Smile! :D is the upcoming third studio album by American electronic music producer
Porter Robinson, set to be released on July 26, 2024. Three singles, "Cheerleader", "Knock Yourself Out XD", and "Russian Roulette", were released to promote the work. It will be supported by a world tour in 2024 and 2025.
Robinson experienced an initial surge of popularity at age 18,[1] after the release of several festival-oriented
electronic dance music works such as "Say My Name" (2010) and Spitfire (2011). Robinson grew increasingly dissatisfied with his performances, and said that he experienced "four or five fully-blown anxiety attacks onstage" while touring in 2013.[2] His desire to change his musical style led him to write his debut album Worlds (2014), a work that DJ Mag's John Ochoa has retrospectively described as a "breakthrough" that precipitated a wider shift in the electronic music industry.[3] In 2016, Robinson released "
Shelter", a collaboration with friend and fellow electronic producer
Madeon.[4] In 2017, Robinson released Virtual Self, a
eurodance- and
trance-inspired production released under an alias of the same name.[5] "
Ghost Voices", a single from the EP, was nominated for the
Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording in 2018.[6] In 2021, Robinson released his second studio album Nurture, a work which explores his experiences with
depression and
writer's block and represents a major stylistic shift in his discography, according to
AllMusic's Paul Simpson.[4]
Promotion
On February 29, 2024, Robinson uploaded a video to his
YouTube channel describing the removal of all of his music from online streaming services and the end of his career, which was noted by an EDM.com writer as "cryptic". The content of his website was replaced with a countdown timer,[7][8][better source needed] and all previous posts were removed from Robinson's
Instagram profile.[9][10] He also seemingly confirmed his decision to a reporter that day in a "troll job", according to an Uproxx commentator.[11] However, Robinson revealed on March 1 that he had completed his third album, posting promotional images and videos to social media.[9]
Robinson later announced the title of the album, Smile! :D, and that it will be released on July 26.[12] Discussing the composition process, Robinson said he intended to create a work that was "no sincerity, all fun, [and] an album that revels in absurdity for a world that rejects context", but eventually began to write about his emotions.[13] On April 25, 2024, Robinson announced a world tour to promote the album in 2024 and 2025, the first of his career.[14][15][16] The tour will be supported by
Ericdoa,
Galileo Galilei and
Underscores.[17]
Singles
On March 20, 2024, Robinson released the single "Cheerleader", his first solo release since 2022's "
Everything Goes On" for League of Legends. On writing the song, he said that he intended to create something that audiences would "love with zero context – just instantaneous, universal, explosive connection".[18] The song was released with a music video directed by Hugh Mulhern.[19]
The second single from the album, "Knock Yourself Out XD", was released on April 24, 2024.[13] Robinson released the third single, "Russian Roulette", on June 5, 2024.[20][better source needed]