Hypersonic Missiles
A Caucasian man in a black shirt and a denim jacket is shown, amidst a black background. "Sam Fender" and "Hypersonic Missiles" are displayed in white text in the top left and top right corners, respectively.
Studio album by
Sam Fender
Released13 September 2019
Recorded2017–2019
Genre
Length48:21
LabelPolydor
Producer
Sam Fender chronology
Dead Boys
(2018)		 Hypersonic Missiles
(2019)		 Seventeen Going Under
(2021)
Singles from Hypersonic Missiles
  1. "Hypersonic Missiles"
    Released: 5 March 2019[1]
  2. "Will We Talk?"
    Released: 2 July 2019[2]
  3. "The Borders"
    Released: 2 September 2019[3]

Hypersonic Missiles is the debut studio album by English musician Sam Fender, released on 13 September 2019 by Polydor Records. The album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, number one on the Scottish Albums Chart, and number six on the Irish Albums Chart. It sold over 41,000 copies in the first week on the UK Albums Chart and was the 11th best selling vinyl album of 2019.[4] As of October 2021, the album has sold over 230,000 copies.[5]

The album was supported by three singles, "Hypersonic Missiles", "Will We Talk?" and "The Borders" as well as featuring previously released singles, "Play God", "Leave Fast", "Dead Boys" and "That Sound"; the latter three from the Dead Boys extended play. Hypersonic Missiles received generally positive reviews from critics, particularly towards Fender's lyricism and stylistic influences.

Background

On 6 March 2019, Fender released the title track of Hypersonic Missiles. The song was described by Fender himself as an "unorthodox love song."[6] On 6 July, he announced the album alongside the release of the single "Will We Talk?". As well as this, he announced his biggest UK tour to date which completely sold out and included two nights at O2 Brixton Academy and four nights at O2 Academy Newcastle.[7] Following the album's announcement, Fender performed the fastest selling date ever at the Mouth of the Tyne Festival as well as supporting Bob Dylan and Neil Young at Hyde Park, London.[8]

Fender built his own studio in his hometown of North Shields to record the album with money from his record label. He worked with his long-time friend and producer Bramwell Bronte on the record despite the suggestion from his record label to work with a high brow producer, a fact that Fender has said he is proud of.[9]

Music and lyrics

Hypersonic Missiles drew heavy comparisons to Bruce Springsteen due to Fender's "lyricism and his vignettes of working-class struggle."[10] The title track was described by Fender as being inspired by a "newly developed Russian missile that travels at something like nine times the speed of sound" as well as describing the song's protagonist as being a "tin foil hatter."[11] The track "The Borders" was described by Fender as his favourite and most personal song on the album and describes the "story of two boys growing up together and then going their separate ways." NME described the track as "chest-punching".[12] "The Borders" recounts events that Fender experienced from the age of 8 when he grew up partly in Scotland with his mother.[13] The Guardian described the track's "hypnotic, motorik beats" as well as the drum machines on "You're Not the Only One" to the War on Drugs.[14] Fender tackles his own entitlement on the track "White Privilege" and has said that his white privilege "has affected my success, definitely, white boy with a guitar, fucking great, original, here comes another one."[15]

"Dead Boys" tackles the theme of male suicide and mental health issues and was written as a reaction to losing a friend to suicide.[16] The track has been described as "stark" and "cathartic."[17] The track "Play God" was described by Fender being "set in an alternate dystopian reality that shares similarities with our own world."[18] "That Sound" was described as being "a celebration of music" and "a not-so-subtle middle finger to the naysayers that tend to rear their heads as soon as things start to work out for you, especially back home."[19] Clash magazine described it as "crisp power pop, it soars towards the crunching chorus, a real ear-worm that stays stuck in your head for days."[20]

"Saturday" was described by Fender at a gig at Electric Brixton in London as being about "hating your landlord."[21] "Will We Talk?" was described as "a heady blast of high-octane, melody-packed, smash'n'grab rock'n'roll that launches from the traps at full pelt and doesn't relent until the guitars and a string-section subside three minutes later."[22] The track is about one-night stands and is inspired by "The Cut" nightclub in Newcastle.[23] "Call Me Lover" is about infidelity and was inspired by an affair with a married woman that Fender had at 19. He also described the track as one of the few "pop songs" on the album.[24] "Leave Fast" was described by The Line of Best Fit as "an excellent study on provincial fear." The track stems from the fear of staying in your hometown forever.[25] The track "Use" was described by Pitchfork as entering Nina Simone-inspired territory.[26]

Hypersonic Missiles has been characterised as heartland rock[27] indie rock,[28] British rock,[29] incorporating elements of Americana, post-punk, and pop rock.[15]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic81/100[30]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[31]
Clash8/10[32]
The Guardian[14]
The Independent[10]
The Line of Best Fit8.5/10[33]
NME[29]
Pitchfork6.1/10[26]
The Skinny[34]
The Telegraph[35]
The Times[36]

Hypersonic Missiles received widespread acclaim from music critics.[30] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 81 based on 11 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[30] Alexis Petridis of The Guardian praised the album, calling it "perfectly imperfect rock". Jordan Basset of the NME after giving the album 4 out of 5, added that "the Geordie Springsteen's debut excels at documenting small-town frustration, which is why he means so much to so many people. This album isn't perfect, but he's a welcome antidote to polite chaps with guitars". AllMusic claimed "it reveals itself to be a fitting soundtrack to the weekend, addressing hopes and frustrations with a persistent intensity and rousing melodies that fall in line with the catharsis at hand."[31] Will Hodgkinson of The Times called Hypersonic Missiles "a believable, passionate album".[36] In a more mixed review, Pitchfork claimed that the album had a lack of focus and was full of "mostly formulaic arrangements".[26]

Year-end lists

Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
Clash Top 20 Albums of 2019 13 [37]
Gigwise Top 51 Albums of 2019 14 [38]
The Independent Top 50 Albums of 2019 20 [39]
NME Top 50 Albums of 2019 38 [40]

Track listing

Adapted from Sam Fender's online store.[41]

All tracks are written by Sam Fender

No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."Hypersonic Missiles"Bramwell Bronte3:57
2."The Borders"Bronte5:32
3."White Privilege"Bronte3:29
4."Dead Boys"Bronte3:23
5."You're Not the Only One"Bronte4:35
6."Play God"Bronte3:45
7."That Sound"Bronte3:25
8."Saturday"
  • Bronte
  • Rich Costey
3:01
9."Will We Talk?"
2:42
10."Two People"Bronte3:56
11."Call Me Lover"
  • Bronte
  • Costey
  • Fender
3:21
12."Leave Fast"Bronte3:44
13."Use" (live) 3:31
Total length:48:21
Japan bonus tracks [42]
No.TitleProducer(s)Length
14."Spice"Bronte2:23
15."Poundshop Kardashians"Bronte2:41
Total length:53:57

Personnel

Adapted from Discogs.[43]

Charts

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[58] Platinum 300,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Hypersonic Missiles – Single by Sam Fender". Apple Music. 5 March 2019. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  2. ↑ "Sam Fender shares secret of how he's getting his voice fit again". Radio X. 2 July 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  3. ↑ Lavin, Will (2 September 2019). "Listen to Sam Fender's chest-punching new single 'The Borders'". NME. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
  4. ↑ "The Official Top 40 biggest vinyl releases of 2019". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  5. ↑ Paine, Andre (15 October 2021). "Sam Fender tops 43,000 sales with Seventeen Going Under". Music Week. Archived from the original on 19 October 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  6. ↑ "Sam Fender drops new single 'Hypersonic Missiles'". Indie Is Not A Genre. 6 March 2019. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
  7. ↑ "VIDEO: Sam Fender reveals new single Will We Talk is about one night stands". Radio X. 6 July 2019. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
  8. ↑ Duke, Simon (20 September 2019). "Who is Sam Fender? Brit Awards Critics Choice winner set for number 1 album". Chronicle Live. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
  9. ↑ "Sam Fender recorded debut album at self-built studio to save money". Female First. 7 April 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  10. 1 2 "Sam Fender review – Hypersonic Missiles: Astonishing debut justifies the Bruce Springsteen comparisons". Independent.co.uk. 12 September 2019. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
  11. ↑ Daly, Rhian (6 March 2019). "Listen to Sam Fender's new "unorthodox love song" 'Hypersonic Missiles'". NME. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  12. ↑ Lavin, Will (2 September 2019). "Listen to Sam Fender's chest-punching new single 'The Borders'". NME. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  13. ↑ "Sam Fender and Elton John Discuss His New Album". Interview. Apple Music 1. 15 October 2021. Archived from the original on 24 July 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2022 – via Grateful Web.
  14. 1 2 "Sam Fender: Hypersonic Missiles review | Alexis Petridis's album of the week". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
  15. 1 2 Harrison, Ellie (10 September 2019). "Sam Fender: 'Poor northerners are confused by the idea of white privilege'". The Independent. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  16. ↑ Fender, Sam (20 November 2018). "An Open Letter from Sam Fender About Male Suicide and His Debut EP". Another Man. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  17. ↑ Mathis, Raleigh (20 August 2018). "Sam Fender tackles male suicide on the stark 'Dead Boys'". The 405. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  18. ↑ Reilly, Nick (14 January 2019). "Sam Fender debuts new single 'Play God' and announces UK tour". NME. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  19. ↑ "Sam Fender shares soaring new single 'That Sound' ahead of debut EP release". NME. 22 October 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  20. ↑ "Sam Fender Shares Glorious New Single 'That Sound' | News". Clash. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  21. ↑ "Sam Fender – Saturday & Dancing in the Dark – live @ Electric Brixton, London – Feb 28th 2019". 1 March 2019. Retrieved 22 September 2019 – via YouTube.
  22. ↑ Skinner, Tom (3 July 2019). "Listen to Sam Fender's euphoric new single 'Will We Talk?'". NME. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  23. ↑ "Video: Sam Fender reveals new single Will We Talk is about one night stands". Radio X. 6 July 2019. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  24. ↑ MacMillan, Jamie (16 April 2019). "Sam Fender has announced his debut album 'Hypersonic Missiles'". Dork. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  25. ↑ Powell, Aaron (15 June 2018). ""Leave First" is an excellent study on provincial fear from Sam Fender". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  26. 1 2 3 "Sam Fender: Hypersonic Missiles Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
  27. ↑ Heartland rock:
  28. ↑ Greene, Andy (2 August 2019). "Sam Fender Interview: Springsteen Influence, 'Hypersonic Missiles'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 5 February 2022. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
  29. 1 2 "Sam Fender – 'Hypersonic Missiles' Review". NME. 13 September 2019. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
  30. 1 2 3 "Hypersonic Missiles by Sam Fender Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
  31. 1 2 "Hypersonic Missiles – Sam Fender | Songs,Reviews,Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
  32. ↑ "Sam Fender – Hypersonic Missiles". Clash. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
  33. ↑ Milross, Hayley (11 September 2019). "Sam Fender – Hypersonic Missiles". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  34. ↑ Reynolds, Aidan (13 September 2019). "Sam Fender album review: Hypersonic Missiles – The Skinny". The Skinny. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  35. ↑ McCormick, Neil (11 September 2019). "Sam Fender, Hypersonic Missiles, review: meet the Springsteen of North Shields". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  36. 1 2 Hodgkinson, Will (13 September 2019). "Sam Fender: Hypersonic Missiles review − a believable, passionate debut". The Times. Archived from the original on 31 July 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  37. ↑ "Clash Albums of the 2019". Clash. 18 December 2019. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  38. ↑ "Gigwise's 51 Best Albums of 2019". Gigwise. 20 December 2019. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  39. ↑ O'Connor, Roisin (20 December 2019). "The 50 Best Albums of 2019". The Independent. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  40. ↑ "The 50 Best Albums of 2019". NME. 16 December 2019. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  41. ↑ "Hypersonic Missiles CD + Digital Album". samfenderstore.com. Archived from the original on 3 August 2019. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
  42. ↑ "ハイパーソニック・ミサイル[CD]" (in Japanese). Universal Music Japan. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  43. ↑ "Sam Fender – Hypersonic Missiles (2019, B&W, Cornetto, Vinyl)". discogs. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  44. ↑ "ARIA Chart Watch #543". auspOp. 21 September 2019. Archived from the original on 21 September 2019. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
  45. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Sam Fender – Hypersonic Missiles" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
  46. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Sam Fender – Hypersonic Missiles" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  47. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Sam Fender – Hypersonic Missiles" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  48. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Sam Fender – Hypersonic Missiles" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  49. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Sam Fender – Hypersonic Missiles" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  50. ↑ "Irish Albums Chart: 20 September 2019". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
  51. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
  52. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Sam Fender – Hypersonic Missiles". Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  53. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
  54. ↑ "Sam Fender Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  55. ↑ Copsey, Rob (1 January 2020). "The Official Top 40 biggest albums of 2019". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  56. ↑ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2020". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  57. ↑ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2022". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  58. ↑ "British album certifications – Sam Fender – Hypersonic Missiles". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
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