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Return to Paradise is Australian singer-songwriter and producer Sam Sparro's second album. It was released on 1 June 2012. The album entered the Australian Albums Chart, peaking at number 41. In Belgium the album peaked at number 35 on the Belgian (Flanders) Albums Chart, and number 80 in the Netherlands on the Dutch Albums Chart. The album had less success in the United Kingdom, however, failing to chart in the top 200 or to produce any charting singles.
Background
This album has a different sound compared to his previous album. Whereas Sam Sparro was primarily a dance-pop and electropop album, Return to Paradise is influenced by disco, especially '90s house. Sparro again worked with producer and long-time friend Jesse Rogg, who helped to produce almost every track on Sparro's debut album Sam Sparro. Sparro's father, Chris Falson, is cited as having played guitar on the track "Closer". Sparro also worked with Charlie Wilcox on the songs "Happiness" and "We Could Fly", who he had previous worked with on "Still Hungry", the hidden track from his debut album. Sparro's old friend Felix Bloxsom, who he went to school with in Sydney, is featured on drums on multiple tracks from the album, and produced the Plastic Plates Remix of "Shades of Grey", which was later included on Re-Return to Paradise. Sparro worked on a few songs with Jono Sloan. John Fields is responsible for mixing almost all tracks from Return to Paradise. Lester Mendez, who has previously worked with Sparro on the tracks "Shady" and "Broken English" written for Adam Lambert's second album Trespassing, helped write the album's title track "Return to Paradise". Isabella Summers of Florence + the Machine worked on "Shades of Gray". Bethany Cosentino of Best Coast sang backing vocals for and co-wrote "Yellow Orange Rays". The Swedish pop singer-songwriter, Erik Hassle, is one of the writers of the second single, "I Wish I Never Met You". Greg Kurstin and Stuart Zender are also featured writers, producers, and instrumentalists on the album.
Singles
"The Shallow End" was the first song from Return to Paradise to be released, as of 31 January 2012, in a music video assembled of footage shot by Sparro over the past year. The song was never given an official single release, but was released as a promotional single. The song peaked at number 5, number 6, and number 31 on various Belgian charts.
"Happiness" was released as the lead single from the album on 17 February 2012. The song peaked at number 1 in Belgium, number 3 in Poland, number 16 in Italy, and number 70 in the Netherlands. Its remix EP includes remixes by The Magician Remix and Kim Anh, both of which appear on Re-Return to Paradise.
"I Wish I Never Met You" was released as the second single from the album on 1 June 2012. Its remix EP featured remixes by Stereogamous and Azari & III, both of which appear on the re-release of the album.
"Yellow Orange Rays" was released on 9 November 2012 as the third official single from the album. Released only in Belgium, the song peaked at number 74 and number 2 on two local charts. The single's B-side, the Bodyspasm Remix, appears on Re-Return to Paradise.
In a review for AllMusic, critic reviewer Matt Collar described the release as a "groove-oriented R&B, immaculately produced with a disco and house music purist's ear for period details." He went on to say, "Sparro imbues each of these songs with an intensity, passion, and palpable love that shines through even when he's singing about heartbreak and negativity." At The Independent, music journalist Simon Price was critical of Return to Paradise noting "the Australian electro-soul auteur's second album is a patchy affair which too often fails to transcend its blatant P-funk influences."
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