Blur album released

The result was Blur , the band’s fifth studio album, released in February 1997. Although the music press predicted that the lo-fi sonic experimentation would alienate Blur’s teenage girl fan-base, they generally applauded the effort. Pointing out lyrics such as “Look inside America/She’s alright”, and noting Albarn’s “obligatory nod to Beck , [and promotion of] the new Pavement album as if paid to do so”, reviewers felt the band had come to accept American values during this time—an about-face of their attitude during the Britpop years. Despite cries of “commercial suicide”, the album and its first single, ” Beetlebum “, debuted at number one in the UK. Although the album could not match the sales of its predecessors in Britain, internationally Blur was more successful. In the US, the album received strong reviews, reached number 61 on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold. The album’s second single and second track, aptly named ” Song 2 “, was also popular on alternative radio, reaching number six on the Billboard Modern Rock chart and remaining on that chart for 26 weeks. After it was licensed for use in various media—such as soundtracks, advertisements, video games (such as FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 ), and television shows—”Song 2” became the most recognisable Blur song in the US. After the success of Blur , the band embarked on a nine-month world tour.