Some Nights | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | February 21, 2012 | |||
Recorded | 2011 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 43:05 | |||
Label | Fueled by Ramen | |||
Producer | ||||
Fun chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Some Nights | ||||
|
Some Nights is the second and final studio album by the American pop rock group fun. It was released on February 21, 2012, through Fueled by Ramen. [1] It was recorded in 2011 and produced by Jeff Bhasker. [2] After signing to the new label, the band began to work on Some Nights for over nine months throughout 2011.
"We Are Young" was released as the lead single from the album and bolstered the band to mainstream success with the aid of television and advertising. It topped the US Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks and Alternative Songs for two weeks, with over six million digital downloads. The title track was commissioned as the second single and has reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, selling 6.8 million digital downloads as well as becoming their second No. 1 on Alternative Songs. The band later won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist, and "We Are Young" won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year. Fun received four other Grammy nominations: two for "We Are Young" and two for the album itself.
Fun signed to Fueled by Ramen in late 2010. Lead vocalist Nate Ruess, who had apprehensions about joining a major label in the past, recalled the switch being "very, very easy" for the group, stating that both parties approached it as if they "knew what [they] were getting into with each other." [3] The transition was in the works with the label for almost nine months, when the head of the label reached out to the band. Ruess was flattered that employed workers for the label would buy their own tickets to Fun shows and "talk about us with the passion you'd generally reserve for an artist you're working with." After lengthy discussions within the band, the band decided to give the label a try. [4]
Ruess recalls that he was listening to "so much hip-hop" during the production that it became a big influence for him, specifically Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy . [3] [5] The band felt inspired and gradually began working on new songs, each carrying an obvious hip-hop influence. Consciously, the band began working in the hip-hop factor and realized they wanted a hip-hop producer. [6] After scanning the liner notes of his other hip-hop records, Ruess noticed that Jeff Bhasker was one of the most common names. Bhasker was preoccupied at the time working with Beyoncé but Ruess was persistent in meeting with him. [7]
The most common creative process in the recording of Some Nights began with Ruess. Ruess would come in with lyrics and a melody, leading Andrew Dost and guitarist Jack Antonoff to build chord structure and instrumentation from there, or "support that melody". Dost noted that in recording, despite the composer's well-defined framework, the individuals' egos "pretty much disappear" and "everybody is happy to work towards the best possible song" cohesively together. [8] The dynamic between Bhasker and the band in the studio was mutually inspired, as Bhasker had never worked with a rock band before and Fun had never worked with a hip-hop producer. Bhasker particularly enjoyed recording guitars with guitarist Jack Antonoff as he was not used to it, and Dost felt hearing Bhasker compose beats was "mind-blowing". [6]
The emphasis for Ruess on Some Nights was to make the songs more cohesive, as he felt his writing was "all over the place". This meant creating songs that were concise instead of being "long and drawn out". [3] Bhasker was a proponent of using a single instrument to provide the biggest sounds, desiring not to "over-cram [the] songs with ideas", declaring that everything that makes the song must be well-chosen. [9] Janelle Monáe collaborated with the trio on "We Are Young" through a friendship with Bhasker. [3] Bhasker was credited with bringing the band a bigger sound and an entirely new sonic translation to the band not present on their debut, Aim and Ignite. [8] [9]
The album creates a mix of indie pop, theatric rock, and hip-hop—a sound that is credited to Bhasker. [3] Some Nights as a title floated around before any songs for the album were even created and was envisioned by Ruess. It was inspired by how personalities can change on any given night. Ruess has attributed the phrasing "some nights" to a viral audio recording of newscasters bickering off the air. [10] Although the album is not a concept album, the title changed the band's ideas for the album considerably, with Dost stating, "It's really nice once you have a title to know what the parameters are of what you're working on as a whole." [6] The band completed production on the album in October 2011. [8] Ruess called the seven months spent recording the record the most rewarding of any in his ten years of professional music work, calling it his career highlight. [3]
The album and the band's music has received several comparisons to Queen. [11] [12] [13] [14] Rolling Stone's Jody Rosen, called the album a mix of "close harmony chorales, showy key changes, a dash of Queen here, a dollop of Les Miz there". [13] In an interview with Fuse , producer Jeff Bhasker also stated that the album's lead single "We Are Young" "had a Queen/Freddie Mercury vibe to it". [15] Marcus Glimer of The A.V. Club wrote that the album featured "more synthetic elements [keyboards and drum machines]" than their debut album Aim and Ignite , and compared the beat to "All Alone" to a hip-hop track. [14] NPR columnist Daoud Tyler-Ameen commented that the album might be the start of a new phase of music, in which musicians would infuse the "sounds and rhythms once associated with hip-hop" with their pop music. [16]
The album's lyrics have been called "plaintive", for dealing with themes of loneliness, self-worth, introspection, paranoia and existentialism, contrasting with the album's "anthemic" music. [13] [16] Tyler-Ameen considered the album "remarkable for its sheer optimism", despite the sad and mournful lyrics, [16] Rosen wrote that "Ruess' knack for the anthemic is matched by Gen-Y humor – emo self-deprecation that leavens the bombast". [13] while Marcus Gilmer praised Ruess' "prose-style lyrics", similar to his work in his previous band, The Format. [14] Ruess later commented on the importance of lyrics to him, saying that he took "great pride" after he finished writing them. [17] He also considered most lyrics written by current musicians to be "dumbed down", partially causing "rock music's current woes". [17]
The album's lead single, "We Are Young", was highly successful, and bolstered the band into mainstream popularity in early 2012. [3] The song caught attention through the Fox television series Glee covering it. The band was in shock at the news, with Dost saying that "that's just one of the coolest things that could possibly have happened." Glee's cover of "We Are Young" was the show's highest selling debut single of their season and connected their listening audience to the band. [6] Even after being benefited by the high-profile cover, "We Are Young" became the soundtrack to a Chevrolet spot that aired during Super Bowl XLVI, which brought Fun to a type of exposure that Billboard noted "few current bands receive." [7] The Chevrolet advertisement was credited by the Los Angeles Times for the song's chart success on iTunes: it went to number one on the Hot Digital Songs chart a week before the album's release. [18] The song was performed on the MTV Movie Awards on June 4, 2012, alongside Janelle Monáe.
As a thank-you to their fans for their support of the band, Fun streamed Some Nights in advance on their official website a week before the album's release. [19] On November 3, 2012, the band performed "Some Nights" and "Carry On" on Saturday Night Live , to promote the release of both singles. [20]
"All Alone" was performed on Alan Carr: Chatty Man on April 19, and was released as the fifth and final single from the album on May 13, 2013, in the United Kingdom. [21] [22]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 5.4/10 [23] |
Metacritic | 60/100 [24] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [25] |
Alternative Press | [26] |
Entertainment Weekly | B− [11] |
The Guardian | [27] |
The Independent | [28] |
Now | 4/5 [29] |
PopMatters | 4/10 [30] |
Q | [31] |
Rolling Stone | [13] |
Spin | 7/10 [32] |
Some Nights received generally mixed reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 60, based on 21 reviews, which indicates "mixed or average reviews". [24] Rolling Stone 's Jody Rosen complimented the album's "classic bubble-pop tunefulness with rococo rock & roll". [13] Sputnikmusic staff reviewer Adam Knott wrote, "The energy and personality which flood out of every melody give this album its own stamp of authority. It tips over into excess at rare moments, but even as you can hear those moments happening, they provoke grins inside and out." [33] Ray Rahman of Entertainment Weekly was less positive, criticizing the album's second half as being inferior to the first. [11] Morgan Troper of PopMatters wrote that "in a bizarre, inverted way, Some Nights is Nate Ruess coming into his own as a singer and songwriter," but was critical of Ruess' use of pop music conventions in the album's songs. [30]
The album was listed at number 43 on Rolling Stone's list of the top 50 albums of 2012, saying "Ruess' emo sweetness and self-doubting humor make Some Nights a castle you could feel at home in." [34]
The album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 70,000 copies in the United States. [35] The album has been certified Platinum; [36] as of February 2015, it has sold over 1.6 million copies. [37]
In the UK, it sold 310,000 copies in 2012. [38]
The album's lead single "We Are Young", became the first multi-member band debut to top the Billboard Hot 100 since Nickelback's "How You Remind Me" in December 2001. It also earned a footnote in chart history by becoming the first, and only, tune that has ever gained more than 300,000 downloads a week for seven weeks straight, topping three million downloads in all. [39]
All tracks are written by Andrew Dost, Jack Antonoff, Jeff Bhasker and Nate Ruess, except where noted otherwise.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Some Nights (Intro)" | 2:19 | |
2. | "Some Nights" | 4:36 | |
3. | "We Are Young" (featuring Janelle Monáe) | 4:10 | |
4. | "Carry On" | 4:38 | |
5. | "It Gets Better" | 3:36 | |
6. | "Why Am I the One" | 4:46 | |
7. | "All Alone" | 3:03 | |
8. | "All Alright" |
| 3:57 |
9. | "One Foot" | 3:31 | |
10. | "Stars" | 6:52 | |
Total length: | 41:28 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
11. | "Out on the Town" |
| 4:21 |
Total length: | 45:49 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
12. | "We Are Young" (featuring Janelle Monáe) (Acoustic) | 4:32 |
13. | "Carry On" (Acoustic) | 4:08 |
14. | "Why Am I the One?" (Acoustic) | 4:22 |
15. | "We Are Young" (featuring Janelle Monáe) (Alvin Risk Remix) | 4:09 |
Total length: | 59:00 |
Fun
Additional musicians
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [80] | Platinum | 70,000^ |
Canada (Music Canada) [81] | Platinum | 80,000^ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [82] | Gold | 10,000‡ |
France (SNEP) [83] | Gold | 50,000* |
Ireland (IRMA) [84] | Platinum | 15,000^ |
Italy (FIMI) [85] | Gold | 25,000‡ |
Japan (RIAJ) [86] | Gold | 100,000^ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [87] | Platinum | 15,000^ |
Sweden (GLF) [88] | Gold | 20,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [89] | Platinum | 600,000 [38] |
United States (RIAA) [90] | 3× Platinum | 3,000,000 [37] |
Worldwide (2012) | — | 4,000,000 [91] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Meteora is the second studio album by American rock band Linkin Park, released on March 25, 2003, through Warner Bros. Records, following Reanimation, a collaboration album which featured remixes of songs included on their 2000 debut studio album Hybrid Theory. The album was produced by the band alongside Don Gilmore. The title Meteora is taken from the Greek Orthodox monasteries originally bearing the name. Meteora has a similar sound to Hybrid Theory, as described by critics, and the album took almost a year to be recorded. It is the first Linkin Park studio album to feature bassist Dave "Phoenix" Farrell after he rejoined the band in 2000 following his temporary touring with other bands.
Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings is the fifth studio album by American rock band Counting Crows, released in the United States on March 25, 2008. It is thematically divided into two sides: the rock music of Saturday Nights and the more country-influenced Sunday Mornings. Vocalist and lyricist Adam Duritz states that the album "is about really wanting to mean something and failing to do it. You want your life to mean something. You want to be somebody and then what you turn out to be is so much less than what you thought you were going to be."
Fun was an American indie pop band based in New York City. The band consists of Jack Antonoff, Andrew Dost, and Nate Ruess.
Nathaniel Joseph Ruess is an American singer and songwriter. He formed the indie pop band fun. in 2008, for which he serves as lead vocalist. He also does so for the indie rock band the Format, which was formed prior in 2002.
Jeffrey Nath Bhasker is an American record producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist based in Los Angeles. He won the Grammy Award for Producer of the Year in 2016 and was nominated for the award in 2013.
Aim and Ignite is the debut studio album by American indie pop band Fun. It was recorded at Appletree Studios.
"We Are Young" is a song recorded by American pop rock band Fun, featuring American singer Janelle Monáe. It is the third track on the group's second studio album, Some Nights (2012). The song was released on September 20, 2011, as the lead single from the album. The song quickly received widespread acclaim from music critics, with many noting the song as a breakthrough for the indie genre and praising the song's catchiness. "We Are Young" attained commercial success worldwide, reaching number one in several countries.
Recycler is the tenth studio album by the American rock band ZZ Top, released in October 1990. It was the last album to utilize the band's synthesizer-driven production style which began on Eliminator and marked a return to the band's blues roots.
Monster is the twentieth and final studio album by American rock band Kiss, released on October 9, 2012. It was recorded at Conway Recording Studios in Hollywood, California and The Nook in Studio City, Los Angeles. As with 2009's Sonic Boom, Monster was produced by Paul Stanley and Greg Collins, and featured the lineup of Stanley, Gene Simmons (vocals/bass), Eric Singer (drums/vocals), and Tommy Thayer (guitar/vocals).
"Some Nights" is a song by American indie pop band Fun. It was released on June 4, 2012, as the second single from their second studio album of the same name. The song was written by Jeff Bhasker, Nate Ruess, Andrew Dost, and Jack Antonoff. Musically "Some Nights" is an alternative rock song with elements of power pop and progressive pop while the lyrics depict the protagonist having an existential crisis.
The discography of American indie pop band Fun consists of two studio albums, seven extended plays, 11 singles and seven music videos. Following the split of his previous band The Format, lead singer Nate Ruess formed Fun in 2008 with musicians Andrew Dost and Jack Antonoff, both of whom had previously toured with The Format. Fun began recording sessions for their debut album in September 2008 and embarked on a North American tour the following month. In May 2009, they issued their debut single, "At Least I'm Not as Sad ". Aim and Ignite, the band's first full-length album, was released by Nettwerk Records on August 25, 2009, and peaked at number 71 on the United States Billboard 200 chart. The album produced an additional two singles, "All the Pretty Girls" and "Walking the Dog", which were then followed by the release of the single "C'mon", a collaboration with American alternative rock band Panic! at the Disco.
The Truth About Love is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Pink. It was released on September 14, 2012, through RCA Records. After giving birth to her first child in 2011, Pink started working on the album with longtime collaborator Billy Mann. With hopes of becoming more involved in the production of the album, she also reunited with Greg Kurstin and Butch Walker. Recording sessions took place between January and May 2012. The Truth About Love is primarily a pop record and includes elements of electropop, dance-pop, and rock music. Its lyrics explore themes of love, monogamy, and sexuality, as evidenced by the album title. The songs on the album express various perspectives towards romance and delve into the realities of long-term relationships. It features guest appearances by Eminem, Lily Allen, and Nate Ruess.
Unorthodox Jukebox is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Bruno Mars. It was released on December 7, 2012, by Atlantic Records and was made available to listen to in its entirety for a week before its release. It serves as the follow-up to Mars' debut record Doo-Wops & Hooligans (2010). Mars' writing and production team, the Smeezingtons, composed the whole record and worked with several past collaborators, Jeff Bhasker and Supa Dups, while enlisting new producers, such as Mark Ronson and Emile Haynie, and no guest vocalists.
The Marshall Mathers LP 2 is the eighth studio album by American rapper Eminem. It was released on November 5, 2013, by Shady Records, Aftermath Entertainment, and Interscope Records. It is his last album to carry the logo of the independent label WEB Entertainment and his first since joining Aftermath not to feature production by Dr. Dre, who serves as an executive producer alongside Rick Rubin. The album is a sequel to Eminem's third studio album, The Marshall Mathers LP, and follows the trend set by his previous album, Recovery, by featuring popstars such as Rihanna and Nate Ruess, and using outside producers like S1, Alex da Kid, and Rick Rubin.
"Carry On" is a song by American indie pop band Fun. It was released on October 23, 2012, as the third single off their second album, Some Nights. The song was written by the band members, Nate Ruess, Andrew Dost, Jack Antonoff, alongside the album's producer, Jeff Bhasker.
"Just Give Me a Reason" is a song recorded by American singer Pink featuring Nate Ruess of the band Fun. The song was chosen as the third single from Pink's sixth studio album, The Truth About Love (2012). Written alongside producer Jeff Bhasker, "Just Give Me a Reason" is a pop ballad about the desire to hold on to a relationship even when it appears to be breaking down.
Andrew Paul Dost is an American musician and singer; he is a member of the indie possa nova/jazz band Metal Bubble Trio, in which he is the lead singer. He was formerly a member of the indie rock band Anathallo from 2003 to 2007, as well as the indie rock band fun. from 2008-2015.
"Headlights" is a song by American rapper Eminem, featuring American singer Nate Ruess of the band Fun. It was written by Eminem, Emile Haynie, Jeff Bhasker, Luis Riesto, and Ruess, while being produced by the former three. In the song, Eminem apologizes to his mother, Debbie Mathers, for criticizing her in his earlier songs and for showing scorn and resentment towards her in the past. It was released on February 5, 2014 in Australia, as the album's fifth and final single. It peaked at number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Grand Romantic is the debut studio album of Nate Ruess, lead vocalist from The Format and Fun. It was released on June 16, 2015, by Fueled by Ramen. The album was produced by Some Nights producer Jeff Bhasker. Following the hiatus of Fun, Ruess announced that he would be working on material for a solo project.
Punk is the second studio album by American rapper Young Thug. It was released on October 15, 2021, through YSL Records and is distributed by Atlantic Records and 300 Entertainment. The album contains guest appearances from Strick, J. Cole, T-Shyne, Gunna, Future, BSlime, Post Malone, ASAP Rocky, Lil Double 0, Drake, Travis Scott, Doja Cat, Nate Ruess, Jeff Bhasker, alongside the late Juice Wrld and Mac Miller. The production on the album was handled by a variety of record producers, including T-Minus, Metro Boomin, Kanye West, Pi'erre Bourne, Wheezy, Oz, Louis Bell, and Watt, among others.
{{cite web}}
: |archive-url=
is malformed: timestamp (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)[ dead link ]THE FIELD archive-url MUST BE PROVIDED for NEW ZEALAND CERTIFICATION from obsolete website.