Believer (Smerz album)
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Believer
| type = studio
| artist = Smerz
| cover = Believer (Smerz album).jpg
| alt =
| released = {{start date|df=yes|2021|02|26}}
| recorded =
| venue =
| studio =
| genre =
| length = 46:48
| label = XL
| producer =
- Catharina Stoltenberg
- Henriette Motzfeldt
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title = Før og etter
| next_year = 2021
}}
Believer is the debut studio album by Smerz, a Norwegian music duo consisting of Catharina Stoltenberg and Henriette Motzfeldt.{{Cite web |url=https://www.papermag.com/smerz-believer-album |title=Smerz Makes a 'Believer' Out of Us |website=Paper |first=Matt |last=Moen |date=13 January 2021 |access-date=1 March 2025}} It was released on 26 February 2021 through XL Recordings.{{Cite web |url=https://beatsperminute.com/smerz-announce-debut-album-and-share-glitch-pop-title-track-believer/ |title=Smerz announce debut album and share glitch-pop title track "Believer" |website=Beats Per Minute |first=Rob |last=H |date=13 January 2021 |access-date=1 March 2025}} It received generally favorable reviews from critics.
Background
Believer was produced in various remote cabins in Norway. Some of the album's lyrics were written in the woods. The creation of the album took place while the members Catharina Stoltenberg and Henriette Motzfeldt were completing degrees.{{Cite web |url=https://theface.com/music/smerz-henriette-motzfeldt-catharina-stoltenberg-believer-interview |title=The strange and alluring sound of Smerz |website=The Face |first=Ivan |last=Guzman |date=23 February 2021 |access-date=1 March 2025}}
Critical reception
{{Music ratings
| MC = 73/100{{Cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/believer/smerz |title=Believer by Smerz |website=Metacritic |access-date=1 March 2025}}
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1score = {{rating|3|5}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/believer-mw0003470744 |title=Believer - Smerz |website=AllMusic |first=Paul |last=Simpson |access-date=1 March 2025}}
| rev2 = Beats Per Minute
| rev2score = 60%{{Cite web |url=https://beatsperminute.com/album-review-smerz-believer/ |title=Album Review: Smerz – Believer |website=Beats Per Minute |first=Ethan |last=Reis |date=26 February 2021 |access-date=1 March 2025}}
| rev3 = The Line of Best Fit
| rev3score = 8/10{{Cite web |url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/reviews/albums/smerz-believer-album-review |title=On Believer, Smerz breathe Nordic heritage into their experimental tendencies |website=The Line of Best Fit |first=Connor |last=Dillman |date=24 February 2021 |access-date=1 March 2025}}
| rev4 = MusicOMH
| rev4score = {{rating|4|5}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.musicomh.com/reviews/albums/smerz-believer |title=Smerz – Believer |website=MusicOMH |first=Steven |last=Johnson |date=26 February 2021 |access-date=1 March 2025}}
| rev5 = Pitchfork
| rev5score = 7.7/10{{Cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/smerz-believer/ |title=Smerz: Believer |website=Pitchfork |first=Eric |last=Torres |date=25 February 2021 |access-date=1 March 2025}}
| rev6 = PopMatters
| rev6score = 7/10{{Cite web |url=https://www.popmatters.com/smerz-believer-album-review |title=Smerz's 'Believers' Is a Wild, Uneven Ride Through Trance, Hip-Hop, and Classical |website=PopMatters |first=Parker |last=Desautell |date=22 March 2021 |access-date=1 March 2025}}
}}
{{Metacritic album prose|Believer||73|7}}
Ethan Reis of Beats Per Minute commented that the album is "less club-oriented than previous releases, instead incorporating more violin and classical instruments to achieve a synthesis of classical and dance music that is occasionally inscrutable." Parker Desautell of PopMatters stated, "Both lyrically and sonically, Believer is a bold, risk-taking LP that charts a wild, uneven course through trance, classical, R&B, and hip-hop." He added, "Sometimes it conjures images of the snowy Norwegian countryside, and other times it drops you squarely on the dancefloor."
Pitchfork included the album's title track, "Believer", on its list of "The Best Progressive Pop Music of 2021".{{Cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/best-progressive-pop-music-2021/ |title=The Best Progressive Pop Music of 2021 |website=Pitchfork |date=14 December 2021 |access-date=1 March 2025}}
Track listing
{{Track listing
| headline = Believer track listing
| all_writing = Catharina Stoltenberg and Henriette Motzfeldt.
| title1 = Gitarriff
| length1 = 2:06
| title2 = Max
| length2 = 4:17
| title3 = Believer
| length3 = 4:12
| title4 = Versace Strings
| length4 = 2:03
| title5 = Rain
| length5 = 4:14
| title6 = 4 Temaer
| length6 = 1:53
| title7 = Hester
| length7 = 4:54
| title8 = Flashing
| length8 = 2:40
| title9 = The Favourite
| length9 = 1:43
| title10 = Rap Interlude
| length10 = 0:35
| title11 = Sonette
| length11 = 2:07
| title12 = Glassbord
| length12 = 2:57
| title13 = Grand Piano
| length13 = 1:43
| title14 = Missy
| length14 = 1:06
| title15 = I Don't Talk About That Much
| length15 = 3:51
| title16 = Hva Hvis
| length16 = 2:31
| total_length = 46:48
}}
Personnel
Credits adapted from liner notes.{{Cite AV media notes |author=Smerz |date=2021 |title=Believer |type=CD booklet |publisher=XL Recordings}}
- Catharina Stoltenberg – performance, production, engineering
- Henriette Motzfeldt – performance, production, engineering
- Peder Mannerfelt – additional production (2), additional mixing (3, 6)
- Hallvard Braaten Steinhovden – cello (3, 5, 12)
- Lone Meinich – violin (5, 13)
- Moa Meinich – violin (5, 13)
- Andrea Green Novel – flute (12)
- Kasper Marott – additional drum programming (15)
- Chris Elms – mixing
- Joel Krozer – mastering
- Benjamin Barron – art direction, design, cyanotype, photography
- Elif Tanman – design
- Lotte Lovise Brøndbo – set design, cyanotype
- Bror August Vestbø – costume design
- Tina Solberg – styling
- Frida Stø – woodwork
- Vilde Krogsmyr Holberg – woodwork
- Jan Khur – lighting assistance
- Ingrid Nymoen – cover modeling
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Discogs master|1997995}}