''Barbara'' is the third album by American drag queen, comedian, and singer-songwriter Trixie Mattel. It was released on February 7, 2020, through Producer Entertainment Group and ATO Records, and is Mattel's first studio album released through a record label. The album's title is a reference to the first name of the fashion doll Barbie, from which Mattel takes much of her inspiration.

Background and promotion

In a September 2018 interview with '' Billboard'', Mattel announced that she was working on her third studio album entitled ''Barbara'' and that it would feature an " electro-folk" sound. "Yellow Cloud" was released as the first single from the album on May 17, 2019, though it was later revealed to be a non-album single. On January 10, 2020, the album's release date was confirmed for February 7, 2020, alongside the album tracklist. She also said the album would be "in the vein of artists like The Beach Boys,

The Ventures The Ventures are an American instrumental rock band formed in Tacoma, Washington, in 1958, by Don Wilson and Bob Bogle. The band, which was a quartet for most of its existence, helped to popularize the electric guitar across the world during the ...

, and... maybe even a little bit of Blondie." It was also revealed to be a double album, with the first side being focused more on the new surf rock style and the second half focusing more on Mattel's "classic Americana stylings" The album features a cover of

Lavender Country Lavender Country was an American country music band formed in 1972 whose self-titled 1973 album is the first known gay-themed album in country music history. Based in Seattle, Washington, the band originally consisted of lead singer and guitarist ...

's "I Can't Shake the Stranger Out of You" (recorded here as simply "Stranger"), as well as "Jesse Jesse", a love song in tribute of actor Jesse Eisenberg. ''Barbara'' was made available for pre-order, and the lead single, "Malibu" was released, on January 24, 2020. Several of Mattel's influences for the finished version of ''Barbara'' include The Go-Go's, Blondie,

The B-52's The B-52's, also styled as The B-52s, are an American new wave band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1976. The original lineup consisted of Fred Schneider (vocals, percussion), Kate Pierson (vocals, keyboards, synth bass), Cindy Wilson (vocals, ...

, Fountains of Wayne, Weezer,

Aimee Mann Aimee Elizabeth Mann (born September 8, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter. Over the course of four decades, she has released more than a dozen albums as a solo artist and with other musicians. She is noted for her sardonic and literate lyr ...

, and The Click Five. On January 28, 2020, Mattel premiered a new comedy special, ''Trixie Mattel: One Night Only'' on her YouTube channel. In the half hour special she performs the songs "Jesse Jesse", "Gold", and "Malibu" in her living room in front of her vast collection of dolls. The special went on to be nominated for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Comedy Special at the 2022 ceremony. A new version of "Stranger" featuring Patrick Haggerty from

, the original singers of the song, was released as a single on June 12, 2020, as Mattel announced earlier on her platforms.

Composition

''Barbara'' is primarily an electro-folk,

power pop Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, an energetic performance, and ...

, and surf rock album, heavily inspired

1960s File:1960s montage.png, Clockwise from top left: U.S. soldiers during the Vietnam War; the Beatles led the British Invasion of the U.S. music market; a half-a-million people participate in the 1969 Woodstock Festival; Neil Armstrong and Bu ...

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' (G ...

and

dance music Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. In terms of performance, the major categories are live dance music and recorded danc ...

. "Malibu" is a

Sheryl Crow Sheryl Suzanne Crow (born February 11, 1962) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, pop, country, folk, and blues. She has released eleven studio albums, five compilations and three ...

-esque guitar-pop song, and "We Got the Look" is a new wave and

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...

track about "being glammed up and hitting the streets". The album's last half consists of

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, whil ...

songs that "clearly show her home-roots haven’t gone away".

Reception

Critical response

Writing for ''

American Songwriter ''American Songwriter'' is a bimonthly magazine covering songwriting. Established in 1984, it features interviews, songwriting tips, news, reviews and lyric contest. The magazine is based in Nashville, Tennessee. History The ''American Songwr ...

'', Jason Scott said that ''Barbara'' "pairs the original vision of Trixie with a more mature, more playful, and wittier songwriting sheen", producing "an absolute blowout of beachside boogies, delightfully esoteric songwriting bits, and burning guitar confessions" and a tracklist which is "not only intensely personal but exuberant, fresh, and universal". Hank Adams of ''Country Queer'' commented that "''Barbara'' is a thicker album than you might think if you only tune into the dancier tracks. But as it progresses, it moves from light to dusk into the evening, from first blushing love to wherever we end up after we’ve been tossed around by romance a time or two… or three. More thoughtful than she was when we initially met her, Mattel guides us through ''Barbaras story with a deft touch." Sean Maunier of '' Metro Weekly'' wrote that ''Barbara'' is "her most quintessentially "Trixie Mattel" album yet", stating that Mattel's songwriting "has lost none of its humor, heart, or depth" despite a change in sound from ''Two Birds'' and ''One Stone''. Summing up the record, Maunier concluded that "Trixie Mattel’s great strength as a musician is her ability to marry a deeply irreverent comedic sensibility with a clear respect for the people and places from which she has drawn inspiration".

Accolades

Track listing

Charts

References

{{Authority control 2020 albums Albums produced by Tomas Costanza ATO Records albums Folk albums by American artists Folktronica albums Producer Entertainment Group albums Surf rock albums Power pop albums by American artists Trixie Mattel albums