Life (The Cardigans album)

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}

{{Infobox album

| name = Life

| type = studio

| artist = The Cardigans

| cover = The Cardigans- Life.jpg

| alt =

| released = 24 March 1995{{cite web|url=https://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=The+Cardigans&titel=Life&cat=a|title=Cardigans albums}}

| recorded = 1994

| venue =

| studio = Tambourine Studios (Malmö, Sweden){{cite web|last=Sillitoe|first=Sue|title=Tore Johansson: Recording The Cardigans 'My Favourite Game'|url=https://www.soundonsound.com/people/tore-johansson-recording-cardigans-my-favourite-game|website=Sound On Sound|date=March 1999|access-date=2 July 2024}}

| genre =

• Pop
• pop rock{{cite book |last1= Lewis|first1= Justin|editor1-last=Buckley |editor1-first=Peter |title=The Rough Guide to Rock |date=2003 |publisher=Rough Guides |location=London |isbn=978-1-84353-105-0 |pages= 173–174|edition=3rd|chapter= The Cardigans}}
• lounge{{cite book|last=Freedom du Lac|first=Josh|chapter=The Cardigans|editor-last=Knopper|editor-first=Steve|date=1 January 1998|title=MusicHound Lounge: The Essential Album Guide|publisher=Visible Ink Press|location=Detroit|pages=77}}
• easy listening{{cite book|last=Freedom du Lac|first=Josh|chapter=The Cardigans|editor-last=Knopper|editor-first=Steve|date=1 January 1998|title=MusicHound Lounge: The Essential Album Guide|publisher=Visible Ink Press|location=Detroit|pages=77}}

| length = 45:22 (Original version)
47:04 (UK)
47:59 (US)

| label = Stockholm Records

| producer = Tore Johansson

| prev_title = Emmerdale

| prev_year = 1994

| next_title = First Band on the Moon

| next_year = 1996

| misc = {{Singles

| name = Life

| type = studio

| single1 = Carnival

| single1date = March 1995

| single2 = Hey! Get Out of My Way

| single2date = 1995

| single3 = Sick & Tired

| single3date = September 1995{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/greatrockdiscogr0000stro_r9o1/page/250/mode/2up?q=cardigans|title=Great Rock Discography|page=250}}

| single4 = Rise & Shine

| single4date = February 1996{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/greatrockdiscogr0000stro_r9o1/page/250/mode/2up?q=cardigans|title=Great Rock Discography|page=250}}

}}

}}

{{Album ratings

| subtitle = Initial reviews (in 1995/1996)

| rev1 = Alternative Press

| rev1score = {{Rating|2|5}}{{Cite magazine |last=DeMarco |first=Laura |date=May 1996 |title=Music Reviews |magazine=Alternative Press |volume=10 |issue=94 |page= |pages=69–70}}

| rev2 = Chicago Tribune

| rev2score = {{Rating|3|4}}{{cite news |last=Kot |first=Greg |author-link=Greg Kot |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1996/06/06/the-cardiganslife-minty-fresh-star-star-starnearly/ |title=The Cardigans: Life (Minty Fresh) |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=6 June 1996 |access-date=5 April 2018}}

| rev3 = Entertainment Weekly

| rev3score = A{{cite magazine |last=Smith |first=Ethan |url=https://ew.com/article/1996/02/23/life-11/ |title=Life |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=23 February 1996 |accessdate=5 April 2018}}

| rev4 = NME

| rev4score = 8/10{{cite magazine|first=Mark|last=Beaumont|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/nothingelseon/53497572387/|title=Long Play|magazine=NME|date=8 July 1995|page=47|access-date=14 February 2024|author-link=Mark Beaumont (journalist)}}

| rev5 = Select

| rev5score = {{rating|3|5|full=U+25A0.svg|empty=U+25A1.svg|rating=medal}}{{cite magazine|first=Roy|last=Wilkinson|url=https://selectmagazinescans.monkeon.co.uk/showpage.php?file=wp-content/uploads/2013/01/verve.jpg|title=New Albums|work=Select|date=August 1995|page=95|access-date=10 December 2024|author-link=Roy Wilkinson}}

| rev6 = Smash Hits

| rev6score = {{Rating|5|5}}{{cite magazine|first=Mark|last=Sutherland|url=https://sites.google.com/view/smash-hits-remembered-1994-5/home/1995/432-21st-june-4th-july-1995|title=Albums|work=Smash Hits|date=21 June 1995|page=53|access-date=13 February 2025}}

| rev7 = Sunday News

| rev7score = 8/10{{cite news |last=Phillips |first=Antony |title=Albums |newspaper=Sunday News |date=25 February 1996}}

}}

{{Album ratings

| subtitle = Retrospective reviews (after 1995/1996)

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web |last=Bush |first=John |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/life-mw0000647292 |title=Life – The Cardigans |publisher=AllMusic |accessdate=25 November 2023}}

| rev2 = Encyclopedia of Popular Music

| rev2score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite book |chapter=Cardigans |last=Larkin |first=Colin |author-link=Colin Larkin |title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |title-link=Encyclopedia of Popular Music |publisher=Omnibus Press |edition=5th concise |year=2011 |isbn=9780857125958}}

| rev3 = The Rolling Stone Album Guide

| rev3score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite book |chapter=The Cardigans |last=Randall |first=Mac |pages=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/137 137–38] |title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide |title-link=The Rolling Stone Album Guide |editor-last1=Brackett |editor-first=Nathan |editor-link1=Nathan Brackett |editor-last2=Hoard |editor-first2=Christian |editor-link2=Christian Hoard |publisher=Simon & Schuster |edition=4th |year=2004 |isbn=9780743201698}}

}}

Life is the second studio album by Swedish pop rock band The Cardigans. It was released worldwide in 1995 and was an international success, especially in Japan, where it achieved platinum status. Outside of Sweden and Japan (where debut Emmerdale had been released in 1994), it was released as their first album: a compilation of tracks from both Emmerdale and Life. It was released in the United States under the label Minty Fresh Records.