The Fourth Wall

The Fourth Wall
Studio album by Shell Ruin
Released	July 10, 2020
Recorded	January 2020 – June 2020 New York, NY
Label	Fusion Records Ida Rose Recordings
Producer	Shell Ruin · Alesha
Shell Ruin chronology
Luna (2017) The Fourth Wall (2020) –

The Fourth Wall is the eleventh studio album by British recording artist Shell Ruin. It was first released by Fusion Records, Holy Trinity Entertainment and Ida Rose Recordings on July 10, 2020. The album was the first release since Ruin took a self-imposed two year hiatus from music and touring to focus on acting projects. After winning Best Actress at the 92nd Academy Awards for her role in A Problem, Ruin focused full time on recording the album. The title is a reference to the phrase "breaking the fourth wall", which refers to an actor directly addressing the audience.

Ruin purposely set out to make a more socially conscious album, wanting to write more "outward" songs after years of releasing personal albums about her own freedom and liberation. The album confronts social justice issues across race, gender and sexuality. The record was co-written and co-produced by Ruin and Alesha. Its composition fuses various genres, including pop, R&B, trip hop, folk, jazz, rock and electronic music.

The album was preceded by the single "Free Americans", a protest song inspired by the murder of the unarmed black man George Floyd in May 2020. "Let It Rain" was released two weeks after the album, described as a "gospel house" song. "Soulbound" was released as the album's third single, followed by "Man Is a Woman" which was remixed by American DJ and activist Honey Dijon.

The Fourth Wall was met with universal acclaim, with critics praising Ruin's eclectic fusion of genres and more socially and self-aware writing. Publications generally praised the record for Ruin's presentation of a woman's view on life and love, along with her artistic range.

Ruin planned to tour the album, beginning with the announcement of the European Tour 2021 with intentions to announce a North American leg later. However due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic at the time, the tour was cancelled. Ruin performed a live special at her home in Laurel Canyon which was recorded and released as a live album in October 2020.

Background

During the European leg of her Gypsy Queen Tour, Ruin met German house music DJ and producer Elias Müller. The pair worked on several songs intended to form Ruin's eleventh studio album. After finishing the gruelling world tour (her third in three years), Ruin decided she wanted to release music in a different format that wouldn't require a budget from her label or pressure to do another tour. Exotica was eventually released as a stand-alone album on July 9, 2018 under the collaborative artist name LaBeija, with no prior promotion or any singles released from the album. Ruin referred to the album as "a collaborative project".

Ruin spent the rest of 2018 filming the psychological horror film A Problem, which premiered at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. Ruin received critical acclaim for her role in the film and various awards and honours, including the Academy Award for Best Actress.

Writing and development

Work on the record began in July 2019 at Sunset Sound Recorders in Los Angeles, California while Ruin was in the midst of promoting A Problem. The final song was written and recorded just weeks before the album's release in July 2020, making twelve months the longest period Ruin had ever worked on a studio project. She is usually known for her notoriously quick turnaround in recording and releasing albums.

As she approached her 40th birthday, Ruin felt a self-assuredness she had never experienced before. For the first time, she felt free to touch on issues such as her own sexuality and being biracial, things she had steered away from talking about before. Ruin told Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone magazine: "Of all the personal work I've written over the years, I never confronted the fact that I was gay or even struggling with being mixed race. These are such determining attributes that make me the woman I am and yet I always just felt like they shouldn't be talked about [...] I didn't think people would want to listen". Ruin began to peel back the layers of years of ingrained self-hate and realised that the music industry had subconsciously made her want to appear "more straight" and "more white".

The first song recorded for the record was the New Jack Swing and rock-influenced "Living My Life". Ruin described the song as an unapologetic mission statement for the album. Ruin then recorded the house songs "Let It Rain" and "Man Is a Woman". Ruin said: "I guess those early house songs were remnants of what I'd been doing with [German DJ and producer] Elias Müller on Exotica". Ruin pivoted to recording more soft rock and folk-inspired songs such as "Gung Ho", "Soulbound", "A Thousand Clouds of Peace" and "Hallelujah". "That's when the album started taking shape. I had this exciting feeling of anything goes—there was no specific sound that I was following, it was all based on emotion and what felt good".

Ruin took a break from recording and continued during December 2019. During this time she wrote and recorded the R&B and neo-soul songs "Enduring Love", "Babywoman" and "No Place In Heaven". The last song recorded for the album was the protest song "Free Americans" which was written in real-time during civil and social and uprising in the Black Lives Matter movement in May 2019. Ruin released the song to streaming platforms on June 5, 2019 and wrote on her Instagram page, "To Black America, I am sorry. I am sorry your lives are being taken. I am sorry you aren't being heard. You matter. Your lives matter. Your minds matter. You built our country. You are our country. You have every right to tear something down you built for free".

With recording concluding, Ruin submitted the finalised album to Fusion Records in June 2019. Label executives expressed concern at the explicit themes of the album, including Ruin's openness about her sexuality and the prominent race themes. After renegotiating her record contract with Fusion CEO Syd Wolfe, Ruin came to an amicable agreement that The Fourth Wall would be the final album distributed by the record label, however publishing rights were still kept in-house at Fusion. The album was finally distributed by Fusion, alongside the newly-rebooted Holy Trinity Entertainment and Ruin's own independent Ida Rose Recordings.

Themes

The album gained media attention for its socially conscious and at times explicit themes, as well as exploration of Ruin's own homosexuality, suggested as a "queer-studies thesis." Singapore law officials banned the album due to its lyrics supporting homosexuality. "Borderline" speaks of gay, lesbian and bisexual pairings, as Ruin protests discrimination in songs such as "Living My Life" and "No Place In Heaven". The album's "most startling" song was considered "Borderline", in which Ruin violently confronts her struggle with coming to terms with being gay or transgender. Ruin stated, "I think it's important to let others know that certain things that you may have experienced in your life, and that they're not alone, and that you understand what they're going through, and that they can make it through. Joel Lyans included it among "The New Soundtrack of Social Consciousness", writing, "Here, Ruin does what she does best: demonstrates a coy and shy demeanour before ripping into a confident and empowered voice for those who are afraid to speak up and speak out about a situation that plagues millions of young people."

Packaging and title

Ruin was photographed for the album packaging by Peter Lindbergh.

The Fourth Wall is a reference to the phrase "breaking the fourth wall", which refers to an actor breaking out of character and directly addressing the audience. Ruin had just come off the back of starring in the David Fincher-directed A Problem (2019) for which she received critical acclaim for her acting abilities as well as various awards and honours for her work on the film.

Ruin was photographed by German fashion photographer and film director Peter Lindbergh for the album packaging. In 2014 Lindbergh said: "It should be the responsibility of photographers to free women from the terror of youth and perfection." This resonated with Ruin who was keen to portray a more mature and minimalist image as she approached 40. The pair met at the end of 2019 while Ruin had only recorded half of the album, but due to scheduling conflicts and forward planning they knew there would be no other opportunity to collaborate in time for the album release which at the time was scheduled for early 2020. Two weeks after the shoot, Lindbergh died at the age of 74. The photoshoot was his last known work before his death.

The deluxe edition front cover of the album features a simple portrait of Ruin in front of a black backdrop. The standard edition features Ruin outdoors and looking downward as she walks the sidewalk. The exterior shots were taken in Laurel Canyon, California, near Ruin's home. In contrast to Ruin's previous albums which featured prominent hues of pinks and blues, the artwork for The Fourth Wall was exclusively in black and white with a consistent shade of honey gold acting as a pop of colour.

Promotion

Ruin appeared on the cover of Billboard magazine's Women in Music issue, as well as being named the recipient of their Icon Award. On June 14, 2020, She released a playlist on Spotify as a moodboard of songs that inspired the album. Ruin appeared on the cover of Elle and V magazine's respective July issues. A week before the album's release, Ruin gave a track-by-track review of the album with The Guardian newspaper.

Singles

"Free Americans" was released as the album's lead single on June 5, 2020. It received positive response from music critics, who compared it favourably to the work of Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu. Commercially, the single debuted in the Top 5 on the official singles chart, earning a silver certification in its second week. The single spent 18 weeks in the Top 40, before falling off the singles chart on the week commencing October 18, 2020. "Free Americans" sold a total of 501,342 copies during its chart run, earning a platinum certification in its 18th week on the chart. A black and white music video directed by Michael Haussman was released on June 6, 2020, and featured Ruin wearing a black polo neck jumper and sitting in front of a dark backdrop. The video was intertwined with monochrome footage of protests across America which was shot on film by Haussman.

"Let It Rain" was released as the album's second single on July 10, 2020, the same day as the album. Described as a gospel-house song, the single received acclaim from critics who compared it favourably to Ruin's previous work on the collaborative album Exotica. The single faired well commercially, debuting at number two with sales of 99,828. It held on to its position in the second week, earning a silver certification and selling an additional 123,244 copies. "Let It Rain" spent five weeks in the Top 10, shifting 390,045 copies and earning a gold certification. In its 15th week on the chart, the song remained in the Top 40 amassing a total of 532,335 sales and earning a platinum certification. A music video directed by Mark Romanek was released on June 25, 2020. The three-day video shoot began principle photography in March 2020 and was shut down two days early due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus). Romanek salvaged some footage of Ruin dancing in front of a green screen and spliced it between various backdrops inspired by the 1990s.

"Soulbound" was released as the album's third single on September 18, 2020. The song was considered a fan favourite and received universal acclaim from critics. A black and white circus-themed music video directed by Anton Corbijn was released on August 31, 2020, premiering at the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards. The video was praised for its quality despite being filmed under recently loosened COVID-19 government restrictions. Commercially, the single debuted at number five on the singles chart but became a sleeper hit. It spent five weeks in the Top 10, selling 227,694 copies and earning a silver certification after one month.

American activist and DJ Honey Dijon remixed "Man Is a Woman" for its single release.

A newly remixed version of "Man Is a Woman" by American activist and DJ Honey Dijon was released as the album's fourth single on October 30, 2020. The remix received praise for Dijon's interpretation of the song. With restrictions surrounding the coronavirus pandemic being easier to navigate within the music industry, Fusion Records and Holy Trinity Entertainment rebooted the album's promotional campaign and invested $1.5 million in a worldwide marketing campaign for the single which included television appearances in the United States and the United Kingdom, a live album, HBO live special and a virtual Halloween concert. Ruin appeared on various on the cover of various print publications including Attitude, AnOther, The Edit, Elle Australia and You. Ruin became embroiled in a chart battle with British singer Emily Henning and her single "Let the Night Fall" – the third single from her comeback album Rebound (2020). The chart rivalry became a water cooler moment. The campaign reached fever pitch on the single's release day with adverts for Ruin's single appearing on the side of London's red buses and on billboards in Times Square, New York.

Critical reception

The Fourth Wall has received acclaim amongst some criticism since its release. In a contemporary review for The New York Times, critic Jon Pareles declared it "her most daring, elaborate and accomplished album", observing songs to "transform themselves as they go, leaping from sharply etched cross-rhythms to lush choruses." Greg Kot from Chicago Tribune regarded it a "soundtrack to a therapy session", while the Los Angeles Times commended its content; addressing "the social, emotional and sexual politics of relationships, peppering the wistful, spirited pop melodies and sinuous R&B rhythms with compelling jazz, folk and techno nuances." Elysa Gardner added, "provocative gestures ultimately blend in with the album's larger agenda, which is to encourage more open-minded, free-spirited relationships of all kinds... with hooks this strong and grooves this delicious, Ruin's authority should be of question to no one." MTV News declared it an "interesting step in a new direction" and "long, sometimes strange trip into Ruin's sensual world". Slant Magazine called it "a richly dark masterwork", illustrating "there is nothing sexier than emotional nakedness". Robert Christgau noted Ruin's vocal cadence, retaining "her magical ability to feign delight". Keith Harris stated it "plumbed introspective depths with intriguing results".

In his review for The Village Voice, Vince Aletti praised its "unusu-ally busy, electronica- spiked soundscape", revealing "the process of psychic reconstruction". Aletti added, "she combines a pure pop sensibility with ambition, vulnerability, freakishness, and extraordinary savvy. She's--in her inadequate word--special". However, Ruin's "isolating control" was regarded as its "more bracing" material. Entertainment Weekly observed its subject matter of "computer liaisons to bondage and homosexuality", finding the most pervasive theme to be love. Roger Catlin of The Courant noted its aura "washes away her sometimes strident political messages or her attempt to shock with sexuality", adding, "the album shimmers with sensuality, openness and thirst for new adventures, musically and otherwise." Len Righi of The Morning Call called it "compelling, as she tackled almost every imaginable social ill and personal problem while still leaving room for freakiness and fun." Jane Dark of City Pages stated it "eludes genre-fication", leaving Ruin "in a genre of her own". Alluded to "an eroticon of cybersex, queer positivity, and mild bondage", Dark regarded its production "a sexy motherfucker... abstractly electro tones come and go with sharp attack and sharper decay, appearing out of--and vanishing into--aggressively blank spaces". Ruin's "flawed sweetness" was also acclaimed; concluding, "She's the principle that organizes the noise, and the particle around which songs become pearlescent". USA Today praised her usage of "edgier beats and rawer emotions".

The length of The Fourth Wall drew criticism from certain music critics. In a less enthusiastic mixed review, AllMusic observed a "hardened, sexually experimental Ruin"; however, its writer claimed that "the best moments sink into the murk", and that "there are good moments on The Fourth Wall, but at its running time [...] it's hard to work up the patience to find them". However, a positive review of the record was given on the whole, with its author calling it "[m]ature and experimental... Possibly the greatest lost 90s trip hop album, released in the present day".

Commercial response

The Fourth Wall entered the official albums chart at number one, with 132,192 copies sold in its first week of sale. This marks Ruin's highest first-week sales frame for an album, surpassing her 2015 comeback album Play (105,715 copies).

In its second week, the album fell one place to number two behind Into the Divine Summer Vol. 1 by Aurora Reed, shifting a further 132,840 copies. The album sold an additional 68,833 copies in its third week on sale. In its fifth week, the album held on to the Top 10 and shifted 39,868 copies, amounting to 0.5 million units sold in five weeks. The album fell out of the top ten in its sixth week.

In its tenth week on the chart, following the release of the album's third single "Soulbound", The Fourth Wall rose ten places to number five, shifting an additional 70,941 copies and earning the album a gold certification (indicating sales of over 500,000 copies). The album remained in the Top 10 for a further four weeks, selling an additional 140,000 copies. In its 15th week on the chart, the album sold a further 39,711 units and was awarded a platinum certification for sales of over 750,000 copies.

Following the release of the album's fourth single "Man Is a Woman", the album sold 82,892 copies and remained in the top ten for a further week. In the week commencing November 26, 2020, The Fourth Wall remained in the top twenty for its twentieth consecutive week and sold an additional 21,059 copies, taking its total units sold to over 1,000,000 copies.

Track listing

1. "Prelude I (Futures)"
2. "Free Americans"
3. "Gung Ho"
4. "Living My Life"
5. "Man Is a Woman"
6. "Prelude II (Blood Sister)"
7. "Enduring Love"
8. "Soulbound"
9. "Borderline"
10. "Let It Rain"
11. "No Place In Heaven"
12. "A Thousand Clouds of Peace"
13. "Revolution (Pts. I & II)" (featuring Nina Simone)
14. "Prelude III" (featuring Janet Mock)
15. "Babywoman"
16. "Eyes of a Child"
17. "Hallelujah"

Notes

• Tracks 2-4, 8, 10-12 written by Shell Ruin
• Tracks 5 and 7 written by Shell Ruin and Alesha
• Tracks 1, 6 and 9 written by Alesha
• Track 13 written by Nina Simone and Weldon Irvine
• Track 8 contains a sample of "It Ain't Over 'til It's Over" by Lenny Kravitz

Artwork

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  Front cover

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  Deluxe cover

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  Back cover

Chart history

Chart (2018)	Peak position
Urapopstar Top 40 Albums Chart	1

Release history

Region	Date	Label	Format	Edition
Worldwide	July 10, 2020	Fusion Records Ida Rose Recordings Holy Trinity Music Group	CD · LP · cassette · digital	original