2023 studio album by Gretta Ray
| Positive Spin | ||||
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| Studio album by Gretta Ray | ||||
| Released | 18 August 2023 | |||
| Length | 44:28 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer |
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| Gretta Ray chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Positive Spin | ||||
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Positive Spin is the second studio album by Australian singer-songwriter Gretta Ray, released on 18 August 2023 through EMI Music Australia.
On 24 May 2023, Ray hosted a fan event using her official Discord server in the northern suburbs of Melbourne. The activity was a scavenger hunt that guided fans to letters that spelt out the album's name. The album was officially announced a day later, along with a tour titled The Big Pop Show.
The album was nominated for the 2023 Australian Music Prize. At the 2023 J Awards, the album was nominated for Australian Album of the Year.
A deluxe version of the album, titled Positive Spin +, was released on 15 March 2024. It includes reworked versions of the songs "Upgraded" and "Heartbreak Baby", as well as the tracks "Roses" and "Better", a collaboration with Japanese Wallpaper.
Singles
Positive Spin was preceded by four singles; The first was "Dear Seventeen" on 3 May 2023, a letter to her younger self in the beginning of her career, warning her of the perils and joys she's yet to experience. The album's second single, "Heartbreak Baby", which triple j described as "a bubbly pop song that's as full of heart as it is heartbreak", was released on 25 May 2023 alongside its music video."America Forever", which features vocals from Maisie Peters and Carol Ades, was released as a single on 4 July 2023, and the album's final single, "Don't Date The Teenager", was released on 3 August 2023.
"Roses" was released as a single alongside the deluxe version on 13 March 2024. In a press statement, Ray described the song as "warm and optimistic", saying that it "always belonged on a version of Positive Spin".
Reception
Lauren deHollogne from Clash rated the album 8 out of 10 and said that "Positive Spin is melancholic and heartbreaking at times, but its bubbly nature is always there to pick the listener right back up."
Antigoni Pitta from The Line of Best Fit rated the album 6 out of 10 and called the album "a handbook for embracing change in your early 20s", saying that Ray "makes a case for optimism as she joins the ranks of pop artists singing about the trials and tribulations of young womanhood."
Rolling Stone Australia noted the influence of American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and placed the album at Number 12 on their list of the best Australian albums of 2023.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Positive Spin" | 3:22 | |
| 2. | "Upgraded" |
| 3:33 |
| 3. | "Nobody Here" |
| 4:20 |
| 4. | "Heartbreak Baby" | 3:37 | |
| 5. | "Dear Seventeen" |
| 4:11 |
| 6. | "Don't Date The Teenager" |
| 3:30 |
| 7. | "Loving Somebody" |
| 4:04 |
| 8. | "The Cool Boy" |
| 3:20 |
| 9. | "Can't Keep It Casual" |
| 3:22 |
| 10. | "You've Already Won" |
| 3:26 |
| 11. | "Light On" |
| 3:36 |
| 12. | "America Forever" (with Maisie Peters and Carol Ades) | 4:02 | |
| Total length: | 44:28 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Roses" |
| 4:02 |
| 14. | "Upgraded" (Reimagined) |
| 3:45 |
| 15. | "Heartbreak Baby" (Acoustic) |
| 4:18 |
| 16. | "Better" (with Japanese Wallpaper) |
| 4:42 |
| Total length: | 61:15 | ||
Charts
| Chart (2023) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA) | 17 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label | Edition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | 18 August 2023 | EMI Music Australia | Standard | ||
| Australia | |||||
| Various | 15 March 2024 | Positive Spin + (Deluxe) |
References
- "Dear Seventeen - Single - Album by Gretta Ray". Apple Music. 3 May 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- "Heartbreak Baby - Single - Album by Gretta Ray". Apple Music. 25 May 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- "America Forever - Single - Album by Gretta Ray". Apple Music. 4 July 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- ^ "Don't Date the Teenager - EP - Album by Gretta Ray". Apple Music. 3 August 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- ^ "Gretta Ray Releases Deluxe Edition Of 'Positive Spin', Shares 'Roses'". Music Feeds. 14 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
- "Letter From Gretta - A Northern Suburb Scavenger Hunt". Instagram. 18 May 2023. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
- ^ "Gretta Ray announces new album and The Big Pop Show tour - triple j". ABC. 25 May 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- Brandle, Lars (6 December 2023). "Troye Sivan Shortlisted for Australian Music Prize". Billboard. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- "Check out all the nominees for the 2023 J Awards! - triple j". ABC. 31 October 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- "Gretta Ray - Positive Spin // Reviews - Clash Magazine". Clash. 14 August 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- "Gretta Ray: Positive Spin review - a handbook for embracing change". The Line of Best Fit. 18 August 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- "The 25 Best Australian Albums of 2023". Rolling Stone Australia. 21 December 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
- "ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. 28 August 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- "Positive Spin - Album by Gretta Ray - Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- "Positive Spin - JB Hi-Fi". JB Hi-Fi. 18 August 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- "Positive Spin (Vinyl) - JB Hi-Fi". JB Hi-Fi. 18 August 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
| Gretta Ray | |
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| Studio albums | |
| Extended plays | |
| Singles |
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