We May Grow Old But We Never Grow Up is the eighth studio album by English musician Example, released on 17 June 2022 through BMG.
| We May Grow Old But We Never Grow Up | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 17 June 2022 | |||
| Recorded | 2020-2022 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 47:52 | |||
| Label | BMG | |||
| Producer |
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| Example chronology | ||||
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| Singles from We May Grow Old But We Never Grow Up | ||||
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Background and development edit
After releasing his seventh album Some Nights Last for Days through his own label Staneric Recordings in June 2020, Gleave signed an exclusive global recording deal with BMG in August 2021. This marked the first time Gleave signed to a public label since 2018, having been an independent artist since then.
Gleave wrote and recorded the majority of the album in his Brisbane studio alongside producer James Angus, often uploading videos on his Instagram story featuring snippets of songs throughout the recording process. Gleave also collaborated with Brisbane-based singer-songwriter Brooke Toia, performing under the stage name Penny Ivy, on most of the album’s tracks credited as a co-writer and performer. While announcing the album, Gleave stated “It’s the best album I’ve ever made. Hands down. Garage. Grime. DnB. House. Techno. Drill. Yes, DRILL."
The album's cover art was revealed on 6 May, with the tracklist and pre-order following on 22 May.
In an interview with Rolling Stone Australia, in regards to the album's title, Gleave stated "I’m about to turn 40, and this new album comes out the week of my 40th birthday, essentially, what the album is saying is 'just because we’re getting a bit older, doesn’t mean we can’t still have fun'.”
Singles edit
- "Every Single Time" is the album's lead single. Released on 3 September 2021, it was produced by record producer What So Not and features vocals from singer-songwriter Lucy Lucy.
- "Never Let You Down" is the second single from the album. A collaboration with drum and bass producer Kanine, it was released on 28 January 2022 and features vocals from singer-songwriter Penny Ivy.
- "Deep" was released on 4 May 2022 as the third and final single from the album. It is a collaboration with record producer Bou and features vocals from singer-songwriter Nonô.
Reception edit
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Oz EDM | 4.5/5[2] |
| Rolling Stone Australia | (favourable)[4] |
| We Rave You | (favourable)[5] |
| The Yorkshire Times | (favourable)[6] |
The album received mostly positive reviews from music critics and fans, many citing the fun nature of the album, as well as highlighting the exploration of different genres throughout and Gleave's growth as an artist over the years, with some even calling the album his best work to date.[7]
Track listing edit
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "We May Grow Old But We Never Grow Up" |
| Sheldrake | 3:33 |
| 2. | "Dot Dot Dot" (featuring Nerve and Local) |
| Angus | 3:44 |
| 3. | "Original" |
| Angus | 3:00 |
| 4. | "Best Laid Plans" (featuring Penny Ivy) |
|
| 3:33 |
| 5. | "Deep" (with Bou featuring Nonô) |
| Bou | 3:07 |
| 6. | "Sideways" |
| Nero | 3:29 |
| 7. | "Every Single Time" (featuring Lucy Lucy and What So Not) |
|
| 2:47 |
| 8. | "Faith" (with Majestic) |
|
| 3:20 |
| 9. | "I'm About (Only Got Today)" (featuring Westneat and Penny Ivy) |
|
| 2:56 |
| 10. | "Rainy Days" |
|
| 3:39 |
| 11. | "Internal Affairs" (featuring Livsey) |
|
| 2:39 |
| 12. | "Never Let You Down" (with Kanine featuring Penny Ivy) |
| Kanine | 3:08 |
| 13. | "Dumm" |
|
| 2:22 |
| 14. | "Won't Forget You" (with Tommy Trash featuring Window Kid) |
| Tommy Trash | 3:20 |
| 15. | "Egyptian Cotton" (featuring Local, JME and Westneat) |
|
| 3:07 |
| Total length: | 47:52 | |||
Personnel edit
- Elliot Gleave – vocals, writing, additional producer
- James Angus – producer, mixing, writing
- Amine Bouguenna – producer, mixing (5)
- Christopher John Emerson – producer, mixing (7)
- Samuel Wire – producer, mixing, writing (8)
- Joe Higgins – producer, mixing, writing (10)
- Fergus Bossert – producer, mixing (12)
- Thomas Olsen – producer, mixing (14)
- Toby Nicholls – vocals, writing (2)
- Richard Sheppard – vocals, writing (2, 15)
- Brooke Toia – vocals, writing (4, 9, 12), additional writing (1, 10, 11, 13, 15)
- Noemia Lellis – vocals, writing (5)
- Lucy Washington – vocals, writing (7)
- Kevin Christie – vocals, writing (8)
- Cameron Westneat-Smith – vocals, writing (9, 15)
- Oliver Livsey – vocals, writing (11)
- Greg Pikett – vocals, writing (14)
- Jamie Adenuga – vocals, writing (15)
- Wez Clarke – writing (6, 8)
- Erin McNaught – writing (12)
- Chandler Jevon Hammond – writing (15)
Charts edit
| Chart (2022) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[8] | 37 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[9] | 64 |
| UK Dance Albums (OCC)[10] | 5 |
References edit
- ^ "English/Australian musician Example talks about his cinematic new album". Rolling Stone Australia. 20 June 2022.
- ^ a b "Global music icon Example delivers his highly anticipated 8th studio album We May Grow Old But We Never Grow Up featuring epic collabs". Oz EDM. 8 July 2022.
- ^ "Example reflects on his latest album and a decade of musical success". Headliner Magazine. 17 June 2022.
- ^ "English/Australian musician Example talks about his cinematic new album". Rolling Stone Australia. 20 June 2022.
- ^ "Example returns with memorable new album We May Grow Old But We Never Grow Up". We Rave You. 23 June 2022.
- ^ "Album Review: Example - We May Grow Old But We Never Grow Up". The Yorkshire Times. 31 July 2022.
- ^ "Example Leaves Fans Reminiscing on Latest Album". EDM Identity. 18 June 2022.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
- ^ "Official Dance Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 June 2022.