Mercury – Acts 1 & 2 is the sixth studio album by American pop rock band Imagine Dragons, released through Kidinakorner and Interscope Records. It is a double album consisting of 32 tracks, with the first half, Mercury – Act 1, released on September 3, 2021, and Mercury – Act 2, the second half, released on July 1, 2022, as part of the double album Mercury – Acts 1 & 2. The album was executive produced by Rick Rubin.

Mercury – Acts 1 & 2
The artwork for Mercury – Acts 1 & 2. Target exclusive artwork inverts the colors and Mercury – Act 2 artwork adds "Act 2" below "Mercury".
Studio album / reissue by Imagine Dragons
Released	July 1, 2022
Recorded	2018–2022
Length	102:40 44:57 (Act 1) 57:43 (Act 2)
Label	Kidinakorner Interscope
Producer	Imagine Dragons Goldwiing Mattman & Robin Jason Suwito Jayson DeZuzio Joel Little Brandon Darner Styalz Fuego New Haven Jesse Shatkin Dylan Wiggins MAG KillaGraham Mick Coogan Nicky Blitz Rick Rubin
Imagine Dragons chronology
Mercury – Act 1 (2021) Mercury – Acts 1 & 2 (2022)
Singles from Mercury – Acts 1 & 2
"Bones" Released: March 11, 2022 "Sharks" Released: June 24, 2022 "I Don’t Like Myself" Released: October 10, 2022

Background and concept

Imagine Dragons released their fifth studio album Mercury – Act 1 on September 3, 2021. Upon its release, the band confirmed that they would be releasing a sequel album.[1] The band stated that Rick Rubin would executive produce the album. In January 2022, frontman Dan Reynolds claimed the album was "almost done" and would likely be released following the first leg of the Mercury Tour. In an interview released through Apple Music in late March, Reynolds stated that the album was different sonically than their previous albums and said it was influenced by hip hop.[2]

Reynolds, in an interview with Consequence, described the creative process behind the two albums:[3]

We worked with Rick Rubin on these records, and we knew really early on that it was going to be two records. As we went through the songs on the first record, Rick sat me down and we really talked about the theme of it. We realized early on that Act I was focused on death and kind of those shell-shocked feelings that accompany that, whereas Act II is really post-grief and waking up the next day after you’ve lost someone that you loved.

— Dan Reynolds

Singles and promotion

"Bones" was released as the lead single to Mercury – Act 2 on March 11, 2022.[4] The song was used to promote the upcoming third season of the Amazon Prime Video series The Boys. The release of the song's music video on April 6 coincided with the pre-order of the album.

The album's second single, "Sharks", was released on June 24, 2022, along with an accompanying music video. It was sent to Italian radio on July 1, 2022.[5]

The third single for the album, "I Don't Like Myself", was released on October 10, 2022, along with an accompanying music video for World Mental Health Day. For the occasion, the band partnered with Crisis Text Line for a fundraising campaign.[6]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[7]
The Arts Desk	[8]
Rolling Stone	[9]
The Telegraph	[10]

Neil Z. Yeung of AllMusic was critical of Act 2's unfocused nature and length, stating, "There's simply too much going on and not enough editorial trimming to make this as impactful an experience as Act 1."[11]

Reviewing Act 2, Ali Shutler of The Telegraph was unenthusiastic of the more downtempo songs, claiming they "all trudge towards the same big, emotional finale that’s less impactful every time and quickly sucks the joy from the record. Shutler also deemed it forgettable, stating, "In a bid to appeal to everyone, the band have removed anything that would make them stand out. There’s no doubt you’ll hear Imagine Dragons’ music everywhere over the next few months, but you’ll be hard pushed to remember it."

Track listing

Notes

• The originally released standard version of Mercury – Act 1 does not include "Enemy". The song was added onto the album as an additional track on digital retailers and streaming platforms.
• "I Wish" appears as a bonus track on digital, streaming, and deluxe CD versions of Mercury – Acts 1 & 2, but is omitted from the Target exclusive version.
• The Japanese edition of Mercury – Act 1 features the bonus track "Follow You (Summer '21 Version)", produced by Brandon Darner.
• The Japanese edition of Mercury – Acts 1 & 2 features acoustic versions of "Believer" and "Follow You", a live rendition of "Wrecked" (dubbed 'From The Bunker'), a solo mix of "Enemy" with a new verse from Dan Reynolds instead of JID, and a live rendition of "Bones" performed at the Climate Pledge Arena.

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for Mercury – Acts 1 & 2

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Poland (ZPAV)[28]	Platinum	20,000
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

References

На других языках

[es] Mercury – Act 2

[it] Mercury - Act 2

[ru] Mercury — Act 2