Crush Songs

Crush Songs
Studio album by Karen O
Released	September 5, 2014
Recorded	2006–10
Genre	Indie rock lo-fi[1]
Length	25:25
Label	Cult
Singles from Crush Songs
"Rapt" Released: July 29, 2014

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	65/100[2]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[3]
The A.V. Club	C+[4]
Clash	6/10[5]
The Guardian	[1]
NME	7/10[6]
Pitchfork Media	5.8/10[7]
Rolling Stone	[8]

Crush Songs is the debut studio album by Yeah Yeah Yeahs lead vocalist Karen O. It was released on September 5, 2014 by Julian Casablancas' label Cult Records. "Rapt" was released as the album's lead single on July 29, 2014.^[9]

Background and recording

The songs were written at a time of emotional discomfort for Karen O. "When I was 27 I crushed a lot. I wasn't sure I'd ever fall in love again. These songs were written + recorded in private around this time. They are the soundtrack to what was an ever continuing love crusade", she explained in a statement posted on her website.^[10]

Commercial performance

Crush Songs debuted at number sixty-one on the UK Albums Chart with first-week sales of 1,336 copies.^[11]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Karen O, except where noted. 

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Ooo"		1:28
2.	"Rapt"		1:47
3.	"Visits"		1:33
4.	"Beast"		2:57
5.	"Comes the Night"		1:06
6.	"NYC Baby"		0:56
7.	"Other Side"		1:11
8.	"So Far"		1:33
9.	"Day Go By"		2:16
10.	"Body"		2:27
11.	"King"		1:23
12.	"Indian Summer"	The Doors	1:03
13.	"Sunset Sun"		1:12
14.	"Native Korean Rock"		2:27
15.	"Singalong"	Karen O Jack Lawrence Dean Fertita	2:06

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Crush Songs.^[12]

Karen O – vocals, all other drawings, recording Dean Fertita – backing vocals ("Singalong") Julian Gross – design Bernie Grundman – mastering

Yong Kok Kim – young Karen portrait Nick Launay – mixing Jack Lawrence – backing vocals ("Singalong") Imaad Wasif – guitar ("Visits", "So Far")

Charts

Chart (2014)	Peak position
Australian Hitseekers Albums Chart[13]	6
Belgian Albums Chart (Flanders)[14]	81
Belgian Albums Chart (Wallonia)[15]	184
Irish Albums Chart[16]	72
Irish Independent Albums Chart[17]	11
UK Albums Chart[18]	61
UK Indie Albums Chart[19]	11
US Billboard 200[20]	44
US Alternative Albums[21]	8
US Independent Albums[22]	10
US Top Rock Albums[23]	14

Release history

Region	Date	Formats	Label	Ref.
Australia	September 5, 2014	CD digital download	Cult Records	[24][25]
Germany		CD LP digital download		[26][27][28]
Ireland		CD digital download		[29][30]
United Kingdom	September 8, 2014	CD LP digital download		[31][32][33]
United States	September 9, 2014			[34][35][36]

References

1. MacInnes, Paul (September 4, 2014). "Karen O: Crush Songs review – low-fi sketches on love and loneliness". The Guardian. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
2. "Reviews for Crush Songs by Karen O". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
3. Phares, Heather. "Crush Songs – Karen O". AllMusic. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
4. Saraiya, Sonia (September 9, 2014). "Karen O's solo album lacks Yeah Yeah Yeahs' punch". The A.V. Club. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
5. Taylor, Benji (August 26, 2014). "Karen O – Crush Songs". Clash. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
6. Beaumont, Mark (September 7, 2014). "Karen O – 'Crush Songs'". NME. IPC Media. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
7. Stephen M., Deusner (September 10, 2014). "Karen O: Crush Songs". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
8. Sheffield, Rob (September 9, 2014). "Karen O's New Album: Crush Songs". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
9. "Rapt [Explicit]: Karen O: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.com. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
10. Gordon, Jeremy (June 25, 2014). "Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Karen O Announces First Solo Record, Crush Songs". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
11. Jones, Alan (September 15, 2014). "Official Charts Analysis: Sam Smith retains No.1 album slot in busiest week of the year". Music Week. Intent Media. Retrieved September 15, 2014. (subscription required)
12. Crush Songs (CD liner notes). Karen O. Cult Records. 2014. CLT0162.
13. "ARIA Hitseekers – Week Commencing 15th September 2014" (PDF). ARIA Charts. Pandora Archive. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
14. "Karen O – Crush Songs" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
15. "Karen O – Crush Songs" (in French). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
16. "Top 100 Artist Album, Week Ending 11 September 2014". Chart-Track. Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
17. "Top 20 Indie Individual Artist Albums". Irish Recorded Music Association. September 11, 2014. Archived from the original on September 14, 2014. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
18. "Official Albums Chart UK Top 100". Official Charts Company. September 20, 2014. Archived from the original on September 14, 2014. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
19. "2014 Top 40 Independent Albums Archive". Official Charts Company. September 20, 2014. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
20. "Karen O – Chart history: Billboard 200". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
21. "Karen O – Chart history: Alternative Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
22. "Karen O – Chart history: Independent Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
23. "Karen O – Chart history: Top Rock Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
24. "Crush Songs". JB Hi-Fi. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
25. "Crush Songs (Explicit) by Karen O". zdigital Australia. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
26. "Crush Songs" (in German). Amazon.de. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
27. "Crush Songs ('blue' vinyl+36pg booklet+Mp3) [Vinyl LP]" (in German). Amazon.de. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
28. "Crush Songs [Explicit]: Karen O: MP3-Downloads" (in German). Amazon.de. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
29. "Karen O[yeah Yeah Yeahs] – Crush Songs". Tower Records Ireland. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
30. "Crush Songs (Explicit) by Karen O". 7digital Ireland. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
31. "Crush Songs". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
32. "Crush Songs [VINYL]". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
33. "Crush Songs [Explicit]: Karen O: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
34. "Crush Songs". Amazon.com. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
35. "Crush Songs (Vinyl)". Amazon.com. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
36. "Crush Songs [Explicit]: Karen O: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.com. Retrieved September 14, 2014.