Forever Neverland is the second studio album by Danish singer and songwriter MØ. It was released on 19 October 2018 by Columbia Records.[1] It is her first full-length release since her debut studio album No Mythologies to Follow (2014), and comes after her second EP When I Was Young (2017). The album was preceded by five singles: "Nostalgia", "Sun in Our Eyes" featuring Diplo, "Way Down", "Imaginary Friend" and "Blur".[2] The album also features collaborations with Charli XCX, What So Not, Two Feet and Empress Of.[3]
| Forever Neverland | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 19 October 2018 | |||
| Recorded | 2015–2018 | |||
| Length | 44:48 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer |
| |||
| MØ chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Forever Neverland | ||||
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Background
editA year after the release of her debut album, MØ announced that she is working on her new album. In April 2015, MØ released a draft of the song "Kamikaze" which was later authorized by Mads Kristiansen.[4] Later MØ traveled to New York to reunite with American DJ Diplo, where he later produced the song. On 15 October 2015, MØ finally released her single "Kamikaze" and it has reached the top 40 in Belgium and Denmark.[5]
MØ later traveled to Los Angeles to release a new song. She sent the lyrics to MNEK to produce the new song.[6] On 13 May 2016, she released "Final Song", originally intended for her second album. "Final Song" reached the top 5 in Denmark,[7] the top 20 in Australia, Norway[8] and the United Kingdom, and the top 100 in Canada and Sweden.
Later she worked with Sophie, Benny Blanco and Cashmere Cat on "Nights with You", the planned third single of the album, which premiered on MistaJam's BBC Radio 1. It was released on 21 April 2017.[9]
On 1 January 2018, MØ explained in an interview how her life has been changed after gaining international recognition for her collaboration with Major Lazer and DJ Snake on "Lean On".[10] Later she once again collaborated with Major Lazer for "Cold Water", also featuring Canadian singer Justin Bieber.[11] She also said that her EP When I Was Young is her first major release following the success of both Major Lazer's "Lean On" and "Cold Water".[12] She admitted that the "new tracks might not be what new fans might expect following those two features and the others she's done since 2015, but that might not be such a bad thing". She has been working for four years on her new album, because after the success of "Lean On" and "Cold Water", MØ thought that she "needed to put out a little compilation of songs that [she has] done over the years that have felt very personal to [her]", before going into that second album phase.[13][14]
On 12 July 2018, MØ teased her second album with the release of her new single "Sun in Our Eyes". On 7 September she revealed the album's cover and also that the album will be released on 19 October 2018. She also revealed that the other singles "Kamikaze", "Final Song" and "Nights with You" will only be available in the Japanese edition.[15][16]
Singles
editOn 28 March 2018, MØ released the album's lead single "Nostalgia" for streaming and digital download.[17] Later MØ released the official vertical music video on 3 May 2018 via YouTube.[18]
On 12 July 2018, "Sun in Our Eyes" was released as the album's second single.[19] The song peaked at number 17 on the Flemish Ultratop chart[20] and at number 32 on New Zealand's Hot 40 Singles.[21] The music video was released on 8 August 2018 on YouTube.[22]
On 7 September 2018, "Way Down" was released as the album's third single.[23]
On 21 September 2018, "Imaginary Friend" was released as the album's fourth single.[24] The official music video was released on the same day.[25]
"Blur" was released on 14 October 2018 as the album's fifth single.[26]
Critical reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 6.9/10[27] |
| Metacritic | 69/100[28] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [29] |
| Clash | 8/10[30] |
| Consequence of Sound | C+[31] |
| DIY | [32] |
| The Independent | [33] |
| The Line of Best Fit | 8.5/10[34] |
| NME | [35] |
| The Observer | [36] |
| Pitchfork | 6.0/10[37] |
| The Skinny | [38] |
At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 69, based on 13 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[28]
Writing for Pitchfork, Dani Blum wrote that the album's "tracklist here reads like a who's who of frat-party EDM: Diplo once again makes his mark, as does the former Flume appendage What So Not. [...] Most of the album dissolves into tingly club tracks with more texture than the average dancefloor hit." Blum summarised that most of the tracks on Forever Neverland are too "oversaturated and exhausting" with only occasional moments of "real shimmer".[37] Neil Z. Yeung of AllMusic gave the album 3 out of 5 stars, saying, "Forever Neverland contains enough catchy moments to warrant a listen, but mostly remains fodder for de rigueur 2010s alt-pop playlists."[29] Will Richards of DIY said, "there's nothing of the size or scale of 'Lean On', but in unapologetically treading her own path, MØ's beginning to carve a new identity all of her own."[32] Harriet Willis of The Skinny called it "a masterpiece that puts MØ firmly on her own pedestal as an individual artist rather than a recurring feature."[38] Malvika Padin of Clash commented that "while tracks like 'Beautiful Wreck' - springy, satisfying and by no means a misfit within this gripping offering - seems quite bland in comparison to the rest which boasts a bold sound, the album remains fascinating, never misses a beat and keeps you listening through to the end."[30]
Sam Van Pykeren of Mother Jones named it the 6th best album of 2018.[39] Mike Wass of Idolator placed it at number 8 on the "25 Best Albums of 2018" list.[40] Billboard included it on the "20 Best Album Covers of 2018" list.[41]
Tour
editMØ announced Forever Neverland World Tour on 23 April 2018. Tickets were on sale on 25 April 2018.[42] First show from tour started in Hamburg on 9 November 2018 and last headline show was in Frementle on 9 May 2019 in Australia. Dates from 31 May to 5 October 2019 were Summer Tour but this tour also promoted her album Forever Neverland.
| Date | City | Country | Venue | Opening Act |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | ||||
| 9 November 2018 | Hamburg | Germany | Grosse Freiheit 36 | ALMA |
| 10 November 2018 | Brussels | Belgium | Ancienne Belgique | |
| 13 November 2018 | Utrecht | Netherlands | TivoliVredenburg (Ronda Hall) | |
| 15 November 2018 | Cologne | Germany | Live Music Hall | |
| 16 November 2018 | Munich | Alte Kongreshalle | ||
| 17 November 2018 | Milan | Italy | Fabrique | |
| 18 November 2018 | Zurich | Switzerland | X-TRA | |
| 20 November 2018 | Berlin | Germany | Astra Kulturhus | |
| 21 November 2018 | Warsaw | Poland | Klub Stodola | |
| 23 November 2018 | Riga | Latvia | Palladium | |
| 24 November 2018 | Tallinn | Estonia | Rock Cafe | |
| 25 November 2018 | Helsinki | Finland | The Circus | |
| 28 November 2018 | Stockholm | Sweden | Nobelberget | |
| 30 November 2018 | Gothenburg | Pustervik | ||
| 1 December 2018 | Copenhagen | Denmark | Royal Arena | |
| North America | ||||
| 15 January 2019 | Washington | US | 9:30 Club | ABRA |
| 18 January 2019 | Philadelphia | Union Transfer | ||
| 19 January 2019 | New York | Hammerstein Ballroom | ||
| 20 January 2019 | Boston | House of Blues | ||
| 23 January 2019 | Toronto | Canada | Danforth Music Hall | |
| 25 January 2019 | Chicago | US | Vic Theatre | |
| 26 January 2019 | Minneapolis | Fine Line Music Cafe | ||
| 29 January 2019 | Seattle | Showbox SoDo | ||
| 30 January 2019 | Vancouver | Canada | Commodore Ballroom | |
| 31 January 2019 | Portland | US | Roseland Theater | |
| 2 February 2019 | Sacramento | Ace Of Spades | ||
| 5 February 2019 | San Diego | The Observatory North Park | ||
| 7 February 2019 | Los Angeles | Wiltern Theatre | ||
| 8 February 2019 | Santa Ana | The Observatory | ||
| 9 February 2019 | Oakland | Fox Theater | ||
| Europe | ||||
| 27 March 2019 | London | UK | Hangar | - |
| Australia | ||||
| 23 April 2019 | Auckland | New Zealand | Studio the Venue | Duckwrth |
| 26 April 2019[43] | Adelaide | Australia | Royal Adelaide Showgrounds | - |
| 27 April 2019[43] | Maitland | Maitland Showgrounds | ||
| 28 April 2019[43] | Canberra | Exhibition Park in Canberra | ||
| 2 May 2019 | Melbourne | 170 Russel | Duckwrth | |
| 4 May 2019[43] | Bendigo | Prince of Wales Showgrounds | - | |
| 5 May 2019[43] | Townsville | Murray Sports Complex - Townsville Cricket Grounds | ||
| 6 May 2019 | Brisbane | 256 Wickham | Duckwrth | |
| 8 May 2019 | Sydney | The Metro Theatre | ||
| 9 May 2019 | Fremantle | Metropolis Fremantle | ||
| 11 May 2019[43] | Bunbury | Hay Park | - | |
| North America | ||||
| 31 May 2019[44] | New York | US | Randall's Island Park | - |
| Europe | ||||
| 28 June 2019[45] | Pilton | UK | Worthy Farm | - |
| 29 June 2019[46] | Dublin | Ireland | Collin Baracks | |
| 30 June 2019[47] | Stockholm | Sweden | Gärdet | |
| 3 July 2019[48] | Nibe | Denmark | Skalskoven | |
| 4 July 2019[49] | Roskilde | Darupvej | ||
| 7 July 2019[50] | Turku | Finland | Ruissalo | |
| 14 July 2019[51] | Moscow | Russia | Gorky Park | |
| 17 July 2019[52] | Ostrava | Czech Republic | Dolni oblast Vitkovice | |
| 18 July 2019[53] | Kyiv | Ukraine | Sky Family Park | |
| 20 July 2019[54] | Suffolk | UK | Henham Park | |
| 21 July 2019[55] | Paris | France | Hippodrome de Longchamp | |
| 27 July 2019[56] | Aulnoye-Aymeries | Grande Scene | ||
| 18 August 2019[57] | Brussels | Belgium | Place des Palais | |
| 30 August 2019[58] | Copenhagen | Denmark | Tivoli | |
| 1 September 2019[59] | Laois | Ireland | Stradbally Hall | |
| North America | ||||
| 15 September 2019[60] | Atlanta | US | Piedmont Park | - |
| Europe | ||||
| 5 October 2019[61] | Nuuk | Grenland | Katuaq | - |
Cancelled shows
edit| Date | City | Country | Venue | Opening Act | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 April 2019 | Beijing | China | Tango Live | N/A | unforeseen circumstances[62] |
| 11 April 2019 | Shanghai | VAS Live House | |||
| 13 April 2019[63] | Hong Kong | Hong Kong Science Park | |||
| 15 April 2019 | Manila | Philippines | New Frontier Theater | ||
| 16 April 2019 | Taipei | Taiwan | Legacy Taipei | ||
| 18 April 2019 | Tokyo | Japan | Ebisu Garden Hall | ||
| 20 April 2019 | Seoul | South Corea | YES24 Live Hall |
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Intro" |
|
| 0:45 |
| 2. | "Way Down" |
| Stint | 3:08 |
| 3. | "I Want You" |
| Stint | 3:16 |
| 4. | "Blur" |
|
| 3:04 |
| 5. | "Nostalgia" |
|
| 3:46 |
| 6. | "Sun in Our Eyes" (with Diplo) |
| 3:37 | |
| 7. | "Mercy" (featuring What So Not and Two Feet) |
|
| 3:41 |
| 8. | "If It's Over" (featuring Charli XCX) |
| 3:39 | |
| 9. | "West Hollywood" (Interlude) |
| Stint | 1:07 |
| 10. | "Beautiful Wreck" |
|
| 3:49 |
| 11. | "Red Wine" (featuring Empress Of) |
|
| 3:22 |
| 12. | "Imaginary Friend" |
| Illangelo | 3:47 |
| 13. | "Trying to Be Good" |
| Stint | 3:46 |
| 14. | "Purple Like the Summer Rain" |
|
| 4:01 |
| Total length: | 44:48 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15. | "Final Song" |
| MNEK | 3:55 |
| 16. | "Kamikaze" |
| 3:30 | |
| 17. | "Nights with You" | 3:17 | ||
| Total length: | 55:30 | |||
Notes
editCharts
edit| Chart (2018) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[66] | 191 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[67] | 158 |
| Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[68] | 1 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[69] | 167 |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon)[70] | 217 |
| UK Download Albums (OCC)[71] | 66 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[72] | Gold | 10,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ Wicks, Amanda (12 July 2018). "MØ Announces New Album, Shares New Song with Diplo: Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
- ^ "MØ Announces New Album Forever Neverland for October 2018 Release Debuts New Song "Sun In Our Eyes Featuring Diplo"". mxdwn.com. 14 July 2018.
- ^ "MØ Reveals Her 'Forever Neverland' Tracklist Featuring Charli XCX". Idolator. 7 September 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
- ^ "MO X SURFACE". Microsoft OneNote. Microsoft. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 4 October 2018.(registration required)
- ^ Feeney, Nolan (27 October 2015). "The New MØ Single "Kamikaze" is a Worthy Sequel to "Lean On"". Time. New York. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- ^ Myers, Owen. "How Mø Finessed Anarchist Punk Life Into Global Pop Stardom". The Fader. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- ^ "danishcharts.dk – MØ – Final Song". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
- ^ "VG-lista – Topp 20 Single uke 28, 2016". VG-lista. Archived from the original on 22 August 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2016.
- ^ Ana Leorne (4 October 2018). "MØ shares new single 'Nights With You'". The 405. Archived from the original on 5 October 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
- ^ "Major Lazer and DJ Snake ft. MØ release "Lean On"". Brightside. Archived from the original on 2015-03-07. Retrieved 2018-10-07.
- ^ Briones, Isis (July 13, 2016). "Justin Bieber Celebrates His 'Cold Water' Single With a Backflip". Teen Vogue. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
- ^ "MØ releases surprise EP and new single 'When I Was Young' – NME". NME. 26 October 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
- ^ "Mø Talks 'Life Changer' Single 'Lean On' and Her Latest EP: Interview". Billboard. 1 January 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- ^ Lartleet, Barry (13 July 2018). "MØ: life after 'Lean On'". NME. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
- ^ "MØ announces new album, Forever Neverland, shares "Sun In Our Eyes" featuring Diplo: Stream". Consequences of Sound. 4 October 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
- ^ "Forever Neverland in CD Japan". CDJapan. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
- ^ "MØ releases new single 'Nostalgia'". Hot Press. 29 March 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
- ^ "MØ heads back to her hometown in new phone-friendly video for 'Nostalgia'". NME. 3 May 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- ^ "MO, Diplo Release Breezy New Collaboration 'Sun in Our Eyes'". Rolling Stone. 12 July 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- ^ ""Discografie MØ"". (in Dutch)Ultratop. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- ^ "HOT 40 SINGLES". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- ^ "MØ & Diplo Debut Peter Pan-Inspired Video For Breezy 'Sun In Our Eyes' Collab: Watch". Billboard. 8 August 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- ^ "Listen to MØ's killer new pop banger, 'Way Down'". NME. 3 May 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- ^ "MØ shares lustful pop ballad "Imaginary Friend"". The Line of Best Fit. 21 September 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- ^ "MØ Announces New Album And Debuts New Video". Vinyl Reviews. 21 September 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- ^ "MØ Releases Bittersweet Dance Anthem 'Blur': Listen". Billboard. 15 October 2018. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
- ^ "Forever Neverland by MØ reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
- ^ a b "Reviews for Forever Neverland by MØ". Metacritic. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
- ^ a b Yeung, Neil Z. "Forever Neverland – MØ". AllMusic. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
- ^ a b Padin, Malvika (22 October 2018). "MØ - Forever Neverland". Clash. Archived from the original on 30 November 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
- ^ Graves, Wren (22 October 2018). "MØ Delivers Hooks but Little Else on Forever Neverland". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
- ^ a b Richards, Will (10 October 2018). "Forever Neverland - MØ". DIY. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
- ^ Loughrey, Clarisse; Pollard, Alexandra (18 October 2018). "Album reviews: Yoko Ono – Warzone and MØ – Forever Neverland". The Independent. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
- ^ Firth, Abigail (18 October 2018). "MØ's Forever Neverland is a stunning, banger-heavy rebirth". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
- ^ Levine, Nick (18 October 2018). "MØ – 'Forever Neverland' review". NME. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
- ^ Mackay, Emily (21 October 2018). "Mø: Forever Neverland review – stuck on the verge of a breakthrough". The Observer. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
- ^ a b Blum, Dani (22 October 2018). "MØ: Forever Neverland Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
- ^ a b Willis, Harriet (15 October 2018). "MØ – Forever Neverland". The Skinny. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
- ^ Pykeren, Sam Van (28 December 2018). "2018 Was a Good Year...for Music. Here's the Best". Mother Jones. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
- ^ Wass, Mike (29 December 2018). "From 'Golden Hour' To 'Caution,' The 25 Best Albums Of 2018". Idolator. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
- ^ "The 20 Best Album Covers of 2018". Billboard. 28 December 2018. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
- ^ @MOMOMOYOUTH (23 April 2018). "Forever Neverland World Tour. New show debuting in EUROPE w/ one of my favorite artists/people in the industry @almacyber (I'm so so so excited for this!!) 🔥💕🖤💕🔥General on sale is April 26 @ 10AM CET. Save the date 💋" (Tweet). Retrieved 1 April 2024 – via Twitter.
- ^ a b c d e f This show was part of Groovin' the Moo 2019
- ^ This show was part of Governors Ball 2019
- ^ This show was part of Glastonbury Festival 2019
- ^ This show was part of Mother Block Pride Party 2019
- ^ This show was part of Lollapalooza Stockholm 2019
- ^ This show was part of Nibe Festival 2019
- ^ This show was part of Roskilde Festival 2019
- ^ This show was part of Ruisrock Festival 2019
- ^ This show was part of Park Live Festival 2019
- ^ This show was part of Colours of Ostrava 2019
- ^ This show was part of U-Park 2019
- ^ This show was part of Latitude Festival 2019
- ^ This show was part of Lollapalooza Paris 2019
- ^ This show was part of Les Nuits Secretes 2019
- ^ This show was part of Brussels Summer Festival 2019
- ^ This show was part of Fredagsrock I Tivoli 2019
- ^ This show was part of Electric Picnic 2019
- ^ This show was part of Music Midtown 2019
- ^ This show was part of Akisuanerit Festival 2019
- ^ "MO cancelled her headlining dates in Asia".
- ^ This show was supposed to be part of the Sonar Festival, but the MO act was canceled.
- ^ "Forever Neverland by MØ on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
- ^ "CDJapan : Forever Neverland MO CD Album". CDJapan (in Japanese). Retrieved 23 September 2018.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – MØ – Forever Neverland" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – MØ – Forever Neverland" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
- ^ "Hitlisten.NU – Album Top-40 Uge 43, 2018". Hitlisten. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – MØ – Forever Neverland" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
- ^ "MØ". Oricon. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
- ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100 | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
- ^ "Danish album certifications – MØ – Forever Neverland". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved 6 April 2022.