Welcome Reality

Welcome Reality
Studio album by Nero
Released	12 August 2011
Recorded	6 October 2008 – 1 April 2011
Length	61:10
Label	MTA Mercury
Producer	Nero
Nero chronology
Welcome Reality (2011) Between II Worlds (2015)
Alternative cover
2012 re-issue (Welcome Reality +)
Singles from Welcome Reality
"Innocence" Released: 26 April 2010 "Me & You" Released: 2 January 2011 "Guilt" Released: 24 April 2011 "Promises" Released: 5 August 2011 "Crush on You" Released: 13 October 2011 "Reaching Out" Released: 16 December 2011 "Must Be the Feeling" Released: 5 March 2012 "Won't You (Be There)" Released: 19 October 2012

Welcome Reality is the debut album by British group Nero. A concept album, it was released first in Ireland on 12 August 2011^[1] and the rest of the world on 15 August 2011 except Australia and New Zealand where it was released on 19 August 2011^[2] on Chase & Status's MTA Records.^[3] The album has sold 120,000 copies in the United States as of July 2015.^[4]

Critical response

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[5]
BBC	(Unfavorable)[6]
Clash	(4/10)[7]
The Guardian	[8]
The Independent	(Favorable)[9]
LA Times	(Favorable)[10]
MusicOMH	[11]
NY Times	(Favorable)[12]
Pop Matters	(7/10)[13]
Spin	(7/10)[14]

Welcome Reality has received generally positive reviews. Spin gave the album a score of 7/10, and wrote, "Alana Watson gives Nero's robotic skronk a rare injection of humanity, and the U.K. producers are smart enough to build most of their debut full-length around her husky voice, skipping the sampled spasticity of Skrillex in favor of Daft Punk's melodic big beat, '80s-inspired electro, and stadium-sized mash-ups of squealing guitar and windy synths."^[14] Jeff Weiss, for the LA Times, found the album to be "As effective as it is predictable", stating "Welcome Reality will inevitably soundtrack thousands of summer and fall blowouts".^[10] The album was not well received by Clash, who stated that "Welcome Reality is so in your face and predictable it feels like the musical equivalent of a Michael Bay movie: loud, crass, periodically fun, but ultimately forgettable".^[7]

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"2808"	1:53
2.	"Doomsday"	4:12
3.	"My Eyes"	4:41
4.	"Guilt"	4:43
5.	"Fugue State"	3:35
6.	"Me and You"	4:08
7.	"Innocence"	5:08
8.	"In the Way"	3:57
9.	"Scorpions"	5:56
10.	"Crush on You"	4:10
11.	"Must Be the Feeling"	4:03
12.	"Reaching Out"	4:45
13.	"Promises"	4:17
14.	"Departure"	5:34

Amazon UK bonus track[15]
No.	Title	Length
15.	"Innocence" (Hesper Muze Remix)	5:49

iTunes Deluxe Edition bonus tracks[16]
No.	Title	Length
15.	"Angst"	4:51
16.	"Welcome Reality VIP"	4:27
17.	"This Way" (Album Version)	5:49
18.	"New Life"	4:33
19.	"Choices" (Album Version)	6:14
20.	"Symphony 2808"	17:34
21.	"Symphony 2808" (Video)	18:12

Welcome Reality + bonus tracks[17]
No.	Title	Length
15.	"Won't You (Be There)"	4:03
16.	"Etude"	4:17
17.	"Promises" (Skrillex and Nero Remix)	4:28

Charts

Charts (2011)	Peak Position
Australian Albums Chart (ARIA)[18]	12
Belgian Albums Chart (Flanders)[19]	29
Irish Albums Chart[20]	52
New Zealand Albums Chart[21]	32
Swiss Albums Chart[22]	88
UK Albums Chart[23]	1
US Billboard Top Heatseekers[24]	6
US Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums[24]	6

References

1. "iTunes - Music - Welcome Reality by Nero". Itunes.apple.com. 12 August 2011. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
2. "'Welcome Reality' release date, track listing and art work announced". Nero. 20 June 2011. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
3. Sigel, Tego (11 April 2011). "Nero To Release Their Debut Album Welcome To Reality In August". RWDmag. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
4. "Upcoming Releases". Hits Daily Double. HITS Digital Ventures. Archived from the original on July 16, 2015.
5. O'Brien, Jon. Welcome Reality at AllMusic
6. "Music - Review of Nero - Welcome Reality". BBC. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
7. "Nero - Welcome Reality | Clash Music Latest Album Review". Clashmusic.com. 15 August 2011. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
8. Alexis Petridis (4 August 2011). "Nero: Welcome Reality - review | Music". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
9. Simon Price (14 August 2011). "Album: Nero, Welcome Reality (Mercury) - Reviews - Music". London: The Independent. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
10. "Album Review: Nero's 'Welcome Reality' - latimes.com". Latimesblogs.latimes.com. 2 August 2011. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
11. "Nero - Welcome Reality | album reviews". musicOMH. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
12. Caramanica, Jon (19 December 2011). "Young Jeezy, Nero, and Bryan and the Haggards - Review". The New York Times.
13. Schiller, Mike. "Nero: Welcome Reality < PopMatters". Popmatters.com. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
14. "Nero, 'Welcome Reality' (MTA)". SPIN. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
15. "Welcome Reality (Amazon Exclusive Bonus Track): Nero: Amazon.de: MP3-Downloads". Amazon.de. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
16. "iTunes - Music - Welcome Reality (Deluxe Version) by Nero". Itunes.apple.com. 12 August 2011. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
17. "Welcome Reality +". Amazon.com.
18. "Australian-Charts.com". Australian-Charts.com. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
19. "Nero - Welcome Reality". ultratop.be. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
20. Irish Albums Chart - Week: 18 August 2011 IRMA, Retrieved 19 August 2011.
21. Steffen Hung. "Nero - Welcome Reality". charts.org.nz. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
22. "Rumer - Seasons of My Soul". hitparade.ch/.
23. UK Albums Chart - Week Ending: 27 August 2011 The Official Charts Company, Retrieved 21 August 2011.
24. "Dance/Electronic Albums". Billboard.com. 25 February 2012. Retrieved 29 February 2012.