Howard Carpendale made a successful comeback in 2007, when he returned to Germany after a brief retirement in Miami to release
20 Uhr 10. The album sold over 300,000 copies and paved the way for a sold-out tour, after which
Carpendale returned to the studio to record
Stark. Released in 2009, the album peaked at number two on the German charts (
Carpendale's highest placement to date) and quickly went gold. A deluxe edition was also released, featuring DVD material and several live tracks that were recorded during the singer's previous tour.