Fairytales (Alexander Rybak album)

{{Music ratings

|rev1 = Allmusic

|rev1score = {{rating|3.5|5}}[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r1591031|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic review]

}}

On 27 May 2009 Norway's biggest newspaper Verdens Gang was the first to review the album giving it top score, 6 out of 6. "Alexander Rybak has not only become a star in no time, he deserves the status as well", the paper said.{{cite web|url=http://www.vg.no/musikk/grand-prix/artikkel.php?artid=543655 |title=Alexander Rybak: Fairytales – VG Nett om Melodi Grand Prix |date=May 27, 2009 |publisher=Vg.no |accessdate=October 20, 2011}} On the same day it was revealed that the album had been leaked illegally on the net. Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet was less enthused. "Rybak is seducing, but not entirely convincing" their critic stated, giving it 4 out of 6 points.{{cite web|url=http://www.dagbladet.no/2009/05/27/kultur/musikk/alexander_rybakk/cd/musikkanmeldelser/6429497/ |title=Forfører – men blender ikke – kultur |publisher=Dagbladet.no |date=May 27, 2009 |accessdate=October 20, 2011}} Aftenposten gave it 5 out of 6 stars, calling Rybak "a complete artist."{{cite web|author=SVEIN ANDERSEN Publisert: 28.05.09 08:21 |url=http://oslopuls.aftenposten.no/musikk/article204099.ece |title=Eventyrlig debut – Oslo – Fairytales, Alexander Rybak, CD, pop, (EMI Norway/EMI) 9 låter, 35.00 Oslopuls.no |publisher=Oslopuls.aftenposten.no |accessdate=October 20, 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004224632/http://oslopuls.aftenposten.no/musikk/article204099.ece |archivedate=October 4, 2011 |df=mdy }} Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, however, caused a stir by giving the record merely 1 star and hurling epithets like "violin hobbit" and "smurf hits" at the artist.{{cite web|url=http://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/musik/recensioner/article5243603.ab |title=Fiolhoben är för kass | Musik – Recensioner | Musik | Nöjesbladet | Aftonbladet |publisher=Aftonbladet.se |accessdate=October 20, 2011}} TV2 in Norway gave the album 4 out of 6 stars, stating that Rybak was "no one-hit-wonder at all".{{cite web|url=http://pub.tv2.no/nettavisen/side2/musikk/anmeldelser/article2635067.ece |title=ALEXANDER RYBAK – Slett ikke noe one-hit wonder – Side2 |publisher=Pub.tv2.no |accessdate=October 20, 2011}} NRK gave Rybak a good review saying that Rybak was "a good pop composer."{{cite web|url=http://nrk.no/musikk/1.6628628 |title=Klar hjemmeseier – Kultur-og-underholdning – NRK |date=May 28, 2009 |publisher=Nrk.no |accessdate=October 20, 2011}} Dagsavisen gave the record 5 points out of 6, exclaiming "the fairy tale continues!"{{cite web|url=http://www.dagsavisen.no/kultur/musikk/article417866.ece |title=Eventyret fortsetter : Dagsavisen |publisher=Dagsavisen.no |accessdate=October 20, 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090530210819/http://www.dagsavisen.no/kultur/musikk/article417866.ece |archivedate=May 30, 2009 |df=mdy }} The radio channel P4 Radio Hele Norge gave the album a rather poor review. Calling it a record for "13 year old girls and Eurovision enthusiasts" it got 2 stars.{{cite web|url=http://www.p4.no/story.aspx?id=310800 |title="For 13 år gamle jenter og Grand Prix-entusiaster" – P4 Radio Hele Norge |publisher=P4.no |date=May 27, 2009 |accessdate=October 20, 2011}} Bergensavisen was impressed by the record, especially by the album's "personal style", and gave it 5 stars.{{cite web|url=http://www.ba.no/puls/plateguiden/article4361106.ece |title=Alexander Rybak |language=nb |publisher=ba.no |date=May 28, 2009 |accessdate=October 20, 2011}}

{{track listing

| all_writing =

| total_length =

| extra_column = Writer

| title1 = Roll with the Wind

| length1 = 3:34

| extra1 = Mårten Eriksson, Lina Eriksson

| title2 = Fairytale

| length2 = 3:05

| extra2 = Alexander Rybak

| title3 = Dolphin

| length3 = 4:16

| extra3 = Rybak

| title4 = Kiss and Tell

| length4 = 3:20

| extra4 = Rybak, Kim Bergseth, Piotr Andrej

| title5 = Funny Little World

| length5 = 3:46

| extra5 = Rybak

| title6 = If You Were Gone

| length6 = 4:31

| extra6 = Henning Sommerro, Rybak

| title7 = Abandoned

| length7 = 4:09

| extra7 = Rybak, Kirill Moltchanov, Andrej

| title8 = 13 Horses

| length8 = 5:42

| extra8 = Rybak

| title9 = Song from a Secret Garden

| length9 = 3:30

| extra9 = Rolf Løvland

}}

Bonus track

{{track listing

| all_writing =

| total_length =

| extra_column = Writer

| title10 = 500 Miles

| length10 = 3:24

| extra10 = The Proclaimers

}}

Bonus track

{{track listing

| all_writing =

| total_length =

| extra_column = Writer

| title11 = Vocalise

| length11 = 4:31

| extra11 = Sergei Rachmaninoff

}}

French edition

{{track listing

| all_writing =

| total_length =

| extra_column = Writer

| title12 = Fairytale

| note12 = French lyrics

| length12 = 3:05

| extra12 = Rybak, Thierry Samois

}}

Russian edition bonus track

{{track listing

| all_writing =

| total_length =

| extra_column = Writer

| title10 = Fairytale (Holter/Erixson Radio Remix)

| note10 = bonus track

| length10 = 2:53

| extra10 = Rybak

}}

Fairytales – Зимняя сказка (en. Winter Fairytales)

Standard-Edition

{{track listing

| all_writing =

| total_length =

| extra_column = Writer

| title1 = Roll with the Wind

| length1 = 3:34

| extra1 = Mårten Eriksson, Lina Eriksson

| title2 = Сказка ({{langx|en|Skazka (Russian version of "Fairytale")}})

| length2 = 3:05

| extra2 = Alexander Rybak

| title3 = Dolphin

| length3 = 4:16

| extra3 = Rybak

| title4 = Kiss and Tell

| length4 = 3:20

| extra4 = Rybak, Kim Bergseth, Piotr Andrej

| title5 = Funny Little World

| length5 = 3:46

| extra5 = Rybak

| title6 = Когда Уйдешь (Russian version of "If You Were Gone")

| length6 = 4:31

| extra6 = Henning Sommerro, Rybak

| title7 = 13 Horses

| length7 = 5:42

| extra7 = Rybak

| title8 = Song from a Secret Garden

| length8 = 3:30

| extra8 = Rolf Løvland

| title9 = Vocalise

| length9 = 4:31

| extra9 = Sergei Rachmaninoff

| title10 = 500 Miles

| length10 = 3:24

| extra10 = The Proclaimers

| title11 = Fairytale (Bonustrack)

| length11 = 3:05

| extra11 = Rybak

| title12 = If You Were Gone (Bonustrack)

| length12 = 4:31

| extra12 = Henning Sommerro, Rybak

}}

Digipack-Edition

1. CD:

Same songs as Standard-Edition

2. DVD:

{{track listing

| all_writing =

| title1 = Fairytale (Video)

| title2 = Roll with the Wind (Video)

| title3 = Funny Little World (Video)

| title4 = Kupalinka (live in Minsk)

}}

Musicians

• Alexander Rybak – lead vocals, violin, piano, strings. All string arrangements, song arrangements.
• Amir Aly – acoustic guitar (track #5), guitar (#1, #6), bass (#1, No. 5, #6), programming (#1, #6)
• Gunnar Flagstad – piano (#9)
• Henrik Wikström – keyboards (#5), programming (#5)
• Jorunn Hauge – background vocals (#2)
• Kai Morten Berg – percussion (#4)
• Karianne Kjærnes – background vocals (#2)
• Kim Edward Bergseth – background vocals (#4, #7), guitar (#3, No. 4, #7), bass (#2, No. 3, #4, #7), programming (#2, No. 3, #4, #8)
• Laila Samuels – background vocals (#7)
• Mattis Lerbak – drums (#3)
• Sylvie Loche – background vocals (French bonus track: "Fairytale")

Recording and production staff

• Amir Aly – producer (track No. 1, #5, #6), mixing (#1, No. 5, #6)
• Björn Engelmann Cutting Room Studios – mastering
• Henrik Wikström – producer (#5), mixing (#5)
• Kim Edward Bergseth – producer (#2, No. 3, #4, No. 7, #8)
• Ulf Ø. W. Holand – mixing (#2, No. 3, #4, No. 7, #8)

Album artwork

• Baard Lunde – photos
• Guro Synes – artwork, design
• Trond Kulterud – artwork, design

{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for Fairytales}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Russia|title=Fairytales|artist=Alexander Rybak|type=album|award=Platinum|certyear=2009|number=2|relyear=2009|access-date=23 October 2009}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Sweden|title=Fairytales|artist=Alexander Rybak|type=album|award=Gold|certyear=2009|relyear=2009|access-date=7 January 2023}}

{{Certification Table Bottom}}

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{{Alexander Rybak}}

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Category:2009 debut albums

Category:EMI Records albums

Category:Alexander Rybak albums