Viagr Aboys
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Viagr Aboys
| type = studio
| artist = Viagra Boys
| cover = Viagra Boys - Viagr Aboys.png
| alt =
| released = {{start date|2025|4|25|df=y}}
| recorded =
| studio =
| genre =
| length = 37:21
| label = Shrimptech Enterprises
| producer =
- Viagra Boys
- Pelle Gunnerfeldt
| prev_title = Cave World
| prev_year = 2022
| next_title =
| next_year =
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Viagr Aboys
| type = studio
| single1 = Man Made of Meat
| single1date = 23 January 2025
| single2 = Uno II
| single2date = 27 February 2025
| single3 = The Bog Body
| single3date = 24 March 2025
}}
}}
Viagr Aboys is the fourth studio album by Swedish post-punk band Viagra Boys. It was released on 25 April 2025 through Shrimptech Enterprises.
Background and theme
Viagr Aboys was produced by long-time collaborator Pelle Gunnerfeldt and serves as the debut release through their own newly-launched Shrimptech Enterprises after their departure from Year0001 in 2024.{{cite web|url=https://consequence.net/2025/01/viagra-boys-new-album-viagr-aboys-new-song-man-made-of-meat-stream/|title=Viagra Boys Announce New Album, Reveal Song "Man Made of Meat": Stream|last=Ragusa|first=Paolo|publisher=Consequence|date=23 January 2025|access-date=9 March 2025}} In August 2024, lead singer Sebastian Murphy first revealed to NME that the band has a new album on the way, having "taken different approaches to songwriting" this time. The goal was to incorporate "a little bit of everything" and "see where it ends up" with hopes that people do not "expect what's coming".{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/reading-festival-2024-viagra-boys-on-new-music-influencing-kings-of-leon-and-beef-with-the-hives-3787032|title=Reading Festival 2024: Viagra Boys on new music, influencing Kings of Leon and beef with The Hives|last=Bassett|first=Jordan|website=NME|date=25 August 2024|access-date=9 March 2025}}
The band later described the record as "juxtaposing real life with high art".{{cite magazine|url=https://www.brooklynvegan.com/viagra-boys-announce-new-album-share-man-made-of-meat-video/|title=Viagra Boys announce new album, share "Man Made of Meat" video|last=Pearis|first=Bill|magazine=BrooklynVegan|date=23 January 2025|access-date=9 March 2025}} It is set to "follow on" from their previous "politically-charged" album but also be a "little different". Murphy admitted that "the whole political thing was exhausting" and created a record that is "a bit simple and stupid" because this reflects his personality.{{cite magazine|url=https://diymag.com/news/viagra-boys-new-album-viagr-aboys|title=Viagra Boys announce new album Viagr Aboys|last=Jamieson|first=Sarah|magazine=DIY|date=23 January 2025|access-date=9 March 2025}}
Promotion
Viagra Boys announced their self-titled album on 23 January 2025 alongside the release of the lead single "Man Made of Meat".{{cite magazine|url=https://readdork.com/news/viagra-boys-new-album-single/|title=Viagra Boys have announced a "simple and stupid" new album, and shared single 'Man Made of Meat'|last=Shaw|first=Harry|magazine=Dork|date=23 January 2025|access-date=9 March 2025}} The latter was first performed live in June 2023 and arrived with a "cinematic, existential" music video.{{cite web|url=https://www.stereogum.com/2294024/viagra-boys-announce-new-self-titled-album-hear-man-made-of-meat/music/|title=Viagra Boys Announce New Self-Titled Album: Hear "Man Made Of Meat"|last=Chelosky|first=Danielle|website=Stereogum|date=22 January 2025|access-date=9 March 2025}} The second single "Uno II" was released on 27 February and was titled after Murphy's Italian Greyhound who has to undergo frequent vet visits.{{cite web|url=https://www.stereogum.com/2298450/viagra-boys-uno-ii/music/|title=Viagra Boys Announce New Self-Titled Album: Hear "Man Made Of Meat"|last=Chelosky|first=Danielle|website=Stereogum|date=26 February 2025|access-date=9 March 2025}}
Critical reception
{{Music ratings
| MC = 85/100{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/viagr-aboys/viagra-boys|title=Viagr Aboys by Viagra Boys Reviews and Tracks|publisher=Metacritic|access-date=April 29, 2025}}
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/viagr-aboys-mw0004463417|title=Viagr Aboys – Viagra Boys|publisher=AllMusic|last=Deming|first=Mark|access-date=April 29, 2025}}
| rev2 = Clash
| rev3 = DIY
| rev3score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite web |last1=Doyle |first1=Alex |title=Viagra Boys - viagr aboys |url=https://diymag.com/review/album/viagra-boys-viagr-aboys |website=DIY |access-date=29 April 2025 |language=en}}
| rev4 = Dork
| rev4score = {{rating|5|5}}{{cite web |last1=Hawkes |first1=Jake |title=Viagra Boys - viagr aboys - Dork |url=https://readdork.com/albums/viagra-boys-viagr-aboys/ |website=readdork.com |access-date=29 April 2025 |date=23 April 2025}}
| rev5 = The Line of Best Fit
| rev6 = Mojo
| rev6score = 8/10{{cite journal |journal=Mojo |issue=379 |title=Viagra Boys|page=80 |date=June 2025}}
| rev7 = MusicOMH
| rev7score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite web |last1=Livesey |first1=Donovan |title=Viagra Boys - Viagr Aboys {{!}} Album Reviews |url=https://www.musicomh.com/reviews/albums/viagra-boys-viagr-aboys |website=musicOMH |access-date=29 April 2025 |date=21 April 2025}}
| rev8 = NME
| rev9 = Paste
| rev10 = PopMatters
| rev11 = The Skinny
}}
At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, Viagr Aboys received a rating of 85 out of 100 based on eleven critic reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".
Track listing
{{Track listing
| all_lyrics = Sebastian Murphy and Pelle Gunnerfeldt
| all_music = Murphy, Elias Jungqvist, Henrik Höckert, Oskar Carls, Linus Hillborg, Tor Sjödén, and Gunnerfeldt
| headline = Viagr Aboys track listing
| title1 = Man Made of Meat
| length1 = 3:09
| title2 = The Bog Body
| length2 = 2:53
| title3 = Uno II
| length3 = 2:15
| title4 = Pyramid of Health
| length4 = 3:15
| title5 = Dirty Boyz
| length5 = 3:44
| title6 = Medicine for Horses
| length6 = 2:55
| title7 = Waterboy
| length7 = 2:58
| title8 = Store Policy
| length8 = 3:35
| title9 = You N33d Me
| length9 = 3:53
| title10 = Best in Show Pt. IV
| length10 = 5:28
| title11 = River King
| length11 = 3:16
| total_length = 37:21
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Rough Trade bonus CD exclusive tracks
| title1 = Therapy
| length1 = 2:30
| title2 = Lilja 4 Waterboy
| length2 = 3:34
| title3 = Store Policy (demo)
| length3 = 2:14
}}
Personnel
=Viagra Boys=
- Oskar Carls – production (all tracks), guitar (tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9), saxophone (2–4, 6, 8–10), flute (3, 8), background vocals (5, 7), bass clarinet (11)
- Linus Hillborg – production (all tracks), guitar (tracks 1–10)
- Henrik Höckert – production (all tracks), bass (tracks 1–10)
- Elias Jungqvist – production (all tracks), synthesizer (tracks 1–10), piano (6, 10), background vocals (7), sampler (11)
- Sebastian Murphy – vocals, production
- Tor Sjödén – production (all tracks), drums (tracks 1–10), percussion (2, 3, 5, 10), background vocals (7)
=Additional contributors=
- Pelle Gunnerfeldt – production (all tracks), mixing (all tracks), percussion (tracks 4, 7–10), electric guitar (4, 8); acoustic guitar, piano (4); synthesizer (8–10)
- Robin Schmidt – mastering
- Klara Keller – background vocals (tracks 3, 6)
- Anneli Törnkvist – background vocals (track 10)
- Ellinor Lindahl – background vocals (track 10)
- Lovisa Birgersson – background vocals (track 10)
- Lalo Cissohko – percussion (track 10)