Before I Die (album)
Before I Die | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 10 September 2021 | |||
Genre | Electronic | |||
Length | 43:40 | |||
Label | Ninja Tune | |||
Producer | Park Hye Jin | |||
Park Hye Jin chronology | ||||
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Before I Die is the debut studio album by Park Hye Jin, a South Korean singer, rapper, record producer, and DJ based in Los Angeles.[1] Entirely written, produced, and performed by herself, it was released on 10 September 2021 through Ninja Tune.[1] It peaked at number 73 on the UK Album Downloads Chart.[2] It won the Best Electronic Record award at the 2022 Libera Awards.[3]
Background
Park Hye Jin released her second EP, How Can I, in 2020.[4] After that, she collaborated with other artists: Blood Orange on "Call Me (Freestyle)" (2020);[5] Nosaj Thing on "Clouds" (2020);[6] Clams Casino and Take a Daytrip on "Y Don't U" (2021).[7]
Before I Die is her debut studio album.[8] It is entirely written, produced, and performed by herself.[1] A music video was released for the album's opening song "Let's Sing Let's Dance".[9]
Critical reception
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 75/100[10] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [11] |
Beats Per Minute | 78%[12] |
DIY | [13] |
The Guardian | [14] |
The Line of Best Fit | 8/10[15] |
Loud and Quiet | 6/10[16] |
NME | [17] |
Pitchfork | 6.5/10[18] |
PopMatters | 7/10[19] |
The Skinny | [20] |
According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Before I Die received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 75 out of 100 from 11 critic scores.[10]
Adriane Pontecorvo of PopMatters commented that "every cut on Before I Die is so thoughtfully assembled that it becomes exquisitely casual, and Park Hye Jin shows her range as a producer worth keeping an eye on."[19] Kyle Kohner of The Line of Best Fit stated, "Saturated with hazy bangers that explore the emotional gradient between depression and self-assurance, the appropriately titled Before I Die offers a space where yearning, anxiety, and bedridden gloom can coexist."[15] Ben Jolley of NME called the album "an affecting multi-layered debut that, rather than reaching a conclusion of fulfilment, manages to find happiness in just being alive."[17]
The album won the Best Electronic Record award at the 2022 Libera Awards.[3]
Accolades
Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Billboard | The 20 Best Dance Albums of 2021 | —
|
|
Hot Press | Top 50 Albums of 2021 | 50
|
|
The Line of Best Fit | The Best Albums of 2021 | 10
|
Track listing
All tracks are written by Park Hye Jin.
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Let's Sing Let's Dance" | 3:50 |
2. | "I Need You" | 3:03 |
3. | "Before I Die" | 3:06 |
4. | "Good Morning Good Night" | 2:52 |
5. | "Me Trust Me" | 1:33 |
6. | "Where Did I Go" | 2:08 |
7. | "Never Give Up" | 2:20 |
8. | "Can I Get Your Number" | 3:14 |
9. | "Whatchu Doin Later" | 2:57 |
10. | "Sex with Me (DEFG)" | 2:28 |
11. | "Where Are You Think" | 1:34 |
12. | "Never Die" | 3:32 |
13. | "Hey, Hey, Hey" | 4:56 |
14. | "Sunday ASAP" | 2:17 |
15. | "I Jus Wanna Be Happy" | 3:35 |
Total length: | 43:40 |
Personnel
Credits adapted from liner notes.[24]
- Park Hye Jin – production, performance, mixing
- Tom Jessop – mixing, mastering
- Dan Medhurst – photography
Charts
Chart (2021) | Peak position |
---|---|
UK Album Downloads (OCC)[2] | 73 |
References
- ^ a b c Russell, Scott (6 July 2021). "Park Hye Jin Announces Debut Album Before I Die, Shares First Single". Paste. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
- ^ a b "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
- ^ a b Aswad, Jem (17 June 2022). "Japanese Breakfast, Wet Leg, Madlib Lead Winners at A2IM's Indie Libera Awards". Variety. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
- ^ "How Can I [EP] by Park Hye Jin". Metacritic. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
- ^ Torres, Eric (16 September 2020). "Blood Orange and 박혜진 Park Hye Jin Share New Song "CALL ME (Freestyle)": Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
- ^ H, Rob (10 December 2020). "박혜진 Park Hye Jin and Nosaj Thing team up for the bubbling "Clouds"". Beats Per Minute. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
- ^ Peters, Daniel (25 May 2021). "박혜진 Park Hye Jin releases new song with Clams Casino and Take A Daytrip, 'Y DON'T U'". NME. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
- ^ Slingerland, Calum (6 July 2021). "박혜진 Park Hye Jin Announces Debut Album 'Before I Die'". Exclaim!. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
- ^ Kitasako, Miki (10 September 2021). "박혜진 Park Hye Jin conjures up a mood on her debut full-length album, Before I Die". Mixmag Asia. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
- ^ a b "Before I Die by Park Hye Jin". Metacritic. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
- ^ Simpson, Paul. "Before I Die - Park Hye Jin". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
- ^ Hakimian, Rob (14 September 2021). "Album Review: 박혜진 Park Hye Jin – Before I Die". Beats Per Minute. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
- ^ Griffin, Louis (8 September 2021). "박혜진 Park Hye Jin - Before I Die review". DIY. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
- ^ Empire, Kitty (12 September 2021). "Park Hye Jin: Before I Die review – forthright to a fault". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
- ^ a b Kohner, Kyle (6 September 2021). "박혜진 Park Hye Jin's Before I Die is an unassumingly compassionate house soaked debut". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
- ^ Delaney, Woody (6 September 2021). "박혜진 Park Hye Jin - Before I Die". Loud and Quiet. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
- ^ a b Jolley, Ben (9 September 2021). "박혜진 Park Hye Jin – 'Before I Die' review: searching reflection and club-ready bangers". NME. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
- ^ Zhou, Minna (14 September 2021). "박혜진 Park Hye Jin: Before I Die Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
- ^ a b Pontecorvo, Adriane (27 September 2021). "Park Hye Jin: Before I Die (Album Review)". PopMatters. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
- ^ Younes, Nadia (6 September 2021). "박혜진 Park Hye Jin – Before I Die". The Skinny. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
- ^ "The 20 Best Dance Albums Of 2021: Critics' Picks". Billboard. 17 December 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
- ^ "Hot Press Top 50 Albums of 2021". Hot Press. 11 January 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
- ^ "The Best Albums of 2021 Ranked". The Line of Best Fit. 13 December 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
- ^ Park Hye Jin (2021). Before I Die (CD booklet). Ninja Tune.
External links
- Before I Die at Discogs (list of releases)