The Show Must Go

The group worked with producers David Bendeth, John Feldmann, Dave Genn and Brian Howes.^[3][4] Hoggard began writing songs for The Show Must Go as the band was wrapping up their Famous Last Words tour.^[3] The group wrote 45 songs over the course of three months before choosing the 11 tracks for the album.^[5] Songs from the album were inspired from "the collapse of several relationships — both romantic and platonic."^[3] Whereas Hedley and Famous Last Words were more pop punk and alternative rock influenced, this album was inspired by hip-hop music and electro beats.^[6] Hoggard stated, "I don't know if the album as a whole has anything to do with me liking Dizzee Rascal or Method Man. There are some songs that might lend to the production elements of urban music, but we still wanted the album to sound as acoustic as possible."^[6] In an interview with MuchMusic, Hoggard described The Show Must Go as a more "personal album" and that the band pushed themselves to create an honest record.^[7] The album's concept comes from "remembering that your whole life is not a show and you can't just always be performing."^[3]

In 2010, the band signed an American record deal with Island Records.^[1]

"Cha-Ching" was released to radio in Canada on August 17, 2009, as the lead single from the album.^[8] The song was released internationally the following day.^[9] "Don't Talk to Strangers" was released as the second single from the album on October 27, 2009.^[10] The album's third single "Perfect" was released on February 8, 2010, through Universal Music Canada.^[11] "Hands Up" was released on June 29, 2010, as the fourth single from the album.^[12] "Sweater Song" was released as the album's fifth single in December 2010.^[13]

The Show Must Go was released in the United States on December 7, 2010 via Island Records.^[1] The album features a different album cover, altered track listing and the songs "I Do (Wanna Love You)" and "Color Outside The Lines" in place of "Young and Stupid" and "9 Shades of Red". "Perfect" was released as the album's first single in the US on August 10, 2010.^[14]

More information Review scores, Source ...

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[15]
MuchMusic	[16]
New Music Reviews	(Mixed)[17]
PressPlus1	[18]

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The Show Must Go was met with positive reviews from music critics. Alexey Eremenko of AllMusic stated that the album features, "simple, straightforward guitar licks and a vocal delivery that teeters on the brink of larger-than-life emoting." He complimented the album for its catchiness, however criticized the record for its "cheesy hard rock of yesteryear."^[15] Sydney of MuchMusic called the album their best effort yet. She described the album's ninth track "Sweater Song" as the standout track, as well as praising "Amazing", calling the track, "a classic Hedley ballad." However, she stated that "Young & Stupid" is a skip.^[16] New Music Reviews wrote a mixed review on the album, writing, "Musically this album is not very technical, as the guitars and bass are very simple, yet still delivered extremely well, as usual. Lyrically this album is extremely up and down. Amid the usual heartbreaks and sadness, it also shows a lot more materialistic lyricism. In the end, Hedley have created a solid record, one that a lot of fans will not necessarily like due to the departure and progression of the band."^[17] Max Specht of PressPlus1 remarked, "Hedley has made a great album that won’t pigeonhole them, and although the first two singles might try to write them off as a novelty, there is a lot of quality to be found here in songs like 'Sweater Song' and 'Friends'."^[18]

Credits for The Show Must Go adapted from AllMusic.^[20]