The Passionate Ones
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The Passionate Ones is the second studio album by American musician Nourished by Time. It was released on August 22, 2025, by XL Recordings. The album follows his 2023 debut album Erotic Probiotic 2 and his 2024 EP Catching Chickens.
Background and recording
XL describes the record as a "twelve-track catharsis" and Nourished by Time's first full-length release for the label. The project was crafted between Baltimore, London and New York. Early coverage that frames the album's themes around love, labor and everyday existential pressure, "howled from the underbelly of late-stage capitalism."
Release and promotion
The Passionate Ones was announced alongside the lead single "Max Potential" on May 7, 2025, with an accompanying music video. The second single, "9 2 5," followed on June 17, 2025. The album's third single, "Baby Baby", was released on July 29, 2025 with a video. The album was released on August 22, 2025, via XL Recordings in multiple formats.
Critical reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 8.4/10 |
| Metacritic | 89/100 |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| The A.V. Club | A |
| Beats Per Minute | 86% |
| The Guardian | |
| The Line of Best Fit | 9/10 |
| Mojo | |
| NME | |
| Pitchfork | 8.4/10 |
| The Skinny | |
| Slant Magazine |
According to Metacritic, The Passionate Ones has a weighted average score of 89 out of 100, based on fifteen reviews. Pitchfork gave the album a score of 8.4/10, highlighting it as Best New Music. Writing for The Guardian, Katie Hawthorne described the album as "committed" and "full-hearted," highlighting "9 2 5" as a "song of the summer" contender. NME also reviewed the record under the headline "welcoming and deservedly self-assured." In December 2025, Paste Magazine named The Passionate Ones the best album of 2025.
Track listing
All tracks are written by Nourished by Time.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Automatic Love" | 4:02 |
| 2. | "Idiot in the Park" | 3:19 |
| 3. | "Max Potential" | 3:52 |
| 4. | "It's Time" | 3:52 |
| 5. | "Cult Interlude" | 2:00 |
| 6. | "9 2 5" | 4:29 |
| 7. | "Crazy People" | 3:46 |
| 8. | "Jojo" (featuring Tony Bontana) | 3:36 |
| 9. | "Baby Baby" | 3:17 |
| 10. | "Tossed Away" | 4:50 |
| 11. | "When the War Is Over" | 3:29 |
| 12. | "The Passionate Ones" | 4:26 |
| Total length: | 44:58 |
Sample credits
- "Max Potential" contains a sample of "Saved", written and performed by Labi Siffre.
- "Crazy People" contains a sample of the Dear Mr. President collection, courtesy of the Library of Congress.
Personnel
Credits adapted from the album's liner notes and Tidal.
- Nourished by Time – vocals, piano, programming, production, mixing, engineering
- Frank the Carvery – mastering
- Caroline Waxse – images
- Jake Simmonds – design
- Tony Bontana – additional vocals on "Jojo"
Charts
| Chart (2025) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Independent Albums Breakers (OCC) | 17 |
| UK R&B Albums (OCC) | 9 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | August 22, 2025 | CDLPdigital downloadstreaming | XL |