Every 2 weeks, Qobuz endeavours to bring you the best in musical releases across all genres with The Qobuz Studio! Birdy
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Since bewitching the nation at the age of 14 with her cover of Bon Iver’s “Skinny Love,” Birdy has had to do a lot of growing up. While her contemporaries have lived leisurely, teenage lives - studying, shopping, socialising - this extraordinarily talented 19-year-old has released two albums, toured the world, performed at the Paralympics Opening Ceremony, been nominated for a Brit Award (for British Female Solo Artist), written songs for the hit movies The Fault in Our Stars and The Hunger Games, and sung on Mumford & Sons’ Grammy-winning song “Learn Me Right” (part of the soundtrack for the Pixar animation, Brave). A long list of international accolades include, Best International Female (Echo Awards, Germany 2013) and Best International Female (Principales, Spain 2014) and many more. She has accumulated over 413 million views on Youtube and sold over 10.5 millions records worldwide to date.
Five years into her career and now a young adult, Birdy has flown the nest and moved to London. This is a big change for this softly spoken girl who is happy to admit that she is naturally shy and not an obvious candidate for a life in the limelight.
Now she is set to release her third LP, the elegant and evocative Beautiful Lies, which is, she says, “about knowing yourself but also about change and how we sometimes find it hard. For me moving away from home feels strange and a bit scary, but then my life has been constantly moving. The last few years have gone by in a blur. There have been times when my friends have rung me and said ‘Where are you?’ and I’ve said, ‘I don’t actually know’.”
Birdy’s memories of adolescence are bittersweet. While she has adored performing, meeting other musicians and travelling the world, there have been times when she’s craved a more regular existence. “Not being able to join in with things has been difficult at times,” she explains. “As a teenager you want to go to parties, hang out with friends and know all the gossip. It can be weird coming home and finding you’re not up to date.” This struggle is reflected in the first single on Beautiful Lies, “Keeping Your Head Up”. It is, says Birdy, “about the fight within yourself, and how even when you’re at your saddest, you can think about the future and the good things that are to come. I’m essentially an optimist and I believe that things will be alright, but I do have that mournful side which still comes out in my music.”
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Albums
32
albums sorted by Most acclaimed
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Pop - Released November 4, 2011 | Atlantic Records UK
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Film Soundtracks - Released April 13, 2014 | Atlantic Records
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Pop - Released October 7, 2016 | Atlantic Records UK
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Pop - Released January 1, 2016 | Atlantic Records UK
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Pop - Released September 7, 2018 | Atlantic Records UK
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Pop - Released March 25, 2016 | Atlantic Records UK
On her third album, Beautiful Lies, Birdy (born Jasmine van der Bogaerde) continues her evolution from acoustic covers singer to confident and powerful artist. When she had her breakout "Skinny Love" moment at the age of 14, her vulnerable voice and stripped-down acoustics conveyed a fragility and innocence indicative of the indie material she covered on her self-titled debut. While her sophomore effort (and first comprising original songs) bolstered her sound with livelier production -- harnessing the energy of OneRepublic, whose Ryan Tedder co-wrote a pair of tracks -- Beautiful Lies brings a depth that pulls Birdy from Ingrid Michaelson territory and into a scene occupied by Lorde, Florence, and Lana. On the lush opener "Growing Pains," she incorporates East Asian-influenced melody into a swelling, powerful chorus that echoes the aforementioned Del Rey with a little Kate Bush sprinkled on top. That refreshing quirkiness is also present on the wistful "Silhouette," which includes a surprising flourish that wouldn't be out of place on a Joanna Newsom or Regina Spektor track. Beautiful Lies' most uplifting moments, such as the full-throttle "Keeping Your Head Up" and the urgent "Wild Horses," provide touches of elevation and empowerment, similar to much of Foxes' 2016 release, All I Need. One such highlight, the beautiful "Hear You Calling," infuses the album with a power only previously hinted at on prior works. There is also a nice balance to Beautiful Lies that creates a fuller, more satisfying listening experience. Midtempo breathers like "Shadow" and "Words" comfort, while the atmospherics on "Take My Heart" and "Save Yourself" haunt like ballads by Vaults or Bat for Lashes. While Birdy is indeed growing up (she was 19 at the time of release), nods to her origins are present on the piano ballads "Lost It All," the soothing "Unbroken," and the closing title track, a sparse beauty that ends Beautiful Lies with a kiss goodbye. "Turn out the light, there are no more surprises to come," she sings, as the album takes its last breath. With more life, richer texture, and an inspiring attitude, Beautiful Lies is Birdy's declaration that she is more than able to make her mark in the big leagues and join the ranks of the alternative pop pantheon. ~ Neil Z. Yeung
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Alternative & Indie - Released November 19, 2011 | Atlantic Records
On the face of it, the self-titled debut from 15-year-old Birdy, aka Jasmine van den Bogaerde, doesn't seem any different from the hastily assembled cash-in covers albums released every year by the various X Factor alumni. But although its 11 renditions of mostly contemporary songs, many of which could be passed off as originals due to their previous lack of exposure, stick to the tried-and-tested talent show formula, that's where the comparisons end. Indeed, you won't find any karaoke standards or renditions of Miley Cyrus songs here, as this stripped-back collection of lesser-known hits and album tracks reads like a who's who of lo-fi hipster indie rock. The likes of the National's "Terrible Love" and Francis & the Lights' "I'll Never Forget You" offer little deviation from the source material, but for the most part, producers Rich Costey (Muse), James Ford (Arctic Monkeys), and Jim Abiss (Adele) strip the songs down to their bare bones, turning Cherry Ghost's everyman anthem "People Hold the People" into a tender torch song with its stately piano chords and mournful cello, toning down the aggression of the Naked & Famous' synth pop hit "Young Blood" with some muted beats and ethereal twinkling electronica, while somehow turning the already sparse "Shelter" from the xx's Mercury Music Prize winner into an even more skeletal and ghostly affair. As clever and subtle as these reworkings are, it's Birdy's youthful and fragile voice that steals the show, whether it's replicating the multi-layered harmonies of Fleet Foxes' "White Winter Hymnal," providing a poignancy to Bon Iver's "Skinny Love," or showcasing her scale-gliding abilities on the Postal Service's "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight." The gospel-tinged cover of James Taylor's "Fire and Rain," the only track to sound more expansive than the original, feels slightly out of place, while the unremarkable balladry of the only original composition, "Without a Word," suggests she might have to work a little harder on her songwriting skills if she's to avoid becoming a one-trick pony. The whole idea of Birdy sounds like a transparent attempt to court a more credible audience, but thanks to her haunting tones and a tasteful yet compelling production, it impressively avoids being the try-hard affair you'd expect. ~ Jon O'Brien
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Film Soundtracks - Released November 11, 2016 | Sony Masterworks
![Birdy Keeping Your Head Up (Don Diablo Remix) [Radio Edit]](https://static.qobuz.com/images/covers/58/96/0825646479658_100.jpg)
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Pop - Released February 12, 2016 | Atlantic Records UK
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Alternative & Indie - Released September 23, 2013 | Atlantic Records
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International Pop - Released September 2, 2016 | Atlantic Records UK
![Birdy Keeping Your Head Up (Jonas Blue Remix) [Radio Edit]](https://static.qobuz.com/images/covers/77/88/0190295978877_100.jpg)
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Pop - Released March 18, 2016 | Atlantic Records UK
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Electronic/Dance - Released June 3, 2016 | Atlantic Records UK
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Dance - Released March 4, 2016 | Atlantic Records UK
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Birdy in the magazine
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The Qobuz Studio: Episode #10
Every 2 weeks, Qobuz endeavours to bring you the best in musical releases across all genres with The Qobuz Studio!