Strange Love (We the Kings album)

Last updated
Strange Love
We the Kings.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedNovember 20, 2015
RecordedFebruary–September 2015 in Los Angeles, California; Tampa Bay, Florida; and Hartford, Connecticut
Length43:07
Label Ozone Entertainment, We the Kings
Producer Blake Healy, Travis Clark
We the Kings chronology
Stripped
(2014)
Strange Love
(2015)
So Far
(2016)
Singles from Strange Love
  1. "Love Again"
    Released: October 30, 2015
  2. "Runaway"
    Released: November 6, 2015

Strange Love is the fifth studio album by the American rock band We the Kings. It was released on November 20, 2015. The album succeeds the band's commercially successful album, Somewhere Somehow , that was released in December 2013. It was produced by Blake Healy, the former member of Metro Station, who also produced the band's last album. The album was released independently by We the Kings and was distributed by Ozone Entertainment. The album had two singles that promoted its release. “Love Again” was released on October 30, 2015, and “Runaway” was released on November 6, 2015.

Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as "rock and roll" in the United States in the early 1950s, and developed into a range of different styles in the 1960s and later, particularly in the United States and the United Kingdom. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, a style which drew heavily on the genres of blues, rhythm and blues, and from country music. Rock music also drew strongly on a number of other genres such as electric blues and folk, and incorporated influences from jazz, classical and other musical styles. Musically, rock has centered on the electric guitar, usually as part of a rock group with electric bass, drums, and one or more singers. Usually, rock is song-based music usually with a 4/4 time signature using a verse–chorus form, but the genre has become extremely diverse. Like pop music, lyrics often stress romantic love but also address a wide variety of other themes that are frequently social or political.

We the Kings American band

We the Kings is an American rock band from Bradenton, Florida. The band's self-titled full-length debut album, released in 2007, included the platinum single "Check Yes Juliet", and went on to sell over 250,000 copies in the US. The group's second album Smile Kid (2009) included Top 40 singles "Heaven Can Wait" and "We'll Be a Dream", as well as the single "She Takes Me High".

<i>Somewhere Somehow</i> (album) 2013 studio album by We the Kings

Somewhere Somehow is the fourth studio album by American rock band We the Kings. It is the first album without bassist Drew Thomsen, who was replaced by Charles Trippy. Keyboardist Coley O'Toole was also added into the lineup. After parting ways with S-Curve Records, the group released the single "Just Keep Breathing" in April 2013. Over the next couple of months, the band released "Find You There" and "Any Other Way" as singles before going on the Summer Fest tour. In late September, the band started a campaign to crowd-fund their next album; it eventually received over $149,000 from 2,309 people. The band recorded in Los Angeles, California, working with Blake Healy, Steve Shebby and David Immerman, all of whom co-wrote and produced songs on the album.

Contents

Production

In February 2015, Travis, Coley and Hunter started recording guitar and vocals for the fifth album in Coley's studio in Connecticut. On March 2, Danny Duncan began to record drums in Los Angeles and finished two days later. In an interview, Clark said the album was ninety percent finished, and was being mixed. On August 25, Charles Trippy started recording bass guitar for the album in his home studio in Tampa Bay, Florida. He previewed a song from the album titled "From Here to Mars" on his YouTube vlog series, Internet Killed Television. Blake Healy of Metro Station, who produced Somewhere Somehow, also produced this album. On September 20, Elena Coats recorded vocals for a track on the new album called "XO". Coats previously worked with the band performing guest vocals on their song "Sad Song".

Metro Station (band) American pop rock band

Metro Station is an American pop rock band that was formed in Los Angeles by singer Mason Musso and bassist/guitarist Trace Cyrus. In late 2006, the band signed a recording contract with Columbia Records and RED Ink Records. The band is best known for the top 10 Billboard hit single "Shake It" from the group's self-titled debut album. In 2010, tension between Cyrus and Musso caused the band to go on hiatus. In 2011, the band returned, however, it was announced that Cyrus was no longer a part of the group and Musso had purchased the rights to the name. An EP entitled Middle of the Night was released in 2013, which was led by the single "Every Time I Touch You". In 2014, Cyrus and a new drummer, Spencer Steffan, came to the band, and a new single entitled "Love & War" was released. In 2015, the band released a second full-length album titled Savior. After this, the band went on a U.S and European tour, announcing an EP called Bury Me My Love along with a U.S. 10-year anniversary tour. Just before the tour started, the band announced it would be their final tour and stated they were breaking up.

Release

On October 4, Clark previewed a song from the new album titled "All the Way" in his YouTube vlog. On October 9, We the Kings announced the album for release. They also announced a headlining Australian tour for February 2016. On October 24, 2015, Trippy announced Strange Love as the album's title and revealed the cover art work. On October 30, the band made clips of songs on the album available for streaming. [1] On November 2, a lyric video was released for "Love Again". [2] "Runaway" was released as a single on November 6. [3] Strange Love was independently released on November 20, 2015, and distributed by Ozone Entertainment. [4]

Reception

In the United States, the album debuted at No. 137 on the Billboard 200, [5] and No. 11 on the Alternative Albums chart, [6] selling 4,000 copies in its first week. It had sold 7,000 copies in the US by June 2016. [7]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Love Again"2:49
2."Howl at the Moon"4:20
3."Completely"3:57
4."Heaven So Close"4:05
5."XO" (feat. Elena Coats)3:14
6."From Here to Mars"3:50
7."All the Way"2:41
8."Jenny's Song"3:42
9."She"3:37
10."Runaway"4:02
11."She" (a cappella mix)3:36
12."XO"3:14
Total length:43:07

Personnel

We the Kings

Charts

Chart (2015)Peak
position
Canadian Albums (Billboard) [8] 85
US Billboard 200 [9] 137
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard) [10] 11
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [11] 8

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References

  1. Bazley, John (October 30, 2015). "We The Kings release title track from upcoming album, 'Strange Love'". Alternative Press. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  2. Leak, Brian (November 2, 2015). "We The Kings release lyric video for new song, "Love Again"". Alternative Press. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  3. "Runaway - Single by We the Kings". iTunes. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  4. "Strange Love by We the Kings". iTunes. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  5. "The Billboard 200". Billboard. December 12, 2015.
  6. "Alternative Albums". Billboard. December 12, 2015.
  7. "Upcoming Releases". Hits Daily Double. HITS Digital Ventures. Archived from the original on June 2, 2016.
  8. "We the Kings Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard.
  9. "We the Kings Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
  10. "We the Kings Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard.
  11. "We the Kings Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard.