Insomniatic

Background

MTV's The Leak section posted all 12 songs on the standard edition of the album in their entirety, on July 3, 2007. The song "Blush" was excluded in the MTV.com full album stream as well not being included in the iTunes edition. The song "Like Whoa" was featured in an episode of MTV's The Hills and the girls' made-for-TV (MTV) movie Super Sweet 16: The Movie, which premiered on July 8, 2007 and in High School Musical 3: Senior Year on October 24, 2008. The song eventually became the album's second single.

Instrumental versions of all 12 songs are available commercially on the iTunes Store, alongside the standard 12-track album with vocals. The album's title is not actually a word ("insomniac" serves as both a noun and an adjective); the definition of Insomniatic as stated by them is: A state of mind where one becomes addicted to the deprivation of sleep caused by an epic revelation of joy. The Australian release of the album features the cover art same as the deluxe edition, aside from the "Deluxe Edition" tag. It also features with the original "Chemicals React" track as the first track, following the rest of the standard album.

Composition

Insomniatic is primary an electro rock album that focuses instrumentally on the usage of synthesizers, drum programming, synthesized drums, sampling, loops and vocoders, creating a synthesized sound throughout. The set encompasses numerous genres including rock, pop, electronica, new wave, and Europop. The lyrical themes of the album are centered on heartbreak and loss. The first song, "Potential Breakup Song", is composed as an electropop song that incorporates elements of electronica, electro-rock and dance in its composition. The song's lyrics describe a situation in which certain instances have led to the dissolution of a union. The title track is an electro rock number that consists of instrumentation from "striking" drums and "quick" guitar riffs. The duo, who harmonizes throughout the song, speak of the feeling derived from insomnia. "Silence" features an opening consisting of a soft percussion and the accompaniment of synthesized instruments and piano with the vocals. "Like Whoa" differs from the rest of the album in sound as it runs through an upbeat dance rhythm and electronic beats, similar to those in "Bullseye", while incorporating sounds of an amusement park ride and new wave music. "Blush" is a lite ballad that features hints of sexual tension and suggestiveness in the lyrics. "Bullseye", along with "If I Could Have You Back" and "Like or Leave It", blend 70s and 80s guitar tones with electronic beats. "Closure" is an electro pop ballad that is composed of synthesizer keyboards and distorted guitars.

Chart performance

The album debuted at #15 in the official United States Billboard 200 albums chart, selling over 39,000 copies in its first week, becoming Aly & AJ's highest debut to date. Insomniatic remained on the charts for 18 weeks in total, dropping out after the fourteenth week, to re-enter six weeks later.Insomniatic has sold 700,000 copies in the United States.

Critical reception

Kathi Kamen Goldmark of Common Sense Media gave the album four out of five stars, praising the duo's vocals and the "gentle undertone of self-esteem and standing up for yourself in relationships" as "refreshing". She further commented that the album was "better written than their first album" and that "the highs of flirtation, the confusion that comes with being caught in the undertow of sexual attraction while taking care of yourself and setting limits, and the sadness and disappointment of breaking up" were "all described in well-constructed songs containing G-rated imagery." Sari N. Kent of TheCelebrityCafe wrote positively about the album, writing in her review that the album "will make listeners jump up and take notice of this harmonic twosome. Their active beats will infect listeners' ears and make them want to dance whether they want to or not." Logan Leasure of Jesus Freak Hideout wrote that the album "offers some positive content through brokenness, but this is not an album worth presenting to someone looking for Christ." Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian rated the album an A, praising "the effect of which is to leave the listener suspended between hyped-up delight and despair at the micro-produced perfection of it all" and the songwriting/production team for crafting "lush, assertive little symphonies with massive hooklines that make the most of the sisters' Britneyish breathiness." T2 of Tommy2.Net gave Insomniatic a three out of four star rating, praising the evolution of lyrics and sound present by the Michalka sisters. Chuck Eddy of Billboard in a positive review of the album described Insomniatic as "an endlessly ambitious yet endlessly effervescent confessional pop-rock breakup album that deserves to carry them far beyond their teen pop base."

Release and artwork

The album was released on 10 July 2007 in the United States, on 22 October 2007 in the United Kingdom and Italy — with a new cover art — and ultimately in Singapore in April 2008. An enhanced Deluxe Edition was released in Japan on 5 March 2008. The cover of the Deluxe Edition (aside from the "deluxe edition" tag) was used for an Australian release on 15 March 2008. All other regions use the standard edition cover, featuring sisters and full moon behind them.

United States

United Kingdom

Tours

After they were supporting act for Miley Cyrus on her Best of Both Worlds Tour, sisters also promoted the album with two tours in 2008: Insomniatic Tour and Mini Summer Tour.

Singles

Track listing

Deluxe edition

A deluxe edition of the album was originally scheduled to be released in North America on November 6, 2007, then on March 4, 2008, and finally on March 18 only to eventually be canceled. The 6-song extended CD includes acoustic performances at the Abbey Road Studios in the UK and a remix, along with a bonus DVD that contains music videos for Aly & AJ's main singles. Early reports stated that the DVD would include Aly & AJ's "My Super Sweet 16/18 Birthday Party" episode, a review featurette of the episode, the Aly & AJ: Sister Act MTV special, and the Aly & AJ episode of MTV Cribs, but these were not included. The deluxe edition was only released on March 5, 2008 in Japan.

Release history

* Features the original "Chemicals React" as first track, followed by the rest of the standard album.