| So Happy It Hurts | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 11 March 2022 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 39:10 | |||
| Label | BMG | |||
| Producer | Bryan Adams | |||
| Bryan Adams chronology | ||||
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| Singles from So Happy It Hurts | ||||
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So Happy It Hurts is the fifteenth [1] studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Bryan Adams, released on 11 March 2022 through BMG. [2] [3] [4]
The album is the singer's first to be released on the BMG Rights Management label after his previous album Shine a Light was released by Polydor Records and its parent label Universal Music Group. [5] Adams confirmed that the album would be called So Happy It Hurts, describing the album as a "return to life" after the COVID-19 pandemic. Describing the album, he also said: "The pandemic and lockdown really brought home the truth that spontaneity can be taken away," he said in a press release. "Suddenly all touring stopped, no one could jump in the car and go. The title song 'So Happy It Hurts' is about freedom, autonomy, spontaneity and the thrill of the open road. The album of the same name touches on many of the ephemeral things in life that are really the secret to happiness and, most importantly, human connection." [6]
Adams played the majority of the instruments while recording the album. He detailed the process in an interview with the Rock Cellar magazine: "The only thing that's different on this record compared to previous albums is I couldn't perform it with my band. I had to find another way. And so what I was doing was recording all the instruments myself, one by one, and trying to create the feeling of a band—and in the meantime, perhaps this is one of the reasons the record is quite joyous. I had such a good time doing it. It was really fun to try and live my lifelong dream of being a drummer and then structuring each piece of the record one-by-one until it sounded like a song or it sounded like an album." [7]
Several of the songs pre-date the COVID-19 pandemic, Adams told Dutch newspaper Metro. [8] He admitted the song "These Are the Moments That Make Up My Life" was originally intended for the 2008 film Marley & Me , starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston. "We never completed it in time. However, when putting ideas together for this album I found a rough demo I'd made of the song and so I went at it again. This could be my favorite song on the album compositionally, at least today it is."
The song "I've Been Looking for You" dates back to the writing sessions for Pretty Woman – The Musical , Adams explains: "Writing that musical was a masterclass in songwriting, it was also a masterclass in not losing your mind, as there was so much re-writing and rejection during the process of the production. But that doesn't mean that the rejected songs haven't found a home. I love 'I've Been Looking for You', 'Please Stay', and 'I Could Get Used to This', and of course it's too bad they aren't in the musical, but that's the way the Broadway ball bounces."
In the same interview Adams comments on reconnecting with songwriter and producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange: "We had been bouncing ideas back and forth for a couple of songs, just prior to my working on the record. It just happened naturally, so we kept writing songs. I liked a song he had started called 'Kick Ass' and so we worked that up. Then I asked him to help me with an idea I had called 'On the Road' and we got that done. It was just one song after the other, it was a bit of magic if I think about it." Their last collaboration was on the 2008 album 11 .
"So Happy It Hurts" was released as the lead single on 11 October 2021, prior to the album's release. [6] [9] A music video was released along with the single, directed by Adams at The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver.
"On the Road" was released on 29 November 2021. The single was released at the same time as the presentation of the Pirelli Calendar 2022, conceived by Adams and is titled On the Road and portrays talents from the world of music that the artist has brought together on a journey across nationalities. [10] A music video was released along with the single, directed by Adams. [11]
"Kick Ass" was released on 9 December 2021, the song written by Adams and Robert Lange and features an introduction by John Cleese. [12] [13] [14] The song premiered during 6 nights of concerts in mid-November 2021 at Encore Theater in Las Vegas. The video of the song was published on Adams' official YouTube channel. [15]
"Never Gonna Rain" was released on 25 January 2022, is a melodic rock song. Adams said, "The ultimate optimist is someone who keeps on expecting the best, even in the face of the worst. Living in the moment, instead of in fear. Turning the negatives into positives. Taking the rain and turning it into a gift." [16] [17] A music video was released along with the single, directed by Adams and filmed at Wynn Las Vegas in November 2021. [18]
"Always Have, Always Will" was released on 11 March 2022, the day the album came out. Adams described the meaning of the track on Twitter a few days later: "A declaration of devotion, pure and simple. It's for someone that has been with you and is still with you despite your ups and downs; someone that can see through your layers of complexity and sees you for you. Someone you appreciate, respect, and trust." A music video was released along with the single, directed by Adams and filmed at Wynn Las Vegas in November 2021. [19]
Adams began touring in support of the album on January 29, 2022, in Gondomar, Portugal. The tour is currently set to conclude on May 22, 2024 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Joan Jett was the opening act for the North American leg from June through August 2023. Dave Stewart is scheduled as the opening act for the second North American leg from January to March 2024. [20]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Clash | 7/10 [21] |
| Classic Rock |    [22] |
| Retro Pop Magazine | [23] |
| Cryptic Rock | [24] |
| Maximum Volume Music | 8/10 [25] |
So Happy It Hurts received critical acclaim. Cryptic Rock who awarded it 5/5, claiming it "is a must have for anyone who considers them a fan of Rock-n-Roll". [24]
Emma Harrison of Clash stating that the album "is universally positive and is chock full of uplifting songs that will make even stern smiles smile." [21]
Neil Jeffries of Louder wrote: "For four decades, Bryan Adams has been the master of boy-next-door, chorus-led radio-friendly rock. He has occasionally deviated from that path, but just when you think that might mean he's acting his age (now 62) he'll snap back into the groove—as he's done here." [26]
Michael Gallucci of Ultimate Classic Rock wrote: "There are plenty of big guitar riffs and standard rock fare on So Happy It Hurts, which at times sounds like a throwback to Adams' '80s heyday, along with a few modern touches to place things in the 21st century. It's not an uneasy mix—Adams and co-producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange hone the dozen songs to their sharpest edges..." [27]
Sam Richards of Riff magazine wrote: "Listen to the catchy title song of Bryan Adams' new album, So Happy It Hurts, and it's almost like the late '80s never left us, and the oppression of COVID-19 never existed. That's much of the point of this and the 11 other new songs here. Of course, the muscular electric rhythm guitars and generally sunny lyrics take us back to a happier time..." [28]
Steve Baltin of Forbes wrote in the introduction of an interview with Adams: "On this new album, Adams goes back a bit to the feel of his Reckless days sonically. As we also discussed, Adams had a lot of energy in making So Happy It Hurts and it explodes on songs like 'Kick Ass', 'On the Road', 'I Ain't Worth S**t Without You' and more." [29]
In an article for The Telegraph , Sarfraz Manzoor spoke to Adams and commented on the album: "When one recalls the last few years, it is hard to feel optimistic. Unless your name is Bryan Adams. The Canadian rock star... has somehow made an album during a global pandemic which is filled with feel-good rock songs guaranteed to raise spirits and fists in the air. With his excellent new record So Happy It Hurts, one wonders how anyone could live through the last two years and be this cheerful. 'It was just what was coming out of me,' Adams says via Zoom from Madrid. 'I had this optimism, despite what was happening around us, I had this general feeling of it's going to be alright.'" [30]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "So Happy It Hurts" | Adams | 3:35 | |
| 2. | "Never Gonna Rain" |
| Adams | 3:18 |
| 3. | "You Lift Me Up" |
|
| 3:08 |
| 4. | "I've Been Looking for You" |
| Adams | 2:01 |
| 5. | "Always Have, Always Will" |
|
| 3:46 |
| 6. | "On the Road" |
|
| 2:49 |
| 7. | "Kick Ass" |
|
| 5:37 |
| 8. | "I Ain't Worth Shit Without You" |
| Adams | 3:11 |
| 9. | "Let's Do This" |
|
| 3:18 |
| 10. | "Just Like Me, Just Like You" |
| Adams | 2:11 |
| 11. | "Just About Gone" |
| Adams | 2:50 |
| 12. | "These Are the Moments That Make Up My Life" |
| Adams | 3:26 |
| Total length: | 39:10 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Summer of '69" (Classic Version) | Adams | 4:08 | |
| 2. | "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" (Classic Version) |
| Adams | 6:27 |
| 3. | "Run to You" (Classic Version) |
| 4:19 | |
| 4. | "Heaven" (Classic Version) | Adams | 4:27 | |
| 5. | "Can't Stop This Thing We Started" (Classic Version) |
|
| 4:39 |
| 6. | "Cuts Like a Knife" (Classic Version) | 5:23 | ||
| 7. | "Please Forgive Me" (Classic Version) |
|
| 5:13 |
| 8. | "Straight from the Heart" (Classic Version) |
| Adams | 3:28 |
| 9. | "When You're Gone" (Classic Version, feat Melanie C) |
|
| 3:22 |
| 10. | "Here I Am" (Classic Version) |
| Adams | 4:35 |
| 11. | "Back to You" (Classic Version) |
| Adams | 4:27 |
| 12. | "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?" (Classic Version) |
| Adams | 3:26 |
| Total length: | 53:54 | |||
Musicians
Technical
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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Bryan Guy Adams is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and photographer. He is estimated to have sold between 75 million and more than 100 million records and singles worldwide, placing him on the list of best-selling music artists. Adams was the most played artist on Canadian radio in the 2010s and has had 25 top-15 singles in Canada and a dozen or more in the US, UK, and Australia.
Robert John "Mutt" Lange is a South African record producer, mainly known for his work in rock music as well as his previous marriage to Canadian singer Shania Twain, with whom he co-wrote and produced various songs. Her 1997 album Come On Over, which he produced, is the best-selling country music album, the best-selling studio album by a female act, the best-selling album of the 1990s, and the 9th best-selling album in the United States. He has also produced songs for, or otherwise worked with, artists such as AC/DC, Def Leppard, The Michael Stanley Band, The Boomtown Rats, Foreigner, Michael Bolton, The Cars, Bryan Adams, Huey Lewis and the News, Billy Ocean, Celine Dion, Britney Spears, The Corrs, Maroon 5, Lady Gaga, Now United, Nickelback, and Muse.
Adrenalize is the fifth studio album by English rock band Def Leppard, released on 31 March 1992 through Mercury Records. It is the first album by the band recorded without guitarist Steve Clark, who died in 1991, although most songs were written and partially demoed before his death, they were re-recorded solo by Phil Collen in 1991-1992. It is the only album recorded by Def Leppard as a four-member band. Spawning seven singles, four of them – "Let's Get Rocked", "Make Love Like a Man", "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad", and "Stand Up " – were major hits.
Waking Up the Neighbours is the sixth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Bryan Adams, released on September 24, 1991. The album was recorded at Battery Studios in London and The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, mixed at Mayfair Studios in London, and mastered by Bob Ludwig at Masterdisk in New York City.
18 til I Die is the seventh studio album by the Canadian singer-songwriter Bryan Adams. Released on June 4, 1996, by A&M Records, the album became a commercial success peaking at No. 1 in the United Kingdom and No. 2 in his home country Canada. It was recorded on different locations which included Jamaica and France. 18 til I Die featured the number one song "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?", which had been released as a single and on the soundtrack to the film Don Juan DeMarco over a year prior, and 4 other singles: "The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You", "Let's Make a Night to Remember", "Star", and "18 til I Die"; the album track "I'll Always Be Right There" was also released to radio in the United States. Adams traveled throughout North America and Europe to promote the album after its June release, notably playing in front of over 70,000 people at Wembley Stadium in July 1996. The album performed lower than expectations in the US but it sold 5 million copies worldwide.
Into the Fire is the fifth studio album by the Canadian rock singer Bryan Adams. It was co-written by Jim Vallance. It was released on 30 March 1987 by A&M Records as the follow-up album to the chart-topping Reckless (1984). Into the Fire peaked at number seven on the US Billboard 200 chart and reached the Top 10 in several other nations. Six singles were released from the album: "Heat of the Night", "Hearts on Fire", "Victim of Love", "Only the Strong Survive", "Into the Fire" and "Another Day".
Cuts Like a Knife is the third studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Bryan Adams. Released on 18 January 1983 by A&M Records, the album was a huge commercial success in the United States and Canada. Three singles were released worldwide from the album: "Straight from the Heart", the title track and "This Time"; the three were responsible for launching Adams into mainstream popularity.
So Far So Good is a compilation album by Canadian rock musician Bryan Adams, released by A&M Records in November 1993. The album reached number six on the Billboard 200 in 1994 and was a number one hit in the United Kingdom and many other countries.
The Best of Me is the third greatest hits album by Canadian singer Bryan Adams. It was released worldwide in 1999, and in the U.S. in 2001. It was his last release on A&M Records. Upon its initial release, a special edition 2-disc set was issued with live tracks. Another special edition 2-CD set was issued when the album was released in the U.S., dubbed 'Special Tour Edition', bearing three extra tracks. It is Adams' second compilation album, after So Far So Good; except for Japan, where Hits on Fire was released in 1988. The album contains songs from Reckless (1984) to On a Day Like Today (1998), omitting Into the Fire (1987). This album sees Adams reuniting with Robert John "Mutt" Lange – on the (new) title track – after being absent from 1998's On a Day Like Today.
Reckless is the fourth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Bryan Adams, released by A&M Records on 5 November 1984 to coincide with Adams' 25th birthday. Like its predecessor Cuts Like a Knife, the album was entirely produced by Adams and Bob Clearmountain.
Unplugged is an acoustic live album by Canadian musician Bryan Adams. The album was recorded completely on September 26, 1997, at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. Recorded by David Hewitt and Bob Clearmountain on the Remote Recording Silver Truck. Adams was joined by Irish piper Davy Spillane and Michael Kamen who wrote orchestrations for many of the songs and brought students from the Juilliard School to play them. Three new songs were included; "Back To You", "When You Love Someone", and "A Little Love". The song "If Ya Wanna Be Bad - Ya Gotta Be Good" makes its debut on an album, originally appearing on the B-side of "Let's Make a Night to Remember" - to which it is paired on the Unplugged album. Absent from both the CD and DVD is "Hey Elvis", which is available on the single of "Back To You". A second single was released in early 1998, an acoustic reworking of the hard rock song, "I'm Ready".
Canadian singer Bryan Adams has released 18 studio releases, six compilation albums, two soundtrack albums, seven live albums, and 75 singles. After the success of his debut single, "Let Me Take You Dancing" (1979), Adams signed a recording contract with A&M Records. Bryan Adams (1980), his debut album, peaked at number 69 on the Canadian RPM Albums Chart. Adams followed this with You Want It You Got It (1981), which peaked at number 118 on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold in Canada. Cuts Like a Knife, his third release, became his first successful work outside Canada. The album charted within the top 10 in Canada and the United States and was certified three-times platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA) and platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Reckless (1984), his fourth studio album, selling over 12 million copies worldwide and featured the hit singles "Run to You", "Heaven" and "Summer of '69". In 1987, he released Into the Fire, which reached platinum status in the United States and triple-platinum in Canada.
11 is the eleventh studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Bryan Adams. The album was released by Polydor Records on March 17, 2008. 11 was the first release of new Adams material since Colour Me Kubrick in 2005 and the first studio album in four years since Room Service. Adams, Jim Vallance, Eliot Kennedy, Gretchen Peters, Trevor Rabin and Robert John "Mutt" Lange received producing and writing credits. Similar to Adams' previous material, the themes in 11 are mainly based on love, romance, and relationships. 11 received generally mixed reviews from contemporary music critics.
The discography of Mika, an English pop singer-songwriter, consists of six studio albums, four live albums, two compilation albums, nine extended plays, thirty-six singles, thirty-one music videos, and four video albums. As of 2017, Mika has sold over 20 million records.
Get Up is the thirteenth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Bryan Adams, released physically in Australia and New Zealand on October 2 and worldwide on October 16, 2015, by Universal Music. Produced by ELO frontman Jeff Lynne and co-written with his long-time collaborator Jim Vallance, the album features nine new songs and four acoustic versions. The first single released was "You Belong to Me" featuring a music video. It was shot and directed by Adams using his black and white photography style, with only his guitar and "a muse" to assist him.
2020 is the fifteenth studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi. The album was initially set for release on May 15, 2020, through Island, but was later pushed back to October 2, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Kick Ass" is a song recorded by Bryan Adams. It was released as the third single from the album, So Happy It Hurts, on December 9, 2021.
"So Happy It Hurts" is a song recorded by Bryan Adams. It was first released on October 11, 2021, as the lead single from So Happy It Hurts. This song was nominated for the 2023 Grammy Awards in the Best Rock Performance category.
Zeit is the eighth studio album by German Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein, released on 29 April 2022 through Universal Music. Produced by the band with Olsen Involtini, the album was unplanned and recorded as a result of the band's tour being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the band, the enforced lockdowns due to the pandemic spurred the band's creativity, resulting in spontaneous writing and recording sessions. Rammstein recorded the album in late 2020 and early 2021 at La Fabrique Studios in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France, where they recorded their previous album. The album's title track was released as the lead single on 10 March 2022.
Classic is an album of re-recordings by Canadian singer-songwriter Bryan Adams. It was released digitally through Badams Music Limited on April 1, 2022, and it contains new studio takes of songs from the 1980s and 1990s, including "Summer of '69", "Heaven", "Run to You", and "Please Forgive Me". Classic is the 17th studio release by Adams and the third album he has unveiled in less than one month. On March 4, 2022, he digitally released Pretty Woman – The Musical and on March 11, 2022, he released his 15th official studio album So Happy It Hurts.
