Happy to You is the second studio album by Swedish indie pop band Miike Snow. It was released in the United States on 13 March 2012 by Downtown Records and Universal Republic Records, and in the United Kingdom on 19 March 2012 by Columbia Records.

Happy to You
Studio album by
Released13 March 2012 (2012-03-13)
RecordedMay–November 2011
Studio
  • Robotberget Studio (Stockholm)
  • Downtown Records Studio (New York City)
Genre
Length40:08
Label
ProducerMiike Snow
Miike Snow chronology
Miike Snow
(2009)
Happy to You
(2012)
iii
(2016)
Singles from Happy to You
  1. "Paddling Out"
    Released: 23 January 2012
  2. "The Wave"
    Released: 14 May 2012
  3. "Pretender"
    Released: 30 October 2012
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic73/100[1]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
The A.V. ClubB−[3]
Clash8/10[4]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[5]
The Guardian[6]
NME8/10[7]
Now4/5[8]
Pitchfork5.8/10[9]
Rolling Stone[10]
Slant Magazine[11]

Background and recording

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Miike Snow announced on social media on 31 May 2011 that they were working on a new album.[12] On 6 October 2011, the band began mixing the album.[13] After recording for the album concluded on 29 November 2011, the band started filming the accompanying music videos and finished working on the artwork.[14] The album was named after an "old mis-spelt phrase" on a Thailand postcard that the band put up in the studio.[15] Band member Christian Karlsson said it has "nothing to do with any of the songs... but it sort of stuck".[15]

Release and promotion

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The promotional single "Devil's Work" debuted on Zane Lowe's BBC Radio 1 on 6 December 2011,[16] and was subsequently offered as a free download.[17] The band announced on 20 December 2011 that their second studio album would be titled Happy to You, with a release date set for the week of 26 March 2012.[18]

The album's lead single "Paddling Out" premiered on Spin magazine's website on 19 January 2012,[19] before its digital release on 23 January.[20] Another song from the album, "Black Tin Box" (a collaboration with Swedish singer Lykke Li), premiered on Pitchfork on 24 January 2012.[21] Happy to You was released on iTunes on 13 March 2012, 13 days ahead of the original 26 March release date.

"The Wave" was released as the album's second single on 14 May 2012.[22] The accompanying video premiered on 15 March and was once again directed by Swedish director Andreas Nilsson, who also worked on the video for "Paddling Out". Both videos form together a unified story about a group of unfortunate humans who were abducted to space in an experiment to create a perfect human named Jean Noel. After some pretty brutal chainsaw surgery that is performed on the latest abductee, the spaceship seemingly manned by Rococo-era twins crashes to Earth and that is where the story of the second video starts.

Commercial reception

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In the United States, Happy to You debuted at number 43 on the Billboard 200,[23] selling 10,000 copies its first week.[24] It also debuted at number 13 on the Billboard's Rock Albums chart and at number nine on the Alternative Albums chart.[25][26] As of January 2016, the album had sold 42,000 copies in the US.[24]

Track listing

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All tracks are written by Miike Snow

No.TitleLength
1."Enter the Joker's Lair"3:28
2."The Wave"3:43
3."Devil's Work"3:55
4."Vase"3:40
5."God Help This Divorce"4:32
6."Bavarian #1 (Say You Will)"4:02
7."Pretender"3:33
8."Archipelago"4:05
9."Black Tin Box" (featuring Lykke Li)5:33
10."Paddling Out"3:37
The Jackalope Edition bonus disc[27]
No.TitleLength
1."Garden"3:54
2."No Starry World"4:14
3."Devil's Work" (Alex Metric Remix)5:34
4."Paddling Out" (Wolfgang Gartner Remix)6:07
5."Paddling Out" (Carli Remix)6:02
6."The Wave" (Style of Eye Remix)5:01
7."Paddling Out" (Jacques Lu Cont Remix)5:45
The Jackalope Edition – international digital version bonus tracks[28]
No.TitleLength
11."Garden"3:54
12."No Starry World"4:14
13."Devil's Work" (Alex Metric Remix)5:34
14."Paddling Out" (Wolfgang Gartner Remix)6:07
15."Devil's Work" (Ruben Haze Remix)4:15
16."The Wave" (Style of Eye Remix)5:01
17."Paddling Out" (Jacques Lu Cont Remix)5:45
18."Paddling Out" (music video)3:58
19."The Wave" (music video)4:01
20."Devil's Work" (film accompaniment)3:55
21."Birth to Death" (video)0:21
22."Pilgrim" (video)0:29
23."Dog Inside Your Body" (video)0:29
The Jackalope Edition – US digital version bonus tracks[29]
No.TitleLength
11."Garden"3:50
12."No Starry World"4:12
13."Paddling Out" (Wolfgang Gartner Remix)6:07
14."Devil's Work" (Alex Metric Remix)5:34
15."Paddling Out" (music video)3:59
16."The Wave" (music video)4:03

Personnel

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Credits adapted from the liner notes of Happy to You.[30]

  • Miike Snow – all instruments, arrangements, production, programming, recording, vocals
  • Johan Ahlin – French horn (tracks 3, 5)
  • Gustav Ejstes – Autoharp (track 2)
  • Staffan Findin – bass trombone, trombone (track 3)
  • Niklas Flyckt – mixing
  • Svante Halldin – flugelhorn, trumpet (track 3)
  • Thomas Hedlund – drums (track 10)
  • Ted Jensen – mastering
  • Lykke Li – additional vocals (track 9)
  • David Lindberg – field drums (tracks 2, 6)
  • Pär Lindqvist – strings (tracks 3, 5, 6, 9)
  • Jonathan Lundberg – field drums (tracks 2, 6)
  • Samuel Lundin – mastering assistance
  • Claes Malmberg – field drums (tracks 2, 6)
  • Natalie Migdal – strings (tracks 3, 5, 6, 9)
  • Sabina Sandri Olsson – strings (tracks 3, 5, 6, 9)
  • Nille Perned – additional recording
  • Axel Sjöstedt – trumpet (track 6)
  • Fredrik Syberg – strings (tracks 3, 5, 6, 9)
  • Nils Törnqvist – drums (tracks 1–4, 6–9)

Charts

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Chart (2012) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[31] 16
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[32] 123
Belgian Alternative Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[32] 34
Belgian Heatseekers Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[33] 17
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[34] 62
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[35] 40
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[36] 69
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[37] 91
Scottish Albums (OCC)[38] 32
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[39] 42
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[40] 50
UK Albums (OCC)[41] 31
US Billboard 200[42] 43
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[43] 9
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[44] 13

References

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  1. ^ "Happy to You – Miike Snow". Metacritic. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  2. ^ Lymangrover, Jason. "Happy to You – Miike Snow". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  3. ^ Martins, Chris (27 March 2012). "Miike Snow: Happy To You". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  4. ^ Salmon, Will (12 March 2012). "Miike Snow – Happy To You". Clash. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
  5. ^ Markovitz, Adam (14 March 2012). "Happy to You review – Miike Snow". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  6. ^ Sullivan, Caroline (15 March 2012). "Miike Snow: Happy to You". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  7. ^ Malone, Ailbhe (23 March 2012). "Miike Snow – 'Happy To You'". NME. Archived from the original on 9 November 2012. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
  8. ^ Boles, Benjamin (29 March 2012). "Miike Snow – Happy To You". Now. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
  9. ^ Colly, Joe (30 March 2012). "Miike Snow: Happy To You". Pitchfork. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
  10. ^ Rosen, Jody (27 March 2012). "Miike Snow: Happy to You". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
  11. ^ Liedel, Kevin (26 March 2012). "Miike Snow: Happy to You". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  12. ^ Miike Snow (31 May 2011). "Is working on our new album". Retrieved 29 May 2018 – via Facebook.
  13. ^ Miike Snow [@MiikeSnow] (6 October 2011). "Mixing our new album starting 2day http://yfrog.com/od77bdj" (Tweet). Retrieved 28 January 2012 – via Twitter.
  14. ^ Miike Snow (29 November 2011). "The album is complete. The videos are being shot. The artwork is being finished. The tour dates are being planned... News of all this and more in the next few days. Thank you Thank you!". Retrieved 29 May 2018 – via Facebook.
  15. ^ a b "Miike Snow". HuffPost. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  16. ^ Roffman, Michael (6 December 2011). "Check Out: Miike Snow – "Devil's Work"". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  17. ^ Murray, Robin (20 January 2012). "Listen: Miike Snow – Paddling Out". Clash. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  18. ^ Miike Snow (20 December 2011). "Miike Snow's new album release date was announced today. Columbia Records and Downtown Records confirmed the week of 26 March 2012 will see the release of 'Happy To You'. No more information about the tracklists, single titles or who exactly the person in the Devil's Work film is, was given. January will see more information hitting earth along with news on live dates. Until then...Happy To You". Retrieved 28 January 2012 – via Facebook.
  19. ^ Marchese, David (19 January 2012). "First Spin: Hear Miike Snow's 'Paddling Out'". Spin. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  20. ^ "Paddling Out (2012) | Miike Snow". 7digital (Sweden). Archived from the original on 9 April 2018. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  21. ^ Battan, Carrie (24 January 2012). "Listen: Miike Snow and Lykke Li: "Black Tin Box"". Pitchfork. Retrieved 28 January 2012.
  22. ^ "The Wave (Thomas Gold Remix)". Beatport. Archived from the original on 17 May 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  23. ^ "Billboard 200: The Week of March 31, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
  24. ^ a b "Upcoming Releases". Hits Daily Double. Archived from the original on 30 January 2016. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
  25. ^ "Top Rock Albums: The Week of March 31, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
  26. ^ "Alternative Albums: The Week of March 31, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
  27. ^ "Happy to You [Bonus CD] – Miike Snow". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  28. ^ "Happy to You (The Jackalope Edition) by Miike Snow". iTunes Store (United Kingdom). Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  29. ^ "Happy to You (Deluxe Version) by Miike Snow". iTunes Store (United States). Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  30. ^ Happy to You (liner notes). Miike Snow. Downtown Records. 2012. B0016595-02.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  31. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Miike Snow – Happy to You". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  32. ^ a b "Ultratop.be – Miike Snow – Happy to You" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  33. ^ "Miike Snow – Happy to You" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  34. ^ "Top 100 Albums in Canada". Jam!. 15 March 2012. Archived from the original on December 26, 2004. Retrieved 23 March 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  35. ^ "Danishcharts.dk – Miike Snow – Happy to You". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  36. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Miike Snow – Happy to You" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  37. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Miike Snow – Happy to You" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  38. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  39. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Miike Snow – Happy to You". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  40. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Miike Snow – Happy to You". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  41. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  42. ^ "Miike Snow Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  43. ^ "Miike Snow Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  44. ^ "Miike Snow Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 May 2018.