| Smile! :D | |
| Type: | studio |
| Cover: | Porter Robinson Smile! D album cover.jpg |
| Alt: | A large inflatable mascot, with big cartoon eyes, resembling Porter Robinson |
| Artist: | Porter Robinson |
| Released: | July 26, 2024 |
| Genre: | Electropop |
| Length: | 40:03 |
| Label: | Mom + Pop |
| Prev Title: | Nurture |
| Prev Year: | 2021 |
Smile! :D (stylized in all caps) is the third studio album by American electronic music producer Porter Robinson, released on July 26, 2024, through Mom + Pop Music. In recording the album, Robinson sought to break away from many stylistic elements of his previous work. The music on the record draws from pop-punk, early 2000s rave, and hyperpop influences. Four singles – "Cheerleader", "Knock Yourself Out XD", "Russian Roulette", and "Kitsune Maison Freestyle" – were released to promote the work. The album received generally favorable reviews, with critics praising its bold production and emotional depth, though some noted its chaotic structure. The album will be supported by a world tour in 2024 and 2025.
Robinson experienced an initial surge of popularity at age 18, after the release of several festival-oriented electronic dance music works such as "Say My Name" (2010) and Spitfire (2011). Robinson grew increasingly dissatisfied with his performances, and said that he experienced "four or five fully-blown anxiety attacks onstage" while touring in 2013. His desire to change his musical style led him to write his debut album Worlds (2014), a work that DJ Mag John Ochoa has retrospectively described as a "breakthrough" that precipitated a wider shift in the electronic music industry. In 2016, Robinson released "Shelter", a collaboration with friend and fellow electronic producer Madeon. In 2017, Robinson released Virtual Self, a eurodance- and trance-inspired production released under an alias of the same name. "Ghost Voices", a single from the EP, was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording in 2018. In 2021, Robinson released his second studio album Nurture, a work which explores his experiences with depression and writer's block and represents a major stylistic shift in his discography, according to AllMusic's Paul Simpson.
While writing Nurture, Robinson put pressure on himself to "not [get] into any kind of trouble", as he felt that who he was "started to matter a whole lot more". Consequently, Robinson found himself restricting his own expression on the album. Because of the stress he faced writing Nurture under these constraints, he began "'telling people that [he] was retired'" a year after its release.
Robinson intended to avoid the stylistic elements of his previous work when writing Smile! :D, stating in an interview with Dork that "every project [he has] done has been a total reinvention." Larisha Paul from Rolling Stone concurred, and felt that the album brings the vocal performances and lyrics to the forefront of the production, in contrast with the "atmospheric" sound of Nurture. The album's instrumentation draws from the pop-punk and rave music styles from the early 2000s, as well as modern hyperpop. The Skinny Ian Macartney found chiptune influences similar to Robinson's contemporaries Anamanaguchi on the opening track "Knock Yourself Out XD".
The framework for the album's style was conceived during the tour of Nurture, when Robinson performed with a live band. He felt that much of his prior discography focused on personal subject matters, and instead decided to adopt a more lighthearted approach with a "spirit of play" inspired by his experiences on stage. Discussing the composition process, Robinson said he intended to create a work that was "no sincerity, all fun, [and] an album that revels in absurdity for a world that rejects context", but eventually began to write about his emotions. "Cheerleader", the second song from the album, is a commentary on the parasocial relationships audience members can develop with artists.
On February 29, 2024, Robinson uploaded a video to his YouTube channel describing the end of his career and the removal of all of his music from online streaming services. The content of his website was replaced with a countdown timer, and all previous posts were removed from Robinson's Instagram profile. He seemingly confirmed his decision to a reporter that day, which Uproxx Megan Armstrong described as an "expertly executed troll job". Robinson revealed on March 1 that he had completed his third album, posting promotional images and videos to social media. Robinson later announced a world tour to promote the album in 2024 and 2025, the first of his career. The tour will be supported by Ericdoa, Galileo Galilei and Underscores.
On March 20, 2024, Robinson released the first single for the album, "Cheerleader". On writing the song, he stated that he intended to create something that audiences would "love with zero context – just instantaneous, universal, explosive connection". The song was released with a music video directed by Hugh Mulhern. The second single from the album, "Knock Yourself Out XD", was released on April 24, 2024. Robinson released the third single, "Russian Roulette", on June 5, 2024. Robinson sees the song as a path to addressing the ideas of "oblivion, of career suicide, of disappearing", and finding a balance with his obligations. A lyric video for the song was published on June 13, 2024. "Kitsune Maison Freestyle", the fourth and final single from the album, was released on July 19. Robinson had organized a pop-up event at the Maison Kitsuné showroom in Los Angeles the day prior, which drew thousands of attendees. He gave away designer clothes from his wardrobe collectively worth an estimated to fans for free. Robinson professed that he was a long-time enthusiast of Maison Kitsuné, and felt it was "primed for a nostalgic revival".
Smile! :D was released for digital streaming by Mom + Pop Music on July 26, 2024. A music video for "Easier to Love You" was released on August 2, directed by stop-motion animator Tomoyasu Murata. The album will physically release on vinyl and compact disc on August 23, 2024.
According to review aggregator website Metacritic, Smile! :D received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 74 out of 100 from eight critics. Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? scored the album 7.3 out of 10 based on eight reviews.
Macartney described Smile! :D as "Robinson's most intimate album yet". He also wrote that the album was "full of swerves", and Dork reviewers commented on the contrast between the album's instrumentation and the highly personal lyrical content. Narzra Ahmed of Clash wrote that the album was "more chaotic than cohesive, which seems intentional in order to reflect [Robinson]'s ranging emotions", calling it "some of his best work yet". However, Sputnikmusic Jesper L. felt that the album presented its lyrical content in a fashion that was imbalanced and "too careless" with its switches between lighthearted and serious themes.
Dork Dan Harrison wrote that Smile! :D production was "nothing short of stellar", and felt that Robinson had effectively blended multiple musical styles on the work. While Jesper L. appreciated individual songs, he felt the work as a whole was "overwhelming" in its maximalism, finding the softer tracks such as "Everything to Me" to be forced and insincere. Macartney, however, felt that "Is There Really No Happiness?" was the highlight of the album, appreciating the combination of its breakbeat-style drums and "elegiac ballad" tone.
All tracks are written and produced by Porter Robinson, except where noted.