Not in Chronological Order
Not In Chronological Order is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Julia Michaels, released on April 30, 2021 by Republic Records. The album's subject matter centers on themes as love, self reflection and ideal womanhood.
Not In Chronological Order | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | April 30, 2021 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | Pop | |||
Length | 29:39 | |||
Label | Republic | |||
Producer |
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Julia Michaels chronology | ||||
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Singles from Not in Chronological Order | ||||
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Upon its release, Not in Chronological Order received generally positive reviews. However, the album became Michael's lowest charting release on the Billboard 200, where it reached number 183; Michaels blamed Republic's lack of promotional support for the album as the cause of its lack of success.[1]
Background
Michaels released her debut single "Issues" in 2017, followed by three extended plays (EP), Nervous System (2017), Inner Monologue Part 1 and Inner Monologue Part 2 (both 2019).[2] In 2020, she released the single "Lie Like This",[3] followed by "All Your Exes" and "Love Is Weird" the following year.[4][5] On April 9, 2021, Women's Wear Daily announced that Michaels would release her debut studio album on April 30.[6] She confirmed this on April 14, along with the album's name as Not in Chronological Order and its artwork.[7]
Critical reception
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 70/100[8] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [9] |
Clash | 8/10[10] |
The Forty-Five | [11] |
The Guardian | [12] |
NME | [13] |
Rolling Stone | [14] |
At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 70 out of 100, which indicates "generally favorable reviews" based on 5 reviews.[8] Clash's Randy Radic thought Not in Chronological Order is soft in certain parts and "thick with sinew" in others, and equally allows Michaels to showcase her songwriting talent and "charismatic, oh-so-expressive voice".[10] Alexis Petridis of The Guardian considered the album enjoyable and a display of Michaels's talent, but lacking in star quality.[12] Writing for NME, Hannah Mylrea was favorable of its depiction of romance and Michaels's signature one-liners, adding, it "confidently chronicles every dizzying high and crushing blow that love brings – affairs of the heart have, after all, long been Michaels’ specialist songwriting subject".[13]
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
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1. | "All Your Exes" |
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| 3:29 |
2. | "Love Is Weird" |
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| 2:30 |
3. | "Pessimist" |
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| 3:18 |
4. | "Little Did I Know" |
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| 3:16 |
5. | "Orange Magic" |
| Ryan | 2:54 |
6. | "Lie Like This" |
| The Monsters & Strangerz | 3:38 |
7. | "Wrapped Around" |
|
| 2:43 |
8. | "History" |
| Ryan | 2:20 |
9. | "Undertone" |
| The Monsters & Strangerz | 3:16 |
10. | "That's the Kind of Woman" |
| The Monsters & Strangerz | 2:15 |
Total length: | 29:39 |
Personnel
Musicians
- Julia Michaels – vocals (all tracks), background vocals (5, 9, 10)
- JP Saxe – guitar (1)
- German – programming (1)
- The Monsters & Strangerz – programming (1–3, 6, 9, 10), guitar (2), keyboards (2–4, 7, 9, 10)
- John Ryan – background vocals, guitar, keyboards, programming (2, 3, 5, 8); drums, synthesizer programming (5)
- David Campbell – string arranger (2, 4, 7, 10)
- G Koop – guitar (3)
- India Carney – background vocals (4)
- Mario Jose – background vocals (4)
- Michael Pollack – background vocals, keyboards (6)
- Pierre Luc – guitar (6)
- Matt Zara – guitar (9)
- Chris Null – guitar (10)
Technical
- Randy Merrill – mastering engineer
- Serban Ghenea – mixer
- Ben Rice – engineer, vocal producer (1, 4)
- Steve Churchyard – engineer (2, 4, 7, 10)
- John Ryan – engineer, vocal producer (5, 8)
- Jeff Gunnell – engineer (5, 8)
- Stefan Johnson – engineer (6, 7, 9), vocal producer (3)
- Michael Pollack – engineer, vocal producer (10)
- Gian Stone – vocal producer (3, 9)
- The Monsters & Strangerz – vocal producer (6, 7, 9)
- Bo Bodnar – assistant recording engineer (2, 4, 7, 10)
Charts
Chart (2021) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA)[16] | 91 |
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[17] | 97 |
Germany Downloads (Official German Charts)[18] | 76 |
UK Album Downloads (OCC)[19] | 69 |
US Billboard 200[20] | 183 |
Release history
Region | Date | Format | Version | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Various | April 30, 2021 | Standard | Republic | [21][22] | |
United States | CD | Target bonus | [15] | ||
August 6, 2021 | LP | Standard | [23] |
References
- "Julia Michaels lashes out at label for saying her "album is basically obsolete"". Tone Deaf. July 25, 2021. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
- Paul, Larisha (April 16, 2021). "Julia Michaels Announces Debut Album 'Not in Chronological Order,' Releases New Single 'Love Is Weird'". UDiscover Music. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
- Wass, Mike (September 25, 2020). "Julia Michaels Announces New Single "Lie Like This"". Idolator. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
- @juliamichaels (March 13, 2021). "all your exes.... March 26th 🪓⚰ pre-save now 👉 JuliaMichaels.lnk.to/allyourexes" (Tweet). Retrieved March 17, 2021 – via Twitter.
- @juliamichaels (April 9, 2021). "Don't know how I wound up here... Love Is Weird 4.15 ❣". Retrieved April 14, 2021 – via Instagram.
- Tauer, Kristen (April 9, 2021). "Julia Michaels Has Already Arrived". Women's Wear Daily. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
- @juliamichaels (April 14, 2021). "Not In Chronological Order out April 30". Retrieved April 14, 2021 – via Instagram.
- "Critic reviews for Not in Chronological Order". Metacritic. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
- "Not in Chronological Order - Julia Michaels | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic.
- Radic, Randy (April 29, 2021). "Julia Michaels - Not In Chronological Order". Clash. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
- French-Morris, Kate (April 28, 2021). "Julia Michaels – 'Not in Chronological Order' review: A showcase of love and pop in all their guises". The Forty-Five. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
- Petridis, Alexis (April 29, 2021). "Julia Michaels: Not in Chronological Order review – star songwriter in need of star quality". The Guardian. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
- Mylrea, Hannah (April 29, 2021). "Julia Michaels – 'Not in Chronological Order' review: masterful solo debut by pop hitmaker". NME. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
- Harris, Keith (May 4, 2021). "Julia Michaels Struggles to Make the Transition From Writer to Artist on 'Not in Chronological Order'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
- "Julia Michaels - Not In Chronological Order (Target Exclusive, CD)". Target. Archived from the original on April 30, 2021. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
- "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 10 May 2021". The ARIA Report. No. 1627. Australian Recording Industry Association. May 10, 2021. p. 6.
- "Julia Michaels Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
- "Offizielle Download Charts album – Musik Charts" (in German). MTV Germany (ViacomCBS Networks International). Archived from the original on May 6, 2021.
- "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
- "Julia Michaels Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
- "Not In Chronological Order by Julia Michaels on Apple Music". Apple Music. April 30, 2021. Archived from the original on May 2, 2021. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
- "Not In Chronological Order Signed CD – Julia Michaels Merch". Julia Michaels Merch. Archived from the original on April 27, 2021. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
- "Julia Michaels - Not In Chronological Order LP". Urban Outfitters. Archived from the original on July 19, 2021. Retrieved July 18, 2021.