The Ascension (Sufjan Stevens album)

{{Infobox album

| name = The Ascension

| type = studio

| cover = Sufjan Stevens The Ascension Cover.png

| border = yes

| alt = An elaborate and colorful pattern like a stained glass window making a circle in the center and top of the image with the album title and artist name running along the side in white text on black bands

| released = {{start date|2020|9|25}}

| genre = {{flatlist|

Electropop{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/sep/25/sufjan-stevens-interview-the-ascension|title='I have a sense of urgency': Sufjan Stevens wakes from the American dream|last=Horner|first=Al|date=September 25, 2020|website=The Guardian|access-date=September 25, 2020}}}}

| length = 80:30

| label = Asthmatic Kitty

| producer = Sufjan Stevens

| prev_title = Aporia

| prev_year = 2020

| next_title = Convocations

| next_year = 2021

| misc = {{Singles

| name = The Ascension

| type = studio album

| single1 = America

| single1date = July 3, 2020

| single2 = Video Game

| single2date = August 13, 2020

| single3 = Sugar

| single3date = September 15, 2020

}}

The Ascension is the eighth studio album by American musician Sufjan Stevens. It was released through Asthmatic Kitty on September 25, 2020.{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/sufjan-stevens-announces-new-album-the-ascension/ |title=Sufjan Stevens Announces New Album The Ascension |last=Monroe |first=Jazz |work=Pitchfork |date=June 30, 2020 |accessdate=June 30, 2020}} The record was influenced by a range of artists, particularly Ariana Grande and her 2018 song "Thank U, Next".{{Cite web |date=2020-09-24 |title=Sufjan Stevens on Making Pop Music in a Crisis |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2020/09/sufjan-stevens-the-ascension-interview |access-date=2022-05-18 |website=Vanity Fair |language=en-US}}

Music and lyrics

NPR's Lindsay Zoladz describes The Ascension as "an 80-minute meditation that revisits nearly every one of the grand themes he has explored during his two-decade career: Love, death, faith, desire, place, country, apocalypse, resurrection."{{cite web|last1=Zoladz|first1=Lindsay|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/09/24/916525319/sufjan-stevens-fifty-states-of-grey|title=Sufjan Stevens' New Album 'The Ascension': Fifty States Of Grey|publisher=NPR|date=September 24, 2020|accessdate=December 14, 2020}}

Release

The album's lead single, "America", was released on July 3, 2020.{{cite web |url=https://www.vulture.com/2020/07/sufjan-stevenss-new-song-america-is-here-listen.html |title=Sob Through the 3rd of July with Sufjan Stevens's New Track, 'America' |last=Alter |first=Rebecca |work=Vulture |date=July 3, 2020 |accessdate=September 20, 2020}} A second single, "Video Game", was released on August 13 along with a music video choreographed by Jalaiah Harmon.{{cite web |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/sufjan_stevens_shares_new_single_video_game |title=Sufjan Stevens Shares New Single "Video Game" |last=Gregory |first=Allie |work=Exclaim! |date=August 13, 2020 |accessdate=September 22, 2020}}{{cite web |url=https://www.avclub.com/sufjan-stevens-teams-up-with-renegade-dancer-jalaiah-1844722476 |title=Sufjan Stevens Teams Up with 'Renegade' Dancer Jalaiah Harmon for 'Video Game' |last=Hughes |first=Will |work=The A.V. Club |date=August 14, 2020 |access-date=August 14, 2020}} A third single, "Sugar", and its music video were released on September 15.{{cite web |url=https://consequence.net/2020/09/sufjan-stevens-new-song-sugar-stream/ |title=Sufjan Stevens Unveils New Song "Sugar": Stream |last=Graves |first=Wren |work=Consequence of Sound |date=September 15, 2020 |accessdate=September 22, 2020}}{{cite web |url=https://diymag.com/2020/09/15/watch-sufjan-stevens-sugar-video |title=Sufjan Stevens shares new track 'Sugar' |work=DIY |date=September 15, 2020 |accessdate=September 22, 2020}}

Critical reception

{{Album ratings

| ADM = 7.9/10{{cite web |url=http://anydecentmusic.com/review/12584/Sufjan-Stevens-The-Ascension.aspx |title=The Ascension by Sufjan Stevens reviews |work=AnyDecentMusic? |accessdate=September 25, 2020}}

| MC = 80/100{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/ascension/sufjan-stevens |title=The Ascension by Sufjan Stevens Reviews and Tracks |work=Metacritic |accessdate=September 25, 2020}}

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-ascension-mw0003401556 |title=The Ascension – Sufjan Stevens |website=AllMusic |access-date=15 October 2023 |last=Deming |first=Mark}}

| rev2 = The A.V. Club

| rev2score = B{{cite web |last1=Colburn |first1=Randall |title=Sufjan Stevens rages, despairs, and dances through The Ascension |url=https://www.avclub.com/sufjan-stevens-rages-and-despairs-through-the-ascension-1845161829 |website=The A.V. Club |access-date=September 25, 2020 }}

| rev3 = Exclaim!

| rev3score = 10/10{{cite web |last1=Gregory |first1=Allie |title=Sufjan Stevens Plots a Way Forward from Our Apocalyptic Present on Groundbreaking 'The Ascension' |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/sufjan_stevens_the_ascension_album_review |website=Exclaim! |accessdate=September 25, 2020 }}

| rev4 = The Independent

| rev4score = {{Rating|5|5}}{{cite web |last1=Brown |first1=Helen |title=A loveably retro fleet of bulky analogue synths course through Sufjan Stevens' The Ascension |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/sufjan-stevens-ascension-album-review-track-list-lyrics-b553217.html |website=The Independent |accessdate=September 25, 2020 |date=September 24, 2020}}

| rev5 = Mojo

| rev5score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite journal |last1=Harris |first1=Sophie |title=Sufjan Stevens The Ascension |journal=Mojo |issue=November 2020 |page=89}}

| rev6 = NME

| rev6score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web |last1=Mylrea |first1=Hannah |title=Sufjan Stevens – 'The Ascension': A sprawling and powerful dissection of modern humanity |url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/album/sufjan-stevens-the-ascension-a-sprawling-and-powerful-dissection-of-modern-humanity-2752095 |website=NME |accessdate=September 25, 2020 |date=September 23, 2020}}

| rev7 = Paste

| rev7score = 8.0/10{{cite web |last1=Wolper |first1=Caitlin |title=Sufjan Stevens' The Ascension Waxes Existential |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/sufjan-stevens/the-ascension-album-review/ |website=Paste |accessdate=September 25, 2020 |date=September 23, 2020}}

| rev8 = Pitchfork

| rev8score = 7.0/10{{cite web |last1=Sodomsky |first1=Sam |title=Sufjan Stevens: The Ascension |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/sufjan-stevens-the-ascension/ |website=Pitchfork |accessdate=September 25, 2020 }}

| rev9 = Record Collector

| rev9score = {{Rating|5|5}}{{cite web |title=The Ascension – Record Collector Magazine |url=https://recordcollectormag.com/reviews/the-ascension |website=Record Collector |accessdate=September 25, 2020}}

| rev10 = Slant Magazine

| rev10score = {{rating|3|5}}{{cite web |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review-sufjan-stevens-the-ascension-aims-for-great-heights-but-often-gets-lost/ |title=Review: Sufjan Stevens's The Ascension Aims for Great Heights but Often Gets Lost |last=Walsh |first=Jordan |work=Slant Magazine |date=September 20, 2020 |accessdate=September 22, 2020}}

| rev11 = The Sydney Morning Herald

| rev11score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{cite web |last1=Divola |first1=Barry |title=Music reviews: Sufjan Stevens, Idles, A Swayze & the Ghosts and more |url=https://www.smh.com.au/culture/music/music-reviews-sufjan-stevens-idles-a-swayze-and-the-ghosts-and-more-20200921-p55xla.html |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |accessdate=September 25, 2020 |date=September 25, 2020}}

}}

The Ascension received positive reviews upon its release. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized score out of 100 to ratings from publications, the album received an average score of 80 based on 25 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Music critic Tom Hull gave it an A-minus and said "singer-songwriter" may be "too self-limiting" a designation for Stevens, who "is a pop composer of grand sweep and delicate bearing, an heir to Brian Wilson working on if anything a broader canvas. His is not a style I'm fond of, but half of these songs click for me, and the others seem to be lurking in the depths, awaiting their moment."{{cite web|last=Hull|first=Tom|author-link=Tom Hull (critic)|date=October 6, 2020|url=http://tomhull.com/ocston/blog/archives/2889-Music-Week.html|title=Music Week|website=Tom Hull – on the Web|accessdate=October 7, 2020}} Pitchfork's Sam Sodomsky, however, was more tempered in his praise, noting: "But despite its allusions to pop music escapism, The Ascension is, by design, kind of a drag: a dark and emotionally distant mood piece whose lyrics rarely touch on the specifics necessary to anchor the music, and whose music is rarely exciting enough to elevate his words."{{cite web|last1=Sodomsky|first1=Sam|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/sufjan-stevens-the-ascension/|title=Sufjan Stevens: The Ascension Album Review|website=Pitchfork|date=September 25, 2020|accessdate=December 14, 2020}}

=Year-end lists=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" \|+ Publications' year-end list appearances for The Ascension !Critic/Publication !List !Rank !Ref
scope="row"\| Consequence of Sound \| Top 50 Albums of 2020 \| style="text-align:center;" \|19 \| style="text-align:center;" \|{{Cite web\|url=https://consequence.net/2020/12/top-50-albums-of-2020/\|title=Top 50 Albums of 2020\|accessdate=December 10, 2020\|website=Consequence of Sound\|date=December 1, 2020}}
scope="row"\| Double J \|Top 50 Albums of 2020 \| style="text-align:center;" \| 30 \| style="text-align:center;" \| {{cite web\|url=https://www.abc.net.au/doublej/music-reads/features/50-best-albums-of-2020/12947352\|title=The 50 Best Albums of 2020\|work=Double J\|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation\|date=December 9, 2020\|accessdate=December 10, 2020}}
scope="row"\| Exclaim! \| Top 50 Best Albums of 2020 \| style="text-align:center;" \| 20 \| style="text-align:center;" \| {{cite web\|url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/50_best_albums_of_2020\|title=50 Best Albums of 2020\|website=Exclaim!\|date=December 2, 2020\|accessdate=December 10, 2020}}
scope="row"\|Mojo \| Top 75 Albums of 2020 \| style="text-align:center;" \|50 \| style="text-align:center;" \|{{cite web\|last=Pearis\|first=Bill\|title=MOJO's Top 75 Albums of 2020\|url=https://www.brooklynvegan.com/mojos-top-75-albums-of-2020/\|website=BrooklynVegan\|accessdate=December 10, 2020}}
scope="row"\|The New York Times (Jon Pareles) \| Best Albums of 2020 \| style="text-align:center;" \|1 \| style="text-align:center;" \|{{Cite news\|last1=Pareles\|first1=Jon\|last2=Caramanica\|first2=Jon\|last3=Zoladz\|first3=Lindsay\|date=December 2, 2020\|title=Best Albums of 2020\|work=The New York Times\|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/02/arts/music/best-albums.html\|accessdate=December 10, 2020}}
scope="row"\| Slant Magazine \| Top 50 Albums of 2020 \| style="text-align:center;"\|17 \| style="text-align:center;"\|{{cite web\|url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/features/the-50-best-albums-of-2020/5/\|title=The 50 Best Albums of 2020\|work=Slant Magazine\|date=December 9, 2020\|accessdate=December 10, 2020}}
scope="row"\| Under the Radar \| Top 100 Albums of 2020 \| style="text-align:center;"\|13 \| style="text-align:center;"\|{{cite web\|url=http://www.undertheradarmag.com/lists/under_the_radars_top_100_albums_of_2020/\|title=Under the Radar's Top 100 Albums of 2020\|work=Under the Radar\|date=January 15, 2021\|accessdate=January 29, 2021}}

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

|+ Publications' year-end list appearances for The Ascension

!Critic/Publication

!List

!Rank

!Ref

scope="row"| Consequence of Sound

| Top 50 Albums of 2020

| style="text-align:center;" |19

| style="text-align:center;" |{{Cite web|url=https://consequence.net/2020/12/top-50-albums-of-2020/|title=Top 50 Albums of 2020|accessdate=December 10, 2020|website=Consequence of Sound|date=December 1, 2020}}

scope="row"| Double J

|Top 50 Albums of 2020

| style="text-align:center;" | 30

| style="text-align:center;" | {{cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/doublej/music-reads/features/50-best-albums-of-2020/12947352|title=The 50 Best Albums of 2020|work=Double J|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|date=December 9, 2020|accessdate=December 10, 2020}}

scope="row"| Exclaim!

| Top 50 Best Albums of 2020

| style="text-align:center;" | 20

| style="text-align:center;" | {{cite web|url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/50_best_albums_of_2020|title=50 Best Albums of 2020|website=Exclaim!|date=December 2, 2020|accessdate=December 10, 2020}}

scope="row"|Mojo

| Top 75 Albums of 2020

| style="text-align:center;" |50

| style="text-align:center;" |{{cite web|last=Pearis|first=Bill|title=MOJO's Top 75 Albums of 2020|url=https://www.brooklynvegan.com/mojos-top-75-albums-of-2020/|website=BrooklynVegan|accessdate=December 10, 2020}}

scope="row"|The New York Times (Jon Pareles)

| Best Albums of 2020

| style="text-align:center;" |1

| style="text-align:center;" |{{Cite news|last1=Pareles|first1=Jon|last2=Caramanica|first2=Jon|last3=Zoladz|first3=Lindsay|date=December 2, 2020|title=Best Albums of 2020|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/02/arts/music/best-albums.html|accessdate=December 10, 2020}}

scope="row"| Slant Magazine

| Top 50 Albums of 2020

| style="text-align:center;"|17

| style="text-align:center;"|{{cite web|url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/features/the-50-best-albums-of-2020/5/|title=The 50 Best Albums of 2020|work=Slant Magazine|date=December 9, 2020|accessdate=December 10, 2020}}

scope="row"| Under the Radar

| Top 100 Albums of 2020

| style="text-align:center;"|13

| style="text-align:center;"|{{cite web|url=http://www.undertheradarmag.com/lists/under_the_radars_top_100_albums_of_2020/|title=Under the Radar's Top 100 Albums of 2020|work=Under the Radar|date=January 15, 2021|accessdate=January 29, 2021}}

Track listing

{{Track listing

|headline = The Ascension track listing

| all_writing=Sufjan Stevens

| title1 = Make Me an Offer I Cannot Refuse

| length1 = 5:18

| title2 = Run Away with Me

| length2 = 4:07

| title3 = Video Game

| length3 = 4:15

| title4 = Lamentations

| length4 = 3:42

| title5 = Tell Me You Love Me

| length5 = 4:21

| title6 = Die Happy

| length6 = 5:46

| title7 = Ativan

| length7 = 6:32

| title8 = Ursa Major

| length8 = 3:42

| title9 = Landslide

| length9 = 5:04

| title10 = Gilgamesh

| length10 = 3:50

| title11 = Death Star

| length11 = 4:04

| title12 = Goodbye to All That

| length12 = 3:48

| title13 = Sugar

| length13 = 7:36

| title14 = The Ascension

| length14 = 5:56

| title15 = America

| length15 = 12:29

}}

Personnel

Sufjan Stevens – vocals (all tracks), drums and percussion (all tracks), Tempest (1–13, 15), electric guitar (1, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15), Prophet '08 (all tracks), Prophet 6 (1–11, 13, 15), Prophet X (1, 4, 7–9, 13–15), piano (2, 5, 14, 15), recorders (11, 15); performance, recording, engineering, arrangement, mixing, production; all original art, layout, design, typography
Casey Foubert – bass guitar (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13), vibraphone (1), electric guitar (2, 4, 6–8, 11), lead electric guitar (9, 10, 15); recording and engineering (own contributions)
Bryce Dessner – electric guitar (1)
Emil Nikolaisen – black magic (1, 8); engineering (own contributions)
James McAlister – additional drums and percussion (3–6), vocal cut-up effects (4); recording and engineering (own contributions)
TW Walsh – mastering

Charts

scope="col"\| Chart (2020) ! scope="col"\| Peak position
class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" \|+Chart performance for The Ascension
scope="row"\| Australian Albums (ARIA){{cite web\|url=http://www.aria.com.au/charts/albums-chart\|title=ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart\|publisher=Australian Recording Industry Association\|date=October 12, 2020\|accessdate=October 10, 2020}} \| 28
{{album chart\|Flanders\|28\|artist=Sufjan Stevens\|album=The Ascension\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=October 9, 2020}}
{{album chart\|Wallonia\|107\|artist=Sufjan Stevens\|album=The Ascension\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=October 9, 2020}}
{{album chart\|Netherlands\|59\|artist=Sufjan Stevens\|album=The Ascension\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=October 9, 2020}}
{{album chart\|France\|143\|M\|url=http://snepmusique.com/les-tops/le-top-de-la-semaine/top-albums/?semaine=41?&annee=2020&categorie=Top%20Albums\|title=Top Albums (Week 41, 2020)\|publisher=Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique\|artist=Sufjan Stevens\|album=The Ascension\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=October 12, 2020}}
{{album chart\|Germany4\|26\|id=440277\|artist=Sufjan Stevens\|album=The Ascension\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=October 9, 2020}}
{{album chart\|Ireland3\|48\|date=20201009\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=October 9, 2020}}
{{album chart\|Portugal\|34\|artist=Sufjan Stevens\|album=The Ascension\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=November 21, 2020}}
{{album chart\|Scotland\|15\|date=20201009\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=October 9, 2020}}
scope="row"\| Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE){{cite web\|url=http://www.promusicae.es/listas/semana/4464-%C3%81lbumes-semana-41-2020\|title=Top 100 Albumes – Semana 41: del 2.10.2020 al 8.10.2020\|publisher=Productores de Música de España\|language=Spanish\|accessdate=October 15, 2020}} \| 96
{{album chart\|Switzerland\|44\|artist=Sufjan Stevens\|album=The Ascension\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=October 14, 2020}}
{{album chart\|UK2\|35\|date=20201009\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=October 9, 2020}}
{{album chart\|Billboard200\|90\|artist=Sufjan Stevens\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=October 7, 2020}}
{{album chart\|BillboardAlternative\|9\|artist=Sufjan Stevens\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=October 13, 2020}}
{{album chart\|BillboardFolk\|1\|artist=Sufjan Stevens\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=May 30, 2021}}
{{album chart\|BillboardIndependent\|31\|artist=Sufjan Stevens\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=October 10, 2020}}
{{album chart\|BillboardRock\|18\|artist=Sufjan Stevens\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=October 13, 2020}}
{{album chart\|BillboardTastemaker\|2\|artist=Sufjan Stevens\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=October 25, 2020}}

References

External links

{{Official}}

Category:2020 albums

Category:Asthmatic Kitty albums

Category:Sufjan Stevens albums