Taking One for the Team

Taking One for the Team is the fifth studio album by Canadian rock band Simple Plan. It was released on February 19, 2016 through Atlantic Records and represents the band's first full-length record in nearly five years.[4] Following the release of three buzz singles in mid-2015, the band released "I Don't Wanna Go to Bed" featuring American rapper Nelly as the official lead single for the album on October 16, 2015.[5] It debuted at number 4 on the Canadian Albums Chart, earning the band their fourth consecutive top-5 and a perfect streak of top-10s for their first five studio albums. It is the band's final album release as a quintet, as bassist David Desrosiers left Simple Plan in July 2020 due to sexual misconduct allegations.[6] It is also the band's last album released through Atlantic, as the band fulfilled their contract to the label with this album.[7]

Taking One for the Team
Studio album by
Simple Plan
ReleasedFebruary 19, 2016 (2016-02-19)
RecordedMarch – November 2015[1]
StudioWest Valley, Woodland Hills, California; Sparky Dark, Calabasas, California
Genre
Length46:10
LabelAtlantic
Producer
Simple Plan chronology
Get Your Heart On – The Second Coming!
(2013)		 Taking One for the Team
(2016)		 Harder Than It Looks
(2022)
Singles from Taking One for the Team
  1. "I Don't Wanna Go to Bed"
    Released: October 16, 2015
  2. "Singing in the Rain"
    Released: March 25, 2016
  3. "Perfectly Perfect"
    Released: September 26, 2016

Production

Sessions for Taking One for the Team were held at West Valley Studios in Woodland Hills, California and Sparky Dark Studio in Calabasas, California. Howard Benson produced all of the songs, with co-production from Ryan Stewart on "Perfectly Perfect", while recording was handled by Mike Plotnikoff and Hatsukazu "Hatch" Inagaki. Paul DeCarli did digital editing, and Wendell Teague and Chris Bousquet served as assistant engineers. Neal Avron mixed the recordings, with assistance from Scott Skrzynski, at The Casita in Hollywood, California. Chris Gehringer mastered the album at Sterling Sound in New York City.[8]

Singles

"I Don't Wanna Go to Bed" was released October 16, 2015 as the album's official lead single.[9] The song features pop and funk influences in a stylistic departure from the pop punk and pop rock of the group is earlier work. A Baywatch-inspired music video premiered October 15, 2015 – a day before the song's digital release.[5] It has since peaked outside the top 50 on the Canadian Hot 100 at number 54.[10]

"Singing in the Rain" was released as second single from the album on March 25, 2016.[11][12] However, the single version of the song does not feature R. City.[13] The music video for "Singing in the Rain was released on April 12, 2016; set in the 1960s, it was a tribute to the movie That Thing You Do.

"Perfectly Perfect" was announced as the third official single on September 26, 2016.[14]

Other songs

The first song released from the era was "Saturday" on June 22, 2015.[15] In September 2015, drummer Chuck Comeau revealed the song would not be featured on the album.[16]

"Boom" was released August 28, 2015 as the second promotional single after its music video premiered a day earlier.[17][18]

A third buzz track, "I Don't Wanna Be Sad", was released September 18, 2015.[19] Initially presumed to be the album's first official single, it was later announced to be a promotional track only.

The band released the album tracks steadily leading up to the release date. A music video for "Opinion Overload" was released on February 5, 2016.[20][21] "Farewell" was released on February 14, followed by[22] "I Refuse" on February 15,[2] "Nostalgic",[23] "P.S. I Hate You"[24] and "Perfectly Perfect".[25]

At the end of the album, Canadian sports announcer Bob Cole calls a fictional ice hockey game featuring Simple Plan, concluding with, "Oh my goodness, can you believe it? Just like that, Simple Plan have won the game!".[26]

Reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic65/100[27]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[26]
Kerrang![28]
Consequence of SoundD+[2]

Taking One for the Team received generally favorable reviews from music critics. On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 65 based on 4 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[27]

Neil Z. Yeung of AllMusic called the record "pure, no-frills, feel-good fun, a start-to-finish crowd-pleaser for fans of that classic pop-punk sound." He concluded about the band's musical stance they made with their album: "When music is presented this directly, and after so many years holding firm to a particular style, it's hard to root against them […] Simple Plan -- whose members were in their late thirties at the time of recording -- are the comeback underdog team, winning whether critics like it or not."[26] Collin Brennan of Consequence of Sound commended the band for their longevity and continuation to deliver "earnest sentimentalism" through "heavy music for people who don't like heavy music" but was heavily critical towards their attempts at different soundscapes on "Singing in the Rain" and "I Don't Wanna Go to Bed", concluding that "[W]hen their punches land, you want to bless these guys for sticking to their guns and not growing up. But the misses are real and painful, and they make Taking One For the Team a far more embarrassing listen than it needed to be."[2]

Track listing

All writing credits per booklet.[8]

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Opinion Overload"
  • Simple Plan
  • Nathaniel Company
3:19
2."Boom!"
  • Simple Plan
  • Ryan Ogren
  • Nick Bailey
3:10
3."Kiss Me Like Nobody's Watching"
  • Simple Plan
3:22
4."Farewell" (featuring Jordan Pundik)
  • Simple Plan
  • Ogren
  • Bailey
3:21
5."Singing in the Rain" (featuring R. City)
  • Simple Plan
  • Theron Thomas
  • Timothy Thomas
3:42
6."Everything Sucks"
  • Simple Plan
3:31
7."I Refuse"
  • Simple Plan
3:18
8."I Don't Wanna Go to Bed" (featuring Nelly)
  • Simple Plan
  • Christopher J. Baran
  • Comell Haynes
3:08
9."Nostalgic"
  • Simple Plan
  • Company
3:06
10."Perfectly Perfect"
3:07
11."I Don't Wanna Be Sad"
  • Simple Plan
3:13
12."P.S. I Hate You"
  • Simple Plan
  • Stewart
3:03
13."Problem Child"
  • Simple Plan
  • Justin Tranter
3:41
14."I Dream About You" (featuring Juliet Simms)
  • Simple Plan
3:09
Bonus tracks
French bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
15."I Don't Wanna Go to Bed" (feat. Nelly) (French version)
  • Simple Plan
  • Baran
  • Haynes
3:08
Japanese bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
15."Summer Paradise" (live) 
16."I'd Do Anything" (live) 

Charts
Chart (2016) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[29] 12
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[30] 18
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[31] 45
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[32] 105
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[33] 4
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[34] 59
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[35] 30
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[36] 21
Scottish Albums (OCC)[37] 37
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[38] 11
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[39] 10
UK Albums (OCC)[40] 44
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC)[41] 4
US Billboard 200[42] 94
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[43] 15

Personnel

Personnel per booklet.[8]

References
  1. "Simple Plan - Timeline Photos" (It's officially happening! We're really excited to...). Facebook. February 13, 2015. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
  2. Brennan, Collin (February 16, 2016). "Simple Plan – Taking One For the Team Album Review". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on February 18, 2016. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
  3. Glitto, Tom (February 29, 2016). "People Picks". People: 51.
  4. "Taking One for the Team by Simple Plan". iTunes Store (Canada). Apple Inc. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
  5. Gonshor, Adam (October 15, 2015). "SIMPLE PLAN + NELLY + DAVID HASSELHOFF???!!!". Warner Music Canada. Archived from the original on December 23, 2015. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
  6. "Simple Plan's David Desrosiers leaves band following sexual misconduct allegations". Global News. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  7. "Pierre on Simple Plan leaving their record label Atlantic Records: "The deal is done. We're free agents now."". EN: SimplePlan.cz. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  8. Taking One for the Team (booklet). Simple Plan. Atlantic Records. 2016. 7567-86657-3.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. "I Don't Wanna Go to Bed (feat. Nelly) - Single by Simple Plan". iTunes Store (Canada). Apple Inc. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
  10. "Simple Plan - Chart history (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
  11. "Singing In The Rain (Explicit, Single) by Simple Plan : Napster". Rhapsody.com. March 25, 2016. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  12. Simple Plan [@simpleplan] (March 30, 2016). "Simple Plan on Twitter: "Check out our new single "Singing In The Rain" in the Top 10 on #TheScene playlist @Spotify"" (Tweet). Retrieved September 26, 2016 – via Twitter.
  13. "Singing in the Rain - Single by Simple Plan on iTunes". iTunes. Archived from the original on April 12, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  14. "Simple Plan - "Perfectly Perfect is about being in love with someone and seeing beauty in every part of them, even the parts they don't like about themselves..."" (photo). Facebook. September 26, 2016. Retrieved September 26, 2016. Buy our #TeamSP album featuring the single
  15. "Saturday - Single by Simple Plan". iTunes Store (Canada). Apple Inc. 22 June 2015. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
  16. Chuck Comeau [@chuckcomeau] (September 17, 2015). "no. Saturday will not be on the new album" (Tweet). Retrieved December 23, 2015 – via Twitter.
  17. "Boom - Single by Simple Plan". iTunes Store (Canada). Apple Inc. Archived from the original on December 2, 2015. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
  18. Sherman, Maria (August 28, 2015). "Simple Plan Returns! Check Out The Star-Studded "Boom" Now". Fuse. Fuse Networks, LLC. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
  19. "I Don't Wanna Be Sad - Single by Simple Plan". iTunes Store (Canada). Apple Inc. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
  20. "Simple Plan Premiere New Song/Video, Opinion Overload". Kerrang!. February 5, 2016. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  21. Simple Plan (February 4, 2016). "Simple Plan - "We are so excited to share with all of you the video for "Opinion Overload", the opening song of our new album "Taking One For The Team"..."" (post). Facebook. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  22. "Stream Simple Plan's new track "Farewell" featuring New Found Glory's Jordan Pundik (exclusive)". Alternative Press. February 14, 2016. Archived from the original on February 16, 2016. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  23. Biddulph, Andy (February 16, 2016). "Simple Plan Have Unveiled A Nostalgic New Song". Rock Sound. Archived from the original on April 6, 2022. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  24. "Simple Plan - P.S. I Hate You (Lyrics)". YouTube. February 17, 2016. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  25. "CBC Music". Music.cbc.ca. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  26. Yeung, Neil Z. "Taking One for the Team - Simple Plan". AllMusic. Archived from the original on April 4, 2022. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
  27. "Taking One for the Team by Simple Plan". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on April 12, 2022. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  28. Jennyfer J. Walker (February 17, 2016). "TAKING ONE FOR THE TEAM MONTREAL POP-PUNKS MAKE ANOTHER SIMPLE PLAN ALBUM THAT SOUNDS JUST LIKE SIMPLE PLAN". Kerrang!. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  29. "Australiancharts.com – Simple Plan – Taking One for the Team". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  30. "Austriancharts.at – Simple Plan – Taking One for the Team" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
  31. "Ultratop.be – Simple Plan – Taking One for the Team" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  32. "Ultratop.be – Simple Plan – Taking One for the Team" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  33. "Simple Plan Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
  34. "Dutchcharts.nl – Simple Plan – Taking One for the Team" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  35. "Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline" (in German). Musicline.de. Phononet GmbH. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  36. 29, 2016/ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: February 29, 2016" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  37. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  38. "Spanishcharts.com – Simple Plan – Taking One for the Team". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  39. "Swisscharts.com – Simple Plan – Taking One for the Team". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
  40. "Simple Plan | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  41. "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  42. "Simple Plan Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
  43. "Simple Plan Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
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