Love in Exile (album)

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For other uses, see Love in Exile (disambiguation).
Love in Exile
A black-and-white photo of the three artists against a backdrop of clouds.
Studio album by
Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, and Shahzad Ismaily
ReleasedMarch 24, 2023
Length75:12
LanguageUrdu
LabelVerve
Producer
  • Arooj Aftab
  • Vijay Iyer
  • Shahzad Ismaily
Arooj Aftab chronology
Vulture Prince
(2021) 		Love in Exile
(2023) 		Night Reign
(2024)
Vijay Iyer chronology
A Love Sonnet for Billie Holiday
(2021) 		Love in Exile
(2023) 		Compassion
(2024)
Shahzad Ismaily chronology
Visitations
(2020) 		Love in Exile
(2023) 		Dosh, Ismaily, Young
(2023)
Singles from Love in Exile
  1. "To Remain/To Return"
    Released: February 23, 2023

Love in Exile is an album by Pakistani singer Arooj Aftab, Indian-American pianist Vijay Iyer, and multi-instrumentalist Shahzad Ismaily, released on March 24, 2023, by Verve Records. It is the trio's first album together, recorded in a studio in New York. It was received positively by critics. At the 66th Annual Grammy Awards, the album was nominated for Best Alternative Jazz Album and "Shadow Forces" was nominated for Best Global Music Performance.

Background and recording[edit]

Aftab, Iyer, and Ismaily first performed live together in New York in 2018, a performance in which Pitchfork's Philip Sherburne said it "became unclear who was leading whom, or even where one musician ended and the next began".[1] The trio came together in a studio in New York to record their first album together.[2] They recorded live, taking the same positions as that live performance: Aftab singing in Urdu, Iyer playing piano and electronics, and Ismaily playing electric bass and Moog synthesizer.[1]

Release[edit]

On February 23, 2023, the trio announced the album and released its lead single, "To Remain/To Return".[3] Iyer described the song as "reveal[ing] not just the melody but the birth of a song. I hear Shahzad and myself establishing these haunted cycles, then slowly and delicately transforming them, as Arooj glides across like a dark moon."[3] Sherburne called the track "a small miracle of telepathy occurring across nine spellbinding minutes."[1]

The album was released on March 24, 2023, by Verve Records.[4][5]

Reception[edit]

Love in Exile ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic85/100[4]
Review scores
SourceRating
The Guardian[5]
Mojo[6]
Pitchfork8.5/10[7]
Uncut8/10[8]

According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Love in Exile received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 85 out of 100 from 5 critic scores.[4] Pitchfork called the album the best new music of the week.[7]

Awards and nominations[edit]

Love in Exile awards and nominations
Year Organisation Award Work Status Ref.
2024 Grammy Awards Best Alternative Jazz Album Love in Exile Nominated [9][10]
Best Global Music Performance "Shadow Forces" Nominated [9][10]

Year-end lists[edit]

Love in Exile on year-end lists
Publication # Ref.
Aquarium Drunkard — [11]
Beats Per Minute 35 [12]
BrooklynVegan
(Jazz Albums) 		— [13]
Consequence 34 [14]
Mojo 16 [15]
The New York Times
(Jon Pareles) 		10 [16]
Pitchfork 25 [17]
Slate — [18]
Treble 49 [19]
Uncut 33 [20]

Track listing[edit]

All tracks are written by Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, and Shahzad Ismaily.

Love in Exile track listing
No.TitleLength
1."To Remain/To Return"9:17
2."Haseen Thi"12:08
3."Shadow Forces"14:04
4."Sajni"8:07
5."Eyes of the Endless"14:40
6."Sharabi"13:36
7."To Remain/To Return" (Excerpt)3:20
Total length:75:12

Personnel[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Sherburne, Philip (February 24, 2023). "Arooj Aftab / Vijay Iyer / Shahzad Ismaily: "To Remain/To Return" Track Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  2. ^ Ehrlich, Brenna (March 22, 2023). "Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, and Shahzad Ismaily Share a Beautiful Soundscape on Love in Exile". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  3. ^ a b Brodsky, Rachel (February 23, 2023). "Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, Shahzad Ismaily – "To Remain / To Return"". Stereogum. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c "Love in Exile by Arooj Aftab Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  5. ^ a b Kalia, Ammar (March 3, 2023). "Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer and Shahzad Ismaily: Love in Exile review – a trio in striking harmony". The Guardian. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  6. ^ "Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, & Shahzad Ismaily - Love in Exile". Mojo. May 2023. p. 84.
  7. ^ a b Kappal, Bhanuj (March 28, 2023). "Arooj Aftab / Vijay Iyer / Shahzad Ismaily: Love in Exile Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  8. ^ Pattison, Louis (May 2023). "Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, & Shahzad Ismaily". Uncut. p. 33.
  9. ^ a b Minsker, Evan (November 10, 2023). "Grammy Nominations 2024: See the Full List Here". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  10. ^ a b Nardino, Meredith (February 4, 2024). "List of 2024 Grammy Awards Nominees and Winners". Us Weekly. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  11. ^ "2023 Year in Review". Aquarium Drunkard. December 11, 2023. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  12. ^ Pickard, Joshua (December 12, 2023). "BPM's Top 50 Albums of 2023". Beats Per Minute. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  13. ^ Sacher, Andrew (December 15, 2023). "10 Great Jazz Albums from 2023". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  14. ^ Noor, Sun (December 4, 2023). "The 50 Best Albums of 2023". Consequence. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  15. ^ "Mojo's 75 Best Albums of 2023". Mojo. November 9, 2023.
  16. ^ Pareles, Jon (November 30, 2023). "Best Albums of 2023: SZA, Olivia Rodrigo, 100 gecs and More". The New York Times. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  17. ^ Hussey, Allison (December 5, 2023). "The 50 Best Albums of 2023". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  18. ^ Wilson, Carl (December 11, 2023). "The 12 Best Albums of 2023". Slate. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  19. ^ Terich, Jeff (December 5, 2023). "The 50 Best Albums of 2023". Treble. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
  20. ^ "Uncut's 75 Best Albums of 2023". Uncut. November 7, 2023.
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