Unity
Studio album by
Nina Hagen
ReleasedDecember 9, 2022 (2022-12-09)
Length43:21
LanguageEnglish, German
LabelGrönland
ProducerNina Hagen, Sasha Perera, Warner Poland, Michael Wolff
Nina Hagen chronology
Volksbeat
(2011)		 Unity
(2022)

Unity is the fourteenth solo (and sixteenth overall) studio album by Nina Hagen, released on December 9, 2022, via Grönland records. The album was preceded by the singles "Unity", "Shadrack", "16 tons" and "United Women of the World".

Background and composition

Unity is a rock pop album with country and electronic elements and among its themes are biblical miracles and politics.[1] The album is the singer's first studio album since Volksbeat in 2011 and her first album featuring English songs since 2010's Personal Jesus. It was released on streaming platforms, CD, LP and also on limited edition purple coloured vinyl LP.[2]

Album opener "Shadrack" tells the Bible story of three Hebrew men saved by God from death.[1] "United Women of the World" was co-written by Jamaican singer Liz Mitchell and English-American singer Lene Lovich and was described in a press statement as "a feminist punk reggae anthem of solidarity".[1]

The reggae-influenced title-track features George Clinton and is a homage to the Black Lives Matter movement. It was written after the murder of George Floyd.[3] Hagen said the song is "about the indestructible dream of charity. From the longing for human values, for social unity and justice.” The song quotes the Coretta Scott King line from the book My Life with Martin Luther King Jr.: "Freedom is never really won. You earn it and win it in every generation."[4]

"16 Tons" is a cover of the 1946 folk classic "Sixteen Tons", telling the story of the Kentucky coal miners who worked themselves to the bone.[1] The song “Atomwaffensperrvertrag” is explicitly political and samples a speech Hagen gave in 2009 at the United Nation Freedom Festival and a United Nations speech from American politician Dennis Kucinich.[1]

The album features the cover of "Redemption Day" by Sheryl Crow and a German cover of "Blowin' in the Wind" by Bob Dylan (“Die Antwort weiss ganz allein der Wind”).[1] "It Doesn't Matter Now" is a duet with Irish singer Bob Geldof.

Release and promotion

On September 4, 2020, Nina Hagen released the single "Unity" and announced she would release a new album in 2021 via Grönland records. On September 25, the "Reconciliation Vibration mix" of the song was released. The single was followed by album opener "Shadrack", released on January 28, 2022. On October 12, a third single, "16 tons", was released with a music video directed by Sebastian Vogt. On the same day, Hagen also revealed the album's title, track list and its release date.[5] On November 17, "United Women of the World", the album's fourth single, was released with a music video directed by Timothy Wiehn.

On December 9, the day of album release, "It Doesn't Matter Now" was released as fifth single, after being teased on socials two days prior.[6] On December 19, the Agar Agar remix of "Unity" was released as digital single.[7]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Rolling Stone Germany[8]
The Guardian[9]
The Telegraph[10]

Daniel Dylan Wray of The Guardian rated the album two out of five, criticizing it for its weak political message and lack of cohesion.[9] Gunther Reinhardt of Rolling Stone Germany was more positive, rating the album three out of five and complimenting Hagen's delivery on the tracks "Geld, Geld, Geld" and "It Doesn't Matter Now".[8] Arwa Haider of The Telegraph also gave the album three out of five, commending the variety of guests featured on the songs and the ability of Hagen to bring cohesiveness to the album.[10]

Track listing

Unity track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)ProducerLength
1."Shadrack"Robert MacGimseyNina Hagen, Warner Poland3:42
2."United Women of the World"HagenMichael Wolff3:10
3."Unity"George Clinton, Hagen, Tequila Mockingbird, PolandHagen, Poland3:32
4."16 Tons"Merle TravisHagen, Poland2:38
5."Atomwaffensperrvertrag"Hagen, Sasha PereraPerera3:54
6."Gib mir deine Liebe"Hagen, PereraPerera3:08
7."Venusfliegenfalle"Hagen, PolandPoland3:24
8."Redemption Day"Sheryl CrowPoland4:19
9."Geld, Geld, Geld"Hagen, PolandPoland4:25
10."Die Antwort weiss ganz allein der Wind"Bob Dylan, Hans BradtkePoland3:17
11."Open My Heart (Dinner Time)"Hagen, PolandPoland4:35
12."It Doesn't Matter Now"Bob GeldofWolff3:17
Total length:43:21

Charts

Chart performance for Unity
Chart (2022) Peak
position
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[11] 30
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[12] 27

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Nina Hagen - Unity / Gronland from Piccadilly Records". www.piccadillyrecords.com. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
  2. ↑ "Nina Hagen - Unity". Groenland Records (in German). Retrieved 2022-11-21.
  3. ↑ "Nina Hagen Shares New Song With George Clinton". Pitchfork. 2020-09-04. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
  4. ↑ Martoccio, Angie (2020-09-04). "Nina Hagen Enlists George Clinton for Black Lives Matter-Inspired 'Unity'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
  5. ↑ "Nina Hagen Announces New Album Unity, Shares "16 Tons" Video". Pitchfork. 2022-10-12. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
  6. ↑ "Nina Hagen on Instagram: "2 more days until Ninas new album is finally out! Can you guess who is singing the song "It doesn't matter now" with her? •• The Nina Hagen & Groenland Records Team #ninahagen #newalbum #feature #itdoesntmatternow #groenlandrecords"". Instagram. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
  7. ↑ Hagen, Nina (December 19, 2022). "Agar Agar's fantastic remix of "Unity" is out today..." Instagram. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
  8. 1 2 "Nina Hagen: "Unity"". Rolling Stone (in German). Retrieved 2022-12-09.
  9. 1 2 "Nina Hagen: Unity review – musically eclectic to the point of chaos". the Guardian. 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
  10. 1 2 McCormick, Neil; Haider, Arwa; Johnston, Kathleen (2022-12-09). "Sam Ryder is no one-hit wonder, SZA channels Princess Diana – the week's best albums". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2022-12-17.
  11. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Nina Hagen – Unity" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  12. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Nina Hagen – Unity". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
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