# Generationwhy

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This article is about the album. For the demographic cohort, see [Millennials](/source/Millennials).

***Generationwhy*** is the debut studio album by American electronic music producer [Zhu](/source/Zhu_(musician)), released on July 29, 2016, by [Columbia Records](/source/Columbia_Records).[1] The album features works and vocals from the likes of [Maya Angelou](/source/Maya_Angelou), [Jaymes Young](/source/Jaymes_Young), Nylo, Mitch Bell, [Nikola Bedingfield](/source/Nikola_Bedingfield), [Adam Schmalholz](/source/IN-Q), and [Broods](/source/Broods). The album followed after the success of ZHU's collaborative debut [EP](/source/Extended_play) *Genesis Series*, released in 2015.

## Critical reception

Upon release, *Generationwhy* received mixed reviews. *The Guardian* found *Generationwhy* an "at times, beguiling blend of mid-tempo electronic pop." Noting that ZHU successfully assimilated a lot of current Balearic dance music "influences into something distinctly his own", the review also argued that not all the songs transcended "the tropes of the genre that inspired them."[2] Drowned in Sound was somewhat less impressed: "The album is essentially a series of enjoyable yet unremarkable house-pop songs." That being said the reviewer found some redeeming qualities, "Unlike many of these artists, Zhu includes what might be a surprising amount of 'live' instrumentation which generally add to the noir feeling."[3]

## Commercial performance

The album debuted at number 109 on the [*Billboard* 200](/source/Billboard_200), selling 3,000 copies in its first week. It also debuted at number one on the [Dance/Electronic Albums](/source/Dance/Electronic_Albums) chart in the United States.[4]

## Track listing

### Notes

- "Intro (Neon City)" features uncredited spoken word from poetic writer [Maya Angelou](/source/Maya_Angelou).
- "Cold Blooded" features uncredited vocals from [Jaymes Young](/source/Jaymes_Young).
- "In the Morning" features sampled lyrics from "[Touch Me](/source/Touch_Me_(Rui_da_Silva_song))" by [Rui da Silva](/source/Rui_da_Silva_(DJ)).
- "Secret Weapon" features uncredited vocals from Nylo.
- "Palm of My Hand" features uncredited spoken word from Valentine Baran.
- "Reaching" features uncredited vocals from [Nikola Bedingfield](/source/Nikola_Bedingfield).
- "Hometown Girl" features uncredited vocals from Jaymes Young.
- "Good Life" features uncredited spoken word from Adam Schmalholz and uncredited vocals from [Broods](/source/Broods).

## Charts

Chart (2016) Peak position New Zealand Heatseeker Albums (RMNZ)[5] 1

## References

1. ["Generationwhy by ZHU"](https://music.apple.com/us/album/generationwhy/1125546735). *[iTunes Store](/source/ITunes_Store) (US)*

1. MacInnes, Paul (July 28, 2016). ["Zhu: Generationwhy review – occasionally impressive tropical house"](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/jul/28/zhu-generationwhy-review-tropical-house). *The Guardian*. [ISSN 0261-3077](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0261-3077). Retrieved August 5, 2016.

1. ["Album Review: Zhu - Generationwhy"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160731203051/http://drownedinsound.com/releases/19535/reviews/4150249). Archived from [the original](http://drownedinsound.com/releases/19535/reviews/4150249) on July 31, 2016. Retrieved August 5, 2016.

1. ["ZHU Zips to No. 1 on Top Dance/Electronic Albums"](https://www.billboard.com/pro/zhu-number-1-top-dance-electronic-albums/). *Billboard*

1. ["NZ Heatseeker Albums Chart"](https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/albums/2016-09-02). [Recorded Music NZ](/source/Recorded_Music_NZ). August 8, 2016. Retrieved August 5, 2016.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Generationwhy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generationwhy) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generationwhy?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.