The Secret (Austin Mahone EP)
| The Secret | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| EP by Austin Mahone | ||||
| Released | May 27, 2014 | |||
| Recorded | 2013–14 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 26:59 | |||
| Label |
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| Producer |
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| Austin Mahone chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Secret | ||||
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The Secret is the second extended play (EP) by American pop singer Austin Mahone. It was released on May 27, 2014.[1]
Background
In an interview with Billboard on November 4, 2013, Mahone informed the magazine that the album would see an additional collaboration with Flo Rida and maybe one or two other to-be-determined guests. He added: "It's coming along amazing – I'm just trying to have every little detail and just make it absolutely perfect for my fans."[2] The direction of the EP reminisces a sound and themes of '90s pop music and has clear influences of Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC.
Composition
The album is described by music critics as pop and EDM.[3][4][5] According to Mahone, the sound is a mixture of pop, R&B, electronic dance and 90's Backstreet Boys.[6][7] When asked about the EP in an interview with MTV News, he said that the songs in his upcoming album would "sound like "What About Love" kind of like that EDM, like I said, old school/new school."[8] Writing for So So Gay, David Lim noted the EP's sound to be influenced by Swedish pop producer Max Martin, who created songs for late-90's teen pop stars such as Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC. Lim later went on to call the EP a "shout of neon-bright tunes" and said: "The catchy melodies and electronic beats suit Austin’s own clean-cut, all singing-and-dancing persona, but at times it puts a wall between him and the listener."[9]
"Mmm Yeah" is a dance-pop song which contains a "swirling" production, funk-influenced trumpets, a percussion-heavy four on the floor electropop beat, and influences of Chicago house, hip hop, and Latin music.[10][11][12][13] The track heavily samples Lidell Townsell's 1992 single "Nu Nu". Lyrically, the song speaks of being rejected by an attractive woman walking down a street: "We can do whatever/ Do whatever we want/ When she walked past me I said 'hey, hey, hey' So tell me where you from where you want to go/ She walked past me like I ain't say a word".[10] "All I Ever Need" is a "breezy" downtempo R&B and pop slow jam.[14][15]
Singles
"What About Love" was released as single on June 10, 2013 but included only in the international album's version. The song peaked at number 66 on the Billboard Hot 100.[16] "Mmm Yeah" was released on January 26, 2014 and features rapper Pitbull.[17]
Promotional singles
"Till I Find You" was released as the first promotional single on April 18, 2014 during the program radio On Air with Ryan Seacrest.[18][19][20] It is featured on Just Dance 2015. "All I Ever Need" was released as second promotional single on May 13, 2014.[18] "Shadow" was released on May 26, 2014 during a performance on the Today. Mahone released the official video through Vevo on May 29, 2014.[21][22][23]
Critical reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [3] |
| Billboard |  [4] |
| Rolling Stone | [24] |
| USA Today | [25] |
In her review of the EP, Elysa Gardner of USA Today gave a mixed response, saying: "To call him "baby Bieber" wouldn't be fair; the generically catchy tunes hark back to N' Sync, Backstreet Boys and even New Kids. His creamy yearning should set young hearts aflutter."[25]
Commercial performance
The album debuted at number 5 on the Billboard 200 with first week sales of 46,000 copies.[26] As of November 2014, The Secret has sold 100,000 copies cumulatively in the United States.[27] Austin announced on twitter that he will be going on a tour around North America and later announced that he will be going on that same tour around Mexico.
Track listing
- Standard edition[28]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Till I Find You" |
|
|
3:00 |
| 2. | "Next to You" |
|
|
3:04 |
| 3. | "Mmm Yeah" (featuring Pitbull) |
|
|
3:51 |
| 4. | "Secret" |
|
|
3:18 |
| 5. | "Can't Fight This Love" |
|
|
2:46 |
| 6. | "All I Ever Need" |
| Mahone | 3:33 |
| 7. | "The One I've Waited For" |
|
|
3:39 |
| 8. | "Shadow" (acoustic) |
|
|
3:48 |
Total length: |
26:59 | |||
| International bonus track[29][30][31][32][33][34] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
| 9. | "What About Love" |
|
|
3:23 |
Total length: |
30:22 | |||
| Japanese edition bonus tracks[35][36] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
| 10. | "U" |
| Maejor | 3:36 |
| 11. | "Mmm Yeah" (featuring Pitbull) (Jump Smokers Remix) |
| 4:22 | |
Total length: |
37:20 | |||
| Japanese deluxe edition DVD[35] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Director | Length |
| 1. | "Mmm Yeah" (featuring Pitbull) (music video) |
|
|
| 2. | "What About Love" (music video) | Colin Tilley | |
| 3. | "Mmm Yeah" (featuring Pitbull) (lyric video) | N/A | |
| 4. | "Mmm Yeah" (featuring Pitbull) (live) | N/A | |
| 5. | "What About Love" (live) | N/A | |
| 6. | "Behind the Scenes in Japan" | N/A | |
- Notes
Weekly charts
| Chart (2014) | Peak position | |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[37] | 74 | |
| scope="row" | Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[38] | 60 |
| scope="row" | Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[39] | 129 |
| scope="row" | Canadian Albums (Billboard)[40] | 11 |
| scope="row" | Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[41] | 18 |
| scope="row" | French Albums (SNEP)[42] | 85 |
| scope="row" | Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)[43] | 42 |
| Italian Albums (FIMI)[44] | 12 | |
| Mexican Albums (Top 100 Mexico)[45] | 26 | |
| scope="row" | Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[46] | 11 |
| scope="row" | Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[47] | 27 |
| scope="row" | US Billboard 200[48] | 5 |