My Name Is Michael Holbrook

My Name Is Michael Holbrook is the fifth studio album by British singer Mika. It was released on 4 October 2019 through Casablanca and Republic Records.[3] The album was promoted in North America with the Tiny Love Tiny Tour at small venues in New York, Montreal, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Mexico City. The album is also being supported by a worldwide tour, known as the Revelation Tour, which started in London[4] on 10 November 2019[5] and extends into 2020, stopping at countries throughout Europe, as well as New Zealand, Australia, Japan and South Korea.

My Name Is Michael Holbrook
Studio album by Mika
Released	4 October 2019 (2019-10-04)
Recorded	2017–2019[1]
Genre	Pop[2]
Length	46:15
Label	Republic
Producer	Mika (exec.) Mark Crew Dan Priddy Dan Black George Moore Lorna Blackwood Jonathan Quarmby Mitchell Yoshida
Mika chronology
No Place in Heaven (2015) My Name Is Michael Holbrook (2019)
Singles from My Name Is Michael Holbrook
"Ice Cream" Released: 31 May 2019 "Tiny Love" Released: 16 August 2019 "Sanremo" Released: 6 September 2019 "Dear Jealousy" Released: 13 September 2019 "Tomorrow" Released: 20 September 2019

Singles

"Ice Cream" was the lead single released from My Name Is Michael Holbrook, on 31 May 2019.[6] A video, directed by Francesco Calabrese and filmed in Barcelona, Spain, was released 27 June 2019.[7] A behind-the-scenes video[8] for the making of the music video and an animated lyric video, were also released for the song. Rolling Stone called the single "summer anthem bait".[6]

"Tiny Love" was released on 16 August 2019, and its video, directed by W.I.Z., featuring Mika and Ronke Arogundade, was released at the same time.[9] According to Billboard magazine, the single is "an ode to the mundane side of love despite the track's grandiose production, sounding like an early-era Queen B-side."[10] The video was shot in London. Mika has said that he wanted to capture the idea that love can feel enormous, "yet at the same time it's so tiny and imperceivable to others."[10]

The single "Sanremo" was released on 6 September 2019.[11] Billboard called the tune "a shimmering pop jam about finding a place just for you and your lover."[12] The video for Sanremo, also directed by W.I.Z., was released on 4 October 2019. Filmed in black-and-white, the short film is set "in an era when homosexuality, if not illegal, was socially unacceptable, a time of discrimination and persecution," says W.I.Z. In the video, a man (Mika) leaves his wife and daughter behind to visit the clandestine spots of a city where he might find a potential gay lover.[13]

Live videos were also produced for the singles "Tomorrow" and "Dear Jealousy." Both songs were released in September 2019 and the videos were shot by Scheme Engine in Brooklyn, New York, before Mika's performances there at a club called Brooklyn Steel.[14]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[15]
Gigwise	[16]
PopMatters	[2]

My Name Is Michael Holbrook has received mainly positive reviews. Heather Phares from AllMusic commented that "My Name Is Michael Holbrook is never less than witty and genuine -- and much more enjoyable than if he'd tried to fit into someone else's mold".[15] Matty Pywell of Gigwise gave it a positive review, saying that: "Mika is much better whilst basking in the glory of the sun than in the dank undertones of the city".[16] Brice Ezell from PopMatters said "My Name Is Michael Holbrook doesn't deliver a definitive personal statement on Mika's part, and the production works against his creative vision from time to time. But it does offer half a dozen undeniably catchy jams and a reminder that Mika still ranks up there with the best pop artists of our time".[2]

Track listing

Credits adapted from Apple Music.[17]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Tiny Love"	Michael Penniman Jr. David Sneddon	Mark Crew Dan Priddy	4:05
2.	"Ice Cream"	Penniman Jr. Dan Black	Crew Priddy Black	2:46
3.	"Dear Jealousy"	Penniman Jr. Amy Wadge George Moore	Crew Priddy Moore	3:47
4.	"Paloma"	Penniman Jr. Sneddon	Crew Priddy	3:42
5.	"Sanremo"	Penniman Jr. Sneddon	Crew Priddy	3:21
6.	"Tomorrow"	Penniman Jr.	Crew Priddy	3:49
7.	"Ready to Call This Love" (featuring Jack Savoretti)	Penniman Jr. Dave Gibson Sneddon	Crew Priddy Lorna Blackwood^[c]	3:49
8.	"Cry"	Penniman Jr. Mark Crew Daniel Priddy	Crew Priddy	3:17
9.	"Platform Ballerinas"	Penniman Jr. Wadge	Crew Priddy	2:47
10.	"I Went to Hell Last Night"	Penniman Jr. Sneddon	Crew Priddy Jonathan Quarmby	3:48
11.	"Blue"	Penniman Jr. Wadge	Mika	3:09
12.	"Stay High"	Penniman Jr. Crew Priddy	Crew Priddy	3:30
13.	"Tiny Love Reprise"	Penniman Jr. Sneddon Jodi Marr	Crew Priddy Mitchell Yoshida	4:25
Total length:				46:15

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2019)	Peak position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[18]	38
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[19]	3
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[20]	30
France Albums (SNEP)[21]	6
Italian Albums (FIMI)[22]	10
Scottish Albums (OCC)[23]	38
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[24]	28
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[25]	10
UK Albums (OCC)[26]	57
US Billboard 200[27]	184

Year-end charts

Chart (2019)	Position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[28]	113
French Albums (SNEP)[29]	140

References

1. Michallon, Clémence (31 May 2019). "Mika announces new album 'My Name is Michael Holbrook' as he unveils single 'Ice Cream'". The Independent. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
2. Brice Ezell (15 October 2019). "Mika Delivers Undeniably Catchy Hooks on 'My Name Is Michael Holbrook'". PopMatters. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
3. @mikasounds (31 May 2019). "ICE CREAM IS OUT TODAY!! I'm so happy to announce also that my brand new album 'My Name is Michael Holbrook' will be released on October 4th! I'll also be heading out on tour…. see you soon ❤️🍦 #MikaIceCream" (Tweet). Retrieved 31 May 2019 – via Twitter.
4. "Shows". Mika Sounds. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
5. Spruch, Kirsten (31 May 2019). "Mika Announces New Album, Returns With Summery 'Ice Cream': Listen". Billboard. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
6. Shaffer, Claire (31 August 2019). "Mika's New Song 'Ice Cream' Is Summer-Anthem Bait". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
7. "MIKA - Ice Cream". Retrieved 4 October 2019 – via YouTube.
8. "Mika - Ice Cream (Behind The Scenes)". Retrieved 4 October 2019 – via YouTube.
9. "MIKA - Tiny Love". Retrieved 16 October 2019 – via YouTube.
10. "Mika Pays Tribute to the Little Things (Literally) in 'Tiny Love' Video: Watch". Billboard. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
11. "Mika Releases New Song 'Sanremo'". Mika Sounds. 6 September 2019. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
12. "Mika Goes Cruising for a Forbidden Love in 'Sanremo' Video". Billboard. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
13. "Mika Goes Cruising for a Forbidden Love in 'Sanremo' Video". upcoming100.com. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
14. MIKA - Mika: Thank you all so much for your kind messages... | Facebook, retrieved 18 December 2019
15. Heather Phares. My Name Is Michael Holbrook at AllMusic. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
16. "Album Review: MIKA - My Name Is Michael Holbrook | Gigwise". Gigwise. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
17. "My Name Is Michael Holbrook". Apple Music. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
18. "Ultratop.be – Mika – My Name Is Michael Holbrook" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
19. "Ultratop.be – Mika – My Name Is Michael Holbrook" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
20. "Mika Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
21. "Le Top de la semaine (semaine du 11 octobre)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
22. "Album – Classifica settimanale WK 40 (dal 04.10.2019 al 10.10.2019)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
23. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
24. "Top 100 Albumes – Semana 41: del 4.10.2019 al 10.10.2019" (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
25. "Swisscharts.com – Mika – My Name Is Michael Holbrook". Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
26. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
27. "Mika Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
28. "Rapports Annuels 2019". Ultratop. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
29. "Top de l'année Top Albums 2019" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved 8 January 2020.