Beautiful Lies
Studio album by
Birdy
Released25 March 2016 (2016-03-25)
Recorded2014–2015
Studio
  • RAK (London)
  • Rokstone (London)
  • State of the Ark (London)
  • The Music Shed (London)
  • Sarm (London)
Genre
Length52:49
LabelAtlantic
Producer
Birdy chronology
Breathe
(2013)		 Beautiful Lies
(2016)		 Piano Sketches
(2020)
Singles from Beautiful Lies
  1. "Keeping Your Head Up"
    Released: 30 December 2015
  2. "Wild Horses"
    Released: 11 March 2016
  3. "Words"
    Released: 20 June 2016
  4. "Hear You Calling"
    Released: 6 October 2016

Beautiful Lies is the third studio album by British musician Birdy, released on 25 March 2016 by Atlantic Records. The album includes the singles "Keeping Your Head Up", "Wild Horses", "Words", and "Hear You Calling".

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic73/100[1]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[3]
The Irish Times[4]
The Guardian[5]
PopCrush[6]

Beautiful Lies received generally positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, the album received a score of 73 on Metacritic based on four reviews.[7] AllMusic senior editor Neil Z. Yeung commended Birdy's "evolution from acoustic covers singer to confident and powerful artist" and stated, that the album "brings a depth that pulls Birdy from Ingrid Michaelson territory and into a scene occupied by Lorde, Florence, and Lana [Del Rey]." He felt that "with more life, richer texture, and an inspiring attitude, Beautiful Lies is Birdy's declaration that she is more than able to make her mark in the big leagues and join the ranks of the alternative pop pantheon".[2] Marc Snetiker of Entertainment Weekly gave the album a B+ rating and noted that "Beautiful Lies places her square in the middle of the indie pop realm [...] Her third album is her own testament to talent and her proof that she's only dipping her toe into the tropes of her genre to spring upward from them and float onto a cloud all her own."[3]

Dave Simpson of The Guardian called the album "certainly an adult-oriented, mainstream affair [that] has an intriguing, almost eastern feel".[5] The Irish Times writer Tony Clayton-Lea felt the songs on Beautiful Lies showcased Birdy's songwriting abilities, with "telltale names indicating a smart artist getting to grips with the differences between inexperience and hard knocks." He added that "notwithstanding leaf or two taken from the Lorde handbook, Birdy delivers a special brand of off-centre pop music that directly reference her transition from teenager to adult."[4]

Track listing

Standard edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Growing Pains"
Jim Abbiss3:49
2."Shadow"
  • Abbiss
  • Hartman[a]
4:01
3."Keeping Your Head Up"
3:28
4."Deep End"
3:28
5."Wild Horses"
3:05
6."Lost It All"Van den Bogaerde
  • Bran
  • Kerr
  • Birdy
3:47
7."Silhouette"
  • Van den Bogaerde
  • Simon Aldred
  • Rosie Doonan
  • Bran
  • Kerr
4:10
8."Lifted"
  • Bran
  • Kerr
4:23
9."Take My Heart"Van den Bogaerde
  • Felix Joseph
  • Birdy
4:11
10."Hear You Calling"
  • Van den Bogaerde
  • Hector
  • Mac
Mac4:01
11."Words"
Al Shux3:37
12."Save Yourself"
  • Bran
  • Kerr
3:34
13."Unbroken"
  • Van den Bogaerde
  • Aldred
  • Bran
  • Kerr
4:25
14."Beautiful Lies"
  • Van den Bogaerde
  • Romans
  • Birdy
  • Romans
2:50
Total length:52:49
Deluxe edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
15."Beating Heart"
  • Van den Bogaerde
  • Romans
  • Bran
  • Kerr
3:50
16."Winter"Van den Bogaerde
  • Bran
  • Kerr
5:06
17."Give Up"
TMS4:00
18."Start Again"
Abbiss3:24
Total length:69:09
iTunes Store bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
19."Wings" (Acoustic)
3:42
Total length:72:51
Japanese edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
19."Let It All Go"
  • Van den Bogaerde
  • Rhodes
  • James Kenosha[c]
4:41
20."Lights"Van den BogaerdeJamie Scott4:44
Total length:77:35

Notes

  • ^[c] signifies a co-producer
  • ^[a] signifies an additional producer

Personnel

Musicians

  • Birdy – lead vocals (all tracks), piano (1–4, 6–14), string arrangement (4, 6, 7, 12), organ (5), acoustic guitar (8), additional keyboards (11)
  • Jim Abbiss – additional programming, keyboards, percussion (1, 2)
  • Seye Adelekan – bass guitar, electric guitar (1, 2)
  • Rosie Danvers – conductor, string arrangement (1, 2)
  • Andy Burrows – drums (1, 2)
  • Úna Palliser – erhu (1)
  • Asher Levitas – programming (1, 2)
  • Liam Howe – synthesizer (1, 2)
  • Jamie Hartman – acoustic guitar (2)
  • Steve Pearce – bass guitar (3, 10)
  • Chris Laws – drums (3, 10)
  • Steve Mac – Hammond organ, strings, synthesizer (3); keyboards (10)
  • Roy Kerr – programming (4, 6–8, 12, 13), additional keyboards (4, 7, 8, 11–13), keyboards (6), string arrangement (7)
  • Tim Bran – programming (4, 6–8, 12, 13), additional keyboards (4, 6–8, 11–13), string arrangement (4, 6, 7, 12, 13), bass guitar (6, 13), Wurlitzer (7)
  • Audrey Riley – string arrangement, cello (4, 6, 7, 12, 13); strings (6)
  • Sophie Harris – cello (4, 6, 7, 12)
  • Alex Thomas – drums (4, 6–8, 12, 13)
  • Chris Tombling – lead violin (4, 6, 7, 12, 13)
  • Helen Patterson – violin (4, 6, 7, 12, 13)
  • Ian Humphries – violin (4, 6, 7, 12, 13)
  • Joan Atherton – violin (4, 6, 7, 12, 13)
  • Jon Hill – violin (4, 6, 7, 12, 13)
  • Laura Melhuish – violin (4, 6, 7, 12, 13)
  • Mitch McGugan – violin (4, 6, 7, 12, 13)
  • Richard George – violin (4, 6, 7, 12, 13)
  • Peter Lale – viola (4, 7, 12, 13)
  • Sue Dench – viola (4, 7, 12, 13)
  • Mpho McKenzie – backing vocals (5)
  • Peter Kelleher – bass guitar (5)
  • Tom Barnes – drums (5)
  • Phil Cook – guitar (5)
  • Ben Kohn – synthesizer (5)
  • Sam Romans – backing vocals (6, 8)
  • Leo Abrahams – guitar (6–8, 12), acoustic guitar (13)
  • Lydia Kavina – theremin (7, 12)
  • Philippe Clegg – bass guitar (9)
  • Louis Van Der Westhuizen – double bass (9)
  • Felix Joseph – drums, piano (9)
  • George Cook – drums (9)
  • Todd Oliver – guitar (9)
  • Dann Pursey – percussion (10)
  • Andrew Murray – string arrangement (14)
  • Ian Burdge – cello (14)
  • Richard Pryce – double bass (14)
  • Max Baillie – viola (14)
  • Emma Smith – violin (14)
  • Tom Piggot-Smith – violin (14)

Technical

  • Stuart Hawkes – mastering
  • Craig Silvey – mixing (1, 2, 4, 7, 12)
  • Serban Ghenea – mixing (3, 5, 10, 14)
  • John Hanes – mixing (3, 5, 10)
  • Roy Kerr – mixing (6, 9, 11, 13)
  • Tim Bran – mixing (6, 9, 11, 13)
  • Wez Clarke – mixing (8)
  • Sam Romans – mixing (14)
  • Robbie Nelson – engineering (1, 2, 4, 6–8, 11–13)
  • Chris Laws – engineering (3)
  • Dann Pursey – engineering (3)
  • Jack Ruston – engineering (4, 7, 13)
  • Ben Kohn – engineering (5)
  • Graham Archer – engineering (5)
  • Peter Kelleher – engineering (5)
  • Tom Barnes – engineering (5)
  • Cameron Gower Poole – engineering (9, 11)
  • Chris Bolster – engineering (15)
  • Richard Evans – engineering (15)
  • Mark Gustafson – mixing assistance (1, 2, 4, 7)
  • Sam Klempner – additional engineering (5)
  • Felix Joseph – additional engineering (9)
  • Isabel Seeliger Morley – engineering assistance (1, 2)
  • Manon Grandjean – engineering assistance (1, 14)
  • Tom Campbell – engineering assistance (5)
  • Rob Brinkmann – engineering assistance (6–8, 12)
  • Che Jackson – engineering assistance (11)

Visuals

  • Frank Fieber – artwork, design
  • Olivia Bee – photography

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for Beautiful Lies
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[34] Gold 100,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ↑ "Reviews for Beautiful Lies by Birdy". Metacritic. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  2. 1 2 Yeoung, Neil Z. "Beautiful Lies – Birdy". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  3. 1 2 Snetiker, Marc (28 March 2016). "Birdy's Beautiful Lies: EW Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  4. 1 2 Clayton-Lea, Tony (24 March 2016). "Birdy – Beautiful Lies review: confident follow-up from a smart musician". The Irish Times. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  5. 1 2 Simpson, Dave (24 March 2016). "Birdy: Beautiful Lies review – confessional balladry from soulful young singer". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  6. ↑ Donnelly, Matthew Scott (24 March 2016). "Birdy's 'Beautiful Lies': A Scenic Eastbound Flight". PopCrush. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  7. ↑ "Beautiful Lies by Birdy". Metacritic. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  8. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Birdy – Beautiful Lies". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
  9. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Birdy – Beautiful Lies" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  10. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Birdy – Beautiful Lies" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  11. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Birdy – Beautiful Lies" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  12. ↑ "Birdy Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
  13. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Birdy – Beautiful Lies" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
  14. ↑ "Le Top de la semaine : Top Albums – SNEP (Semaine du 25 Mars)". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  15. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Birdy – Beautiful Lies" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  16. ↑ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2016. 12. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  17. ↑ "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 13, 2016". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  18. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – Birdy – Beautiful Lies". Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  19. ↑ "Charts.nz – Birdy – Beautiful Lies". Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  20. ↑ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  21. ↑ "Portuguesecharts.com – Birdy – Beautiful Lies". Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  22. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
  23. ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – Birdy – Beautiful Lies". Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  24. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Birdy – Beautiful Lies". Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  25. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
  26. ↑ "Birdy Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
  27. ↑ "Birdy Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  28. ↑ "Birdy Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  29. ↑ "Birdy Chart History (Top Americana/Folk Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  30. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 2016 – Albums" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
  31. ↑ "Rapports Annuels 2016 – Albums" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
  32. ↑ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2016". hitparade.ch (in German). Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  33. ↑ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2016". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  34. ↑ "British album certifications – Birdy – Beautiful Lies". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
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