Mercury – Acts 1 & 2

Released
 Recorded
 Length
 Label
 Producer
* Goldwiing
* Mattman & Robin
* Jason Suwito
* Jayson DeZuzio
* Joel Little
* Brandon Darner
* Styalz Fuego
* New Haven
* Jesse Shatkin
* Dylan Wiggins
* MAG
* KillaGraham
* Mick Coogan
* Nicky Blitz

2. "Sharks"Released: June 24, 2022
3. "I Don’t Like Myself"Released: October 10, 2022
4. "Symphony"Released: November 25, 2022
5. "Alive"Released: January 16, 2023

***Mercury – Acts 1 & 2*** is the sixth studio album by American pop rock band Imagine Dragons, released through Kidinakorner and Interscope Records. It is a double album consisting of 32 tracks, with the first half, *Mercury – Act 1*, released on September 3, 2021, and *Mercury – Act 2*, the second half, released on July 1, 2022, as part of the double album *Mercury – Acts 1 & 2*. The album was executive produced by Rick Rubin.

## Background and concept

Imagine Dragons released their fifth studio album *Mercury – Act 1* on September 3, 2021. Upon its release, the band confirmed that they would be releasing a sequel album. The band stated that Rick Rubin would executive produce the album. In January 2022, frontman Dan Reynolds claimed the album was "almost done" and would likely be released following the first leg of the Mercury Tour. In an interview released through Apple Music in late March, Reynolds stated that the album was different sonically than their previous albums and said it was influenced by hip hop.

Reynolds, in an interview with *Consequence*, described the creative process behind the two albums:

> We worked with Rick Rubin on these records, and we knew really early on that it was going to be two records. As we went through the songs on the first record, Rick sat me down and we really talked about the theme of it. We realized early on that Act I was focused on death and kind of those shell-shocked feelings that accompany that, whereas Act II is really post-grief and waking up the next day after you’ve lost someone that you loved.
> —
>
>

## Singles and promotion

"Bones" was released as the lead single to *Mercury – Act 2* on March 11, 2022. The song was used to promote the upcoming third season of the Amazon Prime Video series *The Boys*. The release of the song's music video on April 6 coincided with the pre-order of the album.

The album's second single, "Sharks", was released on June 24, 2022, along with an accompanying music video. It was sent to Italian radio on July 1, 2022.

The third single for the album, "I Don't Like Myself", was released on October 10, 2022, along with an accompanying music video for World Mental Health Day. For the occasion, the band partnered with Crisis Text Line for a fundraising campaign.

"Symphony" was sent to radio in Italy on November 25, 2022 as the fourth single from the album.

The fifth and final single for the album, "Alive", was released on January 16, 2023. The song is featured in the Warner Bros. animated film *WordGirl: The Movie* and was included in its second official trailer, along with the ending credits for the film. The music video, which takes place in a city and includes several references to the film, was released on February 22, 2023. The song peaked at No. 4 on the *Billboard* Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart.

## Critical reception

Professional ratings
 AllMusic

Neil Z. Yeung of AllMusic was critical of *Act 2*'s unfocused nature and length, stating, "There's simply too much going on and not enough editorial trimming to make this as impactful an experience as *Act 1*."

Reviewing *Act 2*, Ali Shutler of *The Telegraph* was unenthusiastic of the more downtempo songs, claiming they "all trudge towards the same big, emotional finale that’s less impactful every time and quickly sucks the joy from the record. Shutler also deemed it forgettable, stating, "In a bid to appeal to everyone, the band have removed anything that would make them stand out. There’s no doubt you’ll hear Imagine Dragons’ music everywhere over the next few months, but you’ll be hard pushed to remember it."

## Track listing

**Notes**

* The originally released standard version of *Mercury – Act 1* does not include "Enemy". The song was added onto the album as an additional track on digital retailers and streaming platforms.
* "I Wish" appears as a bonus track on digital, streaming, and Target Exclusive CD versions of *Mercury – Acts 1 & 2*, but is omitted from the standard physical version.
* The Japanese edition of *Mercury – Act 1* features the bonus track "Follow You (Summer '21 Version)", produced by Brandon Darner.
* The Japanese edition of *Mercury – Acts 1 & 2* features acoustic versions of "Believer" and "Follow You", a live rendition of "Wrecked" (dubbed 'From The Bunker'), a solo mix of "Enemy" with a new verse from Dan Reynolds instead of JID, and a live rendition of "Bones" performed at the Climate Pledge Arena.

## Charts

Weekly chart performance for *Mercury – Acts 1 & 2*
 Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)
 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)
 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)
 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)
*Mercury – Act 2*
 Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI)
 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)
 Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)
 French Albums (SNEP)
 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)
 Italian Albums (FIMI)
 Lithuanian Albums (AGATA)
 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)
 Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)
 Polish Albums (ZPAV)
 Portuguese Albums (AFP)
 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)

Year-end chart performance for *Mercury – Acts 1 & 2*

## Certifications

Certifications for *Mercury – Acts 1 & 2*

## Release history

Release history for *Mercury – Acts 1 & 2*
* Digital download
* streaming
* Target exclusive
 2-CD
 Japan