Desire, I Want to Turn Into You
Studio album by
Caroline Polachek
ReleasedFebruary 14, 2023 (2023-02-14)
Genre
Length45:25
Label
Producer
Caroline Polachek chronology
Standing at the Gate: Remix Collection
(2021)		 Desire, I Want to Turn Into You
(2023)
Singles from Desire, I Want to Turn Into You
  1. "Bunny Is a Rider"
    Released: July 14, 2021
  2. "Billions"
    Released: February 9, 2022
  3. "Sunset"
    Released: October 17, 2022
  4. "Welcome to My Island"
    Released: December 5, 2022
  5. "Blood and Butter"
    Released: January 31, 2023
  6. "Smoke"
    Released: April 6, 2023

Desire, I Want to Turn Into You is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter and producer Caroline Polachek, and second under her given name. It was released on February 14, 2023, by Sony Music, The Orchard, and Polachek's imprint Perpetual Novice.[1][2][3] Polachek produced most of the album alongside Danny L Harle.

It was supported by the singles "Bunny Is a Rider",[4] "Billions",[5] "Sunset",[6] "Welcome to My Island",[7] and "Blood and Butter". The album received widespread acclaim from critics, with several calling it Polachek's best work and acclaiming its experimentation. It charted in Belgium, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland, the UK, and the US. It has been nominated for a Grammy award in the category Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical.[8]

Background

After releasing Pang in late 2019, Polachek was set to tour the record, but was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. Polachek stayed in London and began work on Desire, I Want to Turn Into You with close collaborator Danny L Harle. She considers the album to be a major partnership with Harle, as the record has "few other collaborators in the mix". She continued work on the album in London until mid-2021, where she briefly relocated to Barcelona alongside Harle and new collaborator Sega Bodega.[9]

In November 2021, Polachek was featured on Charli XCX's "New Shapes" alongside Christine and the Queens. She then embarked on a North American tour with French musician Oklou for the remainder of 2021.[10]

Dua Lipa announced Polachek as a supporting act on the North American and Canadian legs of the Future Nostalgia Tour from February to July 2022,[11] performing at many festivals as well. Polachek was featured on Flume's "Sirens" in March,[12] and wrote and produced the track "Afar" for Hyd in July.[13] She rescheduled European tour dates to finish work on Desire, I Want to Turn Into You.[14]

Six weeks ahead of the album release, in an interview with The Guardian, Polachek confirmed three more song titles: "Blood and Butter", "Pretty in Possible", and "Smoke".[15]

Composition

Desire, I Want to Turn Into You has been described as an art pop, alternative pop, and new-age record, with elements of electronic, rock, and trip-hop.[16][17][18][19] Shaad D'Souza of The Guardian wrote: "Ratcheting up both the fantastical elements of its predecessor as well as its humour and pop instinct, Desire is an eclectic, elaborate and cheekily deranged sequel, and one of the year's most anticipated releases". The album features bagpipes, children's choirs, Spanish guitar, "beats that run the gamut" from Ray of Light-style trip-hop to dembow, Celtic folk, and early '00s-style radio pop. Polachek herself described it as "a very maximalist album".[15]

Release

Desire, I Want to Turn Into You was announced in December 2022.[20]

Singles

Polachek released the lead single "Bunny Is a Rider" in July 2021, which was written before she went into lockdown.[21] She released the trip hop inspired "Billions" as a single in February.[22] Polachek stated the song took 19 months to finish.[23] The single featured a rework of "Long Road Home", her collaboration with Oneohtrix Point Never from his 2020 album Magic Oneohtrix Point Never, as the B-side.[24] "Sunset" was released as a single in October. Polachek has cited Ennio Morricone's Spaghetti Western film scores as an influence on the song.[25] "Welcome to My Island", which Polachek calls her "brattiest song to date", was released alongside the album announcement.[20] On January 20, a remix by Charli XCX and the 1975's George Daniel was released.[26] "Blood and Butter" was released on January 31, 2023.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?8.5/10[27]
Metacritic94/100[28]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[29]
Clash9/10[30]
DIY[31]
Exclaim!9/10[32]
The Line of Best Fit9/10[33]
NME[34]
Paste9.2/10[35]
Pitchfork8.7/10[36]
PopMatters10/10[16]
Rolling Stone[37]

Upon release, Desire, I Want to Turn Into You received widespread acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 94, based on 19 critical reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[28] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave the album a 8.5 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[27]

Reviewing the album for AllMusic, Matt Collar opined that the album "finds Polachek unapologetically embracing her inner pop diva, purposefully referencing a '90s and early-2000s pop aesthetic. This is an album of balmy trip-hop grooves, where electric bass riffs, finger-snap beats, and sky-blue synths caress her angelically swooping vocals like dolphins chasing a boat. It's an immediately evocative vibe that she commits to, deftly walking a fine line between earnest romanticism and artful irony." He concluded that with the album, "Polachek breaks free from outside expectations and transforms her inner anxieties into an intoxicating pop euphoria."[38]

Cat Zhang of Pitchfork wrote that the album was the best of Polachek's career, giving it the distinction of "Best New Music".[36] Maura Johnston reviewed the album positively for Rolling Stone, calling Polachek an "undeniable talent as a vocalist and arranger" and the album a "kinetic example of what happens when pop sets out to transcend its own limits."[37]

In a mixed review for NME, Ella Kemp praised Polachek's experimentation but said that some tracks "suffer[ed] from a more abstract vision" and called the album an "uneven collection".[34] Gabbie Nirenburg also provided a middling opinion about the album in a review for No Ripcord, calling it “just fine” and positing the question: "Is there anything on this record that is really SO unique or special or different from every other competent art pop album out there?"[39]

Year-end lists
Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
British GQ Best Albums of 2023 —
Exclaim! 50 Best Albums of 2023
1
Paste 50 Best Albums of 2023
4
Rolling Stone 100 Best Albums of 2023
28
Time Out 30 Best Albums of 2023
7

Tour

Caroline Polachek embarked on Spiraling Tour to promote her album Desire, I Want to Turn Into You.[45] The tour included North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.

Date City Country Venue Opening Act(s)
Europe
10 February 2023 Brighton United Kingdom Chalk Doss
11 February 2023 Leeds Leeds Beckett Students' Union
12 February 2023 Oxford O2 Academy
14 February 2023 London Eventim Apollo
18 February 2023 Paris France Salle Pleyel
20 February 2023 Copenhagen Denmark Vega
22 February 2023 Berlin Germany Huxley's Neue Welt
23 February 2023 Hamburg Mojo Club
24 February 2023 Amsterdam Netherlands Paradiso
25 February 2023 Cologne Germany Kantine
27 February 2023 Antwerp Belgium Trix Zaal
North America
14 April 2023 Philadelphia United States Franklin Music Hall George Clanton
15 April 2023 Boston Roadrunner
17 April 2023 Toronto Canada Queen Elizabeth Theatre
18 April 2023 Royal Oak United States Royal Oak Music Theatre
19 April 2023 Columbus Newport Music Hall
21 April 2023 Atlanta The Eastern
22 April 2023 Athens Georgia Theatre
24 April 2023 Houston Downstairs at White Oak Music Hall Toro Y Moi
25 April 2023 Austin ACL Live at The Moody Theater George Clanton
26 April 2023 Dallas The Factory in Deep Ellum Toro Y Moi
28 April 2023 Tempe Marquee Theatre Sudan Archives
29 April 2023 Los Angeles Shrine Auditorium
1 May 2023 San Francisco The Warfield Magdalena Bay
2 May 2023
4 May 2023 Seattle The Showbox SoDo Sudan Archives
5 May 2023
8 May 2023 Vancouver Canada The Orpheum
9 May 2023 Portland United States Crystal Ballroom
10 May 2023
13 May 2023[46] Salt Lake City Utah State Fairpark -
14 May 2023 Denver Mission Ballroom Alex G
16 May 2023 Chicago Riviera Theatre Ethel Cain

True Blue

17 May 2023 Nashville Ryman Auditorium
19 May 2023 Washington The Anthem
20 May 2023 New York Radio City Music Hall
Europe
25 May 2023 Glasgow Scotland SWG3 Galvanizers True Blue
26 May 2023 Liverpool United Kingdom CONTENT
27 May 2023[47] London Brockwell Park -
29 May 2023 Bristol The Marble Factory True Blue
30 May 2023 Manchester Albert Hall
3 June 2023[48] Barcelona Spain Parc del Fòrum -
9 June 2023[49] Hilvarenbeek Netherlands Beekse Bergen
10 June 2023[50] Madrid Spain Ciudad del Rock
13 June 2023[51] Cork Ireland Musgrave Park
25 June 2023[52] Pilton United Kingdom Worthy Farm
30 June 2023[53] Gdynia Poland Lotnisko Gdynia-Kosakowo
1 July 2023[54] Roskilde Denmark Dyrskuepladsen
3 July 2023[55] Montreux Switzerland Montreux Jazz Lab
7 July 2023[56] Trenčín Slovakia Letisko
14 July 2023[57] Sesimbra Portugal Meco
Asia
29 July 2023[58] Yuzawa Japan Naeba Ski Resort -
North America
5 August 2023[59] Idyllwild United States Idyllwild Arts Academy -
6 August 2023[60] San Diego Waterfront Park
Europe
10 August 2023[61] Gothenburg Sweden Slottsskogen -
11 August 2023[62] Oslo Norway Tøyenparken
13 August 2023[63] Helsinki Finland Suvilahti
14 August 2023[64] Budapest Hungary Óbudai-Sziget
North America
18 September 2023 Los Angeles United States Clive Davis Theater at the Grammy Museum -
21 October 2023[65] Miami Mana Wynwood Convention Center
Europe
3 November 2023[66] Turin Italy Lingotto Fiere -
Asia
30 November 2023 Tokyo Japan Toyusu -
Australia
4 December 2023 Sydney Australia Sydney Opera House -
6 December 2023 Enmore Theatre True Blue
8 December 2023 Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre -
10 December 2023 Melbourne Forum Theatre True Blue
11 December 2023
13 December 2023 Brisbane The Tivoli

Track listing

All tracks are written and produced by Caroline Polachek and Danny L Harle, except where noted.

Desire, I Want to Turn Into You track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Welcome to My Island"
3:53
2."Pretty in Possible"  3:36
3."Bunny Is a Rider"  3:17
4."Sunset"
2:43
5."Crude Drawing of an Angel"  3:28
6."I Believe"
  • Polachek
  • Harle
  • Rechtshaid
4:07
7."Fly to You" (featuring Grimes and Dido)
 4:05
8."Blood and Butter"  4:28
9."Hopedrunk Everasking"  3:19
10."Butterfly Net"  4:36
11."Smoke"  2:57
12."Billions"  4:56
Total length:45:25

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies a co-producer

Personnel

Musicians

  • Caroline Polachek – lead vocals
  • Danny L Harle – bass (tracks 1, 3, 5, 9)
  • Dan Nigro – guitar (tracks 1, 5)
  • Nico Harle – additional vocals (track 3)
  • Marco Lopez – guitar (track 4)
  • Sega Bodega – guitar (track 4)
  • Samuel Organ – guitar (tracks 4, 10)
  • Miquel Mestres – guitar (track 7)
  • Brìghde Chaimbeul – bagpipes (track 8)
  • Kirin J Callinan – guitar (track 8)
  • Todd Oliver – guitar (track 10)
  • The Trinity Choir – additional vocals (tracks 10, 12)
  • Matthew Horton – guitar (track 11)

Technical

Artwork

  • Aidan Zamiri – all photography
  • Yuma Burgess – subway map
  • David Uzquiza – packaging art direction, monogram design
  • Isha Dipika Walia – package design

Charts

Chart performance for Desire, I Want to Turn Into You
Chart (2023) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[67] 53
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[68] 48
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[69] 55
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[70] 35
French Albums (SNEP)[71] 197
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[72] 44
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[73] 31
Scottish Albums (OCC)[74] 8
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[75] 67
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[76] 25
UK Albums (OCC)[77] 23
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[78] 2
US Billboard 200[79] 87
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[80] 13
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[81] 19

References

  1. ↑ Graves, Wren (December 5, 2022). "Caroline Polachek announces new album Desire, I Want to Turn into You, shares single: Stream". Consequence. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  2. ↑ Wang, Steffanee (December 5, 2022). "Caroline Polachek's Next Era Is Arriving February 2023". Nylon. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  3. ↑ Murray, Robin (December 5, 2022). "Caroline Polachek Confirms New Album 'Desire, I Want To Turn Into You'". Clash. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  4. ↑ Minsker, Evan (July 14, 2021). "Caroline Polachek Shares New Song "Bunny Is a Rider"". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  5. ↑ Okonkwo, Emeka (March 1, 2022). "Caroline Polachek - Billions". Resident Advisor. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  6. ↑ Darville, Jordan (October 17, 2022). "Caroline Polachek shares new song/video "Sunset"". The Fader. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  7. ↑ Rettig, James (December 5, 2022). "Caroline Polachek Announces New Album, Shares "Welcome To My Island": Listen". Stereogum. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  8. ↑ Enos, Morgan (November 10, 2023). "2024 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Full Nominees List | GRAMMY.com". www.grammy.com. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  9. ↑ Spanos, Brittany (December 5, 2022). "How Caroline Polachek's New Album Became a Globe-Trotting, Rave-Going 'Whirlwind'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  10. ↑ Minsker, Evan (July 26, 2021). "Caroline Polachek Adds 2021 Tour Dates, Shares New "Bunny Is a Rider" Video". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  11. ↑ Darville, Jordan (September 13, 2021). "Dua Lipa announces 2022 tour with Megan Thee Stallion and Caroline Polachek". The Fader. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  12. ↑ Jones, Abby (March 30, 2022). "Flume recruits Caroline Polachek for new single "Sirens": Stream". Consequence. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  13. ↑ Brodsky, Rachel (July 14, 2022). "Hyd Shares New Song "Afar" Featuring Production By Caroline Polachek: Listen". Stereogum. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  14. ↑ Jones, Damian (September 20, 2022). "Caroline Polachek postpones UK and European tour to 2023". NME. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  15. 1 2 D'Souza, Shaad (January 13, 2023). "Caroline Polachek: 'Seeing Fiona Apple and Björk succeed without compromise felt so aspirational'". The Guardian. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  16. 1 2 Moura, Rob (February 13, 2023). "Caroline Polachek Ascends to Greatness on Desire, I Want to Turn Into You". PopMatters. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  17. ↑ Solomon, Kate (February 14, 2023). "Caroline Polachek, Desire, I Want To Turn Into You review: As mind-boggling as I'd hoped for". iNews. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  18. ↑ Kornhaber, Spencer (February 18, 2023). "When new-age music gets real". The Atlantic. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Caroline Polachek, "Desire, I Want to Turn Into You"". FLOOD. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  20. 1 2 Pappis, Konstantinos (December 5, 2022). "Caroline Polachek Announces New Album 'Desire, I Want to Turn Into You', Shares New Song". Our Culture. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  21. ↑ Kent-Smith, Jasmine (July 15, 2021). "Caroline Polachek on 'Bunny is a Rider' and collaborating with Danny L Harle". Crack. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  22. ↑ Bouza, Kat (February 10, 2022). "Caroline Polachek Surrenders to the Sublime on Esoteric Single 'Billions'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  23. ↑ Caroline Polachek [@carolineplz] (February 18, 2022). "Billions took 19 months start to finish. Lots of moving pieces, lots of experimenting. Two chapters I'll never forget: Recording the choir with @dannylharle at @trinitycroydon Camping out in Barcelona with @dannylharle for an intensive week of final production work on Billions (and other songs..), back and forth between the studio and raves… that's when it all clicked 🍇 Thanks so much to you guys for welcoming this song with so much love!". Retrieved December 7, 2022 – via Instagram.
  24. ↑ Willems, Jasper (February 9, 2022). "Caroline Polachek Contemplates the Overabundance of the World On "Billions"". Beats Per Minute. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  25. ↑ Farrell, Margaret (October 18, 2022). "Caroline Polachek Rides Into the Horizon Without Looking Back on "Sunset"". Flood. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  26. ↑ Arcand, Rob (January 20, 2023). "Charli XCX and the 1975's George Daniel Remix Caroline Polachek's "Welcome to My Island"". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  27. 1 2 "Desire, I Want to Turn Into You by Caroline Polachek (reviews)". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  28. 1 2 "Desire, I Want to Turn Into You by Caroline Polachek Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  29. ↑ Collar, Matt (February 14, 2023). "Caroline Polachek – Desire, I Want To Turn Into You'". AllMusic. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  30. ↑ Mellen, James (February 14, 2023). "Caroline Polachek – Desire, I Want To Turn Into You'". Clash. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
  31. ↑ Tipple, Ben (February 14, 2023). "Caroline Polachek – Desire, I Want to Turn Into You". DIY. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  32. ↑ Bell, Kaelen (February 16, 2023). "Caroline Polachek's 'Desire, I Want to Turn into You' Is All-Consuming". Exclaim!. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  33. ↑ Franzini, Sam (February 14, 2023). "Caroline Polachek – Desire, I Want to Turn Into You". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  34. 1 2 Kemp, Ella (February 14, 2023). "Caroline Polachek – Desire, I Want To Turn Into You review: an experimental yet uneven collection". NME. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  35. ↑ Bennett, Eric (February 14, 2023). "Caroline Polachek Realizes Her Potential on Desire, I Want to Turn Into You". Paste. Archived from the original on February 15, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  36. 1 2 Zhang, Cat (February 14, 2023). "Caroline Polachek: Desire, I Want to Turn Into You Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  37. 1 2 Johnston, Maura (February 16, 2023). "Caroline Polachek's 'Desire, I Want To Turn Into You' Is An Impressive Pop-Science Flex". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
  38. ↑ Collar, Mat (February 14, 2023). "Caroline Polachek - Desire, I Want To Turn Into You Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  39. ↑ Nirenburg, Gabbie (February 28, 2023). "Caroline Polachek; 'Desire, I Want To Turn Into You'". No Ripcord. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  40. ↑ "The best albums of 2023". British GQ. November 27, 2023. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
  41. ↑ "Exclaim!'s 50 Best Albums of 2023". Exclaim!. November 30, 2023. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
  42. ↑ "The 50 Best Albums of 2023". Paste. November 27, 2023. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
  43. ↑ "The 100 Best Albums of 2023". Rolling Stone. November 30, 2023. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
  44. ↑ Wilkinson, Chiara (December 1, 2023). "The 30 Best Albums of 2023". Time Out. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
  45. ↑ Aniftos, Rania (December 13, 2022). "Caroline Polachek Announces 2023 North American & European Tour". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  46. ↑ The show was part of Kilby Court Block Party
  47. ↑ The show was part of Wide Awake Festival
  48. ↑ The show was part of Primavera Sound
  49. ↑ The show was part of Best Kept Secret
  50. ↑ The show was part of Primavera Sound
  51. ↑ Caroline Polachek was opening act for The 1975 headline show in Cork
  52. ↑ The show was part of Glastonbury Festival
  53. ↑ The show was part of Open'er Festival
  54. ↑ The show was part of Roskilde Festival
  55. ↑ The show was part of Motreux Jazz Festival
  56. ↑ The show was part of Pohoda Festival
  57. ↑ The show was part of Super Bock Super Rock
  58. ↑ The show was part of Fuji Rock Festival
  59. ↑ The show was part of FWB Fest
  60. ↑ The show was part of Bleached Fest
  61. ↑ The show was part of Way Out West
  62. ↑ The show was part of Oyafestivalen
  63. ↑ The show was part of Flow Festival
  64. ↑ The show was part of Sziget Festival
  65. ↑ The show was part of III Points Festival
  66. ↑ The show was part of Club to Club Festival
  67. ↑ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 13 November 2023". The ARIA Report. No. 1758. Australian Recording Industry Association. November 13, 2023. p. 6.
  68. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Caroline Polachek – Desire, I Want to Turn into You" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  69. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Caroline Polachek – Desire, I Want to Turn into You" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  70. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Caroline Polachek – Desire, I Want to Turn into You" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  71. ↑ "Top Albums (Week 45, 2023)". SNEP. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  72. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Caroline Polachek – Desire, I Want to Turn into You" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  73. ↑ "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. November 13, 2023. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  74. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  75. ↑ "Top 100 Albums Weekly". El portal de Música. Promusicae. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  76. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Caroline Polachek – Desire, I Want to Turn into You". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  77. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  78. ↑ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  79. ↑ "Billboard 200: Week of November 18, 2023". Billboard. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  80. ↑ "Heatseekers Albums chart: March 4, 2023". Billboard. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  81. ↑ "Independent Albums: Week of November 18, 2023". Billboard. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
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