Women in Music Pt. III
Women in Music Pt. III is the third studio album by American rock band Haim. It was released on June 26, 2020, in the United States by Columbia Records and internationally by Polydor Records. The album was originally set for release on April 24, 2020 but was delayed due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and "the changing nature of travel policies and quarantines across the world."[1] The release was later moved to June 26.[2] It was produced by Danielle Haim,[3] Rostam Batmanglij and Ariel Rechtshaid, and was preceded by the singles "Summer Girl", "Now I'm in It" and "Hallelujah".[4] The song "The Steps" was released alongside the album pre-order.[3]
Women in Music Pt. III
June 26, 2020
- Heavy Duty (Burbank, California)
- Effie Street (Los Angeles, California)
- Vox (Los Angeles, California)
- Strongroom (London, England)[a]
41:40
Before its official announcement, Women in Music Pt. III was named one of the most anticipated albums of 2020 by several outlets, including Pitchfork and Vulture.[5][6] The album received widespread critical acclaim, with critics praising its honest and vulnerable lyrics and its experimentation with a wide range of genres, while also paying homage to several other artists. It was nominated for Album of the Year at the 63rd Grammy Awards, while "The Steps" was nominated for Best Rock Performance.[7]
Background and composition[edit]
The trio initially teased the album with the abbreviation WIMPIII on their social media, jokingly offering a "free T-shirt" to anybody who could guess what it stood for or who had an answer that made them laugh.[8]
After touring in support of their previous album, Something to Tell You (2017), the band experienced various personal struggles, including unprocessed grief from the death of Alana's best friend in a car accident in 2012, Este's struggles with type 1 diabetes, and Danielle's depression as well as her partner Ariel Rechtshaid's cancer diagnosis.[9][10] They channeled these experiences into their music, with "an unflinching honesty" and "intimately familiar with depression in all its states".[9] True to the album's title, many songs discuss the misogyny the band faces in the music industry; for example "Man from the Magazine" is a tongue-in-cheek Joni Mitchell-esque song about the casually sexist questions asked of them by journalists.[11]
The album cover was shot at Canter's Deli in Los Angeles by Paul Thomas Anderson, who also directed the music videos for all three singles and "The Steps", as well as for later directing the 2021 film Licorice Pizza which starred Alana.[12]
Women in Music Pt. III is a primarily soft rock album that features elements of folk-pop,[9][13] hip hop,[14][13] reggae,[14][13] lo-fi,[14] heartland rock,[13] dance,[13] country rock,[11] UK garage,[11] electropop,[15] free jazz,[15] funk,[11] 1990s R&B,[9] as well as 1970s and 1980s pop.[9] Danielle Haim cited Outkast's Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2003) as a key source of influence for the band that inspired the eclectic nature of their album. She explained, "We thought it would be cool to make a body of work that didn't adhere to specific rules or genre, like they did."[10]
Release[edit]
The album's first single, "Summer Girl", preceded the album by several months, becoming the first of three (at the time) standalone singles released that same year, along with "Now I'm in It" and "Hallelujah", with a music video for each release, all directed by frequent collaborator Paul Thomas Anderson.
Commercial performance[edit]
Women in Music Pt. III entered at number one on the UK Albums Chart, selling 17,762 copies in its opening week.[35] The album became the band's second number one album in the UK after their debut album Days Are Gone in 2013. In Ireland, the album entered and peaked at number five in the album charts, becoming their 3rd top five album in the country.[36]
In Australia, the album entered at number seven on the album charts, becoming their third Top 10 album.[37] In the United States, Women in Music Pt. III debuted and peaked at number thirteen on the US Billboard 200, making the album the group's third Top 20 record.[38]
All tracks are produced by Danielle Haim, Rostam Batmanglij and Ariel Rechtshaid, except where noted.
Notes