Ready set launch

Official cover for ready. set. launch. (2020)

***ready. set. launch.*** is the eleventh studio album by American-Romanian singer-songwriter Nicholas Stewart, released on August 31, 2020, through Sunset Records. Stewart conceived the album most in quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic as "a reimagination of his childhood dream".

The album incorporates genres such as lo-fi, neo-soul, synth-pop, and trap. Inspired by his childhood dream of going to space, Stewart made his album mostly space-themed and fulfilling dreams. The album explores themes such as fulfilling dreams, escapism, melancholy, and space. *ready. set. launch* received universal acclaim from music critics, who praised its themes, experimental production, and expressive vocals. Many publications placed *ready. set. launch* on their year-end best albums lists of 2020.

The album reached number one in all countries. It opened atop the *Billboard* 200, becoming Stewart's eleventh number one. *ready. set. launch* was supported by five singles: "take me anywhere", "sweet ride", "run". "never knew", and "interstellar". The album received critical acclaim from music critics, with some naming it the Stewart's best work. The Recording Industry Association of America certified the album nine times platinum. In support of *ready. set. launch,* Stewart went on to embark his Journey To The Red Moon world tour which ran from January to July 2022.

## Background and production

While finishing a degree in NASA, Stewart decided to start working on his new album on December 2019. Recording for the new album began in February 2020 and was polished on June 2020. Stewart wrote, recorded and produced the album on his home recording studio while in isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Inspired by his childhood dream of going to space, Stewart made his album mostly space-themed and fulfilling dreams. He told *Billboard* in 2021 that making *ready. set. launch.* was one of the most fun experiences he encountered during his music career, telling it was his favorite record to make. The album incorporates genres such as lo-fi, neo-soul, synth-pop, and trap. It marks a departure from the full hip-hop style of its three predecessors, *OPERATION CANCELLED.* (2015), *Ozymandias* (2017), and the first half of *Dor De Casă* (2019).

## Release and promotion

On June 28, 2020, Stewart posted on Instagram and Twitter, a photo of three astronauts crossing a lava river in a red planet. The photo went viral and rumors about him releasing new music soon spread everywhere on the internet. The following day, he released his brand new single "take me anywhere" to critical acclaim. The song incorporates pop, indietronica, soul, and gospel. The music video was also praised for its touching messages. The single went on to peak #1 weeks before the album's release. Throughout 2020-2021, four more songs were released as singles "sweet ride", "run". "never knew", and "interstellar. All of them became top three its, with "interstellar" leading the Hot 100 for nine nonconsecutive weeks and became his fourth single to be certified Diamond and higher.

### Music video

The music videos for "take me anywhere", "sweet ride", and "run" were tagged as the Journey To The Red Moon Trilogy, with its music videos linked into one story. To further extend this concept, Stewart released 1 hour long film titled *ready. set. launch.: the not-so-short film* on September 10, 2021, on YouTube for free. All of its proceeds went to the Dreamers' Foundation. While most of its Mars scenes were shot in a studio, Stewart and his crew cooperated with NASA to shoot the music videos on the NASA space station to shoot the music videos and the film.

### Tour

To support the album, he went on to embark his Journey To The Red Moon world tour which ran from January to July 2022. The tour was announced in June 2021, tickets sold out in a record of less than one minute. The tour grossed a total of $567 million upon completion. The tour received critical acclaim for its visuals, aesthetics, and its props. It became the first-ever world tour to feature 4D vision.

### Live album

On November 21, 2021, Stewart released his third live album *ready. set. acoustic.* which contains acoustic live performances of his new and old songs recorded in an isolated place Stewart performed. It peaked at #1 on the Billboard 200.

## Title and artwork

The title *ready. set. launch.* was based on the album's storyline of an astronaut on his way to become the first man to launch a rocket by himself and accidentally landed on a red planet called "Mars". The album cover was painted by Harold Gypsy, with Stewart's handwriting showing "I'm here - n.s."

## Critical reception

*ready. set. launch.* was met with critical acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 86, based on 40 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 8.1 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.

*The New York Times* journalist Jon Caramanica complimented the album for its "emotional plot, kaleidoscopic emotional confusion, urgent and panting physical release paired with failed-state childhood dyspepsia". Writing for *Consequence*, Candace McDuffie stated that as Stewart evolves, "he continues to reinvent himself, and he knows exactly how to leave fans hooked on havoc", and *ready. set. launch.* proves that he is "not done with us yet; in fact, he's just getting started". *Exclaim!* reviewer Jacob Carey stated that "*ready. set. launch.* does feel like the Stewart's very own version of NASA – a place where overindulgence, self-loathing and promiscuity are not only welcomed, but encouraged".

## Commercial performance

*ready. set. launch.* was released on August 31, 2020, breaking the record for the most global pre-adds in Apple Music history, with over 1.02 million users. It opened atop the Billboard 200, selling 1.1 million album-equivalent units, including 560,000 pure album sales. The album went on to lead nine nonconsecutive weeks on the chart and spent fifty nonconsecutive weeks inside the top ten. It marks Stewart's thirteenth number one album on the Billboard 200 and had also the biggest debut by an album in 2020. Additionally, after the album's first week of availability, all of its album tracks except the interludes charted simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100, a record yet to achieve. As of 2028, the album is certified seven times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

In Canada, *ready. set. launch.* debuted at number-one on the *Billboard* Canadian Albums Chart as Stewart's tenth consecutive chart-topper in the country. By the end of 2020, the album had moved over 300,000 units (including 90,000 pure copies) in Canada. *ready. set. launch.* landed at number 1 on the 2020 year-end Top Canadian Albums list. It was certified 4x Platinum by Music Canada (MC).

In Europe, *ready. set. launch.* garnered massive success, leading the chart for seven nonconsecutive weeks and is certified five times platinum by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI Europe). In United Kingdom, it led the chart for eight weeks and is certified 6x Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for selling over 1,800,000 units. In Australia, it sold over 90,000 units on its first week and went on to stay atop for ten weeks. It is certified eight times platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for selling over 580,000 units in the country.

The album was also a massive success across Asia, peaking at #1 on all countries.

## Accolades

At the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, *ready. set. launch.* won Best Pop Vocal Album, Best Engineered Album, and made Stewart rack his fifth Album of the Year win.

## Track listing

All tracks are written and produced by Nicholas Stewart.

## Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.

**Musicians**

* Nicholas Stewart – vocals, bass, Mellotron, and piano (4), solo guitar (5).

**Technical**

* Nicholas Stewart – mastering, mixing, recording, engineering

### Artwork

* Nicholas Stewart – art direction
* Harold Gypsy – art direction, cover photography

## Charts

### Weekly Charts

**Peak chart positions for *ready. set. launch.***

### Year-end charts

**Year-end chart positions for *ready. set. launch.***

### Decade-end charts

**Decade-end chart positions for *ready. set. launch.***

 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (*Billboard*)

### All-time charts

**All-time chart positions for *ready. set. launch.***