Dear Happy is the third studio album by English singer-songwriter Gabrielle Aplin. It was released on 17 January 2020, through Aplin's own label Never Fade Records, and distribution group AWAL. Dear Happy marks Aplin's first studio-length release since her second studio album Light Up the Dark (2015). The album was announced through Aplin's Twitter and website on 10 September 2019. Aplin will tour in support of the record in early 2020.[2]

Dear Happy
Studio album by
Released17 January 2020 (2020-01-17)
Label
Producer
Gabrielle Aplin chronology
December
(2018)
Dear Happy
(2020)
Gabrielle Aplin studio album chronology
Light Up the Dark
(2015)
Dear Happy
(2020)
Phosphorescent
(2023)
Singles from Dear Happy
  1. "My Mistake"
    Released: 28 November 2018
  2. "Nothing Really Matters"
    Released: 27 March 2019
  3. "Losing Me"
    Released: 14 August 2019
  4. "Kintsugi"
    Released: 11 September 2019[1]

Background

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Aplin said the album began "with the moment I made a definitive decision to start to unravel and rewire my brain", calling it "a past, present and future letter to myself".[3] A press release described Dear Happy as an "uplifting pop record that chronicles Gabrielle's life, and the experiences and cultures she has been inspired by whilst touring and travelling the world over the past couple of years".[4]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
The Sydney Morning Herald[5]     
Gigwise[6]          
The Independent[7]     

Jessie Cunniffe of The Sydney Morning Herald awarded the album five stars out five and deemed it "an intricate portrait of the bruises and realisations of the aftermath of [any quarter-life crisis] phase".[5] Gigwise's Tommy Monroe praised the album's "deep lyrics, emotive vocals and catchy hooks".[6] In a mixed review, The Independent's Annabel Nugent highlighted how the album was "expertly engineered for pop virality" but criticized its "saccharine" moments.[7]

Track listing

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Dear Happy track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Until the Sun Comes Up"
Lostboy3:10
2."Invisible"
  • Aplin
  • Nicholas Atkinson
  • Edd Holloway
  • Atkinson
  • Holloway
3:55
3."One of Those Days"
  • Aplin
  • Atkinson
  • Holloway
  • Atkinson
  • Holloway
4:03
4."Kintsugi"
  • Hope
  • Solstrand
2:56
5."Strange"
  • Aplin
  • Rycroft
Lostboy2:43
6."My Mistake"
  • Howes
  • Daunt
4:25
7."Like You Say You Do"
Lostboy3:07
8."Losing Me" (with JP Cooper)
  • Lostboy
  • Spencer
3:01
9."So Far So Good"
  • Aplin
  • Liz Horsman
  • Rycroft
Lostboy3:18
10."Nothing Really Matters"
  • Lostboy
  • Baxter
2:44
11."Magic"
  • Aplin
  • Atkinson
  • Holloway
  • Atkinson
  • Holloway
4:05
12."Love Back"
Dixon2:46
13."Miss You"
  • Aplin
  • Horsman
  • Horsman
  • Spencer
3:17
14."Dear Happy"
  • Atkinson
  • Holloway
  • Hartman
  • Spencer
3:21
Dear Happy – Japan edition[8]
No.TitleLength
15."Miss You 2" (with Nina Nesbitt)3:16
16."My Mistake" (Piano Version)4:54
17."Nothing Really Matters" (Piano Version)3:14
18."Losing Me" (with JP Cooper) (Piano Version)3:11
Total length:1:01:44

Charts

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Dear Happy sales chart performance
Chart (2020) Peak
position
Australian Digital Albums (ARIA)[9] 18
Scottish Albums (OCC)[10] 15
UK Albums (OCC)[11] 24

References

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  1. ^ Malt, Andy (12 September 2019). "Gabrielle Aplin announces new album, Dear Happy". Complete Music Update. Archived from the original on 8 August 2020. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  2. ^ Harmsworth, Andrei (10 September 2019). "Gabrielle Aplin's feeling 'normal again' after tackling ADHD". Metro. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  3. ^ Renaud, Alix (11 September 2019). "Gabrielle Aplin Announces Dublin Gig Ahead of Third Album Release". Hot Press. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  4. ^ "Gabrielle Aplin Announces New Album DEAR HAPPY". BroadwayWorld. 11 September 2019. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  5. ^ a b Cunniffe, Jessie; Lal, Kish; Shand, John; Smith, Barnaby (17 January 2020). "Halsey gets lost in a sea of superstar voices on third album". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  6. ^ a b Monroe, Tommy (16 January 2020). "Dear Happy (Album Review)". Gigwise. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  7. ^ a b Bray, Elisa; Nugent, Annabel (16 January 2020). "Album reviews: Bombay Bicycle Club – 'Everything Else has Gone Wrong' and Gabrielle Aplin – 'Dear Happy'". The Independent. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  8. ^ "CDJapan : Dear Happy [Japan Bonus Track]". CDJapan. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  9. ^ "ARIA Australian Top 50 Digital Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. 27 January 2020. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  10. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  11. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 January 2020.