Balance is the seventh studio album by Dutch DJ and record producer Armin van Buuren. It was released on 25 October 2019 through Armada Music, succeeding his 2015 album Embrace.[2][3] It was also released as a double album with each part consisting of 14 tracks.[4] It features collaborations with Above & Beyond, BT, Lucas & Steve, Garibay, Inner City, Shapov, Rudimental, Tempo Giusto, Ne-Yo and Haliene.

Balance
Studio album by
Released25 October 2019 (2019-10-25)
Recorded2017–2019
GenreDance-pop[1]
Length90:28
Label
Producer
Armin van Buuren chronology
A State of Trance 2019
(2019)
Balance
(2019)
A State of Trance 2020
(2020)
Singles from Balance
  1. "I Need You"
    Released: 6 January 2017
  2. "Sunny Days"
    Released: 16 June 2017
  3. "Sex, Love & Water"
    Released: 2 February 2018
  4. "Therapy"
    Released: 20 April 2018
  5. "Blah Blah Blah"
    Released: 18 May 2018
  6. "Wild Wild Son"
    Released: 12 October 2018
  7. "Lonely for You"
    Released: 15 February 2019
  8. "Show Me Love"
    Released: 1 March 2019
  9. "Turn It Up"
    Released: 15 March 2019
  10. "Don't Give Up on Me"
    Released: 29 March 2019
  11. "La Résistance de l'Amour"
    Released: 12 April 2019
  12. "Phone Down"
    Released: 19 April 2019
  13. "Revolution"
    Released: 7 June 2019
  14. "Something Real"
    Released: 12 July 2019
  15. "Stickup"
    Released: 9 August 2019
  16. "Waking Up with You"
    Released: 6 September 2019
  17. "Mr. Navigator"
    Released: 13 September 2019
  18. "It Could Be"
    Released: 20 September 2019
  19. "High on Your Love"
    Released: 27 September 2019
  20. "Don't Let Me Go"
    Released: 4 October 2019
  21. "All Comes Down"
    Released: 11 October 2019
  22. "Unlove You"
    Released: 18 October 2019
  23. "Million Voices"
    Released: 25 October 2019
  24. "Sucker for Love"
    Released: 26 October 2019
  25. "Miles Away"
    Released: 27 October 2019
  26. "Runaway"
    Released: 28 October 2019
  27. "Always"
    Released: 29 October 2019
  28. "Song I Sing"
    Released: 30 October 2019

Critical reception edit

Rachel Narozniak from Dancing Astronaut wrote that Balance "emblematizes the artistic diligence" driving van Buuren since his debut appearance, while comprising a "broad assembly of dance styles, anthemic chord progressions, vocal-centric constructions, and ear-catching lyrical concepts and hooks". She praised the variety of both dance-pop and trance tracks within the album, which Narozniak felt showed van Buuren's willingness to go beyond his "sonic comfort zone" of producing traditional trance music.[1]

Track listing edit

Track details and metadata adapted from Apple Music.[5]

Side 1
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Sucker for Love" (with Avalan)
  • Armin van Buuren
  • Avalan
  • de Goeij
  • Hoogwerf
2:56
2."Something Real" (with Avian Grays featuring Jordan Shaw)
  • Armin van Buuren
  • Avian Grays
  • de Goeij
  • Andreas Moe
  • Eelke Kalberg
  • Ryan Fieret
  • Jesse Draak
  • Jordan Shaw
  • Armin van Buuren
  • Avian Grays
2:59
3."Wild Wild Son" (featuring Sam Martin)
  • Armin van Buuren
  • de Goeij
3:33
4."Phone Down" (with Garibay featuring Justin Stein)
3:12
5."Blah Blah Blah"
Armin van Buuren3:03
6."Sunny Days" (featuring Josh Cumbee)
3:30
7."Runaway" (featuring Candace Sosa)
  • Armin van Buuren
  • de Goeij
  • Candace Nicole Sosa
  • Jordan Young
  • Armin van Buuren
  • de Goeij
3:57
8."It Could Be" (vs. Inner City)
  • Armin van Buuren
  • Saunderson
  • Svensson-Blixt
2:37
9."Unlove You" (featuring Ne-Yo)
  • Armin van Buuren
  • de Goeij
  • Wilson
  • Person
2:30
10."Therapy" (featuring James Newman)
  • Armin van Buuren
  • de Goeij
3:06
11."Waking Up with You" (featuring David Hodges)
  • Armin van Buuren
  • de Goeij
  • Jaden Michaels
  • David Hodges
  • David Naish
Armin van Buuren2:59
12."Sex, Love & Water" (featuring Conrad Sewell)
  • Armin van Buuren
  • Lopez
  • Storch
3:17
13."Don't Give Up on Me" (with Lucas & Steve featuring Josh Cumbee)
3:05
14."Don't Let Me Go" (featuring Matluck)
  • Armin van Buuren
  • de Goeij
  • Roel Schutrups
  • Diederik Bakker
  • Maxwell Elliot
  • Federico Vindver
  • Jesse Draak
  • Armin van Buuren
  • de Goeij
  • Schutrups
  • Bakker
  • Draak
3:15
Total length:43:59
Side 2
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
15."La résistance de l'amour" (vs. Shapov)
3:31
16."Million Voices"
  • Armin van Buuren
  • de Goeij
  • Bullimore
  • Record
  • Alistair Lloyd-Webber
  • Armin van Buuren
  • de Goeij
3:07
17."Show Me Love" (vs. Above & Beyond)
3:31
18."Song I Sing" (featuring HALIENE)
  • Armin van Buuren
  • de Goeij
4:22
19."High on Your Love" (with Rudimental featuring James Newman)
  • Armin van Buuren
  • de Goeij
3:08
20."I Need You" (with Garibay featuring Olaf Blackwood)
  • Armin van Buuren
  • Garibay
3:26
21."Lonely for You" (featuring Bonnie McKee)
  • Armin van Buuren
  • de Goeij
3:13
22."Always" (with BT featuring Nation of One)
  • Armin van Buuren
  • BT
  • de Goeij
3:39
23."Turn It Up"
Armin van Buuren2:52
24."Mr. Navigator" (vs. Tempo Giusto)
2:32
25."Revolution" (with Luke Bond featuring KARRA)
  • Armin van Buuren
  • Lucas Bond
  • Karra Jillian Madden
  • Armin van Buuren
  • Luke Bond
3:16
26."All Comes Down" (featuring Cimo Frankel)
  • Armin van Buuren
  • de Goeij
  • Cimo Frankel
  • Yoshi Green
  • Rik Anemma
  • Armin van Buuren
  • de Goeij
3:17
27."Miles Away" (featuring Sam Martin)
  • Armin van Buuren
  • de Goeij
  • Martin
  • Armin van Buuren
  • de Goeij
3:46
28."Stickup"
  • Armin van Buuren
  • de Goeij
  • Armin van Buuren
  • de Goeij
2:49
Total length:46:29

Charts edit

Chart (2019) Peak
position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[6] 70
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[7] 47
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[8] 99
Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI)[9] 70
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[10] 11
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[11] 45
Polish Albums (ZPAV)[12] 15
Scottish Albums (OCC)[13] 77
Slovak Albums (ČNS IFPI)[14] 55
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[15] 52
UK Dance Albums (OCC)[16] 1
US Top Dance/Electronic Albums (Billboard)[17] 13

Certifications edit

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Netherlands (NVPI)[18] Gold 20,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References edit

  1. ^ a b Narozniak, Rachel (25 October 2019). "Armin van Buuren's 7th studio album heeds its name: 'Balance' [Album Review]". Dancing Astronaut. Archived from the original on 22 December 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  2. ^ Lombardo, Scott (5 September 2019). "Armin van Buuren announces album title and ASOT 950 Event". EDMTunes. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  3. ^ "Armin van Buuren's 'Balance' album tracklist features HALIENE, Tempo Giusto, BT and... NE-YO". 6 September 2019.
  4. ^ "Armin van Buuren Announces New Album: 'Balance' – Armin van Buuren".
  5. ^ "Balance by Armin van Buuren". Apple Music.
  6. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Armin van Buuren – Balance" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  7. ^ "Ultratop.be – Armin van Buuren – Balance" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  8. ^ "Ultratop.be – Armin van Buuren – Balance" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  9. ^ "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 44.Týden 2019 on the field besides the words "CZ – ALBUMS – TOP 100" to retrieve the correct chart. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  10. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Armin van Buuren – Balance" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  11. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Armin van Buuren – Balance" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
  12. ^ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  13. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  14. ^ "Slovak Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  15. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Armin van Buuren – Balance". Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
  16. ^ "Official Dance Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  17. ^ "Armin van Buuren Chart History (Top Dance/Electronic Albums)". Billboard.
  18. ^ "Dutch album certifications – Armin Van Buuren – Balance" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved 2 November 2019. Enter Balance in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 2019 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".