upon release, "promise" was met with acclaim from music critics. the album was a commercial success, peaking at number one on both the uk albums chart and the us "billboard" 200, becoming the band's first album to top both charts. it also reached number one in finland, the netherlands and switzerland, and the top five in numerous countries including canada, germany and new zealand. the album spawned three singles, including "the sweetest taboo", which became a success worldwide.