SouL

SouL is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Frosty. It was released on December 2, 2029 under Virgin Records. SouL explores notably more personal and mature themes than Frosty's previous albums, touching on topics such as religion, self-love, depression, domestic abuse, divorce, death, suicidal thoughts, family, and school shootings. Musically, SouL also explores more than Frosty's previous albums, with SouL being composed mostly of live instrumentation, rather than almost purely electronic instruments as his first three albums were. SouL is a pop album with elements of rock, gospel, soul, baroque rock, dream pop, and Latin music.
SouL received rave reviews from critics, becoming Frosty's first album to not have mixed reviews. Critics praised the lyricism of the album, with many claiming this album had Frosty's best lyrics overall. They stated that Frosty had a strong way of expressing his emotions through lyrics. SouL was also a huge commercial success. It went number one in 23 countries worldwide, becoming a new record for Frosty. All 14 songs from the album charted on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming his first album to do so.
SouL was preceded by the singles SouL and You'll Remember, which both went to number one for several weeks and went on to become two of Frosty's most successful singles of all time. The former song was a cultural phenomenon, with its music video stirring up controversy worldwide and receiving backlash from religious groups and organizations. The latter received praise from LGBT groups and its music video is one of the most expensive of all time. The album was followed by singles Almost There, Dear Sabrina, Our Father, and Get It Together, which were all released at various times in various countries. Almost There and Our Father were top 10 hits in the US, while Get It Together did not receive as much success as previous singles.
== Background ==
Fans noticed that Frosty began to appear a lot less active on social media in April 2028. Frosty divorced from his husband in June 2028, causing him to become even less active. His last post was on July 23, 2028. After not posting for four months, Frosty posted a picture of him writing songs in the studio on November 24, 2028, confirming that he was working on a new album. He confirmed that he had began writing songs for the album on Twitter on December 13, 2028. He also confirmed in a later tweet that he was working with Swedish producer Oscar Holter, and that he had started recording the album that same week.
Frosty revealed via Twitter in February 2029 that he had recorded 5 new songs for his album, and that he had written the entire album already. He later confirmed that he had written 18 songs for the album. In another tweet, he revealed that this album would be sonically different than his first three albums and that he wouldn't be using as many producers, as this album would be a lot more intimate. 
== Development ==
By April 2029, Frosty had finished recording all 18 songs for the album. He revealed via Twitter that he was cutting the album down to 14 tracks, and that he essentially had his tracklist in mind already. He also revealed that this album would be "extremely personal, and at some points extremely depressing". He revealed in a later tweet that the album would be pop but with elements of several other genres. He confirmed later that the album would not be dance-pop driven like his previous three records, and that he would instead be going for a softer approach to music.
On June 5, 2029, Frosty did an Instagram Live to answer fan questions. He revealed that he had almost finished the album and that the only thing he had left to do was mix the final songs, and that the album would be released in the fourth quarter of the year. He revealed that the reason he broke the pattern of releasing an album every 2 years was because he had been through a lot the past year, and that he poured out his feelings into the album. He also said he was "super scared to release" the album, since it dealed with "extremely personal and introspective topics".
On July 27, 2029, Frosty revealed the title of the album would be "SouL". He also revealed that the album would be released in December.
== Recording ==
In an interview about the album, Oscar Holter revealed that most of the tracks were recorded simply once, and that Frosty cried during several recording sessions, but that he and Oscar wanted to keep it rather than re-recording it as it showed more emotion.
== Composition ==
The album starts off with SouL. SouL is a dance pop song with influences of trap, gospel, and rock. The lyrics compare sex and romance with a religious experience. The second track on the album is You'll Remember, which is a dance-pop song with funk and soul elements, similar to the title track. You'll Remember lyrically deals with the promotion of self-love and LGBT empowerment, and is seen as an LGBT anthem. 
Promise is the fifth track of the album. A piano ballad with string accompaniment, Promise lyrically deals with the mourning of the death of Frosty's mother. The twelfth track of the album, Get Well Soon, is a minimal pop song which features punching piano chords and a bass line. The song is similar to You'll Remember in that it is a motivational song. The song serves as an ode to mental health awareness, encouraging listeners to get help with their mental issues.
== Promotion ==
Along with the two singles released from the album, SouL was further promoted by the Remixes from the SouL EP, which was released on November 18, 2029. The EP features remixes of SouL and You'll Remember, the album's two lead singles.
On November 24, 2029, Frosty announced that he would be touring in summer 2030. He stayed silent on this topic until February 12, 2030, when he announced via Twitter that he had come up with a setlist for the tour. On March 2, 2030, Frosty revealed that he postponed rehearsals for the tour in order to film the movie Golden Star, in which he co-starred. The official dates for the Black Blood World Tour were released on May 2, 2030.
== Singles ==
SouL was released on August 5, 2029 as the lead single from the album. A pop song with influences of trap, gospel and rock, SouL received rave reviews from critics, with many claiming it was Frosty's best song ever. Many critics praised the matureness of the track, stating that it was nice seeing Frosty mature from singing about immature romance on Defined to standing up against social issues and singing about sex on SouL. Commercially, SouL became Frosty's most successful single of all time. It peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for nine weeks, becoming a new record for him at the time. It also saw similar success internationally, where it debuted at number 1 in Australia, Ireland, the UK and Singapore, as well as peaking at number 1 in a total of 32 countries, becoming a new record for Frosty. The music video for the song went viral, with 64.9 million views within its first 24 hours, breaking the record previous owned by Ariana Grande's "Thank U, Next" music video. It was extremely controversial, causing the music video to be restricted on YouTube for a few weeks. It stirred up controversy and caused Frosty to lose his deal with Apple. SouL is a seen as the song that proved Frosty was an artist rather than just a pop star. It also went on to become a song that is seen as a pro-gay rights movement anthem. 
The second single of the album, You'll Remember, was released on October 7, 2029. Like previous single SouL, You'll Remember received rave reviews from critics. Critics praised the song for being positive and praised Frosty for writing a song aimed for the LGBT community. Many praised the uplifting mood of the song as well as the uplifting lyrics. In the US, You'll Remember was a huge commercial success, going on to become one of Frosty's biggest hits. It peaked at number 1 and stayed there for 6 nonconsecutive weeks. Internationally, the song saw similar success. It peaked at number 1 in 16 countries. The music video went viral as well, gaining 34.1 million views within its first 24 hours, becoming the fourteenth most viewed video of all time at the time. The song went down to become one of the most well known LGBT pride anthems. 
On December 30, 2029, Almost There was sent to contemporary hit radio as the third single from the album. The song went on to become another smash hit for Frosty, peaking at number 1 in 10 countries worldwide, including Australia, Canada, Iceland, the Philippines, and Iceland, among others. It peaked within the top 10 in most other countries, including the US, where it peaked at number 2. The song received mixed reviews from critics, with some claiming it as the weakest song on the album. The music video was noted for its aesthetics, as it featured tropical beach videography. 
Dear Sabrina was released as the fourth single from the album on March 10, 2030 in Oceania and Europe, serving as the final single there. It was later released in Asia as the fifth single on May 5, 2030. The song was a moderate success, peaking within the top 10 in countries like Australia, New Zealand, and the UK. 
Our Father, was released in North America, South America, and Asia as the fourth single from the album there on March 31, 2030. The release of the music video stirred up controversy, as it featured a storyline of an abusive father harming his son. The song was a moderate success, peaking at number 6 in the United States. 
On June 9, 2030, Get It Together was released as the fifth and final single from the album in North America and South America, while also serving as the sixth single in Asia. Although it wasn't officially released in Oceania and Europe, it was released as a double A-side single along with Star in those regions. 
=== Promotional singles ===
Promise was released as the first promotional single from the album on September 9, 2029. A piano ballad about the death of Frosty's mother, the song debuted at and peaked at position number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Frosty's first non-single top 10 hit. The song received positive reviews from critics.
Get Well Soon was released as the second and final promotional single on November 11, 2029.
== Critical reception ==
SouL received rave reviews from critics, becoming Frosty's first album to not have mixed reviews. Critics praised the lyricism of the album, with many claiming this album had Frosty's best lyrics overall. They stated that Frosty had a strong way of expressing his emotions through lyrics. Nobody's Love was cited as one of the highlights of the album lyrically. 
Critics also praised the tone of the album. They noted that this time, Frosty was taking a very personal approach with his music, which was good. They also praised the fact that in this album, Frosty covers several different mature topics, including family issues, domestic violence, death, gay sexuality, and school shootings. Frosty's artistry was heavily praised in this album, with many critics citing this as a confirmation that Frosty is more than a mere pop star - he is an artist. 
The production of the album was also praised, with many celebrating the more traditional approach with the music, as the music featured many live instruments rather than relying on electronic synthesizers.
== Chart performance ==
SouL was a commercial success. It went number one in 23 countries worldwide, becoming a new record for Frosty. It outsold You and Me's first week worldwide, although it didn't outsell You and Me's first week in the US. All 14 songs from the album charted on the Billboard Hot 100.
== Track listing ==
No.	Title 	Writers 	Producers
1. 	SouL 	Frosty; Oscar Holter 	Frosty; Holter
2. 	You'll Remember 	Frosty; Tyago 	Frosty; Tyago
3. 	Nobody's Love 	Frosty 	Frosty; Holter
4. 	State of Matrimony 	Frosty 	Frosty; Holter
5. 	Promise 	Frosty 	Frosty; Holter
6. 	I Want to Kill Myself	Frosty 	Frosty; Holter
7. 	Almost There 	Frosty; Holter; Christopher J Baran	Frosty; Holter
8. 	Dear Sabrina 	Frosty 	Frosty; Holter
9. 	Our Father 	Frosty 	Frosty; Holter
10.	Get It Together 	Frosty; Martin 	Martin; Frosty
11.	Brand New Person 	Frosty 	Frosty; Holter
12.	Get Well Soon 	Frosty 	Frosty; Holter
13.	Spanish Lullaby 	Frosty 	Frosty; Holter
14.	New Romance 	Frosty; Holter 	Holter; Frosty
== Charts ==
Chart 	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA) 	#1
Austrian Albums (O3 Austria) 	#1
Belgium Albums (Ultratop Flanders) 	#1
Belgium Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) 	#2
Canadian Albums (Billboard) 	#1
Czech Albums (CNS FIPI) 	#1
Danish Albums (Hitlisten) 	#5
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) 	#2
Estonian Albums (IFPI) 	#2
Filipino Albums (Philippine 200) 	#1
Finnish Albums 	#2
French Albums (SNEP) 	#1
German Albums (Official German Charts)	#1
Greek Albums (IFPI Greece) 	#5
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ) 	#3
Icelandic Albums (Tonlist) 	#1
Irish Albums (IRMA) 	#1
Italian Albums (FIMI) 	#1
Japanese Albums (Oricon) 	#9
Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan) 	#7
Malaysian Albums (RIM) 	#1
Mexican Albums (AMPROFON) 	#2
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) 	#1
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) 	#1
Polish Albums (ZPAV) 	#3
Portuguese Albums (AFP) 	#2
Scottish Albums (OCC) 	#1
Singaporean Albums (RIAS) 	#1
Slovak Albums (CNS FIPI) 	#1
South Africa Albums (SAAC) 	#5
South Korean Albums (Gaon) 	#1
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) 	#1
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) 	#1
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) 	#1
UK Albums (OCC) 	#1
US Billboard 200 	#1
Category:Albums
Category:Studio albums
Category:SouL
Category:SouL era