Santogold (album)

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Santogold is the debut studio album by American musician Santigold, who released music under the name Santogold at the time. It came out in the United States on April 29, 2008, through Downtown Records, and in the United Kingdom on May 12, 2008, through Lizard King and Atlantic Records. The sixteen-track record was written and produced mainly by Santigold and John Hill, with contributions from Diplo, Switch, and Disco D, and features guest vocals from Spank Rock and Trouble Andrew. The album was recorded in about eight weeks in New York City at Schoolhouse and Pitch Black Studios.

Santogold blends many styles, including new wave, electro, indie rock, pop, reggae, and dub, aiming to defy easy genre labels. Santigold wanted to mix subcultural sounds like dub and punk with strong, catchy hooks so the music would be accessible to a wide audience. She left Lizard King Records before the release, stating they didn’t give her creative freedom, and later signed with Atlantic Records, who loved the album as it was.

The track "My Superman" includes an interpolation of Siouxsie and the Banshees’ "Red Light." Critics praised the album for its fearless blend of styles and placed it on many year-end lists for 2008. It drew comparisons to artists such as M.I.A., Blondie, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Grace Jones, and more, with Rolling Stone calling it a visionary debut.

Four singles were released: "Creator," "L.E.S. Artistes," "Lights Out," and "Say Aha." The album charted in the U.S., the U.K., Ireland, the Netherlands, France, and Belgium. By 2012, it had sold about 225,000 copies in the U.S. and nearly 932,000 digital downloads there. It was certified silver in the U.K. and later earned a European gold award for 100,000 sales.