The Secret (Austin Mahone EP)

The Secret
EP by Austin Mahone
Released	May 27, 2014
Recorded	2013–14
Genre	Pop EDM
Length	26:59
Label	Cash Money Republic Chase
Producer	Rocco Valdes (executive) Michael Blumstein (exec.) David Abram (exec.) RedOne (also exec.) Bryan "Baby Birdman" Williams (exec.) Ronald "Slim Tha Don" Williams (exec.) Austin Mahone Jimmy Joker The Futuristics Eddie Limon Cook Classics Alex Schwartz Fredrik Thomander Tiny Island Maejor Ali
Austin Mahone chronology
Extended Play (2013) The Secret (2014) This Is Not The Album (2015)
Singles from The Secret
"What About Love" Released: June 10, 2013 "Mmm Yeah" Released: January 26, 2014

The Secret is the second extended play (EP) by American pop singer Austin Mahone. It was released on May 27, 2014.^[1]

Background

In an interview with Billboard on November 4, 2013, Mahone informed the magazine that the album would see an additional collaboration with Flo Rida and maybe one or two other to-be-determined guests. He added: "It's coming along amazing – I'm just trying to have every little detail and just make it absolutely perfect for my fans."^[2] The direction of the EP reminisces a sound and themes of '90s pop music and has clear influences of Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC.

Composition

The album is described by music critics as pop and EDM.^[3][4][5] According to Mahone, the sound is a mixture of pop, R&B, electronic dance and 90's Backstreet Boys.^[6][7] When asked about the EP in an interview with MTV News, he said that the songs in his upcoming album would "sound like "What About Love" kind of like that EDM, like I said, old school/new school."^[8] Writing for So So Gay, David Lim noted the EP's sound to be influenced by Swedish pop producer Max Martin, who created songs for late-90's teen pop stars such as Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC. Lim later went on to call the EP a "shout of neon-bright tunes" and said: "The catchy melodies and electronic beats suit Austin’s own clean-cut, all singing-and-dancing persona, but at times it puts a wall between him and the listener."^[9]

"Mmm Yeah" is a dance-pop song which contains a "swirling" production, funk-influenced trumpets, a percussion-heavy four on the floor electropop beat, and influences of Chicago house, hip hop, and Latin music.^{[10][11][12][13]} The track heavily samples Lidell Townsell's 1992 single "Nu Nu". Lyrically, the song speaks of being rejected by an attractive woman walking down a street: "We can do whatever/ Do whatever we want/ When she walked past me I said 'hey, hey, hey' So tell me where you from where you want to go/ She walked past me like I ain't say a word".^[10] "All I Ever Need" is a "breezy" downtempo R&B and pop slow jam.^[14][15]

Singles

"What About Love" was released as single on June 10, 2013 but included only in the international album's version. The song peaked at number 66 on the Billboard Hot 100.^[16] "Mmm Yeah" was released on January 26, 2014 and features rapper Pitbull.^[17]

Promotional singles

"Till I Find You" was released as the first promotional single on April 18, 2014 during the program radio On Air with Ryan Seacrest.^[18][19][20] It is featured on Just Dance 2015. "All I Ever Need" was released as second promotional single on May 13, 2014.^[18] "Shadow" was released on May 26, 2014 during a performance on the Today. Mahone released the official video through Vevo on May 29, 2014.^[21][22][23]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[3]
Billboard	[4]
Rolling Stone	[24]
USA Today	[25]

In her review of the EP, Elysa Gardner of USA Today gave a mixed response, saying: "To call him "baby Bieber" wouldn't be fair; the generically catchy tunes hark back to N' Sync, Backstreet Boys and even New Kids. His creamy yearning should set young hearts aflutter."^[25]

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number 5 on the Billboard 200 with first week sales of 46,000 copies.^[26] As of November 2014, The Secret has sold 100,000 copies in the United States.^[27] Austin announced on Twitter that he will be going on a tour around North America and later announced that he will be going on that same tour around Mexico.

Track listing

Standard edition^[28]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Till I Find You"	Austin Mahone RedOne Ameerah Roelants Mika Guillory Jimmy Joker AJ Junior Bilal "The Chef" Hajji	RedOne Joker	3:00
2.	"Next to You"	Mahone RedOne Joker Björn Djupstrom	RedOne Joker	3:04
3.	"Mmm Yeah" (featuring Pitbull)	Mahone Armando Pérez Alex Schwartz Joe Khajadourian William Lobban-Bean Ethan Lowery Chase Lett Lamar Mahone Keith Mayberry Craig Simpkins Lidell Townsell	The Futuristics Cook Classics Schwartz^[a]	3:51
4.	"Secret"	Mahone RedOne Joker Mika Guillory Rivington Starchild Junior	RedOne Joker	3:18
5.	"Can't Fight This Love"	Mahone RedOne Aleena Gibson Kevin Högdahl Fredrik Thomander	RedOne Thomander	2:46
6.	"All I Ever Need"	Mahone Robert Villanueva	Mahone	3:33
7.	"The One I've Waited For"	Mahone RedOne Tiny Island AJ Junior	RedOne Tiny Island	3:39
8.	"Shadow" (acoustic)	Mahone Gibson Roelants	RedOne Thomander	3:48
Total length:				26:59

International bonus track[29][30][31][32][33][34]
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
9.	"What About Love"	Mahone RedOne Joker Junior Hajji Mohombi Moupondo Starchild	RedOne Joker	3:23
Total length:				30:22

Japanese edition bonus tracks[35][36]
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
10.	"U"	Mahone Brandon Green	Maejor	3:36
11.	"Mmm Yeah" (featuring Pitbull) (Jump Smokers Remix)	Mahone Armando Pérez Alex Schwartz Joe Khajadourian William Lobban-Bean Ethan Lowery Lamar Mahone Keith Mayberry Craig Simpkins Lidell Townsell	The Futuristics Cook Classics Schwartz^[a] Jump Smokers^[b]	4:22
Total length:				37:20

Japanese deluxe edition DVD[35]
No.	Title	Director	Length
1.	"Mmm Yeah" (featuring Pitbull) (music video)	Rocco Valdes Dan Roof
2.	"What About Love" (music video)	Colin Tilley
3.	"Mmm Yeah" (featuring Pitbull) (lyric video)	N/A
4.	"Mmm Yeah" (featuring Pitbull) (live)	N/A
5.	"What About Love" (live)	N/A
6.	"Behind the Scenes in Japan"	N/A

Notes

• ^{^[a]} signifies a vocal producer
• ^{^[b]} signifies remixer

Weekly charts

Chart (2014)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[37]	74
scope="row"	Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[38]	60
scope="row"	Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[39]	129
scope="row"	Canadian Albums (Billboard)[40]	11
scope="row"	Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[41]	18
scope="row"	French Albums (SNEP)[42]	85
scope="row"	Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)[43]	42
Italian Albums (FIMI)[44]	12
Mexican Albums (Top 100 Mexico)[45]	26
scope="row"	Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[46]	11
scope="row"	Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[47]	27
scope="row"	US Billboard 200[48]	5

Release history

Region	Date	Format	Label
Australia	May 23, 2014	CD digital download	Chase, Cash Money
United States[28]	May 27, 2014
Japan[49]	June 18, 2014	CD CD+DVD

References

1. "Teen Pop Star Austin Mahone Joins YMCMB". Rap-Up. 2012-10-11. Retrieved 2012-09-13.
2. http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop-shop/5778173/austin-mahone-banga-banga-mtv-ema-nomination
3. Thomas Erlewine, Stephen. "The Secret - Austin Mahone". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
4. Lipshutz, Jason. "Austin Mahone, 'The Secret' EP: Track-By-Track Review". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
5. http://popdust.com/2014/05/28/all-8-tracks-on-austin-mahones-the-secret-reviewed/
6. Stern, Bradley (May 27, 2014). "'The Secret' EP: Austin Mahone Provides a Nostalgic Pop Surprise". MuuMuse. MuuMuse Ltd. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
7. "Austin Mahone on Justin Bieber comparisons: 'It's kind of obnoxious'". Fox News. Fox Entertainment Group. June 6, 2014. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
8. Vena, Jocelyn (June 11, 2013). "Austin Mahone Teases Debut Album With EDM… And Cash Money?". MTV News. Viacom Media Networks. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
9. Lim, David (June 15, 2014). "EP Review: Austin Mahone – The Secret". So So Gay. So So Gay Ltd. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
10. Vena, Jocelyn (January 24, 2014). "Austin Mahone Leaves Fans 'In Tears' With 'MMM Yeah:' Listen Here". MTV News. Viacom Media Networks. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
11. Wass, Mike (January 24, 2014). "Austin Mahone Joins Forces With Pitbull On "Mmm Yeah": Listen". Idolator. Spin Media. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
12. Benjamin, Jeff (January 24, 2014). "AUSTIN MAHONE IS SMOOTHER THAN EVER WITH "MMM YEAH" FT. PITBULL". Fuse. The Madison Square Garden Company. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
13. Lewis, Casey (January 24, 2014). "Austin Mahone's New Single, "MMM Yeah," Is His Coolest Song Yet". Teen Vogue. Condé Nast. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
14. Walker, John (May 15, 2014). "Austin Mahone's New Song 'All I Ever Need' Takes A Turn For The Usher". MTV News. Viacom Media Networks. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
15. Lipshutz, Jason (May 15, 2014). "Austin Mahone Drops Slow Jam 'All I Ever Need': Listen". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved May 27, 2014.
16. "Austin Mahone – Chart History: The Hot 100". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media.
17. "Mmm Yeah by Austin Mahone - Single". iTunes. Retrieved February 13, 2013.
18. "Austin Mahone Discography - Singles, Promotional singles and EPs". Allmusic. Retrieved February 13, 2013.
19. "Austin Mahone Releases 'Till I Find You'". Ryan Seacrest. Retrieved February 13, 2013.
20. http://www.idolator.com/7514873/austin-mahone-the-secret-tracklist-cover
21. "Austin Mahone Debuts 'Shadow' on 'Today'". Billboard. May 26, 2014. Retrieved June 30, 2014.
22. "Austin Mahone Performs at Billboard Twitter Real-Time Charts Launch Event". Billboard. May 27, 2014. Retrieved June 30, 2014.
23. "Shadow - Austin Mahone". Vevo. Retrieved June 30, 2014.
24. Catucci, Nick (May 27, 2014). "Austin Mahone 'The Secret'". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media, LLC. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
25. Gardner, Elysa (May 26, 2014). "Listen Up: Other notable releases". USA Today. Larry Kramer. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
26. Keith Caulfield (June 5, 2014). "Coldplay Chills For Second Week At No. 1, Mariah Carey Debuts At No. 3". Billboard.
27. Christman, Ed (19 August 2014). "EP to the Rescue! Short Albums Are a Rare Music Business Success Story". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
28. "The Secret by Austin Mahone - Album". iTunes. Retrieved February 13, 2013.
29. https://itunes.apple.com/no/album/the-secret/id865463771
30. https://itunes.apple.com/nl/album/the-secret/id865463771
31. https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/the-secret/id865463771
32. https://itunes.apple.com/vn/album/the-secret/id865463771?l=vi
33. https://itunes.apple.com/ph/album/the-secret/id865463771
34. https://itunes.apple.com/id/album/the-secret/id865463771
35. http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/UICU-9078
36. http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/UICU-1253
37. "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 2 June 2014" (PDF) (1266). Pandora Archive. June 20, 2014. Retrieved July 26, 2014.
38. "Ultratop.be – Austine Mahone – The Secret" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
39. "Ultratop.be – Austine Mahone – The Secret" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
40. "Austin Mahone – Chart history" Billboard Canadian Albums Chart for Austin Mahone. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
41. "Danishcharts.com – Austine Mahone – The Secret". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
42. "Lescharts.com – Austine Mahone – The Secret". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
43. "Dutchcharts.nl – Austine Mahone – The Secret" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
44. "Artisti - Classifica settimanale WK 22 (dal 26-05-2014 al 01-06-2014)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
45. "Puesto #26 del #Top100MX del ..." (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Twitter. October 31, 2014. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
46. "Norwegiancharts.com – Austine Mahone – The Secret". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
47. "Spanishcharts.com – Austine Mahone – The Secret". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
48. "Austin Mahone – Chart history" Billboard 200 for Austin Mahone. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
49. "CDJapan: The Secret Deluxe Edition [w/ DVD, Limited Edition] Austin Mahone CD Album". CDJapan. April 18, 2014. Retrieved April 18, 2014.