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{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{good article}}
{{Infobox album
| name       = Anniemal
| type       = studio
| artist     = [[Annie (singer)|Annie]]
| cover      = Anniemal albumcover.jpg
| alt        = The cover of Anniemal featuring the word Annie at the bottom and showing Annie, a twentysomething blonde woman, with her arm covering her mouth
| released   = {{Start date|2004|9|28|df=yes}}
| recorded   = 1999, 2001–2004
| venue      =
| studio     =
| genre      =
*[[Electropop]]
*[[Europop]]<ref name= "Pitchfork Staff 2009">{{cite web|last= Pitchfork Staff |title= The 200 Best Albums of the 2000s |website= [[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |date= October 2, 2009|url= https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/7710-the-top-200-albums-of-the-2000s-20-1/|quote= Few genres got a bigger boost from file-sharing in the early years of this decade than danceable European pop music...Annie, an enigmatic Norwegian bombshell with a sweet wispy voice and a taste for slick neo-’80s production, was the first of these acts to make it big...|accessdate= April 27, 2023}}</ref>
| length     = 46:06
| label      = [[679 Artists|679]]
| producer   = Annie, [[Richard X]], [[Röyksopp]], Veikka Ercola, Timo Kaukolampi, Yngve Sætre
| prev_title =
| prev_year  =
| next_title = [[DJ-Kicks: Annie]]
| next_year  = 2005
| misc       = {{Singles
 | name        = Anniemal
 | type        = studio
 | single1     = [[The Greatest Hit (song)|The Greatest Hit]]
 | single1date = 1999
 | single2     = [[Chewing Gum (song)|Chewing Gum]]
 | single2date = August 2004
 | single3     = [[Heartbeat (Annie song)|Heartbeat]]
 | single3date = November 2004
 | single4     = [[Happy Without You]]
 | single4date = July 2005
 | single5     = Always Too Late
 | single5date = September 2005
}}
}}

'''''Anniemal''''' is the debut album by Norwegian singer [[Annie (singer)|Annie]]. It was first released by [[679 Artists|679 Recordings]] in September 2004.  Annie began recording music in 1999 with her boyfriend, Tore Kroknes, who died in 2001.  She returned to recording later that year, collaborating with [[Richard X]], [[Röyksopp]], and Timo Kaukolampi.

The album combines Annie's thin, airy vocals with heavily layered beats. It is heavily influenced by 1980s [[dance-pop]]. Upon release, the album was successful in Norway. Blogs leaked tracks from ''Anniemal'' before it was released internationally, and publications from other countries soon praised the album for its blissful but melancholic sound.

Before releasing the album internationally in 2005, Annie's record label 679 Recordings was not confident in the album's ability to achieve commercial success overseas, so it did not heavily promote ''Anniemal''. The album eventually sold over 100,000 copies worldwide. It yielded four singles: "[[Chewing Gum (song)|Chewing Gum]]", "[[Heartbeat (Annie song)|Heartbeat]]", "Happy Without You", and "Always Too Late".

==Background and development==
In the late 1990s, Annie held a monthly DJ night called Pop Till You Drop with friend Frøken Blytt in her hometown of [[Bergen]], Norway.<ref name="citypaper-ely">{{cite web |last=Ely |first=Suzanne |url=http://www2.citypaper.com/music/story.asp?id=10019 |title=Anniemal Magnetism |work=[[Baltimore City Paper]] |date=1 June 2005 |access-date=26 August 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bt.no/bergenpuls/Pop-uten-stopp-2356994.html |title=Pop uten stopp |last=Fossen |first=Erik |date=8 February 2001 |website=[[Bergens Tidende]] |access-date=25 September 2014 |language=Norwegian |trans-title=Pop Nonstop |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141225011237/https://www.bt.no/bergenpuls/Pop-uten-stopp-2356994.html |archive-date=25 December 2014 }}</ref> There she met producer Tore Kroknes, and the two began dating.<ref name="citypaper-ely"/> Annie and Kroknes borrowed a small studio from [[downtempo]] duo [[Röyksopp]] to record her debut single "[[The Greatest Hit (song)|The Greatest Hit]]". The song, which uses a sample of [[Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna]]'s 1982 dance-pop single "[[Everybody (Madonna song)|Everybody]]", had a limited edition release in 1999. It became an underground hit at clubs in Norway and Britain, resulting in offers for record deals.<ref name=nyt>{{cite web |last=Rosen |first=Jody |author-link=Jody Rosen |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/01/arts/music/01rose.html |title=Much Ado About Annie |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=1 May 2005 |access-date=26 August 2008}}</ref> The two recorded Annie's second single, titled "I Will Get On". She focused on vocals and melodies in music, and Kroknes concentrated on production, influenced by [[techno]], [[disco]] and [[house music]].<ref name=sp>{{cite journal |title=Anne Lilia Bergen-Strand – Annie |journal=Scandinavian Press |volume=12 |issue=4 |page=25 |year=2005}}</ref> As she began to work on her debut album, Kroknes became ill due to a heart defect. He died eighteen months later, in April 2001.<ref name="citypaper-ely"/> Because of their plan to make the album together, Annie struggled with the idea of collaborating with anyone else and stopped work on it entirely.<ref name="age-drever">{{cite journal |last=Drever |first=Andrew |url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/music/dancing-to-a-solo-tune/2006/06/01/1148956450699.html |title=Dancing to a solo tune |journal=[[The Age]] |page=8 |date=2 June 2006 |access-date=23 July 2009}}</ref>

{{multiple image
| footer    = Timo Kaukolampi (left) and Röyksopp (right) wrote and produced songs for the album.
| align     = left
| image1    = Timo Kaukolampi (1180597928).jpg
| width1    = 122
| image2    = Röyksopp's Night Out, Berlin 2009.jpg
| width2    = 240
}}
Half a year passed before Annie returned to music.<ref name="citypaper-ely"/> She asked Timo Kaukolampi from Finnish electronic group [[Op:l Bastards]] to DJ in Bergen.<ref name=irishtimes>{{cite news |last=Carroll |first=Jim |author-link=Jim Carroll (journalist) |title=Anniemal Magnetism |newspaper=[[The Irish Times]] |date=1 April 2005}}</ref> Starting with a song titled "Kiss Me", he had Annie contribute vocals to some of his tracks.<ref name="irishtimes"/><ref name="sfbg">{{cite web |last=Draper |first=Jimmy |url=http://www.sfbg.com/39/39/art_music_heartbeat.html |title=Norwegian would |work=[[San Francisco Bay Guardian]] |access-date=26 August 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080412074046/https://www.sfbg.com/39/39/art_music_heartbeat.html |archive-date=12 April 2008 }}</ref> She asked Kaukolampi to work on the album, and he produced nine of its songs for her.<ref name="irishtimes"/> She could not afford to rent a studio, so Annie recorded demos by asking to use local studios at night or borrowing one owned by her friend.<ref name="age-drever"/><ref name=timeout>{{cite journal |last=Dugan |first=John |url=http://timeoutchicago.com/music-nightlife/clubs/35007/bubble-yum |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130205002345/http://timeoutchicago.com/music-nightlife/clubs/35007/bubble-yum |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 February 2013 |title=Bubble yum |journal=[[Time Out (company)|Time Out Chicago]] |issue=17 |date=23–29 June 2005 |access-date=7 October 2008}}</ref> In late 2003, Annie signed with 679 Recordings, and the advance enabled her to complete the record.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bt.no/bergenpuls/Endelig-Annie-2459761.html |title=Endelig Annie |last=Ursin |first=Lars Holger |date=10 July 2004 |website=[[Bergens Tidende]] |access-date=27 September 2014 |language=Norwegian |trans-title=Finally Annie |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160326214225/http://www.bt.no/kultur/Endelig-Annie-2459761.html |archive-date=26 March 2016 }}</ref> Producer [[Richard X]], impressed with "The Greatest Hit", asked her to record vocals for his debut album ''[[Richard X Presents His X-Factor Vol. 1]]''. In exchange, he contributed "Chewing Gum" and "Me Plus One", both written with [[Hannah Robinson]].<ref name="sfbg"/> Annie also worked with Röyksopp, who co-wrote and produced three songs on the album.

Rather than recording and selecting from a large number of songs, Annie stopped after around thirteen and compiled the track list.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sfist.com/2009/11/16/sfist_interviews_annie.php |title=SFist Interviews: Annie |last=Namkung |first=Moses |date=16 November 2009 |website=SFist |publisher=[[Gothamist]] |access-date=25 September 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160517082427/http://sfist.com/2009/11/16/sfist_interviews_annie.php |archive-date=17 May 2016}}</ref> She selected the title ''Anniemal'' based on a suggestion by Kroknes. The two had planned on writing a song titled "Anniemal", so she chose it as the album's title because to her, "it just made sense. Anniemal is simple and easy and good."<ref name="sp"/>

==Composition==
When working on songs, Annie was involved with the whole recording and production processes, with a focus on the melodies.<ref name="sp"/><ref name="irishtimes"/> Annie stated that while promoting the album, she wanted to make sure people knew of her involvement in the album's writing and production.<ref name="sp"/> Of its twelve songs, ten were co-written by Annie.  She stated that although singing songs written by someone else might not feel less personal, "It's special to be on the stage and actually sing something you had done."<ref>{{cite journal |last=Katigbak |first=Raf |url=http://www.montrealmirror.com/2005/092205/cover_music.html |title=Annie, get your gum |journal=[[Montreal Mirror]] |volume=21 |issue=14 |date=22 September 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090202165349/http://www.montrealmirror.com/2005/092205/cover_music.html |archive-date=2 February 2009 |access-date=24 September 2008}}</ref> With respect to her involvement in the songwriting process, Annie referred to herself as "a bit of a control freak".<ref name="sp"/>

The lyrics of ''Anniemal'' generally describe falling in or out of love.<ref name="sfbg"/> Annie's vocals are thin and breathy, working within a narrow vocal range.<ref name="nyt"/> Reviewers noted a sense of melancholy in the vocals,<ref name=allmusic>{{cite web |last=Kellman |first=Andy |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=anniemal-mw0000208635|pure_url=yes}} |title=Anniemal – Annie |publisher=[[AllMusic]]. [[Rovi Corporation]] |access-date=26 August 2008}}</ref> suggesting that it could be attributed to the death of Kroknes.<ref name=pitchfork>{{cite web |last=Plagenhoef |first=Scott |url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/456-anniemal/ |title=Annie: Anniemal |work=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |date=7 November 2004 |access-date=26 August 2008}}</ref> Annie acknowledged that none of the songs "are directly happy" and that some are "happy but still a bit melancholy."<ref name=pfint>{{cite web |last=Sylvester |first=Nick |url=http://pitchfork.com/features/interviews/6071-annie/ |title=Interviews: Annie |work=Pitchfork |date=20 June 2005 |access-date=27 August 2008}}</ref> She stated that she thought bittersweet melodies "[sound] timeless…Very Scandinavian of me!"<ref>{{cite journal |last=Diehl |first=Matt |title=Annie |journal=[[Interview (magazine)|Interview]] |volume=35 |issue=7 |page=66 |date=August 2005}}</ref> She insisted, however, that she tries to write songs that are cheerful:

<blockquote>
"For me, it's really easy to write depressive songs and that's why I never do that. I try to do songs that are a bit happier and a bit more complicated. I think there are too many songwriters writing sad, depressive songs, and I find it really boring, listening to music where people are just complaining. People should stop whining! I find it much more challenging to make songs that are pop songs, to make happy songs, and that's why I like to do it. I really like to make quite hopeful, happy music with a little bit of melancholy in it, with a little spice of melancholy."<ref name="sp"/>
</blockquote>

''Anniemal'' focuses on heavily layered beats, with a strong 1980s influence.<ref>{{cite web |last=Vineyard |first=Jennifer |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/yhif/annie/ |title=Annie |publisher=[[MTV News]]. [[MTV Networks]] |date=12 July 2005 |access-date=26 August 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090201144217/http://www.mtv.com/news/yhif/annie/ |archive-date=1 February 2009 }}</ref> Annie was influenced by 1980s dance-pop, and on "No Easy Love", she includes a sample of [[Shakatak]]'s 1982 song "Easier Said Than Done".<ref name="nyt"/><ref>{{cite journal |last=Connolly |first=Paul |title=Annie excels with hook-laden chewing-gum pop |journal=[[The Times]] |date=5 March 2005}}</ref> Unlike many of her contemporaries, Annie avoids using an ironic or [[kitsch]]y in her take on 1980s music. The songs' styles span genres including [[bubblegum pop]], [[electro (music)|electro]], disco, [[contemporary R&B|R&B]], dance-pop, and [[rock music|rock]].<ref name="nyt"/> Annie's DJing experiences taught her about sound and production and affected her music. She stated that she wanted to make a pop album that would not quickly become dated, "an album that you could listen to in five years and it wouldn't sound terrible." Annie considered excluding "Greatest Hit" from ''Anniemal'' to achieve this but ultimately included it because she felt it did not sound as if it were five years old.<ref name="sp"/>

==Critical reception==
{{Album ratings
| MC = 81/100<ref name="MC"/>
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1Score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref name="allmusic"/>
| rev2 = ''[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]]''
| rev2Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="blender"/>
| rev3 = ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''
| rev3Score = B<ref name="ew"/>
| rev4 = ''[[The Independent]]''
| rev4Score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref>{{cite journal |last=Price |first=Simon |title=Annie: Anniemal (679) |journal=[[The Independent]] |date=6 March 2005}}</ref>
| rev5 = ''[[The Irish Times]]''
| rev5Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite news |last=Carroll |first=Jim |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/pop-rock-1.420402 |title=Annie: Anniemal (679/Warner Music) |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=4 March 2005 |access-date=28 October 2017}}</ref>
| rev6 = ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''
| rev6Score = {{Rating|2.5|4}}<ref>{{cite web |last=Jollett |first=Mikel |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-jul-24-ca-rack24-story.html |title=Bubble gum with intriguing flavor |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=24 July 2005 |access-date=28 October 2017}}</ref>
| rev7 = ''[[The Observer]]''
| rev7Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite web |last=Robinson |first=Peter |url=http://observer.guardian.co.uk/omm/10bestcds/story/0,12102,1416605,00.html |title=Annie, Anniemal |work=[[The Observer]] |date=20 February 2005 |access-date=14 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050308053726/http://observer.guardian.co.uk/omm/10bestcds/story/0,12102,1416605,00.html |archive-date=8 March 2005 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
| rev8 = ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]''
| rev8Score = 8.8/10<ref name="pitchfork"/>
| rev9 = ''[[Rolling Stone]]''
| rev9Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref name="rollingstone"/>
| rev10 = ''[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]]''
| rev10Score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref>{{cite journal |title=Annie: Anniemal |journal=[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]] |issue=95 |date=April 2005 |page=108}}</ref>
}}

''Anniemal'' received acclaim from music critics. At [[Metacritic]], which assigns a [[standard score|normalised]] rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an [[average]] score of 81, based on 23 reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim".<ref name=MC>{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/anniemal/annie |title=Reviews for Anniemal by Annie |publisher=[[Metacritic]]. [[CBS Interactive]] |access-date=8 October 2012}}</ref> Scott Plagenhoef of ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'' referred to the songs as a "dozen slices of stylish, sophisticated electro-pop, crisp tracks that move between the fizzy and the woozy, all anchored by Annie's breathy (sometimes almost muted) vocals."<ref name="pitchfork"/> The site's endorsement was uncommon during a period when sites covering independent music were often dismissive of pop acts.<ref name="billboard-unterberger">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop-shop/5645270/annie-appreciation-examining-the-influence-of-the-norwegian-pop |title=Annie Appreciation: Examining The Influence of The Norwegian Pop Not-Quite-Star |last=Unterberger |first=Andrew |date=8 August 2013 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=23 September 2014}}</ref> In his review for [[AllMusic]], Andy Kellman described ''Anniemal'' as "cunning" but also "deeply affecting".<ref name="allmusic"/> Dylan Hicks' review for ''[[The Village Voice]]'' stated that the [[blogosphere]] and British music press overrated ''Anniemal'' but that "an overrated good record is still a good record".<ref>{{cite journal |last=Hicks |first=Dylan |url=http://www.villagevoice.com/2005-05-31/music/caught-in-the-web/ |title=Caught in the Web |journal=[[The Village Voice]] |volume=50 |issue=23 |date=8 June 2005 |access-date=8 October 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081012224616/https://www.villagevoice.com/2005-05-31/music/caught-in-the-web/ |archive-date=12 October 2008 }}</ref> [[Jody Rosen]] wrote for ''[[The New York Times]]'' that the album "is a true album, strong from top to bottom" and that "there is charm in [Annie's] deadpan delivery, and her songwriting is full of the flair for melody for which [[Nordic popular music|Scandinavian pop]] is famous."<ref name="nyt"/> Rosen also contributed a review to ''[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]'', where she noted that "other singers have made whole careers out of singles less winning than 'Chewing Gum,' but [''Anniemal''] includes several other superb songs".<ref>{{cite web |last=Rosen |first=Jody |url=http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/mixing_desk/2005/01/class_of_2005.html |title=Class of 2005 |work=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]] |date=21 January 2005 |access-date=23 September 2008}}</ref> [[Kitty Empire]]'s review in ''[[The Observer]]'' stated that the album's songs "boast a winning combination of innocence and experience, breezy blonde melodies and just-so productions".<ref>{{cite web |last=Empire |first=Kitty |author-link=Kitty Empire |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2005/mar/06/popandrock1 |title=Annie, Anniemal |work=The Observer |date=6 March 2005 |access-date=23 September 2008}}</ref> ''[[PopMatters]]''{{'}} Pierre Hamilton called ''Anniemal'' "riveting" for how "it lacks the waxy sheen" that listeners were used to hearing in manufactured pop music.<ref name=popmatters>{{cite web |last=Hamilton |first=Pierre |url=http://www.popmatters.com/review/annie-anniemal2/ |title=Annie: Anniemal |website=[[PopMatters]] |date=22 June 2005 |access-date=24 September 2008}}</ref> However, a second ''PopMatters'' review, written by Rob Horning, criticised the album for using a similar formula to previous generations of electropop, adding that the result was "exquisitely empty…enough to suck the feelings out of its listeners and leave them happily vacant, blank and unburdened."<ref>{{cite web |last=Horning |first=Rob |url=http://www.popmatters.com/music/reviews/a/annie-anniemal.shtml |title=Annie: Anniemal |website=PopMatters |date=22 June 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110525070655/http://www.popmatters.com/music/reviews/a/annie-anniemal.shtml |archive-date=25 May 2011 |access-date=24 September 2008}}</ref> In his review for ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' magazine, Michael Paoletta described the album as "slinky and sensual, cool and classy, fun and fiery" and labeled it "one of the best debut albums of 2005."<ref name=billboard>{{cite magazine |last=Paoletta |first=Michael |url=http://www.billboard.com/#/news/anniemal-1000945898.story |title=Anniemal |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |volume=117 |issue=24 |page=51 |date=11 June 2005 |access-date=8 October 2012}}</ref>

Several reviewers drew parallels between mainstream pop acts and Annie. ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''{{'}}s Raymond Fiore called the album an "addictive" debut where Annie "flaunts whispery [[Kylie Minogue|Kylie]] cool and old-school-Madonna cheekiness", but added that "this sugar rush of an album proves…candy is best consumed in moderation."<ref name="ew">{{cite magazine |last=Fiore |first=Raymond |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1068458,00.html |title=Music Review: Anniemal (2005) – Annie |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |issue=824 |date=10 June 2005 |access-date=26 August 2008 |page=107 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090201145613/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1068458,00.html |archive-date=1 February 2009 }}</ref> Hua Hsu of ''[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]]'' magazine made a similar comparison, proclaiming Annie the "Kylie Minogue hipsters don't have to feel guilty about liking".<ref name=blender>{{cite journal |last=Hsu |first=Hua |title=Annie: Anniemal |journal=[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]] |issue=37 |date=June 2005 |page=108 <!--dead URL: |url=http://www.blender.com/guide/new/53440/anniemal.html |access-date=26 August 2008-->}}</ref> Barry Walters of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' touted how the album "comes packed with both instant surface fizz and quirky finesse that sustains repeated listenings", and ending his review, "Goodbye, [[Britney Spears|Britney]]. Hello, Annie."<ref name=rollingstone>{{cite magazine |last=Walters |first=Barry |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/annie/albums/album/7357950/ |title=Annie: Anniemal |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |issue=977/978 |page=142 |date=30 June – 14 July 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090201124435/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/annie/albums/album/7357950/ |archive-date=1 February 2009 |url-status=dead |access-date=26 August 2008}}</ref>

''Pitchfork'' listed ''Anniemal'' at number fifteen on its list of the top fifty albums of 2004, stating that its strength was how "its downtime feels so decidedly personal",<ref>{{cite web |last=Sylvester |first=Nick |url=http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/5934-top-50-albums-of-2004/ |title=Top 50 Albums of 2004 |work=Pitchfork |date=31 December 2004 |access-date=26 August 2008}}</ref> and the album appeared at number 167 on ''Pitchfork''{{'}}s list of the top 200 albums of the 2000s.<ref name=p4k>{{cite web |last=Perpetua |first=Matthew |url=http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/7706-the-top-200-albums-of-the-2000s-200-151/4/ |title=The Top 200 Albums of the 2000s: 200–151 |work=Pitchfork |date=28 September 2009 |access-date=1 October 2009}}</ref> The album was placed on ''[[Slant Magazine]]''{{'}}s list of best albums of the 2000s at number twenty-three.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.slantmagazine.com/features/article/best-of-the-aughts-albums/P8 |title=Best of the Aughts: Albums |website=Slant Magazine |date=1 February 2010 |access-date=10 February 2010}}</ref> ''Rolling Stone'' ranked ''Anniemal'' number thirty-nine on its "Top 50 Records of 2005" list, exclaiming, "Hail the Norse goddess."<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/8957356/39_annie |title=39. Annie |magazine=Rolling Stone |issue=990/991 |date=15 December 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090201124531/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/8957356/39_annie |archive-date=1 February 2009 |url-status=dead |access-date=26 August 2008}}</ref>

==Release and commercial performance==
[[File:Annie (popsinger) concert 1.jpg|left|thumb|alt=Annie performing behind a microphone stand with a keyboardist in the background.|Annie performing at [[BIT Teatergarasjen]] for Bergenfest in May 2005]]

679 Recordings first released ''Anniemal'' in Norway on 28 September 2004.  The album debuted at its peak of number six on the Norwegian Albums Chart.<ref name="nor"/> It won in the pop category at the 2005 Alarm Prizes, and Annie won for newcomer of the year.<ref>{{cite web|last=Pettersen |first=Tomas Lauvland |url=http://www.mic.no/mic.nsf/doc/art2005020812582887550926 |title=Alarm winners |publisher=Music Information Center Norway |date=8 February 2005 |access-date=27 August 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090201125507/http://www.mic.no/mic.nsf/doc/art2005020812582887550926 |archive-date=1 February 2009 }}</ref> She again won for Newcomer of the Year at [[Spellemannprisen]] 2005, where she was invited to present an award.<ref>{{cite web |last=West |first=Naomi |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandjazzmusic/3638113/A-fjord-fiesta-with-the-Norwegian-Kylie.html |title=A fjord fiesta with the Norwegian Kylie |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=3 March 2005 |access-date=23 September 2008}}</ref>

Following the album's Norwegian release, the songs were leaked onto the Internet, and some appeared on year-end best-of lists in other countries.<ref name="nyt"/> Annie stated that she had not expected North American publications to show interest in the album because she thought "the record sounds really European."<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Greenblatt |first=Leah |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1066158,00.html |title=Getting Her Goat |magazine=Entertainment Weekly|issue=823 |page=84 |date=3 June 2005 |access-date=29 September 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080901200833/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1066158,00.html |archive-date=1 September 2008 }}</ref> The songs reached an international audience through online blogs, message boards, and [[file sharing]] networks before they had been released outside Scandinavia.<ref>{{cite book |editor1-last=Plagenhoef |editor1-first=Scott |editor2-last=Schreiber |editor2-first=Ryan |date=November 2008 |title=[[The Pitchfork 500]] |publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]] |page=185 |isbn=978-1-4165-6202-3 }}</ref> This was more common for independent bands, and Annie became the first European dance-pop musician to cultivate an underground fanbase this way.<ref name="p4k"/>

679 released the album in the rest of Europe during early 2005 but was unsure how to categorise and market ''Anniemal''. It asked Annie about artists like [[Goldfrapp]] whose audiences 679 thought it should target. Uncertain that the album's Internet hype would significantly bolster the album's sales, the label did not heavily promote it.<ref>{{cite web |last=Macpherson |first=Alex |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/jul/04/popandrock.filmandmusic15 |title=North star |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=4 July 2008 |access-date=26 August 2008}}</ref> In support of the album, Annie opened for English [[alternative dance]] band [[Saint Etienne (band)|Saint Etienne]] at several June 2005 gigs in the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite web|last=Pettersen |first=Tomas Lauvland |url=http://www.mic.no/mic.nsf/doc/art2005061410322836531013 |title=Annie to play UK live dates |publisher=Music Information Center Norway |date=14 June 2005 |access-date=27 August 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090201125511/http://www.mic.no/mic.nsf/doc/art2005061410322836531013 |archive-date=1 February 2009 }}</ref> Annie had never performed her songs live before the release of ''Anniemal'', so replicating the sound of more electronic songs like "Chewing Gum" became a long process.<ref name="pfint"/> By September of that year, the album had sold 20,000 copies.<ref name=times>{{cite web |last=Robinson |first=Peter |author-link=Peter Robinson (journalist) |url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article567384.ece |title=Norwegian would |work=The Times |publisher=[[News International|Times Newspapers]] |date=17 September 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616235911/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article567384.ece |archive-date=16 June 2011 |access-date=19 July 2009}}</ref>

[[File:AnnieIntonationFestival.jpg|right|thumb|alt=Annie, a drummer, and a keyboardist performing to a crowd at an outdoor festival.|Annie performing at the [[Intonation Music Festival]] on 26 June 2005 as part of the Anniemix Tour]]

For its 7 June 2005 American release, ''Anniemal'' was distributed by [[Big Beat Records (American record label)|Big Beat Records]]. To promote the album, Annie performed a set of DJing gigs in the United States for the Anniemix Tour during late June and early July 2005. She and Kaukolampi spun vinyl, and Annie performed her songs during the tour.<ref>{{cite web|last=Pettersen |first=Tomas Lauvland |url=http://www.mic.no/mic.nsf/doc/art2005052611173941311512 |title=Annie Announces US DJ Tour |publisher=Music Information Center Norway |date=26 May 2005 |access-date=27 August 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090111084437/http://www.mic.no/mic.nsf/doc/art2005052611173941311512 |archive-date=11 January 2009}}</ref> Before the tour began, ''Anniemal'' was selling over one thousand copies per week in the US,<ref name="times"/> and it went on to sell a total of 22 thousand copies there.<ref name="billboard-unterberger"/> Although it did not chart on the US [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]], ''Anniemal'' reached number thirteen on the [[Dance/Electronic Albums|Top Electronic Albums]] chart.<ref name="bb"/> When released in Australia the following year, the album failed to chart on the [[ARIA Charts|ARIA Albums Chart]] but peaked at number twenty-five on the Dance Albums Chart.<ref name="aus"/> ''Anniemal'' sold a total of over 100,000 copies worldwide.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/what-s-on/arts-entertainment/chewing-gum-girl-annie-is-oh-so-cool-1-2178277 |title='Chewing Gum' girl Annie is oh so cool |work=[[Yorkshire Evening Post]] |publisher=[[Yorkshire Post Newspapers]] |date=16 April 2008 |access-date=25 September 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160109014833/http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/what-s-on/arts-entertainment/chewing-gum-girl-annie-is-oh-so-cool-1-2178277 |archive-date=9 January 2016 }}</ref>

==Singles==
{{listen
|pos=left 
 | filename     = ChewingGum.ogg
 | title        = "Chewing Gum" (2004)
 | description  = The lead single, a bubblegum pop song in which gum is used as a metaphor for men.
 | format       = [[Ogg]]
}}

"Chewing Gum" was released as the album's lead single in September 2004. Built around a retro beat by Richard X, the song uses chewing gum as a metaphor for men, with Annie singing "You spit it out when all the flavor has gone/Wrap him round your finger like you're playing with gum".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.virginmedia.com/music/reviews/singlereviews/annie_chewinggum.php |title=Annie – Chewing Gum |publisher=[[Virgin Media]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090202102804/http://www.virginmedia.com/music/reviews/singlereviews/annie_chewinggum.php |archive-date=2 February 2009 |access-date=27 August 2008}}</ref> It was the album's most commercially successful single, reaching number eight on the Norwegian Singles Chart and number twenty-five on the [[UK Singles Chart]].<ref name=nor2>{{cite web |url=http://norwegiancharts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Annie |title=Discography Annie |publisher=norwegiancharts.com. Hung Medien |access-date=8 October 2012}}</ref><ref name=occ>{{cite web |url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/_/annie/ |title=ANNIE |publisher=[[Official Charts Company]] |access-date=8 October 2012}}</ref> It was also a critical success, listed thirty-first on the 2004 [[Pazz & Jop]] list, a survey of several hundred music critics conducted by [[Robert Christgau]].<ref name=p&j>{{cite web |url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/pnj/pjres04.php |title=The 2004 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll |work=The Village Voice |publisher=robertchristgau.com |date=15 February 2005 |access-date=27 August 2008}}</ref>

"Heartbeat" was the second single released from ''Anniemal''. It narrates a night of going to clubs with friends, using a beat symbolizing a heartbeat, which doubles its tempo when Annie's persona catches the attention of her romantic interest on the dancefloor.<ref name="pitchfork"/> Like "Chewing Gum", it received acclaim from music critics. It was one place behind "Chewing Gum" on the Pazz & Jop list,<ref name="p&j"/> and ''Pitchfork'' named it the best single of 2004.<ref>{{cite web |last=Plagenhoef |first=Scott |url=http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/5933-top-50-singles-of-2004/ |title=Top 50 Singles of 2004 |work=Pitchfork |date=30 December 2004 |access-date=27 August 2008}}</ref> However, it did not sell as well as "Chewing Gum", reaching number eighteen in Norway and fifty in the United Kingdom.<ref name="nor2"/><ref name="occ"/> "Happy Without You" and "Always Too Late" were released as the third and fourth singles in 2005, but neither charted.

==Track listing==
{{Track listing
| extra_column    = Producer(s)
| title1          = Intro
| writer1         = [[Annie (singer)|Annie]], [[Richard X]], Timo Kaukolampi
| extra1          = X, Kaukolampi
| length1         = 0:54
| title2          = [[Chewing Gum (song)|Chewing Gum]]
| writer2         = X, [[Hannah Robinson]]
| extra2          = X
| length2         = 3:56
| title3          = Always Too Late
| writer3         = Annie, Kaukolampi, Yngve Sætre
| extra3          = Kaukolampi, Sætre <small>(add.)</small>
| length3         = 4:16
| title4          = [[Me Plus One (Annie song)|Me Plus One]]
| writer4         = X, Robinson
| extra4          = X
| length4         = 3:38
| title5          = [[Heartbeat (Annie song)|Heartbeat]]
| writer5         = Annie, [[Svein Berge]], [[Torbjørn Brundtland]]
| extra5          = Berge, Brundtland
| length5         = 3:06
| title6          = Helpless Fool for Love
| writer6         = Annie, Kaukolampi
| extra6          = Kaukolampi, Sætre <small>(add.)</small>
| length6         = 3:58
| title7          = Anniemal
| writer7         = Annie, Kaukolampi, Veikka Ercola
| extra7          = Kaukolampi, Ercola
| length7         = 3:35
| title8          = No Easy Love
| writer8         = Annie, Brundtland
| extra8          = Annie, Brundtland
| length8         = 4:02
| title9          = [[Happy Without You]]
| writer9         = Annie, Kaukolampi
| extra9          = Annie, Kaukolampi
| length9         = 3:16
| title10         = [[The Greatest Hit (song)|Greatest Hit]]
| writer10        = Annie, Erot in the Sandal
| extra10         = Annie, Erot, Brundtland <small>(add.)</small>
| length10        = 3:39
| title11         = Come Together
| writer11        = Annie, Kaukolampi
| extra11         = Annie, Kaukolampi
| length11        = 7:49
| title12         = My Best Friend
| writer12        = Annie, Berge, Brundtland, Kaukolampi
| extra12         = Annie, Berge, Brundtland, Kaukolampi
| length12        = 3:57
}}
{{Track listing
| headline        = Japanese bonus tracks<ref name="cdjapan"/>
| title13         = Chewing Gum
| note13          = [[Mylo]] remix
| length13        = 5:53
| title14         = Heartbeat
| note14          = Röyksopp's Mindre Tilgjengelige ([[Norwegian language|Norwegian]] for "less accessible") Remix
| length14        = 5:55
| title15         = Heartbeat
| note15          = [[Paul Epworth|Phones]] Maximo remix
| length15        = 4:16
| title16         = Heartbeat
| note16          = video
}}

==Personnel==
Credits adapted from ''Anniemal'' album liner notes.<ref>{{cite AV media notes |title=Anniemal |others=[[Annie (Norwegian singer)|Annie]] |year=2004 |type=CD liner notes |publisher=[[679 Artists|679 Recordings]] |id=67472-3}}</ref>

{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
* Annie – vocals <small>(all tracks)</small>; producer <small>(8–12)</small>; arrangement <small>(10)</small>
* Abdissa Assefa – percussion <small>(6, 7, 11)</small>; drums <small>(9, 11)</small>
* [[Svein Berge]] – producer <small>(5, 12)</small>; backing vocals, instruments <small>(5)</small>
* [[Torbjørn Brundtland]] – producer <small>(5, 8, 12)</small>; backing vocals, instruments <small>(5)</small>; additional producer <small>(10)</small>
* Veikka Ercola – mixing, producer <small>(7)</small>
* Erot in the Sandal – arrangement, producer <small>(10)</small>
* Freezer Unit – additional programming <small>(7)</small>
* Pete Hofmann – mixing <small>(1–3, 6)</small>; engineer <small>(2)</small>; additional programming <small>(3, 6)</small>; guitar <small>(4)</small>
* Timo Kaukolampi – producer <small>(1, 3, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12)</small>
* Pekka Lahti – bass <small>(7, 11)</small>
{{col-2}}
* Sami Nieminen – [[Hammond organ]] <small>(11)</small>
* Tuomo Puranen – synthesiser <small>(6)</small>; bass <small>(9)</small>; synth soundscape <small>(11)</small>
* Jyri Riikonen – additional programming <small>(7)</small>
* [[Hannah Robinson]] – backing vocals <small>(2, 4)</small>
* Yngve Sætre – additional producer <small>(3, 6)</small>; mixing <small>(9, 11, 12)</small>; engineer <small>(12)</small>
* Fredrik Saroea – piano <small>(11)</small>
* Magnus Unnar – photography
* David Vogt – violin <small>(1)</small>
* [[Richard X]] – producer <small>(1, 2, 4)</small>; backing vocals <small>(4)</small>
{{col-end}}

==Charts==
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|-
!scope="col"|Chart (2004–06)
!scope="col"|Peak<br />position
|-
!scope="row"|[[ARIA Charts|Australian Dance Albums Chart]]<ref name=aus>{{cite web |url=http://www.aria.com.au/issue837.pdf |archive-url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20060409140000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20060410-0000/issue837.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2006-04-09 |title=ARIA Dance – Week Commencing 20th March 2006 |publisher=[[Australian Recording Industry Association]]. [[Australian Web Archive]] |access-date=2 November 2008}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
|align="center"|25
|-
!scope="row"|Norwegian Albums ([[VG-lista]])<ref name=nor>{{cite web |url=http://norwegiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Annie&titel=Anniemal&cat=a |title=Annie – Anniemal |publisher=norwegiancharts.com. Hung Medien |access-date=29 September 2008}}</ref>
|align="center"|6
|-
!scope="row"|[[UK Albums]] ([[Official Charts Company|OCC]])<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.zobbel.de/cluk/CLUK_A.HTM |title=Chart Log UK: 1994–2010 |publisher=Official Charts Company. The Zobbel Website |access-date=8 October 2012}}</ref>
|align="center"|101
|-
!scope="row"|US [[Dance/Electronic Albums|Top Electronic Albums]]<ref name=bb>{{cite magazine |url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=annie|chart=Dance/Electronic Albums C}} |title=Annie Album & Song Chart History – Dance/Electronic Albums |magazine=Billboard |publisher=[[Prometheus Global Media]] |access-date=19 April 2025 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
|align="center"|13
|}

==Release history==
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
!scope="col"|Region
!scope="col"|Date
!scope="col"|Label
|-
!scope="row"|Norway
|28 September 2004<ref>{{cite web |url=http://musicbrainz.org/release/86ea17b7-61d4-4a1c-826b-564d21e5a598 |title=Release "Anniemal" by Annie |publisher=[[MusicBrainz]] |access-date=8 October 2012}}</ref>
|rowspan="3"|[[679 Artists|679 Recordings]]
|-
!scope="row" rowspan="2"|United Kingdom
|4 October 2004<ref name="amazon.co.uk listing">{{cite web |url=http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000632KWM |title=Amazon.co.uk: Music: Anniemal |website=amazon.co.uk |publisher=Amazon Services Europe SARL |access-date=19 October 2024 |url-status= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041031133340/www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000632KWM |archive-date=31 October 2004}}</ref>
|-
|7 March 2005<ref>{{cite web |url=http://hmv.com/hmvweb/displayProductDetails.do?ctx=280;1;-1;-1;-1&sku=327602 |title=Annie: Anniemal |publisher=[[HMV]] |access-date=8 October 2012}}</ref>
|-
!scope="row"|United States
|7 June 2005<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009IORC0 |title=Anniemal: Annie |website=Amazon |access-date=8 October 2012}}</ref>
|[[Big Beat Records (American record label)|Big Beat Records]]
|-
!scope="row"|Germany
|29 August 2005<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.de/dp/B000632KWM |title=Anniemal |language=German |publisher=Amazon.de |access-date=8 October 2012}}</ref>
|[[Warner Music Group|Warner Music]]
|-
!scope="row"|Japan
|21 September 2005<ref name="cdjapan">{{cite web |url=http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=PCCY-80013 |title=ANNIEMAL ANNIE &#91;CD&#93; |publisher=CDJapan |access-date=8 October 2012}}</ref>
|[[Pony Canyon]]
|-
!scope="row"|Australia
|10 March 2006<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/music/dance/anniemal/340938 |title=Anniemal – Annie |publisher=[[JB Hi-Fi]] |access-date=8 October 2012}}</ref>
|[[Ministry of Sound Australia|Hussle Recordings]]
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Discogs master|38509|Anniemal|type=album}}
* {{Metacritic album}}

{{Annie (singer)}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:2004 debut albums]]
[[Category:679 Artists albums]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Richard X]]
[[Category:Annie (singer) albums]]
[[Category:Big Beat Records (American record label) albums]]