Possibly the most unique way to tease a new album was done by American producer-songwriter Porter Robinson in the form of a video. It took only moments after teasing his newest single following the success that was Nurture on his YouTube community page for a surge of commenters to flock to speculate on the post about a possible upcoming album (hence the start of the meme within his dedicated fans “drop the album anime boy”). Not long after the release of “Cheerleader,” which marked a visual turning point in Robinson’s presentation in both his brand design and physical appearance, he announced the reveal of his new album SMILE! :D released on July 26th, 2024.
Nurture itself distinguished a new era for Robinson becoming his only other album to be released after what many critics considered his magnum opus, Worlds. The tonal shift exhibited by Nurture that introduced self-sung vocals in addition to the usage of Vocaloid he was known for in his debut album is once again at play in the follow-up single “KNOCK YOURSELF OUT XD” as is an insincere superficiality that masks a much deeper undertone that is prevalent throughout the album.
As the first two songs to be featured before the album’s official release, both are characterized by Robinson’s appearance in the respective music videos themselves, a departure Nurture made from Worlds that largely defined Robinson’s growth in his career, and are exemplary of the description he gives to the album in the same community post as the album’s reveal where he states, “the album that I was TRYING to write was this nonstop party — NO sincerity, ALL fun, an album that revels in absurdity for a world that rejects context. And that was the plan until I accidentally started confessing how I was really feeling, and … you’ll hear the rest.” And the rest you’ll hear, indeed, as the only two other singles to be released prior to the full album take a step in a different direction from the upbeat sort of pop demonstrated by the first two songs listed in the album. “Russian Roulette” takes a style fans of Worlds and Nurture alike will appreciate with allusions to “Sad Machine” and “Trying to Feel Alive” while “Kitsune Maison Freestyle” works itself as a pseudo-rap disguising itself as part of the very culture it appears to be critiquing within its lyrics.
Throughout all the hype generated by the album, Porter Robinson also announced a world tour (one truly living up to its title as does require circumnavigating the globe to hit every confirmed venue listed thus far) with concerts in four cities in California including Los Angeles and San Diego. Now that the tour has officially started with its first stop in Boston, it will be very interesting to see how he transforms the album into a live set during his tour performances, as there are three slow songs in the lineup that are no less layered and complex as polished products than the fast-paced, at times downright jarring songs they share the album with.
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