It Doesn't Have to Make Sense is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson. It was released on August 26, 2016, through Cabin 24 Records under exclusive license to Mom + Pop Music. Conceived after the end of her marriage with musician Greg Laswell and the death of her mother Elizabeth, Michaelson reteamed with a wider range of previous collaborators to work on the album, including Cason Cooley, Barry Dean, Katie Herzig, Chris Kuffner, Luke Laird and Dan Romer.
The album was released to generally positive reviews from music critics, some of whom cited it her "strongest and most powerful album" by then.[1] It debuted and peaked at number 19 on the US Billboard 200 and marked Michaelson third consecutive album to reached the top three of the Independent Albums chart. It Doesn't Have to Make Sense was predeced by its lead single, "Hell No", released on April 29, 2016,[2] followed by the promotional singles "Light Me Up" and "Celebrate".[3][4]
To promote the album, Michaelson embarked on the "Hell No Tour" on October 6, 2016, in Cincinnati, Ohio.[5] Promotional appearances in the media to support the album included a performance of "Hell No" on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on June 7, 2016,[6] and a performance of "Hell No" on The Late Late Show with James Corden on August 22, 2016.[7] Michaelson then performed "Still the One" on Live with Kelly on September 28, 2016.[8] On August 15, a playlist featuring 30 seconds of every song was uploaded to Spotify.[9]
Alter Egos EP
An EP of five re-recorded tracks featuring new artists, titled Alter Egos, was released on May 12, 2017. "Celebrate" featuring AJR was released as a promotional single ahead of the EP's release. Other featured artists featured include Sara Bareilles and Tegan and Sara.
It Doesn't Have to Make Sense earned largely positive reviews from critics. AllMusic editor Matt Collar noted thath It Doesn't Have to Make Sense "finds the singer/songwriter delving into a set of sonically robust, emotionally transfiguring anthems recorded in the wake of her mother's death and the breakup of her marriage. The album follows her similarly lush 2014 effort, Lights Out, and as with that record, this one features production from a handful of longtime collaborators."[10] Nina Ellis from Cryptic Rock felt that "Michaelson digs deeper on It Doesn’t Have to Make Sense while remaining true to the artist people have fallen in love with. She does not stray from her signature sound, but the honesty and transparency she injects into her latest effort give us something more tangible to reach for."[11]
Erica Dischino, writing for The Ithacan, called the album "a a true testament to Michaelson’s resilience in times of emotional distress. Her optimistic outlook paired with a raw sound creates a balanced album full of dynamic lyrics and infectious beats. Overall, her seventh album is one not to miss."[13]Spectrum Culture's Nick Gregorio wrote that "Michaelson may have been put through the proverbial wringer recently. But if it’s any consolation to her, she’s created something truly special, a pop album without the gossamer, stuffed with radio-ready hooks full of blood and guts. It will make you cry, smile and feel grateful for everything you have while offering the strength it takes to move on from life’s trials and tribulations."[1]Sputnikmusic found that "although there are occasional sojourns into peppier territory, It Doesn’t Have to Make Sense is largely just a matter of Ingrid sitting alone with her thoughts, a pen, and an acoustic guitar or piano [...] It may not be very likely to top the charts because of its languid nature, but unearthing some of the lyrical gems here is actually far more rewarding. This is more than Ingrid simply reminding us that she’s still here; she’s reminding us of why we connected with her music to begin with."[12]
Track listing
It Doesn't Have to Make Sense track listing[14][15][16]
