrobeat. http://www.pedro.ee/web/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=642&Itemid=18. Retrieved May 21, 2010. 
  17. ^ "Artisti – Classifica settimanale dal 27/02/2009 al 05/03/2009" (in Italian). Federation of the Italian Music Industry. http://www.fimi.it/classifiche_result_artisti.php?anno=2009&mese=03&id=230. Retrieved May 21, 2010. 
  18. ^ a b "Love Is Dead – Kerli – Chart History". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. http://www.billboard.com/#/album/kerli/love-is-dead/1145780. Retrieved May 21, 2010. 
Kerli
Studio albums
  • Love Is Dead
EPs
Singles
Related topics