text
X & Hell or Weapon X & Ken Hell are an Australian electro-rap group, consisting of producer and vocalist, Weapon X (a.k.a. Xavier Millis), vocalist, Ken Hell (a.k.a. Daivin Verduci) and DJ and turntablist, A-Style. They issued two albums, Sneakerpimpin Aint Easy (2005) and Million Dollar Sex Party (2008). They were nominated for Best Urban Release in 2005 for "Otherman" and in 2006 for Sneakerpimpin Aint Easy. "Otherman" (July 2005), their debut single, reached No. 46 on the ARIA Singles Chart. == History == In 2005 X & Hell, as Weapon X & Ken Hell, released their debut album, Sneakerpimpin Aint Easy. The group were signed to Melbourne record label Illusive Sounds, part of the Mushroom Records. The label is home to Australian acts Bliss n Eso, Solid MC, Paris Wells, Lowrider, and the Winnie Coopers. Their album provided three singles, "Otherman" (July 2005), "Sneakerpimpin Aint Easy" (2006) and "Stares and Whispers 05" – the latter is a cover version featuring its original singer, Renée Geyer. "Otherman", which peaked at No. 46 on the ARIA Singles Chart, received steady airplay on commercial radio and was the Channel [V]'s Ripe Clip of the Week. Both "Otherman" and the album Sneakerpimpin Aint Easy were nominated for Best Urban Release at the ARIA Music Awards of 2005 and 2006, respectively. The album earned them Australian tour support slots with 50 Cent and G-Unit, Mobb Deep and Xzibit in 2005 and 2006. X & Hell also issued a three-part, mixtape series, Scar-non. In 2007 they released a video for "Drive It Like It's Hot", performed by Ken Hell's alter ego Take it Easy Heezy, as a parody based on Snoop Dogg's hit, "Drop It Like Its Hot". Also in that year DJ A-Style won the Victorian leg of the DMC Championships. In July 2008 X & Hell released the first single, "Don't Stop Movin", from its second album, Million Dollar Sex Party, to radio and press. It was produced by Weapon X and Styalz Fuego. By 2010 Millis, on keyboards, had formed an AOR group, White Widdow, with his brother Jules Millis (a.k.a. Julez Mephisto) on lead vocals, Enzo Almanzi on lead guitar, Jim Naish on drums and Trent Wilson on bass guitar. == Members == * Weapon X (a.k.a. Xavier Millis) – producer, vocals, songwriting * Ken Hell (a.k.a. Daivin Verduci) – vocals, songwriting * A-Style – DJ, turntabling == Discography == ===Albums=== List of albums, with selected details Title Details Sneakerpimpin Aint Easy * Released: 2005 * Label: Solid State, Illusive Sounds Million Dollar Sex Party * Released: 2008 * Label: Universal Music Australia ===Singles=== List of singles, with selected chart positions Title Year Peak chart positions Album AUS "Otherman" 2005 46 Sneakerpimpin Aint Easy "Sneakerpimpin Aint Easy" 2006 — "Stares and Whispers 05" — "Don't Stop Movin" 2008 — Million Dollar Sex Party "Shades Off" 2009 — ==References== Category:Australian electronic musicians Category:Australian hip hop groups
is a 1992 space combat simulation video game developed by Nintendo and Argonaut Games and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy in Japan. The player assumes the role of the VIXIV starship as it must protect the planet Tetamus II from a mysterious race of aliens. Gameplay involves completing missions assigned by the "Training Academy Coach", ranging from protecting bases from enemy fire or delivering cargo to a certain area. Notable for being one of the few attempts at a 3D video game on the Game Boy alongside Faceball 2000, X was the creation of Dylan Cuthbert, who would later program the original Star Fox for the Super NES. Commissioned by Argonaut president Jez San after being impressed by the Game Boy at the 1991 Consumer Electronics Show, Cuthbert and a team of others programmers were forced to reverse-engineer the system due to official development kits being hard to find. It was designed after Argonaut's earlier game Starglider 2 for the Amiga. Nintendo grew interested in the game during production and convinced Cuthbert and Argonaut to make it a first-party title for the console. A planned North American release named Lunar Chase was cancelled as Nintendo of America felt a game of its type was too advanced for a console meant for children. X initially received mixed reviews from critics, often being praised for its impressive technological accomplishments but criticized for its high difficulty. Retrospectively, it was acclaimed for its historical importance and gameplay, often being compared to games such as Star Luster. A DSiWare sequel, X-Scape, was released worldwide in 2010. ==Gameplay== [[Image:X - ekkusu.png|thumb|left|Translation: "Move the + [cross] button [control pad] up and down to control your speed!"]] X is a first-person space combat simulator video game, being one of the few Game Boy games to use 3D visuals. Controlling the starship VIXIV, the player is tasked with completing missions assigned by the Training Academy Coach to protect the planet Tetamus II from being taken over by a mysterious alien race. The VIXIV must complete each of the game's ten stages, referred in-game as "objectives", under a time limit. Objectives range from protecting a base from enemy fire, delivering a load of cargo to a certain area, or shooting down formations of enemies. The VIXIV can fast-travel to other parts of the map by entering large openings found in certain places, with gameplay taking place in a long series of tunnels. Completing objectives awards the player stars, and up to ten can be awarded. A certain number of stars is required to complete each mission, and should the player fail to earn enough he/she will be forced to restart the mission. The VIXIV has a radar at the bottom of the screen that displays the player's current location and any nearby enemies or objectives. The player can find large openings on the ground in certain areas of the game, which can allow the VIXIV to fast-travel to other sections of the map. The player must complete all ten missions in order to finish the game. ==Development== X was designed by Dylan Cuthbert of Argonaut Games, who would later program Star Fox for the SNES. After being intrigued by the Game Boy during the 1991 Consumer Electronics Show, Argonaut president Jez San commissioned Cuthbert to produce a 3D engine for the console and potentially create a game utilizing it. Cuthbert and his development team had to reverse-engineer the Game Boy hardware as official Nintendo development kits were hard to come by, and that Argonaut was virtually unknown to them. A dummy developer kit was produced with a camera pointing at the system, produced by dismantling the console itself with a Tetris cartridge inserted and connecting it to a board made by another Argonaut employee. Cuthbert began work on X once he became familiar with the hardware; he was responsible for creating some of the graphics, most of the game design, and all of the programming. Cuthbert used an Amiga 3000 for development. The development for the game was created in the style of Argonaut's older computer games, notably Starglider 2, featuring full 360-degree movement through space. Its technological accomplishments quickly caught the eye of a Nintendo employee, who urged that they send a ROM of the game to Nintendo's headquarters in Kyoto, Japan. It was presented to both Game Boy creator Gunpei Yokoi and engineer Ishuna, who were "blown away" by its usage of 3D wireframe graphics, requesting that Dylan and his team fly over to Japan and meet them. After being shown to other employees, Nintendo became so impressed with the game that they purchased the rights to it from the original publisher, Mindscape, and made Argonaut an official third-party licensee. Assisting development was Nintendo Research and Development 1 (R&D1;), the division responsible for producing the Game Boy itself. The soundtrack was composed by Kazumi Totaka, and is the first game to feature the infamous "Totaka's Song". At first, the title was named Eclipse, but then-Nintendo President Hiroshi Yamauchi insisted upon it being renamed X, calling up director Yoshio Sakamoto a month before development was completed. Nintendo forced Cuthbert and Argonaut to rewrite the 3D engine entirely due to a game- breaking bug that made it unplayable on certain Game Boy systems, due to the company's strict stance on quality. X was released in Japan on May 29, 1992. A North American version titled Lunar Chase was completed by Cuthbert; however, Nintendo of America felt that the idea of a 3D first-person game on a handheld for children was too complicated, and (to his disappointment) cancelled its release. Cuthbert believed that a lack of interest from retailers was also to blame. In a 2018 interview with USgamer, Cuthbert admitted that he lost the source code for Lunar Chase and didn't think to make a backup copy at the time. An official ROM image of the complete English translation of Lunar Chase was unearthed in the 2020 Nintendo data leak. A nearly-finished fan translation was also released online the same day as the official English translation was leaked. ==Reception== Early reviews for X were mixed, with many praising its technological accomplishments on the system but criticizing its high difficulty. Famitsu magazine compared the game to Star Luster, being impressed by the game's 3D wireframe technology and sense of realism, while criticizing its difficulty for being too hard for beginners especially. Family Computer Magazine had a similar response, saying that it could drive away potential players with its high difficulty level, while simultaneously praising its 3D gameplay and soundtrack, claiming that it could easily be brought over to the Super Famicom with the addition of color and newer features. Nintendo Power staff was impressed by the technical capabilities of the game, comparing the visuals to the virtual reality BattleTech Center in Chicago, calling it one of the most exciting Nintendo titles. Joypad magazine staff meanwhile found it to be an interesting game, praising it for being so different compared to other Game Boy games. In retrospect, X has been cited as a landmark title in the Game Boy's lifespan for its usage of 3D wireframe graphics. Polygon listed it as the 30th greatest Game Boy game of all time for being a "tour-de-force of Game Boy technical prowess", highly praising its 3D visuals and free-range movement. They also stated that its technological feats alone made the game worth owning. Writer Sam Machkovech of Ars Technica felt similarly on its technical prowess, calling it "incredible" and lamenting that it was never released in English. Writer Jeremy Parish stated that X was a more impressive creation than Star Fox for not requiring any additional hardware and for being made on the Game Boy, praising its 3D graphics and its more ambitious design compared to Star Fox. Simultaneously, he criticized the game's lack of variety in combat and for several missions being drawn out and repetitive. He concluded his review by saying the game was worth owning for its historical importance and technological accomplishments. He expressed a desire to see it resurrected through a hypothetical Game Boy Mini platform. The book Nostalgia GB Perfect Guide! cited it as an important title in the console's history, saying that it helped pave the way for Star Fox, which was a game created by the collaboration between Nintendo and Argonaut. They recommended the game to fans of similar games such as Star Luster, praising its slow-paced gameplay and soundtrack. ==Notes== ==References== ==External links== *Official Japanese website * Category:1992 video games Category:Argonaut Games games Category:Game Boy games Category:Game Boy-only games Category:First-person shooters Category:Japan-exclusive video games Category:Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development games Category:Nintendo franchises Category:Nintendo games Category:Vehicular combat games Category:Video games developed in Japan Category:Video games developed in the United Kingdom Category:Video games scored by Kazumi Totaka
X, also known as X/1999 and X: The Movie, is a 1996 Japanese anime film directed by Rintaro and animated by Madhouse. Rintaro wrote it alongside Clamp head writer Nanase Ohkawa. It is based on Clamp's manga of the same name. It premiered August 3, 1996, in Japan and had a limited screening in North America during 2000. The supernatural thriller focuses on the roles Kamui Shiro, Kotori Monou, and Fuma Monou play in the Apocalypse. After his mother's death, the young Kamui returns to Tokyo to participate in a Holy War between two groups that will either protect mankind or protect nature at the cost of mankind. Rintaro was approached by Kadokawa Shoten to direct this movie and found this part of his career unique due to how he work with Ohkawa, Clamp's head writer, while also aiming to show a self-contained story with a style and atmosphere that might be rejected by the viewers. The film's theme song is "Forever Love" by X Japan. The film was released in both VHS and DVD format. Despite the popularity of the series, critical response to the film was mixed with critics praising the visuals and fight choreography, while the lack of focus on most of the cast supporting Kamui and Fuma was met with negative response. In retrospective, books focused on films still praised Rintaro's film while the television series produced years later by Madhouse was felt superior due to the further handling of the cast. ==Plot== After his mother dies to create a "Sacred Sword" to seal it into his body, a young man named Kamui Shiro goes back to his hometown Tokyo to understand his fate. As he arrives, he learns of a current war between two factions known as the Dragons of the Heavens and the Dragons of the Earth who seek the survival of mankind and nature, respectively. Shortly after Kamui's arrival, Subaru Sumeragi from the Heavens and Seishirō Sakurazuka from the Earth kill each other, resulting in a moment in the destruction of part of the city. Kamui meets his childhood friends Fuma Monou and Kotori Monou whom he came back to protect, but he and Fuma start suffering visions when seeing each other. Kamui is then attacked by the Dragons of Earth but is saved by the ones from the Heavens. As this happens Kotori is kidnapped by a woman named Kanoe while Fuma follows her. Kamui is contacted by Princess Hinoto, Kanoe's sister, who seeks to recruit Kamui into the Dragons of Heavens to protect mankind from this war. Kamui refuses to take such responsibility but remains concerned about Fuma and Kotori. Kanoe meets Fuma and recognizes him as the "other Kamui" who could replace the other and join the Dragons of Earth. Seichiro Aoki and Karen Kasumi from the Heavens face Nataku and Shōgo from the Earth respectively but all four fighters are murdered. Fearing Kotori and Fuma possibly being killed by the Dragons of Earth, Kamui joins the Dragons of Heavens alongside the members Arashi Kishū, Sorata Arisugawa and Yuzuriha Nekoi to face their Dragons of Earth. Upon meeting a man named Kusanagi Shiyū from the Earth, Kamui tries to get him to tell him Kotori and Fuma's whereabouts but he tries to kill him alongside Yuzuriha. As this happens, Kamui suffers visions again and Yuzuriha is killed in a battle with Yūto and Kusanagi while protecting Kamui. Fuma finds Kamui and murders Kusanagi alongside Yuto later on. Fuma then kills Kotori as her body contains another Sacred Sword to wield in the war. The continuous deaths of the Dragons of Heavens cause the destruction of more areas from Tokyo. Before dying from the falling debris, Hinoto transports Kamui to a safe area to protect mankind. Fuma then attempts to kill Kamui who is unwilling to fight his friend. Eventually, Kamui is forced to unseal his own Sacred Sword and decapitates Fuma. Despite being the winner of the war, Kamui is completely grief-stricken over what transpired and cries while holding Fuma's head in the remains of Tokyo. ==Cast== Character Japanese voice actor English voice actor Kamui Shirou Tomokazu Seki Alan Marriott Fuma Monou Ken Narita Adam Henderson Kotori Monou Junko Iwao Larrisa Murray Kanoe Atsuko Takahata Denica Fairman Princess Hinoto Yuko Minaguchi Stacey Jefferson Sorata Arisugawa Kōichi Yamadera Mike Fitzpatrick Seiichirō Aoki Hideyuki Tanaka David Jarvis Shōgo Asagi Toshihiko Seki Rupert Degas Yūto Kigai Kazuhiko Inoue Nigel Whitmey Satsuki Yatōji Kotono Mitsuishi Julie Brahms Yuzuriha Nekoi Yukana Nogami Anne-Marie Lewis Arashi Kishū Emi Shinohara Teresa Gallagher Karen Kasumi Mami Koyama Toni Barry Tōru Shirō Masako Ikeda Liza Ross Subaru Sumeragi Issei Miyazaki Mike Fitzpatrick Seishirō Sakurazuka Tōru Furusawa Jeff Harding Nataku Rica Matsumoto David Jarvis Kusanagi Shiyū George Nakata Jeff Harding ==Production== thumb|left|Nanase Ohkawa assisted Rintaro with the film's script Rintaro directed the movie aimed. He was requested by the editorial Kadokawa Shoten due to unknown reasons, which he believes it was due to his work on Harmageddon, a 1983 film that employs different themes from the X manga. He aimed Asami Watanabi's script as a base to develop scenes of his liking. Based on the style he employed, Rintaro expected that multiple viewers would reject his work as the narrative gave Kamui a tragic ending which would impact people's personal taste. X was the first time Rintaro worked with Clamp which he found to be a unique experience. Since the manga was not finished, the script was made with Ohkawa's help to create a completely alternative story. He aimed the film to be a self-contained story and thus multiple subplots had to be removed from the source material. He often discussed this with Ohkawa who created the first script which Madhouse use to adapt. In retrospective, Rintaro is glad with how the movie was completed, specifically due to the focus on fight scenes. The film was written to be as simple as possible. The characters were designed by Nobuteri Yuki while the music was produced by Yasuaki Shimizu. X was the first time Rintaro used computer animation in his career. The character Shogo Asagi was created exclusively to the movie. Kadokawa Shoten editor Seichiro Aoki supervised the movie which gave a large surprise when learning that one of the characters was modeled after him but written in different Japanese characters. His job was also making sure the characters were nearly identical to manga's original style. Meanwhile, Clamp were asked for help by Rintaro who wanted to properly dress Karen. The film was given a limited release in the United States in early 2000 and released to VHS and DVD on September 25, 2001 by Manga Entertainment. X: The Destiny War, a comic book based on the feature film, was released on September 30, 1996. The X Japan song "Forever Love", composed by Yoshiki, was chosen as the film's theme song. "Forever Love" also appears on the soundtrack of the film. The X were released from June 1996 to December 1996 by Victor Entertainment. The seven audio dramas, scripted by Nanase Ohkawa, focus on the thoughts and motivations of the individual Dragons of Heaven and Earth. The Character Files are performed by the feature film voice actors. They were created to promote the film version of the manga. ==Reception== Released on March 10, 2000 in the United States, the film reached $143,355 in the box office. The song "Forever Love" was later used by the former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in a campaign advertisement in 2001. According to Anime News Network, X Japan became popular worldwide thanks to their contribution to the X movie. An alternate version of Shogo Asagi went to appear in Clamps manga Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle as a gang leader who often encounters the series' protagonist, Syaoran, in the first story arc. The X movie is also notable to be the goriest adaptation of the manga, as, while television series is violent, it does not show massive genocide or decapitations like the film. Kamui is prophesied to return to Tokyo as one who will determine humanity's fate. The construction of Kamui as a messiah is reinforced by his miraculous birth and given name; "Kamui", like "Christ", alludes to the character's divine nature. Bamboo Dong from Anime News Network praised the Japanese cast, pointing out the lead Tomokazu Seki's role voicing Kamui due to how he displays the character's emotions. Dong considered it as "technical masterpiece", but lacking plot and character development. AnimeOnDVD writer Chris Beveridge praised the dialogue and audio provided by the English release. The felt that the dilemma between Kamui and Fuma being friends turned enemies was the most notable aspect of the narrative. However, he noted that the film was primarily a battle film and thus felt the plot was "empty" something he further noted during Rintaro's interview shown in the DVD. As a result, he awarded the DVD a "B+" THEM Anime Reviews called it a poor adaptation of Clamp's manga as while the concept of a war destined to decide the planet's fate was interesting, it was difficult to care for the characters, based on the fact almost everybody is killed in the process, regardless of well coordinated battles. As a result, THEM gave the film three stars out of five and recommended the viewers to skip it and instead watch the television series. Animerica was more positive by how the drama focused on Kamui, Fuma and Kotori, finding it intense. He went to refer to it as a "surreal movie experience for both fans of the manga and those who have no idea what to expect." In comparison to the film, Zac Bertschy from ANN felt that Fuma's transformation into the series' villain is more realistic in the television series. In CLAMP in Context: A Critical Study of the Manga and Anime, the film's surreal scenes were noted to be one of the strongest aspects as the television series would instead develop expositions instead. The book also praised that while film lacked content for the supporting cast, it still managed to focus on the main trio, Kamui, Kotori and Fuma. In the book Animation: A World History: Volume III: Contemporary Times, Giannalberto Bendazzi regarded X as one of Rintaro's "outstanding" works based on the visual presentations he created. Even though the abbreviated story fails to place the characters' action in the proper context, the film is praised for its dreamlike atmosphere, powerful imagery and visually engaging action sequences. Despite agreeing with other critics in the problems with the film, the book Anime Classics Zettai!: 100 Must-See Japanese Animation Masterpieces noted that both the feature and television series provided attractive adaptations of Clamp's manga, with the film achieving an appealing atmosphere based the combination of animation and music while complimenting the character designs. The New York Times compared the film's animation to that of other popular anime like Princess Mononoke (1997), Ghost in the Shell (1995) and Akira (1988) despite stressing the amount of concentration needed to follow the narrative. ==References== ==External links== * * Category:1996 films Category:1996 action thriller films Category:1996 anime films Category:1990s fantasy action films Category:1990s supernatural thriller films Category:Action anime and manga Category:Anime films based on manga Category:Apocalyptic anime and manga Category:Dark fantasy anime and manga Category:Films directed by Rintaro Category:Films set in 1999 Category:Madhouse (company) Category:Manga Entertainment Category:Japanese dark fantasy films Category:Supernatural thriller anime and manga Category:Toei Company films Category:X/1999 Category:Works by Clamp (manga artists)
X is a 2002 Spanish mystery thriller film directed and written by Luis Marías which stars Antonio Resines, Esperanza Roy, and María Adánez. == Plot == Failing to remember events after a drunken night and awakening in an unknown bed with blackmailer Natalia, cop Javier goes through his own personal hell as he becomes the prime suspect behind the killing of a young homosexual man, meeting up with the deceased's lame and resentful sister Alicia. == Cast == == Production == The film is a BocaBoca production. It was shot in the Summer of 2000. == Release == Distributed by Columbia TriStar Spain, the film was released theatrically in Spain on 14 June 2002. == Reception == Casimiro Torreiro of El País deemed the film to be "a more than stimulating first work", "with an inspiration that is not abundant in the scripts of criminal films [in Spanish cinema], actors adjusted to their rather thankless roles and a plot that locks its protagonist in a suffocating incriminating circle". Jonathan Holland of Variety deemed the film to be "efficient and well-played, with sharp and silly plot twists in equal measure", but featuring "little else to generate enthusiasm in what is basically another riff on the battered cop theme". == See also == * List of Spanish films of 2002 == References == Category:Spanish neo-noir films Category:Spanish crime thriller films Category:Spanish mystery thriller films Category:2000s Spanish films Category:2000s Spanish-language films Category:Films about amnesia Category:Films about alcoholism Category:BocaBoca Producciones films Category:2002 crime thriller films
X is a 2022 American slasher film written, directed, produced and edited by Ti West. It stars Mia Goth in dual roles: a young woman named Maxine and Pearl, an elderly woman. The film also stars Jenna Ortega, Martin Henderson, Brittany Snow, Owen Campbell, Stephen Ure and Scott Mescudi appearing in supporting roles. The film follows a cast and crew who gather to make a pornographic film on an elderly couple's rural Texas property, but find themselves threatened by the homicidal couple. Filmed in New Zealand, production for X took place in the Manawatū, primarily in Fordell, near Whanganui. The score was composed by Tyler Bates and Chelsea Wolfe, who collaborated to create a soundtrack with emphasis on vocals and synthesizers. The film had its world premiere at South by Southwest (SXSW) on March 13, 2022, and was theatrically released in the United States on March 18, 2022, by A24. It received generally positive reviews, with critics praising its homages to twentieth-century slasher films, particularly 1974's The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and the performances of Goth, Snow and Ortega. X is the first in a film series of the same name, consisting of a prequel film titled Pearl released on September 16, 2022, and a sequel titled MaXXXine in development. == Plot == In 1979, police officers arrive on a desolate farm in rural Texas and find numerous dead bodies wrapped in bags. They enter the farmhouse and find something shocking in the basement. 24 hours earlier, aspiring adult film star Maxine embarks on a road trip with her producer boyfriend Wayne, fellow actors Bobby-Lynne and Jackson, amateur director RJ, and RJ's girlfriend Lorraine, to shoot a pornographic film. Bobby-Lynne and Jackson strike up a romance, while RJ attempts to make the film seem like a serious cinematic work of art, and Lorraine, who assists with equipment and lighting, is unimpressed. The group arrive at a farm owned by Howard and Pearl, an elderly couple who have a guest house where they intend to shoot the movie. Howard is temperamental towards the group, but Wayne excuses this, as he did not inform Howard of the group's intentions. While the crew film a sex scene between Bobby-Lynne and Jackson, Maxine wanders around the property and discovers a large pond; she goes for a relaxing swim in the nude, unknowingly watched by Pearl from a distance, and also a large alligator. Upon returning to the guest house, Maxine is invited in by Pearl, where she expresses envy for Maxine's youth and makes a sexual advance towards her. Howard comes home and Maxine sneaks out. Maxine returns to the guest house where she and Jackson shoot a sex scene in the barn; unseen by the group, Pearl watches from outside and is highly aroused, imagining herself in Maxine's position. She then returns home and pleads with Howard to have sex but he refuses, claiming his heart is too weak. Night falls and the group unwind in the guesthouse. Lorraine, keen to shed her reputation as a prude, asks to participate in a scene; RJ initially refuses but, after being persuaded by Wayne, films Lorraine and Jackson having sex. Later, devastated, RJ sets out to leave the group stranded at the farm while they are asleep, but is stopped by Pearl who attempts to seduce him. When he rebuffs her, she stabs him repeatedly in the neck until he is decapitated. Noticing RJ is missing, Lorraine enlists Wayne's help in finding him. Wayne searches the barn and steps on a large nail. He then sees something moving outside and, when he peeps through a hole in the door, Pearl shoves a pitchfork through and into his eyes, killing him instantly. Meanwhile, Howard invites Lorraine into their house, claiming Pearl has gone missing. He asks Lorraine to retrieve a flashlight from the basement; she goes down and discovers a naked male corpse hanging from the ceiling. Howard goes to the guest house and asks Jackson to help him find Pearl. When they split up to scout the lake's perimeter, Jackson finds a submerged car in the water. Howard throws his flashlight into the lake, tricking Jackson to go in to retrieve it, hoping he will be attacked by the alligator lurking nearby. Jackson makes it out but is confronted by Howard who shoots him in the chest, blowing his body back into the lake. Meanwhile, Pearl sneaks into the guest house, undresses, and climbs into bed with Maxine, caressing her body. Maxine awakens in horror to find Pearl lying next to her, waking Bobby-Lynne. Back in the house, Lorraine breaks through the basement door with a hatchet but Howard attacks, breaking her fingers with the butt of his shotgun. Bobby-Lynne finds Pearl standing on the edge of the lake. Thinking she has dementia, Bobby-Lynne tries to help her, only for Pearl to slap her, insult her, and push her into the water. The alligator bites down on her head and then kills her with a death roll. Pearl and Howard return to the guest house and have sex, while Maxine hides under the bed. Maxine manages to escape to the van where she finds RJ's decapitated corpse and the vehicle's tires slashed. She arms herself with a pistol from the glovebox and enters the house to free a traumatized Lorraine from the basement. Lorraine blames Maxine for the violent proceedings of the night, and attempts to flee from the house, but is shot in the head by Howard. As the couple begin moving her body, the dying Lorraine twitches, startling Howard and causing him to suffer a heart attack and die. Maxine retrieves the keys to Howard's truck and attempts to shoot Pearl, but finds that the pistol is not loaded. Pearl then tries to shoot Maxine with Howard's shotgun; Maxine dodges the shot, and the recoil sends Pearl out the front door onto the porch, breaking her hip. As Pearl lies in pain, she begs Maxine for help. As Maxine gets into Howard's truck, Pearl starts to berate and insult her. Maxine then reverses the truck and runs over Pearl, crushing her head before driving away. The following morning, the police arrive at the house and find the bodies. It is revealed on Pearl and Howard's television set that Maxine is the daughter of a fanatical Christian preacher whose speeches frequently played throughout the film. The police discover RJ's camera and speculate about what it contains, with the sheriff speculating that it contains footage of "one goddamn fucked up horror picture." ==Cast== * Mia Goth as Maxine / Pearl * Jenna Ortega as Lorraine Day * Brittany Snow as Bobby-Lynne Parker * Scott Mescudi as Jackson Hole * Martin Henderson as Wayne Gilroy * Owen Campbell as RJ Nichols * Stephen Ure as Howard * Simon Prast as the televangelist * James Gaylyn as Sheriff Dentler ==Themes and influences== Nate Roscoe of Fangoria wrote in an essay on the film that X exemplifies a modern take on the psycho-biddy horror subgenre, in which aging or elderly women portray grotesque, violent characters. Roscoe also notes that the film's primary theme revolves around aging, youth, and longing over the past. "Snatching its inspo from the shadiest recesses of art and exploitation, it is the relationship between beauty, aging and self-worth that creeps most conspicuously through the architecture of X." He also notes that the film presents its antagonist—the murderous Pearl—in a manner that is sympathetic, writing that, at moments, "one can't help but feel crushingly sorry for this tragic figure." Critics noted the influence of several films on X, with multiple commentators observing homages to the 1974 film The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and 2017 film "Feature Film". Other films cited by critics as having an influence on X include Psycho (1960), Hardcore (1979), The Shining, Alligator (both 1980), and Boogie Nights (1997). Richard Roeper wrote that X also contains "echoes" of such pornographic films as Blue Movie (1969) and Debbie Does Dallas (1978). ==Production== In November 2020, it was announced that A24 would produce a horror film titled X, which would be written and directed by Ti West and star Mia Goth, Scott Mescudi (who also executive produces) and Jenna Ortega. In February 2021, Brittany Snow joined the cast. Principal photography took place from February 16 to March 16, 2021, in the Manawatū region of the North Island. A number of scenes were shot in and around the city of Whanganui. Production was predominantly based at a farm in the settlement of Fordell, where a large barn was constructed as part of the production. Photography also took place near the Rangitīkei District town of Bulls, where producers made use of an old town hall. ===Special effects=== Goth donned extensive prosthetic makeup to portray the elderly Pearl. Describing her experience, Goth stated, "It was a good 10 hours in the makeup chair, and then I'd go and do a 12-hour day on set, and the makeup artist, Sarah Rubano, who was incredible, would constantly be touching me up and making sure my contacts were all right and all those sorts of things." The scene in which Pearl stabs RJ in the neck involved the use of a retractable prop knife, a prosthetic neck with a slit in it, and tubing to allow the passage of stage blood through the slit. The effect of RJ's subsequent decapitation was accomplished using a dummy head of RJ, with a stunt performer and a false floor; the stunt performer lay on his back, with his head and shoulders beneath the false floor and concealed by a prosthetic upper body. The performer then twitched his body during the filming of the scene, which, when paired with the disembodied dummy head, creates the illusion of RJ's body continuing to twitch after death. For the scene in which Pearl stabs Wayne in the eyes with a pitchfork, a dummy of Wayne's upper body and head was constructed by the Netherlands-based MimicFX Studio. ==Music== The film's score was composed by Tyler Bates and Chelsea Wolfe, and features a cover version of "Oui, Oui, Marie" performed by Wolfe, which was released as a digital single on March 11, 2022. Bates said that the pair intended to "create a vocal-centric score framed with organic synthesizers and atmospheres that evoke a sonic aesthetic of ’70s arthouse horror films". Wolfe, who had not soundtracked a film before, primarily contributed her voice to the score, and attempted to use non-singing sounds to emulate the character's emotions. Bates compared the score to that somewhere between that of Debbie Does Dallas and Rosemary's Baby. Aside from the score by Bates and Wolfe, the film incorporates a number of songs from the 1960s and 1970s, including "In the Summertime" by Mungo Jerry, "Act Naturally" by Loretta Lynn, and "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" by Blue Öyster Cult. Additionally, one scene in the film features Jackson (Scott Mescudi) and Bobby-Lynne (Brittany Snow) performing "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac, with the former playing acoustic guitar and the latter providing vocals. ==Release== ===Theatrical=== X premiered at the 2022 South by Southwest (SXSW) festival on March 13, 2022. The film was released in the United States on March 18, 2022. ===Home media=== The film was released on video on demand services (including Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube, and VUDU) on April 14, 2022. It was released on Blu-ray and DVD on May 24, 2022, by Lionsgate Home Entertainment. == Reception == ===Box office=== X grossed $11.8 million in the United States and Canada, and $3.3 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $15.1 million, making it a box office success against its mere $1 million budget. In the United States and Canada, X was released alongside Jujutsu Kaisen 0, The Outfit, and Umma, and was projected to gross $2–5 million in its opening weekend. The film earned $4.3 million from 2,865 theaters in its opening weekend, finishing fourth. Men made up 55% of the audience during its opening, with those in the age range of 18–34 comprising 73% of ticket sales. The ethnic breakdown of the audience showed that 50% were Caucasian, 22% Hispanic and Latino Americans, 12% African American, and 16% Asian or other. The film made $2.2 million in its second weekend and $1 million in its third. It dropped out of the box office top ten in its fourth weekend with $359,067 (a drop of 65%). ===Critical response=== On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 94% based on 222 reviews, with an average rating of 7.7/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "A fresh spin on the classic slasher formula, X marks the spot where Ti West gets resoundingly back to his horror roots." On Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, the film has a score of 79 out of 100 based on 35 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by PostTrak gave the film a 68% positive score, with 45% saying they would definitely recommend it. Reviewing the film following its SXSW premiere, Owen Gleiberman of Variety called it "a deliberate, loving, and meticulous homage" to 1974's The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, as well as "a wily and entertaining slow-motion ride of terror that earns its shocks, along with its singular quease factor, which relates to the fact that the demons here are ancient specimens of humanity who actually have a touch of... humanity." John DeFore of The Hollywood Reporter commended the film's cast and noted that, "Before the gore begins (and even mid-action), West seems to truly consider the pain of irretrievable youth, and feel for those whose final years are consumed by it." The A.V. Clubs Todd Gilchrist gave the film a grade of "B+", writing that it "examines the way that youth in others seems to bring out the feeling and impact of age in ourselves, not to mention how we resist or respond to that when it happens," and calling it "bloody, ballsy fun". Abby Olcese, writing for RogerEbert.com, gave the film a score of three out of four stars, concluding: "X is plenty of fun; it also feels like a trifle that could easily have been much more." Upon release, The Atlantics David Sims called the film "a modern classic", comparing it with 2022's Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which he felt failed creatively compared to X. Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times awarded the film three-and-a-half out of four stars, calling it "the kind of movie that has you reeling in disgust at certain moments, then laughing at the blood-spattered absurdity of it all. It's a new twist on the period-piece slasher movie, smart and strange and fantastically depraved." A.O. Scott, in a review of the film for The New York Times, wrote that X "isn't shy about appealing to voyeurism. There's nothing coy or arty about the bloodletting. [...] West, unlike his pornographers, has things to say as well as bodies to show. Most of all, he has an aesthetic that isn't all about terror or titillation. X is full of dreamy, haunting overhead shots and moments of surprising tenderness." Valerie Complex of Deadline Hollywood referred to the film as "a new love letter to the slasher film genre", writing: "I give West credit for having a vision and sticking to his influences. He knows what he wants to do and how to execute it unapologetically. X is surface-level entertainment [...] but still a satisfying piece of indie horror filmmaking that's worth taking a chance on." Dmitry Samarov of the Chicago Reader gave the film a mostly negative review, writing that "even the most casual horror fan won't miss" the references that X makes to 1974's Texas Chain Saw Massacre, but that, "unlike Tobe Hooper's masterpiece, which has a point to make about economic desperation and cultural clash in 70s America, West just wants to punish everyone involved in gory ways played for laughs." ===Accolades=== Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result MTV Movie & TV Awards June 5, 2022 Most Frightened Performance Mia Goth Hollywood Critics Association Midseason Film Awards July 1, 2022 Best Actress Best Horror X Best Indie Film Saturn Awards October 25, 2022 Best Horror Film Hollywood Music in Media Awards November 16, 2022 Best Music Supervision — Film Joe Rudge North Texas Film Critics Association December 18, 2022 Best Newcomer Jenna Ortega Sunset Circle Awards November 29, 2022 Best Actress Mia Goth (also nominee for Pearl) Best Horror Film X Five Fire Directors Ti West (also nominee for Pearl) Boston Society of Film Critics December 11, 2022 Best Cinematography Eliot Rockett St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association December 18, 2022 Best Horror Film X Austin Film Critics Association January 10, 2023 Breakthrough Artist Award Jenna Ortega (also nominee for The Fallout, Scream and Studio 666) Seattle Film Critics Society January 17, 2023 Best Villain Pearl (portrayed by Mia Goth) Hollywood Critics Association Awards February 24, 2023 Best Horror Film X ==Related works== In March 2022, it was revealed that a prequel film, Pearl, was secretly shot back-to-back with the first film. West directed and co-wrote the film with Goth. Principal photography took place in New Zealand, and upon official announcement was already in the post-production stage. Goth reprises her role as a younger-aged Pearl. A24 produced the project, with Jacob Jaffke, Harrison Kreiss and Kevin Turen serving as producers, and West, Goth, Mescudi and Sam Levinson as executive producers. A sneak preview was also shown in X's post-credits scene for North American releases only. Pearl was released theatrically in North America on September 16, 2022, approximately six months after the release of X. A third installment in the series, MaXXXine, was announced shortly before the release of Pearl, which will focus on the Maxine character in 1980s Los Angeles, following the events depicted in X. ==References== ==External links== * Category:2022 films Category:2022 horror thriller films Category:2022 independent films Category:2020s American films Category:2020s English-language films Category:2020s erotic thriller films Category:2020s serial killer films Category:2020s slasher films Category:A24 (company) films Category:American erotic horror films Category:American erotic thriller films Category:American horror thriller films Category:American independent films Category:American serial killer films Category:American slasher films Category:Films about films Category:Films about old age Category:Films about murderers Category:Films about pornography Category:Films about sexual repression Category:Films directed by Ti West Category:Films scored by Tyler Bates Category:Films set in 1979 Category:Films set in Texas Category:Films set on farms Category:Films shot in New Zealand Category:Mad Solar productions Category:Psycho-biddy films Category:Films with screenplays by Ti West
"X" (originally titled "X Bitch") is a song written and performed by Atlanta- based rapper 21 Savage and American record producer Metro Boomin featuring American rapper Future. Produced by Savage and Metro, it was released on July 14, 2016 as the lead single from the their collaborative extended play, Savage Mode (2016). The song was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). ==Background and release== On July 2, 2016, 21 Savage announced his collaborative EP with Metro Boomin, sharing the artwork and the release date. On July 14, he shared the EP's track listing and released "X" featuring Future as the project's first single. He released Savage Mode on July 15. While talking about the song's success in an interview with Rolling Out magazine, he said; "I knew the song was taking off when I looked at iTunes and saw the numbers and all the views". ==Critical reception== Eric Diep of HipHopDX wrote that "X" is "a good entry point for listeners just learning about 21". Niya Hogans from Rolling Out gave the song a positive review, saying that it has "catchy lyrics and a dope beat". Rolling Stone ranked it at number 21 on its 50 Best Songs of 2016 list, commenting: “The Atlanta trap contender teams up with Future for a thugged-and-drugged banger, boasting "I spent your rent at the mall," while producer Metro Boomin gives it all a creepy cinematic vibe.” Fact named it as one of the 20 best rap and R&B; tracks of 2016. ==Music video== The music video for "X" was released on December 25, 2016. The video was directed by Vincent Lou. ==Live performances== On September 17, 2016, 21 Savage performed the song at the BET Hip Hop Awards, which aired in the next month. ==Charts== ===Weekly charts=== Chart (2016) Peak position ===Year-end charts=== Chart (2016) Position US Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard) 79 Chart (2017) Position US Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard) 74 ==Certifications== ==Release history== Region Date Format Label Worldwide July 14, 2016 ==References== ==External links== * *Lyrics of this song at Genius Category:2016 singles Category:2016 songs Category:21 Savage songs Category:Future (rapper) songs Category:Metro Boomin songs Category:Songs written by Future (rapper) Category:Songs written by Metro Boomin Category:Song recordings produced by Metro Boomin Category:Songs written by 21 Savage
X is the fifth studio album by Indonesian singer Agnez Mo. It was released on 10 October 2017.Is America Ready for Agnez Mo? Vogue. Retrieved 11 October2017Agnez Mo releases first international album The Jakarta Post. Retrieved 10 October 2017Agnez Mo Drops Ultra-Danceable First International Album ‘X’ & Fans Are Losing It — Listen Hollywoodlife. Retrieved October 10, 2017World domination: Indonesia's Agnez Mo drops her first international album 'X' SBS Pop Asia. Retrieved October 11, 2017agnez mo discusses her new album 'x' MTV. Retrieved November 08, 2017 The album was mostly produced by Danja. Despite having released two singles, “Coke Bottle” and “Boy Magnet”, both tracks were omitted from her international debut album. ==Singles== * "Long As I Get Paid", released on 20 September 2017 * "Damn I Love You", released on 26 October 2017 * "Wanna Be Loved", released on 22 October 2019 ==Music videos== The music video for "Long As I Get Paid", released 20 September 2017, features Agnes wearing a dress heavily influenced by Indonesian traditional-clothing aesthetics.AGNEZ MO DROPPED NEW VIDEO 'LONG AS I GET PAID' AND FANS ARE FREAKING OUT! MTV Asia. Retrieved September 27, 2017 The video reached 1.3 million views in 24 hours. On 26 October 2017, the music video for "Damn I Love You" was released. On 22 October 2019, the music video for "Wanna Be Loved" was released. ==Track listing== ==References== Category:Agnez Mo albums Category:2017 albums
X, a reference to the letter Chi in the Greek alphabet, is the name of a Greek album by singer Anna Vissi released 2002 in Greece and Cyprus by Sony Music Greece. The album reached 3× platinum in Greece and 3× platinum in Cyprus. It was also released in Turkey by Sony Music Turkey. In 2019, the album was selected for inclusion in the Panik Gold box set The Legendary Recordings 1982-2019. The release came after Panik's acquisition rights of Vissi's back catalogue from her previous record company Sony Music Greece. This box set was printed on a limited edition of 500 copies containing CD releases of all of her albums from 1982 to 2019 plus unreleased material. ==Track listing== # "Tasis Aftoktonias" (Suicidal tendencies) # "X" # "Se Zilevo" (I'm jealous of you) # "Martirio" (Duet with Yiannis Parios) (Martyrdom) # "Sinharitiria" (Congratulations) # "Pai Teliose" (It's over) # "Tifli Empistosini" (Blind trust) # "Ta Radiofona" (The radios) # "Ekplixi" (Surprise) # "Aipnies" (Insomnia) # "Pes To Xana" (Say it again) # "Hronia Polla" (Happy birthday) ==Music== Music and Lyrics are by Nikos Karvelas on all of the tracks except lyrics on track 4 (Natalia Germanou). ==Music videos== * "Tasis Aftoktonias" * "Pes To Ksana" ==Singles== "Taseis Aftoktonias" :It was the lead single of her album X. "Sinharitiria" :The second single of the album. "Martirio" feat Yiannis Parios :The third single of the album. "Pes To Xana" :It was the fourth single and second video of the album X. "Tifli Empistosini (Remix)" :Taken from the EP "The Remixes" "Se Zilevo (Remix)" :Another remix from "The Remixes" EP. ==Credits== Credits adapted from liner notes. === Personnel === * George De Angelis – orchestration, programming, piano, keyboards * Tony Brady – programming * Phil Brown – bass (12) * Stefano Cresta – percussion * Housein Housein – percussion, cymbal * Nikos Kalogeras – voice announcement (1) * Nikos Karvelas – keyboards, guitars, backing vocals * Takis Kouvatseas – drums, percussion * Yiannis Kyfonidis – accordion, arrabian strings * Yiannis Lionakis – guitars, oud, lute, baglama * Elena Nikolaidou – voice announcement (1) * Evripidis Nikolidis – bouzouki, cura, baglama, sarod * Thanasis Vasilopoulos – clarinet, ney, mismar * Anna Vissi – backing vocals === Production === * George De Angelis – executive producer, sound engineer, mix * Ian Cooper – mastering * Rupert Coulson – sound engineer * Mara Desipri – photographer * Dimitris Dimitroulis – make up * George Klaromenos – photo processing * Levinia Konyalian – styling * Arsenis Miaris – image editing * Panayiotis Papandrianos – hair styling * Panos Pitsilidis – artwork * Christos Simitas – photo processing * Alexis Valourdos – photo processing ==Charts== Chart Providers Peak Position Certification Greek Albums Chart IFPI 1 3× Platinum Cypriot Albums Chart All Records Top 20 1 3× Platinum ==References== Category:Anna Vissi albums Category:2002 albums Category:Greek-language albums Category:Sony Music Greece albums Category:Albums produced by Nikos Karvelas
X is an Australian punk rock band, formed in Sydney, New South Wales in 1977 founded by Ian Rilen, Steve Lucas, Ian Krahe and Steve Cafiero. The group was formed simultaneously to, and with no knowledge of, the Los Angeles group of the same name. ==History== ===Early years=== Ian Rilen had been a founder member of the hard rock group Rose Tattoo; on leaving that band he formed X with Steve Lucas as vocalist, Ian Krahe on guitar and Steve Cafiero on drums in 1977.Ra Richard Guilliatt "X marks the spot" Melbourne Age 8 November 1985 p. 44 Krahe was renowned for playing so frenetically without a pick that his hands would bleed. Krahe died of an overdose on 20th May 1978, shortly before the group recorded its first album, X-Aspirations. Recorded in five hours at Trafalgar Studios in Sydney, the album has been listed in the book 100 Best Australian Albums. X-Aspirations, like all X studio albums, was produced by Lobby Loyde, who was also in Rose Tattoo (albeit after Rilen left: in 1979–1980). X split up shortly after the album's 1980 release. ===Reformation=== During X's first break from 1980 to 1983, Ian Rilen and his wife Stephanie Rilen founded the post-punk band Sardine v. Early in the 1980s, manager Nick Chance and booking agent Gerard Schlaghecke got X back together for a tour. When informed of the tour dates, Cafiero kept his promise and refused to travel to Melbourne, citing his obligations to his family and his real estate job. On short notice, Canberra-based drummer Cathy Green, who was a big admirer of the group and already knew the songs, took Cafiero's place for the Melbourne tour. Cafiero died in December 1988 after suffering an allergic reaction to dye injected before an X-ray for a back problem, at which time Green joined X permanently. The band's second album, At Home With You (1985) was recorded in Melbourne at Richmond Recorders in March 1985. It was produced by Lobby Loyde and engineered by Tony Cohen. The recording was a signing with Major Records, run by Max Robenstone. The album stayed in Australia's top 20 Independent charts for 29 months. A third album, X And More (1989), followed and, like the previous albums, was produced by Loyde. Although the group has not issued a studio recording since X And More, live albums from the late 1970s as well as one from 2002 have been issued between 1997 and 2004. The 2002 Evil Rumours Live At The Basement 9 December 2002 features a line-up including Geoff Holmes and Cath Synnerdahl. A compilation of early unreleased material, X-Citations Best Of X And Rarities Vol 1 (The Early Years 1977 - 1983) was issued in 2017. Cath Synnerdahl died by suicide on 16 July 2004. Lucas, the only remaining member of the original line-up, continues to periodically played live under the X name, currently with bassist Kim Volkman and Hunters & Collectors drummer Doug Falconer. ===Post-X=== Green (on bass) and Rilen (on bass and guitar) were both members of Hell to Pay, which released the album Steal It in 1992. Until his death in 2006, Rilen had settled on a fairly stable line-up of Ian Rilen & the Love Addicts, with Green playing bass. The band issued a CD, Passion Boots & Bruises. Lucas utilised Melbourne's White Cross as a backing band to record two albums: Double Cross and Bought And Sold. Lucas also fronted Bigger Than Jesus, founded the Groody Frenzy, A.R.M. (with Chris Welsh and Mike Couvret), The Pubert Brown Fridge Occurrence, Neon and Venom and the Heinous Hounds (with Dave Hogan, Jerome Smith, Matt Dwyer and Peter Robertson).https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10158361504992562&set;=a.278862102561 In 2004, Lucas released the solo album Bread and Water featuring cameos from Paul Kelly, Brett Kingman, Andrew Pendlebury and Chris Wilson. Green also played on albums by Loene Carmen's group Automatic Cherry and Carmen's solo release Slight Delay. Steve Lucas'most recent release is Cross That Line 2022. All original songs feature; Pete Mavric on double bass, Bruce Haymes - piano, Peter Robertson- brushes and, Dave Hogan - harmonica. Also featuring horn section (from The Horns of Leroy) Chris vizard - trombone, Travis Woods - trumpet, Jon Hunt sax. Special cameo Joey Bedlam (Steve Lucas'wife) duet. Limited edition vinyl on the SLXpress label and on CD through AZTEC MUSIC. ==Discography== === Singles and EPs === * 1979: "I Don't Wanna Go Out"/"Waiting" 7" (X Music) * 1984: "Mother"/"Half Way Round The World" 7" (X Music) * 1985: "El Salvador" one-sided 7" flexi (Phantom Records) * 1987: "Dream Baby"/"I Don't Want To Go Out"; "Without You" 7"/12" (White Label) * 1989: "And More"/"Getting Wet" 7" (White Label) * 2001: I Love Rock'n'Roll CDEP (Laughing Outlaw) === Studio albums === * 1979: X-Aspirations (X Music YPRX1645, opnieuw uitgebracht Aztec Music 2009) * 1985: At Home with You (Major MRLP002, opnieuw uitgebracht [Morphius Archives, 2002]https://web.archive.org/web/20071129113618/http://www.morphius.com/label/index.cfm?cc=x * 1988: And More (White Label) * 2011: X -Spurts (Aztec Music) === Live albums === * 1997: X Live 8 July 1978 (Spiral Scratch) * 2001: Live at the Civic 1979 (Dropkick) * 2003: Evil Rumours (Laughing Outlaw) ==Further reading== * Volkman, Kim. The Devil Won't Take Charity, 2017, Melbourne. ==References== Category:New South Wales musical groups Category:Australian punk rock groups Category:Musical groups established in 1977
X: Writings ’79–’82 is a book by American avant-garde composer John Cage (1912–1992), first published in 1983. The book includes mesostics on the names of various people. In the forward to X, Cage writes that the volume's texts represent an attempt "to find a way of writing which comes from ideas, is not about them, but which produces them." The book contains the following works: * "Foreword" (1983) * "Writing for the Fourth Time through Finnegans Wake" (1983) * "'There is not much difference between the two.' (Suzuki Daisetz)." (1979) * "Toyama 1982" (1982) * "James Joyce, Marcel Duchamp, Erik Satie: An Alphabet" (1981–83) * "Another Song" (1981) * "Writing through the Cantos" (1983) * (untitled) (1979, also known as "Correction") * "B.W. 1916–1979" (1979, also known as "Ben Weber, 1916–1979") * "For her first exhibition with love" (1982) * "Diary: How to Improve the World (You Will Only Make Matters Worse)" (continued 1973–82) * "Wishful Thinking" (1983) * "Muoyce (Writing for the Fifth Time through Finnegans Wake)" (1982, also published earlier as "Muoyce") == See also == * List of compositions by John Cage ==References== Category:1983 books Category:Essay collections
X is the sixth studio album by American singer Chris Brown. It was released on September 16, 2014, by CBE Entertainment and RCA Records. The album serves as the follow-up to his fifth album Fortune (2012). Brown for the album worked with several producers, including RoccStar, Danja, Nic Nac, Diplo and others. The album also features guest appearances by various urban artists, including Kendrick Lamar, R. Kelly, Akon, Nicki Minaj, Usher, Trey Songz, Tyga, Rick Ross, Brandy, Lil Wayne, Jhené Aiko and Aaliyah. The release date of the album was delayed several times due to RCA's choices and the singer's legal problems throughout the last months of 2013 and the first half of 2014. Initially, the album release was set for July 16, 2013, then for August 20, 2013, then for May 5, 2014, and finally released on September 16, 2014. X was preceded by five singles: "Fine China", "Don't Think They Know", "Love More", "Loyal" and "New Flame". The album's fourth single "Loyal" became its most successful, by peaking at number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100 and at number ten in the United Kingdom. Pushing the promotion for the album further, Brown performed and appeared at several televised music events and music festivals across the United States. The working of the album started in 2012 and ended in August 2014. The album's aesthetics feature a black and white imagery, handled by Brown himself along with art director Courtney Walter. X is an R&B; album, also containing songs influenced by disco, soul and hip-hop. Its lyrical content focuses on falling in love, internal conflict and sexual desire. The album divided reviewers: while most praised the album’s sound, others criticized the songwriting and album's length. At the 2015 Grammy Awards, the album was nominated for the Best Urban Contemporary Album, while "New Flame" was nominated for Best R&B; Performance and Best R&B; Song. Commercially, the album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 selling 146,000 copies in its first week, becoming Brown's first album to miss the summit of the chart since Graffiti (2009) and his third album to go to number two on the chart overall following Exclusive (2007). It also became his sixth consecutive top ten debut in the United States. By the end of 2015, the album had sold 404,000 copies in the United States. It has been certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). ==Background== On November 8, 2012, in an interview with Power 106's (KPWR) at Los Angeles, California, Brown debuted the dance-pop track titled "Nobody's Perfect". The song was supposed to be the first single for his upcoming sixth album, under the working title of Carpe Diem, which was due to be released in 2013. However the single was never released, Brown changed idea on the concept for the album, and after concluding his Carpe Diem Tour in the last days of 2012, Brown's next studio album started to develop. MTV News confirmed the development of the album, with Brown collaborating with producers, such as Timbaland, Danja and Diplo, among others. On March 26, 2013, Brown announced the release of X, in various interviews and listening sessions. In an interview with Ebony, Brown spoke of taking his music in a different direction and changing his sound from the pop-infused and sexually explicit one of the previous album Fortune, to a more mature, soulful and vulnerable theme for the album. He said during an interview for Rolling Stone: During the same interview for Rolling Stone, Brown explained the significance of the title: Sputnikmusic described this reasoning as "numerological" and "idiotic", and in any case the album missed this date. ==Recording and production== In March 2013, Brown spoke about working with artists and producers, such as Pharrell Williams, Ariana Grande, Kendrick Lamar, Ludacris, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Wiz Khalifa, Timbaland, Diplo, Danja and RoccStar. On July 4, 2013, Brown confirmed different guest features on the album, including Nicki Minaj, Kendrick Lamar, Rihanna, Wiz Khalifa, B.o.B and Kelly Rowland, among others. However, various artists announced didn't make the cut for X. At the same time, the production would be confirmed by Timbaland, Diplo, Polow da Don, Danja, Pharrell and Drumma Boy. Brown said that while making the record he wanted to "take the Quincy Jones approach" to his music, trying to hear what was in rotation on the radio as little as possible, locking himself in a recording studio with the producers, so that the album could've come out as authentic as possible. On August 5, 2014, Brown said that he ended the recording sessions for the album, and that he had "about 50 songs" to sift through and perfect for X. == Music and lyrics == X is an R&B; record, with its sound being noted by Andy Kellman of AllMusic for being "clean and diversified". Disco influences stand out in songs like "Add Me In", "Time for Love", "Lost in Ya Love", "Fine China" and "No Lights". The album also contains hip-hop infused songs with productions that feature heavy-bass, double-claps and "candy" synths that can be heard in "Loyal", "Came to Do" and "Love More". Brown's vocal performances on the album were commended by critics for showcasing his timbre. His vocals in songs like "X", "Lady in a Glass Dress", "Autumn Leaves" and "Do Better" were defined to be "soul-driven". X's lyrical content focuses on falling in love, the difficulty of managing emotions and sexual desire. Ivan Rytlewski of The A.V. Club, in his review for the album, defined it as a "loveful and reflective record", delineated by "some of Brown's bad boy aesthetics". Martín Caballero of USA Today found its songwriting to be a mixture of "romantic love, mature reflection, sexual passion, playboyness and desire". The album's opener "X", produced by Diplo, was described as a "progressive R&B;" track by Rytlewski, saying that "it starts as a quiet and calm song, then exploding during a powerful chorus made off Brown strong vocals over an electronic drop". The song's lyrics depict his admissions on his past errors and his desire to prove his growth. On "Autumn Leaves", according to Brad Wete of Billboard, Brown "examines a fleeting love with gloominess and a high level of sensitivity", comparing a lover's departure with summer's, in time for fall. "It seems that all the autumn leaves are falling/ I feel like you're the only reason for it.", while the guest Kendrick Lamar, raps on Brown's behalf, mood- swinging from thoughtful to vicious: "And they won’t let me live/ Even when it’s remorse that I give/ When are they gon' rejoice and forgive/ Tell me how [do] I stay positive?". "Do Better" was described by Wete as "a sparse and pensive duet" where Brown and Brandy play the two sides of a relationship where both feel like scorned lovers that don't know how to deal with their emotions, singing: "I learn more and more each day that I don't know me / It's like I can't get out of my own way". "Add Me In" is an up-tempo disco and R&B; song with math-tinged lyrics about subtracting a girl's boyfriend to "add me in". "Songs On 12 Play" is a pure R&B; slow-jam, duetted with Trey Songz, about wild sex, with lyrics that pay homage to R. Kelly works, citing lots of his song, as well as his classic debut studio album 12 Play. The track is followed by the interlude "101", where the singer expresses his sexual desire to the directly concerned lady, and subsequently by a collaboration with R. Kelly himself on the lustful "Drown In It". Both "Loyal" and "Stereotype" are centered on unfaithful women, while "Time for Love" and "Lady in a Glass Dress" talk about falling in love, with the last one being a promise to a girl recovering from a rough breakup that he "can make your dreams come true". Los Angeles Timess writer Mikael Wood defined "Lost In Ya Love" as a "melodious, sweet mid-tempo" where the singer expresses "the beauty of being romantically in love" to the directly concerned lady. On the album's standard edition closing track, "Drunk Texting", Brown and Jhené Aiko play the role of two people that try to numb the pain of their heartbreak drinking alcohol, but end up texting their loved one while they're drunk. ==Release and promotion== On February 15, 2013, the singer unofficially released the song "Home", with an official videoclip, where he expresses a reflection on the bitter price of fame, and on how the only moment of respite from that thought is when he returns to the neighborhood where he grew up with people who knew him from the start. On March 26, 2013, Brown definitively confirmed the title and release of "X", telling Rolling Stone that he was working on the song "X" with Diplo, "Autumn Leaves" with Kendrick Lamar, and he said he was considering the inclusion of "Put It Up", a collaboration with Rihanna, though his violence against her in 2009 was still an issue with the public. On April 29, 2013, Brown announced a release date of July 16 for X, also unofficially releasing a song called I Can't Win. In July Brown previewed several unreleased songs through his social media accounts, also announcing that the album's release date was pushed back to August 20, 2013. However, it was later revealed that the album has been pushed back again to November 19, 2013. In the same month, Brown stated that the album will be a double disc album with 10 songs on each disc, and was now due on December 3. On November 20, 2013, Brown was sentenced to an anger management rehabilitation center for three months, putting the December 2013 release of X in jeopardy. To "hold [fans] over until [the X album] drops," Brown released a mixtape, titled X Files on November 19, 2013, which consists of six tracks and features guest appearances from Busta Rhymes, Ludacris and Kid Ink, including the song "Main Chick". On February 22, 2014, it was announced that the album would be released on Brown's birthday, May 5, 2014. On April 14, 2014, Brown released a teaser of new track "Don't Be Gone Too Long" featuring Ariana Grande, however, the song and album were again delayed due to Brown's prison sentence. On August 6, 2014, the album cover shot by Eliot Lee Hazel was revealed. The title track "X" was released as an instant-gratification track alongside the album pre-order on iTunes on August 25, 2014. The album was finally released on September 16, 2014, promoted through radio and magazine interviews, and by performing tracks of the album live in various televised shows. Brown embarked on his 2015 Between the Sheets Tour along with Trey Songz and Tyga. ==Singles== The album's lead single, titled "Fine China", was released on March 29, 2013, and it was sent to US rhythmic contemporary radio the following day. The production on the song was handled by RoccStar and PK. The song has since peaked at number 31 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The album's second single, titled "Don't Think They Know", was released on June 17, 2013, and it was sent to rhythmic contemporary radio in the United States on July 1, 2013. The song features a posthumous appearance from R&B; singer Aaliyah, while the production on the song was handled by Mel & Mus. The music video was shot in Los Angeles, California, and was released on June 17, 2013. Aaliyah appears as a hologram which are actually scenes from Aaliyah's 2000 video "Try Again" and 1996's "If Your Girl Only Knew". The song has since peaked at number 81 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The album's third single, titled "Love More" featuring Nicki Minaj, was announced, which Brown performed the song along with Minaj at the 2013's BET Awards. On July 19, he released its cover artwork. On July 16, the song was released for digital download and a week later, the song was sent to rhythmic contemporary radio. The music video was officially released on August 17, 2013. The song has since peaked at number 23 on the US Billboard Hot 100. On December 19, 2013, the album's fourth single, titled "Loyal", was released for digital download on iTunes. There are two versions to the song, the "West Coast Version" featuring Lil Wayne and Too Short, while the "East Coast Version" featuring Lil Wayne, and another rapper French Montana. In March 2014, the third and final version officially was released, featuring Lil Wayne and Tyga. The song has been commercially successful, reaching at number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 10 on the UK Singles Chart, making it Brown's highest-charting single from X in both countries. On June 26, 2014, Brown previewed the track, titled "New Flame" featuring Usher and Rick Ross, along with the cover artwork on his Instagram account. The song was released on June 30, 2014, as the album's fifth single. The song peaked at number 27 on the US Billboard Hot 100. ===Other songs=== The track "Don't Be Gone Too Long", was announced for single release for March 25, 2014, which in its original form features Ariana Grande. However, due to Brown's prison sentence, the single was eventually scrapped on March 17, even though the music video had already been filmed. The title track "X", was released as an instant- gratification track alongside the album pre-order on iTunes on August 25, 2014. It peaked at number 98 on the US Billboard Hot 100. ==Critical reception== According to review aggregator Metacritic, X received “generally positive” reviews, with a score of 63/100. Many reviewers complimented the album's production and overall sound. Brad Wete of Billboard gave the album a largely positive review, and said "Once gratuitous fillers are skipped, gems appear, especially on the closing half, where Brown is lucid about his tabloid love life." Miranda Johnson of XXL gave the album an XL (4/5), and argued that "X certainly proves that Chris Brown’s talent will forever shine through over whatever troubles come his way." An anonymous staff editor of Sputnikmusic gave the album a glowing 3.8/5, and simply stated, "It is simply a good collection of good songs, put together by talented folks to showcase their obvious talents." Andy Kellman of AllMusic gave the album 3 and a half stars out of five, and enjoyed the albums diverse sound, while disliking some of the material, and said midway in the review that, "Brown combines memorable hooks with some stellar production work on the rubbery disco-funk of "Add Me In" (courtesy of Danja) and the blithe, swaying "Time for Love" (a collaboration with Jean Baptiste and Free School). In these and a few other songs, romantic affection, expressed with seemingly genuine sweetness, takes precedence over sexual aggression and petulance." Other reviewers found issues with the length and content of the album. Evan Rytlewski of The A.V. Club gave the album a B-, and stated that while he found the album more appealing than Brown's previous releases, argued that "Running 21 tracks and 75 minutes in its deluxe edition, X sometimes threatens to be too much. But there’s enough appealing material to support that runtime." Marcus Dowling of HipHopDX gave the album a mixed score of 3 out of 5, and criticized Brown's personality and the album's structure, while arguing that "Personality aside, Chris Brown’s ability to succeed artistically at delivering sounds in all three sectors of urban Pop makes this release a great, yet disjointed listen." Christopher Weingarten of Rolling Stone was largely divided in his review of the album, stating that "Chris Brown's sixth album is adventurous musically and a total mess lyrically – it's almost defiantly oblivious to his past as a domestic-abuser. Throughout, Brown plays the victim..." while also arguing that the content was "a shame", because "It's a shame, because X is full of great beats", and gave the album 2 and half stars out of 5. Other reviews were more negative. In another review with the score of 2 and a half stars out of five, Alexa Camp of Slant Magazine found the length of the album and the inclusion of R. Kelly "a good case" of considering the album an act of abuse, likening it to his legal troubles, while also questioning the use of mathematical metaphors throughout the album. In the near closing moments of her review, she stated that "Aside from the standout club banger "Add Me In," which is steeped in arithmetic and trigonometry metaphors, and "101," which finds Brown doing "101 on the 101," the album's lyrics largely eschew mathematical objects in favor of soul-baring like "Autumn Leaves" and sex talk like "Songs on 12 Play," which likens a girl to a song from the titular R. Kelly album." She also stated at the end of her review that title track was "an admirable attempt to take responsibility for his anger-management issues" while also finding that it was only after "seemingly placing the blame on others, specifically on-and-off-again girlfriend Rihanna" Joe Caramanica argued that "X is one of his least ambitious releases." and gave the album 2 out of 5 stars. Jim Farmer of New York Daily News agreed, and found that while there was a large wave of support for Brown, he had only wished that "... the new songs supported him as strongly." ===Accolades=== Awards for X Year Ceremony Category Result 2015 43th American Music Awards Favorite Soul/R&B; Album Billboard Music Awards of 2015 Top R&B; Album 57th Annual Grammy Awards Best Urban Contemporary Album 2015 Soul Train Music Awards Album of the Year ==Commercial performance== The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 146,000 copies in the United States. In its second week, the album dropped to number six on the chart, selling 36,000 copies. In its third week, the album dropped down to number nine on the chart, selling 23,000 copies. In its fourth week, the album dropped down to number 21 on the chart, selling 16,000 copies. By November 2015, the album has sold 404,000 copies in the United States. On October 1, 2021, X was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for combined album sales, on-demand audio, video streams, track sales equivalent of two millions. In 2014, X was ranked as the sixty-second most popular album of the year on the Billboard 200. ==Track listing== Credits adapted from the album's liner notes. Sample credits * "Loyal" contains a portion of the composition "Money Ain't a Thang", written by Steve Arrington, Charles Carter, Shawn Carter, Jermaine Mauldin, Wuang Hankerson and Roger Parker, performed Jay-Z featuring Jermaine Dupri. * "Loyal" contains a portion of the composition "Shine", performed by Cash Money Millionaires. * "Songs on 12 Play" contains portions of the compositions "Sex Me" and "Stroke You Up", written by R. Kelly. * "Don't Think They Know" contains a sample from "Don't Think They Know", written by Benjamin Bush and Jeffrey Walker, performed by Aaliyah; and a portion of the composition "They Don't Know", written by Jonathan Buck, Tim Kelley and Bob Robinson, performed by Jon B. ==Personnel== * Aaliyah – featured artist * Jhené Aiko – featured artist * Akon – featured artist * Ambience & Soundz – producer * The Anonymous – producer * Marcella Araica – mixing * B.A.M. – producer * Babydaddy – producer * Mario Bakovic – producer * Jean Baptiste – producer * Brandy – featured artist * Chris Brown – creative director, executive producer, primary artist * Tommy "TBHITS" Brown – producer * Darhyl "DJ" Camper Jr. – producer * Maddox Chhim – assistant * Daniel Coriglie – producer * Tom Coyne – mastering * Danja – producer * Diplo – producer * Steven Franks – producer * Free School – producer * Abel Garibaldi – engineer * Glass John – producer * Mark "Exit" Goodchild – vocal engineer * Trehy Harris – assistant * Eliot Hazel – photography * Jaycen Joshua – mixing * Count Justice – producer * Ryan Kaul – assistant * R. Kelly – featured artist, producer * Kendrick Lamar – featured artist * Lil Wayne – featured artist * Donnie Lyle – music direction * Majors – programming * Mel & Mus – producer * Ian Mereness – engineer * Natural – engineer * Nic Nac – producer * Nicki Minaj – featured artist * Brent Paschke – guitar * Dennis-Manuel Peters – producer * Mark Pitts – executive producer * Razihel – producer * RoccStar – producer * Rick Ross – featured artist * Brian Springer – engineer, mixing, vocal engineer * Andrew Swanson – drum programming * Trey Songz – featured artist * Tyga – featured artist * Usher – featured artist * Cooper Sebastian – graphic artist * Courtney Walter – art direction, creative director, design ==Charts== ===Weekly charts=== Chart performance for X Chart (2014) Peak position Japanese Albums (Oricon) 21 South African Albums (RISA) 4 ===Year-end charts=== 2014 year-end chart performance for X Chart (2014) Position Australian Urban Albums (ARIA) 18 US Billboard 200 62 US Top R&B;/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) 16 US Top R&B; Albums (Billboard) 10 2015 year-end chart performance for X Chart (2015) Position Australian Urban Albums (ARIA) 43 US Billboard 200 85 US Top R&B;/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) 38 US Top R&B; Albums (Billboard) 15 == Certifications == ==Release history== Release dates and formats for X Region Date Label Format(s) Edition(s) Ref. Germany September 12, 2014 RCA Records Ireland Netherlands France September 15, 2014 United Kingdom Canada September 16, 2014 Japan New Zealand United States ==References== ==External links== * Category:2014 albums Category:Chris Brown albums Category:Albums produced by Danja (record producer) Category:Albums produced by Diplo Category:RCA Records albums Category:Albums produced by Drumma Boy Category:Albums produced by Polow da Don Category:Albums produced by R. Kelly
"X" is a song by American recording artist Chris Brown, taken from his sixth homonym studio album X (2014), and was released as an instant-gratification track alongside the album pre-order on iTunes on August 25, 2014. It was written by Brown, Diplo, Djemba Djemba, RoccStar, Dewain Whitmore and Sevyn Streeter. Musically, "X" is a song that unites R&B; and soul vocals with a dance beat. The song contains lyrics about Brown forgetting a failed relationship with a woman. "X" received critical praise from music critics, which praised the maturity of the lyrics and his production. Following the release of X, as a result of the strong digital downloads, the song charted on multiple charts worldwide; it peaked at number 98 on the US Billboard Hot 100, number 26 on the US Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart, number 63 on the French Singles Chart, number 12 on the UK Singles R&B; Chart, number 81 on the UK Singles Chart and number 75 on the Australian Singles Chart. ==Composition and lyrics== "X" is a song that unites R&B; and soul vocals with an EDM beat, with an instrumentation provided by a roland TR-808 and synthesizers. In the song Brown sings over a soft beat before transitioning into a more up-tempo sound. In the song, Brown says that he's forgetting a failed relationship with a woman, as he sings, "I swear to god i'm moving on!", admitting his past errors singing "I deal with my pain like a lonely child". Music critics speculated that the lyrics were about Brown's former relationships with aspiring American model and fashion designer Karrueche Tran and Barbadian recording artist Rihanna. ==Reception== "X" received critical praise from music critics. Miranda J. of XXL gave a positive review saying that in the song Brown "speaks of maturing and accepts his role in recent events, over the soft beat before transitioning into a more up-tempo sound". Brad Wete of Billboard called the song "Brown's most honest song", saying also that "it's safe to say that this is a man who knows he's got to get his life together and has to prove to himself and others". Slant Magazine's Alexa Camp felt that "X" was "an admirable attempt to take responsibility for his anger-management issues" from Brown, speculating that the lyrics were about Brown's relationship with Barbadian recording artist Rihanna. Marcus Dowling of HipHopDX wrote that "Brown emphatically stating that “[he] swears to god he’s moving on!” is either an amazing kiss-off to well documented on again/off again flame Rihanna, or an angry note to on again/off again mate Karrueche Tran". ==Charts== Chart (2014) Peak position Australia (ARIA)https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20140905010800/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20140905-1108/ARIAIssue1279.pdf 75 scope="row" Lebanon (Lebanese Top 20) 9 scope="row" scope="row" scope="row" ==References== Category:2014 songs Category:Chris Brown songs Category:Songs written by Diplo Category:Songs written by Chris Brown Category:Songs written by Dewain Whitmore Jr. Category:Songs written by Djemba Djemba Category:Songs written by Sevyn Streeter
X is a comic book character who starred in his own self-titled series published by Dark Horse Comics for their Comics Greatest World imprint. He is a dark anti-hero vigilante with little true feeling and a strong tendency to kill. After the character debuted in Dark Horse Comics #8, his own self-titled series began with a cover date of February, 1994, ending with issue #25 in April 1996. Dark Horse re-launched the title with issue #0 in April 2013, and a new creative team of Duane Swierczynski and Eric Nguyen. ==Publication== Series Creative Staff Information Below is a list of those who worked on the book. When repeated, only last names are used. *1-5: Steven Grant, writer | Doug Mahnke, pencils | Jimmy Palmiotti, inks. *6: Grant, writer | Ron Wagner and P. Craig Russell, pencils | Palmiotti, inks. *7: Grant, writer | Wagner & Frank Fosco, pencils | Palmiotti, inks. *8: Grant, writer | Matt Haley, pencils | Tom Simmons, inks. *9: Grant, writer | Mahnke, pencils | Palmiotti, inks. *10-12: Grant, writer | Chris Warner, pencils | Tim Bradstreet, inks. *13-15: Grant, writer | Javier Saltares, art. *16-17: Grant, writer | Saltares, pencils | Andrew Pepoy, inks. *18: Grant, writer | Alex Renaud, pencils | Pepoy, inks. *19-22: Grant, writer | Saltares, pencils | Pepoy, inks. *23: Grant, writer | Saltares, pencils | Bradstreet, inks. *24-25: Grant, writer | Saltares, pencils | Pepoy, inks. 2013 Re-launch *0-(on going): Duane Swierczynski, writer | Eric Nguyen, pencils. ==Plot== X, whose law is that one mark means a warning, the second one death, takes on a collection of business, law, mob, assassins and politics. This includes characters such as Mayor Teal and Police Commissioner Anderson as well as the Llewellyn brothers, their hired assassin named Gamble, Mob boss Carmine Tango and highly connected army officials. *1-15: The first section of the series involves a series of political hits performed by X, sometimes in tandem with a woman named Diana Gorreti, who wanted to take over Arcadia from mobster Carmine Tango. It is eventually revealed that X used Goretti to remove Tango and put pliable people in positions of power within the city. To this end, a "War" was fought between X and the mob, during which X was briefly thought killed by a mysterious mind controlling villain named Lord Alamout. *16-20: X travels to Washington D.C. to let the government know that he is in control of Arcadia and to try to extend his influence. During the trip to D.C., X encounters a general who seems to know something about X's early past. It is also revealed that X arrived in Arcadia as a young man, rapidly recovering from burns that covered much of his body and with no clear memories. He fell in love with his case worker who was involved with another man, Carmine Tango. X tried to kill Tango which amused him, so he took X in and pushed the case worker out of both of their lives. *21-25: Gamble, the only man X failed to kill after marking, returned and drew X into the open by inviting a rash of killers into Arcadia. Assistant D.A. Elizabeth Treaty spends some time building a case against X. Coffin returns just as X busts up Gamble's operations, saves Christie and marks McCone, one of the killers. The General explains that as a young military officer, he was sent in to search the area of a bombed scientist's lab and his arm was infected. The arm was amputated, but would not die and was eventually stolen. X finally recalls how he lost faith in everything he grew up believing, the day his father and mother were killed in front of him by men from the government. His father, before dying, injected him with a serum from an arm in a tank. As X recovers from a wound, the General realizes that the key to X's invulnerability is that his blood analyzes and repairs itself. Coffin arrives and rips the general in two, before being defeated by X, who also kills Gamble. At the end of the series, Treaty grants X full immunity. ==Other appearances== *Will to Power #1-3, Script by Jerry Prosser, art by Mike Manley (& Ande Parkes, #3) *Dark Horse Comics #19 & 20: "Welcome to the Jungle", Written by Eric Luke, art by Nghia Lam *X (Hero Illustrated Special) # 1 & 2: Written by Steven Grant, art by Vince Giarrano, # 1, Corky Lehmkuhl & Jordi Ensign, # 2. (Introduces Challenge) *Ghost Special: Written by Eric Luke, pencils by Matt Haley, inks by Tom Simmons *X: "One Shot to the Head". (originally in Dark Horse Comics # 8-10) Script by Jerry Prosser, pencils by N. Steven Harris, Inks by Dan Davis. Also, this issue collects the first five pages of "X" from Arcadia week one, which had pencils by Chris Warner and Inks by Tim Bradstreet. Cover is by Frank Miller. *Comics Greatest World: Arcadia, weeks 1-4: X (pencils by Chris Warner, inks by Tim Bradstreet), Pit Bulls (pencils by Joe Phillips, inks by John Dell), Ghost (pencils by Adam Hughes, inks by Mark Farmer), Monster (pencils by Derek Thompson, inks by Ande Parks). All were written by Jerry Prosser. *Ghost : Issue #9, #15, #'s 20-27, #32. Written by Eric Luke. ==Characters== While it is debatable if X ever truly aligns with anyone else, he does team up with or use another person in order to benefit from them. Essentially, X either kills you or he does not, mostly disregarding any prior use. ===Allies=== *Mickey D (First appears in # 1) *Kingston (First appears in # 1) *Monster (First appears in CGW: Arcadia) ===Villains=== *Carmine Tango (First appears in #1) *Ziggurat/Coffin (First appears in #2) *Lord Alamout (First appears in #6) *Willie McCone (First appears in #21) *Gamble (First appears in #1) *Chaos Riders (First appear in #3) *Judgement Knights (First appear in #9) *Headhunter (First appears in #16) *One-Shot (First appears in #16) *The General (First appears in #20) ===Others=== These people may be antagonistic or beneficial (sometimes both) to X. Because of this and other characteristics, they do not qualify as a villain or ally: *Christie (First appears in #1) *The Kid (First appears in #5) *Mose Hughes (First appears in #10) *Kossy (First appears in #10) *Elizabeth Treaty (First appears in #21) *Vargas (First appears in #8) *Congressman DeMarco (First Appears in CGW: Arcadia) *Mayor Teal (First Appears in CGW: Arcadia) *Commissioner Anderson (First appears in CGW: Arcadia) *Diana Goretti (First appears in #5) *Gretchen (First appears in #1) *Challenge (Real name-Tommy Kafka. First appears in Hero Illustrated X Special #1) *Briggs *Detective Lewis *Detective Timothy *Peter Lwellyn (First appears in #1) *The Nurse (First appears in #5) *Ghost (First appears in CGW: Arcadia) *The Mask (First appears in: The Mask World tour #3) ==External links== *Grand Comics Database Project *Writeups.org *Comic Book DB Category:Characters created by Chris Warner Category:Comics' Greatest World Category:Dark Horse Comics titles Category:Comics characters with accelerated healing Category:Fictional swordfighters in comics Category:Vigilante characters in comics
X (pronounced ten) is the eighth studio album by English rock band Def Leppard, released on 30 July 2002 by Island Records in the US and sister label Mercury worldwide. Much like 1996's Slang, it featured another departure from their signature sound by moving into the pop genre. The album charted at No. 11 on The Billboard 200 and No. 14 on the UK Albums Chart. Most of the album was produced by Pete Woodroffe and the band, with remaining tracks produced by either Marti Frederiksen or Per Aldeheim and Andreas Carlsson. ==Background== This is the first Def Leppard album in which drummer Rick Allen actively took part in song-writing. On all of the band's prior albums, he is only credited with helping co-write three tracks. On this album alone, he co-wrote eleven. The album is also the first from the band to include original songs not to be written by any of the members: "Unbelievable" and "Long, Long Way to Go", the latter of which was released as a single. The album features the Roman numeral 'X', recognising it as their tenth album release, although the album is in fact only their eighth collection of all-new studio material. Their previous two albums prior to X, Retro Active and Vault, were a rerecording of B-sides and rarities and a greatest hits set respectively, although Vault also included a non-album single "When Love & Hate Collide" as well as different versions of the songs "Pour Some Sugar on Me" and "Rocket" to what had appeared on the Hysteria album. The album X peaked at number 11 on the Billboard 200, but did not sell to the standards of their previous releases and failed to earn any RIAA certifications. With the exception of an abbreviated version of "Now" being performed as part of an acoustic medley during the Rock of Ages Tour in 2012, nothing from this album was performed live by the band since the conclusion of its supporting tour until their Las Vegas residency in 2019. For a short time after the album was released, Def Leppard's website Defleppard.com featured a free mp3 download of "Perfect Girl," a bonus track and early version of the track "Gravity". The album was released on vinyl for the first time in 2019 alongside 3 other albums from the 2000s, Yeah! and Songs from the Sparkle Lounge, before being released standalone later the same year. ==Reception== X received mixed reviews. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic rated the album 2.5 out of 5. While commending the band for not adopting the then-popular nu metal and rap rock sound of the time, Erlewine lamented that the band's pop rock approach meant that "they've left rock behind, turning out a bunch of even-handed adult-pop that is melodic without being tuneful, or memorable for that matter." He concludes that, in some instances on X, "Leppard still shows signs of being a great band -- there's a chorus or a bridge here and there with spark, "You're So Beautiful" and "Everyday" are the kind of sugar-sweet, heavy-pop songs that make this band so irresistible—but the slick production and self-conscious maturity make X a leaden affair, unfortunately." Conversely, Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone was more positive, favorably comparing X to Bon Jovi's Crush. Sheffield notes how "since the Lepsters always had catchier beats and craftier tunes than the metal competition, they adapt to global pop with their signature sound intact, and X may be their niftiest since Adrenalize." ==Track listing== ==Personnel== ===Def Leppard=== *Rick Allen – drums *Vivian Campbell – guitar, vocals *Phil Collen – guitar, vocals *Joe Elliott – lead vocals *Rick "Sav" Savage – bass guitar, vocals ===Additional personnel=== *Eric Carter – keyboards and drum loops on "Now", "You're So Beautiful" and "Everyday" *Stan Schiller – shredding tele licks on "Gravity" ===Production=== *Producers: Def Leppard, Per Aldeheim, Andreas Carlsson, Pete Woodroffe *Engineers: Stefan Glaumann, Richard Chycki, Ronan McHugh, Liz Sroka, Pete Woodroffe *Mixing: Marti Frederiksen, Ronan McHugh, Pete Woodroffe *Mastering: Tom Coyne *A&R;: Simon Collins, Jeff Fenster *Production co-ordination: Leslie Langlo, Sue Tropio *Editing: Brian Paturalski *Vocal producer: Ronan McHugh *Drum technician: Jerry Johnson *String arrangements: David Campbell *Programming: Ronan McHugh, Pete Woodroffe *Photography: Clive Arrowsmith == Charts == === Weekly charts === Weekly chart performance for X by Def Leppard Chart (2002) Peak position French Albums (SNEP) Select Def Leppard from the menu, then press OK. 75 Japanese Albums (Oricon) 15 === Year-end charts === Year-end chart performance for X by Def Leppard Chart (2002) Position Canadian Metal Albums (Nielsen SoundScan) 46 === Singles === Year Single Chart Peak position 2002 "Now" US Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks 26 2002 "Now" US Billboard Adult Top 40 40 2002 "Now" Nielsen SoundScan Canadian Singles Chart 29 2003 "Four Letter Word" US Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks 30 2003 "Long, Long Way to Go" UK Singles Charts 40 ==References== ;Footnotes ;Other * Category:2002 albums Category:Def Leppard albums Category:Albums produced by Marti Frederiksen Category:Island Records albums Category:Mercury Records albums Category:Pop rock albums by English artists
× ("Multiply" or "Times") is the second studio album by English singer- songwriter, Ed Sheeran. It was released on 20 June 2014 in Australia and New Zealand, and worldwide on 23 June through Asylum Records and Atlantic Records. The album received positive reviews from music critics. It was an international commercial success, peaking at No. 1 in 15 countries, while topping both the UK Albums Chart and the US Billboard 200. x also reached the top five in seven other countries and was the best selling album of 2014 in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. Five singles were released from the album: "Sing", "Don't", "Thinking Out Loud", "Bloodstream" (a collaboration with Rudimental), and "Photograph". The lead single, "Sing", became Sheeran's first UK number-one song, reached number 13 in the US and peaked inside the top 10 in several other countries. The second single, "Don't", peaked at No. 8 in the UK and number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Sheeran's first top-10 single in the US. The album's third single, "Thinking Out Loud", achieved international success, peaking at number one in 12 countries, and the top five in 12 more. It became Sheeran's second UK number-one single and has been certified 3× Platinum, with sales of over one million copies in the UK. "Thinking Out Loud" also became Sheeran's biggest hit in the US at the time, peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, until he released "Shape of You", which debuted at number one. The album has been certified 4× Platinum, with sales of over four million copies in the US alone. The album's fourth single, a remix of "Bloodstream", peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the fourth-consecutive single from x to hit the top 10 in Sheeran's native country. "Photograph" was released as the album's fifth and final single. It gave Sheeran his fifth consecutive top 10 single from the album in Australia and New Zealand, peaking at numbers nine and eight, respectively. In December 2014, Spotify named x the most-streamed album in the world for 2014, racking up more than 430 million streams for the year. x has been certified 12× Platinum in the UK with sales of over three million copies, making it the third best-selling album of the 2010s and the 20th best selling album in the history of the UK. The album has been certified 3× Platinum in Canada, 6× Platinum in New Zealand, and 4× Platinum in the US, with sales of over four million copies. It also became the first album ever to be certified Diamond in Australia. Also, x broke Adele's record for the longest charting top 10 album in the history of the United Kingdom. In 2015, x won the Brit Award for British Album of the Year, and at the 57th Grammy Awards it was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album and Album of the Year. ==Background and recording== Having written "hundreds" of songs, Sheeran entered the studio with Rubin and they cut that down to the 15 new songs that are feature on the album, excluding "I See Fire", which was recorded separately and saw release on the soundtrack for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. Sheeran stated that he "started off making another acoustic record, and it turned into a neo-soul-funk record," due to the influence of working with producers like Rubin and Benny Blanco that "pulled [him] out of [his] comfort zone." Getting into the studio with Rubin to "rerecord all the songs" after two years of writing them made the songs sound "raw and interesting", at a time when Sheeran was getting tired of them, giving him a chance to "actually set up the album instead of just putting it out." However, doing an entire album with Rubin "just wouldn't work on pop radio", so after working with Rubin he wrote the songs, "I'm a Mess", and "Thinking Out Loud", both about his girlfriend at the time, with a different producer. Jake Gosling, who co-wrote and produced the majority of Sheeran's debut album, has no writing credits on this album, while new collaborators include Snow Patrol's Gary Lightbody and British drum and bass band, Rudimental. ==Music and lyrics== "One" was the first song Sheeran wrote for the album, and is "particularly quiet". Written on a guitar made out of wood from a whisky barrel in a hotel room whilst on tour in Perth in 2011, the song was the last song written about the love interest that was the focus of the previous album. "I'm a Mess" was one of the last songs written, after the recording sessions with Rubin. It is one of two songs written about his then- current girlfriend. It is described as a simple song, and was "written in the shower." In an interview with Zane Lowe for BBC Radio 1, promoting the first single, "Sing", Sheeran talked about getting in the studio with Pharrell and him "playing [Sheeran] a lot of things, and then it stuck on this one riff," which eventually became the basis of the track. He stated he has always been a fan of R&B;, but was just "trying to find the right way to make it." Sheeran expressed wishes to create an entire album with Pharrell, and "Sing" was to be a song for that project, but several musical peers, including Elton John, Taylor Swift and Pharrell himself, urged Sheeran to release it with X. Justin Timberlake's debut album, Justified, was a favourite of Sheeran's, which he consciously tried to channel for "Sing". On working with Pharrell, Sheeran told MistaJam on BBC Radio 1Xtra that they had written two other songs together that were in the style he "usually did", but for "Sing" he was pushed "out of [his] comfort zone" which made the track stand out. Pharrell reportedly said that he wanted to "shake the world's view of [Sheeran] up" and make pioneering songs that no singer/songwriter has done before rather than just "a cool record". A remix of the track has been made with Korean recording artist Psy, and the music video for the song was based on a night out with the artist. "Don't", which is about a girlfriend who cheated on Sheeran with a close friend, has been linked to several of Sheeran's fellow singers, including Ellie Goulding and Taylor Swift, but Sheeran has said it is "100 percent not about Taylor", but that he has played her the song, and she "never want[s] to piss [him] off that much." It started off "as a riff on his phone". "Don't" was planned to be released as the first single from the album, but it was decided that the chorus, especially the line "Don't f- with my love," was not suitable for a first single. The song was recorded first with Benny Blanco, then again with Rick Rubin, and the two producers came together to produce the final cut. The song almost didn't make it onto the album, as Sheeran felt it was "a bit personal", but was urged by those who had heard the demo to release it, as it was "an alright song... so it ended up on the record." "Nina" was written with Johnny McDaid, and was the first song the pair wrote for the album. According to McDaid, it is a "self-deprecating" love song about "heartbreak... where he basically calls someone up and advises her not to be with him." "Photograph", also written with McDaid whilst touring with his band Snow Patrol in May 2012, is a "timeless ballad". Sheeran plays "photograph" with careful piano keys and acoustic strums and carefully adds in arenasize drums. It started life as a "piano loop playing on [McDaid's] laptop" which Sheeran started singing along to. Sheeran has stated "it will be the one that will change my career path", and believes it to be the one song that will sell the album, even "if the rest of the album is shit." Described as "[Sheeran's] Angels", the song is a "ballad with big drums, set in New York." "Bloodstream" is about Sheeran's experience of taking MDMA during a friend's wedding party in Ibiza. "Tenerife Sea", first played in demo form at Sheeran's sold out Madison Square Garden shows, is "trademark acoustic balladry". Sheeran wrote the song about his mother. Ed told the media that his mothers eyes were crystal blue - "the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen" - and that's what this song was based on. "Runaway" is the second and final track from the album that is produced by Pharrell Williams. Described as "finger-clicking", it draws from the same influence, the sound of Justin Timberlake's debut album, that "Sing" does. Sheeran intended for the song to feature on a future project with Pharrell, but it was put on the album when he was persuaded to include "Sing". "The Man", produced by long-time collaborator Jake Gosling, features Sheeran rapping in a style similar to that of Mike Skinner from The Streets. The song focuses on a failed relationship, whilst touching on the subjects of marriage, chemical dependency and his career in the music industry. "Thinking Out Loud" was the last song written for the album, and it is also Sheeran's favourite. Written about Sheeran's then- current girlfriend after the recording sessions with Rick Rubin were over, it is a "soul" song, and Sheeran "pinned [it] as the 'walking down the aisle' song." He described it as "the only happy song on the album", and he wrote it in his kitchen. "Afire Love" was written about Sheeran's grandfather "two weeks before he passed away". He had suffered with Alzheimer's disease for twenty years, and Sheeran has been thinking "What if [he passed away]? And then he did." Sheeran finished writing the song at his funeral. It explains the aftermath of his death, with his family reuniting for the funeral, and explains the deep love between his grandparents. "Take It Back" is the first track exclusive to the deluxe edition of the album. In it, Sheeran claims not to be a rapper, whilst delivering four rapped verses. In the same vein as previous single "You Need Me, I Don't Need You", he talks about "his personal struggles and his rise to fame." "I See Fire", the final track on the electronic deluxe edition (the physical deluxe version has a seventeenth track, "All of the Stars", the song used in the credits for the film The Fault in Our Stars), was previously released on the soundtrack for the second installment of The Hobbit film series. Sheeran was asked to write the song for the closing credits by the film's director, Peter Jackson, whose daughter was a fan of his work. After flying to New Zealand to watch the film, he wrote the majority of the song in a single day, performing all the instruments, apart from the cello, including a violin, which Sheeran taught himself to play for the song. The track was produced by Sheeran himself, and mixed in Abbey Road Studios by Peter Cobbin and Kirsty Whalley. It was released on 5 November 2013 as the first single from the soundtrack. The album was to originally include profanity, most notably in the songs "Sing", "Don't" and "The Man", however a taxi driver convinced Sheeran to censor the album due to his young daughter being a fan. As a result, the album does not bear the Parental Advisory: Explicit Content sticker. ==Artwork and packaging== In a live webcast on YouTube, Sheeran stated that he "feel[s] every single one of [his] records should have a theme that runs through it, even if it's just a colour. The first one was orange, throughout, everything [he] did was orange. This one's going to be green throughout, and everything [he does] will be green in terms of artwork." He cited Coldplay as an influence for this, as they keep with the image of each album they release "for the next two years". The physical versions of the album come packaged in a green jewel case. ==Promotion== The countdown to the unveiling of the first single was posted on Sheeran's Facebook page, but it was accidentally announced early by Zane Lowe that he would have the first play of "Sing" on 7 April 2014, as his "Hottest Record in the World". The song was played twice in a row, and Sheeran discussed the album and working with Pharrell to produce the single. Sheeran performed "Sing" and "Don't" live for the first time on Saturday Night Live on 12 April 2014. He then went on to do an exclusive acoustic performance of "Take It Back" on SB.TV on 16 April. Sheeran later performed "Sing" on 27 April at the 2014 Logie Awards held annually in Melbourne, Australia. On 2 May, the singer released an acoustic version of "One" on his YouTube channel. The song was given away on 16 May to people who had preordered the album on iTunes. On 5 May, Sheeran played three "Multiplyed" gigs, starting at the Steamboat Pub in Ipswich, going on to Koko in London, and finishing in Dublin, where his entire show was streamed live on his website. The next day, he played a session for BBC Radio 1 at their Maida Vale studios, where Zane Lowe made a live rendition of "One" his "Hottest Record in the World". Sheeran stated that until the album was released, he would play very few new songs live, as fans "want to hear the hits", but once it is released he will play a lot more new songs, as "that's going to be what people want to see." Sheeran played "Sing" on Later Live... with Jools Holland on 20 May, and showcased songs from the record on the extended version on 23 May, including the TV debut of "Thinking Out Loud". His live performance was exactly three years since his last appearance on the show. Sheeran performed "Sing" on the finale of The Voice, alongside a duet with contestant Christina Grimmie of his song "All of the Stars", which features on the soundtrack for The Fault in Our Stars. MTV announced that a behind-the-scenes documentary of Sheeran's life, titled 9 Days and Nights of Ed Sheeran, was being filmed, to be aired 10 June. The show would "show every aspect of [Sheeran's] life" while he is on tour, "with extraordinary intimate access to Sheeran", something he has never done before. Taylor Swift and Pharrell Williams appeared in the feature. After the music video for "Sing" was released, which featured a puppet version of Sheeran wearing a pair of Beats by Dre headphones, it was announced that Sheeran, and his then unreleased song "Don't", would feature in the advert for the latest Beats by Dre headphones, the Solo II. On 5 June, Sheeran appeared in the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge for Annie Mac, performing "Sing" and a cover of Sam Smith's "Stay with Me", both with a live band. "Don't" was serviced to US contemporary hit radio on 15 July 2014 as the album's second official single. === X Tour === To promote the album, Sheeran embarked on the X World Tour. He held several shows in Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Australia and New Zealand until December 2015. The special "Wembley Edition" was released on 13 November 2015. This edition includes bonus tracks and a DVD of the Jumpers for Goalposts concert film. ==Singles== "Sing" was released as the first single from the album on 7 April 2014 around the world, and 1 June in United Kingdom and Germany. The music video, released exclusively to Facebook on 22 May, features a puppet caricature of Sheeran on a night out in Los Angeles. The single entered the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 15, where it has since peaked at No. 13. It also became Sheeran's first number-one on the Australian ARIA Charts and in the UK, where it was released alongside a corresponding EP, which featured a live version of the track, a remix by Trippy Turtle and a new song, "Friends", that is not featured on x. "Don't", previously released on iTunes as the second "instant grat" promotional single, impacted US contemporary hit radio as the second official single from the album. It has since sold in excess of 3 million copies worldwide, including 1,464,000 copies in the US alone. It has peaked within the top-ten of nine international charts, including Australia, the UK and the aforementioned US. It then hit No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Thinking Out Loud", was sent to Oceanian radio on 21 September as the third single. The official music video was released on 7 October. The song was incredibly successful, selling in excess of 5 million copies worldwide as of April 2015. The song peaked at No. 1 on both the UK Singles Chart and the Australian ARIA Charts. Moreover, it peaked at No. 2 on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and the Canadian Hot 100. "Thinking Out Loud" also peaked within the top-ten in 27 more countries including New Zealand, Germany and India. The song became Sheeran's second million-selling single in the UK, following 2011's "The A Team" Moreover, the song has sold almost 5 million copies in the US, being certified 5× Platinum. In September 2015, it became just the fifth single released in the 21st century to go 3× Platinum. A remixed version of "Bloodstream" was released as the album's fourth single on 11 February 2015. The new version of the song was remixed by British drum and bass band, Rudimental and was released as a joint single. The song became Sheeran's fourth consecutive top-ten hit from the album by peaking at No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart. "Photograph" was released as the fifth and final single from the album. On 22 April 2015, Sheeran tweeted "My next single from multiply is Photograph. Wait til you see the video, it's a special one. Very excited". Photograph then hit No.2 on Twitter Top Track Charts and also in Billboard Hot 100. The song first charted for a week in December 2014. Even before the announcement of an official release, "Photograph" was certified Silver in the UK for selling in excess of 200,000 copies. The music video for the single was released on 10 May 2015. ===Promotional singles=== "One" was entered in the UK Singles Chart at No. 20 and entered the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 86.Pop Picks: It's Another 'One' For Ed Sheeran "Don't" was released as the second "instant grat" promotional single from the album on 13 June, ten days before the release of the album. It debuted at No. 21 in the Canadian Hot 100 on the chart dated 28 June 2014, the top debut for that week. Sheeran revealed that he would be releasing a track from the album every weekday in the week leading up to the release, as promotional "instant grat" singles available to those who had preordered the deluxe edition of the album on iTunes. The first of these was "Afire Love", released on 16 June, followed by "Bloodstream" on 17 June, "Thinking Out Loud" on 18 June, "The Man" on 19 June and "Photograph" on 20 June. ==Critical reception== Upon its release, x received positive reviews from music critics. The review aggregator website Metacritic assigns a "Metascore" to each album, which is based on the ratings and reviews of selected mainstream independent publications, and the release has a score of a 67 out of 100 based on 20 selected critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". At The Daily Telegraph, Neil McCormick rated the album a perfect five stars, commenting how the album is like a "vehicle for emotional veracity, personal revelation and universal inclusion". Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic rated the album three-and-a-half stars out of five, remarking how Sheeran's usage of hip hop elements "keeps [the music] from being merely a bit of excellently crafted mature pop and gives it some appealing character." Jon O'Brien of AllMusic said that the album "encompassed [Sheeran's] acoustic/hip-hop hybrid sound, but also had an R&B; feel in places along with straight-ahead pop." At The A.V. Club, Annie Zaleski graded the album a B, indicating how Sheeran is showing in his music that "growing up is messy and tough [...] but affirms that navigating life with maturity and confidence is possible." Randall Roberts of Los Angeles Times rated the album two-and-a-half stars out of four, calling the music "well-crafted, generous and willing to lay it on thick when necessary, but fun to be around nonetheless". At Entertainment Weekly, Melissa Maerz graded the album a B, commenting how even though Sheeran is "finally getting angry, taking aim at a pop-star girlfriend who slept with another guy" that "he's still a good boy after all." Alex Petridis of The Guardian rated the album four stars out of five, highlighting how the artist is "confidently pushing at the boundaries of what he does." Jason Lipshutz of Billboard rated the album an 81 out of 100, and according to him, he "finds a hungry artist doing everything possible to elevate to another level, simply by abiding by his instincts". At Q, John Aizlewood rated the album four stars out of five, describing how Sheeran's usage of many collaborators could have been "a potentially foolish move, but Sheeran pulls it off, chiefly because... his friends bend to him, not the other way round." In addition, Aizlewood remarks how Sheeran has "used his success rather than been used by it", Brian Mansfield of USA Today rated the album three-and-a-half stars out of four, calling it a "rare album that satisfies expectations while simultaneously raising them", and saying it "showcases the sweet, achingly vulnerable songs" that is a hallmark of Sheeran's work. Sarah Rodman of The Boston Globe gave a positive review of the album, finding how Sheeran "comes into his own" with the release. At Rolling Stone, Jon Dolan rated the album three stars out of five, suggesting that "A better album title might have been XXX" and cautioning that the album has "plenty of oversweet ballad moments". Jim Farber of New York Daily News rated the album three stars out of five, writing how "Sheeran can write a hummable tune and, clearly, has something young girls love even more than looks: heart." but had several criticisms including noting how his music was "milky bland", his lyrics "rote and soppy" and the album's sound as a whole was "unconvincing". Writing for musicOMH John Murphy rated the album three stars out of five, noting how x will undoubtedly be another huge success for Sheeran, and if he can build on its good points, there could be an even better record lurking inside him as well", taking issue with the album's "huge reliance on epic sounding but bland ballad-anthems" which sound "calculated and a little bit cynical". Kitty Empire of The Observer was unimpressed by the album, rating it two stars out of five, and stated Sheeran's writing "[doesn't] actually find a new gear for the love song, just new turns of phrase, at a push". and "has a broad palette but lacks depth". Empire posited that Sheeran "can't cut it as a leading man", ultimately concluding that "Sing" is quite easily the best song on x, probably because it sounds nothing like Sheeran". At Drowned in Sound, Dave Hanratty rated the album a four out of ten; criticising the release because it "offers a few lively embers, but never quite ignites", saying that Sheeran lacks any kind of noteworthy identity and that the majority of the album "is alternatively as generic and simpering as it gets". The Independent was highly critical of the album; noting the lyrics as a "stolid plod through clichés" having a "serotonin- reducing effect"; and Sheeran and the album as "bleary", "so bland", "without wit or sex appeal" and "authentically uninspiring". ABC News' Allan Raible found Sheeran spent much of the album "trying to force the groove in the name of pop success", concluding that it was "a mixed bag leaning on the negative side of the equation". Time Out noted his music was "cloying", ultimately rating the album three stars out of five, saying "There's enough awkward rapping and gooey-eyed sentiment here to put cynical listeners off." and any progression from his previous album was only "slight". PopMatters rated the album six out of ten, acknowledging Sheeran as a "talented wordsmith [who] uses past experiences and stories and moulds them into money making songs that stick in your head for days" but noted some of his songs "lack originality and flare" and criticising Sheeran as "predictable and boring to see another singer songwriter talk about relationships and emotions". In an essay for Pitchfork, Michael Tedder noted that Sheeran's "Nice Guy Brand promises the consumer that the lovelorn troubadour is sensitive, nerdy[...] and won't break your heart like those other boys. But one listen to x reveals that he's not as far away from the macho types that unapologetically trash hotel rooms as he'd like you to think". He also explained that Sheeran is yet to appear in a Pitchfork Year End List due his inability to write music that "reroute[s] your brain and make you like it even when you don't want to like it", ultimately concluding that Sheeran's songwriting is "an unholy alliance between Simply Red and G. Love and Special Sauce (but, like, really white)". ===Accolades=== Accolades for x Publication Rank List Billboard 5 The 10 Best Albums of 2014 Digital Spy 5 Top Albums of 2014 The Daily Telegraph 1 Best 50 Albums of 2014 ==Commercial performance== x debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, marking Sheeran's second number one album in the United Kingdom. It sold 180,000 copies in its first week of release to become the fastest-selling album of 2014, overtaking Coldplay's Ghost Stories. It stayed at number one for 12 non-consecutive weeks in the UK, the longest number one since Adele's 21 in 2011. x was the best-selling album of 2014 in the UK, selling over 1,689,000 copies and going five-time platinum. As of December 2015, the album has sold 2,660,000 copies in the UK. The album spent 74 consecutive weeks in the top ten, surpassing 21 71-week record. In the United States, the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 210,000 copies, becoming Sheeran's first number-one record in the country. Furthermore, Sheeran marked the second largest debut for a pop album in 2014 and the fourth-biggest opening overall of the year. In December 2015, the album was certified double platinum for shipments of two million albums by the Recording Industry Association of America. It reached 2 million copies sold there in February 2016. By July 2017, tracks from the album had accumulated over 1.51 billion on-demand audio streams in the US. In Canada, the album debuted at number one on the Canadian Albums Chart; in its second week, the album remained at number one selling 7,000 copies. It became the year's fourth best-selling album in Canada, having sold 133,000 copies over the course of the year. In Australia, x spent eight non-consecutive weeks at number one and sold 490,000 copies. Until October 2015, the album had not left the top ten of the chart since its release. In November 2015, x became the first album to be certified Diamond by the Australian Recording Industry Association, a newly created category that denotes over 500,000 sales. x spent more than three years (156 weeks) in the top 10 of Ireland, where it spent 24 weeks at No. 1 with the last one being in its 137th charting week, and more than two years (104 weeks) in the top 10 of Denmark, New Zealand and Australia. The album reached the top 10 in 5 consecutive years, 2014 to 2018, in Australia, Denmark, Ireland (where it reached No. 1 in each of the years from 2014 to 2017), and the UK, and in 4 consecutive years, 2014 to 2017, in the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, "x" sold 4.4 million copies in 2014 and 3.5 million copies in 2015, becoming the third and second best-selling album, respectively. ==Track listing== NotesEd Sheeran, (2014). X. [Album liner notes and credits]. Asylum Records/Atlantic Records. * signifies an additional producer * The UK edition of the re-release replaces "All of the Stars" with "Photograph (Felix Jaehn Remix)", while the European edition replaces it with "Make It Rain". * "All of the Stars" is excised from the international digital edition of the re-release. The French edition replaces it with "Reuf" (with Nekfeu). * "Don't" incorporates elements of "Don't Mess with My Man", written by Raphael Saadiq, Dawn Robinson, Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Conesha Owens and performed by Lucy Pearl. * "Nina" contains a sample from "Welcome to My World" by Wretch 32, written by Jermaine Scott, Isra Andja- Diumi Lohata and Jay Lee Robert Hippolyte. * "Afire Love" contains elements from "Remembering Jenny" composed by Christophe Beck, taken from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer soundtrack. ==Personnel== All credits taken from album liner notes. Main personnel * Ed Sheeran – lead vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, handclaps , instrumentation and programming , violin , production * Jake Gosling – production, engineering, programming and drums , percussion , piano and handclaps , synths , Rhodes , strings and horns , bass guitar * Pharrell Williams – production and background vocals , production * Benny Blanco – production, instrumentation and programming * Rick Rubin – production , instrumentation and programming * Johnny McDaid – production and engineering , programming , keys , guitars, bass, backing vocals, percussion, piano, Hammond * Jeff Bhasker – production, piano, keys and bass guitar * Foy Vance – backing vocals * Amy Wadge – piano * Geoff Swan – engineering * Mark "Spike" Stent – mixing * Ruadhri Cushnan – mixing * Grant Rawlinson – assistant mixing * Pete Cobbin – mixing * Kirsty Whalley – mixing * Stuart Hawkes – mastering Additional personnel * Coco Arquette – additional vocals and gang percussion * Johnnie Burik – assistant production * Eric Cardieux – digital editing * Lenny Castro – percussion * Andrew Coleman – recording, digital editing, arrangement and additional guitars * Nigel Collins – cello * Adam Coltman – assistant engineer * Luis Conte – percussion * Courteney Cox – additional vocals and gang percussion * Chris Dave – drums * Steve Gallagher – recording * Matthew Gooderham – assistant engineer * Peter Gosling – piano * Matty Green – engineering * Dave Hanych – production coordination * Eamon Harkin – additional vocals and gang percussion * Emile Haynie – additional production and drum programming * William Hicks – additional vocal editing , engineering * Ed Howard – handclaps * Seif "Mageef" Hussain – production coordination * Tyler Sam Johnson – engineering, electric guitar and drum programming * Graham Kennedy – recording * Ricardo Kim – assistant production * Jason Lader – engineering, keyboards and bass guitar , recording and keyboards , bass guitar on * Christian "Leggy" Langdon – digital editing * Geoff Leaa – drums * Chris Leonard – guitars and bass guitar , guitars , handclaps * Andrew "McMuffin" Luftman – production coordination * Eric Lynn – additional recording , keyboards * Adam MacDougall – keyboards * Blake Mills – guitar * Sean Oakley – additional recording and digital editing * Ramon Rivas – recording assistant * Davide Rossi – string arrangement , live strings * Chris "Anger Management" Sclafani – engineering * Joshua Smith – additional recording * Rob Sucheki – recording assistant ==Charts== ===Weekly charts=== Weekly chart performance for x Chart (2014–2019) Peak position Brazilian Albums (ABPD) 9 Japanese Albums (Oricon) 32 Mexican Albums (AMPROFON) 17 South African Albums (RISA) 1 South Korean Albums (Gaon) 45 ===Year-end charts=== 2014 year-end chart performance for x Chart (2014) Position Australian Albums (ARIA) 1 Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) 35 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) 11 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) 63 Canadian Albums (Billboard) 10 Danish Albums (Hitlisten) 25 Dutch Albums (MegaCharts) 9 Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) 4 French Albums (SNEP) 86 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) 9 Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ) 30 Irish Albums (IRMA) 1 Italian Albums (FIMI) 37 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) 1 Polish Albums (ZPAV) 21 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) 4 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) 9 UK Albums (OCC) 1 US Billboard 200 21 2015 year-end chart performance for x Chart (2015) Position Australian Albums (ARIA) 2 Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) 26 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) 20 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) 34 Canadian Albums (Billboard) 2 Danish Albums (Hitlisten) 3 Dutch Albums (MegaCharts) 12 French Albums (SNEP) 25 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) 9 Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ) 13 Irish Albums (IRMA) 2 Italian Albums (FIMI) 29 Mexican Albums (AMPROFON) 48 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) 2 Polish Albums (ZPAV) 8 Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) 31 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) 2 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) 4 UK Albums (OCC) 2 US Billboard 200 2 2016 year- end chart performance for x Chart (2016) Position Australian Albums (ARIA) 20 Canadian Albums (Billboard) 15 Danish Albums (Hitlisten) 7 Dutch Albums (MegaCharts) 15 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) 93 Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ) 36 Icelandic Albums (Plötutíóindi) 96 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) 3 Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) 70 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) 20 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) 54 UK Albums (OCC) 20 US Billboard 200 37 2017 year-end chart performance for x Chart (2017) Position Australian Albums (ARIA) 7 Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) 41 Canadian Albums (Billboard) 34 Danish Albums (Hitlisten) 6 Dutch Albums (MegaCharts) 8 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) 45 Icelandic Albums (Plötutíóindi) 39 Italian Albums (FIMI) 47 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) 8 Polish Albums (ZPAV) 7 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) 15 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) 33 UK Albums (OCC) 6 US Billboard 200 50 2018 year-end chart performance for x Chart (2018) Position Australian Albums (ARIA) 10 Canadian Albums (Billboard) 39 Danish Albums (Hitlisten) 14 Dutch Albums (MegaCharts) 30 Icelandic Albums (Plötutíóindi) 59 Irish Albums (IRMA) 10 Italian Albums (FIMI) 100 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) 14 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) 37 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) 67 UK Albums (OCC) 22 US Billboard 200 63 2019 year-end chart performance for x Chart (2019) Position Australian Albums (ARIA) 33 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) 93 Danish Albums (Hitlisten) 30 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) 50 Icelandic Albums (Plötutíóindi) 74 Irish Albums (IRMA) 41 Latvian Albums (LAIPA) 86 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) 25 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) 79 UK Albums (OCC) 41 2020 year-end chart performance for x Chart (2020) Position Australian Albums (ARIA) 61 Danish Albums (Hitlisten) 45 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) 82 Irish Albums (IRMA) 49 UK Albums (OCC) 52 2021 year-end chart performance for x Chart (2021) Position Australian Albums (ARIA) 59 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) 120 Danish Albums (Hitlisten) 38 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) 70 Irish Albums (IRMA) 50 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) 95 UK Albums (OCC) 55 2022 year-end chart performance for x Chart (2022) Position Australian Albums (ARIA) 78 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) 115 Danish Albums (Hitlisten) 43 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) 74 UK Albums (OCC) 62 ===Decade-end charts=== Decade-end chart performance for x Chart (2010–2019) Position Australian Albums (ARIA) 5 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) 18 UK Albums (OCC) 3 US Billboard 200 8 ==Certifications== ==Release history== Release history and formats for x Region Date Edition Format Label Australia 20 June 2014 Germany New Zealand United Kingdom 23 June 2014 United States France 24 November 2014 Collector Edition 2CD Various 13 November 2015 Wembley Edition ==See also== * List of best-selling albums in Australia * List of number-one albums of 2014 (Australia) * List of Billboard 200 number-one albums of 2014 * List of UK Albums Chart number ones of 2014 * List of UK Albums Chart number ones of 2015 ==References== Category:2014 albums Category:Asylum Records albums Category:Atlantic Records albums Category:Albums produced by Benny Blanco Category:Albums produced by Ed Sheeran Category:Albums produced by Jake Gosling Category:Albums produced by Pharrell Williams Category:Brit Award for British Album of the Year Category:Ed Sheeran albums Category:Albums recorded at Shangri-La (recording studio) Category:Albums involved in plagiarism controversies
X is the ninth studio album by Fourplay, released in 2006. ==Track listing== #"Turnabout" (Bob James) – 6:21 #"Cinnamon Sugar" (Larry Carlton) – 4:48 #"Eastern Sky" (Marcel East, Nathan East) – 6:37 #"Kid Zero" (Harvey Mason, Sr.) – 4:48 #"My Love's Leavin'"; feat. Michael McDonald (Vivian Stanshall, Steve Winwood) – 5:11 #"Screenplay" (Bob James) – 6:04 #"Twilight Touch" (Harvey Mason, Sr.) – 4:57 #"Be My Lover" (Larry Carlton, Nathan East) – 4:13 #"Sunday Morning" (Nathan East) – 3:53 == Personnel == Fourplay * Bob James – keyboards * Larry Carlton – guitars * Nathan East – bass guitar, vocals (1, 3, 8) * Harvey Mason – drums Additional Personnel * Michael McDonald – vocals (5) * Kevin DiSimone – backing vocals (5) * Michele Pillar – vocals (8) === Production === * Fourplay – producers * Ken Freeman – co-producer, recording, mixing, keyboard technician * Csaba Petozc – assistant engineer * Shannon Forrest – vocal engineer (5) * Steve Vavagiakis – mastering * Rick Wheeler – guitar and bass technician * Larry Hamby – A&R; * Frank Harkins – art direction * Vivian Ng – design * Michael Waring – photography * Sonny Abelardo – management == References == Category:Fourplay albums Category:2006 albums
X is the tenth LP album released 1983 by the Danish rock band Gnags. The album was released digitally remastered in 1995 on CD. == Track listing == # Fodgænger — 4:03 # Slingrer ned ad Vestergade — 4:13 # Fuldmånen Lyser — 3:45 # Forvandlingskugler — 3:22 # Tossefugle — 3:44 # Havnen med Skibe — 3:36 # Tømmerflåden — 4:11 # Zebrafinken — 2:52 # Fuldmånevandvid — 4:03 # Alt Synes Ro Ombord — 3:12 Category:1983 albums Category:Gnags albums
"X" is the twenty-fourth novel in the "Alphabet" series of mystery novels by Sue Grafton. It features Kinsey Millhone, a private detective based in Santa Teresa, California, a fictional version of Santa Barbara, California. The novel, set in the late 1980s, finds Kinsey pursuing a sociopathic serial killer. It was published by G.P. Putnam's Sons, and released in the United States on August 25, 2015. ==Plot summary== The book starts off in third- person narrative by a woman called Teddy Xanakis. Teddy is in the throes of a bitter divorce and trying to ruin her ex-husband Ari, who had an affair with her best friend. The story transitions into first-person narrative by Kinsey Millhone. Since the last book she has inherited a large sum of money from a family member on her father's side. She meets with a client who wants her to find her biological son she gave up for adoption. She also starts trying to help out Pete Wolinsky's widow, Ruth, with an IRS audit. Another story-line involves new neighbors and attempts at water conservation. None of these story-lines are connected and Kinsey bounces back and forth between these disparate events throughout the book. Kinsey discovers that Pete was investigating a person he believed to be a serial killer who ends up attacking Kinsey. The disjointed plot lines have generally disappointed fans of her previous works. ==Characters== *Kinsey Millhone: Private investigator ==Title== When asked about the title of book 24 in 2013, Grafton told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that the title "almost has to be Xenophobe or Xenophobia. I've checked the penal codes in most states and xylophone isn't a crime, so I'm stuck." A few months before the book was published, she revealed that it would break the pattern of the preceding 23 books, omitting the "is for" and alliterative word from the title. ==Reviews== ==References== ==External links== *Sue Grafton Alphabet Series official site Category:Novels by Sue Grafton Category:Kinsey Millhone novels Category:2015 American novels Category:American mystery novels Category:G. P. Putnam's Sons books
X is the seventh studio album by Australian rock band INXS, released on 25 September 1990 through WEA in Australia, Mercury Records in Europe, and Atlantic Records in the United States and Canada. The follow-up to the massive seller Kick, X scored hits with "Suicide Blonde" and "Disappear" (both Top 10 in the US). Both singles were later used in the soundtrack to the 1991 American teen comedy Mystery Date. Two other singles from X were "Bitter Tears" and "By My Side" but they had less chart success. A fifth single, "The Stairs", was only issued in the Netherlands to coincide with the release of the Live Baby Live album. X was the third consecutive INXS album produced by Chris Thomas. The title, the Roman numeral for "10", represents the band's tenth year since their debut album was released in 1980. X features a sample of blues-harp player Charlie Musselwhite on "Suicide Blonde", and Musselwhite himself playing on "Who Pays the Price" and "On My Way". In 2002, a remastered version of the album was released, which included five previously unreleased tracks. ==Background== INXS gained great success with the release of their previous studio album, Kick. The multimillion-selling album received critical acclaim and proved to be the band's biggest selling album by far, having gone platinum multiple times. In 1987 and 1988, INXS toured heavily in support of Kick. During 1989, the band took a break to work on side projects. Vocalist and primary songwriter Michael Hutchence collaborated with Ian 'Ollie' Olsen in the band Max Q, the two having previously worked together on Richard Lowenstein's film Dogs in Space. The remaining members of INXS also got involved in other musical projects, including songwriter and multi- instrumentalist Andrew Farriss, who joined singer-songwriter Jenny Morris in the studio to produce her second solo album, Shiver. Bass guitarist Gary Garry Beers collaborated with ARIA award-winning Sydney band Absent Friends during 1989."MTV – Absent Friends Biography" Retrieved 30 January 2017 Beers first toured with the group, and later recorded tracks for their debut album, Here's Looking Up Your Address. Drummer Jon Farriss joined the recording sessions, contributing percussion on one track. Guitarist and saxophonist Kirk Pengilly, along with lead guitarist Tim Farriss, both paired up to help produce an album for local Sydney band, Crash Politics. Upon entering the 1990s, INXS wanted to follow up on Kick, their multimillion-selling international success. In a radio interview shortly after the release of X, Hutchence said, "We had to follow-up (on Kick) otherwise we'd disappear".INXS promotes X – 1990 Radio Interview. Retrieved 5 February 2016 ==Recording and production== The band worked again with producer Chris Thomas at the new Rhinoceros studio in Sydney, Australia. Regarding the new studio, Thomas felt that it imposed a different feeling on the band's sound, which reflected in the album's material. In a 2002 interview, Thomas commented, "We worked at the new Rhinoceros studio, which was ridiculously enormous. To some degree, it forced isolation on everything, including the control room. To get a vibe on playback, you had to turn everything up really loud because the room was so big". Most of the material for X was written by the songwriting duo of Andrew Farriss and Michael Hutchence with the exception of "Disappear", "Faith in Each Other" and "Deepest Red" (excluded from the album), which were written by Hutchence and Jon Farriss,X liner notes. Retrieved 4 February 2017 whereas "By My Side" was a collaboration between Andrew and Kirk Pengilly. According to the album's liner notes, Thomas assisted in arranging the song's composition, specifically the chorus; the song's original demo, under the title "Dark of Night", with alternate lyrics was released on the album's 2002 remaster. Some songs that appear on the album were in fact written years prior, including "Lately" and "Disappear" - the lyrics for "Lately" were originally written by Andrew during the recording sessions of the group's fifth studio album, Listen Like Thieves, while Hutchence and Jon wrote the lyrics for "Disappear" when they were living in Hong Kong in 1989. An idea that Andrew suggested to Hutchence and the rest of the band was the sound of a Blues harp. After discovering Blues musician Charlie Musselwhite had been touring Australia, the band met with him and decided to use his harmonica playing talent on the album. Rather than playing a live recording on "Suicide Blonde", Musselwhite instead lay down harp samples; he does play full harmonica on "Who Pays the Price" and "On My Way". Like the band's two previous studio albums produced by Thomas, X features a slickness and polish in its production, a quality that was removed during production of subsequent albums. It was also the group's last studio album produced by Thomas. Their next collaboration was four years later on the recording of both "The Strangest Party (These Are the Times)" and "Deliver Me", which were two new songs that appeared on the band's Greatest Hits compilation released in 1994. ==Music and lyrics== Sticking to the formula that was built on Kick, Thomas urged primary songwriters Andrew Farriss and Hutchence to condense their song writing strengths on X. According to the liner notes on the album's 2002 remaster, Thomas stated, "Everything about INXS this time around was grandiose, and this was reflected in the material". He added, "The album got away from the funky stuff and was moving towards the epic on tracks like "Lately" and "The Stairs". Paul Evans of Rolling Stone summed up the changes with "[INXS] focus their strengths, coming up not only with tough, state-of-the-art pop but with the casual confidence of a mature collective personality". Regarding the recorded material, Evans observed that "the record blends R&B; and rock as INXS always has done – but this time the grooves are more solid, the energy and moods less disparate". Similar to the themes that were explored on Kick, X continues to reflect on the band's personal experiences about relationships and daily life, while touching on social topics such as media, fame and society. The title and lyrics to "Suicide Blonde" came from a phrase that Hutchence first heard used by his then-girlfriend Kylie Minogue, while "Disappear" describes how [Hutchence] is flushed with anxiety when he sees what's going on in the world, but all those problems and fears are cast aside when he's with the one he loves. Hutchence asserted that "The Stairs", a song about singular city life, was the most ambitious song he had ever written; the song describes how tens of millions lead daily lives separated by walls mere inches apart yet never meet. Andrew was inspired to write "By My Side" for his wife, Shelly, and said that the song is about "missing family and people while being on the road". Regarding the lyrics to "Hear That Sound", Hutchence commented, "it is about the power of people, more particularly in large crowds or in marches for the purpose of peaceful protest or celebration". ==Reception== {{Album ratings | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1Score = | rev2 = Rolling Stone | rev2Score = | rev3 = Q | rev3Score = | rev4 = The Daily Vault | rev4Score = B+ }} While reviews for X were generally favourable, with some critics commenting that INXS had stepped up their game, others felt that the album followed too much in the same formula as Kick. Allmusic's Steven McDonald mentions this in the beginning of his review, stating "The seventh album from Australia's INXS basically sticks to the formula set up on Kick, mixing solid remixable dance floor beats with slightly quirky production tricks, Michael Hutchence's rough- edged, bluesy vocals, and some good solid song hooks". In his 1990 review for Rolling Stone, music critic Paul Evans rated the album four stars out of five and called X the band's "best and most cohesive album". He added, "X is greater than the sum of its parts. It defines the band and clarifies the fullness of its appeal". ===Commercial performance=== Even though the album and its singles did not exceed the success of Kick, it did perform well worldwide, particularly in Europe; In the United Kingdom, the album peaked at number 2 on the UK Albums Chart. In total, it remained in the UK charts for an impressive 44 weeks."The World's Music Charts – Chart runs of INXS". Retrieved 5 February 2016 The album was certified platinum in January 1991 by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for sales in excess of 300,000 copies. X proved successful across Europe, reaching number 5 in Switzerland, number 7 in France, number 9 in (Germany), number 10 in Sweden and number 13 in Norway. The album quickly received gold accreditations in all these regions, subsequently attaining platinum status in both France and Switzerland. In the band's native Australia, X entered at number 1 on the Australian Albums Chart on 21 October 1990, remaining at the top spot for two weeks. It was present for a total of 34 weeks on the chart. In New Zealand, the album peaked at number 2 on the RIANZ Chart, staying on the chart for 23 weeks. X was certified double platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) and platinum by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ) for shipments of 140,000 and 15,000 units respectively. In the United States, X peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Top 200 on 20 October 1990. Similar to the United Kingdom, the album spent a total of 43 weeks in the charts. Less than two months after its release, X was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on 13 November 1990 for shipments of 500,000 units. The album became double platinum on 16 December 1997 for sales of two million copies in the United States. X was also certified double platinum in Canada in February 1991 for shipments of 200,000 units. ==Track listing== == Personnel == INXS * Michael Hutchence – lead vocals, backing vocals * Andrew Farriss – keyboards, programming, guitars * Jon Farriss – keyboards, programming, drums, backing vocals * Tim Farriss – guitars * Kirk Pengilly – guitars, saxophone, backing vocals * Garry Gary Beers – bass, backing vocals Additional musician * Charlie Musselwhite – harmonica (7, 10) == Production == * Chris Thomas – producer * David Nicholas – engineer * Brendan Morley – assistant engineer * Andy Strange – assistant engineer * Tim Young – mastering * Tom Bouman – art direction * Nick Egan – art direction, design * Michael Halsband – cover photography * Grant Matthews – inside photography * C.M. Murphy and MMA Management – management ==Charts and certifications== ===Weekly charts=== Chart (1990–1991) Peak position ===Year-end charts=== Chart (1990) Position Australian Albums (ARIA) 29 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) 83 Chart (1991) Position Australian Albums (ARIA) 39 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) 70 US Billboard 200 45 ===Certifications=== ==Further reading== * ==References== Category:INXS albums Category:1990 albums Category:Albums produced by Chris Thomas (record producer)
X (also titled X (Diez), "Ten" in English) is a double album by Regional Mexican band Intocable, released on February 15, 2005 through EMI Latin. It was produced by René Martínez and Ricardo Muñoz, two members of the band, alongside Pepe Aguilar, Carlos Cabral Jr., Jason Cano, Alex Espinoza, Chuy Flores, Kinky, Jorge Lares Amaro, Sacha Triujeque, Alan Baxter, Nir Seroussi and Tom Baumgartner. The album features collaborations from Kinky, Jumbo, DJ Kane, Ice, Tego Calderon, Volován, Pepe Aguilar and Natalia y la Forquetina. At the 6th Annual Latin Grammy Awards, the album was nominated for Album of the Year and Best Engineered Album and won Best Norteño Album while "Aire" won Best Regional Mexican Song. It was also nominated for Best Mexican/Mexican- American Album at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards. The album topped the Regional Mexican Albums chart, being the band's ninth album to do so, it also peaked at numbers two and sixty-two on the Top Latin Albums and Billboard 200 charts, respectively. In addition, it was certified platinum in both Mexico and United States. ==Background== The double album is an anniversary package produced to celebrate the band's ten-year career signed under EMI Latin, the album is composed by two discs, the first one consists of fourteen original tracks, while the second one is titled X-tra and consists of eleven versions of various songs by the band recorded by themselves and different artists such as Mexican rock bands Kinky ("Coquta") and Jumbo ("Enséñame a Olvidarte"), as well as American singers Pepe Aguilar ("Fuerte No Soy") and DJ Kane ("En Paz Descanse" and "Es Tan Bello (R&B; Version)"), among others. ==Singles== The song "Aire" was released as a single to promote the album prior to its release, the song debuted at number 23 on the Hot Latin Songs chart, eventually reaching the top position for four weeks, being the band's first and only number-one song in the chart to date. The songs "Contra Viento y Marea" and "Alguien te va a Hacer Llorar" also appeared on the chart, peaking at number two and seventeen, respectively, both in 2006. Additionally, both "Aire" and "Contra Viento y Marea" topped the Regional Mexican Songs chart, being the band's ninth and tenth number-one song on the chart. ==Critical reception== Leila Cobos from American magazine Billboard commented that "while X has sophisticated norteño fare like the single "Aire", X-tra has delicious readings of songs like "Enséñame a Olvidarte" (performed by Jumbo) and a crunchy rock'n'roll version of "Ya Ves" by Volován", she finished the review writing that "the end result is a disc for purists and thrill seekers, anchored by fine songs that endure different genres and arrangements". ==Track listing== ==Charts== Weekly chart performance for X Chart (2005) Peak position == Certifications == ==References== Category:Intocable albums Category:2005 albums
"X" is a song by American pop rock group Jonas Brothers, featuring vocals from Colombian reggaeton singer-songwriter Karol G. It was released on May 15, 2020. The song was released concurrently with "Five More Minutes". Both of these songs are part of a conjoined single titled XV. ==Background== On May 11, 2020, the group announced the single "X" and announced that the release of the song would be on May 15, 2020. The singles "Five More Minutes" and "X" were both featured in their tour documentary called Happiness Continues: A Jonas Brothers Concert Film, which was released in April. During an interview with Insider, Kevin Jonas said "The new single 'X' is a song that I'm so excited about". He further explained the way he feels about the collaboration is reminiscent of how he felt about the band's hit 2019 track called "Sucker", which marked their musical comeback after a six-year hiatus. "I can honestly say there was only one other time where I had a song of ours constantly in my head", Jonas said. "It was 'Sucker' and 'What a Man Gotta Do,' but 'Sucker' specifically just kind of stayed there as kind of an earworm." ==Critical reception== Billboards Jessica Roiz said that "X" is "true Jonas Brothers fashion, the tune is catchy dance-pop meshed with flairs of Latin-alt rumba". ==Music video== The music video released on May 18, 2020, and shows the band dancing, enjoying a beverage and playing instruments through individual phone screens against a white background. Karol G also appears on a fourth screen in an all-red ensemble as she sings her verse. ==Live performances== The Jonas Brothers with Karol G performed the song live for the first time on Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020. Members of the class of 2020 appeared on video as the brothers' personal backup dance crew. The band performed the single live with Karol G during the eighteenth season finale of The Voice on May 19, 2020. The Jonas Brothers performed "X" (without Karol G) along with "Sucker" and "What a Man Gotta Do" as exclusive 'home' sessions recorded especially for Radio 1's Big Weekend. ==Charts== ===Weekly charts=== Weekly chart performance for "X" Chart (2020) Peak position Colombia (National-Report) 93 Germany Airplay (BVMI) 4 Israel (Media Forest) 2 Lithuania (AGATA) 76 Mexico Airplay (Billboard) 26 New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ) 7 Panama (PRODUCE) 39 Slovenia (SloTop50) 8 US Rolling Stone Top 100 20 ===Year-end charts=== Year-end chart performance for "X" Chart (2020) Position Belgium (Ultratop Flanders) 80 CIS (Tophit) 37 Hungary (Rádiós Top 40) 79 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) 33 Poland (ZPAV) 73 Romania (Airplay 100) 75 Russia Airplay (Tophit) 33 ==Certifications== ==Release history== Release dates and formats for "X" Region Date Formats Label Various May 15, 2020 Republic United States May 19, 2020 Contemporary hit radio Russia May 22, 2020 Universal Italy ==References== Category:2020 singles Category:2020 songs Category:Jonas Brothers songs Category:Karol G songs Category:Macaronic songs Category:Songs written by Shellback (record producer) Category:Songs written by Ali Tamposi Category:Songs written by Nick Jonas Category:Songs written by Ryan Tedder Category:Song recordings produced by Shellback (record producer) Category:Songs written by Karol G
X is the third studio album by American R&B; duo and brothers K-Ci & JoJo, released December 5, 2000 on MCA. Recording sessions took place during 1999–2000. Production was handled by various producers, including Mike Smoov, Rory Bennett, and DeVante Swing. The album peaked at number twenty on the US Billboard 200. It achieved acceptable international charting and produced two singles that had minor success charting. The lead single "Crazy" would peak at number 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Upon its release, X received average reviews from music critics. The album has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for shipments of 1,000,000 copies in the United States. == Critical response == X has received average reviews from music critics. ==Track listing== == Personnel == Credits for X adapted from liner notes. Track Credits "Honest Lover" * Rory Bennett – producer, keyboards * Dave Guerrero – assistant engineer * JoJo Hailey – producer, vocals * K-Ci Hailey – vocalist * Damon Jones – executive creative director * Greg Mull – recorder * Dean Parks – acoustic guitar, electric guitar * Dave Pensado – mixer * Jason Rankings – assistant engineer * Randy Waldman – string arrangement * Eric White – digital editor * Woody Woodruff – recorder == Charts == === Weekly charts === Chart (2000–2001) Peak position === Year-end charts === Chart (2001) Position Canadian R&B; Albums (Nielsen SoundScan) 78 US Billboard 200 71 US Top R&B;/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) 30 == Certifications == == References == Category:2000 albums Category:K-Ci & JoJo albums
X is the second studio album by American rapper Ken Carson, released through Opium and Interscope Records on July 8, 2022. In the United States, the album entered at number 115 on the Billboard 200. The deluxe version, titled Xtended, was released three months later, on October 31, 2022. ==Critical reception== X was released to mixed reviews, with critics feeling that the album lacked originality and sounded like a poor imitation of Opium label boss, fellow rapper, and the album's executive producer Playboi Carti's album Whole Lotta Red. Anthony Malone of HipHopDX stated that Carson lacked identity and creativity, saying, "Lacking variety from the beats and any real force from the artist himself, X is a repetitive listening experience. There are moments of fun: the short and succulent 'Money Hunt'; the energetic flexing in 'Get Rich or Die'; and Destroy Lonely's verse on 'MDMA'. But it's not enough to justify the 20-track output." Pitchfork reviewer Alphonse Pierre said that "Carson lacks the curiosity, imagination, and irreverence to do anything more than lay down the same glazed Auto-Tune raps, with only rare attempts to liven them up", and that "X is such a slog that the smallest signs of taste are cause for celebration. The pitch change at the end of 'Get Rich or Die' is something! When he's listing off his drugs on 'PDBMH', the Auto-Tune is turned up and in that instant the sped-up flow is slightly (emphasis on 'slightly') reminiscent of [Young] Thug!" but that overall the album was "forgettable". Online music critic Anthony Fantano gave the album a rare 0 out of 10, panning its songwriting and production and concluding that "Ken Carson's new album is devoid of redeeming qualities". ==Track listing== ==Charts== Chart performance for X Chart (2022) Peak position US Billboard 200 115 US Top R&B;/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) 50 ==References== Category:2022 albums Category:Ken Carson albums Category:Interscope Records albums
X is the tenth album by Klaus Schulze. It was originally released in 1978, and in 2005 was the fifth Schulze album reissued by Revisited Records. == Composition == On X Schulze attempted to execute a concept album of six "musical biographies" evoking contemporary or historical intellectuals with an influence on Schulze: Friedrich Nietzsche, Georg Trakl, Frank Herbert, Friedemann Bach, Ludwig II. von Bayern, and Heinrich von Kleist. (In Ludwig II. von Bayern Schulze uses a theme borrowed from the third movement of Vivaldi's Concerto No. 11 in D minor (RV565) for 2 violins, cello and strings.) The work is from the classic era of Berlin School. For two of the tracks, "Friedemann Bach" and "Ludwig II. von Bayern" (as well as the first few minutes of "Heinrich von Kleist") Schulze recorded a modest string orchestra and looped them on tape. He had done this in 1972 on his first solo album, Irrlicht, but this time he did not filter the orchestra beyond recognition. On following releases Schulze employed a cello, particularly on Dune. "Objet d'Louis", the bonus track on the 2005 reissue, is a 1978 live version of "Ludwig II. von Bayern" with a complete orchestra, recorded while Schulze was on a tour in Belgium.X CD booklet Schulze later reworked and in 2000 reissued the original versions of "Friedrich Nietzsche" and "Georg Trakl" as "Crazy Nietzsche" and "Discover Trakl" on the compilation CD "The Ultimate Edition" disc 47 titled "Discoveries". ==Track listing== All tracks composed by Klaus Schulze. Disc 1 Disc 2 ==Personnel== * Klaus Schulze – electronics, percussion (on "Friedemann Bach" and "Heinrich von Kleist") * Harald Grosskopf – drum kit ("Friedrich Nietzsche", "Georg Trakl", "Frank Herbert", "Friedemann Bach") * Wolfgang Tiepold – cello (on "Friedemann Bach", "Heinrich von Kleist"), conductor (on "Ludwig II. von Bayern" and "Objet d'Louis") * B. Dragić – solo violin (on "Friedemann Bach") * Small string orchestra from Orchester des Hessischen Rundfunks [8 violins, 3 violas, 3 cellos, 1 contrabass] (on "Friedemann Bach", "Ludwig II. von Bayern") * Large string orchestra of young Belgian musicians (on "Objet d'Louis") == References == ==External links== * X at the official site of Klaus Schulze * Category:Klaus Schulze albums Category:1978 albums
X is the fourth studio album by Kristeen Young. It is themed around various reversals of, and thoughts on, the Ten Commandments. The album was produced by Tony Visconti and engineered by Mario J. McNulty at Studio B, Looking Glass Studios. It features "Baby" Jeff White on drums, David Matos on guitar and a duet with Placebo's Brian Molko on No Other God. ==Track listing== #"No Other God" (with Brian Molko)– 3:07 #"Commit Adultery" – 3:11 #"Kill It" – 4:02 #"Lie" – 4:01 #"Cold Steal" – 4:20 #"Goddamn You, You Scenesters" – 3:34 #"Yesterday's Future Man" – 4:03 #"I Own The Best Of All Things" – 3:29 #"My TV" – 4:00 #"Devil Girl" – 4:55 #"Credits" (read by David Matos) – 1:49 #"No Other God' - 3:09 ==References== Category:Kristeen Young albums Category:2004 albums Category:Albums produced by Tony Visconti