Half Way There

Half Way There is the fourth studio album by English pop punk band Busted. It was released on 1 February 2019[8] and it received positive reviews from critics.

For the Snow Tha Product album, see Half Way There...Pt. 1.

Half Way There
Studio album by Busted
Released	1 February 2019 (2019-02-01)
Recorded	2017–2018
Genre	Pop punk
Length	36:33
Label	East West
Producer	Gil Norton
Busted chronology
Night Driver (2016) Half Way There (2019)
Singles from Half Way There
"Nineties" Released: 2 November 2018 "Radio" Released: 9 January 2019 "Shipwrecked in Atlantis" Released: 22 March 2019

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
AltCorner	Positive[2]
Clash	5/10[3]
Dead Press!	[4]
The Edge	[5]
Entertainment Focus	[6]
Spalding Today	Positive[7]

Background and composition

In June 2017, Busted flew to Los Angeles to perform their first American gig as a reformed band at the Troubadour. During this trip, they also continued writing and began recording for their planned fourth studio album.[9][10] In April 2018, it was confirmed the album would release in Q1 2019, and the band would return to their original sound.[11] In May that year, Cobus Potgieter, who had previously stood in as drummer on Busted's 2016 tour, announced that he would be the studio drummer for the upcoming fourth album.[12]

On 26 October 2018, Busted announced that the album would be called Half Way There.[13] The album's title is a reference to a lyric in Busted's 2003 single "Year 3000": "Everybody bought our seventh album / It had outsold Michael Jackson".[14] James Bourne said in an interview, "Once you get halfway through the album, you're officially half way there".[15]

According to the press release, the album is a return to the early pop-punk sound that the band originally became known for, after their previous album, Night Driver (2016), had a heavy electronic sound.

"A rush of melody and effervescent riffs that see the band blend huge arena-filling choruses with the classic pop-punk sound of Blink-182 and New Found Glory. Lyrically it's often reflective and nostalgic ('Reunion', 'All My Friends' and a mini Busted autobiography in the shape of 'It Happens'), but there are some fantastical flights of fancy too in the shape of 'Shipwrecked In Atlantis' and a tribute to Elon Musk in 'Race To Mars'. Aside from the new album, Busted have also confirmed the details of a major UK arena tour scheduled for March 2019."[16]

The track "Shipwrecked in Atlantis" is a continuation of the band's 2004 single "Air Hostess".[17][18] It is also sonically similar to Blink-182's song, "The Rock Show".

The track "What Happened to Your Band" was previously performed live by James Bourne's band, Son of Dork, back in 2007, then first recorded for the McBusted album back in 2014. The band recorded a new version featuring Simpson and without McFly for the album, as it fit the album's themes of nostalgia, reflection, and their hearkening back to their earlier Pop Punk sound, due to the lyrics dealing with James Bourne's life after Busted initially broke up in 2005.

Of the return to the band's roots, Charlie Simpson said, "We're going back to where we couldn't have before. We couldn't have made this album 10 years ago. We just wouldn't have been able to make an album this rock. I don't think the record label would have stood for it. It's a proper pop-punk record, so I always feel like this album is the band that Busted could have been. It really is awesome because it's like going back but not going back. It's like a rejuvenation of the old sound. I think that's why the fans are digging it so much. Looking at the reaction online, it's amazing to see. Night Driver was awesome, but I think it confused a lot of people. We loved it, but I think for a fan wanting to hear Busted again, people had to readjust their mind as to what they were hearing."[15]

Singles

Busted released the album's lead promo track, "Nineties" on 2 November 2018.

"Reunion" was released on 14 December 2018 as an instant download. "All My Friends" was released a day after for those who pre-ordered the album from the official website.

The first single "Radio" was released on 9 January 2019, exclusively on BBC Radio 2.[19] Bassist Matt Willis said of the single:

This is our first official single off the record, the other stuff was kind of given out to [the] fan base to kind of entice them, but this is the first 'big boy' single, so enjoy it. It's called 'Radio".

— Matt Willis[20]

The second single was "Shipwrecked in Atlantis".

Track listing

Adapted from the band's store.[21]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Nineties"	James Bourne Charlie Simpson Matt Willis Dougie Poynter	Gil Norton	3:02
2.	"Reunion"	J. Bourne Simpson Willis Joshua Wilkinson	Norton	3:26
3.	"What Happened to Your Band"	J. Bourne Michael Raphael	Norton Fields	4:03
4.	"Shipwrecked in Atlantis"	J. Bourne Simpson Willis Chris Bourne	Norton	3:21
5.	"Race to Mars"	J. Bourne Simpson Willis Wilkinson C. Bourne	Norton	3:21
6.	"All My Friends"	J. Bourne Simpson Willis Fields	Norton Fields	3:51
7.	"MIA"	J. Bourne Simpson Willis C. Bourne	Norton	3:25
8.	"Radio"	J. Bourne Simpson Willis Wilkinson	Norton	4:03
9.	"Nostalgia"	J. Bourne Simpson Willis C. Bourne	Norton	3:32
10.	"It Happens"	J. Bourne C. Bourne	Norton	4:25

Personnel

Busted

• Charlie Simpson – vocals, Lead guitar, programming, percussion
• James Bourne – vocals, Rhythm guitar, keyboards,
• Matt Willis – vocals, bass

Additional musicians[22]

• Cobus Potgieter – drums
• Josh Wilkinson – programming (track 5), piano (track 8)
• Chris Bourne – guitar (track 5)

Charts

Chart (2019)	Peak position
Irish Albums (IRMA)[23]	45
Scottish Albums (OCC)[24]	3
UK Albums (OCC)[25]	2

References

1. Matt Collar. "Half Way There – Busted". AllMusic. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
2. "BUSTED – Half Way There | Album Review". AltCorner. 28 November 2016. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
3. "Busted - Half Way There". Clash. 17 June 2017. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
4. "ALBUM REVIEW: Busted – Half Way There". Dead Press. 28 November 2016. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
5. "Review: Busted – Half Way There". The Edge. 28 November 2016. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
6. "Busted – Half Way There album review". Entertainment Focus. 17 June 2017. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
7. "ALBUM REVIEW: Half Way There - Busted". Spalding Today. 28 November 2016. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
8. Ellwood-Hughes, Pip (26 October 2018). "Busted to release new album Half Way There in February". Entertainment Focus. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
9. "Busted - Tickets - Troubadour - Los Angeles, CA - June 2nd, 2017". Troubadour. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
10. BBC Radio 2 (16 May 2017). ""We're currently working on our fourth album in Los Angeles". @Busted talk summer festivals and a sold out US gig". @BBCRadio2. Twitter. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
11. Hanley, James (20 April 2018). "Busted sign with Coda for live representation". Music Week. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
12. Cobus (10 May 2018), RECORDING WITH BUSTED, retrieved 10 May 2018
13. Mapstone, Lucy (26 October 2018). "Busted announce new album and UK arena tour". independent.ie. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
14. Geoghegan, Kev (30 January 2019). "Busted was 'the walking band of clichés'". BBC News. Retrieved 1 February 2019 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
15. "Busted Halfway There Interview". Wonderland Magazine. 1 February 2019. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
16. "Busted Announce New Album". chorus.fm.
17. Bourne, James (31 January 2019). "Shipwrecked in Atlantis". Twitter. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
18. "Busted are Half Way There - Album scoop and review". CelebMix. 1 February 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
19. BBC Radio 2 (8 January 2019). "@Busted are back and @realkenbruce is hitting play on their new single tomorrow morning!Make sure you're listening from 11am (GMT) when @mattjwillis will be joining us on the phone to introduce 'Radio'". Twitter. BBC Radio 2. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
20. Ken Bruce, Matt Willis (9 January 2019). Zoe Ball and Matt Willis. BBC Radio 2. Event occurs at 1:44:55. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
21. "Half Way There Signed CD". busted.tmstor.es.
22. Half Way There (CD liner notes). Juno Music. 2019. p. 9.
23. "Irish Albums Chart: 8 February 2019". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
24. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
25. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 February 2019.