''Flux'' is the fourth studio album by American singer

Poppy A poppy is a flowering plant in the subfamily Papaveroideae of the family Papaveraceae. Poppies are herbaceous plants, often grown for their colourful flowers. One species of poppy, ''Papaver somniferum'', is the source of the narcotic drug opi ...

. It was released on September 24, 2021, through

Sumerian Records Sumerian Records is an American independent record label based in Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and London. The label was founded in 2006 by Ash Avildsen.Justin Meldal-Johnsen Justin Meldal-Johnsen (born March 26, 1970) is an American musician, record producer, songwriter and musical director. He is best known for his work with artists such as Beck, Paramore, Nine Inch Nails, M83, Air, and St. Vincent. Meldal-J ...

and features a more organic sound in comparison to her previous album, ''

I Disagree ''I Disagree'' is the third studio album by American singer Poppy, released on January 10, 2020, via Sumerian Records. It marks her first release on Sumerian Records following her departure from Mad Decent in 2019, as well as her final collabor ...

''. The album received positive reviews.

Background and release

During an interview with ''

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...

'', Poppy said that she wanted the songwriting to be the focal point of the album as opposed to "the rollercoaster of emotions that ''

'' was." The album was produced by

Justin Meldal-Johnsen Justin Meldal-Johnsen (born March 26, 1970) is an American musician, record producer, songwriter and musical director. He is best known for his work with artists such as Beck, Paramore, Nine Inch Nails, M83, Air, and St. Vincent. Meldal-J ...

who has previously worked with

Paramore Paramore is an American rock band from Franklin, Tennessee, formed in 2004. The band currently consists of lead vocalist Hayley Williams, guitarist Taylor York and drummer Zac Farro. Williams and Farro are founding members of the group, whil ...

, M83,

St. Vincent Saint Vincent may refer to: People Saints * Vincent of Saragossa (died 304), a.k.a. Vincent the Deacon, deacon and martyr * Saint Vincenca, 3rd century Roman martyress, whose relics are in Blato, Croatia * Vincent, Orontius, and Victor (died 305) ...

. On June 30, 2021, Poppy released the lead single for the new album titled, "Her". The title track was released as the second single for the album. On August 25, 2021, Poppy released the third single from the album titled "So Mean" and released it with an accompanying music video. The album was released on September 24, 2021.

Composition

''Flux'' has been described as

alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...

grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock genre and subculture that emerged during the in the American Pacific Northwest state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of p ...

pop-punk Pop punk (or punk pop) is a rock music genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop. It is defined for its emphasis on classic pop songcraft, as well as adolescent and anti-suburbia themes, and is distinguished from other pu ...

dream pop Dream pop (also typeset as dreampop) is a subgenre of alternative rock and neo-psychedelia that emphasizes atmosphere and sonic texture as much as pop melody. Common characteristics include breathy vocals, dense productions, and effects such as ...

shoegaze Shoegaze (originally called shoegazing and sometimes conflated with "dream pop") is a subgenre of indie and alternative rock characterized by its ethereal mixture of obscured vocals, guitar distortion and effects, feedback, and overwhelming volu ...

, and punk rock.

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

and ''Flood Magazine'' both called the album a

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

record." ''Flood Magazine'' also called the album grunge- pop. According to '' Clash,'' "Flux sees Poppy continue to embrace her love of punk, rock and heavy metal but still keeps that day-dreaming pop element to it that some of her previous works have." According to ''

'', the album "

raws The Remote Automatic Weather Stations (RAWS) system is a network of automated weather stations run by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and monitored by the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), mainly to observ ...

on stoner-metal ('Lessen the Damage'), pop-punk ('So Mean'), new wave ('Hysteria') and shoegaze-y dream-pop ('As Strange as It Seems') in satisfying bursts." The title track utilizes some

electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...

elements. The album marks a departure from the

metal A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...

sound of her previous album and is considered to be less aggressive. However, the album still features some screaming from Poppy. The album also features a more organic sound in comparison to her previous album. According to Poppy during an interview with ''Spin'', "for all of us to be in the room together, Justin wanted to make a live record. And he mentioned at the very beginning of it — his exact words were, 'I've never been this little prepared to start an album', which made me very excited." To make the album sound more organic, Poppy and her band recorded it together live to tape.

Critical reception

''Flux'' received critical acclaim. At

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...

, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 80 out of 100, based on eight reviews. Neil Z. Yeung of

considered the album to be a "step forward for Poppy's songwriting" and called the album " er mostauthentic and earnest work." Writing for ''

Beats Per Minute Beat, beats or beating may refer to: Common uses * Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area ** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols ** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men * Battery ( ...

'', John Wohlmacher stated "''Flux'' is the most direct and unfiltered of Pereira's projects so far. Where her...pop records have explored viral aspects of cultural cosplay, and ''I Disagree'' saw her playfully weave medleys that presented nu-metal crossovers with Japanese

city pop is a loosely defined form of Japanese pop music that emerged in the late 1970s and peaked in the 1980s. It was originally termed as an offshoot of Japan's Western-influenced "new music", but came to include a wide range of styles – including ...

and 60s

psychedelia Psychedelia refers to the psychedelic subculture of the 1960s and the psychedelic experience. This includes psychedelic art, psychedelic music and style of dress during that era. This was primarily generated by people who used psychedelic ...

...''Flux'' manages to highlight to the forgotten influence women had on rock and pop in the 90s..." Shannon Garner of '' Clash'' praised the album's musical content and throwback to old sounds stating it is "a scintillating blend of

90s The 90s ran from 90 AD to 99 AD. Significant people * Titus Flavius Domitianus, Roman Emperor (AD 81– 96) * Nerva, Roman Emperor (AD 96 AD 96 ( XCVI) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Jul ...

alt-rock and daring 2k21 elements". Emma Swann of ''

DIY "Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals use raw and semi ...

'' praised the album and called it "a great rock album." Writing for ''

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...

'', Rhys Juergensen stated, " oppy'sconstant need for change — for flux — is, ironically, the very thing that gives her consistency. With this album, Poppy very clearly says that her new niche is to not have a niche. Rhian Daly of ''The Forty-Five'' was positive towards the album and stated, "with sonic sugar rushes and eardrum assaults, Poppy's fourth album is the sound of her finding her feet through a big creative shift." ''

Kerrang! ''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication ''Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a one- ...

''s James Hickie stated that "Poppy triumphs on her deepest and most artistic album to date, ''Flux''". Red Dziri of ''

The Line of Best Fit ''The Line of Best Fit'' is an independent online magazine based in London, concentrating on new music. It publishes independent music reviews, features, interview, and media. Founded by Richard Thane in February 2007 and currently edited by P ...

'' stated, "her latest album proves that there's simply no boxing her in – despite all the attempts by previous collaborators to keep her contained." Writing for ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'', El Hunt described the album as "determined, fun-filled and perception-defying alt-rock". Brad Sanders writing for ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...

'' stated, "Poppy’s albums have increasingly offered revealing glimpses of the woman behind the mask. ''Flux'' is her most unguarded work yet, and it's the closest we've come yet to meeting the real Poppy." Paul Brown of ''

Wall of Sound The Wall of Sound (also called the Spector Sound) is a music production formula developed by American record producer Phil Spector at Gold Star Studios, in the 1960s, with assistance from engineer Larry Levine and the conglomerate of session m ...

'' stated, " his album provesPoppy has well and truly earned her spot amongst the greats of the alternative scene."

Year-end lists

Track listing

All tracks are produced by

Charts

Release history

References

{{Authority control 2021 albums Poppy (entertainer) albums Sumerian Records albums Nu metal albums by American artists Industrial albums by American artists Hard rock albums by American artists Heavy metal albums by American artists Glam metal albums Albums produced by Justin Meldal-Johnsen