Optimist (album)

Optimist is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Finneas, released on October 15, 2021, through his record label OYOY, distributed by Interscope Records.[1] The album was entirely produced and written by Finneas. On this 13-track tracklist, Finneas gives us a glimpse into the worries, hardships, pains and loves of the past year that he has been experiencing. Optimist expresses pessimistic hope for society, but his blunt lyrics and confusing messaging hurt the impact. It was preceded by the singles "What They'll Say About Us", "A Concert Six Months from Now", and "The 90s".[2]

Optimist
Studio album by
ReleasedOctober 15, 2021 (2021-10-15)
Length43:01
Label
ProducerFinneas
Finneas chronology
Blood Harmony
(2019)
Optimist
(2021)
Singles from Optimist
  1. "What They'll Say About Us"
    Released: September 2, 2020
  2. "A Concert Six Months from Now"
    Released: August 5, 2021
  3. "The 90s"
    Released: September 2, 2021
  4. "Love is Pain"
    Released: October 14, 2021
  5. "Only A Lifetime"
    Released: December 15, 2021
  6. "The Kids Are All Dying"
    Released: January 12, 2022

Behind the song/lyrics

  1. "A Concert Six Months From Now" Haves an acoustic band being played over a cheering crowd, referring to the revival of live music in recent months, before a sudden beat change changes the tempo to become more rock-like.[3] In the lyrics "I'll wait for years but i won't wait alone/ And then someday you'll wait for my face on your phone,"[4] he fantasizes as he sings of a lost love he's desperate to find again at the Hollywood Bowl, with a bittersweet feeling emanating from his voice. Despite the anxiety and hunger, he's still an optimist.
  2. " The Kids Are All Dying" Discusses a wide range of heavy, controversial topics like capitalism, climate change, gun violence, outrage over the internet, and political polarization. The lyrics say lines like "Whatever's on the news, the other side'll call it fake, I wish I was the Queen, I'd tell 'em all to eat their cake, Maybe humankind was just God's mistake"[5] After listening to this song it makes you really think about the worlds issues that are occurring.
  3. "Happy Now". Happy now is about how Finneas originally believed that happiness would come with fame but now that he is a star discovers that this isn't the case. He talks how he was a anxious child and how he was feeling with all this fame "Always such an anxious child / Never wild, always worrying / Never any good with surprises, compromises / I wanted everything."[6]
  4. "Only a lifetime" The song "Only a Lifetime" establishes the mood for an emotionally charged track with it's reverbed piano chords and strong vocals. Finneas writes the chorus with the words, "Don't waste the time you have / Waiting for time to pass / It's only a lifetime, that's not long enough / You're not going to like it without any love, so don't waste it."[7] Don't waste your time doing things that make you sad is the chorus that is hidden in the song's production, which also has piano chords. This song makes you think about who you are and what you love.
  5. "The 90s" focuses entirely on how social media and the internet have altered everyone's lives. In this song, Finneas looks back on the past, lamenting that "When the future was a testament / To something beautiful and shiny, now / We're only counting down the time that's left." [8] This song's first section is composed primarily of melodies, showcasing Finneas' stunning voice and capacity to hold the attention of listeners. When the song resumes, you can hear auto-tune in his voice, which adds a slick touch and serves as a callback to the period in 1997 when auto-tune first became widely employed.[9]
  6. "Love is Pain" Finneas sings on his personal experiences in "Love Is Pain," contrasting the benefits and drawbacks of loving someone. The single is absolutely worth listening to because the vocals, production, and words blended so beautifully. Over the chorus, Finneas sings, "We go through life, we play pretend / Act like it doesn't have to end / It's all right until your friend runs a red light / You watch his car catch fire / Love is pain." Finneas makes a comparison between self-harm and the drawbacks of love, possibly in reference to the death of a loved one.
  7. "Peaches Etude" is a lovely piano piece dedicated to Finneas' dog Peaches. It's a nice break in the middle of the album to unwind and just listen to the endless instrumental. The 2:16 minute song is a tribute to the dog. An etude is a short musical composition, usually for one instrument, designed as an exercise to improve the technique or demonstrate the skill of the player.
  8. "Hurt Locker" reveals the hurt and unpleasant truths that Finneas has had to deal with in previous relationships. Hurt locker is slang for "a place of deep pain and discomfort." Halfway through the song, the beat is introduced, giving the song a lot more punch and depth. It has a genuinely unique sound, demonstrating once more how effective Finneas is in any style he pursues.
  9. "Medieval" The song reinforces Finneas' belief that civilization is regressing by using metaphors to contrast modern culture with that of the Middle Ages. This is demonstrated in the chorus when Finneas sings, "It feels a little medieval if you ask me / Like I'm watchin' a sequel I've already seen / I could tell you what happens to the new king / When he goes out of fashion."[10]
  10. "Someone Else’s Star" Finneas seems to be a letter to his sister, fellow musician Billie Eilish, on the subject of rapidly escalating stardom. You were someone else's star; you gained popularity that was transitory; now all of your memories seem more like movies; you watch them to see which ones are still deadly; and you wonder why the bad ones paid the bills. The song's opening lyric is sung by Finneas. The song's melancholy undertones and Finneas' incredible vocals are captured by the production, which is more ballad-style.
  11. "Around My Neck" cranks up the tempo in the record and has a strong baseline and snare to start. The production of the album effectively connects Finneas' intention for the track in with his singing despite the album's explicit sexual content in the lyrics.
  12. "What They’ll Say About Us" Although it sounds slow and even mournful, the lyrics are heartfelt and compassionate. “We’ve got the time to take the world / And make it better than it ever was.” The rise to the chords in this song, which is the No. 12 tune, actually carries the listener along with Finneas rather than having the music pull them along. In this song, Finneas displays his range in addition to other musical prowess.
  13. "How It Ends" He advises listeners to quit care so much about money, power, or fame and just to enjoy life in the moment, instead. "If you wanna dance again / You can dance again / Use a lifeline / Honey phone a friend." [11]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic72/100[12]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[13]
Dork[14]
Gigwise[15]
The Guardian[16]
The Independent[17]
The Line of Best Fit8/10[18]
NME[19]
Pitchfork5.6/10[20]
Rolling Stone[21]
The Sydney Morning Herald[22]

On review aggregator Metacritic, Optimist received a score of 72 out of 100 based on ten critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception.[12]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Finneas, except where noted.

Optimist – Standard edition
No.TitleLength
1."A Concert Six Months from Now"3:25
2."The Kids Are All Dying"2:47
3."Happy Now?"2:52
4."Only a Lifetime"4:16
5."The 90s"3:23
6."Love Is Pain"3:44
7."Peaches Etude"2:15
8."Hurt Locker"3:26
9."Medieval"2:51
10."Someone Else's Star"3:29
11."Around My Neck"2:55
12."What They'll Say About Us"3:01
13."How It Ends"4:37
Total length:43:01
Optimist – Deluxe edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
14."The Kids Are All Dying (Live from Abbey Road Studios)" 2:55
15."Only a Lifetime (Live from Abbey Road Studios)" 4:16
16."Love Is Pain (Live from Abbey Road Studios)" 3:32
17."The Fool on the Hill (Live from Abbey Road Studios)"John Lennon, Paul McCartney3:13
Total length:57:04

Personnel

Charts

Chart performance for Optimist
Chart (2021) Peak
position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[23] 59
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[24] 53
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[25] 127
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[26] 60
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[27] 53
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[28] 40
US Billboard 200[29] 104
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[30] 9

References

  1. Minsker, Evan (August 5, 2021). "Finneas Announces Debut Album Optimist, Shares Video for New Song: Watch". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  2. Zemler, Emily (August 5, 2021). "Finneas Previews Debut Album With 'A Concert Six Months From Now'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  3. "Lyricism falls short of expectations on FINNEAS debut album 'Optimist'". November 29, 2021. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  4. FINNEAS – A Concert Six Months from Now, retrieved May 17, 2023
  5. FINNEAS – The Kids Are All Dying, retrieved May 17, 2023
  6. FINNEAS – Happy Now?, retrieved May 18, 2023
  7. FINNEAS – Only a Lifetime, retrieved May 18, 2023
  8. FINNEAS – The 90s, retrieved May 18, 2023
  9. Clark, Alyssa. "Review: Finneas' 'Optimist' album touches vulnerability, problems in society". Eagle Nation Online. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  10. "FINNEAS - Medieval Lyrics | Lyrics.com". www.lyrics.com. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  11. FINNEAS – How It Ends, retrieved May 18, 2023
  12. "Optimist by FINNEAS Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  13. Donelson, Marcy. "Finneas: Optimist". AllMusic. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  14. Ackroyd, Stephen (October 13, 2021). "FINNEAS – Optimist". Dork. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  15. Rigotti, Alex (October 15, 2021). "Album Review: Finneas 'Optimist'". Gigwise. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  16. Cragg, Michael (October 17, 2021). "Finneas: Optimist review – Billie Eilish's brother plays it straight". The Guardian. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  17. O'Connor, Roison (October 14, 2021). "Finneas review, Optimist: Stylistically, this debut album has everything". The Independent. Archived from the original on May 24, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  18. Dehollogne, Lauren (October 16, 2021). "Finneas chooses cinematic emotional balladry for his debut outing Optimist". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  19. Daly, Rhian (October 14, 2021). "Finneas – 'Optimist' review: Billie's brother and producer du jour strikes out alone". NME. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  20. Horn, Olivia (October 18, 2021). "FINNEAS: Optimist Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  21. Dolan, Jon (October 13, 2021). "Finneas Explores Grand Songwriterly Ambitions on 'Optimist'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  22. Lal, Kish (October 19, 2021). "Finneas steps out of Billie Eilish's shadow, but he's got a way to go". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  23. "Austriancharts.at – Finneas – Optimist" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  24. "Ultratop.be – Finneas – Optimist" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  25. "Ultratop.be – Finneas – Optimist" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  26. "Dutchcharts.nl – Finneas – Optimist" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  27. "Offiziellecharts.de – Finneas – Optimist" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  28. "Swisscharts.com – Finneas – Optimist". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  29. "Finneas Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  30. "Finneas Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
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