8 Letters

This article is about the album. For the Take That song, see Progress (Take That album).

8 Letters is the debut full-length studio album by American boy band Why Don't We. The album was released on August 31, 2018, by Signature Entertainment & Atlantic Records in the United States and by Warner Music Group elsewhere. The album was supported by three singles: "Hooked", "Talk" and the title-track "8 Letters".^[1][2]

8 Letters
Studio album by Why Don't We
Released	August 31, 2018 (2018-08-31)
Recorded	2016–2018
Genre	Pop
Length	26:15
Label	Signature Entertainment Atlantic Warner
Producer	The Monsters and the Strangerz Louis Schoorl Mick Schultz Jonas Jeberg Cutfather Jacob Manson Steve Mac Borgeous R3hab
Why Don't We chronology
A Why Don't We Christmas (2017) 8 Letters (2018) Spotify Singles (2018)
Why Don't We studio album chronology
8 Letters (2018) The Good Times and the Bad Ones (2021)
Singles from 8 Letters
"Hooked" Released: June 7, 2018 "Talk" Released: July 6, 2018 "8 Letters" Released: August 19, 2018

Critical reception

Chris DeVille of Stereogum described the songs as "sometimes painfully adolescent in terms of subject matter", but praised the album's variety, songwriting, and production "that keeps them from feeling like a relic".^[3] Elias Leight of Rolling Stone gave the album a negative review, scoring it 1.5 out of 5 stars, criticizing the short length while stating the band "throws out eight new songs with little to show for it."^[4]

Singles

"Hooked" was released as the lead single from the album on June 7, 2018. The song peaked at number twenty-two on the US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart. "Talk" was released as the second single from the album on July 6, 2018. The song peaked at number eighteen on the US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart. "8 Letters" was released as the third single from the album on August 19, 2018. The song peaked at number fourteen on the US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart.

Chart performance

8 Letters was released on August 31, 2018, in the United States and debuted at number nine on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 44,000 album equivalent units of which 37,000 were pure album sales,^[5] dated September 15, 2018. The album entered the Canadian Albums Chart at number fifteen. The album debuted at number ten in Australia. On September 7, 2018, the album entered the UK Albums Chart at number twenty-five, before dropping out the chart the following week.

Track listing

8 Letters – Standard edition

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"8 Letters"	James Abrahart Jonny Price Jordan Johnson Marcus Lomax Stefan Johnson	The Monsters and the Strangerz	3:10
2.	"Talk"	Carl Lehrmann Hayley Gene Penner	Louis Schoorl	3:10
3.	"Choose"	Why Don't We Mick Schultz Hue Strother Charles Hinshaw	Schultz	2:53
4.	"In Too Deep"	Candice Pillay Ingrid Andress Troy Johnson Jonas Jeberg	Jeberg	3:14
5.	"Friends"	Daniel Davidsen Ed Drewett Iain James Mich Hansen Peter Wallevik	Cutfather PhD	3:34
6.	"Hard"	Schultz Maureen McDonald	Schultz	3:16
7.	"Hooked"	Jacob Manson Philip John Plested	Manson	3:24
8.	"Can’t You See"	Why Don't We Schultz Hinshaw	Schultz	3:34
Total length:				26:15

8 Letters – Deluxe edition

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
9.	"Trust Fund Baby"	Ed Sheeran Fred Gibson	Steve Mac	3:16
10.	"Hooked" (Borgeous remix)	Manson Plested	Manson Borgeous	3:13
11.	"8 Letters" (R3hab remix)	Abrahart Price Johnson Lomax Johnson	The Monsters and the Strangerz R3hab	2:12
Total length:				34:36

Japanese edition bonus tracks^[6]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
9.	"Trust Fund Baby"	Sheeran Fred Gibson	Mac	3:05
10.	"These Girls"	Manson Plested	Manson Borgeous	2:49
11.	"Something Different"	Troy "R8DIO" Johnson Candice Pillay		2:42
Total length:				34:51

Japanese limited edition bonus DVD^[7]

No.	Title	Director(s)	Length
1.	"Trust Fund Baby" (music video)	Jason Koenig
2.	"Hooked" (music video)	Eli Sokhn
3.	"Something Different" (music video)	Logan Paul
4.	"These Girls" (music video)	Eli Sokhn Paul
5.	"Talk" (music video)	Sokhn

Charts

Chart (2018)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[8]	10
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[9]	42
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[10]	21
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[11]	126
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[12]	15
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[13]	17
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[14]	38
Irish Albums (OCC)[15]	12
Italian Albums (FIMI)[16]	96
Japan Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[17]	93
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[18]	42
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[19]	38
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[20]	24
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[21]	11
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[22]	87
UK Albums (OCC)[23]	25
US Billboard 200[24]	9

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Singapore (RIAS)[25]	Platinum	10,000*
* Sales figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region	Date	Format	Label
United States	August 31, 2018	Digital download streaming CD	Atlantic Warner

Notes