Peaceful Afternoon

"Peaceful Afternoon"
Single by Rufus Wainwright
from the album Unfollow the Rules
ReleasedMarch 13, 2020
Songwriter(s)Rufus Wainwright
Producer(s)
Rufus Wainwright singles chronology
"Damsel in Distress"
(2020) 		"Peaceful Afternoon"
(2020) 		"Alone Time"
(2020)

"Peaceful Afternoon" is a song by Rufus Wainwright, released on March 13, 2020, as a single to promote his tenth studio album Unfollow the Rules.

Composition

Stereogum's Tom Breihan described the song as "a lush, warm piece of classic singer-songwriter popcraft". The song about longterm commitment "concisely sums up how hard it is to maintain a relationship".[1] "Peaceful Afternoon" has "strings and horns and sighing backup vocals".[2]

Release

Wainwright confirmed the song's release on Twitter on March 9, 2020.[3] He shared artwork for both the English and French versions of the song on Twitter on March 12.[4][5] When the song was released, Wainwright tweeted, "Now more than ever, I think there’s nothing we desire more than to simply have a peaceful afternoon. Maybe at this moment, our living rooms are the best places to be. I hope you love this song as I do."[6][7]

Reception

Spin's Emily Tan called the song "a sweet guitar-driven ballad that will easily your serenade-worthy list".[6]

Track listing

Track listing adapted from Spotify[8]

  1. "Peaceful Afternoon" – 4:16
  2. "Pièce à vivre" – 4:13

References

  1. ^ "The Strokes, Thundercat, and 9 more albums we can't wait to hear in April". The A.V. Club. March 31, 2020. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  2. ^ Breihan, Tom (2020-03-13). "Rufus Wainwright – "Peaceful Afternoon"". Stereogum. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  3. ^ @rufuswainwright (March 9, 2020). "Is it that time already? Mais oui! So excited to announce that I have a brand new song from my album coming out on Friday! This song is called #PeacefulAfternoon, and I'll be releasing a special "en français" version as well, called #PiéceÁVivre!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  4. ^ @rufuswainwright (March 12, 2020). "Yes, that time is upon us! #PeacefulAfternoon and #PièceÀVivre are out at midnight wherever you are. I can't wait to share this very special song with you all!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  5. ^ @rufuswainwright (March 12, 2020). "En français... demain!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  6. ^ a b "Rufus Wainwright Shares 'Peaceful Afternoon'". Spin. 2020-03-13. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  7. ^ @rufuswainwright (March 13, 2020). "#PeacefulAfternoon and #PièceÀVivre are out now! Now more than ever, I think there's nothing we desire more than to simply have a peaceful afternoon. Maybe at this moment, our living rooms are the best places to be. I hope you love this song as I do ❤️🕊" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  8. ^ "Peaceful Afternoon / Pièce à vivre". Spotify. Retrieved 2020-04-24.