| Heroes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Album by | ||||
| Released | September 9, 2022 | |||
| Genre |
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| Length | 56:47 | |||
| Label | Counter Records | |||
| Producer | Tim McEwan | |||
| The Midnight chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Heroes | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Daily Express | [2] |
Heroes is the fifth album by The Midnight. It is was released on September 9, 2022.[3][4] Five singles were issued from Heroes prior to the album's release: Change Your Heart or Die, Heartbeat, Avalanche, Brooklyn. Friday. Love., and Heart Worth Breaking.
Background and composition
This wiki article is currently being worked on. More info will be added soon.
Heroes is the culmination of a trilogy that began with Kids and Monsters. The writing sessions during Kids yielded many songs and ideas that did not make the album due to time constraints, so it was decided to extend the story arc of Kids across multiple albums.[5]
In early 2021, Tim McEwan began streaming the creation of new songs on Twitch. Several of the songs previewed during those sessions found their way to Heroes. Aside from Twitch, previews and hints of new material on the band's other social media platforms was minimal compared to previous The Midnight releases.
Official description
“The last 2 years have been so hard for so many people. ‘Heartbeat’ is a reminder that love and empathy is not a finite resource. There is love enough.” – The Midnight
8th June 2022 – The Midnight are thrilled to be announcing their new full-length studio album Heroes – due out September 9th via Counter Records. Along with the news, the band is releasing the celebratory new single “Heartbeat” – a rousing and electrifying track that helps set the tone for the album, which was written during isolation by the band’s Tim McEwan and Tyler Lyle. Heroes represents a clear sonic shift for the duo, who have expanded their lineup to include three live musicians – Lelia Broussard on bass, Royce Whittaker on guitar, and Justin Klunk on saxophone and synth – with both Broussard and Whittaker working alongside them on the new LP which was produced by McEwan and mixed by Ingmar Carlson (Tate McCrae, Disclosure, Carly Rae Jepsen).
Heroes is also the third in a trilogy of albums that started with 2018’s Kids – which reached #1 on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Chart – and was followed in 2020 with Monsters. “…for me, Kids is self-knowledge, Monsters is self-love, and then Heroes is empathy,” said Lyle. “I got into depth psychology and this idea of etiology, the way a human forms,” he said about Heroes, adding that “the world doesn't get better but we do. We grow into ourselves. We grow into our voice.”
You can hear this shift in the new songs which are more visceral and warmer. For a band that started as a synth-heavy duo, they have come a long way – creating fully realized arena worthy songs. From new single “Heartbeat” with its Van Halen-inspired synth leads, echoing drums, layered vocal chants and an explosive chorus to last month’s single, the propulsive guitar-laden “Change Your Heart or Die” – Heroes ushers in The Midnight’s next era with some of their biggest and boldest songs yet.
While taking a huge sonic step forward on Heroes, the band’s music still possesses the dramatic and nostalgic streak they’ve become known for since their 2014 debut in EP Days of Thunder. The new LP also reflects the confidence they’ve gained in their songwriting thanks in part due to their expanded live lineup. The band’s vivid sound is well-suited to full rock instrumentation, and the five-piece has cemented that in front on massive sold-out crowds this past year in 1-2k-capacity venues, up from 500-capacity clubs in 2019 and looking ahead to selling out London’s 5k-person Brixton Academy and similar sized venues in 2022.
Heroes is an album of songs about togetherness and trials won by love. Listen to both “Heartbeat” and “Change Your Heart or Die” now.
Media
Track listing
All songs produced by Tim McEwan.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Golden Gate" | 6:04 | |
| 2. | "Brooklyn. Friday. Love." |
| 3:52 |
| 3. | "Heartbeat" |
| 3:50 |
| 4. | "A Place of Her Own" |
| 5:33 |
| 5. | "Heroes" |
| 5:13 |
| 6. | "Heart Worth Breaking" |
| 5:07 |
| 7. | "Loved By You" |
| 3:44 |
| 8. | "Aerostar" |
| 4:55 |
| 9. | "Change Your Heart or Die" |
| 3:31 |
| 10. | "Avalanche" |
| 4:27 |
| 11. | "Souvenir" |
| 3:34 |
| 12. | "Photograph" |
| 2:37 |
| 13. | "Energy Never Dies, It Just Transforms" |
| 4:20 |
| Total length: | 56:47 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14. | "Golden Gate (Demo)" |
| |
| 15. | "A Place of Her Own (Demo)" |
| |
| 16. | "Change Your Heart or Die (Live)" |
| |
| 17. | "Souvenir (Tyler's Version - 2019)" | Lyle | |
| Total length: | - | ||
Recorded in Atlanta|GA and Los Angeles|CA
Mixed by Ingmar Carlson at The Gift Shop in Los Angeles|CA
Mastered by Emily Lazar at The Lodge in New York|NY
Charts
| Chart (2022) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 | 134 |
| US Billboard Album Sales | 8 |
| US Billboard Current Album Sales | 8 |
| US Billboard Top Dance/Electronic Albums | 3 |
| US Billboard Heatseekers Albums | 2 |
| US Billboard Independent Albums | 22 |
| US Billboard Vinyl ALbums | 4 |
| UK Albums | 74 |
Release history and variants
| Date | Edition |
|---|---|
| July 10, 2020 | Standard |
 - | |
| October 8, 2020 | Instrumentals |
Unlike previous instrumental releases, songs that were already instrumental on the original album are included as well.[6] | |
| April 2, 2021 | Stems |
Contains the 15 songs from the album denoted with BPMs plus 278 stem parts comprising all songs except for 1991 (intro) and Helvetica. The stems are not royalty free but projects and remixes made with them are allowed to be used on non-monetized platforms. First The Midnight EP/album to get a full stems release, which was done for The Midnight Remix Radio Vol. 2 remix contest. | |
| Year | Format | Color/Design |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Cassette | Translucent Purple |
 First tape variant. | ||
| 2020 | CD | - |
 - | ||
| 2020 | Vinyl | Purple Swirl |
 First vinyl variant. First pressing was plagued with issues, with some listeners experiencing warbly playback, skipping, and various other problems, which might have been caused by misaligned holes on the vinyl.[7] Those who ordered the first pressing were sent an email offering a no-cost replacement.
| ||
| 2021 | Cassette | Transparent Purple/Transparent Orange |
 Second tape variant. First double cassette release of a The Midnight EP/album, with the second tape containing the instrumentals. First time an instrumental version of an EP/album received a physical release.
| ||
| 2021 | Vinyl | Purple Splatter |
 Second vinyl variant.
| ||
References
- ↑ "The Midnight - Heroes Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
- ↑ Crumlish, Callum (September 8, 2022). "The Midnight: Heroes review - Saving music with their best album yet". Express.co.uk.
- ↑ "ｔｈｅ ｍｉｄｎｉｇｈｔ on Twitter". Twitter. June 8, 2022. Archived from the original on June 8, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Heroes | The Midnight". Bandcamp. Archived from the original on June 8, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
- ↑ Laing, Rob (September 1, 2022). "Interview: The Midnight's Tim McEwan and Tyler Lyle talk synthwave, soundscaping and new album Heroes | MusicRadar". MusicRadar. Archived from the original on September 8, 2022. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs named:2 - ↑ "The Midnight – Monsters (2020, Purple w/ Pink Marbled Swirl , Vinyl) - Discogs". Discogs. Archived from the original on July 26, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
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| Studio albums | |
| Live albums | |
| Remix albums | |
| Singles |
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| Tours | |
| Related articles | |