True North
Studio album by
A-ha
Released21 October 2022 (2022-10-21)
RecordedNovember 2021
StudioBodø, Norway
Length51:26
Label
ProducerMagne Furuholmen, Paul Waaktaar-Savoy
A-ha chronology
MTV Unplugged: Summer Solstice
(2017) 		True North
(2022)
Singles from True North
  1. "I'm In"
    Released: 8 July 2022
  2. "You Have What It Takes"
    Released: 16 September 2022

True North is the eleventh studio album by Norwegian band A-ha. It was released on 21 October 2022 by RCA and Sony Music.[1][2] The album's opening track "I'm In" was released as the first single on 8 July 2022.[1]

True North is accompanied by a film with the same title featuring a-ha recording the album during November 2021 in Bodø, Norway. Paul Waaktaar-Savoy has said of the project: "First, we had the idea to record a studio session live. Then, to film a studio session. That grew into more of a production with the Norwegian orchestra, the Arctic Philharmonic, who we have collaborated with."[1]

Background and recording

A documentary titled a-ha: The Movie was released in 2021 and tells the story of the band and deals with both their success and the problems, such as personal rifts between members.[3]

In January 2022, it was announced that a-ha had signed a recording contract with Sony Music imprint RCA Records in Germany to release the True North album.[2] The concept of recording an album and an accompanying film was inspired by Bruce Springsteen's Western Stars (2019). Furuholmen wanted to create a Norwegian version of Western Stars and has called the project a "musical letter from our home country" and described the album's themes as "nature and the environment".[4][5]

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number 12 on the UK Albums Chart, selling 5,109 copies in its first week. It is a-ha's 17th top 75 album on the chart.[6]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[7]
Hymn[8]
laut.de[9]
musicOMH[10]
Retropop[11]
Rolling Stone Germany[12]
Under the Radar[13]
The Times[14]
Albumism[15]
maxazine.nl[16]

The album has had a positive reception from numerous publications, including Rolling Stone, musicOMH, laut.de, Hymn and Retropop.[17]

Track listing

True North track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."I'm In"Magne Furuholmen5:05
2."Hunter in the Hills"Paul Waaktaar-Savoy4:11
3."As If"Waaktaar-Savoy4:56
4."Between the Halo and the Horn"Furuholmen4:11
5."True North"Furuholmen4:55
6."Bumblebee"Waaktaar-Savoy4:07
7."Forest for the Trees"Waaktaar-Savoy3:53
8."Bluest of Blue"Furuholmen4:34
9."Make Me Understand"Waaktaar-Savoy3:59
10."You Have What It Takes"Furuholmen4:22
11."Summer Rain"Furuholmen4:15
12."Oh My Word"Waaktaar-Savoy3:58
Total length:51:26
Japanese edition bonus track
No.TitleLength
13."I'm In" (Instrumental)5:06

Personnel

a-ha

Additional musicians

Charts

References

  1. ^ a b c "New a-ha single "I'm In" drops on 8 July!". A-ha.com. 4 July 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  2. ^ a b Kiß, Jonas (21 January 2022). "RCA Germany gewinnt a-ha für weltweiten Album- und Film-Release". Musik Woche (in German). Mediabiz. Archived from the original on 27 January 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  3. ^ Mitchell, Wendy (11 June 2021). "Director Thomas Robsahm talks 'A-ha the Movie' ahead of Tribeca premiere". Screen Daily. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  4. ^ "Superstjernene har store planer når de kommer til Bodø i høst". an.no (in Swedish). Avisa Nordland. 20 September 2021. Archived from the original on 16 October 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  5. ^ "A-ha's Magne Furuholmen on why the band decided to make new music: 'We have a newfound freedom'". Virgin Radio. 14 September 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  6. ^ Jones, Alan (28 October 2022). "Charts analysis: Taylor Swift scores ninth consecutive No.1 with huge sales for Midnights". Music Week. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  7. ^ "a-ha – True North". AllMusic (Review). 21 October 2022. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  8. ^ Mikael Lundin (20 October 2022). "Ah-a – True North". Hymn (Review) (in Swedish).
  9. ^ Sven Kabelitz (21 October 2022). "A-HA "True North"". Laut (Review) (in German). Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  10. ^ Hubbard, Michael (21 October 2022). "a-ha - True North | Album Reviews". musicOMH. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  11. ^ "a-ha – True North". Retropop (Review). 21 October 2022. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  12. ^ Frank Lähnemann (21 October 2022). "A-ha "True North"". Rolling Stone (Review) (in German). Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  13. ^ Hall, Michael James. "True North". Under the Radar. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  14. ^ Maher, Kevin (16 September 2022). "A-ha: True North review — a sweetly engaging look at a band renewed". The Times. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  15. ^ Harrison, Quentin (21 October 2022). "a-ha Find 'True North' on Engaging Eleventh Studio Affair". albumism. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  16. ^ Vraniken, Jan (26 October 2022). "CD Recensie: a-ha True North". maxazine.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  17. ^ Gotto, Connor (21 October 2022). "a-ha – True North". Retro Pop. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  18. ^ "Austriancharts.at – a-ha – True North" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  19. ^ "Ultratop.be – a-ha – True North" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  20. ^ "Ultratop.be – a-ha – True North" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  21. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – a-ha – True North" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  22. ^ "Top Albums (Week 43, 2022)". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  23. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – a-ha – True North" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  24. ^ "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  25. ^ "Album – Classifica settimanale WK 43 (dal 21.10.2022 al 27.10.2022)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  26. ^ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2022-11-07/p/4" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  27. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot Albums – Week of November 2, 2022". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  28. ^ "Album 2022 uke 43". VG-lista. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  29. ^ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  30. ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – a-ha – True North". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  31. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  32. ^ "Top 100 Albums Weekly". El portal de Música. PROMUSICAE. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  33. ^ "Swisscharts.com – a-ha – True North". Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  34. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  35. ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts 2022" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
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