“Is it only just a dream that we’re living?” asks the opening track of Artificial Paradise – it’s a question that’s inspired and/or haunted humans for thousands of years. Now, in 2024, it’s OneRepublic’s turn to grapple with it – but unlike Plato, they are going to make us dance while doing it.
If music reflects the time it’s made in, it’s clear Ryan Tedder and friends have been feeling the existential dread that has come along with the relentless “unprecedented times” that just keep on precedenting. However anyone can feel the feelings, it’s an entirely different skill set to synthesise them into hook filled pop rock that keeps the toes tapping, hands clapping, and hope levels high.
Lucky for us, Ryan Tedder still has his preternatural gift for crafting pristine pop rock nuggets for the world to consume. His songs are comfort food for the soul, and Artificial Paradise is stocked full of them.
Artificial Paradise is an album years in the making (‘West Coast’ was written in 2016, and the first official single ‘Sunshine’ came out in 2021), and the band has captured the historical shifts of the last four years wonderfully. It turns out it’s entirely possible to be nostalgic for the very recent past, and this reflectively moody feeling infuses the first half of the album with a substance not often found in pop.
Back in 2013 they were singing about ‘Counting Stars’, dreaming about all the things they could be. Here now, on ‘Last Holiday’, Tedder sings with a hint of sadness “I don’t believe in Stars anymore, they never gave me what I wished for.” That sounds bleak, but it’s not – the track sells us that while life can get us down, it’s never over – this ain’t our last holiday.
The same tightrope walk between melancholy and brightness features in ‘Sink Or Swim’ (the clue is in the name) with Tedder admitting he’s “feeling like a drop in the Ocean” and he’s not sure if and how we are all going to make it. OneRepublic’s solution? Jump right in! There is bravery is in the simple act of living, after all.
And that’s the beauty of OneRepublic: they can’t help but make music that fells good. The songs are filled with handclaps and melodies that force your body to move and your mouth to smile.
Monster hit ‘I Ain’t Worried’ is the centrepiece of the collection. Its euphoric use of the iconic whistle from Peter Bjorn & John’s ‘Young Folks’ leaves no doubt about Tedder’s songwriting prowess. The song is OneRepublic’s thesis statement on how feeling good and being aware of the troubles in the world aren’t mutually exclusive. And their message is clear: it’s ok to have a good time.
The length and breadth of creative time behind the album comes through with gentle genre hopping of songs throughout.
We go from propulsive pop bombast with ‘Hurt’ (the rising repetition in the chorus is a definite sing along highlight for any at-home warblers), to the drowsy dream pop of ‘Serotonin’ that evokes Post Malone at his most ‘Sunflower’-y.
Another sign of the current times is that no song ever overstays it’s welcome. Not one song even gets to 3 and half minutes, because they don’t need to. Every track arrives, delivers the goods, and leaves gracefully. Because with OneRepublic, you’re never more than 20 seconds away from a gargantuan hook.
Even more than being a thoughtful and cohesive album, arguably the most important feature of Artificial Paradise is to be the home of OneRepublic’s impressive collection of recent hit singles and collaborative home runs. This is even before the Deluxe Edition reminds us of the huge David Guetta collab ‘I Don’t Wanna Wait’ and the timely theme song for the 2024 EUFA EUROs ‘Fire’ (the album dropping days before the Euros Final between Spain and England? Genius move).
The back end of the album is so dense with smashes any insurance company would refuse to cover the driver.
Here are tracks 12, 13, and 14…
‘West Coast’ – the hyper catchy love letter to California, inspired by The Mama’s & The Papas, is an entire Summer season in just over 3 minutes.
‘RUNAWAY’ – good luck not singing along with this funky smooth ode to letting go of fear and embracing new experiences.
‘Sunshine’ – the OG Artificial Paradise single, and the one where Tedder gets to show of his rap singing credentials on the bridge. It’s pure pop optimism and is a guaranteed good feeling for anyone who lays their ears on it.
Those songs come after the thirty-odd minutes of top level pop rock that dances reflectively around the theme of artificiality and the disconnection we feel in a hyper-connected society. It’s quite impressive stuff really.
In the build up to the album announcement Tedder claimed the album was feeling “hitty”, which some fans were worried about – they wanted the depth and substance they felt was missing from the ‘every song is a banger’ ethos of previous records. The good news is that everyone wins with Artificial Paradise . It’s stacked with stand-alone hits we will be hearing on Tik Tok and Love Island for the next year, while also delivering a cohesive thesis on how to survive modern worries.
“Nothing seems real” the title track suggests, so we may as well have a good singalong while we figure out what the hell is happening in the world right now.
