Love (stylized as LØVË) is the fifth studio album by American singer and songwriter Aaron Carter, released on February 16, 2018, by Sony Music, and the last to be released in his lifetime. At the time of the album’s release it was Carter's first studio album in over fifteen years, since 2002's Another Earthquake.[4][5] The album was preceded by an EP of the same name, released in 2017.
| Love | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 16, 2018 | |||
| Genre | Pop[1] | |||
| Length | 48:30 | |||
| Label |
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| Producer |
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| Aaron Carter chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Love | ||||
Background and release
editMore than thirteen years after the release of his last studio album, titled Another Earthquake!, and a substantial number of greatest hits compilations, Carter appeared in media outlets talking about his return to music.[6] According to the singer, he spent ten years learning how to make an album from scratch during his time out of the music business.[7]
Carter began to tease the first single of the album, titled "Fool's Gold" which he wrote and produced himself, in November 2015 via Twitter.[8] On November 24, 2015, Billboard premiered a preview of the song.[9] The song and its accompanying music video, co-directed by Carter and Jon Asher, were released on April 1, 2016.[10][11] The single did not manage to appear on major worldwide charts. At that time the singer also announced that an EP entitled LØVË would be released.[12] Carter told Billboard: "'The 'LøVë' album and 'Fool's Gold' era has been D.I.Y. hustle since day one. Everything from the production, songwriting, mixing, photoshoots, music videos, packaging and distribution have been a collective involvement from a team I like to call 'Team Fool's Gold.'"[13]
In 2017, Carter would release a second single titled "Sooner or Later" which became certified gold in Italy,[14][15] his first gold record since "Saturday Night", which was certified in the US after selling over 500,000 copies, in 2005.[16] In December 2017, he released the third and last single "Don't Say Goodbye" and announced a promotional tour in the United States.[17] The singer also performed at a concert in Manila, Philippines.[18]
To celebrate Valentine's Day and promote the album's release, Carter released a newly recorded and remixed version of his top ten hit from 2000, "I Want Candy", on February 14, 2018.[19]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [1] |
| Knoxville News Sentinel | [20] |
Neil Z. Yeung, from AllMusic, rated the album three and a half stars out of five, writing that Carter does "an admirable job grasping the contemporary pop trends of 2017 and 2018 while adjusting his lyrical content from that of teen party jams to reflective heartbreak anthems."[1]
Chuck Campbell, from the daily newspaper Knoxville News Sentinel, gave the album two out of five stars and described it as a "nondescript exercise in modern formula – shallow pop/EDM songs about relationships. And even compared to other fare in this genre, "Love" falls flat".[20] He chose "the catchy" songs "Sooner or Later" and "Dearly Departed" as its best moments.[20]
Track listing
editAll songs produced by Aaron Carter and Michael “Brandon" Murphy.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Hard to Love" |
| 3:35 |
| 2. | "Sooner or Later" |
| 3:33 |
| 3. | "Bad 2 Good" |
| 3:57 |
| 4. | "Same Way" |
| 3:07 |
| 5. | "What Did You Want to Say?" |
| 3:18 |
| 6. | "Fool's Gold" |
| 3:17 |
| 7. | "Seattle TideZ" |
| 3:45 |
| 8. | "Let Me Let You Go" |
| 3:21 |
| 9. | "Don't Say Goodbye" |
| 3:17 |
| 10. | "Almost There" |
| 3:25 |
| 11. | "Champion" |
| 4:10 |
| 12. | "Dearly Departed" |
| 3:27 |
| 13. | "I Want Candy" (Remix) | 2:53 | |
| 14. | "Fool's Gold" (Lindgren Remix) |
| 3:35 |
References
edit- ^ a b c "LØVË - Aaron Carter - Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
- ^ "Don't Say Goodbye - Single by Aaron Carter on Apple Music".
- ^ "I Want Candy (Remix) - Single by Aaron Carter on Apple Music".
- ^ "LØVË by Aaron Carter on Apple Music". iTunes. February 16, 2018. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
- ^ "Aaron Carter Announces Tour, First Album in 15 Years". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
- ^ Maslow, Nick (April 1, 2016). "Aaron Carter Embraces Sexy Side in Comeback Music Video for 'Fool's Gold'". People. Archived from the original on February 15, 2017. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
- ^ Shamsian, Jacob (April 8, 2016). "Singer Aaron Carter just came out with a new single after spending 10 years learning every aspect of the music industry". Business Insider. Archived from the original on April 11, 2016. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
- ^ Costa, Frank (November 16, 2015). "Aaron Carter Teases Comeback With New Single "Fool's Gold"". Contrast Magazine. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
- ^ Weiner, Natalie (November 24, 2015). "Aaron Carter Previews New Single 'Fool's Gold': Exclusive". Billboard. Billboard. Archived from the original on February 28, 2016. Retrieved February 28, 2016.
- ^ Kickham, Dylan (April 1, 2016). "Aaron Carter drops 'Fool's Gold' video on Fools' Day". Entertainment Weekly. Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 1, 2016. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
- ^ Kickham, Dylan (May 11, 2016). "URSA Mini 4.6K Used to Shoot Aaron Carter's 'Fool's Gold' Music Video". Blackmagic Design. Archived from the original on August 15, 2017. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
- ^ Nolasco, Stephanie (January 19, 2017). "Aaron Carter Returns to Music, Reveals the Biggest Obstacle in His Personal Life". Fox News. Archived from the original on August 6, 2017.
- ^ Nolasco, Stephanie (April 1, 2016). "Aaron Carter Premieres 'Fool's Gold' Music Video: Exclusive". Yahoo!. Archived from the original on June 18, 2022.
- ^ "Dati della certificazione richiesta" (in Italian). Federation of the Italian Music Industry. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
- ^ "Gold award in Italy for AARON CARTER "Sooner Or Later" single". Golden Gate Management. July 11, 2018. Archived from the original on August 5, 2018. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
- ^ "Aaron Carter - US Certifications". Recording Industry Association of America. Archived from the original on August 7, 2017. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
- ^ "Aaron Carter's First Album In 15 Years, LøVë, Slated For February 16 Release". PR Newswire (Press release). Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
- ^ Ganal, FM (November 21, 2018). "Aaron Carter: "I'm glad that I still have fans in the Philippines!"". pep.ph. Archived from the original on March 4, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
- ^ "So Aaron Carter Just Dropped an 'I Want Candy' Remix". Cosmopolitan. February 16, 2018. Archived from the original on February 16, 2018. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
- ^ a b c Campbell, Chuck. "Aaron Carter's 'Love' gets lost in anonymity". Knoxville News Sentinel. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2022.