Set My Heart on Fire Immediately

Set My Heart on Fire Immediately is the fifth studio album by American musician Perfume Genius, released May 15, 2020 through Matador Records as the follow-up to 2017's No Shape. The album received critical acclaim upon release, with some critics calling it Hadreas' best work to date, praising its exploration of queer themes and homages to 80s pop and classic rock music.
Set My Heart on Fire Immediately is an art rock and pop album that features elements of baroque pop, art pop, synthpop, funk, alt-pop, shoegaze, ambient, psychedelic, R&B, acoustic pop, disco, swamp rock, chamber, doo-wop, industrial, and heartland rock.

Background

In an interview with Jia Tolentino, Mike Hadreas described the album as influenced by his work with choreographer Kate Wallich on a 2019 dance piece titled "The Sun Still Burns Here". Hadreas composed numerous songs for the performance, with two singles, "Eye in the Wall" and "Pop Song" resulting, though neither was included on Set My Heart on Fire Immediately but its 2022 successor Ugly Season. Of the experience, Hadreas explained that the themes of embodiment in his prior music were complicated as dance felt "rebellious against body." He explained that dancing "blew up this separation between work and the world," resulting in changes to his songwriting, with songs now telling stories grounded in real-life settings and about real people. He cited Townes Van Zandt, Enya, and Cocteau Twins as influences on the new album.

Critical reception

Set My Heart on Fire Immediately received rave reviews. At review aggregator Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received a weighted average score of 91 out of 100, based on 25 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim" and making it Perfume Genius' highest rated album on the website.

Personnel

Musicians

Mike Hadreas – vocals, synthesizers, Wurlitzer
Blake Mills – guitar, bass, synthesizers, drums, glockenspiel, synth guitar, harmony vocals, organ, piano, synth drums, harmonium
Matt Chamberlain – additional drums, drums
Rob Moose – violin, viola
Alan Wyffels – piano, organ, harpsichord, synthesizers, harmony vocals, flute, Wurlitzer, Rhodes
Jim Keltner – drums
Pino Palladino – bass
Gabriel Cabezas – cello
Sam Gendel – synthesizers, saxophone, synth drums, drum machine
Phoebe Bridgers – harmony vocals
Ethan Gruska – harmony vocals, vocals, percussion

Engineers

Blake Mills – production
Joseph Lorge – engineering
Greg Koller – engineering, mixing
Patricia Sullivan – mastering
Ian Sefchick – mastering

Artwork

Camille Vivier – photographs
Andrew J. S. – art direction

Remix album

A remix album, titled Immediately Remixes, was announced on January 14, 2021. It was initially announced for release on February 19, 2021, however it was delayed until March 12, 2021. It received a limited vinyl release for Record Store Day 2021.
It was preceded by the singles, "On the Floor ", "Without You ", "Your Body Changes Everything ", and "Describe ", released April 29, 2020, December 3, 2020, January 14, 2021, and March 3, 2021, respectively.