Artificial Paradise (OneRepublic album)

In a social media post announcing Artificial Paradise, lead singer Ryan Tedder explained that the album began with their single "West Coast", which was written in 2016 in a New Orleans hotel room, and followed by further standalone singles in the subsequent eight years that the band felt "didn't quite make sense together" but were kept as more songs were written and recorded "in different hotel rooms and studios dotted around the world". Tedder said the rest of the album was then completed "in the last couple years" as they "navigated a world, full of artificial stories and constructs". He described the album title as "all too resonant with the world we currently live in, and the aspiration of so many people, for better or worse". The announcement was accompanied by a clip of the album's title track. ==Singles==

Eight singles released from 2021 to 2024 are included on the album: "Sunshine", "West Coast", "I Ain't Worried" (from Top Gun: Maverick), "Runaway", "Mirage" with Mishaal Tamer (from ''Assassin's Creed Mirage''), "I Don't Wanna Wait" with David Guetta, "Nobody" (from Kaiju No .8), and "Fire (Official UEFA Euro 2024 Song)" with Meduza and Leony. The latter three were only included on the deluxe edition of the album. "Hurt" followed as the ninth single on July 5, 2024, making it the first to be released after the album's announcement. A remix of the song with Jelly Roll was released on November 22. "Sink or Swim" was released as the tenth single on August 29 alongside a music video. ==Critical reception==

Carla Feric of The Independent wrote that the album has a "selection of catchy anthems" and "lively, light and summery tracks", and felt that OneRepublic "have created a musically progressive blend which is easy-listening, and has enough tracks for anyone to find at least one song they'll enjoy". Writing for Grammy.com, Taylor Weatherby called it "a seamless blend of songs that will resonate with longtime and newer fans alike. From the layered production of 'Hurt,' to the feel-good vibes of 'Serotonin,' to the evocative lyrics of 'Last Holiday,' Artificial Paradise shows that OneRepublic's sound is as dialed-in as it is ever-evolving." Neil Z. Yeung of AllMusic concluded that "Tedder knows what he's doing and, like contemporary output by Imagine Dragons and Coldplay, can pump out crowd-pleasing optimism as if he was on autopilot...for better or worse." ==Track listing==

Notes • signifies a primary producer • signifies a co-producer • signifies an additional producer • signifies a vocal producer ==Personnel==

OneRepublic • Ryan Tedder – lead vocals • Zach Filkins – guitar • Drew Brown – guitar • Eddie Fisher – drums • Brent Kutzle – bass guitar; background vocals (tracks 9, 15), programming (9) • Brian Willett – keyboards Additional musicians • John Nathaniel – programming (tracks 1, 3, 6, 13, 16), background vocals (3, 4, 6, 8–10, 13, 16), guitar (3), theremin (6), additional vocals (12) • Jelly Roll – vocals (track 1) • Tyler Spry – guitar (tracks 2, 5–7, 9, 14), background vocals (2, 9, 16), additional keyboards (7, 9), bass (7), programming (9) • Loren Ferard – guitar (tracks 2, 7, 14), programming (2, 7), acoustic guitar (9) • Alisa Xayalith – background vocals (track 2) • Simon Oscroft – guitar (tracks 5, 14) • Brandon Collins – programming (track 5), strings (11) • Harry Charles – additional keyboards, programming (track 7) • Joe Henderson – background vocals (tracks 10, 16), percussion (13) • Brandyn Burnette – background vocals (track 10) • Chase Stockman – background vocals (track 10) • Devonne Fowlkes – additional vocals (track 12) • Emoni Wilkins – additional vocals (track 12) • Wil Merrell – additional vocals (track 12) • Paul Nelson – cello (track 12) • Craig Nelson – upright bass (track 12) • Seanad Chang – viola (track 12) • David Angell – violin (track 12) • David Davidson – violin (track 12) • Ben Samama – background vocals (track 13) • Will Vaughan – guitar (track 13) • Josh Varnadore – background vocals (track 16) • Luca De Gregorio – drum programming, keyboards, percussion, synthesizer (track 18) • Mattia Vitalie – drum programming, keyboards, percussion, synthesizer (track 18) • Simone Giani – drum programming, keyboards, percussion, synthesizer (track 18) • Leony – vocals (track 18) Design • Brody Harper – creative direction • Douglas Hale – original collage art • Kristin Weidemann – design and layout • Jeremy Cowart – band photography • Ryan Slaughter and Taylor Lowe (for TwoSevenTwo) – album art animation ==Charts==

Weekly charts Year-end charts ==Certifications==