Neon Future III

Neon Future III is the fifth studio album by American DJ and producer Steve Aoki. It was released on November 9, 2018, through Ultra Records and Dim Mak Records, serving as the third chapter of Aoki's Neon Future concept albums. A fourth installment of the series, entitled Neon Future IV, was released in 2020, and features collaborations with Nicky Romero, Play-N-Skillz, TWIIG, Don Diablo and Lush & Simon.

Neon Future III
Studio album by Steve Aoki
Released	November 9, 2018
Recorded	2016–2018
Length	57:05
Label	Ultra Dim Mak
Producer	Steve Aoki (exec.) Sir Nolan Jay Pryor Michael Gazzo Nicky Romero Play-N-Skillz Hook n Sling TWIIG Don Diablo Lush & Simon
Steve Aoki chronology
Steve Aoki Presents Kolony (2017) Neon Future III (2018) Neon Future IV (2020)
Singles from Neon Future III
"What We Started" Released: July 22, 2016 "Just Hold On" Released: December 10, 2016 "All Night" Released: November 17, 2017 "Azukita" Released: February 2, 2018 "Pretender" Released: May 18, 2018 "Lie to Me" Released: July 20, 2018 "Be Somebody" Released: September 7, 2018 "Hoovela" Released: October 5, 2018 "Waste It on Me" Released: October 25, 2018 "Why Are We So Broken" Released: March 14, 2019 "Do Not Disturb" Released: May 15, 2019

Content

Prior to the album's release, Aoki revealed the meaning of each track in an interview with Billboard magazine. According to him, the album is "really about embracing technology" and "the future of science and ideas, music and humanity. It's just the general overview of a techno future optimist." It includes themes from various genres of music, along with a cameo from Bill Nye on one track, “Noble Gas”.^[1] In advance of the album, "Waste It on Me" charted on the Billboard Hot 100.^[2]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Neon Future III" (Intro)	Steven Aoki Julien Marchal	Steve Aoki	4:16
2.	"Just Hold On" (featuring Louis Tomlinson)	Aoki Alexandra Yatchenko Nolan Lambroza Louis Tomlinson Eric Rosse	Aoki Sir Nolan[a] Pryor[a]	3:18
3.	"Waste It On Me[3]" (featuring BTS)	Aoki Nathaniel Cyphert Sean Foreman Michael V Gazzo Jeff Halavacs Kim Nam-joon Ryan Ogren	Aoki	3:12
4.	"Be Somebody" (with Nicky Romero) (featuring Kiiara)	Aoki Nicholas Rotteveel van Gotum Gazzo Benjamin Berger Ryan McMahon Simon Wilcox Georgia Overton Kiara Saulters	Aoki Nicky Romero	3:18
5.	"Pretender" (featuring Lil Yachty and AJR)	Aoki Adam Metzger Jack Metzger Ryan Metzger Miles Parks McCollum	Aoki	3:08
6.	"A Lover And A Memory" (featuring Mike Posner)	Aoki Michael Posner Thomas Barnes Peter Kelleher Benjamin Kohn	Aoki	3:28
7.	"Why Are We So Broken" (featuring Blink-182)	Aoki Ian Kirkpatrick Mark Hoppus Travis Barker Matt Skiba John Feldmann	Aoki	3:48
8.	"Golden Days" (featuring Jim Adkins)	Aoki Matthew Pauling Zakk Cervini Travis Barker Feldmann Hoppus Calum Hood	Aoki	3:23
9.	"Our Love Glows" (featuring Lady Antebellum)	Aoki Hillary Scott-Tyrell Mark Trussell Emily Weisband	Aoki	2:53
10.	"Anything More" (featuring Era Istrefi)	Aoki Cara Salimando Henry Durham	Aoki	2:59
11.	"All Night" (with Lauren Jauregui)	Aoki Gazzo Michelle Buzz Lauren Michelle Jauregui Morgado Justin Gammella	Aoki Mike Gazzo[a]	3:25
12.	"Do Not Disturb" (featuring Bella Thorne)	Aoki Kara Madden Reid Stefanick Steven Shebby	Aoki	2:43
13.	"Lie To Me" (featuring Ina Wroldsen)	Aoki Trevor Dahl Matthew Holmes Philip Leigh Bård Mathias Bonsaksen Ina Wroldsen	Aoki Dahl Mac & Phil[c]	2:59
14.	"Azukita" (with Play-N-Skillz) (featuring Daddy Yankee and Elvis Crespo)	Aoki Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez Juan "Play" Salinas Oscar "Skillz" Salinas David Macias Maribel Laguna	Aoki Play-N-Skillz Hook n Sling[a]	3:46
15.	"Hoovela" (with TWIIG)	Aoki Marco Alebric Deni Dugandzic Joao Simaeo	Aoki TWIIG	3:27
16.	"What We Started" (with Don Diablo x Lush & Simon) (featuring BullySongs)	Aoki Don Schipper Alessandro "Lush" Miselli Simone "Simon" Privitera Jason Walker Andrew Bullimore Joshua Record	Don Diablo Aoki Lush & Simon	3:23
17.	"Noble Gas" (featuring Bill Nye)	Aoki Marchal William Nye	Aoki	3:39
Total length:				57:05

^[c] signifies a co-producer ^[a] signifies an additional producer

Personnel

Steve Aoki – producer Additional musicians Bill Nye – spoken word in "Noble Gas" Matt Skiba – vocals and guitar in "Why Are We So Broken" Mark Hoppus – vocals and bass guitar in "Why Are We So Broken" Kim Nam-joon, Jeon Jung-kook, Park Jimin - vocals in "Waste it on Me"

Other personnel Brian Roettinger – art direction, design Jamie Stuart – art direction, design Brian Ziff – photography

Charts

Album

Chart (2018)	Peak position
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[4]	69
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[5]	132
US Billboard 200[6]	153
US Top Dance/Electronic Albums (Billboard)[7]	1
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[8]	43

Singles

List of singles as lead artist, with selected chart positions and certifications, showing year released

Title	Year	Peak chart positions										Certifications
		US [9]	US Dance [10]	AUS [11]	BEL (FL) Tip [12]	BEL (WA) Tip [13]	CAN [14]	FRA [15]	GER [16]	NLD [17]	UK [18]
"What We Started" (with Don Diablo and Lush & Simon featuring BullySongs)[19]	2016	—	—	—	—	13	—	—	—	—	—
"Just Hold On" (with Louis Tomlinson)		52	7	20	25	30	40	8	32	27	2	RIAA: Gold[20] ARIA: Gold[21] MC: Gold[22] BPI: Silver[23]
"All Night"[24] (with Lauren Jauregui)	2017	—[A]	9	—	—	—	—	196	—	—	—
"Azukita" (featuring Daddy Yankee, Play-N-Skillz and Elvis Crespo)	2018	—	16	—	—	—	—	199	—	—	—
"Pretender" (featuring Lil Yachty and AJR)[26]		—	24	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
"Lie to Me" (featuring Ina Wroldsen)[27]		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
"Be Somebody" (with Nicky Romero featuring Kiiara)[28]		—	30	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
"Hoovela" (with Twiig)[29]		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
"Waste It on Me" (featuring BTS)		89	6	61	—	—	64	—	98	—	57	MC: Gold[30]
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Notes

1. "All Night" did not enter the Billboard Hot 100, but peaked at number 36 on the Hot Digital Songs chart.^[25]