Close Encounters

Close Encounters is the fifth studio album by British recording artist Jack Stevens.

Background
Recording for Jack’s fifth studio album began in Spring 2020 at Jack’s home studio in the Cotswolds. Initially looking for a creative outlet during the initial coronavirus lockdown, Jack reached out to long-time collaborators and friends Shell Ruin and Knobfeelers and completed a number of virtual writing and recording sessions through video calls which resulted in a number of tracks being created. Still hesitant to release the body of work as an album Jack was encouraged to return to music by his friend Emily Henning and signed a distribution deal with her label Blush Recordings.

Jack’s return to music was teased with the release of a Greatest Hits album in the Summer of 2020 which received a mixed reaction from fans but would ultimately be certified Silver for sales in excess of 450,000 copies with the accompanying single ‘Nothing In Common’ certified Gold. Jack was then offered a multi-million-pound touring contract with Live Nation for a world tour which cemented his decision to release the album. Further recording sessions with Shell and Knobfeelers continued into late Summer 2020 and the album was finalised in September, ahead of the album’s announcement alongside the tour.

Influences
‘Close Encounters’ has been described as an ‘unashamedly pop album’ by Jack Stevens while the album’s executive producer Shell Ruin described the LP as a “sophisticated, clever and surprising record” while citing she was keen to push Jack and showcase new sides to him. The album was once again solely produced by Knobfeelers resulting in a cohesive album that still manages to experiment with new sounds while remaining true to the Stevens sound.

Release
'Close Encounters' was officially released on November 27, 2021 on a mixture of physical and digital editions across Jack's official website and selected retail outlets around the world, for the first time a limited edition of signed formats were avaliable to purchase.

Critical Reception
‘Close Encounters’ received unanimous praise from fans and critics alike and has a score of 95/100 on the Metacritic database based on 25 published reviews. Critics at The Guardian, NME, The Independent and The Times all gave the album strong reviews with many citing that Jack had made a record which had managed to successfully provide a nod to the past, while challenging his contemporaries. Rolling Stone stated the album showed clear artistic growth but proved Jack was still able to have fun with his lyrics and music. Both Attitude and Gay Times praised the LGBTQ+ themes of the album, specifically around its lead single ‘Masc For Masc’. BBC Music awarded the album 5/5 and stated Jack had not only made the album of his career, but one of the albums of the year. BBC Radio 2 was a strong supporter of the album and showcased a number of tracks from the album during a week of events to mark it’s release which culminated with Jack performing a live session for the Zoe Ball Breakfast Show on the release date.

Critics Choice Awards
In response to the success of ‘Close Encounters’, Jack was nominated for a number of awards at the inaugural Critics Choice Awards ceremony in 2021 including ‘Artist Of The Year’, ‘Comeback Of The Year’ and ‘Best Promotional Campaign’ for the lead single ‘Masc For Masc.

In total Jack was nominated in the following categories
 * Artist Of The Year
 * Best Male Artist
 * Best Pop/Dance Artist
 * Best Promotional Campaign (Masc For Masc)
 * Comeback Of The Year
 * Single Of The Year (Masc For Masc)

Jack was the winner of 'Best Male', 'Best Single' and 'Best Promotional Campaign'

Close Encounters (Part II)
After the initial success of the album, Jack returned to the recording studio alongside Shell Ruin and Alesha, with coronavirus restrictions eased they were able to work together, in person at Shell's London studio. Keen to 'push' Jack and evolve his sound, she introduced American DJ and producer Christian Stone to work on what was described as a new "mature and evolved sound". Initially unsure of whether to release a new album, Jack instead decided on a deluxe edition entitled 'Close Encounters (Part II)' which he officially announced to fans in August 2021, ahead of it's September release. The collection was launched by the single 'Guilty Pleasure' which is described as a sexy and sensual 80's banger and acts as a transition into the new sound from Part 1 of the album. Jack described the songs as some of his favourites he had ever recorded, in particular the tracks 'Only Lovers Left Alive' and Coast To Coast, which are described as having adult contemporary influences. Also included on the album was 'Future Ghost' a duet with Emily Henning for her 'Rebound' album.

Chart Performance
'Close Encounters' debuted at number one on the official albums chart and has since been certified Diamond for sales in excess of 2,012,806 copies across 33 weeks on the chart.

Credits

 * Jack Stevens – lead vocals, songwriter, executive producer
 * Shell Ruin – songwriter, executive producer, vocals (track 8)
 * Emily Henning – vocals (track 12)
 * Knobfeelers – songwriter, production, instrumentation.