''Love'' (stylized as ''LØVË'') is the fifth and final studio album by American singer and songwriter

Aaron Carter Aaron Charles Carter (December 7, 1987November 5, 2022) was an American singer and rapper. He came to fame as a teen pop singer in the late 1990s, establishing himself as a star among preteen and teenage audiences during the first years of the ...

, released on February 16, 2018, by

Sony Music Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...

, and the last to be released in his lifetime. At the time of the album’s release it was Carter's first studio album in over fifteen years, since 2002's ''

Another Earthquake ''Another Earthquake!'' is the fourth studio album by American teen pop singer Aaron Carter, released on September 3, 2002. The album made its chart debut at number 18 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 (with 41,000 units sold), but fell to number 41 ( ...

''. The album was preceded by an EP of the same name, released in 2017.

Background and release

More than thirteen years after the release of his last studio album, titled ''

Another Earthquake! ''Another Earthquake!'' is the fourth studio album by American teen pop singer Aaron Carter, released on September 3, 2002. The album made its chart debut at number 18 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 (with 41,000 units sold), but fell to number 41 ( ...

'', and a substantial number of greatest hits compilations, Carter appeared in media outlets talking about his return to music. According to the singer, he spent ten years learning how to make an album from scratch during his time out of the music business. Carter began to tease the first single of the album, titled "

Fool's Gold The mineral pyrite (), or iron pyrite, also known as fool's gold, is an iron sulfide with the chemical formula Fe S2 (iron (II) disulfide). Pyrite is the most abundant sulfide mineral. Pyrite's metallic luster and pale brass-yellow hue giv ...

" which he wrote and produced himself, in November 2015 via

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. On November 24, 2015,

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

premiered a preview of the song. The song and its accompanying music video, co-directed by Carter and Jon Asher, were released on April 1, 2016. The single did not manage to appear on major worldwide charts. At that time the singer also announced that an EP entitled '' LØVË'' would be released. Carter told ''Billboard'': "'The 'LøVë' album and 'Fool's Gold' era has been D.I.Y. hustle since day one. Everything from the production, songwriting, mixing, photoshoots, music videos, packaging and distribution have been a collective involvement from a team I like to call 'Team Fool's Gold.'" In 2017, Carter would release a second single titled "Sooner or Later" which became certified gold in Italy, his first gold record since "Saturday Night", which was certified in the US after selling over 500,000 copies, in 2005. In December 2017, he released the third and last single "Don't Say Goodbye" and announced a promotional tour in the United States. The singer also performed at a concert in

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. To celebrate Valentine's Day and promote the album's release, Carter released a newly recorded and remixed version of his top ten hit from 2000, "

I Want Candy "I Want Candy" is a song written and originally recorded by the Strangeloves in 1965 that reached No. 11 in the US Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. It is a famous example of a song that uses the Bo Diddley beat. Original version ...

", on February 14, 2018.

Critical reception

Neil Z. Yeung, from

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

, rated the album three and a half stars out of five, writing that Carter does "an admirable job grasping the contemporary pop trends of 2017 and 2018 while adjusting his lyrical content from that of teen party jams to reflective heartbreak anthems." Chuck Campbell, from the daily newspaper ''

Knoxville News Sentinel The ''Knoxville News Sentinel, also known as Knox News,'' is a daily newspaper in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States, owned by the Gannett Company. History The newspaper was formed in 1926 from the merger of two competing newspapers: ''The ...

'', gave the album two out of five stars and described it as a "nondescript exercise in modern formula – shallow pop/EDM songs about relationships. And even compared to other fare in this genre, “Love” falls flat". He chose "the catchy" songs “Sooner or Later” and “Dearly Departed” as its best moments.

Track listing

All songs produced by Aaron Carter and Michael “Brandon" Murphy.

References

{{Authority control 2018 albums Aaron Carter albums Sony Music albums