Wild Hope is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Mandy Moore, her first in four years. It was released in digitally in Australia on June 18, 2007, and on June 19, 2007 by The Firm Music, a division of EMI USA. The Australian digital version had the bonus track "Swept Away". The album was released in Australia physically on February 23, 2008. Counting her compilation and cover albums, it is Moore's seventh album and her first to be fully co-written by her.
Background
Moore began writing the album in 2004. She originally signed with Sire Records after leaving Epic Records in 2004 and released a single via her site titled "Hey!" which was written by James Renald, the co-writer and co-producer of her 2001 single "Cry". In early 2006, Moore posted her cover of Lori McKenna's 2003 song "Beautiful Man" on her MySpace profile and later informed her fans that she left Sire because of creative differences. In July 2006. Moore signed with The Firm, owned by EMI, and a U.K. magazine assumed after hearing the song "Slummin' In Paradise" that it would be the title of the album. Moore collaborated with producer John Alagía on the album, who is known for working with Dave Matthews Band and Liz Phair, and has co-written an entire album for the first time: she co-wrote songs with a number of musicians, including Michelle Branch, Chantal Kreviazuk, Lori McKenna, Rachael Yamagata and indie folk pop duo The Weepies, all chronicled in a promotional available for viewing on her official website. This is the first album that Moore co-wrote entirely and the first time she released songs that she co-wrote since "When I Talk to You" with songwriter and producer Matthew Hager, which appeared on her third self-titled album, in 2001; a number of the songs are about her breakup with her ex-boyfriend, actor Zach Braff in 2006. The album's lead single "Extraordinary" was one of the songs she co-wrote with The Weepies, which premiered on her MySpace profile on January 29, 2007. On February 9, 2007, Moore posted the album's second single "Nothing That You Are" on her MySpace profile. Moore said making the album helped her cope with depression and self-discovery.
Critical reception
The album received generally positive reviews from critics. Jane Magazine said that "Moore has turned into a sophisticated songwriter whose new sound fits cozily alongside that of Regina Spektor, Fiona Apple and Sarah McLachlan rather than all the pop tarts she used to be compared to." Billboard said that "Wild Hope is the gratifying sound of a singer finally finding her comfort zone. Gone is the sugary pop of Moore's early career, replaced instead by thoughtful musings on love and life...an album full of subtle, but undeniable hooks."
Promotion
Moore filmed a documentary for Oxygen called I am Mandy Moore that chronicled the writing and concept of her album Wild Hope. She also did "one-off" gigs promoting her album. The most popular is the MSN concert where Moore performed all songs off her album including three of her older songs that were "Help Me", "Moonshadow" and "Candy". Moore also went on tour to help promote the album.
Sales
Wild Hope debuted on the U.S. Billboard 200 at No. 30, selling 25,000 copies the first week of release, according to Billboard. It is Moore's third highest debuting album, falling short of her fourth studio album Coverage, which debuted at No. 14, selling 59,000 copies. The album also reached No. 9 on The Top Internet albums. After five weeks, the album charted off the Billboard 200, but returned on the chart, coming back in at No. 118, selling 5,500 copies. To date, the album has sold over 100,000 in the United States. In November 2017, the album was removed for sale from all digital platforms, including iTunes.
