18

18 is a 2002 album by electronic artist Moby. It sees Moby following a similar direction to that of his previous album Play, sampling old field recordings of negro spirituals and combining them with mellow dance beats. However, 18 features a generally sadder tone than that of Play, perhaps reflecting the events of September 11, 2001 (coincidentally, his 36th birthday). The album also sees Moby beginning to branch off into alternative rock (“We Are All Made of Stars”, “Great Escape”, “Extreme Ways”, “Harbour”.) Critical response to this album was mixed, with many critics feeling it was too much of a retread of his previous releases and lacked inspiration. The most successful song on the album “18” was the single “We Are All Made of Stars”, which reached No. 11 on the UK charts. The album features guest appearances by Azure Ray, MC Lyte, Angie Stone, and Sinéad O’Connor. A collection of the album’s B-sides and video footage was later released a year after the album on 18 B Sides + DVD.