Generationwhy

Generationwhy is the debut studio album by American electronic music producer Zhu, released on July 29, 2016 by Columbia Records.[1] The album features works and vocals from the likes of Maya Angelou, Jaymes Young, Nylo, Mitch Bell, Nikola Bedingfield, Adam Schmalholz, and Broods. The album followed after the success of ZHU's collaborative debut EP Genesis Series, released in 2015.

This article is about the album. For the demographic cohort, see Millennials.

Generationwhy
Studio album by
Zhu
ReleasedJuly 29, 2016
Recorded2015–16
GenreElectronic
Length59:00
Label
Producer
Zhu chronology
Genesis Series EP
(2015)		 Generationwhy
(2016)		 Ringos Desert
(2018)
Singles from Generationwhy
  1. "Working for It"
    Released: November 9, 2015
  2. "In the Morning"
    Released: February 25, 2016
  3. "Generationwhy"
    Released: June 13, 2016
  4. "Palm of My Hand"
    Released: July 15, 2016
  5. "Hometown Girl"
    Released: July 29, 2016

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
The Guardian[3]
Pitchfork4.8/10[4]

Upon release, Generationwhy received mixed reviews. The Guardian found Generationwhy an "at times, beguiling blend of mid-tempo electronic pop." Noting that ZHU successfully assimilated a lot of current Balearic dance music "influences into something distinctly his own", the review also argued that not all the songs transcended "the tropes of the genre that inspired them."[3] Drowned in Sound was somewhat less impressed: "The album is essentially a series of enjoyable yet unremarkable house-pop songs." That being said the reviewer found some redeeming qualities, "Unlike many of these artists, Zhu includes what might be a surprising amount of 'live' instrumentation which generally add to the noir feeling."[5]

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number 109 on the Billboard 200, selling 3,000 copies in its first week. It also debuted at number one on the Dance/Electronic Albums chart in the United States.[6]

Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Intro (Neon City)"
Zhu1:09
2."Cold Blooded"
Zhu4:18
3."In the Morning"
Zhu4:06
4."Secret Weapon"
  • Zhu
  • Andrea Landis
Zhu4:03
5."Electrify Me"ZhuZhu4:15
6."Numb"
  • Zhu
  • Mitch Bell
Zhu4:27
7."Palm of My Hand"
  • Zhu
  • Valentine Baran
Zhu6:13
8."Money"
  • Zhu
  • Bell
Zhu5:07
9."One Minute to Midnight"ZhuZhu4:15
10."Reaching"
Zhu4:31
11."Hometown Girl"
  • Zhu
  • McFarland
  • Zhu
  • Austin Languille
4:12
12."Good Life"
Zhu4:31
13."Generationwhy"ZhuZhu3:52
14."Working for It" (with Skrillex and THEY.) (bonus track)
3:51
Total length:59:00

Notes
  • "Intro (Neon City)" features uncredited spoken word from poetic writer Maya Angelou.
  • "Cold Blooded" features uncredited vocals from Jaymes Young.
  • "In the Morning" features sampled lyrics from "Touch Me" by Rui da Silva.
  • "Secret Weapon" features uncredited vocals from Nylo.
  • "Palm of My Hand" features uncredited spoken word from Valentine Baran.
  • "Reaching" features uncredited vocals from Nikola Bedingfield.
  • "Hometown Girl" features uncredited vocals from Jaymes Young.
  • "Good Life" features uncredited spoken word from Adam Schmalholz and uncredited vocals from Broods.

Charts
Chart (2016) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[7] 35
New Zealand Heatseeker Albums (RMNZ)[8] 1
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[9] 39
US Billboard 200[10] 109
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[11] 5
US Top Dance/Electronic Albums (Billboard)[12] 1

References
  1. "Generationwhy by ZHU". iTunes Store (US).
  2. "Generationwhy – Zhu". AllMusic.
  3. MacInnes, Paul (July 28, 2016). "Zhu: Generationwhy review – occasionally impressive tropical house". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
  4. "Zhu: Generationwhy Album Review". Pitchfork.
  5. "Album Review: Zhu - Generationwhy". Archived from the original on July 31, 2016. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
  6. "ZHU Zips to No. 1 on Top Dance/Electronic Albums". Billboard.
  7. "Australiancharts.com – Zhu – Generationwhy". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 6, 2016.
  8. "NZ Heatseeker Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. August 8, 2016. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
  9. "Swisscharts.com – Zhu – Generationwhy". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
  10. "ZHU Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
  11. "ZHU Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
  12. "ZHU Chart History (Top Dance/Electronic Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
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