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Don't Know What's Cool Anymore
Album artwork featuring all six band members in denim outfits, a pink logo above and album title below.
Studio album by
Alphabeat
Released1 November 2019
RecordedSeptember 2018 – July 2019
Studio
  • Det Gule Hus
  • The Bank
  • Frostbox
  • Keller
  • Gæsten
  • Radisson Aarhus
  • Brun Box
  • White Room
GenrePop
Length26:43
LabelWarner Music Denmark
Producer
  • Anders SG
  • Anders Bønløkke
  • Emil Falk
Alphabeat chronology
Express Non-Stop
(2012) 		Don't Know What's Cool Anymore
(2019)
Singles from Don't Know What's Cool Anymore
  1. "Shadows"
    Released: 1 March 2019
  2. "I Don't Know What's Cool Anymore"
    Released: 30 September 2019

Don't Know What's Cool Anymore is the fourth and final studio album by Danish band Alphabeat, their first since 2012's Express Non-Stop. It was released on 1 November 2019 by Warner Music Denmark[1] and is distributed by Absolute Label Services in the UK[2] and Atlantic Records in the US.[3]

Background and promotion

[edit]

Singles

[edit]

After a 6-year hiatus, Alphabeat announced their return on 1 March 2019 with the single "Shadows".[4] At the same time, they announced plans for a fourth studio album, citing a release window of October 2019.[5] In Denmark, "Shadows" reached number 19 on the singles chart[6] and was certified Gold.[7]

An EP of "Shadows" remixes was released on 24 May, containing reworkings by Alphalove, F9, Until Dawn and Country Club Martini Crew.[8] An acoustic recording of the track was released 14 June,[9] followed by a UK radio edit of the single on 10 September, mixed by "Fascination" and "10,000 Nights" producer Jeremy Wheatley.[10] On 16 October, the UK edit was added to the BBC Radio 2 playlist.[11]

On 30 August 2019, the band released the album's second single, "I Don't Know What's Cool Anymore". Alongside this, they announced the album itself with an expected release date of 1 November 2019.[1]

On 25 October, a second remix EP was released for the single "I Don't Know What's Cool Anymore", containing tracks by Faustix, Alphalove and Initial Talk.[12]

On 26 June 2020, Alphabeat released a reworking of the album track "Sometimes". Titled "Sometimes 2020", this version is produced by Dutch DJ Justus Schipper.[13] Schipper later released his own re-working of the track, the "Justus Remix", on 30 July.[14]

Music videos

[edit]

Alphabeat released three music videos to accompany the release of Don't Know What's Cool Anymore.

The first, a clip for lead single "Shadows", was released 1 March 2019.[15] A second, accompanying the band's second single "I Don't Know What's Cool Anymore", followed on 24 September.[16] A third, for the album track "Sing A Song" premiered 16 November,[17] however the track itself was not released as a single. All three of these videos were filmed, directed and edited by band members Anders Reinholdt and Rasmus Nagel.

Media appearances

[edit]

In promotion of the album, and its respective singles, Alphabeat have appeared on various radio and television programmes, including performing "Shadows" on both the Danish version of reality TV series X Factor[18] and British late-night talk show The Graham Norton Show.[19] The group have also performed "I Don't Know What's Cool Anymore" on both the Danish[20] and British[21] versions of dance competition series Dancing with the Stars.

In the week leading up to the album's release, Bramsen and SG, alongside guitarist Anders Bønlokke, appeared on both BBC Radio Scotland[22] and BBC Radio 2, the latter of which saw them performing acoustic versions of both "Shadows" and "Fascination".[23] The trio also appeared on album review podcast Track by Track, discussing each song from the release with hosts Dan Bull and Will Warren.[24] All six band members also featured on the cover of LGBT magazine QX[25] and Scandinavian lifestyle magazine Scan.[26]

On 2 November, Alphabeat played a medley of their hits as part of the 2019 Crown Prince Couple's Awards ceremony, aired live on Danish television. The group performed "I Don't Know What's Cool Anymore" and "Shadows", alongside classic hits "10,000 Nights", and "Fascination",[27]

Following the album's release, on 3 November Danish radio station DR P7 Mix dedicated a whole day of programming to the band. The broadcast totaled seven hours and culminated in a live performance of "Don't Know What's Cool Anymore" in full, followed by hits "DJ", "The Spell" and "Fascination".[28]

On 17 December 2019, the group appeared on TV 2's De Største Øjeblikke 2019 (English: The Greatest Moments 2019), performing album track "Back of My Bike" and single "Shadows".[29]

Touring

[edit]

The band have also supported the album through various live shows, including performing at SXSW in March 2019[30] and touring Denmark as part of Grøn Koncert during July 2019.[31]

Throughout February 2020, the group were due to play a series of headline shows in their native country,[32] with a tour of the United Kingdom following in April 2020.[10] In June 2020, the group were also due to play Fredagsrock, the Friday-night concert event at Copenhagen amusement park Tivoli,[33] and the London music festival Mighty Hoopla.[34]

Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, several of the band's 2020 dates were either cancelled[35][36][37] or rescheduled.[38] In place of these cancelations, the group performed "the only Alphabeat gig this Summer",[39] a live-streamed concert atop the Radisson Collection Hotel, Royal Copenhagen on 26 June.[40]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Classic Pop[41]
OK![42]
Stereoboard[43]

Initial reception to the album was mostly positive, with celebrity culture website CelebMix calling the record "a non-stop, popular musical masterpiece packed full of intelligent, well-crafted and well-produced perfect pop hits".[44] Music and entertainment website Essentially Pop too praised the record, naming it "a welcome breath of positivity in a worried world", whilst citing opening track "Shadows" as "high energy, fun, and effusive".[45]

OK! gave the album 4/5 stars, claiming the listener "won't be able to help hitting the dancefloor and throwing some old school shapes",[42] whilst New! gave a similarly positive review, claiming the album was "all killer, no filler".[46] Review website Stereoboard too praised the record, noting that the album "heralds a return to the more organic aesthetic of... This Is Alphabeat" and calling it a "nine track gem"; the website gave the release a 4/5 star rating.[43]

Music magazine Classic Pop was more critical, however, rating the album 4 stars. The publication praised the band's "timeless radio-friendly euphoria" but panned the short length of the album and the track "Sing a Song".[41] Nordic music fansite Scandipop praised "Sing a Song", however, calling it "brutally honest but tongue-in-cheek", whilst commending the record as a whole for being "wall-to-wall, heart-on-its-sleeve, brilliant, unabashed pop".[47]

Track listing

[edit]
Don't Know What's Cool Anymore track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Shadows"
  • Anders SG
  • Anders Bønløkke
  • Stine Bramsen
2:45
2."I Don't Know What's Cool Anymore"
  • Bønløkke
  • SG
  • Bramsen
  • Emil Falk
  • Daniella Binyamin
3:10
3."Back of My Bike"
  • SG
  • Bønløkke
  • Bramsen
  • Falk
2:46
4."Goldmine"
  • Bønløkke
  • SG
3:18
5."Sing a Song"
  • Bønløkke
  • SG
  • Bramsen
3:06
6."Sometimes"
  • Bønløkke
  • SG
3:05
7."Now You Know"
  • Bønløkke
  • SG
2:33
8."The Answer"
  • Bønløkke
  • SG
  • Bramsen
3:12
9."I'd Rather Die"
  • Bønløkke
  • SG
2:40
Total length:26:43

Personnel

[edit]

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for Don't Know What's Cool Anymore
Chart (2019) Peak
position
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[48] 9
UK Album Downloads (OCC)[49] 56
UK Album Sales (OCC)[50] 80
UK Physical Albums (OCC)[51] 96

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Alphabeat Announce New Album 'Don't Know What's Cool Anymore' – Out Nov 1". Essentially Pop. 30 August 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  2. ^ "Warner Music Denmark partners with Absolute for new Alphabeat album". Absolute Label Services. 23 July 2019. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
  3. ^ "Alphabeat Return From Hiatus With a Shimmery Dance Party in 'Shadows' Video: Exclusive". Billboard. 28 February 2019. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
  4. ^ "Alphabeat return after six years with new song "Shadows"". NME. 1 March 2019. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
  5. ^ "Alphabeat talk about their comeback and new single Shadows: "We've found something special again"". Official Charts Company. 1 March 2019. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
  6. ^ "danishcharts.dk - Alphabeat - Shadows". danishcharts.dk. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  7. ^ "Alphabeat "Shadows" - IFPI". IFPI Denmark (in Danish). 5 November 2019. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
  8. ^ "Shadows (Remixes) – EP by Alphabeat on Apple Music". Apple Music. 24 May 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  9. ^ "Shadows (Acoustic) - Single by Alphabeat on Apple Music". Apple Music. 14 June 2019. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  10. ^ a b "Alphabeat announce UK Tour and special mix of 'Shadows'". CelebMix. 17 September 2019. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  11. ^ "BBC Radio 2 on Twitter". BBC Radio 2. 16 October 2019. Retrieved 29 October 2019 – via Twitter.
  12. ^ "I Don't Know What's Cool Anymore (Remixes) - Single by Alphabeat on Apple Music". Apple Music. 25 October 2019. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  13. ^ "Alphabeat - Sometimes (2020, file) Discogs". Discogs. 1 November 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  14. ^ "Alphabeat - Sometimes 2020 (Justus Remix) [Official Audio]". 30 July 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2020 – via YouTube.
  15. ^ "Alphabeat - Shadows (Official Music Video)". Retrieved 24 September 2019 – via YouTube.
  16. ^ "Alphabeat - I Don't Know What's Cool Anymore (Official Music Video)". 24 September 2019. Retrieved 27 September 2019 – via YouTube.
  17. ^ "Arena show recap, TV fun, new merch and 'Sing A Song'". Alphabeat. 6 December 2019. Retrieved 7 December 2019 – via Mailchimp.
  18. ^ "Alphabeat - 'Shadows' (Live) - X Factor 2019 - TV 2". 12 April 2019. Retrieved 27 September 2019 – via YouTube.
  19. ^ "BBC One - The Graham Norton Show, Series 26, Episode 1". BBC One. 27 September 2019. Retrieved 27 September 2019.
  20. ^ "'I Don't Know What's Cool Anymore' live on Vild Med Dans". TV 2. 19 October 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2019 – via Facebook.
  21. ^ "Alphabeat perform 'I Don't Know What's Cool Anymore' - BBC Strictly 2019". 16 November 2019. Retrieved 17 August 2020 – via YouTube.
  22. ^ "BBC Radio Scotland - The Afternoon Show, Rick Astley, Shappi Khorsandi and Kes at Perth Theatret". BBC Radio Scotland. 28 October 2019. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  23. ^ "BBC Radio 2 - The Michael ball Show, Alphabeat and Clarke Peters". BBC Radio 2. 27 October 2019. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  24. ^ "Track by Track 65: Alphabeat – Don't Know What's Cool Anymore (With Alphabeat)". Track By Track. 1 November 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2019 – via Trash.
  25. ^ "QX Magazine on Twitter". QX. 30 October 2019. Retrieved 30 October 2019 – via Twitter.
  26. ^ "Alphabeat on Instagram". 16 November 2019. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2020 – via Instagram.
  27. ^ "Alphabeat - Medley - Kronprinsparrets Priser 2019 - DR1". 2 November 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2020 – via YouTube.
  28. ^ "Playliste - P7 MIX - 03-11-2019 P7 MIX DR". DR P7 Mix (in Danish). 3 November 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  29. ^ "Alphabeat - Back of My Bike / Shadows (Live TV Performance "De største øjeblikke 2019)". 20 January 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2020 – via YouTube.
  30. ^ Schiller, Rebecca (28 February 2019). "Alphabeat Return From Hiatus With a Shimmery Dance Party in 'Shadows' Video: Exclusive". Billboard. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
  31. ^ "Alphabeat gør comeback til Grøn 2019". Grøn Koncert (in Danish). 9 April 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  32. ^ "Alphabeat tager på Danmarksturné". Gaffa (in Danish). 5 September 2019. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  33. ^ "Fredagsrock: Tivoli afslører to store, danske navne". Ugeavisen.dk (in Danish). 20 February 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  34. ^ "Cheryl headlining Mighty Hoopla as Eve and Alphabeat join line-up and we're so ready". Metro. 28 January 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  35. ^ "Alphabeat: Vi har ikke planer om at stoppe". Ekstrabladet.dk (in Danish). 26 June 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  36. ^ "Alphabeat - CANCELLED - Fredagsrock". Fredagsrock.dk. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  37. ^ "London's Mighty Hoopla has just been cancelled because of coronavirus pandemic". Pink News. 7 April 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  38. ^ "Alphabeat on Twitter". Alphabeat. 24 March 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2020 – via Twitter.
  39. ^ "Alphabeat on Twitter". Alphabeat. 26 June 2020. Retrieved 17 August 2020 – via Twitter.
  40. ^ "GIG REVIEW: Alphabeat, 86 metres above Copenhagen, Denmark". Monstagigz.com. 30 June 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  41. ^ a b "Alphabeat on Twitter". Alphabeat. 1 November 2019. Retrieved 1 November 2019 – via Twitter.
  42. ^ a b "Alphabeat on Twitter". Alphabeat. 1 November 2019. Retrieved 1 November 2019 – via Twitter.
  43. ^ a b "Alphabeat - Don't Know What's Cool Anymore (Album Review)". Stereoboard. 5 November 2019. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  44. ^ "New Music Friday: Alphabeat 'Don't Know What's Cool Anymore' Album Review". CelebMix. 31 October 2019. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  45. ^ "Alphabeat's 'Don't Know What's Cool Anymore' Is A Welcome Breath Of Positivity In A Worried World". Essentially Pop. 1 November 2019. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  46. ^ "Alphabeat on Twitter". Alphabeat. 1 November 2019. Retrieved 1 November 2019 – via Twitter.
  47. ^ "ALBUM: Alphabeat - 'Don't Know What's Cool Anymore'". Scandipop. 1 November 2019. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  48. ^ "Danishcharts.dk – Alphabeat – Don't Know What's Cool Anymore". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  49. ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  50. ^ "Official Albums Sales Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  51. ^ "Official Physical Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
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