# Affirmation (Savage Garden album)

Professional ratings :
| Review scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| Entertainment Weekly | C+ |
| PopMatters | |
| Q | |
| Robert Christgau | |
| Rolling Stone | |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | |
| Sputnikmusic | |
Affirmation is the second and final studio album by Australian pop duo Savage Garden, released on 1 November 1999 by Columbia Records. It won the 2000 ARIA Music Award for Highest Selling Album. It was nominated for Best Group and Best Pop Release.

## Background

The band recorded their second studio album after they recorded "The Animal Song" for the soundtrack to the film The Other Sister. The majority of the album was written by Hayes in New York in September 1999 or slightly earlier that year. The exception was 'You Can Still Be Free', a much older song that dated back to at least 1995 - a demo recording appeared on their 1995 demo tape, then titled 'Free'. The track was written in tribute to a friend of the band who died by suicide some years previously, and was revisited after said friends' family explained they loved the song and wanted to see it released on an album. Preceded by the second single "I Knew I Loved You", the album was released on 9 November 1999 to worldwide success. The album spawned a further five singles, one of which was exclusive to the Australian market ("Chained to You"), and one of which was exclusive to the British market ("The Best Thing").
Following the success of the Superstars and Cannonballs video album, the album was reissued in November 2000, containing a bonus live album, Declaration, featuring recordings from the concert at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on 21 May 2000. Including sales of the re-issue, the album has sold more than 8 million copies worldwide, being certified platinum in a number of countries. It became the band's last studio album after Daniel decided to leave in 2001.
Similarly to Savage Garden, the album's track listing varied internationally. The Australian version of the album features a bonus remix of "The Animal Song", a CD-ROM featuring video footage and bonus material, and the uncut version of "Gunning Down Romance". The International version removes the remix, CD-ROM and features a cut version of "Gunning Down Romance", due to a manufacturing error where six seconds of music are cut between 4:36 and 4:42, causing the music to stop abruptly.

## Track listing

* All songs written by Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones, and produced by Walter Afanasieff.

## Credits
### Savage Garden

* Darren Hayes – vocals
* Daniel Jones – additional guitars; keyboards, synthesizers, drum and rhythm programming

### Additional personnel

* Walter Afanasieff – keyboards, synthesizers, drum and rhythm programming, acoustic piano on track 9
* Greg Bieck – keyboards and programming
* Michael Landau – electric guitars
* Michael Thompson – electric guitars and lead baritone guitar on track 6
* Dean Parks – acoustic guitars
* Nathan East – bass
* Steve Smith – drums
* Strings arranged and conducted by Jeremy Lubbock; contractor – Jules Chaikin

### Production

* Arranged and produced by Savage Garden and Walter Afanasieff
* Recorded and engineered by Jay Healy (vocals), Kent Matcke (basic tracking), David Frazer (guitars, strings on track 9), David Reitzas (guitars) and David Gleeson (drums, Fairlight, vocals and piano)
* Assistant engineers – Brian Vibberts, Pete Krawiec, Tony Rambo, Dave Ashton, Ethan Schofer, Dave Ashton, Luis Quine, Mark Gregory, Ryan Hewitt
* Mixed by Dave Way (tracks 1–6 and 8–12) and Chris Lord-Alge (track 7)
* Mastered by Vlado Meller

## Certifications and sales

| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
| Australia (ARIA) | 8× Platinum | 560,000$^^$ |
| Canada (Music Canada) | 2× Platinum | 200,000$^^$ |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark) | 2× Platinum | 100,000$^^$ |
| Finland (Musiikkituottajat) | Gold | 31,905 |
| Germany (BVMI) | Gold | 150,000$^^$ |
| Indonesia | Platinum | 50,000 |
| Italy (FIMI) | Gold | 50,000$^*$ |
| Japan (RIAJ) | Gold | 100,000$^^$ |
| Malaysia | Platinum | 25,000 |
| Mexico (AMPROFON) | Platinum+Gold | 225,000$^^$ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ) | Platinum | 15,000$^^$ |
| Philippines (PARI) | Platinum | 40,000$^*$ |
| Portugal (AFP) | Gold | 20,000$^^$ |
| Singapore (RIAS) | Platinum | 15,000$^*$ |
| South Africa (RISA) | Gold | 25,000$^*$ |
| Sweden (GLF) | 2× Platinum | 160,000$^^$ |
| Taiwan (RIT) | Platinum | 50,000$^*$ |
| Thailand | Platinum | 40,000 |
| United Kingdom (BPI) | 3× Platinum | 900,000$^^$ |
| United States (RIAA) | 3× Platinum | 3,000,000$^^$ |
| Summaries |||
| Europe (IFPI) | Platinum | 1,000,000$^*$ |
| $^*$ Sales figures based on certification alone. $^^$ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |||