''The Space Between'' is the sixth studio album by Australian rapper

Illy Illycaffè S.p.A. (branded and stylised as illy) is an Italian coffee company specializing in espresso, headquartered in Trieste. Illy markets its coffee globally in silver and red pressurized, oxygen-free cans; operates a network of cafes on s ...

, released independently on 15 January 2021 through

Sony Music Australia Sony Music Entertainment Australia is the predominant record label operated by American parent company Sony Music Entertainment in Australia. SMEA also formerly published and distributed video games in Australia & New Zealand on behalf of Sony ...

. At the 2021 ARIA Music Awards,

M-Phazes Mark Landon (born 1 February 1983), better known by his stage name M-Phazes, is an Australian-born producer based in LA. He has produced records for Logic, Demi Lovato, Madonna, Eminem, Kehlani, Zara Larsson, Remi Wolf, Kiiara, Noah Cyrus, ...

was nominated for

Producer of the Year The Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical is an honor presented to record producers for quality non- classical music at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Honors i ...

for work on this album.

Background

The album was recorded over three years, between his home town of

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

and international cities including New York,

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

and

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...

, with Illy declaring the album "his most personal to date". Illy said "''The Space Between'' is about change; how much there is from one point to the next and how those trips – not the destinations – define us." He added "My music has always been about real life, and since last time we spoke, mine happened between albums – relationships, parties, therapy, triumphs, breakdowns, celebrations, mourning; all of it.. I learnt to keep it moving, but also to stop and appreciate where you're at, because the one constant is change. I'm thankful for all of it. It all made this album."

Release

The album was completed in March 2020 and was originally set for release in May 2020, but was delayed due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

. The album's January 2021 release date was announced in October 2020.

Reception

Cyclone Wehner from ''Music Feeds'' said "A decade on from '' Long Story Short'', Illy continues to diversify creatively, but he isn't sacrificing authenticity for aesthetics. Ultimately, Illy manages to centre his art while avoiding pretension. ''The Space Between'' is a manifesto of dynamism."

Track listing

# "Wave" – 3:44 # "Loose Ends" (featuring

G Flip Georgia Claire Flipo, known professionally as G Flip, is an Australian singer, songwriter, producer, drummer, and musician from Melbourne, Victoria. They released their debut studio album, '' About Us'', on 30 August 2019. Early life and educ ...

) – 3:56 # "No Feelings" (featuring Carla Wehbe) – 3:37 # "Codes" – 3:03 # "Mirror" (featuring

Wrabel Stephen Wrabel (born January 7, 1989), known mononymously as Wrabel, is an American singer, songwriter and musician based in Los Angeles. Life and career Wrabel attended high school at The Kinkaid School in Houston, Texas. After high school ...

) – 3:41 # "I Myself & Me" – 3:38 # "Last Laugh" – 2:51 # "Cheap Seats" (featuring Waax) – 3:06 # " Then What" – 3:02 # "Lean on Me" (featuring

Robinson Robinson may refer to: People and names * Robinson (name) Fictional characters * Robinson Crusoe, the main character, and title of a novel by Daniel Defoe, published in 1719 Geography * Robinson projection, a map projection used since the 1960 ...

) – 3:47 # "Race to the Bottom" – 4:29 # "Lonely" (featuring

Guy Sebastian Guy Theodore Sebastian (born 26 October 1981) is an Australian singer and songwriter who was the winner of the first ''Australian Idol'' in 2003, judge on Australia's ''The X Factor'' from 2010 to 2012 and again from 2015 to 2016, and coach ...

) – 3:29 # "The Space Between" – 4:54 # "Best Mistakes" – 4:09

Charts

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Space Between, The (Illy) 2021 albums Albums postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic Illy (rapper) albums