Kick IIII

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Kick IIII
Studio album by
Arca
Released2 December 2021
Recorded2018–2021
Genre
Length36:38
Language
  • Spanish
  • English
LabelXL
ProducerArca
Arca chronology
Kick III
(2021) 		Kick IIII
(2021) 		Kick IIIII
(2021)
Singles from Kick IIII
  1. "Queer"
    Released: 18 November 2021

Kick IIII (stylized as kick iiii) is the seventh studio album by Venezuelan record producer and singer Arca. The album was scheduled to be released on 3 December 2021, but released early on 2 December 2021, through XL Recordings as a continuation to her 2021 record Kick III, and is the fourth entry in the Kick quintet.[2] Kick IIII was supported by the accompanying lead single "Queer" featuring Planningtorock, and features cellist Oliver Coates, Garbage frontwoman Shirley Manson, Planningtorock, as well as production from Cardopusher.

Background[edit]

Upon the release of Kick I, news surfaced that Arca would be releasing three more Kick albums to make a tetralogy. The artist took to Pitchfork to say: "There will be four volumes. The third one is a little bit more introverted than Kick I, a little bit more like my self-titled album, I guess. The fourth one is piano only, no vocals. Right now, the least defined one, strangely, is the third one. It's all gestating right now [...] Each Kick exists in a kind of quantum state until the day that I send it to mastering. I try to not commit until I have to. But I have a vision for it. The second one is heavy on backbeats, vocal manipulation, mania, and craziness."[3]

In the following year, Arca released her extended play Madre and took part in Dawn of Chromatica, a remix album by Lady Gaga, where she remixed the Ariana Grande collaboration "Rain on Me".[4] While talking about the song on social media, Arca stated: "It's also the last time I playfully deconstruct my songs 'Time' and 'Mequetrefe', as we say goodbye to the Kick I era and move into the Kick II era and beyond".[5] Kick IIII was announced on November 18, alongside the release of the lead single "Queer" featuring vocals from English musician planningtorock.[6] Arca described the album as "entry of sensual charge in the cycle; my own faith made into song, a posthuman celestial sparkle, psychosexual pulsewidth modulation, queering the void, abyss alchemically transmuted into a deconstruction of what is beautiful, it is a healing spell, recognition of the alien inside, a bursting apart of old skin, fresh new sinew rippling outward from a beating core, the first prenatal kick—proof that there is a sentience with a will beyond its creators’ control expressing itself from within the womb."[7]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic77/100[8]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[9]
The A.V. ClubB−[10]
Evening Standard[11]
Exclaim!8/10[12]
The Guardian[13]
The Line of Best Fit8/10[14]
Loud and Quiet8/10[15]
NME[16]
Pitchfork7.7/10[17]
The Skinny[18]

On review aggregate site Metacritic, Kick IIII received a score of 77 out of 100, based on reviews from 13 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[8]

Track listing[edit]

All tracks written and produced by Arca, unless noted otherwise.

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Whoresong"  2:14
2."Esuna" (featuring Oliver Coates)
  • Ghersi
  • Oliver Coates
 2:19
3."Xenomorphgirl"  2:55
4."Queer" (featuring Planningtorock)
  • Ghersi
  • CardoPusher
  • Planningtorock
  • Ghersi
  • CardoPusher
3:30
5."Witch" (featuring No Bra)
  • Ghersi
  • No Bra
  • Ghersi
  • No Bra
3:32
6."Hija" (transl. Daughter)  2:45
7."Boquifloja" (transl. Slackmouth)  5:22
8."Alien Inside" (featuring Shirley Manson)
 2:04
9."Altar"  3:37
10."Lost Woman Found"  4:12
11."Paw"  4:08
Total length:36:38

Interpolates

  • "Alien Inside" contains interpolation of previous Arca track: "Construct" from the mixtape "@@@@@".

References[edit]

  1. ^ DuBois, Aymeric (6 December 2021). "Arca: Kick ii/iii/iiii/iiiii". Spectrum Culture. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  2. ^ @MutantFaith (June 6, 2021). "Arca explaining how the finalized version of kIcK ii has significant differences from the currently circulating fan-made compilation, and confirming a FIFTH Kick installment 🖤🩸❕" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  3. ^ "Live From Quarantine, It's the Arca Show". Pitchfork. 20 May 2020. Retrieved 2021-10-04.
  4. ^ "Lady Gaga's 'Chromatica' Remix Album Unlocks The Thrilling Potential Of The Original". Junkee. 2021-09-07. Retrieved 2021-10-04.
  5. ^ Arca, Doña (September 3, 2021). "@arca1000000: "It's also the last time I playfully deconstruct my songs Time and Mequetrefe as we say goodbye to the KiCk i era and move into the kIcK ii era and beyond"". Twitter. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  6. ^ "Arca Announces New Album kick iiii, Shares New Song "Queer": Listen". Pitchfork. 2021-11-18. Retrieved 2021-11-28.
  7. ^ "Listen to Arca's glitchy new track 'Queer' featuring Planningtorock". NME. 2021-11-21. Retrieved 2021-11-28.
  8. ^ a b "kick iiii by Arca Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  9. ^ Phares, Heather. "kick iiii - Arca". Allmusic. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  10. ^ Freedman, Max (3 December 2021). "Avant-pop artist Arca undercuts her musical impact by piling on too much at once". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 3 December 2021.[dead link]
  11. ^ Smyth, David (3 December 2021). "Arca - KiCk ii/iii/iiii/iiiii review: 47 tracks of wild electronic experimentation". Evening Standard. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  12. ^ Hopfe, Safiya (3 December 2021). "Arca's 'KICK' Cycle Is an Explosive Exploration of Her Multidimensionality". Exclaim!. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  13. ^ Petritis, Alex (3 December 2021). "Arca: Kick ii, iii, iiii, iiiii review – a wild ride to the dark, daring side of pop". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  14. ^ Dziri, Red (3 December 2021). "Arca unleashes her daring mutant universe in the completed KICK anthology". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  15. ^ Butchard, Skye (3 December 2021). "Arca - KICK (ii-iiiii) Album Review". Loud & Quiet. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  16. ^ Hunt, El (3 December 2021). "Arca – 'Kick ii', 'Kick iii', 'Kick iiii' & 'Kick 'iiiii' review: a sprawling departure from definition". NME. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  17. ^ Sherburne, Philip (7 December 2021). "Arca album reviews: KICK ii/KicK iii/kick iiii/kiCK iiiii". Pitchfork. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  18. ^ Wade, Lewis (3 December 2021). "Arca album reviews: Kick ii - iiiii". The Skiinny. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
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