Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack Ü is the debut studio album by dance duo Jack Ü, known individually as Skrillex and Diplo. It was released on February 27, 2015 by OWSLA and Mad Decent, Skrillex and Diplo's respective labels. The album is a dance and trap-infused album, featuring collaborations with a range of artists including Kiesza, AlunaGeorge, 2 Chainz, Missy Elliott, Justin Bieber and upcoming producer SNAILS.[1] It also features the Trinidadian soca artist Bunji Garlin. The album produced the internationally successful single "Where Are Ü Now" featuring Justin Bieber.
The album won the Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronica Album and "Where Are Ü Now" won the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards.
Background
The first track to emerge from the duo was "Take U There" featuring Canadian musician Kiesza. In an interview with BBC Radio 1's Zane Lowe, Skrillex explained that the making of this song had a unique process: He and Diplo were set to play a show in Ibiza when they saw Canadian pop singer Kiesza perform ahead of them. Impressed with her singing, they asked her to do the vocals for a song. They recorded her in their hotel room and finished the song in one night. During a set at Camp Question Mark of the Burning Man festival (one of eight different sets they played over the course of the festival), the duo played "Take U There" along with an unreleased track titled "To U", of the electro and future bass genres, featuring vocals from AlunaGeorge. "Beat Steady Knockin'", which features vocals by New Orleans bounce artists Fly Boi Keno, was also played. It was later re-titled "Beats Knockin'" for the album's release.
In early 2015, Jack U played numerous unreleased tracks in a two-hour takeover mix on BBC Radio 1Xtra. Tracks played included "Febreze" featuring 2 Chainz, "Jungle Bae", "Cumbia" featuring Maluca and a new collaboration with SNAILS entitled "Holla Out". "Febreze", "Jungle Bae" and "Holla Out" were all included on the album, while "Cumbia" featuring Maluca was excluded from the album. Skrillex has also mentioned that Jack U has "got five songs that we made that aren't even released, and we'll end up releasing in 2014". On February 27, 2015, Skrillex and Diplo released the album on iTunes. Alongside the previously revealed six tracks, the album's release included unannounced songs "Where Are U Now" featuring Justin Bieber, "Mind" featuring Kai and vocals from Skrillex, "Don't Do Drugs Just Take Some Jack U" and a remixed version of "Take U There" with Missy Elliott.[2]
Singles
"Take U There" featuring Kiesza was released as the lead single from the album on October 4, 2014, reaching number sixteen on the UK Dance Chart. "Where Are U Now" was released as the second official single simultaneously with the album on February 27, 2015. The song is a collaboration with Canadian musician Justin Bieber. The track has so far reached number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 3 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the duo's biggest hit on both charts thus far. Moreover, the song peaked at number three in Australia, currently the highest peak of the single worldwide. The song was hugely successful throughout Europe, reached the top-ten in Sweden and Finland, as well as the top-twenty in Norway, Czech Republic, Denmark and Slovakia. It has also charted in Bieber's native Canada, peaking at number 6. Although not released as an official single, "To U" was added to BBC Radio 1Xtra's C-Playlist on 23 March 2015.[3]
Critical reception
The album overall received positive reviews from music critics.
Track listing
1. |
"Don't Do Drugs Just Take Some Jack Ü" |
2:05 |
2. |
"Beats Knockin" (featuring Fly Boi Keno) |
2:53 |
3. |
"Take Ü There" (featuring Kiesza) |
3:30 |
4. |
"Febreze" (featuring 2 Chainz) |
3:34 |
5. |
"To Ü" (featuring AlunaGeorge) |
3:57 |
6. |
"Jungle Bae" (featuring Bunji Garlin and MX Prime) |
3:28 |
7. |
"Mind" (featuring Kai) |
4:02 |
8. |
"Holla Out" (featuring Snails and Taranchyla) |
4:16 |
9. |
"Where Are Ü Now" (with Justin Bieber) |
4:10 |
10. |
"Take Ü There" (featuring Kiesza) (Missy Elliott Remix) |
3:30 |
11. |
"Take Ü There" (featuring Kiesza) (Zeds Dead Remix) |
4:08 |
12. |
"Take Ü There" (featuring Kiesza) (Tujamo Remix) |
4:31 |
- Sample Credits
- "Holla Out" features a sample from "Train Sequence" by Geoffrey Sumner.
Commercial performance
The album entered the Billboard 200 chart at number 26, selling 14,000 copies in its first week of release.[17]
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Release history
References
- ↑ "Skrillex, Diplo Release Surprise Jack U Album During 24-Hour DJ Set". February 27, 2015. Retrieved April 13, 2015.
- ↑ "Listen to Justin Bieber on new Skrillex and Diplo track 'Where Are U Now'". February 27, 2015. Retrieved April 13, 2015.
- ↑ "Radio 1Xtra Playlist". Retrieved April 13, 2015.
- ↑ "Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack U reviews". Metacritic. 27 February 2015. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
- ↑ Dennehy, Ryan (March 11, 2015). "Jack U – Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack U". AbsolutePunk. SpinMedia. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
- ↑ Khal (March 2, 2015). "Review: Skrillex and Diplo's "Jack U" Gives a Glimpse of the Next Phase of EDM". Complex. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
- ↑ Staples, Derek (March 10, 2015). "Jack U – Skrillex and Diplo present Jack U". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
- ↑ Cragg, Michael (February 27, 2015). "Skrillex & Diplo Presents Jack U spreads itself too thin to work as an album – first listen review". The Guardian. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
- ↑ Renshaw, David (March 4, 2015). "Jack U - 'Skrillex And Diplo Presents Jack U'". NME. Time Inc. UK. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
- ↑ Christgau, Robert (September 11, 2015). "Young Thug's Most Useful Performance Since 'Black Portland': Expert Witness with Robert Chistgau". Noisey. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
- ↑ Goble, Corban (March 5, 2015). "Various Artists: Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack U". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
- ↑ Murray, Nick (March 6, 2015). "Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack U". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
- ↑ Weiss, Dan (March 3, 2015). "Review: Skrillex and Diplo Put the Umlaut in WUb-WUb-WUb on 'Jack U'". Spin. SpinMedia. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
- ↑ Tart, Chris (February 27, 2015). "“SKRILLEX AND DIPLO PRESENT JACK U” FT 2 CHAINZ, MISSY ELLIOTT, KIESZA, ALUNAGEORGE, BIEBER & MORE [OFFICIAL FULL ALBUM STREAM + ZUMIC REVIEW]". Zumic. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
- ↑ "Skrillex & Diplo – Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack U". Retrieved April 13, 2015.
- ↑ "スクリレックス・アンド・ディプロ・プレゼント・ジャック U(EP)" (in Japanese). Amazon.co.jp.
- ↑ Murray, Gordon (March 6, 2015). "Skrillex & Diplo's 'Jack U' Debuts at No. 1 on Top Dance/Electronic Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
- ↑ "Skrillex & Diplo – Present Jack U". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
- ↑ "The ARIA Report: Issue 1306 (Week Commencing 9 March 2015)" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. p. 17. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
- ↑ "Skrillex & Diplo – Present Jack U" (in Dutch). Ultratop.be. Hung Medien. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
- ↑ "Skrillex – Chart history" Billboard Canadian Albums Chart for Skrillex.
- ↑ "Skrillex & Diplo – Present Jack U". Danishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
- ↑ "Skrillex & Diplo – Present Jack U" (in Dutch). Dutchcharts.nl. Hung Medien. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
- ↑ "Skrillex,Diplo: Skrillex And Diplo Present Jack U" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
- ↑ "Top 40 album DVD és válogatáslemez-lista – 2015. 23. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
- ↑ "Skrillex & Diplo – Present Jack U". Charts.org.nz. Hung Medien. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
- ↑ "Skrillex & Diplo – Present Jack U". Norwegiancharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved March 14, 2015.
- ↑ "Skrillex & Diplo – Present Jack U". Swedishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
- ↑ Zywietz, Tobias. "Chart Log UK: New Entries Update - 7.03.2015 (wk9)". Zobbel.de. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
- ↑ "2015-03-14 Top 40 Dance Albums Archive". Official Charts Company.
- ↑ "Skrillex – Chart history" Billboard 200 for Skrillex.
- ↑ "Skrillex – Chart history" Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums for Skrillex.
- ↑ "Billboard 200 - Year-end Chart". Retrieved December 9, 2015.
- ↑ "Billboard Top Dance/Electronic Albums - Year-end Chart". Billboard. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
- ↑ "iTunes - Music - Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack U by Skrillex & Diplo". iTunes Store (GB).
- ↑ "Amazon.com: Skrillex & Diplo Present Jack U (Explicit)". Amazon.com.
- ↑ "Skrillex & Diplo Present Jack U by Skrillex & Diplo: Amazon.co.uk: Music". Amazon.co.uk.