When You See Yourself
Studio album by
Kings of Leon
ReleasedMarch 5, 2021 (2021-03-05)
Recorded2019
StudioBlackbird (Nashville)[1]
Genre
Length51:26
LabelRCA
ProducerMarkus Dravs
Kings of Leon chronology
Walls
(2016) 		When You See Yourself
(2021) 		Can We Please Have Fun
(2024)
Singles from When You See Yourself
  1. "The Bandit" / "100,000 People"
    Released: January 7, 2021
  2. "Echoing"
    Released: February 11, 2021
  3. "Stormy Weather"
    Released: March 5, 2021

When You See Yourself is the eighth studio album by American rock band Kings of Leon. It was released on March 5, 2021, by RCA Records. The album was again produced by Markus Dravs.[4] It was preceded by the singles "The Bandit" and "100,000 People", both released on January 7, 2021. It is the band's first album in nearly four and a half years, following 2016's Walls, marking their longest gap between studio album releases.

Release and promotion

On March 31, 2020, the band released a live acoustic recording of its first new song in more than three years, "Going Nowhere"—later renamed "Supermarket"—through YouTube and various social media platforms.[5][6]

On January 1, 2021, the band teased the song "The Bandit" on Instagram, and subsequently posted five more teasers of new songs. Six days later, the name of the album was announced and saw the release of its two lead singles: "The Bandit" and "100,000 People".[7] The album itself was released on March 5.[8]

The band became the first to sell a newly-released album in the form of a non-fungible token, a type of cryptocurrency that contains unique assets such as music and art.[8] The release came in the form of three different types of tokens for three separate packages in a series called "NFT Yourself".[8] They contained a special album package, a live show package, and an audiovisual package.[8] The tokens were developed and hosted by YellowHeart, a ticketing platform employing blockchain technology.[8] The album was the first NFT to be displayed at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.[9]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic69/100[10]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[11]
Clash7/10[12]
Classic Rock[13]
The Daily Telegraph[2]
DIY[14]
musicOMH[15]
NME[16]
Pitchfork4.8/10[17]
Rolling Stone[18]
The Times[19]

When You See Yourself has received generally positive reviews from critics. On Metacritic, the album has a weighted average score of 69 out of 100 based on 19 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[10] AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine described the album "as a continuation of Walls" in a positive review, commenting that "the moody stateliness of When You See Yourself showcases their knack for building melodrama."[11] Robin Murray of Clash praised the record for containing the band's "most tender and honest songwriting for a decade" and giving its fans "a certain intimacy" when they listen to it, writing that, "Subtle in its evolution, Kings Of Leon treat 'When You See Yourself' as a means to re-engage with their early bite, yet remain unwilling to cede their place at rock's top table."[12] Pitchfork contributor Evan Rytlewski wrote that: "On their eighth album, the Followill brothers desperately cling to a sound that has stopped working, trying to write songs that soar but capable only of ones that wallow."[17] Phil Mongredien of The Guardian felt that producer Dravs couldn't make use of the band's "raw material" to get them out of performing "wearyingly featureless mellow country rock", concluding that "this is the sound of a band fresh out of ideas."[20]

Track listing

When You See Yourself track listing
No.TitleLength
1."When You See Yourself, Are You Far Away"5:47
2."The Bandit"4:10
3."100,000 People"5:44
4."Stormy Weather"3:42
5."A Wave"5:23
6."Golden Restless Age"4:33
7."Time in Disguise"4:45
8."Supermarket"4:58
9."Claire & Eddie"4:52
10."Echoing"3:37
11."Fairytale"3:55
Total length:51:26

Personnel

Adapted from the booklet of When You See Yourself.[21]

Kings of Leon

Additional musicians

Production

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for When You See Yourself
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[45] Silver 60,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ "Kings of Leon Announce New Album 'When You See Yourself'". DIY. January 7, 2021. Archived from the original on March 5, 2021. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  2. ^ a b McCormick, Neil (March 4, 2021). "Kings of Leon have gone from Sex on Fire to the Travis of Tennessee". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  3. ^ a b RaduP (April 11, 2021). "Wait A Minute! This Isn't Metal! - March 2021". Metal Storm. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  4. ^ Daly, Rhian (January 7, 2021). "Kings Of Leon announce long-awaited new album 'When You See Yourself'". NME. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  5. ^ Legaspi, Althea (March 31, 2020). "Kings of Leon Unveil Black-and-White Video for New Acoustic Song 'Going Nowhere'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 5, 2021. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  6. ^ Lotter, Judah Charles (March 31, 2020). "Kings of Leon drop new song 'Going Nowhere' after 3 years, promote social distancing in black-and-white video". MEAWW. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  7. ^ "Kings Of Leon announce long-awaited new album 'When You See Yourself'". NME. January 7, 2021. Archived from the original on May 9, 2021. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  8. ^ a b c d e Hissong, Samantha (March 3, 2021). "Kings of Leon Will Be the First Band to Release an Album as an NFT". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 3, 2021. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  9. ^ "Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Exhibits Kings of Leon Historic NFT | Rock & Roll Hall of Fame". www.rockhall.com. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
  10. ^ a b "When You See Yourself by Kings of Leon Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Archived from the original on March 22, 2021. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  11. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (March 5, 2021). "Kings Of Leon – When You See Yourself". AllMusic. Archived from the original on May 7, 2021. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  12. ^ a b Murray, Robin (March 3, 2021). "Kings Of Leon – When You See Yourself". Clash. Archived from the original on March 3, 2021. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  13. ^ Beaumont, Mark (March 5, 2021). "Kings Of Leon's When You See Yourself is a record of life-worn wisdom, hard times and hope". Classic Rock. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  14. ^ Wright, Lisa (March 4, 2021). "Kings of Leon – When You See Yourself | Reviews". DIY. Archived from the original on March 4, 2021. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  15. ^ Horton, Ross (March 5, 2021). "Kings Of Leon – When You See Yourself". musicOMH. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  16. ^ Kemp, Ella (March 5, 2021). "Kings of Leon – When You See Yourself | Reviews". NME. Archived from the original on April 16, 2021. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  17. ^ a b Rytlewski, Evan (March 8, 2021). "Kings of Leon – When You See Yourself | Reviews". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on May 5, 2021. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  18. ^ Dolan, Jon (March 5, 2021). "Kings of Leon Create an Arena-Rock of the Mind on 'When You See Yourself'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  19. ^ Hodgkinson, Will (March 7, 2021). "Kings of Leon – From Nashville Straight To Dullsville | Reviews". The Times. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  20. ^ Mongredien, Phil (March 7, 2021). "Kings of Leon – When You See Yourself-Not Much To Look At | Reviews". The Guardian. Archived from the original on March 21, 2021. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  21. ^ When You See Yourself (booklet). Kings of Leon. RCA. 2021. 19439-74687-2.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  22. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Kings of Leon – When You See Yourself". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  23. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Kings of Leon – When You See Yourself" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  24. ^ "Ultratop.be – Kings of Leon – When You See Yourself" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  25. ^ "Ultratop.be – Kings of Leon – When You See Yourself" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  26. ^ "Kings of Leon Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  27. ^ "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 10.Týden 2021 on the field besides the words "CZ – ALBUMS – TOP 100" to retrieve the correct chart. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  28. ^ "Danishcharts.dk – Kings of Leon – When You See Yourself". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  29. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Kings of Leon – When You See Yourself" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  30. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Kings of Leon – When You See Yourself" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  31. ^ "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  32. ^ "Italiancharts.com – Kings of Leon – When You See Yourself". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  33. ^ "2021 10-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. March 12, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  34. ^ "Charts.nz – Kings of Leon – When You See Yourself". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  35. ^ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
  36. ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Kings of Leon – When You See Yourself". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  37. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  38. ^ "Veckolista Vinyl, vecka 10" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  39. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Kings of Leon – When You See Yourself". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  40. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  41. ^ "Kings of Leon Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  42. ^ "Kings of Leon Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  43. ^ "Kings of Leon Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  44. ^ "Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  45. ^ "British album certifications – Kings of Leon – When You See Yourself". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
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