Not All the Beautiful Things

Not All the Beautiful Things
The album cover shows a leaping chrome stallion streaked with blue at its centre, surrounded by a twilight-coloured backdrop. The artist's name is written below the image in block capitals and highlighted in blue.
Album front cover by Luke Eblen
Studio album by
Released9 March 2018 (2018-03-09)
Recorded2015–2018
Studio
Genre
Length46:46
Label
Producer
Singles from Not All the Beautiful Things
  1. "Be Ok Again"
    Released: 28 November 2017
  2. "Stuck in Orbit"
    Released: 30 January 2018
  3. "Beautiful"
    Released: 27 February 2018

Not All the Beautiful Things is the debut studio album by Australian musical project What So Not, which is the performing name of DJ and producer, Chris Emerson. It was released on 9 March 2018 through Counter Records and Sweat It Out. What So Not began work on the album after completing a six-year long global tour, which had left him unable to commit fully to working on a studio album. His frequent travels influenced the sound of many of the album's tracks, including "Beautiful" and "Us". What So Not chose the record's title because the "simple pleasures" of life are ignored by people who focus only on their grandiose ideas.

The record contains twelve songs, all featuring production collaborations and performances with a range of artists: Toto, Skrillex, Dyro, Daniel Johns and San Holo. Its songwriting was managed by a list of co-writers, inclusive of Anna Lunoe, Off Bloom and Ryan McMahon of Captain Cuts. The tracks comprise What So Not's signature future bass and trap sounds, while experimenting with other electronic music genres including hip hop, dubstep, and house.

It received generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised the featured guests and production quality. The record includes three singles — "Be Ok Again" with Daniel Johns in November 2017, "Stuck in Orbit" with Buoy in January 2018, and "Beautiful" with Winona Oak in February 2018. In support of the album, What So Not embarked on an international tour named the Beautiful Things World Tour which lasted from January to May 2018. It charted in the United States (Dance/Electronic Albums) and Australia (ARIA), peaking at number eight and fourteen respectively.