Oh My My

Oh My My is the fourth studio album by American pop rock band OneRepublic. It was released on October 7, 2016, through Mosley Music Group and Interscope Records, three years after the release of the band's third studio album, Native (2013). Due to Native's success with the tracks "Counting Stars" and "Love Runs Out", Oh My My incorporates some elements of their electronic production. Ryan Tedder, the band's lead singer, songwriter and producer, focused on lyrics about optimism, love, and overcoming past traumas. Seeking to escape the purely electronic sound that was high on the radio at the time, the band used instruments that left the album's sound organic, while not sounding outdated. Along with band members Tedder, Kutzle and Skelton, the album was produced by Benny Blanco and Noel Zancanella, who had previously worked on their previous albums. Marking a radical departure from pop rock from its predecessor works, Oh My My is built around electropop, arena rock and groovy, inspired by genres such as country, funk and gospel, resulting in an electronic production consisting of new-age music and rhythmic beats. Oh My My was the band's album with the most tracks on its standard version, and featured guest appearances by French band Cassius on the title track "Oh My My", as well as former Genesis rock band lead singer Peter Gabriel on the track "A.I." and singer-songwriter Santigold on the track "NbHD". Three international singles—"Wherever I Go", "Kids" and "Let's Hurt Tonight"—supported the album; they peaked at number fifty-five and ninety-six on the Billboard Hot 100, with the latter being included as a track in the film Collateral Beauty and peaking number twenty-one on Billboard Adult Top 40. "Future Looks Good" and "A.I." preceded the album as promotional tracks. Critical response to Oh My My was generally positive. Reviewers were divided on the album's exaggerated size and overproduction, making Tedder's voice a background to focus on instrumental sounds and electropop beats, but praised Tedder's songwriting and the band's impetus to step out of their comfort zone and explore a different loudness than the conventional. The album was OneRepublic's second consecutive album to debut in the top five on the Billboard 200, reaching No. 3 in its first week and surpassing the debut of their previous album, Native, by one position and reaching the top five in several countries, including Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland, and Switzerland.