Palo Santo | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 6 July 2018 | |||
Recorded | 2016–2018 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 36:49 | |||
Label | Polydor | |||
Producer | ||||
Years & Years chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Palo Santo | ||||
|
Palo Santo is the second studio album by the English electronic trio Years & Years, released by Polydor Records on 6 July 2018. Executive produced by the band, it is the follow-up to their debut album Communion (2015). After the success of their Communion, the trio felt pressured in making their succeeding record. Influenced by religion and spirituality, lead singer and principal songwriter Olly Alexander wanted to connect religious transcendence to pop music after perceiving parallels between a church's sense of belonging and gay nightclubs. The trio met with frequent and new collaborators such as Mark Ralph, Greg Kurstin, Steve Mac and Jesse Shatkin to produce most its tracks. Named after the South American "palo santo" (Spanish for "holy wood"), which was commonly used to fend off bad spirits, though Alexander used its name as a dick joke referring to men he knew, it is the group's last album as a trio. [1]
Palo Santo is a concept album, set in the titular fictional world, where traditional rules regarding gender and sexuality are nonexistent. Its lyrical content deals with "the murky, complicated side" of desire, as well as the connection between religion and carnality, using religious iconography in dealing with themes of sexuality, queerness and guilt. Its visual imagery took inspirations from science fiction and technology where androids yearn to experience emotion. Sonically, the album is a dance-pop and electropop record influenced by 1990s pop and R&B music. Palo Santo's release was accompanied by a short film of the same name. Its promotional campaign features a single aesthetic of a dystopian future in Palo Santo, both of which were prominently used for the album and its accompanying film.
Upon its release, Palo Santo received widespread praise from music critics, some of whom lauded its deeper emotional resonance compared to its predecessor and Alexander's refusal to embrace moral didacticism and his vibrant display of character. Commercially, the album debuted at number three the UK Albums Chart and became the band's second album to top the Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums chart. Five singles were released from the album: "Sanctify", "If You're Over Me", "All for You", "Play" and "Valentino with "Sanctify", "If You're Over Me" and "Play" making the top forty on the UK Singles Chart, and "If You're Over Me" and "Play" became top ten hits. The trio supported the album with the Palo Santo Tour, which commenced in October 2018 in North America and ended in June 2019 in England.
After the release of their debut studio album Communion (2015), the trio (Olly Alexander, Michael Goldsworthy, Emre Türkmen) were under pressure to duplicate its success in making their next record. [2] [3] Complications arose when Alexander had a highly publicised breakup with Neil Amin-Smith, who was formerly a violinist in the British band Clean Bandit. [2] Alexander reflected that it was a completely different situation from recording Communion, explaining that "Because on your first album, you basically have your entire life to make that record because, you know, you've got so much time and so many experiences and you've never made one before." [3] Executives at Polydor Records recommended him to "guest on some dance hits, buoy the band's profile, and play the Spotify game", but the trio focused on producing the album instead. [4] Alexander also reflected that immediately following the conclusion of their tour supporting Communion, they only had 18 months to finish the next album. [3] He recalled of the limited time frame, "it went by so fast. I definitely felt it was quite overwhelming thinking, 'Oh, we're never going to be able to pull this off,' and at times it was a real struggle." [3] He met with various songwriters, such as Julia Michaels and Justin Tranter, as well as Greg Kurstin and Mark Ralph, who had previously contributed to Communion. [5] [6]
Palo Santo draws influence from images of spirituality and religion, also prominent themes in the band's previous work. [8] It was named after the South American-endemic wood palo santo ( Bursera graveolens , Spanish for "holy wood"), which was used as an incense by the Incas to cast off bad spirits. [8] Pitchfork contributor Cameron Cook suggested it may have been influenced by the fact that dancing is considered the "devil's work" in most Western theologies, and that there was a thrill in shaking one's "blasphemous hips while invoking the Lord". [8] He also pointed out that to the band's impulse to connect pop music with religious transcendence was a "sacred experience" to Alexander, its principal songwriter. [8] Alexander, who grew up next door to a church, was intrigued by the rituals performed there, such as a decoration of oranges for the Christingle and reciting the Lord's Prayer, despite not believing in organised religion himself. [9] He remarked, "I was so yearning to be a part of something, I think that's why, obviously, religion is really powerful. All the ritualism and symbolism and I'm just really drawn by all of that stuff." He further observed that "traditionally, the church has like very much shut out gay people" and he has tried to subvert it "a little bit". [10] Viewing songwriting as a cathartic and mysterious healing ritual, he noticed "odd parallels between a church's sense of belonging, and the celebratory freedom that exists in a space filled with dancing, thrashing bodies, and filthy, sexy pop". [9] Following his breakup, Alexander read the novel Dancer from the Dance by Andrew Holleran, which portrayed "the club...like a church; a church for gay people to go and dance." This idea inspired the album. [9] He later chose the album's title upon discovering the meaning of "palo santo", which he considered apt as he had met "a lot of guys who think they have some holy wood"; [11] he remarked, "thinking that your dick is holy? I've known guys like that." [5]
"I wanted to create this kind of fantasy world that music would go alongside – pop music is always about fantasy and escapism to me, so we should just create our own world that all of the music videos we make and our live show, the visuals and the artwork, the merchandise – everything can be consistent from this one unique world, and that world is called Palo Santo."
Alexander on the concept of Palo Santo. [12]
Palo Santo is intended as a concept album. [12] [13] Based around the concept of "post-human failure", it is set in the world of Palo Santo, a futuristic dystopian society populated by human-hunting androids. [12] [13] Alexander opined that he saw that it was his chance to flip society's normal social rules on their head and begin to question ideas such as "What is an android's sexuality?", "What is an android's gender?", and "How would an android experience love?". [12] Pundits also noted its lyrical themes have mainly dealt with "the murky, complicated side" of desire, as well as the connection between religion and carnality, using religious iconography in dealing with themes of sexuality, queerness and guilt. [8] [14] Critics noted the record as primarily consisting of dance-pop and electropop beats influenced by 1990s pop and R&B. [2] [6] [8] [15]
All tracks on Palo Santo were co-written by Alexander. [17] The album opens with "Sanctify", produced by Kid Harpoon. [17] Inspired by Dancer from the Dance, Alexander wrote the song about his past relationships with straight-identifying men, whose conflicted feelings he discusses in evocative lyrics about obscuring masks and sinful confessions, as he reassures them that what they are doing is not wrong. [5] [15] The following track, "Hallelujah", was co-written with Goldsworthy, Kurstin, Michaels, and Tranter. Its lyrics talk of getting onto the dancefloor and letting loose, dancing with strangers "until our bodies are singing 'Hallelujah'". [15] Kurstin and Ralph co-wrote the third track, "All for You", as "one to get deep on the dance floor and release your inner demons", referring to the feeling of relief after leaving a toxic lover. [10] [18] The fourth song, "Karma", written with Daniel Traynor, Sarah Hudson, Clarence Coffee Jr., talks about trying good fortune on for size, navigating the game-play that happens within a budding romance. [4] [18] A short version of "Hypnotised" was used for a promotional campaign by the fashion company H&M, for their collection with Turkish-Canadian fashion designer Erdem. [19]
Following "Hypnotised" is "Rendezvous", written by the whole trio. In the song, Alexander sings of being disappointed to discover that a relationship is merely physical. [7] He described the seventh song, "If You're Over Me", as about being friends with an ex-lover, lamenting that "spoiler alert—it doesn't often work. In fact, in my experience, the relationship often ends up ruined." [20] Written with Steve Mac, Alexander added that the song "is about the emotional torture that ensues —– meeting up and making out, then breaking up all over again, then making out some more". [20] The eighth track, "Preacher", written with Jesse Shatkin, is a song about unlearning guilt and embracing one's self. [15] Alexander wrote the ninth song "Lucky Escape" by himself to confront the more unlikable aspects of our own emotions. [9] Following this is the titular song "Palo Santo". Written with Hudson, the song was inspired by someone Alexander was caught in a love triangle with who uses the "palo santo"-infused incense sticks to cleanse and purify his personal space. [11] The interlude "Here" closes the standard version of the album, which features a stripped-down performance from Alexander. [6] Three bonus tracks appear on the album's deluxe edition: "Howl", written by the trio with Ralph and Alex Hope; "Don't Panic", written with Kid Harpoon; and "Up in Flames", which was co-written with Kurstin. [17] The Japanese release of the album includes "Coyote", written with Ralph; and a remix version of "If You're Over Me" featuring South Korean singer Key from the boy group Shinee as its closing track. [21]
Palo Santo was released by Polydor and its parent company Universal Music Group on 6 July 2018. [22] In the United States, it was released by Polydor's sister label Interscope Records. [2] On 6 March 2018, Polydor released a PSEN [upper-alpha 1] Messenger bot to formally launch the album's promotional campaign, which included cryptic clues and video clips. [24] The campaign also posted various billboards displaying QR codes, and involved having an android internet bot taking over the trio's Twitter account, and publishing an instruction manual on "How to Treat a Human", as well as a graphic novel that could be accessed through the band's Instagram Story. [24] "Sanctify", its lead single, preceded the album's release on 7 March 2018. [25] It attained a position inside the top forty of the UK Singles Chart. [26] The follow-up single, "If You're Over Me", issued on 10 May 2018, became a top ten hit on both the UK Singles Chart and the Irish Singles Chart. [27] [28] [29] Two promotional singles were released: the titular track "Palo Santo" on 22 June 2018; [30] and "All for You", on 27 June 2018. [10] On the eve of the album's street date, a PSEN [upper-alpha 1] Televisual music video for "All for You" was released featuring phone numbers for UK and US viewers to call. [23] [31] Those numbers contained a pre-recorded message from Alexander sharing his robotic expertise on "feelings and emotions". [31]
The release of the album was prefaced by the "Palo Santo Parties", hosted by the trio in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Berlin and London, where they performed various selections from Communion and Palo Santo. [32] [33] The Palo Santo Tour, in support of the album, began in North America in October 2018, and will conclude in 2019. [33] In addition, the trio also made various televised appearances to promote the album: they performed "Sanctify" on Sounds Like Friday Night , [34] "If You're Over Me" on Late Night with Seth Meyers , BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend, and The Graham Norton Show [35] [36] [37] They also performed both singles at the 2018 Summertime Ball. [38] On 29 November 2018, the album was re-released digitally, with the addition of "Play", a collaborative single with English DJ Jax Jones. [39]
The release of Palo Santo was accompanied by a short film of same name. [40] The short film is a futuristic sci-fi musical, set in the world of Palo Santo, where androids have taken over and crave the feeling of true emotion. The remaining humans, like Alexander, are recruited to perform for The Showman (Pansringarm). It features a neon colourscape, a dance breakdown, and a narration by Dench as the "Mother of Palo Santo". [40]
Directed by Fred Rowson and filmed in Thailand over four days at the beginning of 2018, the 15-minute short stars Alexander, Ben Whishaw, Vithaya Pansringarm, and is narrated by Judi Dench. It marked the second time Alexander, Winshaw, and Dench have worked together, after starring in the West End production of Peter and Alice in 2013. [40]
It also contains the music videos for "Sanctify", "All for You" and "If You're Over Me", with the short film expanding on the story introduced therein. [41] Following the same storyline, on the band's YouTube channel other clips and live performances have been uploaded.
Dancing direction and choreography, for the whole project, were provided by Aaron Sillis with dancers all coming from the "Sillis Movement", Sillis's official dance crew.
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 7.9/10 [42] |
Metacritic | 81/100 [43] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
DIY | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Guardian | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Independent | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Line of Best Fit | 9/10 [45] |
Mojo | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
NME | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Observer | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Pitchfork | 6.5/10 [8] |
Q | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Uncut | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Palo Santo has received critical acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 81 based on 16 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". [43] NME contributor El Hunt gave the album five stars, the highest possible rating for the magazine, observing that the album "links the intense escapism of pop music with the sanctuary the queer community seek in their own special, sacred spaces," before concluding that "Filthy, sexy, thoroughly debauched pop at its finest; Palo Santo feels like a magical album." [46] Alim Kheraj of DIY awarded the album a similar rating, noting that what Palo Santo has that Communion lacks is an "inventive ballad", and described it as an "overwhelmingly intimate record that makes you wonder just what Years & Years could be capable of next". [44]
Reviewing for The Guardian , Laura Snapes gave the record a four-star rating, writing that "Palo Santo packs a deeper emotional resonance than Communion, which blurred its high emotional stakes beneath a breezy whirl." Describing the album as "astute, and convincingly ambitious", she stated that the "empathetic outlook and refusal to embrace reductive ideas of good and bad is a tonic during an era in which moral didactic-ism has worryingly infiltrated pop culture. It's probably not what anyone expects a male pop star to do in 2018." [4] The Independent music correspondent Roisin O'Connor gave the album the same rating, discerning sexuality as being "at the heart" of the album, and praising Alexander's courage to put a vibrant, dynamic character who asserts themselves and their sexuality on full display. [6]
Giving the record a 6.5 rating, Pitchfork contributor Cameron Cook described it as a "promising second album because it evolves past the sound of the band's debut." Cook opined that "at its low points, the record lacks the bite to drive home the razor's-edge duality of sacred and profane that Alexander seems to thrive on", further observing that "At their best, Years & Years are capable of godlike sublimity. To take up permanent residence in the heavens, all they need to do is exorcise a few colorless spirits." [8] Alfred Soto of Spin , however, was unsatisfied with the album as their follow-up record, pointing out Goldsworthy and Türkmen's lack of input, and writing that Alexander is "a serious dude—intoxication he limns well, but euphoria gives him trouble, as if it were a foreign language."' [16] Despite praising "Up in Flames" as Alexander's "most confident" performance, he lamented that it was not on the standard edition of the album and called its not being chosen as the lead single an "expected perversity". [16]
Palo Santo debuted on the UK Albums Chart at number three with 20,297 copies. [47] [48] In the rest of Europe, the album opened at the top ten in Ireland and the Flemish region of Belgium, and attained a top forty position in the national charts of Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the Wallonia region of Belgium. [48] In the United States, Palo Santo debuted on the Billboard 200 chart at number 75 with 9,000 units, including 4,000 pure album sales. [49] It also topped the Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums chart, the band's second album to do so after Communion debuted at the top in 2015. [49] [50] [51]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Sanctify" | Kid Harpoon | 3:09 | |
2. | "Hallelujah" |
|
| 3:39 |
3. | "All for You" |
| Kurstin | 3:39 |
4. | "Karma" |
| 3:13 | |
5. | "Hypnotised" |
| Ralph | 4:03 |
6. | "Rendezvous" |
|
| 3:04 |
7. | "If You're Over Me" |
| Steve Mac | 3:09 |
8. | "Preacher" |
| Shatkin | 3:26 |
9. | "Lucky Escape" | Alexander | Two Inch Punch | 3:46 |
10. | "Palo Santo" |
|
| 4:02 |
11. | "Here" | Alexander | Alexander | 1:39 |
Total length: | 36:49 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
12. | "Howl" |
|
| 3:53 |
13. | "Don't Panic" |
| Harpoon | 3:15 |
14. | "Up in Flames" |
| Kurstin | 3:34 |
Total length: | 47:31 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
15. | "Coyote" |
| Ralph | 3:50 |
16. | "If You're Over Me" (Remix featuring Key from Shinee) |
| Mac | 3:07 |
Total length: | 54:28 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
12. | "Play" (with Jax Jones) |
|
| 3:06 |
Total length: | 39:55 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
12. | "Play" (with Jax Jones) |
|
| 3:06 |
13. | "Valentino" (with MNEK) |
| MNEK | 3:02 |
14. | "Howl" |
|
| 3:53 |
15. | "Don't Panic" |
| Harpoon | 3:15 |
16. | "Up in Flames" |
| Kurstin | 3:34 |
Total length: | 53:39 |
Notes
Years & Years
Additional musicians
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Poland (ZPAV) [77] | Gold | 10,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [78] | Gold | 100,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Formats | Label | Catalog number | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Various | 6 July 2018 | Polydor | 6751650 | [52] [22] | |
|
| 6754733 | |||
Japan | 13 July 2018 | Japanese edition CD | Universal Music Japan | UICP-1182 | [21] |
Brazil | 27 July 2018 | CD | Universal Music | 602567516484 | [79] |
Various | 29 November 2018 |
| Polydor | B07KRTGPFR | [39] |
To promote the album, Years & Years embarked upon the Palo Santo Tour which began in New York City on 24 June 2018 and concludes in Lembang on 16 March 2019. The tour included shows in nineteen countries, including the band's first UK arena shows. [80]
Sing When You're Winning is the third studio album by English singer-songwriter Robbie Williams. It was released on 28 August 2000 in the United Kingdom by Chrysalis Records and in the United States by Capitol Records. Following the critical and commercial success of I've Been Expecting You (1998), the North American release of The Ego Has Landed (1999) and the subsequent promotional tours for both albums, Williams reteamed with producers Guy Chambers and Steve Power to create new material for his next record. Whereas I've Been Expecting You used the Britpop genre for its overall sound, Sing When You're Winning incorporates a more post-millennial dance-pop approach while utilizing classic British rock elements.
Trustfall is the ninth studio album by American singer Pink. The album was released on February 17, 2023, through RCA Records. Her first studio album since Hurts 2B Human (2019), Pink worked on the production and lyrics with Fred Again, David Hodges, Max Martin, Johnny McDaid and Shellback. The Lumineers, Chris Stapleton and First Aid Kit feature as guest vocalists. Sonically, Trustfall is a dance-pop record, with inclusion of various subgenres, such as pop rock and folk. Lyrically, it speaks of various subjects, including motivation, self-acceptance, loss and love.
Master of My Make-Believe is the second studio album by American musician and singer Santigold, released in the United Kingdom on April 24, 2012 and in the United States on May 1, through Downtown and Atlantic Records. The album features contributions from a wide range of musicians, including long-time collaborators John Hill, Switch and Diplo, as well as Dave Sitek of TV on the Radio and Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The cover art of the album, designed by Jason Schmidt, represents four incarnations of Santigold. The album received positive reviews from music critics, and earned Santigold her first number one on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums chart, and reached number 21 on the US Billboard 200 and number 33 on the UK Albums Chart.
Years & Years were an English band formed in London in 2010. Since 2021, the band has operated as a solo project for frontman and remaining member Olly Alexander. In 2023, Alexander stopped using the band's name and switched to performing under his own name. Their debut studio album Communion, debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart in July 2015 and was the fastest-selling debut album of the year from a UK signed band. Their biggest hit single "King" from Communion reached number one in the UK Singles Chart in March 2015, and peaked within the top ten of the charts in nine other music markets. Their single "Shine" from the same album reached number two on the UK Singles Chart.
"King" is a song by British synth-pop trio Years & Years from their debut studio album Communion. It was originally released as a single on 3 February 2015. The song was released in the United Kingdom as a digital download on 1 March 2015 through Polydor Records.
Communion is the debut studio album by English synth-pop trio Years & Years. It was released on 10 July 2015 through Polydor Records for the United Kingdom and other countries and Interscope Records for the United States only.
British singer Olly Alexander has released three studio albums, two extended plays, twenty six singles, and nineteen music videos. Until 2021, Years & Years was a three-member band with Alexander as the lead vocalist, and their releases under the Years & Years name until that point were released by the band rather than by Alexander as a solo act. After Emre Turkmen and Mikey Goldsworthy left the band, Years & Years became Alexander's solo project, and all releases under that name from the 2021 single "Starstruck" onwards were solo releases.
Delirium is the third studio album by English singer and songwriter Ellie Goulding, released on 6 November 2015 by Polydor Records. Music critics were generally impressed by the overall production of the record, although they were ambivalent in regards to its originality. It debuted at number three on the UK Albums Chart and the US Billboard 200, earning Goulding her highest-charting record in the latter country and her highest first-week sales figures in both territories. The album spawned three singles: "On My Mind", "Army" and "Something in the Way You Move".
Concrete and Gold is the ninth studio album by American rock band Foo Fighters, released on September 15, 2017, through Roswell and RCA Records. It is the band's first album to be produced alongside Greg Kurstin. Described by the band as an album where "hard rock extremes and pop sensibilities collide", Concrete and Gold concerns the future of the United States from the viewpoint of the band's frontman and lead songwriter Dave Grohl, with the heated atmosphere of the 2016 elections and the presidency of Donald Trump cited as major influences by Grohl. Juxtapositions serve as a common motif in both the album's lyrical and musical composition, with Grohl further describing the album's overall theme as "hope and desperation".
Golden is the third studio album by American singer Romeo Santos, released on July 21, 2017 by Sony Music Latin. The album production mixed bachata with other generes such as Jazz, bolero and Reggaeton. The majority of the tracks were written by Santos and co-produced with sound engineer Mate Traxx. It encompasses bachata treated with synthesizer, piano, hyperkinetic percussion and guitars. It contains 18 tracks exploring lyrics raging from hate, criticism, tabloid rumors to love and sex and features guest appearances from Swizz Beatz, Juan Luis Guerra, Ozuna, Nicky Jam, Daddy Yankee, Julio Iglesias and Jessie Reyez. It also features production from Santos, Allen Ritter, Boi-1da, Frank Dukes, Illangelo, Illmind, Matetraxx, Swizz Beatz, Tainy, and Vinylz, among others.
Everyday Is Christmas is the eighth studio album and first Christmas album by Australian singer-songwriter Sia, released on 17 November 2017 by Atlantic Records and Monkey Puzzle. Her first album with Atlantic, it features original Christmas songs. Initially released with ten tracks in 2017, the album has since been reissued in 2018, 2021, and 2022 with new bonus tracks each time. The lead single, "Santa's Coming for Us", was released on 30 October 2017, and "Snowman" was released as the second on 9 November.
Love Is Dead is the third studio album by Scottish synth-pop band Chvrches. It was released on 25 May 2018 by Virgin EMI Records and Goodbye Records. The album was co-produced by Greg Kurstin, marking the first time the band have worked with outside producers. The band collaborated with David Stewart from Eurythmics and Matt Berninger from The National during production. The album was announced by Martin Doherty at the start of January 2018, with frontwoman Lauren Mayberry accidentally revealing the album's name in a since-deleted interview that same month.
"Sanctify" is a song recorded by British synthpop band Years & Years. Written by Olly Alexander and its producer Kid Harpoon, it was released on 7 March 2018 by Polydor Records, as the lead single from the band's second studio album, Palo Santo (2018). It was voted as the 3rd hottest record of the year 2018 as part of Annie Mac's hottest record of the year.
"All for You" is a song by British synthpop band Years & Years. It was released as a digital download and for streaming on 27 June 2018 as the third single from their second studio album Palo Santo. The song was written by Olly Alexander, Mark Ralph and Greg Kurstin.
"If You're Over Me" is a song recorded by British synthpop band Years & Years. Written by Olly Alexander and its producer Steve Mac, it was released on 10 May 2018 by Polydor Records, as the second single from the band's second studio album, Palo Santo (2018). The music video was directed by Fred Rowson with choreography by Aaron Sillis. The song was performed live on both the Palo Santo Tour and the Night Call Tour.
Dancing Queen is the twenty-sixth studio album by American singer Cher, released by Warner Bros. Records on September 28, 2018. It is Cher's first album in five years, following Closer to the Truth (2013). The album contains cover versions of songs recorded by Swedish pop group ABBA, with the title referencing their 1976 song "Dancing Queen". The album follows Cher's appearance in the 2018 musical film Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, based on the music of ABBA.
Heard It in a Past Life is the debut studio album by American pop singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers, released on January 18, 2019, by Debay Sounds and Capitol Records. With help from its hit single "Light On" (2018), the album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 chart and received mostly positive reviews from critics, eventually earning Rogers a Grammy Award nomination for Best New Artist.
Happiness Begins is the fifth studio album by American pop rock band Jonas Brothers, released on June 7, 2019, by Republic Records. It is their first studio album since Lines, Vines and Trying Times (2009). For the record, the band enlisted producers Ryan Tedder, Greg Kurstin, Justin Tranter, along with Joel Little, Mike Sabath and Shellback to help create a "new and improved sound" with "feel-good tracks" pop album.
Medicine at Midnight is the tenth studio album by American rock band Foo Fighters. It was released through Roswell and RCA Records on February 5, 2021, after having its release be pushed out of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Produced by Greg Kurstin and the band, the album shows a slight shift in the band's style, pairing their usual rock sound with elements of dance-rock and pop. It is the final Foo Fighters studio album to feature drummer Taylor Hawkins before his death the following year.
Night Call is the third studio album by the British band Years & Years, released on 21 January 2022 by Polydor Records. It serves as the follow-up to their second album Palo Santo (2018). Marking the first album release of Years & Years as Alexander's solo project following the departure of Mikey Goldsworthy and Emre Türkmen, it was preceded by three singles; "Starstruck", "Crave", "Sweet Talker" with Swedish DJ duo Galantis. Years & Years embarked on the Night Call Tour in support of the album in the UK and Ireland.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)