Whip-Smart

Whip-Smart
Studio album by
Liz Phair
ReleasedSeptember 20, 1994[1]
RecordedAugust 1993
February 1994
Studio
Genre
Length42:02
Label
Producer
Liz Phair chronology
Exile in Guyville
(1993) 		Whip-Smart
(1994) 		Whitechocolate spaceegg
(1998)
Singles from Whip-Smart
  1. "Supernova"
    Released: July 23, 1994
  2. "Whip-Smart"
    Released: February 15, 1995
  3. "Jealousy"
    Released: August 8, 1995

Whip-Smart is the second album by American singer-songwriter Liz Phair, released in 1994, the follow-up to Phair's critically well received debut, 1993's Exile in Guyville. Despite not being as critically well received as her previous record, Whip-Smart debuted at No. 27 on the Billboard 200[3] and ultimately achieved gold status. As of July 2010, it had sold 412,000 copies.[4]

At the time of its release Whip-Smart received generally favorable reviews from music critics, figuring inside end of year lists, including those by the Los Angeles Times[citation needed] and Q Magazine.[citation needed] The album was ranked sixth for its year inside The Village Voice Pazz and Jop Poll.[citation needed] Although obscured by its famous predecessor, the album has gained more recognition with time and is largely considered a key record to Phair's legacy as an artist, along with her other two Matador Records releases and the Girly Sound tapes. In 2003, the German version of Rolling Stone magazine placed the record at 95 on its list of greatest records since Autumn of 1994.[5] In 2014, Rolling Stone named Whip-Smart the 18th greatest album of its year – considered by the magazine the peak of mainstream alternative rock.[6]

Phair was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone on the week Whip-Smart was released, and by 1994 and 1995, she made a frequent number of television appearances, including the Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and MTV's 120 Minutes.

In 1995, "Supernova" was nominated for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance in the 37th Annual Grammy Awards.[7]

  1. ^ Boehler, Eric (August 6, 1994). "Atlantic Whips Up Mainstream Support For Phair's 2nd Set" (PDF). Billboard. New York City, New York: BPI Communications. p. 14. ISSN 0006-2510. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 7, 2021. Retrieved September 20, 2022. "Whip-Smart," a confident mix of old and new sounds from Phair, is due in stores Sept. 20.
  2. ^ Stavropoulous, Laura (September 15, 2020). "'Whip-Smart': Revisiting Liz Phair's Standout Sophomore Album". udiscovermusic.com. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
  3. ^ "Whip-Smart – Liz Phair". Billboard.com. Retrieved September 24, 2012.
  4. ^ "Ask Billboard: Kylie 'Fever'". Billboard. July 16, 2010. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
  5. ^ "Rolling Stone - Deutsche Ausgabe - Popular Music Best-Of-Lists List - zur 100. Ausgabe des ROLLING STONE: Das Special zum Jubilä - die 100 besten alben;um - hartbeat! Die besten, CDS, album, alben, records, songs, singles, langspielplatten, LPS, schallplatten, charts, kritiker, kritiker charts, kritiker listen, best of lists, bestenlisten, besten-listen, jahresrückblicke, musikzeitschriften, musik-zeitschriften, musik-magazine, musikmagazine, pop-polls, pop polls, polls, pop, leser, leser polls, music, pop-music, musik, pop-musik, popmusik, die besten platten aller zeiten, popular music best of lists list, hartbeat!, the best, CDS, albums, alben, records, songs, singles, LPS, charts, critics, critics charts, best of lists, bestenlisten, year-end-lists, yearendlists, music-magazines, music magazines, musicmagazines, pop-polls, pop polls, polls, pop, readers, readers polls, music, pop-music, all time best records, all time best albums, popular music best of lists list". Archived from the original on March 24, 2012. Retrieved April 18, 2014.
  6. ^ "40 Best Records from 1994". Rolling Stone. April 17, 2014.
  7. ^ "Grammy Awards: Best Rock Vocal Performance – Female". Rock on the Net. Retrieved September 15, 2012.