Sick Boy (album)

Sick Boy is the second studio album by American DJ and production duo The Chainsmokers. It was released on December 14, 2018, via Disruptor and Columbia Records. The album features collaborations with French DJ Aazar and fellow American DJ NGHTMRE as well as co-production from Sly, Chris Lyon, and Shaun Frank, and writing credits from frequent co-writer Emily Warren, Kate Morgan, Drew Love of THEY., Tony Ann, Corey Sanders, and Chelsea Jade.[1]

Sick Boy
Studio album by The Chainsmokers
Released	December 14, 2018
Genre	Electropop EDM
Length	32:46
Label	Disruptor Columbia
Producer	Adam Alpert (exec.) Alex Pall (exec.) The Chainsmokers Sly Chris Lyon Shaun Frank Aazar NGHTMRE
The Chainsmokers chronology
Sick Boy...Beach House (2018) Sick Boy (2018) World War Joy...Kills You Slowly (2019)
The Chainsmokers studio album chronology
Memories...Do Not Open (2017) Sick Boy (2018) World War Joy (2019)
Singles from Sick Boy
"Sick Boy" Released: January 17, 2018 "You Owe Me" Released: February 16, 2018 "Everybody Hates Me" Released: March 16, 2018 "Somebody" Released: April 20, 2018 "Side Effects" Released: July 27, 2018 "Save Yourself" Released: August 24, 2018 "This Feeling" Released: September 18, 2018 "Siren" Released: October 26, 2018 "Beach House" Released: November 16, 2018 "Hope" Released: December 14, 2018

Background

The album consists of singles that were released each month in the year 2018, except May and June, with "Sick Boy", "You Owe Me", "Everybody Hates Me" and "Somebody" being released in the first four months, from January to April. These songs were collectively released on the 'Sick Boy EP' on April 20. The next three songs, "Side Effects", "Save Yourself" and "This Feeling" were released July to September and appeared collectively alongside the first four singles on the EP 'Sick Boy...This Feeling' on September 21. "Siren", "Beach House" and "Hope" were released October to December, then collected on the final album.[2][3][4]

Songs from the album were described as "deep and introspective", while having "bangers that sound out of place". The album was noted by Your EDM as "an improvement from Memories...Do Not Open" and "a massive step in the right direction... with the Chainsmokers a little lost on their own sound."[5][6]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
The Guardian
Pitchfork	3.1/10
PopMatters
Sputnikmusic	3.0/5
The Times

Upon release, Sick Boy received heavily mixed reception from music critics.

AllMusic's Neil Z. Young positively said of the album, "Compared to their 2017 official debut, the Chainsmokers' sophomore album, Sick Boy, is more introspective, thoughtful and emotional. It's also a vast improvement on the often precious (and, frankly, boring) EDM-pop of Memories…Do Not Open." He went on to state that, "At the heart of it all, this set is dark, sometimes exciting, and a step in the right direction for the immensely popular but critically maligned duo. World-weariness and a troubled heart suit them well and managed to do some good on Sick Boy."

In sharp contrast, Laura Snapes of The Guardian gave the record a very negative review, calling it "a torrent of spew-inducing self-pity".[7]

Track listing

Adapted from iTunes[8] and Qobuz.[9]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"This Feeling" (featuring Kelsea Ballerini)	Andrew Taggart Alex Pall Emily Warren	The Chainsmokers	3:17
2.	"Beach House"	Taggart Pall	The Chainsmokers	3:26
3.	"Hope" (featuring Winona Oak)	Taggart Pall Chris Lyon Kate Morgan Winona Oak	The Chainsmokers Lyon	3:00
4.	"Somebody" (featuring Drew Love)	Taggart Drew Love Warren	The Chainsmokers	3:41
5.	"Side Effects" (featuring Emily Warren)	Taggart Warren Sylvester Willy Siversten Tony Ann Corey Sanders	The Chainsmokers Sly	2:52
6.	"Sick Boy"	Taggart Pall Warren Ann	The Chainsmokers Shaun Frank	3:13
7.	"Everybody Hates Me"	Taggart Warren	The Chainsmokers Frank	3:43
8.	"Siren" (with Aazar)	Taggart Pall Alexis Duvivier	The Chainsmokers Aazar	2:54
9.	"You Owe Me"	Taggart Pall Warren Chelsea Jade	The Chainsmokers Frank	3:10
10.	"Save Yourself" (with NGHTMRE)	Taggart Tyler Marenyi	The Chainsmokers NGHTMRE	3:30
Total length:				32:46

Special edition bonus tracks[10]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
11.	"This Feeling" (Afrojack & DISTO Remix) (featuring Kelsea Ballerini)	Andrew Taggart Alex Pall Emily Warren	The Chainsmokers Afrojack^[r] DISTO^[r]	3:27
12.	"Somebody" (Riggi & Piros Remix) (featuring Drew Love)	Taggart Drew Love Warren	The Chainsmokers Riggi & Piros^[r]	3:00
13.	"Side Effects" (Fedde Le Grand Remix) (featuring Emily Warren)	Taggart Warren Sylvester Willy Siversten Tony Ann Corey Sanders	The Chainsmokers Sly Fedde Le Grand^[r]	2:52
14.	"Sick Boy" (Zaxx Remix)	Taggart Pall Warren Ann	The Chainsmokers Shaun Frank Zaxx^[r]	3:38
15.	"Somebody" (Ruhde Remix) (featuring Drew Love)	Taggart Drew Love Warren	The Chainsmokers Ruhde^[r]	3:38
16.	"Everybody Hates Me" (Khrebto Remix)	Taggart Warren	The Chainsmokers Frank Khrebto^[r]	3:15
17.	"You Owe Me" (Magnace Remix)	Taggart Pall Warren Chelsea Jade	The Chainsmokers Frank Magnace^[r]	3:26
18.	"Something Just like This" (Alesso Remix) (with Coldplay)	Taggart Chris Martin Guy Berryman Jonny Buckland Will Champion	The Chainsmokers Alesso^[r]	4:12
19.	"Paris" (VINAI Remix)	Taggart Kristoffer Eriksson Fredrik Häggstam Charlee Nyman	The Chainsmokers DJ Swivel^[v] VINAI^[r]	3:38
20.	"Setting Fires" (Sigma Remix) (featuring Xylø)	Taggart Melanie Fontana Jon Asher	The Chainsmokers Sigma^[r]	4:16
21.	"Don't Let Me Down" (W&W Remix) (featuring Daya)	Taggart Warren Scott Harris	The Chainsmokers W&W^[r]	3:15
22.	"Roses" (The Him Remix) (featuring ROZES)	Taggart Elizabeth Mencel	The Chainsmokers The Him^[r]	2:57
23.	"Closer" (R3HAB Remix) (featuring Halsey)	Taggart Ashley Frangipane Frank Frederic Kennett Isaac Slade Joe King	The Chainsmokers R3HAB^[r]	2:41
Total length:				1:17:01

Sick Boy EP

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Somebody" (featuring Drew Love)	Andrew Taggart Drew Love Emily Warren	The Chainsmokers	3:41
2.	"Everybody Hates Me"	Taggart Warren	The Chainsmokers Shaun Frank	3:43
3.	"You Owe Me"	Taggart Alex Pall Warren Chelsea Jade	The Chainsmokers Frank	3:10
4.	"Sick Boy"	Taggart Pall Warren Tony Ann	The Chainsmokers Frank	3:13
Total length:				13:47

Sick Boy...This Feeling EP

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"This Feeling" (featuring Kelsea Ballerini)	Andrew Taggart Alex Pall Emily Warren	The Chainsmokers	3:17
2.	"Side Effects" (featuring Emily Warren)	Taggart Warren Sylvester Willy Siversten Tony Ann Corey Sanders	The Chainsmokers Sly	2:52
3.	"Save Yourself" (with Nghtmre)	Taggart Tyler Marenyi	The Chainsmokers Nghtmre	3:30
4.	"Somebody" (featuring Drew Love)	Taggart Drew Love Warren	The Chainsmokers	3:41
5.	"Everybody Hates Me"	Taggart Warren	The Chainsmokers Shaun Frank	3:43
6.	"You Owe Me"	Taggart Pall Warren Chelsea Jade	The Chainsmokers Frank	3:10
7.	"Sick Boy"	Taggart Pall Warren Ann	The Chainsmokers Frank	3:13
Total length:				23:26

• ^[v] signifies a vocal producer
• ^[r] signifies a remix producer

Personnel

Adapted from Qobuz.[11]

• Adam Alpert – executive production
• Alex Pall – production (all), songwriting (1–3, 6, 8, 9), programming (1–5, 8–10), mixing (1, 2, 8), mastering (1, 2, 8), piano (1), executive production
• Andrew Taggart – production (all), songwriting (all), programming (1–5, 8–10), mixing (1, 2, 8), mastering (1, 2, 8), guitar (1), vocals (all)
• Aazar – production (8), songwriting (8), mixing (8), mastering (8)
• Chelsea Jade – songwriting (9)
• Chris Gerhinger – mastering (5–7, 9)
• Chris Lyon – production (3), songwriting (3)
• Corey Sanders – songwriting (5)
• Drew Love – songwriting (4), vocals (4)
• Emily Warren – songwriting (1, 4–7, 9), piano (9), vocals (5)
• Jordan Stilwell – mixing (1–5)
• Kate Morgan – songwriting (3)
• Kelsea Ballerini – vocals (1)
• Matt McGuire – drums (6, 7, 9)
• Michelle Mancini – mastering (3)
• NGHTMRE – production (10), songwriting (10), mixing (10), mastering (10)
• Nicolas Petitfrère - mastering (8)
• Petra Vasuri – art direction
• Randy Merrill – mastering (4)
• Shaun Frank – production (6, 7, 9), programming (6, 7), mixing (6, 7, 9)
• Sly – production (5), songwriting (5)
• Tony Ann – songwriting (5, 6), piano (6)
• Winona Oak – vocals (3), songwriting (3)

Charts

Weekly charts Album Chart (2018–19) Peak position Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[12] 41 Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[13] 18 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[14] 65 Japan Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[15] 73 Japanese Albums (Oricon)[16] 36 Latvian Albums (LAIPA)[17] 4 Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[18] 6 South Korean Albums (Gaon)[19] 77 Sick Boy (EP) Chart Peak position Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[20] 36 US Billboard 200[21] 53 US Top Dance/Electronic Albums (Billboard)[22] 1 Sick Boy...Beach House Chart Peak position Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[23] 45 Latvian Albums (LAIPA)[24] 15 Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[25] 18 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[26] 13 Sick Boy...Save Yourself Chart Peak position Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[27] 27 Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[28] 15 Sick Boy...Side Effects Chart Peak position Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[29] 57 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[30] 142 Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[31] 40 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[32] 41 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[33] 29 Sick Boy...Siren Chart Peak position Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[34] 45 Latvian Albums (LAIPA)[35] 28 Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[36] 22 Sick Boy...This Feeling Chart Peak position Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[37] 37 Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[38] 28 Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[39] 13 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[40] 9

Year-end charts Sick Boy (EP) Chart (2018) Position US Top Dance/Electronic Albums (Billboard)[41] 8 Chart (2019) Position US Top Dance/Electronic Albums (Billboard)[42] 3 Chart (2020) Position US Top Dance/Electronic Albums (Billboard)[43] 18 Sick Boy...Beach House Chart (2019) Position Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[44] 60 Sick Boy...Side Effects Chart (2019) Position Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[45] 152

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[46]	Gold	20,000
Canada (Music Canada)[47]	Platinum	80,000
Poland (ZPAV)[48]	Gold	10,000
United States (RIAA)[49]	Gold	500,000
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

1. Domin, Mariana (December 15, 2018). "The Chainsmokers lança pacote completo do álbum "Sick Boy" e clipe". Nação da Música (in Portuguese). Retrieved December 19, 2018.
2. Powell, Karlie (December 11, 2018). "The Chainsmokers Return To Their 2016 Sound with New Single Out Friday". Your EDM. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
3. "The Chainsmokers Complete 'Sick Boy' Album With 'Hope' Featuring Winona Oak: Listen". Billboard. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
4. "Curta "Sick Boy", o segundo álbum do The Chainsmokers". Vagalume (in Portuguese). December 14, 2018. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
5. Meadow, Matthew (December 15, 2018). "The Chainsmokers Bounce With New & Improved Sophomore Album, "Sick Boy"". Your EDM. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
6. "The Chainsmokers z niespodzianką dla fanów! Płyta Sick Boy prezentem na koniec roku!". Eska.pl (in Polish). Retrieved December 19, 2018.
7. Snapes, Laura (January 4, 2019). "The Chainsmokers: Sick Boy review – a torrent of spew-inducing self-pity". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
8. "Sick Boy by The Chainsmokers". iTunes. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
9. "Sick Boy The Chainsmokers - Download and listen to the album". Qobuz. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
10. "CDJapan : Sick Boy" (in Japanese). CDJapan.
11. "Sick Boy The Chainsmokers - Download and listen to the album". Qobuz. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
12. "Austriancharts.at – The Chainsmokers – Sick Boy" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
13. "Chainsmokers: Sick Boy" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
14. "Offiziellecharts.de – The Chainsmokers – Sick Boy" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
15. "Sick Boy on Billboard Japan Hot Albums". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on September 23, 2020. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
16. "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2019-07-22" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
17. "Mūzikas patēriņa topa 5.nedēļa" (in Latvian). LAIPA. February 10, 2019. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
18. "Norwegiancharts.com – The Chainsmokers – Sick Boy". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 9, 2019.
19. "Gaon Album Chart – Week 3, 2019". Gaon Chart (in Korean). Retrieved January 24, 2019.
20. "Hitlisten.NU – Album Top-40 Uge 3, 2019". Hitlisten. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
21. "The Chainsmokers Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
22. "The Chainsmokers Chart History (Top Dance/Electronic Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
23. "The Chainsmokers: Sick Boy... Beach House" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
24. "Mūzikas patēriņa topa 48.nedēļa" (in Latvian). LAIPA. November 30, 2018. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
25. "Norwegiancharts.com – The Chainsmokers – Sick Boy... Beach House". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
26. "Sverigetopplistan – Sveriges Officiella Topplista". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved January 26, 2019. Click on "Veckans albumlista".
27. "The Chainsmokers: Sick Boy... Save Yourself" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
28. "Norwegiancharts.com – The Chainsmokers – Sick Boy... Save Yourself". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
29. "Ultratop.be – The Chainsmokers – Sick Boy... Side Effects %5BEP%5D" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
30. "Ultratop.be – The Chainsmokers – Sick Boy... Side Effects %5BEP%5D" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
31. "Danishcharts.dk – The Chainsmokers – Sick Boy... Side Effects %5BEP%5D". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
32. "Dutchcharts.nl – The Chainsmokers – Sick Boy... Side Effects %5BEP%5D" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
33. "Swedishcharts.com – The Chainsmokers – Sick Boy... Side Effects %5BEP%5D". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
34. "The Chainsmokers: Sick Boy... Siren" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
35. "Jaunumu pārpilna mūzikas patēriņa topa 46.nedēļa" (in Latvian). LAIPA. November 17, 2018. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
36. "Norwegiancharts.com – The Chainsmokers – Sick Boy... Siren". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
37. "Danishcharts.dk – The Chainsmokers – Sick Boy... This Feeling %5BEP%5D". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
38. "The Chainsmokers: Sick Boy... This Feeling %5BEP%5D" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
39. "Norwegiancharts.com – The Chainsmokers – Sick Boy... This Feeling %5BEP%5D". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
40. "Swedishcharts.com – The Chainsmokers – Sick Boy... This Feeling %5BEP%5D". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
41. "Top Dance/Electronic Albums – Year-End 2018". Billboard. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
42. "Top Dance/Electronic Albums – Year-End 2019". Billboard. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
43. "Top Dance/Electronic Albums – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
44. "Årslista Album – År 2019" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
45. "Jaaroverzichten 2019". Ultratop. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
46. "Brazilian album certifications – The Chainsmokers – Sick Boy" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
47. "Canadian album certifications – The Chainsmokers – Sick Boy". Music Canada. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
48. "Polish album certifications – The Chainsmokers – Sick Boy" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
49. "American album certifications – The Chainsmokers – Sick Boy". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 4, 2020. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.