The Dave Strickson Music Archive

Saturday, 9 July 2022

Gold Rush Kid Album • George Ezra • 2022

Gold Rush Kid is the third studio album by English singer-songwriter George Ezra. The album was released on 10 June 2022 by Columbia Records. The album was promoted by three singles, "Anyone for You (Tiger Lily)", "Green Green Grass", and "I Went Hunting".

It became his third consecutive number-one album in the UK.

Planet Zero Album • Shinedown • 2022

Planet Zero is the seventh studio album by American rock band Shinedown, released on July 1, 2022. The release date was originally set for April 22, 2022, but was postponed due to a delay in CD and vinyl production.

It was announced on January 26, 2022, alongside the lead single of the same name. It was produced and mixed by bassist Eric Bass, making it the second album to be handled by Bass following Attention Attention. It was written and recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bass' newly built Big Animal Studio in Charleston, South Carolina. The sound is described by lead singer Brent Smith as much more stripped down in terms of sound than previous records. He also describes it as "controversial" and it would touch upon subjects that the band has shied away from in the past.

= Album • Ed Sheeran • 2021

= ("equals") is the fourth studio album by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, released on 29 October 2021 by Asylum and Atlantic Records. The album was supported by the singles "Bad Habits", "Shivers", "Overpass Graffiti", "The Joker and the Queen", "2step" and a promotional single, "Visiting Hours".

Upon release, = received generally mixed reviews from music critics, who appreciated Sheeran's emerging sonic experimentation but criticised its production nevertheless. The album reached number one in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Scotland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The Christmas edition of the album was released on 3 December 2021, although it was removed later on. It contains a sole guest appearance from fellow English singer-songwriter Elton John on the song "Merry Christmas", while the standard edition does not have any guest appearances.

The tour edition of the album was released on 27 May 2022. It contains his 2 songs from the 2019 film Yesterday, "One Life" and "Penguins", and 2 brand new songs, "I Will Remember You" and "Welcome to the World". The reissue also contains the 2020 single "Afterglow", the single version of "The Joker and the Queen" featuring American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, the single version of "2step", featuring American rapper Lil Baby, a remix of "Bad Habits" featuring British rock band Bring Me the Horizon, and his collaboration with Nigerian singer Fireboy DML, "Peru". A second remix of "2step" is also included in the reissue in some countries.

Harry's House Album • Harry Styles • 2022

Harry's House is the third studio album by English singer and songwriter Harry Styles, released on 20 May 2022 by Columbia and Erskine Records. The album was largely written and recorded during 2020 and 2021 and has been noted as Styles' most introspective work. Musically, it is inspired by city pop and features pop-funk, pop rock, synth-pop and R&B styles.

Despite the album reportedly being leaked a month before its release, Harry's House showcased the best first-week sales in Harry Styles' career. The album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart with 113,000 album-equivalent units, becoming the fastest-selling album of 2022 in the country. It also debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with 521,500 album-equivalent units, including 330,000 album sales, making it the largest opening week of 2022 in the United States. It debuted at number one in various other countries, including Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

Harry's House was met with critical acclaim. It was supported by the singles "As It Was" and "Late Night Talking"; the former debuted atop the UK and US charts, becoming Styles' second solo number-one song in both countries. Besides the chart-topper "As It Was", three other songs were concurrently in the top 10 of the US Billboard Hot 100: "Late Night Talking", "Music for a Sushi Restaurant" and "Matilda", making Styles the first British solo artist to achieve this feat.

Last Night In The Bittersweet Album • Paolo Nutini • 2022

Last Night in the Bittersweet is the fourth studio album by Scottish singer-songwriter Paolo Nutini, released on 1 July 2022 by Atlantic Records. Two songs from the album, "Through the Echoes" and "Lose It", were jointly released on 11 May 2022. Last Night in the Bittersweet is Nutini's first release in eight years, following his third studio album, Caustic Love (2014).