Cageless Explained

Cageless
Type:studio
Artist:Hedley
Cover:Hedley - Cageless.png
Recorded:2016–17
Studio:The Warehouse Studio (Vancouver)
Length:35:41
Label:Universal Music Canada
Producer:
Prev Title:Hello
Prev Year:2015

Cageless is the seventh and final studio album by the Canadian pop rock group Hedley, released through Universal Music Canada on September 29, 2017.[1] [2] It was supported by the singles "Love Again" and "Better Days".[3] The album received a Juno Award nomination for Pop Album of the Year.[4] The album sold a total of 9,000 units in its first week.[5]

Background and composition

Lead singer Jacob Hoggard had written 30 to 35 songs for the album along with main co-writers Brian Howes and Jason Van Poederooyan, before finalizing the 10 tracks for Cageless. Dan Book, Andrew Goldstein, Ryan Stewart, Jarett Holmes, Nolan Sipe, Kyle Moorman, Paro Westerlund and Susie Yankou were also credited for songwriting on the album.[6] It was recorded at The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver.[7] The album showcases the group straying away from their pop punk roots presented in the band's earlier work into an R&B and pop rock sound.[8]

During the album's creation, long time drummer Chris Crippin departed from the band in March 2017. Hoggard stated, "It got to a point where he wanted to do his own thing and he had our blessing, and we had a great 11, 12 years together and we wish him well. That was an opportunity for us to kind of move forward and kind of venture into a new phase of our lives as well, and nothing really changes in the world of Hedley other than the fact that we're continuing to evolve our sound."[9] Crippin was replaced by Jay Benison and is his first album release with the band.[10]

Release

"Love Again" is the first single released from the album on June 13, 2017.[11] The song entered the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 and peaked at number 50.[12] The music video for the song was released on July 21, 2017, and was shot for virtual reality and debuted on the Samsung VR App.[13] "Better Days" was released onto YouTube on August 18, 2017,[14] before it was released as the album's second single on August 23.[15] The peaked at number 42 on the Canadian Hot 100.[12] "Obsession" was released as a promotional single on September 15, 2017.[16]

The band announced a headlining tour that would begin in February 2018 called the Cageless Tour which featured supporting acts, Shawn Hook and Neon Dreams.[17] However, amidst the sexual assault allegations towards the band, mostly Hoggard, both Neon Dreams and Hook decided to dropout of the tour.[18] [19] The band's management team also dropped the group. The album was originally nominated for Pop Album of the Year at the 2018 Juno Awards, but they withdrawn from consideration due to these allegations.[20] [21] Despite the allegations made towards the band, the group continued the Cageless Tour until March 2018.[22]

Critical reception

Heather Young of Canadian Beats gave the album a positive review stating, "Right away you can hear that the recording of Cageless involved playing with the more electronic pop sound, while still leaving room for the traditionally harder hitting pop-rock tracks you hear on previous releases. Hedley is growing creatively, without entirely leaving their roots behind."[3]

Personnel

Credits adapted from album's liner notes.[23]

Hedley

Additional musicians

Production

Charts

Chart (2017)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[24] 2

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Hedley: Cageless . . September 23, 2019.
  2. Web site: Hedley kicks off Cageless tour in hometown Abbotsford | Vancouver Sun. Vancouver Sun. Stuart Derdeyn. February 2, 2018.
  3. Web site: Review - Hedley | Canadian Beats Media. Canadian Beats. Heather. Young. September 29, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171004072255/https://canadianbeats.ca/2017/09/29/review-hedley-2/. October 4, 2017.
  4. Web site: Jack Richardson Producer of the Year - Juno Awards: Arcade Fire, Jessie Reyez Lead With Four Nominations. The Hollywood Reporter. February 7, 2018. Etan Vlessing.
  5. Web site: Shania, Hedley and Tom Petty Loom Large On This Week's Chart. August 26, 2021. October 24, 2021. FYI Music News. https://web.archive.org/web/20211024031429/https://www.fyimusicnews.ca/articles/2017/10/10/shania-hedley-and-tom-petty-loom-large-weeks-chart. dead.
  6. Hedley: Constantly Inconstant. Karen Bliss. SOCAN Magazine. Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada. October 2, 2017. September 7, 2024.
  7. Web site: Hedley tour to stop in Kelowna. Lake Country Calendar. Kelowna News. September 20, 2017. September 7, 2024.
  8. Web site: Hedley's Jacob Hoggard on writing new music and the band's changing sound. CBC Radio. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. December 19, 2017. September 7, 2024.
  9. Web site: Canada 150: Hedley's Jacob Hoggard just wants to say hello to Surrey again. Surrey Now-Leader. Tom Zillich. June 29, 2017. September 7, 2024.
  10. Web site: Hedley Talk 'Cageless', Fans And New Drummer. YouTube. September 29, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20230406161916/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GQa1nP7c88. April 6, 2023. August 2, 2022.
  11. Web site: Hedley Invite You to Love Again. Universal Music Canada. June 13, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170808154228/http://www.umusic.ca/press-releases/hedley-invite-love/. August 8, 2017. September 7, 2024.
  12. Hedley Chart History (Canadian Hot 100). Billboard. https://web.archive.org/web/20211118011934/https://www.billboard.com/artist/hedley/chart-history/can/. November 18, 2021. July 13, 2021.
  13. Web site: Hedley Debuts New Music Video For 'Love Again'. https://web.archive.org/web/20170722112943/http://etcanada.com/news/242176/hedley-debuts-new-music-video-for-love-again/. dead. July 22, 2017. ET Canada. Brent. Furdyk. July 21, 2017.
  14. Web site: Hedley - Better Days (Audio). YouTube. August 18, 2017. September 7, 2024.
  15. Web site: Better Days - Single by Hedley. Spotify. September 7, 2024.
  16. Web site: Obsession - Single by Hedley. Spotify. August 2, 2022.
  17. Web site: Fresh from Surrey's Canada Day stage, Hedley launches 'Cageless' tour of country. AbbyNews.com. Tom Zillich. September 20, 2017. August 2, 2022.
  18. Web site: Halifax-based band pulls out of Hedley tour over sexual misconduct allegations. Global News. Alexander Quon. February 16, 2018. August 2, 2022.
  19. Web site: Hedley management team drops band, tour openers quit amid sexual-misconduct allegations. The Globe and Mail. Michael Oliveira. February 16, 2018. August 2, 2022.
  20. Web site: Hedley withdraws from Junos, plans to discuss 'how we have let some people down'. CTV News. The Canadian Press. Michael Oliveira. February 19, 2018. September 7, 2024.
  21. Web site: B.C.'s Hedley removed from 2018 Juno Awards lineup in Vancouver after sexual misconduct allegations. The Georgia Straight. Craig Takeuchi. February 15, 2018. September 7, 2024.
  22. Web site: Okanagan Hedley fans remain loyal, attend last Cageless tour concert. Global News. Doris Maria Bregolisse. March 24, 2018. August 2, 2022.
  23. Cageless. Hedley. 2017. booklet. Universal Music Canada.
  24. Hedley Chart History (Canadian Albums). . https://web.archive.org/web/20211117202947/https://www.billboard.com/artist/hedley/chart-history/cna/. November 17, 2021. September 24, 2019.

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