Five Seconds Flat

Five Seconds Flat
Studio album by
ReleasedApril 8, 2022 (2022-04-08)
Recorded2021
GenreIndie pop
Length45:05
LabelHarbour Artists & Music/AWAL
Producer
  • Philip Etherington
  • Ehren Ebbage
Lizzy McAlpine chronology
Give Me a Minute
(2020)
Five Seconds Flat
(2022)
Older
(2024)
Singles from Five Seconds Flat
  1. "Doomsday"
    Released: October 27, 2021
  2. "Erase Me"
    Released: November 17, 2021
  3. "All My Ghosts"
    Released: January 19, 2022
  4. "Reckless Driving"
    Released: February 23, 2022
  5. "Hate to Be Lame"
    Released: April 5, 2022
  6. "Ceilings"
    Released: March 14, 2023[1]

Five Seconds Flat (stylized in all lowercase) is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Lizzy McAlpine, released on April 8, 2022, by Harbour Artists & Music[2][3][4] in association with the AWAL music distribution company.[5]

Background and promotion[edit]

On January 20, 2022, Five Seconds Flat was announced alongside the release of the single "All My Ghosts".[6] The album was released on April 8, 2022.[7]

Five Seconds Flat, the Film[edit]

With the release of the album, McAlpine also released a film on April 8, 2022. The film is available to watch on Lizzy McAlpine's official YouTube channel.[8]

All but two of the album's songs appear in the film. McAlpine came up with the whole idea for the film and the plot by herself. "I had whole pages of complex explanations about the meaning of the film", she said in a questionnaire after the screening of the film. She came up with the idea of the skeletons in the film "because I feel that heartbreak is like a small death".[9]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[10]
Dork[11]
The Line of Best Fit7/10[12]
Sputnikmusic4.5/5[13]

According to the collection of reviews on Album of the Year, the album received a user score of 77/100 and a critic score of 80/100.[14]

In a 4 out of 5 star review, Dork wrote that "the album is all flashes of clean white sheets, sunlight coming through the blinds, first stirring of your coffee in the morning... Over the course of the album, the 22-year-old finds herself traversing through gut-punching heartbreak: each track feels like another step on tentative feet."[11] The Line of Best Fit praised McAlpine's growth as an artist who "sounds confident and accomplished on her second album" and "showcases her skill as a singer, songwriter and storyteller" with Five Seconds Flat.[12]

According to a review by Dartmouth student Elle Muller, the album "builds upon raw lyricism and extends her storytelling through a longer exploration of heartbreak."[15]

Track listing[edit]

All tracks are written by Elizabeth McAlpine, except where noted. All tracks are produced by Philip Etherington and Ehren Ebbage, except where noted.

Five Seconds Flat track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Doomsday"  4:28
2."An Ego Thing"  2:50
3."Erase Me" (featuring Jacob Collier)
  • Etherington
  • Ebbage
  • Collier[a]
3:34
4."Called You Again"  3:12
5."All My Ghosts"  3:17
6."Reckless Driving" (featuring Ben Kessler)
  • McAlpine
  • Kessler
  • Etherington
  • Etherington
  • Ebbage
  • Kessler[c]
  • Ryan Lerman[c]
3:09
7."Weird" (featuring Laura Elliott)
  • McAlpine
  • Martin Luke Brown
  • Elliott
 3:29
8."Ceilings"  3:02
9."What a Shame"  2:49
10."Firearm"  3:02
11."Hate to Be Lame" (featuring Finneas)
  • Etherington
  • Ebbage
  • O'Connell[a]
2:36
12."Nobody Likes a Secret"  1:48
13."Chemtrails"  3:57
14."Orange Show Speedway"  3:46
Total length:45:05

Notes[edit]

  • All track titles are stylized in all lowercase.
  • ^[a] signifies an additional producer
  • ^[c] signifies a co-producer

Personnel[edit]

Five Seconds Flat, the tour[edit]

Five Seconds Flat, the tour
Tour by Lizzy McAlpine
Associated albumFive Seconds Flat
Start dateJune 8, 2022
End dateNovember 25, 2022
Legs3
No. of shows36
Supporting act(s)Carol Ades

With the release of the album came the tour that was announced on social networks on April 7, 2022, and took place from June 8, 2022, to November 25, 2022. The tour had 26 shows in North America and 10 shows in Europe. In most the performances during the tour, the opening act was the singer Carol Ades.

The End of the Movie, the tour[edit]

Following her first sold-out tour, McAlpine announced a second solo tour on November 7, 2022, on social media. The tour began on April 18, 2023, and concluded on June 11, 2023. The tour had 18 shows in North America and 7 shows in Europe. Her opening act was announced as Olivia Barton.

The End of the Movie, the tour
Tour by Lizzy McAlpine
Associated albumFive Seconds Flat
Start dateApril 18, 2023
End dateJune 11, 2023
Legs2
No. of shows25
Supporting act(s)Olivia Barton

Charts[edit]

Chart performance for Five Seconds Flat
Chart (2022–2023) Peak
position
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[16] 97
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[17] 38
US Billboard 200[18] 145

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Top 40/M Future Releases". AllAccess. Archived from the original on March 15, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  2. ^ "Lizzy McAlpine Official Chart History". Official Charts.
  3. ^ "About – Harbour Artists & Music".
  4. ^ "Harbour Artists & Music".
  5. ^ "How it works".
  6. ^ Ackroyd, Stephen (January 20, 2022). "Lizzy McAlpine has announced a new album, 'five seconds flat'". Dork. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  7. ^ Major, Michael (April 8, 2022). "Lizzy McAlpine Releases New Album 'five seconds flat'". Broadway World. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  8. ^ Lizzy McAlpine (April 8, 222). "Lizzy McAlpine - five seconds flat, the film". YouTube. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  9. ^ "five seconds flat short film screening q&a | lizzy mcalpine", YouTube, retrieved December 21, 2022
  10. ^ Collar, Matt. "Five Seconds Flat Review". AllMusic. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  11. ^ a b McCarthy, Neive (April 6, 2022). "Lizzy McAlpine – five seconds flat". Dork. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  12. ^ a b Russell, Dave (April 7, 2022). "Lizzy McAlpine soundtracks her own cinematic heartbreak on five seconds flat". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  13. ^ YoYoMancuso (June 14, 2022). "Review: Lizzy McAlpine - five seconds flat". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  14. ^ "Lizzy McAlpine - five seconds flat". Album of the Year. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  15. ^ Muller, Elle (April 26, 2022). "Review: Lizzy McAlpine's second album elevates her previous narrative work". The Dartmouth. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  16. ^ "Billboard Canadian Albums: Week of March 18, 2023". Billboard. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
  17. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Lizzy McAlpine – Five Seconds Flat" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  18. ^ @billboardcharts (March 6, 2023). "Debuts on this week's #Billboard200 (2/3)..." (Tweet). Retrieved March 7, 2023 – via Twitter.