Themes and influences

The title of the album is named after the "palo santo" wood (pictured).^[7] Endemic to South America, it is mainly used to cast off bad spirits or energy.^[6][8]

Palo Santo draws influence from images of spirituality and religion, also prominent themes in the band's previous work.^[8] It was named after the South American-endemic wood palo santo (Bursera graveolens, Spanish for "holy wood"), which was used as an incense by the Incas to cast off bad spirits.^[8] Pitchfork contributor Cameron Cook suggested it may have been influenced by the fact that dancing is considered the "devil's work" in most Western theologies, and that there was a thrill in shaking one's "blasphemous hips while invoking the Lord".^[8] He also pointed out that to the band's impulse to connect pop music with religious transcendence was a "sacred experience" to Alexander, its principal songwriter.^[8] Alexander, who grew up next door to a church, was intrigued by the rituals performed there, such as a decoration of oranges for the Christingle and reciting the Lord's Prayer, despite not believing in organised religion himself.^[9] He remarked, "I was so yearning to be a part of something, I think that's why, obviously, religion is really powerful. All the ritualism and symbolism and I'm just really drawn by all of that stuff." He further observed that "traditionally, the church has like very much shut out gay people" and he has tried to subvert it "a little bit".^[10] Viewing songwriting as a cathartic and mysterious healing ritual, he noticed "odd parallels between a church's sense of belonging, and the celebratory freedom that exists in a space filled with dancing, thrashing bodies, and filthy, sexy pop".^[9] Following his breakup, Alexander read the novel Dancer from the Dance by Andrew Holleran, which portrayed "the club...like a church; a church for gay people to go and dance." This idea inspired the album.^[9] He later chose the album's title upon discovering the meaning of "palo santo", which he considered apt as he had met "a lot of guys who think they have some holy wood";^[11] he remarked, "thinking that your dick is holy? I've known guys like that."^[5]

Palo Santo is intended as a concept album.^[12][13] Based around the concept of "post-human failure", it is set in the world of Palo Santo, a futuristic dystopian society populated by human-hunting androids.^[12][13] Alexander opined that he saw that it was his chance to flip society's normal social rules on their head and begin to question ideas such as "What is an android's sexuality?", "What is an android's gender?", and "How would an android experience love?".^[12] Pundits also noted its lyrical themes have mainly dealt with "the murky, complicated side" of desire, as well as the connection between religion and carnality, using religious iconography in dealing with themes of sexuality, queerness and guilt.^[8][14] Critics noted the record as primarily consisting of dance-pop and electropop beats influenced by 1990s pop and R&B.^{[2][6][8][15]}

Songs

All tracks on Palo Santo were co-written by Alexander.^[17] The album opens with "Sanctify", produced by Kid Harpoon.^[17] Inspired by Dancer from the Dance, Alexander wrote the song about his past relationships with straight-identifying men, whose conflicted feelings he discusses in evocative lyrics about obscuring masks and sinful confessions, as he reassures them that what they are doing is not wrong.^[5][15] The following track, "Hallelujah", was co-written with Goldsworthy, Kurstin, Michaels, and Tranter. Its lyrics talk of getting onto the dancefloor and letting loose, dancing with strangers "until our bodies are singing 'Hallelujah'".^[15] Kurstin and Ralph co-wrote the third track, "All for You", as "one to get deep on the dance floor and release your inner demons", referring to the feeling of relief after leaving a toxic lover.^[10][18] The fourth song, "Karma", written with Daniel Traynor, Sarah Hudson, Clarence Coffee Jr., talks about trying good fortune on for size, navigating the game-play that happens within a budding romance.^[4][18] A short version of "Hypnotised" was used for a promotional campaign by the fashion company H&M, for their collection with Turkish-Canadian fashion designer Erdem.^[19]

Following "Hypnotised" is "Rendezvous", written by the whole trio. In the song, Alexander sings of being disappointed to discover that a relationship is merely physical.^[7] He described the seventh song, "If You're Over Me", as about being friends with an ex-lover, lamenting that "spoiler alert—it doesn't often work. In fact, in my experience, the relationship often ends up ruined."^[20] Written with Steve Mac, Alexander added that the song "is about the emotional torture that ensues —– meeting up and making out, then breaking up all over again, then making out some more".^[20] The eighth track, "Preacher", written with Jesse Shatkin, is a song about unlearning guilt and embracing one's self.^[15] Alexander wrote the ninth song "Lucky Escape" by himself to confront the more unlikable aspects of our own emotions.^[9] Following this is the titular song "Palo Santo". Written with Hudson, the song was inspired by someone Alexander was caught in a love triangle with who uses the "palo santo"-infused incense sticks to cleanse and purify his personal space.^[11] The interlude "Here" closes the standard version of the album, which features a stripped-down performance from Alexander.^[6] Three bonus tracks appear on the album's deluxe edition: "Howl", written by the trio with Ralph and Alex Hope; "Don't Panic", written with Kid Harpoon; and "Up in Flames", which was co-written with Kurstin.^[17] The Japanese release of the album includes "Coyote", written with Ralph; and a remix version of "If You're Over Me" featuring South Korean singer Key from the boy group Shinee as its closing track.^[21]

Short film

The release of Palo Santo was accompanied by a short film of same name.^[40] The short film is a futuristic sci-fi musical, set in the world of Palo Santo, where androids have taken over and crave the feeling of true emotion. The remaining humans, like Alexander, are recruited to perform for The Showman (Pansringarm). It features a neon colourscape, a dance breakdown, and a narration by Dench as the "Mother of Palo Santo".^[40]

Directed by Fred Rowson and filmed in Thailand over four days at the beginning of 2018, the 15-minute short stars Alexander, Ben Whishaw, Vithaya Pansringarm, and is narrated by Judi Dench. It marked the second time Alexander, Winshaw, and Dench have worked together, after starring in the West End production of Peter and Alice in 2013.^[40]

It also contains the music videos for "Sanctify", "All for You" and "If You're Over Me", with the short film expanding on the story introduced therein.^[41] Following the same storyline, on the band's YouTube channel other clips and live performances have been uploaded.

Dancing direction and choreography, for the whole project, were provided by Aaron Sillis with dancers all coming from the "Sillis Movement", Sillis's official dance crew.

Critical response

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	7.9/10[42]
Metacritic	81/100[43]
Review scores
Source	Rating
DIY	[44]
The Guardian	[4]
The Independent	[6]
The Line of Best Fit	9/10[45]
Mojo	[43]
NME	[46]
The Observer	[7]
Pitchfork	6.5/10[8]
Q	[43]
Uncut	[43]

Palo Santo has received critical acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 81 based on 16 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".^[43] NME contributor El Hunt gave the album five stars, the highest possible rating for the magazine, observing that the album "links the intense escapism of pop music with the sanctuary the queer community seek in their own special, sacred spaces," before concluding that "Filthy, sexy, thoroughly debauched pop at its finest; Palo Santo feels like a magical album."^[46] Alim Kheraj of DIY awarded the album a similar rating, noting that what Palo Santo has that Communion lacks is an "inventive ballad", and described it as an "overwhelmingly intimate record that makes you wonder just what Years & Years could be capable of next".^[44]

Reviewing for The Guardian, Laura Snapes gave the record a four-star rating, writing that "Palo Santo packs a deeper emotional resonance than Communion, which blurred its high emotional stakes beneath a breezy whirl." Describing the album as "astute, and convincingly ambitious", she stated that the "empathetic outlook and refusal to embrace reductive ideas of good and bad is a tonic during an era in which moral didactic-ism has worryingly infiltrated pop culture. It's probably not what anyone expects a male pop star to do in 2018."^[4] The Independent music correspondent Roisin O'Connor gave the album the same rating, discerning sexuality as being "at the heart" of the album, and praising Alexander's courage to put a vibrant, dynamic character who asserts themselves and their sexuality on full display.^[6]

Giving the record a 6.5 rating, Pitchfork contributor Cameron Cook described it as a "promising second album because it evolves past the sound of the band's debut." Cook opined that "at its low points, the record lacks the bite to drive home the razor's-edge duality of sacred and profane that Alexander seems to thrive on", further observing that "At their best, Years & Years are capable of godlike sublimity. To take up permanent residence in the heavens, all they need to do is exorcise a few colorless spirits."^[8] Alfred Soto of Spin, however, was unsatisfied with the album as their follow-up record, pointing out Goldsworthy and Türkmen's lack of input, and writing that Alexander is "a serious dude—intoxication he limns well, but euphoria gives him trouble, as if it were a foreign language."'^[16] Despite praising "Up in Flames" as Alexander's "most confident" performance, he lamented that it was not on the standard edition of the album and called its not being chosen as the lead single an "expected perversity".^[16]

Chart performance

Palo Santo debuted on the UK Albums Chart at number three with 20,297 copies.^[47][48] In the rest of Europe, the album opened at the top ten in Ireland and the Flemish region of Belgium, and attained a top forty position in the national charts of Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the Wallonia region of Belgium.^[48] In the United States, Palo Santo debuted on the Billboard 200 chart at number 75 with 9,000 units, including 4,000 pure album sales.^[49] It also topped the Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums chart, the band's second album to do so after Communion debuted at the top in 2015.^[49][50][51]