Era 1

2017–2019 series of singles by Kim Petras

The Summer I Couldn't Do Better

Compilation album by

Kim Petras

Released| 4 August 2022
Recorded| 2017–2019
Length| 41:08
Label|

* BunHead Records
* Amigo
* Republic
* UMG Recordings

Producer|

* Cirkut
* Aaron Joseph
* Made in China
* B Ham
* Jon Castelli
* Kojak
* Detail
* Sophie
* A.C.

"Era 1"[1] is a series of eleven songs by German singer and songwriter Kim Petras, each released individually from 1 August 2017 to 7 February 2019.[2][3] It precedes the release of her debut mixtape, Clarity (2019). All eleven tracks feature co-writing credits by Petras, Aaron Joseph and Dr. Luke, as well as co-production credits by Aaron Joseph and Dr. Luke (under his pseudonym Made in China).

The singles themselves received generally positive reviews from critics upon their original release, who mainly praised the overall dance-pop sound, as well as their catchiness. The collection of singles is noted to have contributed to Petras' commercial breakthrough, as a few of the tracks entered various Billboard charts upon their release.

## Background and release

[edit]

The "Era 1" title was coined by Petras in a 2019 tweet following the release of the last three singles, declaring the project as "complete".[2][1] Petras also described the project as a "full rainbow", in reference to all the single covers utilizing a gradient of colors, and wished to complete "Era 1" before releasing her debut mixtape, Clarity.[4] To coincide with the release of Clarity, Petras embarked on the Broken Tour in 2019, which also included the majority of "Era 1" on its setlist.

"I Don't Want It at All" was the first single from the project, released on 1 August 2017; a music video co-starring Paris Hilton was released on 30 October 2017.[5] The second and third singles, "Hills" and "Hillside Boys", were released on 22 September 2017. The fourth single, "Slow It Down", was released on 10 November 2017. The fifth single, "Faded", was released on 15 December 2017, and a music video was released on 25 January 2018.[6] The sixth single, "Heart to Break" was released on 14 February 2018, and a music video was released on 26 April 2018.[7] The seventh single, "Can't Do Better", was released on 8 June 2018. The eighth single, "All the Time", was released on 24 August 2018. The ninth to eleventh singles, "1, 2, 3 Dayz Up", "Homework" and "If U Think About Me...", were released on 7 February 2019, marking the final releases from the project.[8]

In 2022, following the inclusion of "Can't Do Better" in season 1 of the TV series The Summer I Turned Pretty,[9] Universal Music Group released a compilation entitled The Summer I Couldn't Do Better onto streaming platforms on 4 August 2022, containing all eleven singles in release order, though this compilation was delisted shortly afterwards.[10]

## Critical reception

[edit]

### "I Don't Want It at All"

[edit]

AllMusic called the song an "'80s-infused dance-pop tune".[11] Galore magazine said it was a "bratty banger",[12] while Entertainment Weekly described it as a "shop-'till-you-drop-anthem".[13] Bakersfield.com labeled the track a "21st-century pop update of Madonna's 'Material Girl'".[14] Noisey writer Colin Joyce called the song a "glitzy paean to consumerist excess".[15]

Billboard ranked the single as the second best Era 1 single, noting: "From the effortlessly cool, synth-heavy intro to the song's bratty lyricism, Petras separated herself from her pop peers by dreaming up an expensive fantasy in this escapist jam."[16]

### "Heart to Break"

[edit]

Billboard ranked the single as the best Era 1 single, calling it "a master class" and pointing out that "if this is the quality of pop music she’s able to serve up so early in her career, we’re going to be paying attention to Petras for years to come".[17]

### "1, 2, 3 Dayz Up"

[edit]

Chloe Gilke of Uproxx was positive in their review of the song and cited as "one of Petras' best releases to date" further dubbing it as "a party anthem that clicks and pops with producer Sophie's electro-pop magic."[18] A writer for DIYproclaimed the song as "an addictive pop banger made all the better by Sophie's slick production".[19] Salvatore Maicki of The Fader was also positive in their review, calling the song "straight up beach party music".[20] Robin Murray of Clash Music called the song "supremely addictive" and further added that track is "superbly feminine while linked utterly to digital developments, it manages to be both an outrageous pop statement and a real 'wtf?' moment."[21] Justin Horowitz of All Things Go praised the pairing for being "celebrated faces of women in the trans community and have used their talents to spread awareness and equality regarding LGBTQA+ rights."[22]

The music blog Bit of Pop Music gave a mixed review, saying that the song might be a bit basic and repetitive in terms of vocals and lyrics" but stated that "the production is impeccable".[23] The Bozo gave the song a lukewarm review but compared it to the sounds of Charli XCX and praised it as their favorite out of the three songs released together.[24]

Billboard ranked the song as the fifth best Era 1 single, noting that "the track has all the makings of a pop hit straight out of 2010, but its bubbly, tropical touches update the sound for the modern era".[25] The Forty-Five's Sophie Walker named it the 38th best hyperpop song of all time.[26]

## Track listings

[edit]

"I Don't Want It at All" digital singleNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Producer(s)| Length

|
|
|
|

1.| "I Don't Want It at All"|

* Kim Petras
* Henry Russell Walter
* Aaron Joseph
* Aaron Jennings
* Lukasz Gottwald

* Cirkut
* Joseph
* Made in China

| 4:10

"Hills" digital singleNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Producer(s)| Length

|
|
|
|

1.| "Hills" (featuring Baby E)|

* Petras
* Joseph
* Brandon Hamlin
* Ethan Lowery
* Gottwald

* B Ham
* Joseph
* Made in China

| 3:59

"Hillside Boys" digital singleNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Producer(s)| Length

|
|
|
|

1.| "Hillside Boys"|

* Petras
* Joseph
* Jon Castelli
* Gottwald

* Jon Castelli
* Joseph
* Made in China

| 3:38

"Slow It Down" digital singleNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Producer(s)| Length

|
|
|
|

1.| "Slow It Down"|

* Petras
* Joseph
* Walter
* Allan Peter Grigg
* Gottwald

* Kojak
* Cirkut
* Joseph
* Made in China

| 3:44

"Faded" digital singleNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Producer(s)| Length

|
|
|
|

1.| "Faded" (featuring Lil Aaron)|

* Petras
* Joseph
* Jennings
* Walter
* Noel Fisher
* Gottwald

* Detail
* Joseph
* Made in China

| 4:04

"Heart to Break" digital singleNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Producer(s)| Length

|
|
|
|

1.| "Heart to Break"|

* Petras
* Joseph
* Walter
* Jacob Kasher Hindlin
* Gottwald

* Cirkut
* Joseph
* Made in China

| 3:45

"Can't Do Better" digital singleNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Producer(s)| Length

|
|
|
|

1.| "Can't Do Better"|

* Petras
* Joseph
* Walter
* Gottwald

* Cirkut
* Joseph
* Made in China

| 3:08

"All the Time" digital singleNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Producer(s)| Length

|
|
|
|

1.| "All the Time"|

* Petras
* Joseph
* Walter
* Gottwald

* Cirkut
* Joseph
* Made in China

| 3:15

"1, 2, 3 Dayz Up" digital singleNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Producer(s)| Length

|
|
|
|

1.| "1, 2, 3 Dayz Up" (featuring Sophie)|

* Petras
* Sophie Xeon
* Joseph
* Gottwald

* Sophie
* Joseph
* Made in China

| 3:33

"Homework" digital singleNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Producer(s)| Length

|
|
|
|

1.| "Homework" (featuring Lil Aaron)|

* Petras
* Joseph
* Jennings
* Lowery
* Gottwald

* Joseph
* Made in China

| 4:18

"If U Think About Me..." digital singleNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Producer(s)| Length

|
|
|
|

1.| "If U Think About Me..."|

* Petras
* Joseph
* Alexander Castillo Vasquez
* Lowery
* Gottwald

* A.C.
* Joseph
* Made in China

| 3:28

The Summer I Couldn't Do Better track listing[10]No.| Title| Length

|
|

1.| "I Don't Want It at All"| 4:10
2.| "Hills" (featuring Baby E)| 3:59
3.| "Hillside Boys"| 3:38
4.| "Slow It Down"| 3:44
5.| "Faded" (featuring Lil Aaron)| 4:04
6.| "Heart to Break"| 3:45
7.| "Can't Do Better"| 3:08
8.| "All The Time"| 3:15
9.| "1, 2, 3 Dayz Up" (featuring Sophie)| 3:33
10.| "Homework" (featuring Lil Aaron)| 4:18
11.| "If U Think About Me..."| 3:28
Total length:| 41:08

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b ""ERA 1 is complete , thank u for everything Whoo Ah..."". Twitter. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
2. ^ a b Piedra, Xavier (12 February 2019). "Every Kim Petras 'Era 1' Single Ranked: Critic's Picks". Billboard. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
3. ^ "Kim Petras". Spotify. Archived from the original on 1 September 2024. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
4. ^ "Kim Petras Wants It All, And She Doesn't Care If She Pisses People Off". Junkee. 14 March 2019. Archived from the original on 23 August 2019. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
5. ^ Feeney, Nolan. "Kim Petras parties with Paris Hilton in dreamy 'I Don't Want It At All' video". EW.com. Archived from the original on 3 February 2018. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
6. ^ Crowley, Patrick (25 January 2018). "Kim Petras Releases '90s Sitcom-Inspired 'Faded' Music Video". Billboard. Archived from the original on 13 September 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
7. ^ Jagota, Vrinda. "Kim Petras Can Make Even Heartbreak Glamorous". PAPER Magazine. Archived from the original on 21 January 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
8. ^ Bloom, Madison (7 February 2019). "Listen to Kim Petras and SOPHIE's New Song "1,2,3 dayz up"". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
9. ^ "The Summer I Turned Pretty Soundtrack: Hits From Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Cardi B And So Many More". Capital. Archived from the original on 19 March 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
10. ^ a b "The Summer I Couldn't Do Better". Spotify. 4 August 2022. Archived from the original on 1 September 2024. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
11. ^ "Kim Petras | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
12. ^ Kulla, Jacqueline. "Kim Petras' new single is a bratty banger". Galore. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
13. ^ Feeney, Nolan (30 October 2017). "Kim Petras: Paris Hilton stars in I Don't Want It All video". EW.com. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
14. ^ Garasa, Cesareo (23 August 2017). "Going viral: Local musicians' songs land on Spotify charts | Music". bakersfield.com. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
15. ^ Joyce, Colin (6 September 2018). "Lil Aaron and Kim Petras Are Glittery Pop Prodigies (and Very Good Friends)". Noisey. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
16. ^ Piedra, Xavier (12 February 2019). "Every Kim Petras 'Era 1' Single Ranked: Critic's Picks". Billboard. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
17. ^ Piedra, Xavier (12 February 2019). "Every Kim Petras 'Era 1' Single Ranked: Critic's Picks". Billboard. Archived from the original on 20 June 2019. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
18. ^ "'1,2,3 Dayz Up' Is One of Kim Petras' Best Songs To Date". 7 February 2019.
19. ^ "SOPHIE and Kim Petras join forces on '1,2,3 dayz up'". DIY.
20. ^ "Kim Petras drops three new singles featuring SOPHIE and lil aaron". The FADER.
21. ^ "Kim Petras Unites With SOPHIE on Bold Pop Burner '1,2,3 dayz up'". Clash Magazine.
22. ^ "Kim Petras teams up with SOPHIE on "1,2,3 dayz up"". 7 February 2019.
23. ^ "Single Review: Kim Petras – 1,2,3 Dayz Up / Homework / If U Think About Me". A Bit of Pop Music. 7 February 2019.
24. ^ "Pop Gazing: "1,2,3 dayz up" by Kim Petras ft. SOPHIE". 14 February 2019.
25. ^ Piedra, Xavier (12 February 2019). "Every Kim Petras 'Era 1' single Ranked: Critic's Picks". Billboard. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
26. ^ Walker, Sophie (10 February 2021). "The 45 best hyperpop songs of all time". The Forty-Five. Retrieved 25 July 2024.

* v
* t
* e

Kim Petras

* Discography

Studio albums|

* Feed the Beast
* Problématique

Mixtapes|

* Clarity
* Turn Off the Light

EPs|

* Turn Off the Light, Vol. 1
* Slut Pop
* Slut Pop Miami

Singles|

* "I Don't Want It at All"
* "Heart to Break"
* "Feeling of Falling"
* "1, 2, 3 Dayz Up"
* "How It's Done"
* "Reminds Me"
* "Malibu"
* "Future Starts Now"
* "Coconuts"
* "Unholy"
* "If Jesus Was a Rockstar"
* "Alone"

Promotional singles|

* "Unlock It"
* "Sweet Spot"
* "All I Do Is Cry"
* "Brrr"

Featured singles|

* "Love Me Less"
* "Click"
* "Jenny"
* "SugarCrash!"
* "Made You Look"
* "When We Were Young (The Logical Song)"
* "Reason Why"

Other songs|

* "Broken Glass"

Tours|

* Broken Tour
* Clarity Tour
* Feed the Beast World Tour

Related articles|

* Era 1

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

|

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