Stillness in Wonderland

Stillness in Wonderland is the second studio album by English rapper Little Simz, released on 16 December 2016 through Age 101 Music.

Stillness in Wonderland
Studio album by
Released16 December 2016
Length44:28
LanguageEnglish
LabelAge 101 Music
Little Simz chronology
A Curious Tale of Trials + Persons
(2015)
Stillness in Wonderland
(2016)
Grey Area
(2019)
Singles from Stillness In Wonderland
  1. "Poison Ivy"
    Released: 12 December 2016
  2. "Picture Perfect"
    Released: 14 December 2016
  3. "Backseat"
    Released: 11 May 2017
  4. "Good For What"
    Released: 11 October 2017

Release

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On 12 December 2016, Little Simz announced the album and released the lead single, "Poison Ivy".[1] On 14 December 2016, she released the album's second single, "Picture Perfect".[2] The album released on 16 December 2016. She also released a comic book series as a companion to the album titled Welcome to Wonderland.[3]

On 11 May 2017, she released the first single for the deluxe version of the album, "Backseat".[4] The second single for the deluxe version, "Good For What", was released on 11 October 2017.[5] The deluxe version of the album was released on 3 November 2017.[6]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic84/100[10]
Review scores
SourceRating
The Observer     [7]
Pretty Much AmazingB Plus[8]
Pitchfork7.1/10[9]

According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Stillness in Wonderland received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 84 out of 100 from 7 critic scores.[9] Pretty Much Amazing's Mick Jacobs praised the song composition in the album, writing: "Her compositions, like Ajikawo herself, defy expectation, transitioning mid-track to blossom into entirely new flowers."[8] Christine Clarke of NOW commended the album's lyricism and themes, writing: "It’s clear this is Simz’s version of Lewis Carroll’s Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, only darker and full of imagery springing from the city rather than the English countryside. When spun by Simz’s deft lyricism, Wonderland takes on many forms."[11] Kyle Mullin of Exclaim! praised the album's production, such as the "elephant trunk trumpets and joyfully funky groove" of "Picture Perfect" which "evokes Missy Elliott in her prime", the "hypnotic, techno-ish groove" of "King of Hearts", the "jazzy horns straight out of a vintage noir flick" of "No More Wonderland", the "irresistible [...] radio-smash-ready upbeat synths" of "Shotgun", the "funky, reggae-tinged" "One in Rotation", and the "flamboyantly funky sax sample" of "Doorways + Trust Issues".[12] Writing for The Observer, Isa Jaward concludes by writing "London-born Simz speaks candidly about love, growing up and intuition as she journeys down the rabbit hole of self-discovery. The album’s mix of soul, R&B, grime and trippy, jazz-tinged interludes is at times a little muddled, but Simz’s lyrical agility and deft rapping sit comfortably with a variety of production styles."[7]

Industry awards

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Awards and nominations for Stillness In Wonderland
Ceremony Year Category Result Ref.
AIM Independent Music Awards 2017 Best Difficult Second Album Nominated

Track listing

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No.TitleLength
1."LMPD" (featuring Chronixx)4:04
2."Cheshire's Interlude: Welcome to Wonderland"1:02
3."Doorways + Trust Issues"4:13
4."Her - Interlude"1:57
5."One In Rotation + Wide Awake" (featuring Sir)3:55
6."Shotgun" (featuring Syd)3:08
7."Picture Perfect"3:03
8."Cheshire's Interlude: Misled"0:44
9."King of Hearts" (featuring Chip & Ghetts)3:32
10."Bad To The Bone" (featuring Bibi Bourelly)3:15
11."Zone 3" (featuring Tilla, Josh Arce, & Chuck 20)3:41
12."Poison Ivy" (featuring Tilla)3:29
13."Cheshire's Interlude: Stay"0:41
14."Low Tides"4:00
15."No More Wonderland"3:37
Total length:44:28
Deluxe edition
No.TitleLength
16."Our Conversations" (featuring BADBADNOTGOOD)6:03
17."Backseat"3:31
18."Out of sight (yhyh)"4:31
19."Morning" (featuring Swooping Duck)3:23
20."Phases" (featuring Sir)4:36
21."Days Like This - Interlude" (featuring Josh Arce)3:14
22."Customz" (featuring Bibi Bourelly)4:01
23."Good For What"2:53
Total length:72:12

References

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  1. ^ Pearce, Sheldon (2016-12-12). "Little Simz Announces New Album, Shares New Song "Poison Ivy": Listen". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 2023-08-15. Retrieved 2023-08-15.
  2. ^ Griffin, Alex (2016-12-14). "Little Simz releases incredible new single "Picture Perfect"". GRM Daily. Archived from the original on 2023-08-15. Retrieved 2023-08-15.
  3. ^ Pickens, Ashley (2016-12-21). "Little Simz's 2016 Was Everything But A Still Wonderland". VIBE. Archived from the original on 2023-08-15. Retrieved 2023-08-15.
  4. ^ Black, Adrienne (May 11, 2017). "Little Simz Gets Personal on New Single "Backseat"". Complex. Archived from the original on 2023-08-15. Retrieved 2023-08-15.
  5. ^ P, Milca (2017-10-15). "Little Simz Declares War In "Good For What" Video". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on 2023-08-15. Retrieved 2023-08-15.
  6. ^ Day, Laurence (6 November 2017). "Little Simz releases expanded edition of Stillness In Wonderland". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on 2023-08-29. Retrieved 2023-08-15.
  7. ^ a b Jaward, Isa (2017-01-01). "Little Simz: Stillness in Wonderland review – variety, agility and candour". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Archived from the original on 2023-08-29. Retrieved 2023-08-17.
  8. ^ a b Jacobs, Mick (December 19, 2016). "Review: Little Simz, Stillness in Wonderland". Pretty Much Amazing. Archived from the original on 2017-04-09. Retrieved 2023-08-17.
  9. ^ a b St. Asaph, Katherine. "Little Simz: Stillness in Wonderland". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 2022-02-09. Retrieved 2023-08-17.
  10. ^ Stillness In Wonderland by Little Simz, archived from the original on 2023-08-29, retrieved 2023-08-17
  11. ^ Clarke, Christine (2016-12-29). "Little Simz's Stillness In Wonderland puts a deft lyrical spin on a familiar story - NOW Magazine". NOW Toronto. Archived from the original on 2021-08-22. Retrieved 2023-08-17.
  12. ^ Mullin, Kyle (December 22, 2016). "Little Simz Stillness in Wonderland". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on August 17, 2023. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  13. ^ "2017 AIM Awards nominations revealed". www.musicweek.com. Archived from the original on 2019-11-01. Retrieved 2023-08-17.