Porter Robinson Goes Electropop With Third Album ‘SMILE! :D’

When Porter Robinson releases a new album, the whole music industry anticipates it. With each album cycle, he takes on wildly different themes from the snythpop-leaning Worlds to the vocal-based Nurture, and new album SMILE! 😀 is even more different from the previous two albums.

Always one to surprise fans, no one could have anticipated what was to come from the album based off its singles “Cheerleader”, “Knock Yourself Out XD”, “Russian Roulette” and “Kitsune Maison Freestyle.” All upbeat, somewhat light-hearted and heaps of fun to listen to, the second half of the album makes way for heartfelt (and unexpectedly sad) tracks, and it feels intentional, as if Porter himself was challenging expectations about his work. If you were expecting more tongue-in-cheek, lighthearted anthems, you may just be surprised by the sudden tears in your eyes when moving on through the tracklist.

With this previously unheard second part of SMILE! 😀 we are treated to a bittersweet nostalgia trip, with Robinson exploring themes of goodbyes, childhood, memories and growing older. In tracks such as “Is There Really No Happiness?”, “Easier To Love You”, and ‘Perfect Pinterest Garden‘, his love for creating synth-infused pop ballads shows strongly.

The album’s themes, from celebrity culture to substance abuse to love, spread across the entire album and mix together and invade every corner of its writing; its musical inspirations are just as diverse. Smile is messy but so is the existence that Robinson writes about. At times, that makes the album feel unguided. But mostly, this is the first Porter Robinson album that feels entirely like him. That makes for one of the most compelling pieces of art he has ever released. SMILE! 😀 is out now on all mayor streaming platforms.