It’s finally available… if you still use iTunes.
It’s safe to say that Sturgill Simpson’s latest release as Johnny Blue Skies has been one of the most interesting album rollouts in recent history. If you recall, back on February 13th, Simpson would turn heads by officially announcing Mutiny After Midnight’s release on March 13th. However, there was a catch — it would be released exclusively on physical media, only having a CD, vinyl and cassette release.
March 1st rolled around and Simpson ended up posting the album early. Essentially “leaking” his own album nearly two weeks early, the “Swamp of Sadness” singer posted the entirety of Mutiny After Midnight onto YouTube. In typical Sturgill fashion, he simply left this message on social media to guide all of his fans to the early release
“Ooops…. might’ve just posted the whole fuk’n album on YouTube…. for the real ones.”
For an entire week, Sturgill and JBS fans were able to stream the album they were previously told would be un-streamable, and it was glorious… until it wasn’t. After just eight days of being on YouTube, it was then removed from the platform, once again making March 13th Mutiny After Midnight’s “official” release date.
Upon the album’s intended release on March 13th, he explained why they decided to do that while also thanking fans for their support. To explain it as quickly as possible, Sturgill and Co. knew that the album was eventually going to get leaked online in some capacity and wanted to get ahead of it themselves, in addition to showing support for independent record stores.
Additionally, he’d signal that the album will most likely find its way onto streaming in the coming months as well.
“Thank you very much to everyone for joining in on all the fun and being such good sports over the past few weeks. We made this record with a sense of immediacy and in the moment expression with the pure intention of simply having fun and making people forget about everything else, even if for only 44 minutes. Thank you to everyone that ‘gets it’ and to all the writers for the kind words and love.
We had originally planned a physical only release for at least the first 4 to 6 weeks to support and show solidarity with independent record shops and to promote an increasingly bygone physical and tangible connection between music and music fans… the almost mystical bond and stems from holding a new piece of artistic expression in your hands while hearing it for the first time.
There were some hiccups (and some opportunists) thus some in the moment adjustments that only led to more fun and chaos. Personally, I’m just here for the chaos. Plus I’ve always really wanted to leak my own record.”
Though many were questioning the move to release on physical media only, it ended up paying dividends for the “I Don’t Mind” singer. Last Sunday, Mutiny After Midnight debuted at #3 on the all-genre Billboard 200 albums chart, selling 59,000 total units (all physical, of course) in its first week. In turn, it became the first album exclusively available on physical formats to reach the top 10 in nearly three years. In turn, it became the first album exclusively available on physical formats to reach the top 10 in nearly three years. Additionally, it would go #1 on Billboard’s Top Rock & Alternative, Americana/Folk Albums, Top Album Sales, Indie Store Album Sales and Vinyl Albums charts.
After another strong week of sales this frame, it seems as if we’re getting closer to getting the record widely available on streaming services. This morning, Sturgill finally released Mutiny After Midnight digitally… the only catch is that it’s currently available on iTunes.
In an Instagram story, he’d signal to fans that it was finally on the platform with a simple Eddie Murphy meme (which will make sense later) with the caption:
“The album is on iTunes… now you can party all the time.”
Though it’s obviously April Fool’s Day, this was no joke from Sturgill. Mutiny After Midnight is currently available to purchase right now on iTunes for $9.99, marking the first time it’s been able to be digitally downloaded without the purchase of a physical copy of the record. Even more excitingly for long-time fans, his cover of Eddie Murphy’s “Party All The Time,” which has been a setlist staple over the past year, has finally been released as a bonus track on the digital version of the album.
Spoiler alert: it’s an absolute groove.
As of now, you can only buy the album in its entirety — not individual songs — on iTunes. With that being said, however, it seems incredibly likely that he will finally release the record on streaming in the coming weeks as promised. For now, we’ll just have to wait (and buy the album on iTunes, of course).
Before you go, fire up the one song that’s available on YouTube as of now, “Situation.”
Mutiny For The Masses Tour Dates
Sep 4 -Austin, TX -Moody Center
Sep 6 -Rio Rancho, NM -Rio Rancho Events Center
Sep 8 -Glendale, AZ -Desert Diamond Arena
Sep 9 -Santa Barbara, CA -Santa Barbara Bowl
Sep 11 -Inglewood, CA -Kia Forum
Sep 13 – San Diego, CA – Viejas Arena
Sep 15 – Berkeley, CA – The Greek Theatre
Sep 18 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
Sep 19 – Vancouver, BC – Pacific Coliseum
Sep 21 – Eugene, OR – Matthew Knight Arena
Sep 23 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena
Sep 26 – Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center
Sep 27 – St. Paul, MN – Grand Casino Arena
Sep 29 -Chicago, IL – United Center
Oct 2 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
Oct 3 – Indianapolis, IN – Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Oct 6 – St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Center
Oct 7 – Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena
Oct 9 – Pittsburgh, PA – Petersen Events Center
Oct 10 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
Oct 13 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
Oct 15 – Philadelphia, PA – Xfinity Mobile Arena
Oct 16 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
Oct 18 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena
Oct 21 – Raleigh, NC – Lenovo Center
Oct 23 – Charleston, SC – Credit One Stadium
Oct 25 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
Oct 27 – New Orleans, LA – Lakefront Arena
Oct 30 – Lexington, KY – Rupp Arena
