Different World (Alan Walker album)

Different World is the debut studio album by Norwegian record producer Alan Walker. It was released on 14 December 2018 through MER Musikk and Sony Music Entertainment and includes his successful 2015 single "Faded". The album also succeeds a trilogy of releases leading up to the album, entitled World of Walker, which consisted of the singles "All Falls Down", "Darkside" and "Diamond Heart". The album was also nominated for Top Dance/Electronic Albums at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards.

Featuring artists such as Steve Aoki, Noah Cyrus, and Digital Farm Animals, the album is noted for its mixture of "recognizable releases" such as "Faded" with "new material" such as "Lost Control". Walker said of the album "It's an incredible feeling to be able to release my debut album, Different World. These last years were absolutely surreal, and I certainly never imagined it would get to that point when I started. very different for me. It's something I've worked on for some time, and I'm super excited to finally share with the world and hear the reaction of my fans!" A campaign for the album was launched, titled "#CreateADifferentWorld". It is to raise awareness regarding the theme of climate change.

The album's first single, "Faded", features uncredited Naustdal pop singer Iselin Solheim and was released on 3 December 2015. The single reached number one in the annual charts in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Sweden, was nominated for British Single of the Year at the 2017 Brit Awards and won Årets Låt (Song of the Year) at the Spellemannprisen.

The second single, "Sing Me to Sleep", also featuring Iselin Solheim as "Faded", was released on June 2, 2016. The song reached number one in Norway and number one on the iTunes charts in seven countries.

"Alone", featuring uncredited singer Noonie Bao, was released as the third single on December 6, 2016. The single charted on several international charts and reached number one on the Norwegian Singles Chart.

"All Falls Down", featuring Noah Cyrus and Digital Farm Animals, was released as the fourth single from the album on 27 October 2017. The single peaked at number one on the Norwegian Singles Chart and the US Billboard Dance Club Songs chart.

"Darkside", a song featuring Antiguan-German singer-songwriter Au/Ra and Norwegian singer Tomine Harket, was released as the fifth single on 27 July 2018. The song was also released with a remix by Dutch DJ Afrojack, which reached number 1 on the Norwegian charts and number 10 on the Swedish charts.

The single "Diamond Heart", featuring Swedish singer-songwriter Sophia Somajo, was released as the sixth single on September 28, 2018. Two remixes have been officially released, one by Syn Cole and one by Dzeko. The song's music video was nominated for Best Cinematography at the 2019 Berlin Music Video Awards.

The song "Different World", featuring American singer Sofia Carson, Norwegian music producer K-391 and Chinese music producer Corsak, was released as the album's lead single on November 30, 2018. The song was released to coincide with a campaign entitled "#CreateADifferentWorld" and features Walker speaking about the importance of climate change. The song reached number 31 in the Norwegian charts.

Dancing Astronaut wrote that the album "extends the fullest portrait of his distinctive sound" and described it as "a tightly threaded collection of songs, which articulates Walker's sonic artistry." Billboard described it as "turning bleating synth melodies into sing-alongs, melts warm Caribbean rhythms with hardstyle booms, and electrifies the dance floor as much as it aims for radio readiness." Manuel Probst of German music site Dance-Charts.de says, "Alan Walker's typical sound design runs through Different World like a common thread, creating a special atmosphere with its melancholy melodies. I am creating it. Even though the superstar stays true to his style, his attention to detail allows him to constantly change and give each song his own unique touch." Holly Oizumi of Dance Music NW wrote that "Walker's vocal-driven style is at the forefront throughout the album, highlighting his key strengths."

At the time of Billboard's 2019 mid-year report, the album had logged 93,000 equivalent album sales in the United States and "Faded" had amassed 192,396,000 streams.

Notes

• ^{^[a]} signifies a co-producer
• ^{^[c]} signifies a vocal producer
• "Intro" features background vocals from Emelie Hollow and Anna-Marie Kimber.
• "Sing Me to Sleep" features uncredited vocals from Iselin Solheim.
• "Alone" features uncredited vocals from Noonie Bao.
• "Faded" features uncredited vocals from Iselin Solheim.
• "The Spectre" features uncredited vocals from Jesper Borgen.