Anarchy

Anarchy is the seventh studio album by American recording artist, Jake Tracey. After several delays, the album is slated for release on December 4, 2015. This album is Tracey's first album on Interscope Records, after leaving Columbia Records in 2014 to reach to new audiences. The album was recorded between November 2014 to November 2015 after erratic album delays. A majority of the songs were recorded respectively at JTX Studios in California, and most of the production was handled by Jake Tracey, Demeo, and more.

After his abrupt departure from Columbia Records, Anarchy is considered a major departure from Tracey's previous works. Straying away from bubblegum pop and soft rock elements, Tracey's seventh album incorporates trip-hop, rap and urban R&B elements, with lyrics tackling politics, corruption of the industry, mental and emotional distress, and heartache. For the production, Tracey merged his slower ballads with aggressive trap and hip-hop beats to experiment a different sound. The album features guest appearances from Drake, Ty Dolla $ign, Dej Loaf, Chance the Rapper, Kanye West and BORNS.

The album was commended by critics, who praised the album's abstract production specifically, Tracey's vocal delivery, and chemistry with his collaborators. However, most critics were divided over the lyrical content, considering it cliche.

Promotional Singles:

"You Can Have It All" (September 14, 2015)

"Angels and Demons" (October 3, 2015)

Singles;

"Cry Wolf Cry" (December 18, 2015)

"Flex (featuring Kanye West)" (January 5, 2016)

"News" (February 12, 2016)

Background and development
After the release of his fifth studio album, Point Of No Return (2012), Jake Tracey began promoting his album, first with an interview on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. During his interview, he confirmed that he had two albums in the works for 2013 and 2014. Several months later, prior to the success of his fifth album, Tracey released new singles from his sixth studio album, Crash Course (2013), a sequel to his previous album. On July 18, 2013, he released his sixth studio album to mixed reception from critics, who noted the rushed nature of the album, yet praised Tracey's vocal delivery and lyrical content. Despite the lukewarm reception, the album peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200 charts and sold over 3,000,000 copies.

On August 23, 2013, Jake Tracey stated that he would take a break from music to return to his acting career. Tracey stated, "I want to be versatile; the guy that people remember on their YouTube screens, in the movie theaters, and on stage." After deciding to take a two-month hiatus from the music scene, Tracey began filming for My Rock Star Brother in September 30, 2013. Filming ended in November 23, 2013, and the movie premiered in theaters on March 14, 2014. Meanwhile, in numerous interviews, Tracey celebrated his 27th birthday on the Jimmy Kimmel Live special, and confirmed that he would return to music during the summer and record his seventh studio album.

However, Jake Tracey faced several disputes with his now-former record label, Columbia Records, after a breach in his contract. Columbia Records filed a lawsuit against Jake Tracey in July 7, 2014 for refusing to follow the contract, which forced him to release a consecutive album that year. Jake Tracey admitted his refusal to record new material, and according to Tracey, Columbia Records allegedly accepted his decision. Due to the heated conflict between Tracey and Columbia Records, Tracey decided to depart on July 20, 2014 after eight years on the label.

Days after the conflict, Tracey took to Twitter on September 10, 2014, announcing to his fans that he had officially departed from Columbia Records and signed a contract with Republic Records, hoping to reach out more to his audience. However, fans had false hope that Tracey would soon release an album by the end of November, but instead of an album release, Tracey surprised his fans with a promotional single from his seventh studio album, "Lightning Strike". The song received viral attention from fans and critics respectively, who praised the vocals and lyrical content.

Controversy, however, emerged when ex-girlfriend Sharee Johnasson called Tracey out for fictionalizing the outcome of their relationship. On January 5, 2015, Tracey revealed the direction of his then-titled Rebel Without a Cause project. "This album is going to be more edgier than the albums I've done previously," Tracey said. The album, also, will have hip-hop, R&B, and pop elements all in one. After an unusual hiatus from the media, Tracey surprised fans on July 8, 2015 with a snippet from his album of an interlude, "You Can Have It All." On November 27, 2015, Tracey will release his official first single from his seventh album, "Anarchy". Fans hinted the a new collaboration via Instagram, after Ariana and Jake took a picture in the studio on October 7, 2015.