You (James Arthur album) explained
You is the third studio album by British singer-songwriter James Arthur. Released on 18 October 2019,[1] it spawned the singles "Naked", "Empty Space", "Falling Like the Stars", "Treehouse", "Finally Feel Good", "You", and "Quite Miss Home". Arthur embarked on the You – Up Close and Personal tour in North America from 13 September 2019 to 23 September 2019 and was on the UK You – Up Close and Personal tour until 29 October 2019.[2] The album debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart.
Background
Arthur told 1883 Magazine in June 2019 that the album was "pretty much finished" and that it was undergoing mixing and mastering.[3] He described it as "diverse, conceptual, [and] soulful" as well as "inspired by the stories of others" and "definitely not introspective" as compared to his previous album, 2016's Back from the Edge.[3]
Critical reception
Writing for the Star Tribune, Mark Kennedy gave an overall negative review, calling Arthur "buried in sadness [on ''You'']", adding "[t]o borrow a song title from him, if you can get through this album, you can get through anything".[4] Lisa-Marie Ferla of The Arts Desk gave it a mixed review: she awarded it 3 out of 5 stars but said "[p]rune away at least four soporific ballads, though, and you'll find a decent pop-soul album".[5] Phoebe Luckhurst from The Evening Standard gave a positive review, stating "He demonstrates his range on soulful 'Marine Parade', and the R'n'B-inflected 'If We Can Get Through This We Can Get Through Anything'. He's in intelligent power-ballad form in 'Car's Outside' and 'Quite Miss Home'".[6]
Track listing
Notes
- signifies a co-producer
- signifies a vocal producer
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[7]
Vocals
Instrumentation
- James Arthur – guitar
- Tom Barnes – drums
- Alexander Beitzke – bass, guitar, keyboards
- Dan Bingham – bass, drums, piano
- David Bukovinszky – cello
- Mattias Bylund – strings
- Johan Carlsson – guitar, electric guitar, piano, synths, tambourine, B3 organ
- Jack Duxbury – electric guitar
- Verity Evanson – cello
- Rob Harris – guitar
- Mattias Johansson – violin
- Pete Kelleher – bass, guitar
- Ben Kohn – keyboards
- Jeremy Lertola – guitar
- Nate Mercereau – bass, guitar, piano
- Gemma Sharples – violin
- Paul Turner – bass
- Eg White – Rhodes piano, synth
Production
Technical
- busbee – engineering
- Greg Eliason – engineering, recording
- Jamie Hartman – engineering, recording
- Wes Maebe – engineering
- Nate Mercereau – engineering
- Red Triangle – engineering, recording
- Ricky Reed – engineering, programming
- Alexander Beitzke – engineering, mixing, recording
- Billy Foster – assistant recording engineering
- Jeremy Nichols – assistant recording engineering
- Max Anstruther – assistant engineering
- Marek Deml – assistant engineering, additional programming
- Scott Desmarais – assistant engineering
- Robin Florent – assistant engineering
- Fabio Senna – assistant engineering
- Jesse Brock – assistant mix engineer
- Miles Comaskey – assistant mix engineer
- Joel Davies – assistant mix engineer
- Charles Haydon Hicks – assistant mix engineer
- Tom Barnes – programming
- Dan Priddy – programming
- Ricky Reed – programming
- Steve Fitzmaurice – additional programming, mixing
- Serge Courtois – mixing
- Mark Crew – mixing, programming
- Serban Ghenea – mixing
- Dan Grech-Marguerat – mixing
- Manny Marroquin – mixing
- Tony Maserati – mixing
- Sean Moffitt – mixing
- Emerson Mancini – mastering
- Randy Merrill – mastering
Design
- Adult Art Club – design
- Louis Browne – photography
Charts
Notes and References
- Web site: YOU by James Arthur. Apple Music. 6 September 2019.
- Web site: James Arthur announces 16-date UK tour, find out how to get tickets. The List. 11 October 2019.
- Web site: James Arthur. 1883 Magazine. 26 June 2019. 6 September 2019.
- Web site: Review: James Arthur is buried in sadness in new weak album. Star Tribune. Kennedy. Mark. 17 October 2019. 1 November 2019.
- Web site: CD: James Arthur – You. The Arts Desk. Ferla. Lisa-Marie. 14 October 2019. 29 October 2019.
- Web site: James Arthur, You review: X Factor winner lands on the right side of introspective . . Luckhurst . Phoebe. 18 October 2019.
- You. James Arthur. Columbia. 2019. booklet. 88985480352.
- Web site: Savaitės klausomiausi (TOP 100). lt. AGATA. 26 October 2019. 29 November 2019.
- Web site: Gaon Album Chart – Week 42, 2019. Gaon Chart. ko. 24 October 2019.