Humanoid (album)
Encyclopedia
Humanoid is the third German studio album and the second English studio album by German band Tokio Hotel
. Released through Universal Domestic Pop, Island Records
and Cherrytree Records
, the album was recorded in both German and English with both versions set for a simultaneous worldwide release bearing the same title, Humanoid. The German version of the album was released on October 2, 2009 in Germany and other European countries, while the English version was released in the United States on October 6, 2009. Unlike their previous English-language album, Scream
, Humanoid had no UK release.
The first single, "Automatisch
" was released on September 18, 2009, and "Automatic
" was released on September 22, 2009 in the US.
The song "Human Connect To Human" was featured in a Verizon Wireless
commercial promoting Motorola's Droid phone. "Humanoid" is included on the set list for rhythm game Rock Band 3
.
and Desmond Child
(who worked on an album with the same theme for Scorpions
). In total, 25 songs were recorded for the album with originally 13 making the final track listing. But when the track listing for both versions were released, it was found that 12 tracks would be on the standard versions while 16 tracks would be on the deluxe versions.
The album title, Humanoid
, is a word derived from science fiction
which means 'human like'. Producer David Jost had explained the reasoning behind the album title to an interview with MTV:
On June 17, 2009, short versions of two of the new English songs, "Dark Side of the Sun" and "Pain of Love", were leaked on the Internet. It was confirmed to be from Tokio Hotel and it would be on the album. On that same day, after the confirmation, every possible video on YouTube containing these two demos had been taken down due to copyright restrictions.
Later, in August, three full version songs were leaked, "Love & Death", "Pain of Love" and "Dark Side of the Sun". The songs were then also removed from any media site that the songs were put up on, but now the songs can be found on YouTube or on fan blogs.
On July 21, 2009, Nokia.de told the public that they had signed a deal with Tokio Hotel to become the new face of Nokia. In return, Tokio Hotel got a poster campaign and an unplugged performance which was held on August 27 in Cologne
, Germany
and tickets were available through a contest. The mini-concert consisted of 6 songs: 5 known hits and the premier of the first single taken from the album, "Automatisch".
On August 9, it was announced that the first single from the album would be "Automatisch" in German and "Automatic" in English. On August 20, MTV Buzzworthy released a video which previewed "Automatic" and Cherrytree Records
announced that the English version of the song would be released in the US on September 22. The video for the single(s) was released on September 3.
On November 5, the band performed the song "World Behind My Wall" at the 2009 MTV Europe Music Awards. This is the second single from the album, along with "Lass Uns Laufen".
The Music Video for "Dark Side Of The Sun" was released on their website on June 24, 2010. This is said to be the third single from the album, but there is currently no German version (Sonnesystem) available. The music video is a collaboration of concert videos, clips and footage with, for the first time in all of Tokio Hotel's singles, audio being taken from an actual live performance instead of a studio take.
Humanoid has sold more than 1 000 000 copies worldwide.
, which assigns a normalized
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an average
score of 57, based on four reviews.
Deluxe edition only
Also on the Super Deluxe edition
iTunes bonus content
Bonus DVD
Comes with the Deluxe and Super Deluxe editions
Super Deluxe edition
The Super Deluxe edition also features a picture flag of the band.
Deluxe edition only
Also on the Super Deluxe edition
iTunes bonus content
Bonus content
There is set to be a key with the English Deluxe and Super Deluxe editions of Humanoid that can be used on Tokio Hotel's website with content including:
Super Deluxe edition:
The Super Deluxe edition also features a picture flag of the band. But it was not released in the US.
Best Buy Edition:
A Deluxe Edition exclusively sold at Best Buy
stores in the US featured both the US Deluxe Edition on one disc and the standard German edition on a second disc.
Hot Topic Edition:
A special edition sold only at Hot Topic
stores included the bonus track "In Your Shadow (I Can Shine)".
Production
Tokio Hotel
Tokio Hotel is a pop rock band from Germany, founded in 2001 by singer Bill Kaulitz, guitarist Tom Kaulitz, drummer Gustav Schäfer and bassist Georg Listing...
. Released through Universal Domestic Pop, Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
and Cherrytree Records
Cherrytree Records
Cherrytree Records is an American record label and is an imprint of Interscope Records.-History:Cherrytree Records was founded in 2005 by Martin Kierszenbaum, being German for cherry tree...
, the album was recorded in both German and English with both versions set for a simultaneous worldwide release bearing the same title, Humanoid. The German version of the album was released on October 2, 2009 in Germany and other European countries, while the English version was released in the United States on October 6, 2009. Unlike their previous English-language album, Scream
Scream (Tokio Hotel album)
*Best Buy has an exclusive DVD with a behind the scenes look at their U.S. concert shows and three live videos .-Singles Chronology:Europe * Monsoon...
, Humanoid had no UK release.
The first single, "Automatisch
Automatisch
"Automatisch" and "Automatic" are the first singles from German pop rock band Tokio Hotel's third German studio album and second English studio album Humanoid. "Automatisch" was released in German-speaking countries on September 18, 2009, and "Automatic" was released in the United States on...
" was released on September 18, 2009, and "Automatic
Automatisch
"Automatisch" and "Automatic" are the first singles from German pop rock band Tokio Hotel's third German studio album and second English studio album Humanoid. "Automatisch" was released in German-speaking countries on September 18, 2009, and "Automatic" was released in the United States on...
" was released on September 22, 2009 in the US.
The song "Human Connect To Human" was featured in a Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless
Cellco Partnership, doing business as Verizon Wireless, is one of the largest mobile network operators in the United States. The network has 107.7 million subscribers as of 2011, making it the largest wireless service provider in America....
commercial promoting Motorola's Droid phone. "Humanoid" is included on the set list for rhythm game Rock Band 3
Rock Band 3
Rock Band 3 is a music video game, developed by Harmonix Music Systems. The game was initially published and distributed by MTV Games and Electronic Arts, respectively, with Mad Catz taking over both roles a year later. It is the third main game in the Rock Band series...
.
Album background
After the North American mini-tours in 2008, the band returned to their studio in Hamburg to record the album. The band worked with many different producers in the process including The Matrix, Guy ChambersGuy Chambers
Guy Chambers is an English songwriter and record producer, perhaps best known for his long partnership with Robbie Williams.- Biography :...
and Desmond Child
Desmond Child
Desmond Child is an American musician, songwriter, and producer. He is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.-Career:...
(who worked on an album with the same theme for Scorpions
Humanity: Hour I
Humanity: Hour I is a concept album by the German heavy metal band Scorpions, which was released in Europe on May 14, 2007 and in the United States and Canada on August 28, 2007...
). In total, 25 songs were recorded for the album with originally 13 making the final track listing. But when the track listing for both versions were released, it was found that 12 tracks would be on the standard versions while 16 tracks would be on the deluxe versions.
The album title, Humanoid
Humanoid
A humanoid is something that has an appearance resembling a human being. The term first appeared in 1912 to refer to fossils which were morphologically similar to, but not identical with, those of the human skeleton. Although this usage was common in the sciences for much of the 20th century, it...
, is a word derived from science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
which means 'human like'. Producer David Jost had explained the reasoning behind the album title to an interview with MTV:
On June 17, 2009, short versions of two of the new English songs, "Dark Side of the Sun" and "Pain of Love", were leaked on the Internet. It was confirmed to be from Tokio Hotel and it would be on the album. On that same day, after the confirmation, every possible video on YouTube containing these two demos had been taken down due to copyright restrictions.
Later, in August, three full version songs were leaked, "Love & Death", "Pain of Love" and "Dark Side of the Sun". The songs were then also removed from any media site that the songs were put up on, but now the songs can be found on YouTube or on fan blogs.
On July 21, 2009, Nokia.de told the public that they had signed a deal with Tokio Hotel to become the new face of Nokia. In return, Tokio Hotel got a poster campaign and an unplugged performance which was held on August 27 in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and tickets were available through a contest. The mini-concert consisted of 6 songs: 5 known hits and the premier of the first single taken from the album, "Automatisch".
On August 9, it was announced that the first single from the album would be "Automatisch" in German and "Automatic" in English. On August 20, MTV Buzzworthy released a video which previewed "Automatic" and Cherrytree Records
Cherrytree Records
Cherrytree Records is an American record label and is an imprint of Interscope Records.-History:Cherrytree Records was founded in 2005 by Martin Kierszenbaum, being German for cherry tree...
announced that the English version of the song would be released in the US on September 22. The video for the single(s) was released on September 3.
On November 5, the band performed the song "World Behind My Wall" at the 2009 MTV Europe Music Awards. This is the second single from the album, along with "Lass Uns Laufen".
The Music Video for "Dark Side Of The Sun" was released on their website on June 24, 2010. This is said to be the third single from the album, but there is currently no German version (Sonnesystem) available. The music video is a collaboration of concert videos, clips and footage with, for the first time in all of Tokio Hotel's singles, audio being taken from an actual live performance instead of a studio take.
Humanoid has sold more than 1 000 000 copies worldwide.
Reception
Initial critical response to Humanoid was mixed. At MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a normalized
Standard score
In statistics, a standard score indicates how many standard deviations an observation or datum is above or below the mean. It is a dimensionless quantity derived by subtracting the population mean from an individual raw score and then dividing the difference by the population standard deviation...
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an average
Weighted mean
The weighted mean is similar to an arithmetic mean , where instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others...
score of 57, based on four reviews.
German version
- "Komm" - 3:53 (Dave Roth, Patrick Benzner, David Jost, Bill Kaulitz, Tom Kaulitz)
- "Sonnensystem" - 3:52 (D. Roth, P. Benzner, D. Jost, B. Kaulitz, T. Kaulitz)
- "AutomatischAutomatisch"Automatisch" and "Automatic" are the first singles from German pop rock band Tokio Hotel's third German studio album and second English studio album Humanoid. "Automatisch" was released in German-speaking countries on September 18, 2009, and "Automatic" was released in the United States on...
" - 3:16 (D. Roth, P. Benzner, D. Jost, B. Kaulitz, T. Kaulitz) - "Lass uns laufenLass uns laufen"Lass Uns Laufen" and "World Behind My Wall" are the second singles from German pop rock band Tokio Hotel's third German studio album and second English studio album Humanoid...
" - 4:15 (D. Roth, P. Benzner, D. Jost, B. Kaulitz, T. Kaulitz, Guy Chambers) - "Humanoid" - 3:45 (D. Roth, P. Benzner, D. Jost, B. Kaulitz, T. Kaulitz)
- "Für immer jetzt" - 3:37 (D. Roth, P. Benzner, D. Jost, B. Kaulitz, T. Kaulitz)
- "Kampf der Liebe" - 3:51 (Guy Chambers, D. Roth, P. Benzner, D. Jost, B. Kaulitz, T. Kaulitz)
- "Hunde" - 3:41 (D. Roth, P. Benzner, D. Jost, Kristian D. Nord, B. Kaulitz, T. Kaulitz, Martin Kierszenbaum)
- "Menschen suchen Menschen" - 3:46 (D. Roth, P. Benzner, D. Jost, The Matrix, B. Kaulitz, T. Kaulitz)
- "Alien" - 2:55 (D. Roth, P. Benzner, D. Jost, B. Kaulitz, T. Kaulitz)
- "Geisterfahrer" (Featuring Jana PallaskeJana PallaskeJana Pallaske is a German actress and singer in the rock band Spitting Off Tall Buildings.-Filmography:* Alaska.de , Sabine* Jeans , Nina* Engel & Joe , Joe* Baader , Karin...
)4:29 (D. Roth, P. Benzner, D. Jost, B. Kaulitz, T. Kaulitz, Kristian D. Nord) - "Zoom" - 3:52 (D. Roth, P. Benzner, D. Jost, Desmond Child, B. Kaulitz, T. Kaulitz)
Deluxe edition only
Also on the Super Deluxe edition
- "Träumer" - 3:02 (The Matrix, D. Roth, P. Benzner, D. Jost, B. Kaulitz, T. Kaulitz)
- "Hey Du" - 3:02 (D. Roth, P. Benzner, D. Jost, B. Kaulitz, T. Kaulitz, The Matrix)
- "That Day" - 3:27 (The Matrix, D. Roth, P. Benzner, D. Jost, B. Kaulitz, T. Kaulitz)
- "Screamin'" - 3:56 (The Matrix, D. Roth, P. Benzner, D. Jost, Jonathan Davis, B. Kaulitz, T. Kaulitz)
iTunes bonus content
- "Attention" (Bonus pre-order track) - 3:00 (The Matrix, D. Roth, P. Benzner, D. Jost, B. Kaulitz, T. Kaulitz)
- "Down On You" (Deluxe bonus track) - 3:03 (The Matrix, D. Roth, P. Benzner, D. Jost, B. Kaulitz, T. Kaulitz)
- Interview with Bill and Tom Kaulitz (Deluxe bonus content)
Bonus DVD
Comes with the Deluxe and Super Deluxe editions
- 3D Galerie: 24h am Set
- Galerie: Hinter den Kulissen
- Karaoke Area ("Automatisch", "Für immer jetzt", "Komm")
Super Deluxe edition
The Super Deluxe edition also features a picture flag of the band.
English version
- "Noise" - 3:53 (Dave Roth, Patrick Benzner, David Jost, Bill Kaulitz, Tom Kaulitz)
- "Darkside of the Sun" - 3:52 (D. Roth, P. Benzner, D. Jost, B. Kaulitz, T. Kaulitz)
- "AutomaticAutomatisch"Automatisch" and "Automatic" are the first singles from German pop rock band Tokio Hotel's third German studio album and second English studio album Humanoid. "Automatisch" was released in German-speaking countries on September 18, 2009, and "Automatic" was released in the United States on...
" - 3:16 (D. Roth, P. Benzner, D. Jost, B. Kaulitz, T. Kaulitz) - "World Behind My Wall" - 4:15 (D. Roth, P. Benzner, D. Jost, Guy ChambersGuy ChambersGuy Chambers is an English songwriter and record producer, perhaps best known for his long partnership with Robbie Williams.- Biography :...
, B. Kaulitz, T. Kaulitz) - "Humanoid" - 3:45 (D. Roth, P. Benzner, D. Jost, B. Kaulitz, T. Kaulitz)
- "Forever Now" - 3:37 (D. Roth, P. Benzner, D. Jost, B. Kaulitz, T. Kaulitz)
- "Pain of Love" - 3:51 (Guy ChambersGuy ChambersGuy Chambers is an English songwriter and record producer, perhaps best known for his long partnership with Robbie Williams.- Biography :...
, D. Roth, P. Benzner, D. Jost, B. Kaulitz, T. Kaulitz) - "Dogs Unleashed" - 3:41 (Martin KierszenbaumMartin KierszenbaumMartin Kierszenbaum is a graduate of the University of Michigan and head of A&R at Interscope Records and president of Interscope's subsidiary imprint Cherrytree Records...
, D. Roth, P. Benzner, D. Jost, B. Kaulitz, T. Kaulitz, Kristian D. Nord) - "Human Connect to Human" - 3:45 (D. Roth, P. Benzner, D. Jost, The Matrix, B. Kaulitz, T. Kaulitz)
- "Hey You" - 3:04 (D. Roth, P. Benzner, D. Jost, The Matrix, B. Kaulitz, T. Kaulitz)
- "Love and Death" - 3:02 (The Matrix, D. Roth, P. Benzner, D. Jost, B. Kaulitz, T. Kaulitz)
- "Zoom Into Me" - 3:52 (Desmond ChildDesmond ChildDesmond Child is an American musician, songwriter, and producer. He is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.-Career:...
, D. Roth, P. Benzner, D. Jost, B. Kaulitz, T. Kaulitz)
Deluxe edition only
Also on the Super Deluxe edition
- "Phantomrider" - 4:29 (D. Roth, P. Benzner, D. Jost, B. Kaulitz, T. Kaulitz, Kristian D. Nord)
- "Alien" - 2:55 (D. Roth, P. Benzner, D. Jost, B. Kaulitz, T. Kaulitz)
- "That Day" - 3:27 (The Matrix, D. Roth, P. Benzner, D. Jost, B. Kaulitz, T. Kaulitz)
- "Screamin'" - 3:56 (The Matrix, D. Roth, P. Benzner, D. Jost, Jonathan DavisJonathan DavisJonathan Houseman Davis is the lead vocalist and frontman for the nu metal band Korn. Davis was ranked 16th on Hit Parader 's list of "Heavy Metal's All-Time Top 100 Vocalists".-Early life:...
, B. Kaulitz, T. Kaulitz)
iTunes bonus content
- "Attention" (Bonus pre-order track) - 3:00 (The Matrix, D. Roth, P. Benzner, D. Jost, B. Kaulitz, T. Kaulitz)
- "Down On You" (Deluxe bonus track) - 3:03 (The Matrix, D. Roth, P. Benzner, D. Jost, B. Kaulitz, T. Kaulitz)
- "In Your Shadow (I Can Shine)" - 3:00 (Desmond ChildDesmond ChildDesmond Child is an American musician, songwriter, and producer. He is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.-Career:...
, D. Roth, P. Benzner, D. Jost, B. Kaulitz, T. Kaulitz)- Interview with Bill and Tom Kaulitz (Deluxe bonus content)
Bonus content
There is set to be a key with the English Deluxe and Super Deluxe editions of Humanoid that can be used on Tokio Hotel's website with content including:
- 3D Gallery: 24 hours on Set
- Gallery: Behind the Scenes
- Karaoke Area ("Automatic", "Forever Now", "Noise")
Super Deluxe edition:
The Super Deluxe edition also features a picture flag of the band. But it was not released in the US.
Best Buy Edition:
A Deluxe Edition exclusively sold at Best Buy
Best Buy
Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
stores in the US featured both the US Deluxe Edition on one disc and the standard German edition on a second disc.
Hot Topic Edition:
A special edition sold only at Hot Topic
Hot Topic
Hot Topic is an American retail chain specializing in music and pop culture-related clothing and accessories, as well as licensed music on CD. The majority of the stores are located in regional shopping malls. The first Hot Topic store was opened in 1988 by Orv Madden, who retired as CEO in 2000...
stores included the bonus track "In Your Shadow (I Can Shine)".
Personnel
Performance credits- Bill KaulitzBill KaulitzBill Kaulitz is a German singer, songwriter, voice actor, designer and model. He is best known for his work from 2001 to the present as the lead singer of the band Tokio Hotel....
- lead vocals - Tom Kaulitz - guitar, piano, backing vocals
- Georg Listing - bass guitar, keyboards
- Gustav Schäfer - drums, percussion
Production
- Executive Producers: Patrick Benzner, Dave Roth, David Jost, Peter Hoffman
- Co-producers: Bill Kaulitz and Tom Kaulitz
- Management: David Jost and Benjamin Ebel
Release history
| Country | Release date |
|---|---|
| Germany | October 2, 2009 |
| United States | October 6, 2009 |
Charts
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
Certification |
|---|---|---|
| Argentina Albums Chart | 19 | |
| Austria Albums Chart | 8 | |
| Belgium Albums Chart (Flanders) | 6 | Gold |
| Belgium Albums Chart (Wallony) | 8 | Gold |
| Canada Albums Chart | 20 | |
| Czech Republic Albums Chart | 8 | |
| Denmark Albums Chart | 26 | |
| European Top 100 European Top 100 Albums The European Top 100 Albums chart is the European adaptation of the Billboard 200 albums chart. It was created in March 1984.The European Top 100 Albums, commonly referred to as Eurochart Top 100 Albums shows the sales of an act in 19 European countries based on IFPI data.The European Top 100... |
2 | |
| Finland Albums Chart | 9 | |
| France Albums Chart | 3 | Gold |
| Germany Album Charts | 1 | |
| Greece Albums Chart | Gold | |
| Hungary Albums Chart | 33 | |
| Italy Albums Chart | 2 | Platinum |
| Malaysia Albums Chart | Gold | |
| Mexico Albums Chart | 7 | |
| Netherlands Albums Chart | 6 | |
| New Zealand Albums Chart | 38 | |
| Norway Albums Chart | 16 | |
| Portugal Albums Chart | 2 | Gold |
| Russia Albums Chart | 9 | Gold |
| Slovenia Albums Chart | 9 | |
| Spain Albums Chart | 2 | Gold |
| Sweden Albums Chart | 8 | |
| Switzerland Albums Chart | 10 | |
| Taiwan Albums Chart | Gold | |
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
35 | |
| World Albums Top 40 | 13 | |