You (album)

## **Singles from *You***

1. "Naked"
Released: 24 November 2017
2. "Empty Space"
Released: 19 October 2018
3. "Falling Like the Stars"
Released: 10 May 2019
4. "Treehouse"
Released: 6 September 2019
5. "Finally Feel Good"
Released: 27 September 2019
6. "You"
Released: 11 October 2019
7. "Quite Miss Home"
Released: 18 October 2019

***You*** (stylized in all caps) is the third studio album by James Arthur, released by Columbia Records on 18 October 2019. He remarked of the process, "I definitely tapped in to my 17 year old self. I got back on my acoustic guitar, on my own, which I hadn't done a while. It wasn't about trying to write a hit. It was about having something to say. And—here's the grown-up part—for the first time in my life, I stopped looking inwards and started looking out, at other people's relationships and how my behavior in the past might have affected those around me. That forced me to use my imagination."

## Synopsis

Balladry may have made James Arthur an *X Factor* champion, but he's always been a singer-songwriter with a broader vision than your average acoustic troubadour. Building on the soul-pop foundations of 2016's *Back From the Edge*, he sets his lived-in vocals to his richest palette of sounds yet. The drama and pomp of opener "You" suggests the Teessider absorbed a few tricks while contributing to *The Greatest Showman: Reimagined*, and he recruits Ty Dolla $ign and UK rapper Shotty Horroh for the spry hip-pop cut "Treehouse". Those vocals demand a few stripped-back heart-tuggers, though, and the album's reflective second half explores the twists and turns of love on "Empty Space" and the gospel-influenced "Naked", while the graceful "Fall" evokes Arthur's own struggles with addiction and anxiety.

## Critical reception

Writing for the *Star Tribune*, Mark Kennedy gave an overall negative review, calling Arthur "buried in sadness [on *You*]", adding "[t]o borrow a song title from him, if you can get through this album, you can get through anything". Lisa-Marie Ferla of *The Arts Desk* gave it a mixed review: she awarded it 3 out of 5 stars but said "[p]rune away at least four soporific ballads, though, and you'll find a decent pop-soul album".

Phoebe Luckhurst from *The Evening Standard* gave a positive review, stating "He demonstrates his range on soulful 'Marine Parade', and the R'n'B-inflected 'If We Can Get Through This We Can Get Through Anything'. He's in intelligent power-ballad form in 'Car's Outside' and 'Quite Miss Home'".

## Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.

### Musicians

* James Arthur – vocals (all tracks)
* Johan Carlsson – backing vocals (16)
* Johanna Strömblad Jonasson – backing vocals (16)
* Max Martin – backing vocals (16)
* Charlie Puth – beatbox (16)
* Eg White – backing vocals (4)
* James Arthur – guitar (4, 9, 13, 15)
* Tom Barnes – drums (3)
* Alexander Beitzke – bass, guitar (5), keyboards (5, 12)
* Dan Bingham – bass (15), drums, piano (5, 12)
* David Bukovinszky – cello (16)
* Mattias Bylund – strings (16)
* Johan Carlsson – guitar, electric guitar, piano, synths, tambourine, B3 organ (16)
* Jack Duxbury – electric guitar (4, 13)
* Verity Evanson – cello (13)
* Rob Harris – guitar (5, 12)
* Mattias Johansson – violin (16)
* Pete Kelleher – bass, guitar (3)
* Ben Kohn – keyboards (3)
* Jeremy Lertola – guitar (16)
* Nate Mercereau – bass, guitar, piano (2)
* Gemma Sharples – violin (13)
* Paul Turner – bass (12)
* Eg White – Rhodes piano, synth (4)

### Production

* Alexander Beitzke – production (5, 12, 14), vocal production (5)
* busbee – production (6)
* Johan Carlsson – production, vocal production (16)
* Mark Crew – production (5, 9, 13, 15), vocal production (5)
* Ryan Daly – production (6)
* DaviDior – production (7)
* Digital Farm Animals – production (15)
* Carlos de la Garza (music producer)|Carlos de la Garza – additional vocal recording (6)
* Jamie Hartman – production (17)
* King Henry – production (8)
* Nic Nac – production (7)
* Dan Priddy – production (5, 9, 13, 15), vocal production (5)
* Jonathan Quarmby – production (10, 11)
* Red Triangle – production (1)
* Ricky Reed – production (2)
* Bradley Spence – production (5, 12, 14), vocal production (5)
* TMS – production (3)
* Eg White – production (4)

### Technical

* Adult Art Club – design
* Louis Browne – photography
* busbee – engineering (6)
* Greg Eliason – engineering, recording (8)
* Jamie Hartman – engineering, recording (17)
* Wes Maebe – engineering (10)
* Nate Mercereau – engineering (2)
* Red Triangle – engineering, recording (1)
* Ricky Reed – engineering, programming (2)
* Alexander Beitzke – engineering, mixing, recording (5, 12, 14)
* Billy Foster – assistant recording engineering (12)
* Jeremy Nichols – assistant recording engineering (8)
* Max Anstruther – assistant engineering (10)
* Marek Deml – assistant engineering (10), additional programming (11)
* Scott Desmarais – assistant engineering (15)
* Robin Florent – assistant engineering (15)
* Fabio Senna – assistant engineering (12)
* Jesse Brock – assistant mix engineer (2, 7, 8)
* Miles Comaskey – assistant mix engineer (6)
* Joel Davies – assistant mix engineer (1, 3)
* Charles Haydon Hicks – assistant mix engineer (1, 3)
* Tom Barnes – programming (3)
* Dan Priddy – programming (4, 9, 13)
* Ricky Reed – programming (2)
* Steve Fitzmaurice – additional programming (11), mixing (10, 11)
* Serge Courtois – mixing (17)
* Mark Crew – mixing, programming (4, 9, 13)
* Serban Ghenea – mixing (16)
* Dan Grech-Marguerat – mixing (1, 3)
* Manny Marroquin – mixing (15)
* Tony Maserati – mixing (6)
* Sean Moffitt – mixing (2, 7, 8)
* Michelle Mancini – mastering (15)
* Randy Merrill – mastering (1–14, 16, 17)

## Media

* Release
* Track-by-Track

## References

1. ↑ "James Arthur Releases New Album YOU Today". *Press Party*. 18 October 2019.

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