Hello is the sixth studio album recorded by Canadian pop rock band Hedley. It was released via Universal Music Canada on November 6, 2015.[3] It debuted atop the BillboardCanadian Albums Chart, becoming the group's first chart-topper, and has since spawned two top-40 singles, "Hello" and "Lose Control".
Following their Wild Live tour, a headlining tour in support of their fifth studio album Wild Life, the group began taking ideas and concepts of what they had on the road and turned it into an album.[2] The album's main theme is about not losing hope and to keep moving forward, a message lead singer Jacob Hoggard finds, "almost as a necessity."[2] Songs such as the title track, "Back to Basics" and "Very First Time" follow this theme, according to guitarist Dave Rosin.[4] Spending nine months writing the album, Hoggard described Hello as an honest record, finding him in a vulnerable place and the group stepping outside of their comfort zone.[5] He also said writing the album was "that light bulb moment" and hoped that it would connect with people.[2] Musically, the album is described as electropop, long departing from their pop punk roots presented on their earlier records.[2]
In support the album, the band embarked on the Hello World Tour across Canada from April to May 2016, with support from Carly Rae Jepsen and Francesco Yates.[6][7] The tour was a success, selling just under 125,000 tickets for the 27 concert dates, with an estimated gross of $7.5 million.[8]
Composition and release
Jacob Hoggard is credited as a writer, record producer, and creative director for the album.[3] Other producers include Brian Howes and Jason Van Poederooyen.[3] Canadian songwriter Ryan Stewart, known for his work with Carly Rae Jepsen and Suzie McNeil, also co-wrote five tracks on the album.[9]
The album became available for pre-order on iTunes on September 8, 2015, in conjunction with the digital release of "Lost in Translation".[10] Ahead of the album's release, the group released an album trailer in September 2015.[11] The group also performed the title track at the We Day event in early October 2015.[12]Hello was released in digital and physical formats, in both a standard and deluxe edition, and was also available as a vinylbox set.[3] All versions were scheduled for release in Canada on November 6, 2015, via Universal Music Canada. The album was released in the US through Capitol Records on November 6, 2015. The album debuted at number one on the Canadian Albums Chart and sold 14,500 copies in its first week.[13]
Singles
"Lost in Translation" was released on September 8, 2015, as the lead single from the album.[10] It was released to radio on September 15.[14] The song failed to enter the BillboardCanadian Hot 100, becoming their first single to miss the chart since it was established in 2007. It has, however, impacted the Canada CHR/Top 40 and Canada Hot AC airplay charts monitored by Billboard through Nielsen BDS Radio, reaching number 31 and number 47, respectively.[15][16]
The title track, "Hello", was released October 9, 2015, as the second official single.[17] It was promoted to Canadian adult contemporary radio on October 12, in lieu of "Lost in Translation" as the lead single for that format.[18] The song peaked at number 20 on the BillboardCanadian Hot 100.[19] It also reached number 9 on the Canada AC chart,[20] number 8 on the Canada CHR/Top 40[15] and number 2 on the Canada Hot AC chart.[16]
"Lose Control" was serviced to Canadian radio on March 4, 2016, as the album's third official single.[21] The song peaked at number 37 on the Canadian Hot 100.[19] It also peaked at numbers 21, 10, and 7, respectively, on the Canada AC, Canada CHR/Top 40, and Canada Hot AC airplay charts.[20][15][16]
"Can't Slow Down" was released to iTunes on October 2, 2015, as the first promotional single from the album.[22] An official audio visualizer was uploaded to the band's Vevo account on the same day.[23] On August 25, 2016, it was serviced to radio as the record's fourth official single.[24][non-primary source needed] The song reached number 43 on the Canadian Hot 100.[19] It also peaked at number 11 on both the Canada AC and Canada CHR/Top 40 charts[20][15] and at number 8 on the Canada Hot AC chart.[16]
Critical reception
The album was met with positive reviews from music critics. Keith Sharp of The Music Express stated, "The record production is spot on with current recording trends melding hook-filled lyrics with dance-oriented arrangements in a format that is irresistible to modern day radio formats." Though he found that the lyrics were "nothing profound," he said "Hedley has a way of connecting with their audience and this 6th release is just another positive step along the way towards achieving mass appeal."[25] Jenia Schukov of Confront Magazine wrote, "this band prides themselves in doing things differently. Each album holds a distinctly different sound and explores a wide variety of genres. This is no different for their sixth studio album Hello."[1]
↑ Hedley (August 25, 2016). "Hedley on Facebook". Facebook. Archived from the original(video) on February 23, 2025. Retrieved August 27, 2016. Guess what?! #CantSlowDown is on the radio now
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