Older

Older is the third studio album from George Michael, released in Europe on 13 May 1996 through Virgin Records and one day later in the United States through the then-new DreamWorks Records. Older was the very first album released by DreamWorks Records. It was his first album since 1990's Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1 - the five-and-a-half-year gap was due to the controversial legal battle that Michael experienced with his record company. Michael dedicated three years straight in the recording of Older, and the album found him exploring new musical territories in a more serious fashion compared to his previous work. At the time of release, the album was a huge commercial hit, particularly in Europe, but was received in America with a lukewarm critical approval and mediocre sales figures. In the UK, the album was particularly notable for producing six Top Three hit singles in a two-year span, hitting a record still unsurpassed. The high sales of the album auspicied a re-issue of the album under the name of Older & Upper eighteen months after its original release.