Remember the Future (Jonna Lee album)

Remember the Future (stylised in all caps) is the fourth[nb 1] studio album by Swedish singer Jonna Lee. It was released on 31 May 2019 by her own record label To whom it may concern. It has spawned the lead single "Open Sea" released on 8 February 2019, "Some Body" released on 26 April 2019 and "Remember the Future" released on 24 May 2019. It features contributions from her iamamiwhoami collaborator, Claes Björklund, as well as Röyksopp, Zola Jesus and Jennie Abrahamson.[3]

Remember the Future
Studio album by
ionnalee
Released31 May 2019 (2019-05-31)
Recorded2018
StudioHome Studio (Sweden)[1]
GenreElectropop
Length50:08
LabelTo whom it may concern.
Producer
ionnalee chronology
Everyone Afraid to Be Forgotten
(2018)		 Remember the Future
(2019)
Singles from Remember the Future
  1. "Open Sea"
    Released: 8 February 2019
  2. "Some Body"
    Released: 26 April 2019
  3. "Remember the Future"
    Released: 24 May 2019

Background and release

Lee has embarked on a tour promoting her album, Everyone Afraid to Be Forgotten. The artist stated that between shows "I found myself alone in my studio at every given chance, inspired from that whole synergy I experienced with the audience on stage."[4]

On 3 February 2019, the artist announced the release date of the lead single, "Open Sea", released on 8 February 2019, alongside the new album, its title, release date, pre-order and North America tour dates.[5][6]

In March 2019, Lee revealed the album's track listing and artwork as well as new tour dates.[7][8]

On 17 April 2019, Jonna Lee announced the second single, "Some Body" released on 26 April 2019, preceding the album, alongside the video premiered on 25 April 2019 on the YouTube channel of iamamiwhoami.[9]

Concept

Lee described Remember the Future as "visionary album of daring to dream, and shooting for the stars, despite the paradoxical underlying chafing knowledge that we're destroying our planet".[10]

Artwork

The robot featured on the album cover was created by Lee. She portrayed it as "a retro space-age symbol of the visions of the past when people were dreaming of exploring the universe and the possibilities seemed endless."[11]

Promotion

To promote the album, Lee embarked on a tour in United States and Canada. It began on 19 April 2019.[12] The European leg of the tour was cancelled due to the artist's health issues.[13]

Date City Country Venue Other artists
19 April 2019 Brooklyn United States Elsewhere Allie X
21 April 2019 New York City Bowery Ballroom
22 April 2019 Cambridge The Sinclair
25 April 2019 Montreal Canada l'Astral
26 April 2019 Toronto Phoenix Concert Theatre TR/ST
28 April 2019 Chicago United States Bottom Lounge Allie X
1 May 2019 Portland Holocene
3 May 2019 Seattle The Showbox
4 May 2019 Vancouver Canada Venue
9 May 2019 San Francisco United States Great American Music Hall
10 May 2019 Los Angeles The Fonda

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[14]
Gaffa[15]
Pitchfork7.2/10[16]
Spectrum Culture[17]

Remember The Future received positive reviews from music critics. Eric Torres of Pitchfork stated that Lee "tilts her off-kilter electropop toward compellingly dystopian visions" while rating the album 7.2 out of 10.[16] In her review for AllMusic, Heather Phares declared that on the album, Jonna Lee "takes a lighter, more hopeful - and more purely pop - approach." She further stated that she "doesn't sacrifice any of her music's complexity" and "carefully balances the album's more direct songs with spacious interludes that suggest spaces to confront and embrace the hope and fear that come with the unknown."[14]

Track listing

All tracks are written by ionnalee, except where noted.

No.TitleLength
1."Open Sea"4:30
2."Wipe It Off"3:42
3."Some Body" (writers: ionnalee, Claes Björklund)4:20
4."Matters" (with Zola Jesus; writer: ionnalee; additional writers: Zola Jesus, Björklund)6:40
5."Islander"4:28
6."Remember the Future"5:13
7."Crystal" (with Jennie Abrahamson)5:54
8."Race Against"2:41
9."Silence My Drum"3:46
10."Mysteries of Love" (writers: David Lynch, Angelo Badalamenti)4:40
11."I Keep"4:14
Total length:50:08
Notes
  • All tracks stylised in all caps, except "I Keep" stylised as "i KEEP".

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Remember the Future.[18]

Musicians
  • ionnalee – vocals, instruments
  • Zola Jesus – vocals (track 4)
  • Jennie Abrahamson – vocals (track 7)
  • Claes Björklund – instruments (tracks: 1–4, 6, 7, 9)
  • Tungorna – instruments (track 2); additional instruments (track 1); vocals (track 8)
  • Svein Berge – instruments (track 10)
  • Torbjørn Brundtland – instruments (track 10)
  • Johannes Berglund – additional instruments (track 6)

Technical personnel
  • ionnalee – production (tracks: 2–5, 7–11); co-production (tracks: 1, 6); mixing (tracks: 5, 8); mastering (track 5)
  • Claes Björklund – production (tracks: 1, 6); co-production (tracks: 3, 7); mixing (tracks: 5)
  • Röyksopp – production (track 10)
  • Johannes Berglund – mixing (tracks 1–4, 6, 7, 9–11)
  • Sören von Malmborg – mastering (tracks 1–4, 6–11)

Artwork
  • ionnalee – art direction, robot, costume
  • Comme des Garçons – costume
  • John Strandh – photography
  • Jacob Hulmston – graphic design

Release history
Region Date Format Label Ref.
Worldwide 31 May 2019 Digital download To whom it may concern. [19]
Sweden 3 July 2019 LP
22 July 2019 CD

Notes
  1. Remember the Future is Lee's fourth solo album, second under her moniker ionnalee, fifth including iamamiwhoami albums and seventh overall.[2]

    References
    1. Price, Jessica (3 May 2019). "SGN - Seattle Gay News - Page 22 - Remember the Future: A Q & A with ionnalee". Seattle Gay News. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
    2. Sawdey, Evan (29 May 2019). "Silence My Drum: An Interview with ionnalee". PopMatters. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
    3. "ionnalee / Remember the Future". ionnalee. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
    4. The 405 News Team (8 February 2019). "ionnalee debuts brand new single, 'OPEN SEA', ahead of forthcoming second album". The 405. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
    5. @ionnalee (3 February 2019). "this ship leaves in 5 days. new single OPEN SEA friday. x il" (Tweet). Retrieved 30 March 2019 – via Twitter.
    6. @ionnalee (3 February 2019). "i am over the moon to announce my new album 'REMEMBER THE FUTURE' may 31 along with it comes a US/CA TOUR in april. the first single OPEN SEA is out friday / x il" (Tweet). Retrieved 30 March 2019 – via Twitter.
    7. @ionnalee (27 March 2019). "introducing REMEMBER THE FUTURE artwork & tracklist. can't wait for you to hear it, a big moment in my body of work. the album features light/dark moments + some special contributions from @_brbl_ , @ZOLAJESUS, @royksopp and @JennieAbrahams" (Tweet). Retrieved 30 March 2019 – via Twitter.
    8. @twimc_label (27 March 2019). "announcing new dates added to the @ionnalee" (Tweet). Retrieved 30 March 2019 – via Twitter.
    9. @ionnalee (17 April 2019). "SOME BODY - video premiere on youtube april 25. follow link to attend" (Tweet). Retrieved 26 April 2019 – via Twitter.
    10. Calfee, Bailey (30 May 2019). "ionnalee's Newest Project Is the Otherworldly Hype Album". Nylon. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
    11. "Ionnalee: Meet the Experimental Visionary Merging Music and Visual Art". The Untitled. 10 May 2019. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
    12. "ionnalee / LIVE". ionnalee. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
    13. @ionnalee (22 August 2019). "Post" (Tweet) – via Twitter. Invalid |number= parameter (help)
    14. Phares, Heather (31 May 2019). "Remember the Future - ionnalee". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
    15. Lundberg, Simon (5 June 2019). "Dystopisk elektronisk pop som andas lätt". Gaffa. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
    16. Torres, Eric (31 May 2019). "ionnalee: REMEMBER THE FUTUTE Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
    17. Maxton, Ian (2 June 2019). "ionnalee: REMEMBER THE FUTUTE - Spectrum Culture". Spectrum Culture. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
    18. Remember the Future (liner notes). ionnalee. To whom it may concern. 2019. TWIMC007iLA.CS1 maint: others (link)
    19. Various citations concerning the 31 May 2019, release of Remember the Future:
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