Pink and Green had considered collaborating for several years. In March 2014, their schedules allowed them to get together. The intent was to sit down and explore the possibilities, not to produce an album.[7][8] They had written bits and pieces in advance. Pink booked a studio as a precaution, and the two artists spent a full week in the studio writing and recording. The record label was unaware of the efforts.[7][9] The album was almost entirely recorded within the week.[10] The artists said the lack of the usual production pressures made it a rewarding experience. According to Green "this album is very personal for us."[7] Pink said "The fact that there were no expectations – I think that's what made it so freeing (...) I just felt like I was doing it because I loved it."[8] Once the recordings were done, the artists handed the project over to the record label.[7] The album was named after the recording studio's location.[9]
Release
The album was released on October 14, 2014.[1] Three of the songs premiered on the duo's Vevo channel prior to the album's release. The first single "You and Me" premiered on September 8, 2014, and was followed by "Break the Cycle" and "Capsized".[11][12] Pink wrote "Break the Cycle" as a letter to her mother.[13] The duo described their collaboration and songwriting process in two videos posted on their Vevo channel.[14][15] The duo's first performance was on October 9, 2014, in Santa Monica, California.[16][17]
Promotion
On October 11, 2014, Pink and Green were interviewed on National Public Radio and described the circumstances of the first time they sang together.[5] On October 13, 2014, the duo performed "You and Me" on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, and Pink took part in an interview.[18][19] On October 15, videos of the duo's first live performance were released on the You+Me official Vevo channel.[20] On October 16, the duo performed "You and Me" on the Jimmy Kimmel Show.[21] On October 23, the duo performed at the Los Angeles House of Blues, and the proceeds benefited Saint John's Health Center cancer prevention program.[22][23]
AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine said about the atmosphere of the album: "sparseness [of arrangements] suggests intimacy and the prevalence of minor keys (...) suggests melancholy, two elements that make Rose Ave. feel cozy even when the music plays fairly broadly."[6] Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian noticed the two voices together: "the pair explore pastoral byways, and it's a partnership of equals – while Pink often dominates their harmonies due to the featheriness of Green's voice, she gives him plenty of space."[24]
Commercial performance
In Canada, the album debuted at number-one on the Canadian Albums Chart, selling 23,000 copies.[25] In the United States, the album debuted at number-four on the Billboard 200, selling 50,000 copies.[26] The album debuted in the top 10 in Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and the United Kingdom.[27][28]
^"You+Me - The Story of You+Me". YouTube YouplusmeVEVO channel. September 16, 2014. Archived from the original on October 15, 2014. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
