| Neotheater | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 26, 2019 | |||
| Length | 44:28 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | ||||
| AJR chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Neotheater | ||||
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Neotheater is the third studio album by American pop band AJR. It was released on April 26, 2019 [2] by the band's label AJR Productions. The album was self-produced by the trio. It is a follow-up to the trio's 2017 album The Click (2017).
The 12 tracks were collectively described as "a coming of age tale that hears the band coming to terms with the sacrifices that come with growing older now that they are in their 20s". A description of the album also stated: "The buoyant and uplifting music is juxtaposed with darker lyrical narratives that touch on anxiety, naivete and searching for integrity." [3]
This album contained two official singles, and one promotional single. AJR released the lead single "100 Bad Days" on January 29, 2019. [4] They also released a promotional single "Birthday Party" on March 12, 2019. [5] "Dear Winter" was later released as the second official single on April 5, 2019. [6] On October 25, 2019, they released "Dear Winter 2.0," an alternate version of the original song with added instruments. [7]
Neotheater debuted at number eight on the US Billboard 200 with 52,000 album-equivalent units (of which 32,000 were pure album sales). It is AJR's highest-peaking and first US top 10 album. [8]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [9] |
| Rolling Stone | [10] |
The album received favorable to mixed reviews. Rolling Stone wrote in par, citing the bubbly tracks stepped in light orchestration, crisp hooks, and the social commentary, while AllMusic says that the album is "never less than refreshing".
All tracks are written by Jack Met and Ryan Met. All tracks are produced by Ryan Met.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Next Up Forever" | 4:17 |
| 2. | "Birthday Party" | 3:44 |
| 3. | "100 Bad Days" | 3:33 |
| 4. | "Don't Throw Out My Legos" | 4:11 |
| 5. | "Break My Face" | 3:46 |
| 6. | "Turning Out Pt. II" | 3:43 |
| 7. | "The Entertainment's Here" | 3:07 |
| 8. | "Karma" | 4:05 |
| 9. | "Beats" | 3:19 |
| 10. | "Wow, I'm Not Crazy" | 3:17 |
| 11. | "Dear Winter" | 2:48 |
| 12. | "Finale (Can't Wait to See What You Do Next)" | 4:38 |
| Total length: | 44:28 | |
Notes
Credits adapted from the album's liner notes. [13]
AJR
Additional personnel
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
AJR is an American indie pop band founded by brothers Adam, Jack, and Ryan Met, collectively a trio of vocalists, multi-instrumentalists, and songwriters. The brothers grew up in New York City, primarily focused on busking and singing covers until shifting to producing their albums and touring. Since 2015, the band has released five studio albums through their independent label AJR Productions alongside various record labels.
"Weak" is a song by American indie pop band AJR. It was first released on their EP What Everyone's Thinking via the band's label AJR Productions on September 16, 2016, later becoming the third single for their second studio album The Click (2017). The song's lyrics describe acceptance of human weakness and feature an uptempo pop composition. A lyric and music video were released, with the latter featuring the band in a New York City subway. The music video went viral, with the song's popularity on Spotify helping the song become one of the band's highest charting songs.
The Click is the second studio album by American indie pop band AJR. It was released on June 9, 2017, via the band's label AJR Productions and S-Curve Records, later released internationally through Ultra Records and Black Butter Records. The album follows the trio's previous work, maintaining a pop sound with elements of hip-hop, electronic dance music, and jazz. It includes a sole guest appearance from Rivers Cuomo of the band Weezer while taking influence from Fun, Twenty One Pilots, Kendrick Lamar, and Kanye West.
"Burn the House Down" is a song by American indie pop band AJR. It was released on March 23, 2018, as a single from the deluxe edition of their second studio album The Click.
"100 Bad Days" is a song by American pop band AJR. It was released on January 29, 2019 via S-Curve Records as the lead single from the band's third studio album Neotheater.
"Dear Winter" is a song by American pop band AJR. It was released on April 5, 2019 via S-Curve Records as the second single from the band's third studio album Neotheater.
"Don't Throw Out My Legos" is a song by American pop band AJR, appearing as the fourth track on their third studio album Neotheater. It uses an upbeat keyboard-based instrumental while discussing the difficulty of growing up.
"Bang!" is a song by American pop band AJR. It was released on February 12, 2020, through their own label, AJR Productions. The song is the lead single from the band's fourth album, OK Orchestra. On August 8, 2020, a remix version was released featuring Hayley Kiyoko and AhhHaa.
"Come Hang Out" is a song by American pop band AJR, appearing as the opening track of their fourth EP What Everyone's Thinking on September 16, 2016. It was later included as the closer of their second studio album The Click (2017), receiving a music video the next year in partnership with Original Penguin. The song discusses the balance of personal development with social status.
OK Orchestra, often abbreviated as OKO, is the fourth studio album by American pop band AJR. It was released on March 26, 2021, by the band's own label AJR Productions. The album was produced by group member Ryan Met.
Living Room is the debut studio album by American pop band AJR. It was released through the band's label AJR Productions and Warner Music Group on March 3, 2015. The album was produced from the band's apartment in Chelsea, Manhattan.
"Way Less Sad" is a song by American pop band AJR. It was released on February 17, 2021, via the band's label AJR Productions and BMG. It was additionally released through S-Curve Records for radio airplay and through Black Butter Records for international releases. The song was the fourth single for the band's fourth studio album OK Orchestra, appearing as the twelfth track. It samples the song "My Little Town" by American folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel and builds off unused demos intended for Norwegian DJ Kygo and American rapper Cardi B.
"3 O'Clock Things" is a song by American pop band AJR from their fourth studio album OK Orchestra, appearing as the third track. It is the most popular non-single from the album, amassing over 43 million streams as of October 2023.
"Break My Face" is a song by American pop band AJR. Released on April 26, 2019, the track appears fifth on their third studio album, Neotheater (2019). It was distributed via the band's label AJR Productions and S-Curve, additionally receiving an Amazon Music exclusive version as a promotional single and music video on August 15. The song utilizes a stuttered pop melody with piano and trumpet while lyrically presenting confidence in personality over physical appearance, embracing imperfections connected to the latter.
"Bummerland" is a song by American pop band AJR. It was released on August 31, 2020 via S-Curve Records as the second single from the band's fourth studio album OK Orchestra.
What Everyone's Thinking is the fourth extended play by American indie pop band AJR. It was released on September 16, 2016, via the band's label AJR Productions. The EP contains five songs, all of which were later included on the band's second studio album The Click.
"Karma" is a song by American pop band AJR, appearing as the eighth track on their third studio album Neotheater. It is the second-most popular song from the album, amassing over 82 million streams as of February 2024.
The Neotheater World Tour was the fourth concert tour by the American pop band AJR, supporting their third studio album, Neotheater (2019). It ran from September 20, 2019, to January 21, 2020, and covered 41 shows across Europe and North America. The set list consisted primarily of songs from Neotheater, with a few numbers from the band's second album The Click (2017) and brief appearances from their debut studio album Living Room (2015). A second leg of the Neotheater World Tour with 21 more shows was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Overture" is a song by American indie pop band AJR. It appears as the opening track of The Click, which was released via the band's label AJR Productions on June 9, 2017. The song is AJR's second overture, following one of the same name on their debut album Living Room. A music video was released later in the year, featuring the trio at various locations in Columbus, Ohio.
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