How to Be a Human Being
{{short description|2016 studio album by Glass Animals}}
{{EngvarB|date=June 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}
{{Infobox album
| name = How to Be a Human Being
| type = studio
| artist = Glass Animals
| cover = How To Be A Human Being cover art.jpg
| alt =
| released = 26 August 2016
| recorded =
| studio = Wolf Tone Studios (London, England)
| genre = Indie pop, indie rock, electronic rock, R&B, hip hop, trip hop, psychedelic pop
| length = 43:16
| label = * Wolf Tone
| producer = *Dave Bayley
| prev_title = Zaba
| prev_year = 2014
| next_title = Dreamland
| next_year = 2020
| misc = {{Singles
| name = How to Be a Human Being
| type = Studio
| single1 = Life Itself
| single1date = 18 May 2016{{cite web |url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/life-itself-single/1444277524 |title=iTunes – Music – Life Itself – Single |website=iTunes |date=18 May 2016 |access-date=22 December 2016}}
| single2 = Youth
| single2date = 27 July 2016{{cite web |url=http://consequenceofsound.net/2016/07/glass-animals-unveil-new-song-youth-and-video-watch/ |title=Glass Animals unveil new song "Youth" and video – watch |date=27 July 2016 |accessdate=22 December 2016}}
| single3 = Season 2 Episode 3
| single3date = 23 August 2016{{cite web |url=https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/season-2-episode-3-single/id1145056841 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161222223643/https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/season-2-episode-3-single/id1145056841 |url-status=dead |archive-date=22 December 2016 |title=Season 2 Episode 3 – Single |website=iTunes |date=23 August 2016 |accessdate=22 December 2016}}
}}
}}
{{Album ratings
| MC = 74/100{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/how-to-be-a-human-being/glass-animals|title=Reviews for How To Be a Human Being by Glass Animals|website=Metacritic|accessdate=22 February 2018}}
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/how-to-be-a-human-being-mw0002957549|title=How to Be a Human Being – Glass Animals|website=AllMusic|accessdate=17 September 2018|last=Phares|first=Heather}}
| rev2 = Consequence of Sound
| rev2Score = B{{cite web|url=http://consequenceofsound.net/2016/09/album-review-glass-animals-how-to-be-a-human-being/|title=Glass Animals – How To Be a Human Being|website=Consequence of Sound|date=1 September 2016|accessdate=1 September 2016|last=Freebairn|first=Mandy}}
| rev3 = DIY
| rev3score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web|url=https://diymag.com/2016/08/25/glass-animals-how-to-be-a-human-being-album-review|title=Glass Animals – How to be a Human Being|website=DIY|date=25 August 2016|accessdate=17 September 2018|last=Milton|first=Jamie}}
| rev4 = Financial Times
| rev4score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.ft.com/content/33e935f4-6f16-11e6-9ac1-1055824ca907|title=Glass Animals: How to Be a Human Being — review|website=Financial Times|date=2 September 2016|accessdate=11 May 2019|last=Hunter-Tilney|first=Ludovic|url-access=subscription}}
| rev5 = The Guardian
| rev5score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/aug/25/glass-animals-how-to-be-a-human-being-review|title=Glass Animals: How to Be a Human Being review – colourful stories, awkward grooves|website=The Guardian|date=25 August 2016|accessdate=17 September 2018|last=Gibsone|first=Harriet}}
| rev6 = Mixmag
| rev6score = 9/10{{cite web|url=http://mixmag.net/feature/september-18-albums-you-need-to-hear-this-month/37|title=Glass Animals 'How To Be A Human Being' (Wolf Tone)|website=Mixmag|date=9 September 2016|accessdate=22 December 2016}}
| rev7 = Mojo
| rev7score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite journal|title=Glass Animals: How to Be a Human Being|journal=Mojo|issue=275|date=October 2016|last=Prior|first=Clive|page=100}}
| rev8 = NME
| rev8score = 4/5{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/various-artists/16555|title=Glass Animals – 'How To Be A Human Being' Review|website=NME|date=24 August 2016|accessdate=17 September 2018|last=Bartleet|first=Larry|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160825184119/http://www.nme.com/reviews/various-artists/16555|archivedate=25 August 2016 |url-status=live}}
| rev9 = Q
| rev9score = {{Rating|2|5}}{{cite journal|title=Glass Animals: How to Be a Human Being|journal=Q|issue=365|date=November 2016|last=Segal|first=Victoria|page=107}}
| rev10 = The Skinny
| rev10Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.theskinny.co.uk/music/reviews/albums/glass-animals-how-to-be-a-human-being|title=Glass Animals – How to Be a Human Being|website=The Skinny|date=9 August 2016|accessdate=17 September 2018|last=Moss|first=Will}}
}}
How to Be a Human Being is the second studio album by English indie rock group Glass Animals. It was released on 26 August 2016 by Wolf Tone and Caroline International in Europe, and Harvest Records in the United States.{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Glass-Animals-How-To-Be-A-Human-Being/master/1047378|title=Glass Animals – How To Be A Human Being|publisher=discogs|accessdate=22 December 2016}} Each of the eleven songs throughout the album represent a different person and their experiences.
The album received generally favourable reviews from music critics, who complimented its "sense of wonder" and "immediate impression", but felt it was somewhat premature.{{Citation|title=How to Be a Human Being by Glass Animals|url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/how-to-be-a-human-being/glass-animals/critic-reviews|accessdate=22 December 2016}} The album was nominated for the 2017 Mercury Prize.
Background
Following the release of their debut studio album Zaba, Glass Animals began an aggressive tour which saw them play over 140 concerts in Europe, Australia, the United States and Mexico. They appeared at Glastonbury, Falls Music Festival and Southbound in 2014, Coachella, Wakarusa, Bonnaroo, Firefly, Glastonbury again, Lollapalooza, Osheaga and Reading and Leeds in 2015, and the Forecastle Festival in 2016.{{Cite web|url=http://www.setlist.fm/search?artist=6bd5d2fe&query=artist:(Glass+Animals)|title=Search for setlists: artist:(Glass Animals) {{!}} setlist.fm|website=www.setlist.fm|accessdate=23 December 2016}}
How to Be a Human Being was simultaneously announced with the release of "Life Itself" and its respective music video.{{Cite news|url=http://musicfeeds.com.au/news/glass-animals-announce-new-album-how-to-be-a-human-being-share-video-for-life-itself/|title=Glass Animals Announce New Album 'How To Be A Human Being', Share Video For First Single 'Life Itself' – Music Feeds|work=Music Feeds|date=8 June 2016|accessdate=23 December 2016}} The foursome toured Australia for their second time, before they returned to North America for the album's release. Four days after the album was released, the band appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, their third appearance on primetime television.{{Cite news|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2016/08/watch-glass-animals-perform-on-jimmy-kimmel-live.html|title=Watch Glass Animals Perform on Jimmy Kimmel Live!|newspaper=Paste|accessdate=23 December 2016}}
The band wrote eleven songs based on eleven different characters, many of which were inspired by people they met and stories they were told during their travels while promoting Zaba.{{cite news |last1=Kennedy |first1=Mark |title=Glass Animals focus on others on terrific new CD |work=The Daily Sentinel |issue=296 |volume=123 |date=9 September 2016 |page=33}} Each character was portrayed on the album cover, and some appeared in music videos for their respective songs.{{cite news |last1=Tijerina |first1=Daniela |title=Glass Animals On “How To Be A Human Being” |url=https://www.nylon.com/articles/glass-animals-interview |access-date=26 February 2025 |work=Nylon |date=3 November 2016 |language=en}}
Commercial performance
The album made a debut on US charts with first week sales of 14,575 copies, with 10,117 being pure album sales.{{Cite web|url=http://hitsdailydouble.com/sales_plus_streaming|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160902221026/http://hitsdailydouble.com/sales_plus_streaming|archive-date=2 September 2016|title=HITS Daily Double}}{{Cite web|url=http://hitsdailydouble.com/building_album_chart|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160902220237/http://hitsdailydouble.com/building_album_chart|archive-date=2 September 2016|title=HITS Daily Double}}
Track listing
{{Track listing
| title1 = Life Itself
| length1 = 4:41
| writer1 = {{hlist|David Bayley|Tariq Tafo}}
| title2 = Youth
| length2 = 3:51
| writer2 = Bayley
| title3 = Season 2 Episode 3
| length3 = 4:04
| writer3 = {{hlist|Bayley|Ben McFadden}}
| title4 = Pork Soda
| length4 = 4:14
| writer4 = Bayley
| title5 = Mama's Gun
| length5 = 4:27
| writer5 = {{hlist|Bayley|John Bettis|Richard Carpenter}}
| title6 = Cane Shuga
| length6 = 3:17
| writer6 = Bayley
| title7 = [Premade Sandwiches]{{efn|On CD copies of the album, "Premade Sandwiches" is put at the end of the track "Cane Shuga" instead of being its own track.}}
| length7 = 0:36
| writer7 = Bayley
| title8 = The Other Side of Paradise
| length8 = 5:21
| writer8 = Bayley
| title9 = Take a Slice
| length9 = 3:50
| writer9 = Bayley
| title10 = Poplar St
| length10 = 4:23
| writer10 = Bayley
| title11 = Agnes
| length11 = 4:32
| writer11 = Bayley
| total_length = 43:16
}}
Personnel
Glass Animals
- Dave Bayley – vocals, programming, production (all tracks), guitar (1, 2, 4, 5, 8–10), percussion (1–5, 8–11); keyboards, synthesizer (1, 3–5, 8–11); art direction, design
- Drew MacFarlane – programming (1, 3–11), percussion (1–5, 8–11), keyboards, synthesizer (1, 3–5, 8–11), additional vocals (3, 8), guitar (4, 5, 9, 10), piano (11)
- Edmund Irwin-Singer – programming (1, 3–11), keyboards (1, 3–5, 8–11), percussion (1–5, 8–11); piano, synthesizer (1, 3–5, 8–11)
- Joe Seaward – drums, percussion (1–5, 8–11); additional vocals (4), programming (6, 7)
Additional personnel
- Tom Coyne – mastering
- David Wrench – mixing (1, 3, 5, 8, 9, 11)
- Matt Wiggins – mixing (2, 4, 6, 7, 10), engineering (all tracks)
- Riley MacIntyre – engineering assistance
- Marta Salogni – mixing assistance
- Mat Cook – art direction, design
- Neil Krug – photography
- Charlie Seaward – flute (5)
- Paul Epworth – executive production
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
! scope="col"| Chart (2016) ! scope="col"| Peak |
| {{album chart|Australia|11|artist=Glass Animals|album=How to Be a Human Being|rowheader=true|accessdate=22 December 2016}} |
| {{album chart|Flanders|68|artist=Glass Animals|album=How to Be a Human Being|rowheader=true|accessdate=22 December 2016}} |
| {{album chart|Wallonia|151|artist=Glass Animals|album=How to Be a Human Being|rowheader=true|accessdate=22 December 2016}} |
| {{album chart|BillboardCanada|50|artist=Glass Animals|rowheader=true|accessdate=22 December 2016}} |
| {{album chart|Netherlands|77|artist=Glass Animals|album=How to Be a Human Being|rowheader=true|accessdate=22 December 2016}} |
| {{album chart|France|120|artist=Glass Animals|album=How to Be a Human Being|rowheader=true|accessdate=22 December 2016}} |
| scope="row"| New Zealand Heatseeker Albums (RMNZ){{cite web|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/albums/2016-09-02 |title=NZ Heatseeker Albums Chart|publisher=Recorded Music NZ|date=5 September 2016|access-date=14 July 2020}}
| 2 |
|---|
| {{album chart|Switzerland|87|artist=Glass Animals|album=How to Be a Human Being|rowheader=true|accessdate=22 December 2016}} |
| {{album chart|UK|23|artist=Glass Animals|rowheader=true|accessdate=22 December 2016}} |
| {{album chart|Billboard200|20|artist=Glass Animals|rowheader=true|accessdate=22 December 2016}} |
| {{album chart|BillboardRock|2|artist=Glass Animals|rowheader=true|accessdate=18 October 2020}} |
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|artist=Glass Animals|title=How to Be a Human Being|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=2016|certyear=2024|access-date= 16 May 2024}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|artist=Glass Animals|title=How to Be a Human Being|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=2016|certyear=2024|id=16717-5387-2}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true | nosales=true | noshipments=true}}
Notes
{{notelist}}