"Ungodly Hour" by Chloe x Halle explores themes of friendship, infidelity, and youth
- MySweeterPlace
- 24 de jun. de 2020
- 4 min de leitura
Atualizado: 17 de abr.
Chloe x Halle: "Ungodly Hour"
Released: June 12, 2020
Label: Parkwood Entertainment
Genre: R&B
Producers: Boi-1da, Chloe Bailey, Disclosure, Halle Bailey, Jahaan Sweet, Jake One, Jeff “Gitty” Gitelman, Mike WiLL Made-It, Pluss, Royal Z, Scott Storch & Sounwave
Writers:
Adam Waldman, Anton Kuhl, Avedon, Boi-1da, Chloe Bailey, Chloe x Halle, Felicia Ferraro, Guy Lawrence, Halle Bailey, Howard Lawrence, Jahaan Sweet, Jeff “Gitty” Gitelman, Mike WiLL Made-It, Nasri Atweh, Nija, Pluss, Scott Storch, Sounwave, Swae Lee, Victoria Monét & Wallis Lane
"Ungodly Hour" is the second studio album by American R&B duo Chloe x Halle, released on June 12, 2020. It serves as the follow-up to "The Kids Are Alright" (2018).
They are signed to Beyoncé's label Parkwood as well as Columbia Records. Sister duo navigated YouTube's pop landscape with a series of covers over the past couple of years. The deep rendition of Beyoncé's own "Pretty Hurts," from her eponymous fifth studio album (2013), caught the attention of the mogul's Parkwood Entertainment imprint in 2013.
Via BBC Radio 1, Chloe bailey justified the album title, saying, "We called it "Ungodly Hour" because it's okay to not be perfect all the time. We wanted to challenge the idea of us being these perfect angels that everybody has this image of us in their head."
Chloe x Halle represents a remarkable union of talent and a work ethic. Much of the record is self-produced and self-written by the sisters. With the help of a few collaborators, they created a work that shows a consistent dynamic between them, with clean harmonies and gently syncopated R&B.
"Intro" is the short opener. The thirty-second track features Chloe x Halle's signature angelic vocals. It is accompanied by the simple phrase that introduces the album's theme: "Don't ever ask for permission, ask for forgiveness." "Intro" moves beautifully into the album's second song, "Forgive me." This one drives the message of being unapologetic in who you are and feeling self-empowered despite accepting or rejecting it. It's about recognizing that those judgments are just a reflection of their energy alone and have nothing to do with your own. Of the 13 songs, the duo told CBS News that the song defines the entire album.
On the next, "Baby Girl," Chloe's beat is about going out into a worrying new world of adventure and independence.
"Do It" is an upbeat sound while simultaneously maintaining its new R&B influences. The song's central concept is about getting dressed up and partying with your friends. "Yeah, I beat my face/Movin' fast 'cause the Uber on the way/Takin' pictures, make sure you can't see no lace/ That wig secure like the money in a safe/ I look like bae," they sing, a reference to them resembling Beyoncé, the sisters' musical mentor.
On "Tipsy," the girls spread some trues. "If you love your little life, then don't fuck up," they shout out.
On the next one, Chloe x Halle team up with English duo Disclosure for "Ungodly Hour," the album's title track.
"Busy Boy" navigates into a matrix of romantic intrigue: "It's nine o'clock/I get a text sayin', 'Are you up?'/'Bout 9:15/My girl said she got the same message, same thing/A few days, yeah, we're cool/Then you disappear like I'm a fool/You told me that you with your family/My girl saw you with someone, leavin' the party."
"Catch Up" is the only collaboration on the album that features singer, rapper, composer Swae Lee, and producer Mike WiLL Made-it. Chloe x Halle's standout vocals and Swae Lee's smooth tone come together to create a funny and light song. When we reach the almost ending of the album, we've got a vulnerable interlude with "Overwhelmed."
"Lonely" explores loneliness, as the title said with angelic and sensual voices. "Who are you when no one's watchin'?/ You close the door to your apartment/ Are you afraid of the silence?."
"Don't Make It Harder on Me" is an example of what it's like to forget someone you thought you were leaving for the better and move on to someone else, but now you're having second thoughts about the decision.
"Wonder What She Thinks of Me" describes what a mistress is. Chloe's vocals display sensuality as she sings, "I wonder what she thinks of me/ When she sees that mark on your neck/ Oh, no, I didn't mean to go that far."
"Ungodly Hour" closes with "Royl" (rest of your life), a standout song with youthful lyrics and vibrant beats.
"Ungodly Hour" it's a sisterhood that draws power, turning their emerging personal growth into a shared story.
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