Power Up (album)

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Power Up
File:ACDCPowerUp.jpg
Studio album by AC/DC
Released 13 November 2020
Recorded
  • August and September 2018
  • Early 2019
Studio The Warehouse, Vancouver
Genre
Length 41:03
Label
Producer Brendan O'Brien
AC/DC chronology
Rock or Bust
(2014)		 Power Up
(2020)
Singles from Power Up (album)

Power Up (sometimes shortened to PWR/UP and stylised as PWRϟUP) is the seventeenth studio album by Australian rock band AC/DC, released on 13 November 2020 through Columbia Records and Sony Music Australia. It is their sixteenth internationally released studio album and the seventeenth to be released in Australia. Power Up marks the return of vocalist Brian Johnson, drummer Phil Rudd and bassist Cliff Williams, all of whom left AC/DC before, during, or after the supporting tour for their previous album Rock or Bust (2014).[5][6][7][8][9][10] This is also the band's first album since the death of co-founder and rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young in 2017 and it serves as a tribute to him, according to his brother Angus.[11][12] The album was generally well received by music critics and reached number one in 21 countries.

Background and recording

Following the 2014 album Rock or Bust, the group embarked on a seventeen-month world tour. Prior to the tour, drummer Phil Rudd was charged with attempting to procure murder, threatening to kill, possession of methamphetamine, and possession of cannabis. For the tour, Rudd was replaced by Chris Slade, who had also previously played with AC/DC on their 1990 album The Razors Edge, several years after Rudd first left the band.[13] By 2016, lead singer Brian Johnson had started to suffer hearing loss,[14][15] causing the final ten dates of the Rock or Bust tour to be rescheduled. Ultimately, he was replaced with Guns N' Roses vocalist Axl Rose for the remaining dates.[13][16] On 8 July 2016, bassist Cliff Williams announced that he would be retiring from the band once the tour was finished, citing health issues as reasons for retiring, and calling AC/DC a "changed animal".[citation needed]

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This record is pretty much a dedication to Malcolm, my brother. It's a tribute for him like Back in Black was a tribute to Bon Scott.

—Angus Young, on Power Up[12]

In 2018, rumours began circulating that AC/DC were working on their seventeenth studio album, with Johnson, Rudd, and Williams having returned to the group. Johnson, Rudd, Angus Young and Stevie Young were photographed in August 2018 at Warehouse Studio, a recording studio in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada owned by fellow musician Bryan Adams, suggesting the band were working where they had recorded their three previous albums.[8][9][10] The rumors were later confirmed to be true, with the album being recorded there over a six-week period in August and September 2018 with producer Brendan O'Brien, who also worked on 2008's Black Ice and 2014's Rock or Bust,[11] with some tweaking having followed in early 2019.[12] Every track is credited to Angus and Malcolm Young as Angus raided the AC/DC vault of unreleased songs to record the album.[12]

Promotion and release

After a series of cryptic teases on the band's website, the album's title was revealed to be Power Up on 7 October 2020.[13][17] The band's first single, "Shot in the Dark", was released the same day, also after a series of teasers in the days prior.[3][18] A music video for the song was released on 26 October 2020.[19] The song topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart for two weeks starting in November 2020.[20] A clip of a second song, "Demon Fire", was debuted ahead of the album's release on 30 October 2020 as well.[21][22][4] The album's second single, "Realize", was released on 11 November 2020.[4]

The album was released on 13 November 2020.[23] In its first week of release it was projected to place either first or second on the Billboard 200 all-format albums chart, and to top the US and UK album sales chart.[24][25][26]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source Rating
Metacritic 79/100[28]
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic 4/5 stars[29]
Clash 3.5/5 stars[30]
Consequence of Sound A−[31]
Exclaim! 7/10[32]
The Guardian 3/5 stars[33]
The Independent 4/5 stars[34]
Kerrang! 4/5 stars[35]
NME 4/5 stars[36]
Rolling Stone 3.5/5 stars[37]
The Sydney Morning Herald 4/5 stars[38]

At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the release received an average score of 79, based on 18 reviews, indicating "Generally favourable reviews".[28] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave the album a 7.2 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[27]

AllMusic review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine stated, "Good times have always been a crucial part of the band, but there's a depth of feeling to the levity on Power Up, as if the band decided that the best way to pay respect to what they've lost is by focusing on what they still have. They don't dwell upon the past, they barrel forward with a set of turbocharged blues and high-octane rock that doesn't merely sound good, it feels nourishing."[29] Daniel Sylvester of Exclaim! noted, "The fact that AC/DC came together to create something as satisfying as Power Up when the cards were down is a complete miracle upon itself, and AC/DC seem more than ready to celebrate."[32] Kitty Empire of The Guardian gave the album three stars out of five, stating, "If deja vu is a familiar sensation with AC/DC, few outfits have managed to eke so much variety out of so few constituent parts as these stalwarts of reductio ad absurdum. For the undiminished certainties AC/DC provide in the face of adversity, it’s hard not to salute them."[33] Nick Ruskell of Kerrang! observed, "AC/DC have made an album that, even for them, is a high-voltage celebration of life, the best of times, and the absolutely indomitable, boundless power of a couple of chords and a four-four beat. In a time where getting together with your mates and partying and getting the beers in and shagging and living it up is all but illegal, as a reminder of just how powerful and timeless the very idea of these wonderful things are, AC/DC have never felt more necessary or vital."[35]

Commercial performance

In Australia, Power Up debuted at number one on the ARIA Charts, and in the process, AC/DC becoming the first act to have an Australian number one album in each of the five decades (1980s to 2020s).[39] The album registered 21,535 sales in its first week outselling the rest of the top 15 combined.[40]

In the United States, Power Up debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, with 117,000 album-equivalent units (including 111,000 pure sales) in its opening week.[41] It became the band's third album to reach number one on the chart, following For Those About to Rock We Salute You (1981) and Black Ice (2008).[41] Additionally, the album's tracks accumulated a total 7.8 million on-demand streams in the week ending 28 November.[41]

The album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart on 13 November 2020 with 62,000 chart sales, displacing Kylie Minogue's Disco as biggest opening week release of 2020 so far.[42]

In Germany, it debuted at number one, selling almost 160,000 copies, the best start of the year.[43] It stayed at number one for a total of 2 weeks.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Angus Young and Malcolm Young.[12]

Side one
No. Title Length
1. "Realize"   3:37
2. "Rejection"   4:06
3. "Shot in the Dark"   3:06
4. "Through the Mists of Time"   3:32
5. "Kick You When You're Down"   3:10
6. "Witch's Spell"   3:42
Side two
No. Title Length
7. "Demon Fire"   3:30
8. "Wild Reputation"   2:54
9. "No Man's Land"   3:39
10. "Systems Down"   3:12
11. "Money Shot"   3:05
12. "Code Red"   3:31
Total length:
 41:03

Personnel

AC/DC

Additional personnel

  • Mike Fraser – engineering, mixing
  • Brendan O'Brien – production, mixing
  • Ryan Smith – mastering
  • Billy Bowers – additional engineering
  • Zach Blackstone – assistant engineering
  • Dominick Civiero – assistant engineering
  • Richard Jones – equipment technician
  • Trace Foster – equipment technician
  • Simon Murton – equipment technician
  • Josh Cheuse – creative direction and photography, art direction and design
  • Michelle Holme – art direction and design
  • Ben IB – cover art

Charts

Chart performance for Power Up
Chart (2020) Peak
position
Argentine Albums (CAPIF)[44] 1
Australian Albums (ARIA)[45] 1
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[46] 1
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[47] 2
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[48] 1
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[49] 1
Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI)[50] 3
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[51] 2
Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)[52] 2
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[53] 1
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[54] 1
Greek Albums (IFPI)[55] 1
French Albums (SNEP)[56] 1
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[57] 1
1
Italian Albums (FIMI)[58] 1
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[59] 11
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[60] 1
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[61] 1
Polish Albums (ZPAV)[62] 2
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[63] 1
Scottish Albums (OCC)[64] 1
Slovak Albums (ČNS IFPI)[65] 15
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[66] 1
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[67] 1
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[68] 1
UK Albums (OCC)[69] 1
US Billboard 200[70] 1
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[71] 1

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
Austria (IFPI Austria)[72] Platinum 15,000
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[73] Gold 20,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[74] Silver 60,000

xunspecified figures based on certification alone
double-daggersales/streaming figures based on certification alone

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmncCCsWu2Y
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ https://www.nme.com/news/music/the-official-video-for-ac-dcs-shot-in-the-dark-has-arrived-2798808
  20. ↑ "Shot in the Dark"; November 14, 2020
    • Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
    • Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/ac-dcs-power-up-could-top-u-s-album-chart-next-week/
  25. ↑ https://loudwire.com/ac-dc-interview-power-up-inspire-kids-pick-up-guitar/
  26. ↑ https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/ac-dc-could-score-u-k-s-fastest-selling-album-of-2020-with-power-up/
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  43. ↑ https://www.offiziellecharts.de/news/item/868-ac-dc-verteidigen-spitze-der-offiziellen-deutschen-album-charts
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  46. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – AC/DC – Power Up" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  47. ↑ "Ultratop.be – AC/DC – Power Up" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  48. ↑ "Ultratop.be – AC/DC – Power Up" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
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  50. ↑ "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 202047 on the field besides the word "Zobrazit", and then click over the word to retrieve the correct chart data. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
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  61. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – AC/DC – Power Up". Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  62. ↑ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLIS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
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  68. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – AC/DC – Power Up". Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
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  71. ↑ "Illegal name entered AC DC/AC+DC/chart?f=408 AC DC – Chart history" Billboard Top Rock Albums for AC DC. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  72. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Enter AC/DC in the field Interpret. Enter Power Up in the field Titel. Select album in the field Format. Click Suchen
  73. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Select the "Chart", enter 2020 in the field "Year". Select '' in the field "Semana". Click on "Search Charts"
  74. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Enter Power Up in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Silver in the field By Award. Click Search

External links

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