Maps of Music

Amidst the Chaos (2019)

Where the lyrics of Amidst the Chaos take you, and where it was really made.

The title refers to Donald Trump's presidency. Bareilles has said that the 2016 US presidential election was what started her writing the album.

Key places

Recorded at The Village, Los Angeles (2019)

Recording site Village Recorders — The album's recording place is listed as The Village in Los Angeles. The pin uses the venue coordinates from the candidate list. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Amidst the Chaos is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles
• Released April 5, 2019 through Epic Records
• The title refers to the presidency of Donald Trump
• The album debuted at number six on the US Billboard 200

Background

• In a Forbes interview, Bareilles said the 2016 US presidential election was the catalyst for writing the album
• "No Such Thing" was written as an ode to president Barack Obama
• "Armor" was written in response to the #MeToo Movement and released early in light of the Supreme Court confirmation hearing of Brett Kavanaugh
• The duet with John Legend, "A Safe Place to Land", was written about the 2018 immigrant family separation crisis along the US–Mexico border
• Before the release, Bareilles played the four-date A Little Chaos Tour in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York City, March 17–22, 2019, including unreleased songs
• On April 6, 2019, she was a musical guest on Saturday Night Live and performed "Fire" and "Saint Honesty"
• A November 2019 Hollywood Bowl performance was recorded and released in 2021 as Amidst the Chaos: Live from the Hollywood Bowl

Recording

• The recording location is listed as The Village, Los Angeles

Cover

• The cover is a black-and-white shot of Bareilles with windblown hair

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Early life

• Born December 7, 1979 in Eureka, California.
• Studied communication studies at UCLA and sang in the co-ed a cappella group Awaken a Cappella.
• Taught herself several instruments, including piano.

Career

• Self-published the debut album Careful Confessions in 2004, then signed with Epic Records in 2005.
• Breakthrough album Little Voice (2007); lead single "Love Song" peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.
• Kaleidoscope Heart (2010) debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200; The Blessed Unrest (2013) earned a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year.
• Composed music and lyrics for the Broadway musical Waitress (2015), earning Tony and Grammy nominations.
• Known for television work, including Mary Magdalene in NBC's Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert (2018) and the lead role in Girls5eva.
• Won two Grammy Awards, and was nominated for several Primetime Emmy and Tony Awards.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Critical reception was generally positive, with critics pleased by the political value of the lyrics
• Chris Willman in Variety: the production was calm, free and spatially interesting, far more structured than her earlier records
• Willman found the album too intrinsically dramatic and far from the Americana genre it set out to follow
• Ilana Kaplan in Vanity Fair: Bareilles gathers the album's most complex themes
• Kaplan notes her effort to find some balance and to correct the stress and chaos of the world
• Allison Stubblebine in Nylon: Bareilles uses her visibility and voices her opinions with composure and specificity
• Nylon calls it her most political album to date

Records

• Debuted at number six on the US Billboard 200
• Sold 35,000 copies in its first week, 29,000 of them traditional album sales
• Her sixth top 10 album
• "Saint Honesty" won a Grammy Award for Best American Roots Performance at the 2020 ceremony

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · it.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• "Armor" was released early in light of the confirmation hearing of Brett Kavanaugh.
• Bareilles performed "Armor" on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on November 28, backed by an all-female band.
• "Saint Honesty" won the Grammy for Best American Roots Performance at the 2020 ceremony.
• The Hollywood Bowl show from November 2019 was released as a live album in 2021.
• Before the album came out, Bareilles played four unreleased-song-heavy dates on the A Little Chaos Tour.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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