Unlimited Love
Unlimited Love is the twelfth studio album by the American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, released through Warner Records on April 1, 2022. Produced by Rick Rubin, the album marks the return of guitarist John Frusciante, who left the band in 2009 and rejoined in 2019. A second full studio album, Return of the Dream Canteen, was recorded during the same sessions and was released on October 14, 2022.
For the R&B vocal trio, see Love Unlimited.Unlimited Love
April 1, 2022
November 2020 – August 2021
73:13
The first single, "Black Summer", was released on February 4, 2022, and became the Chili Peppers' fourteenth number-one on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart.[2][3] "These Are the Ways" followed on March 31, 2022.[4] A world tour began in June 2022.
Unlimited Love received generally positive reviews. It debuted at number one in 16 countries, including the United States, where it was the Chili Peppers' first number-one album since Stadium Arcadium (2006).[5]
Background[edit]
Following the tour for their eleventh album, The Getaway (2016), the Red Hot Chili Peppers began writing their next album with guitarist Josh Klinghoffer. However, singer Anthony Kiedis and bassist Flea, were unhappy with their progress. They wondered if they could involve their former guitarist John Frusciante, who had recorded several albums with the Chili Peppers but left in 2009 and moved into making electronic music.[6] Frusciante said: "Flea had put the idea [of rejoining] in my head and I was sitting there with the guitar thinking that I hadn't written any rock music in so long. Could I still do that?"[6]
On December 15, 2019, the Chili Peppers announced that, after 10 years, Frusciante had rejoined, replacing Klinghoffer.[7] In an interview, Klinghoffer said there was no animosity: "It's absolutely John's place to be in that band ... I'm happy that he's back with them."[8] Flea said separating from Klinghoffer had been difficult, but that "artistically, in terms of being able to speak the same [musical] language, it was easier working with John. Getting back into a room and starting to play and letting the thing unfold… was really exciting."[6] After reuniting with Frusciante, at his request, the band played through songs from their first three albums.[9] The drummer, Chad Smith, said Frusciante "wanted to reconnect with the band that he fell in love with”, and Kiedis said the exercise was about getting "back to basics" and playing together without expectations.[10]
On February 8, 2020, Frusciante performed with the Chili Peppers for the first time in 13 years, at a memorial service held by the Tony Hawk Foundation for late film producer Andrew Burkle, son of billionaire Ronald Burkle.[11] Shows were scheduled for three festivals that May,[12] but were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[13]
Production and music[edit]
After working with Danger Mouse on The Getaway, the Chili Peppers brought in Rick Rubin, who has produced several of their most successful albums. Rubin said seeing their first rehearsal after Frusciante's return made him cry: "It was so thrilling to see that group of people back together because they made such great music for so long and it really hit me in an emotional way."[14]
Rehearsals were halted in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They resumed in 2021 at Rubin's Shangri-La studio in Malibu, with around 100 new songs to work on.[6] The band recorded almost 50 tracks, with the band intending to release 40 of the tracks as one album, spread over seven physical discs.[15] The band's label, Warner Bros. Records, resisted this release strategy, with a "compromise" being reached where the band split thirty-four songs across two separate studio albums.[15] The second album from the Unlimited Love recording sessions, Return of the Dream Canteen, was released on October 14, 2022.[16]
Reviewers described the album as funk rock[17][18] and alternative rock.[19][20] NME said it shared the "melancholic riffmaking, anthemic choruses and softly-sung melodies" of Frusciante's previous work with the Chili Peppers, but introduced new "grungey" and acoustic elements.[21]
Release and promotion[edit]
The Red Hot Chili Peppers announced Unlimited Love on February 4, 2022.[22] The first single, "Black Summer", was released on February 4, backed by a music video directed by Deborah Chow.[22] It became the Chili Peppers' fourteenth number-one single on the Billboard charts and their 26th top-ten single on the Alternative Songs chart.[23][24] The band previewed the new album by releasing "Poster Child" as a promotional single on March 4, backed by a music video directed by Julien & Thami,[25][26][27] followed by "Not the One" on March 24.[28] "These Are the Ways", the second single, was released on March 31 with a music video directed by Malia James.[29]
The Chili Peppers performed their first show to promote the album at the Fonda Theatre on April 1.[30] This was followed by performances on Jimmy Kimmel Live![31] The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,[32]The Howard Stern Show, at Amoeba Music and at the Yaamava' Resort & Casino in April[33][34][35] and at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival[36] in May. A scheduled appearance at the Billboard Music Awards was canceled.[37] SiriusXM launched the Whole Lotta Red Hot channel on April 1. The channel features track-by-track commentary on Unlimited Love and an exclusive concert for subscribers later in the year.[38]
On June 4, the Red Hot Chili Peppers began a global stadium tour, starting in Seville, Spain and that will continue into 2023 in support of Return of the Dream Canteen. The shows are supported by acts including the Strokes, A$AP Rocky, Beck, Haim, St. Vincent, Anderson .Paak, Nas, Thundercat, King Princess and Post Malone.[39]
Commercial performance[edit]
The album was a worldwide commercial success, debuting at number-one in 16 different countries including Argentina, Australia, Austria, Canada, Croatia, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Scotland, Switzerland, United Kingdom and United States.
In its home country of the United States, Unlimited Love was the band's second number one on the Billboard 200, and the first since 2006's Stadium Arcadium album selling 97,500 equivalent album units. It marked the longest gap ever between number one albums since Celine Dion waited 17 years and nearly eight months between number one albums. Unlimited Love had the largest week, by equivalent album units and album sales, for any rock album in over a year since Paul McCartney's McCartney III album in January 2021. The sales for Unlimited Love were boosted by various vinyl variants and special editions of the album. The album sold 38,500 copies on vinyl which were the largest sales week for an album on vinyl in 2022 and the second largest sales week for a rock album since 1991.[62]
In the United Kingdom, Unlimited Love debuted at number one, becoming the band's first chart-topper in 11 years since 2011's I'm With You.[63] Unlimited Love sold 27,426 units in its first week, 20,989 of which came from physical formats. Digitally, the album sold 2,315 downloads and streamed 4,122 album-equivalent units.[64]
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Additional musicians
Production[65]
Imagery