Cinematic (Owl City album) explained

Cinematic
Type:studio
Artist:Owl City
Cover:Cinematic Owl City Album Cover.jpg
Recorded:January 2017[1]
Studio:Sky Harbor Studios, Owatonna, Minnesota
Producer:Adam Young
Prev Title:Reel 3
Prev Year:2018
Next Title:Coco Moon
Next Year:2023

Cinematic is the sixth studio album by Owl City. It was released independently via Sky Harbor on June 1, 2018. The album debuted at number 115 on the Billboard 200. Upon the albums release, Young released three "reels" EPs that would include some songs on the album.[2]

Background and composition

Following the 2015 Owl City album Mobile Orchestra, Adam Young announced that he would suspend work on Owl City to undertake a project of instrumental scores; he released one score, or album, each month in 2016 except January.[3] Also in 2016, he released a Christmas single named "Humbug," which was released for free download and independently.[4] [5]

Young hinted after the conclusion of the Scores project that work on Owl City had resumed and a new album was in progress; this was revealed, on October 30, 2017, to be Cinematic.[6] Young distinguished Cinematic from existing Owl City releases by stating that its content would center around events from his life rather than ethereal concepts (he clarified after the album's release that all prior Owl City work "was pure imagination," and Cinematic was "the first album [to] hold songs written from a personal perspective").[7] Album artwork and release date were revealed concurrently with the name, followed shortly by a track listing. The album has 18 tracks in total, with 15 main songs and 3 alternate recordings.

The album has a more personal and autobiographical theme to it. Young had written songs about his hometown, family and his personal experiences. Musically, the album contains pop, ballads, rock and electronic sounds.[2]

Release

Young elected to precipitate Cinematic's release with three successive "reels," each containing three songs from the full album. Early releases included the album's lead single "All My Friends," which was released on November 3, 2017[8] and would go on to comprise part of Reel 1, and "Not All Heroes Wear Capes," which was released on June 15, 2017, dedicated for Father's Day of that year. It was originally intended as a non-album single, but would go on to comprise part of Reel 2 and Cinematic.[9]

Reel 1 was released on December 1, 2017, and, in addition to "All My Friends," included "Fiji Water" and "The 5th of July."[10]

"Lucid Dream," intended as the lead single for Reel 2, was released on January 12, 2018.[11] The reel itself was released on February 2, including, in addition to "Lucid Dream," "Montana" and a new electric version of "Not All Heroes Wear Capes."[12] The acoustic Father's Day recording would not go on to be part of the final Cinematic album alongside its electric cousin, nor would an acoustic version of "Montana" that was released shortly after Reel 2 (which differs from the album's alternative version of the same song).

The lead single for Reel 3, "New York City," was released on March 9, 2018,[13] with the reel following on April 6. In addition to "New York City," it included "Cloud Nine" and "Be Brave."[14]

Music videos were recorded for each of the three singles.[15] [16] [17] Each video features the same characters and is loosely connected to the others; a "director's cut" of all three was released shortly after the standalone version of the third.[18]

Cinematic and its preceding reels were released on Sky Harbor Records, an independent label owned by Young, confirming the end of Owl City's affiliation with Universal Republic. (All albums from the Scores project had been released on Sky Harbor, but under Young's own name, not as Owl City.) In addition to Cinematic, Sky Harbor retains the copyright to Owl City's first two studio works, Of June and Maybe I'm Dreaming, as well as An Airplane Carried Me to Bed, an album of Young's pre-Owl City work that Universal Republic published.[19]

Cinematic was not released on CD until August 15, 2022.

Promotion

The Cinematic North American and Asian tours occurred respectively from September 13, 2018, to October 14, 2018, and from November 7, 2018, to November 24, 2018.[20]

Critical reception

Cinematic was generally received with positive reviews. Matt Conner of CCM Magazine stated, "If you're already a fan of Owl City's easygoing synthpop structures, you'll find lots to like here." He highlights "The 5th of July", "Lucid Dream", "New York City" and "Always" as the standout tracks. Tony Cummings of Cross Rhythms stated that "All My Friends" has "a bit of Ed Sheeran in its structure and sound." He also described "Lucid Dream" as "the most EDM-sounding track on the album, and with some clever lyrics." Christopher Smith of Jesus Freak Hideout remarked, "Many tracks start and end without leaving a lasting impression, but nonetheless put you in a good mood due to the cheerful synth pop soundscapes and optimistic lyrics." He described the tracks "Fiji Water", "Lucid Dream" and "Firebird" as pleasant songs to listen to. He also called "House Wren" as the standout track on the album "that displays Young's strengths as a composer and songwriter." Sameen Amer of The News International gave a mixed review for the album stating, "Cinematic, continues in search of another irresistible banger but falls fairly short as he treads familiar grounds on this overlong set. He criticized the lyrics on songs such as "Not All Heroes Wear Capes" and "Winners Never Quit" describing them as "clichéd." However, he praised the song "House Wren" for its "twinkling beat and bird sounds" that will, "generate smiles on some faces."[21]

Commercial performance

Cinematic debuted on the Billboard 200 at number 115. Additionally, the album peaked at number 25 on the Australian Digital Albums chart and number five on the New Zealand Heatseeker Albums chart. On June 4, 2018, the Official Charts Company released their midweek chart predictions, and placed Cinematic at debuting at number 100 on the UK Official Albums Chart Top 100.[22] The album ultimately peaked at number 34 on the UK Album Downloads Chart.

Charts

Chart (2018)Peak
position
Australian Digital Albums (ARIA)[23] 25
Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[24] 46
New Zealand Heatseeker Albums (RMNZ)[25] 5

Release history

RegionDateFormatLabelRef.
VariousJune 1, 2018Digital downloadSky Harbor[26]
Vinyl
August 15, 2022CD[27]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Owl City - About. owlcitymusic.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20190828020805/http://www.owlcitymusic.com/bio/. August 28, 2019. September 26, 2023.
  2. Web site: Pop/Electronic Artist Owl City (Adam Young) Talks About His Album Cinematic, And His Hit Songs Fireflies and Good Time. Dale Kawashima. June 8, 2018. March 5, 2023.
  3. Owl City's Adam Young Is Creating a Film Score a Month For One Year. Newman. Melinda. March 3, 2016. Billboard. March 7, 2024.
  4. Web site: Owl City Gifts New Holiday Song Humbug. Joe DeAndra. We Got This Covered. November 28, 2016. March 3, 2023.
  5. Web site: Humbug - Single by Owl City. Apple Music. March 3, 2023.
  6. Web site: Cinematic Releases. Cross Rhythms. November 1, 2017. March 7, 2024.
  7. Web site: r/popheads - Comment by u/owlcityofficial on "I'm Owl City. I like birdwatching and collecting vintage cast iron skillets. I also make music. I'm here to chew bubblegum and talk about my new album Cinematic. AMA.". December 16, 2020. reddit. June 2018 . en-US.
  8. Web site: Owl City Announces Cinematic Album Pre-Order And Releases New Single, All My Friends. Foundations Music. November 3, 2017. March 3, 2023.
  9. Owl City Dedicates 'Not All Heroes Wear Capes' Video to Dad for Father's Day: Watch. Billboard. Ashley Iasimone. June 16, 2017. March 3, 2023.
  10. Web site: Reel 1 - EP by Owl City. Spotify. March 3, 2023.
  11. 955892685323325440. owlcity. The music video for "Lucid Dream" is out this Thursday, but we've got a sneak peek over at!… . April 22, 2018. January 23, 2018.
  12. Web site: Owl City Releases Reel 2. Foundations Music. February 2, 2018. March 5, 2023.
  13. Web site: Owl City Releases New York City. Foundations Music. March 9, 2018. March 5, 2023.
  14. Web site: Reel 3 - EP by Owl City. Spotify. March 5, 2023.
  15. Web site: Owl City - All My Friends (Official Music Video). YouTube. March 7, 2024.
  16. Web site: Owl City Releases Lucid Dream Music Video. Foundations Music. January 26, 2018. March 7, 2024.
  17. Web site: Owl City - New York City. YouTube. March 7, 2024.
  18. Web site: Owl City - Cinematic (Director's Cut). YouTube. March 7, 2024.
  19. The official CDs for all three of these albums are printed with "Sky Harbor Records," noting that they are "manufactured and distributed by Universal Republic" (or some similar phrase).
  20. Web site: GMA. April 23, 2018. Owl City Announces Cinematic North American Tour. June 8, 2021. The Gospel Music Association. en-US.
  21. Web site: Owl City's Cinematic falls fairly short. The News International. Sameen Amer. June 2, 2018. September 26, 2023.
  22. Web site: Official Albums Chart Update Top 100 04 June 2018 - 10 June 2018. Official Charts. June 4, 2018. May 2, 2023.
  23. Web site: ARIA Digital Albums – Week Commencing 11th June 2018. Australian Recording Industry Association. June 11, 2018. http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20180624235538/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20180612-0000/Issue1476.pdf. June 24, 2018. February 7, 2023. live.
  24. Web site: Billboard Japan Hot Albums – Week of June 6, 2018. Billboard Japan. ja. July 10, 2024.
  25. Web site: NZ Heatseeker Albums Chart. Recorded Music NZ. June 11, 2018. June 8, 2018.
  26. Web site: Owl City - Cinematic (Vinyl). owlcitymusic.com. March 7, 2024.
  27. Web site: Owl City - Cinematic (CD). owlcitymusic.com. March 7, 2024.