Extreme (Molly Nilsson album)

2022 studio album by Molly Nilsson

Extreme

Studio album by

Molly Nilsson

Released| 15 January 2022 (2022-01-15)
Recorded| 2019–2020
Studio| Lighthouse Studios, Berlin
Genre| Synth-pop
Length| 41:31
Label|

* Dark Skies Association
* Night School

Producer| Molly Nilsson
Molly Nilsson chronology
| 2020
(2018)  | Extreme
(2022)  |

|
|

Singles from  Extreme

1. "Absolute Power"
Released: 12 October 2021
2. "Pompeii"
Released: 22 November 2021
3. "Sweet Smell of Success"
Released: 13 January 2022
4. "Obnoxiously Talented"
Released: 25 April 2022

Extreme is the ninth studio album by Swedish singer-songwriter Molly Nilsson, released on 15 January 2022.

## Background

[edit]

Regarding the album's title, Nilsson gave the following explanation:

> I was thinking about the title Extreme right after I'd made Twenty Twenty. At the time, I just thought that it was kind of a fun title—a good working title to [remind myself to] be playful and not hold myself back. It turned into thinking of 'extremes' in this black-and-white, polarized society, and the struggles between all the different sides and all these different ways of thinking.[1]

## Production

[edit]

After the release of her previous album 2020, Nilsson went through a period of "creative depression".[1] Extreme was then "largely written" in 2019 and "mainly recorded" in 2020.[2]

## Themes

[edit]

Power has been noted as the central topic on Extreme.[3][4] In the album's promotional material, label Night School Records wrote: "It's a record about power. About how to fight it, how to take it and how to share it."[5]

## Promotion

[edit]

"Absolute Power" was released as the album's first single on 12 October 2021, along with a music video.[6] "Pompeii" was released as the album's second music video on 22 November 2021.[7]

## Release

[edit]

The album was released on vinyl, CD, and as a digital download.[8]

## Critical reception

[edit]

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
AllMusic| [9]
Crack| 7/10[10]
Loud and Quiet| 6/10[11]
Mindies| 8.6/10[12]
Musikexpress| [13]
Norman Records| [14]
Spectrum Culture| 7.5/10[3]

Extreme received critical acclaim.[15] In a positive review, Tim Sendra of AllMusic called Extreme "both Nilsson's most interesting album and a striking reboot", citing her experimentation with "new moods" and "new genres".[9] Jana-Maria Mayer of German Musikexpress characterized the album as a "romantic indictment of the Anthropocene" and praised Nilsson's songwriting.[13]

Sophia McDonald of Loud and Quiet, in a mixed-to-positive review, considered Extreme "an LP that is generally surprising in its trajectory" and noted its "nostalgic fun", but criticized it for a lack of "closeness" and "intimacy" to Nilsson in comparison with earlier works.[11]

The closing track "Pompeii" was highlighted by Raphael Helfand of The Fader as a "happy-sad classic" that serves as a "rallying cry for resilience in the face of impossible odds".[2] The track was also praised by German Musikexpress.[13]

## Track listing

[edit]

All tracks are written by Molly Nilsson.

Extreme track listingNo.| Title| Length

|
|

1.| "Absolute Power"| 3:49
2.| "Earth Girls"| 4:11
3.| "Fearless Like a Child"| 4:02
4.| "Kids Today"| 4:04
5.| "Intermezzo: The Wheel of Fortune"| 3:36
6.| "Sweet Smell of Success"| 4:20
7.| "Obnoxiously Talented"| 3:38
8.| "Avoid Heaven"| 3:37
9.| "Take Me to Your Leader"| 3:01
10.| "They Will Pay"| 2:42
11.| "Pompeii"| 4:31
Total length:| 41:31

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Blair, Ed (24 January 2022). "Where to Start Exploring the Dazzling World of Molly Nilsson". Bandcamp. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
2. ^ a b Helfand, Raphael (18 January 2022). "Molly Nilsson fights the power on Extreme". The Fader. Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
3. ^ a b Pinfold, Will (12 June 2022). "Molly Nilsson: Extreme". Spectrum Culture. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
4. ^ Möller, Christoph (15 January 2022). "Pop-Hymnen über falsch verteilte Macht: "Extreme" von Molly Nilsson". Deutschlandfunk (in German). Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
5. ^ "Molly Nilsson: Extreme | Night School Records". Archived from the original on 10 July 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
6. ^ Darville, Jordan (12 October 2021). "Molly Nilsson reveals new album Extreme, shares "Absolute Power"". The Fader. Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
7. ^ Darville, Jordan (22 November 2021). "Molly Nilsson shares new song/video "Pompeii"". The Fader. Archived from the original on 1 December 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
8. ^ "Extreme, by Molly Nilsson". Molly Nilsson. Archived from the original on 16 July 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
9. ^ a b Sendra, Tim. "Extreme Review by Tim Sendra". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 31 July 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
10. ^ O'Neill, Lauren (27 January 2022). "Molly Nilsson: 'Extreme' review". Crack. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
11. ^ a b McDonald, Sophia (10 January 2022). "Molly Nilsson - Extreme - Album Review". Loud and Quiet. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
12. ^ Rivas, Noé R. (18 January 2022). "Reseñamos el nuevo disco de Molly Nilsson". Mindies (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 September 2023.
13. ^ a b c Mayer, Jana-Maria (28 January 2022). "Review: Molly Nilsson - Extreme". Musikexpress (in German). Archived from the original on 17 March 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
14. ^ Mikardo-Greaves, Fred (27 May 2022). "Molly Nilsson - 'Extreme': Reviews". Norman Records. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
15. ^ "ByteFM - Molly Nilsson". ByteFM (in German). Archived from the original on September 29, 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2023.

*[No.]: Number