Operation: Wake Up

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Operation: Wake Up is the fourth studio album by American singer Mike Posner, released as a surprise on December 18, 2020. It’s a concept rap opera told in the first person by a fictionalized version of Posner, with him performing every part and Jessie J as the only guest artist. Despite positive reviews, the album did not chart.

The project was written and recorded in the basement of Posner’s parents’ Detroit home, where he stayed after his father’s cancer diagnosis (and his father’s death in 2017). The album presents a 48-hour mental breakdown and is described by Posner as a fictional story that blurs reality and performance art, meant to be listened to in one sitting.

The narrative begins with Posner in a rented Los Angeles mansion, aiming to write songs for other, more famous artists. He then auditions material for Jessie J in the studio, presenting a song as if he just wrote it. This leads into the track “Weaponry,” featuring Jessie J. The story continues with Posner at dinner as Blackbear throws a party at the mansion.