All Things Bright and Beautiful | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | June 14, 2011 | |||
Studio | Sky Harbor Studios (Owatonna, MN), Tree Sound Studios (Atlanta, GA), South Coast Studios (ON, Canada), The Brown Owl (Nashville, TN) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 40:45 | |||
Label | Universal Republic | |||
Producer | Adam Young | |||
Owl City chronology | ||||
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Singles from All Things Bright and Beautiful | ||||
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All Things Bright and Beautiful is the third studio album by the American electronica project Owl City. It was released on June 14, 2011, by Universal Republic Records. [5] Despite receiving mixed critical reviews, it became a commercial success, reaching No. 6 on the Billboard 200.
The album's title is based on the hymn of the same name. [6]
The album sees Adam Young continuing his synth-pop stylings while also experimenting with indie rock, folk, European trance on "Galaxies" and rap on "Alligator Sky". Guest musicians on the album include Shawn Chrystopher, Matthew Thiessen, Lights, Breanne Düren and Adam Young's mother, Joan Young. [7]
Production for the album began around mid-2010 after he returned home from his Ocean Eyes World Tour. [8] [9] The album was originally planned to have a worldwide release date of May 24, 2011. [10] It was then changed to May 17. [11] On April 6, however, Young posted on his official site that the release date had been bumped to June 14, 2011. [12] He stated that the reason for this was, "In an attempt to better connect the dots and ensure that every cloud in the sky is stitched together with its own special silver lining", and "with school finally out for the summer, it'll be a perfect time to sit back and watch the fireworks." Along with this post were previews of four tracks from the new album, each being 1:30 long. The previews posted were of "Alligator Sky" (featuring Shawn Chrystopher), "Deer in the Headlights", "Galaxies" and "Dreams Don't Turn to Dust". [13]
On the introductory track to "Galaxies", entitled "January 28, 1986" (the date of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster), Ronald Reagan's State of the Union speech is sampled. [14]
In an interview with Us Weekly on June 15, 2011, a day after the album's release, Young revealed that the album originally intended to have Taylor Swift as another guest, but was unable to do so, due to her being busy outside of the United States at the time. He also added about having her in a specific song, which may or may not be one of the songs in the album. [15]
I was hoping to work with her on this new record. I had this great song that I was dying to have her voice in so I tried to get it on there but she was in Europe or Australia somewhere, very busy which I totally get having been on this wild roller coaster myself for the past two years. I can't even imagine what she's up against so it didn't work out, but maybe the next record. It would be awesome to feature her on a song someday.
— Adam Young in Us Weekly interview. [15]
The first official single released from the album was "Alligator Sky", which features Californian rapper Shawn Chrystopher, was released on April 12, 2011. There are four versions of the track. The first version features Shawn Chrystopher, the second features different lyrics and Chrystopher's vocals are omitted, a third version featuring Atlanta rapper B.o.B leaked online, [16] and finally a fourth version featuring vocals from Big Boi of Atlanta hip hop duo Outkast also leaked onto the internet. [17]
On April 19, 2011, "Galaxies" was released as the second single from the album, and was made available for purchase and download on iTunes. The song peaked at number 39 on the US Hot Christian Songs chart, surpassing "Fireflies", which peaked at No. 44 (2010). [18] It has since then re-entered the chart at No. 48 in the week of September 24, 2011. [18]
An exclusive single, "Lonely Lullaby", was released to all members of Owl City Galaxy, a club that users automatically became a part of when they pre-ordered the album. [19] The song mentions an "Annmarie" many times, a reference to Adam Young's ex-girlfriend, Annmarie Monson. [20] This song, however, is not actually part of the album. The app was discontinued in mid-2013. The song later was released as a single on July 19, 2011, making it officially available to people outside of Owl City Galaxy. The song has been met with some commercial success, peaking at number 12 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100. [21]
"Angels" was released on September 20, 2011 as the fourth and final single from the album. The song was serviced to Christian radio stations that same day.
"Deer in the Headlights" was released digitally on May 23, 2011. [22] The single was announced in a different way than what is considered traditional. Starting May 16, 2011, every day of that week part of the song would be added to the sneak peek. [23] It was originally just called "New Song", and fans had to guess the new song. The first part of the song to be released were the drums, followed by the addition of bass, guitar, synthesizer, and vocals over the next four days. On the final day, the title for the song was announced. [24] Electropop artist Lights made an appearance in the music video. [25]
"Dreams Don't Turn to Dust" was released on October 10, 2011, as the second promotional single from the album. It was released exclusively in the United Kingdom. [26]
Aggregate scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 49/100 [27] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Consequence of Sound | D [29] |
Entertainment Weekly | B− [30] |
The Guardian | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
IGN | 8/10 [32] |
Jesus Freak Hideout | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Newsday | A− [34] |
NME | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Rolling Stone | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Spin | 5/10 [37] |
USA Today | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
All Things Bright and Beautiful has received mixed reviews, gaining a 49/100 score from Metacritic, [27] an 8/10 score from IGN [32] and a score of 5/10 from Spin. [37] AllMusic writer Andrew Leahey praised the sound of the disc, calling Young "a top-notch producer; his music pops and fizzes with glitchy electronics, which he splashes throughout the track list like effervescent paint, and the songs all have an otherworldly sound about them, as though they were born in space and sent back to Earth in futuristic clothing." However, he derided the actual musical content, saying "there's no bite to Young’s sugary confections, no break from the electro-pop treacle that he churns out like an emo Willy Wonka." He ended up awarding the disc 2.5 stars of a possible 5. [28] Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian stated that the album, "suffers from a lack of substance." [31] Allison Stewart of The Washington Post called the album, "the Postal Service for tweens" at its best. [39] Rudy K of Sputnikmusic remarked, "Adam's lyrics may be poetry, but it's All Things Bright and Beautiful's array of effervescent electro-pop backing tracks that make them into an organic artistic statement." She also stated that the album, "leaves no musical stone unturned." [40]
A positive review came from Glenn Gamboa of Newsday. He remarked, "Young's gotten sharper lyrically and brought some new influences into his musical world." He praised the "nice change of pace" on the track "Kamikaze" and stated that "Galaxies", "is irresistible even before its Eurodisco-driven refrain." [34] Scott Fryberger of Jesus Freak Hideout stated that the record, "will take the position of 2011's best pop album." [33] Billboard magazine stated, "The melodies are so infectiously tuneful that you'd feel like you're kicking a puppy to say anything bad about them... the album has its darker and edgier moments in the aggressive attack of 'Kamikaze', the ambivalent twist of fate in 'Hospital Flowers' and the mournful tone of 'Galaxies'." [41] Stephan Robinson of Cross Rhythms praised the Christian-themed nature of the album. He noted "Galaxies" as the highlight of the album, "due to both the Christian message and the catchy flying-through-space feel music that sticks in the mind as being a reminder that Owl City really is a top rate talent, despite what some of the trendier critics say." [42]
In the US, the album debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 chart selling 48,000 copies. [43] In Germany, the album only reached No. 69 for one week before falling off the chart, charting lower than Ocean Eyes , which charted for 9 weeks and peaked at No. 7. [44] In the United Kingdom, the album peaked at number 52 staying just one week on the chart. In Canada, All Things Bright and Beautiful peaked at number seven. To date, the album has sold 143,000 copies in the US. [45]
All tracks are written by Adam Young, except where noted
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "The Real World" | 3:34 | |
2. | "Deer in the Headlights" | 3:00 | |
3. | "Angels" | 3:40 | |
4. | "Dreams Don't Turn to Dust" | 3:44 | |
5. | "Honey and the Bee" (featuring Breanne Düren) | 3:44 | |
6. | "Kamikaze" | 3:27 | |
7. | "January 28, 1986" (Intro to "Galaxies") | 0:37 | |
8. | "Galaxies" | 4:03 | |
9. | "Hospital Flowers" | 3:39 | |
10. | "Alligator Sky" (featuring Shawn Chrystopher) | Adam Young, Shawn Chrystopher | 3:05 |
11. | "The Yacht Club" (featuring Lights) | 4:32 | |
12. | "Plant Life" | Adam Young, Matt Thiessen | 4:10 |
Total length: | 40:45 |
No. | Title | Length |
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13. | "How I Became the Sea" | 4:25 |
14. | "Alligator Sky" (No Rap version) | 3:15 |
Total length: | 48:35 |
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Lonely Lullaby" | 4:28 |
No. | Title | Length |
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13. | "How I Became the Sea" | 4:25 |
14. | "Shy Violet" | 3:49 |
15. | "To the Sky" | 3:40 |
Total length: | 52:39 |
No. | Title | Length |
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13. | "Alligator Sky" (No Rap version) | 4:28 |
Owl City
Additional musicians and production
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Owl City is an American electronic music project created in 2007 in Owatonna, Minnesota. It is one of several projects by singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Adam Young, who created the project while experimenting with music in his parents' basement. Owl City developed a following on the social networking site MySpace, like many musicians who achieved success in the late 2000s, before signing with Universal Republic Records, now Republic Records, in 2008.
Ocean Eyes is the second studio album by American electronica project Owl City, released on July 14, 2009, by Universal Republic Records. It features a photograph of the Burj Al Arab as its album artwork. A vinyl edition was released, followed by a deluxe edition available on January 26, 2010. The deluxe edition incorporates four new tracks, including a remix of "Hello Seattle". The album contains guest vocals by Relient K vocalist Matt Thiessen on the songs "Fireflies", "Cave In", "The Bird and the Worm", and "Tidal Wave".
"Fireflies" is the debut single from American electronica project Owl City's album Ocean Eyes. Frontman Adam Young wrote the track about seeing fireflies in his hometown of Owatonna, Minnesota while he was awake with insomnia. Matt Thiessen produced the song and provided guest vocals. The song is built around a "bleepy" synthline and includes lyrics about insomnia, fireflies and summer.
The discography of American electronica project Owl City consists of seven studio albums, eight extended plays, twenty-six singles, and twenty-five music videos. Owl City issued his debut release, the extended play Of June, in September 2007; it peaked at number 15 on the United States Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums chart. His debut studio album Maybe I'm Dreaming followed in December 2008, peaking at number 13 on the Dance/Electronic Albums chart. Following the success of Of June and Maybe I'm Dreaming, Young signed to Universal Republic Records in late 2008. His second studio album and major-label debut, Ocean Eyes, was released in July 2009. "Fireflies", the album's lead single, became an international success, peaking at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and becoming a top ten hit in several other countries. In correlation with the success of "Fireflies", Ocean Eyes peaked at number eight on the US Billboard 200 and was later certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). An additional two singles were released from the album: "Vanilla Twilight" and "Umbrella Beach".
Collapse into Now is the fifteenth and final studio album by American alternative rock band R.E.M., released on March 7, 2011, on Warner Bros. Produced by Jacknife Lee, who previously worked with the band on Accelerate (2008), the album was preceded by the singles "It Happened Today", "Mine Smell Like Honey", "Überlin" and "Oh My Heart".
"Alligator Sky" is a song by American electronica project Owl City from his third studio album All Things Bright and Beautiful. It was released as the lead single from the album on March 22, 2011. Four versions of the song were released: The first features Californian rapper Shawn Chrystopher, the second version omits Chrystopher's vocals, a third version featuring Atlanta rapper B.o.B leaked online, and a fourth version featuring vocals by Big Boi of Atlanta hip-hop duo OutKast also leaked online. The song debuted at the No. 1 spot on the iTunes Electronic Track chart.
"Galaxies" is a song by American electronica act Owl City, released on April 19, 2011. It is the second single from his third studio album, All Things Bright and Beautiful.
Shawn Chrystopher Garrett II is an American rapper and music producer. He first gained major attention with the release of his debut mixtape I.W.G.: I Wear Glasses in 2008, which was sponsored by urban-clothing powerhouse LRG. Chrystopher also worked with artist Timbaland, Yelawolf, MANN, XV, Mike Posner, Big Sean, N.O.R.E., Owl City, Dom Kennedy and many other artists spanning a variety of different genres.
"Deer in the Headlights" is a song by American electronica project Owl City. The song was released on May 23, 2011 as the first promotional single from his third studio album, All Things Bright and Beautiful. In promotion of the single, a music video was released on June 30, 2011.
The Midsummer Station is the fourth studio album by American electronica project Owl City. It was released on August 17, 2012, by Universal Republic Records. The album debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 selling 30,000 copies in its first week. In support of the album, Owl City went on the Midsummer Station World Tour.
"Lonely Lullaby" is a song by American electronica project Owl City from his third studio album All Things Bright and Beautiful (2011). Originally released as a fan club exclusive in March 2011, the song is not included on the album itself. It was released digitally on July 19, 2011 through Universal Republic Records as the third single from All Things Bright and Beautiful.
Kiss is the second studio album by Canadian singer and songwriter Carly Rae Jepsen. It was released on September 14, 2012, by 604, Schoolboy and Interscope Records. After her debut, Tug of War (2008), was only released in Canada, Kiss became Jepsen's first internationally released album. Songs on the album are in the nu-disco, dance-pop, and teen pop genres, drawing inspiration from the Cars, Madonna and Robyn. Featuring production from a wide collection of producers including Dallas Austin, Josh Ramsay, and Redfoo, the album features guest vocals from Justin Bieber and Owl City.
Ultraviolet is the fourth extended play by American electronica project Owl City, released digitally on June 27, 2014, through Republic Records. The EP's lead single, "Beautiful Times", which features violinist Lindsey Stirling, was released on April 8, 2014.
Mobile Orchestra is the fifth studio album by American electronica project Owl City, which was released on July 10, 2015. The album debuted at number 11 on the Billboard 200. This is the project's last album under Republic Records before releasing subsequent albums independently.
"Angels" is a song by American electronica act Owl City. It was released on September 20, 2011, for Christian radio airplay as the fourth and final single from his third studio album, All Things Bright and Beautiful.
Owl City: Live From Los Angeles is a video album documenting the July 21, 2011, show of American electronica project Owl City's All Things Bright and Beautiful World Tour. It was released on February 7, 2012, by Eagle Rock Entertainment. Filmed at the Club Nokia in Los Angeles, the 94-minute recording was directed by Mark Lucas and produced by John Rubey and Michael A. Blum.
"Dreams Don't Turn to Dust" is a song by American electronica project Owl City. The song was released on October 10, 2011 as the second promotional single from his third studio album, All Things Bright and Beautiful via Universal Republic. It was released exclusively in the United Kingdom.
"Wolf Bite" is a song by American electronica project Owl City. The song was released on June 18, 2014, as a promotional single from his fourth extended play, Ultraviolet. The song reached number 22 on the Christian Rock Songs chart and number 48 on the Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales chart.
The All Things Bright and Beautiful Tour is the second headlining concert tour by American electronica project Owl City, in support of his third studio album, All Things Bright and Beautiful (2011).
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