Ciara: The Evolution
Encyclopedia
Ciara: The Evolution is the second studio album
by American recording artist Ciara
. It was released on December 5, 2006, by LaFace Records
. The album is separated into five sections, with each showcasing a different side of Ciara's artistry. The first features crunk
and uptempo records, which mainly deal with feminine independence, while its successor, entitled The Evolution of Music features ballads dealing with the positives and struggles of love. The Evolution of Dance features dance tracks, The Evolution of Fashion deals with self expression, while the last, entitled The Evolution of C, features tracks that discuss how Ciara has evolved as a person since the start of her career.
The album was seen as a coming of age project for the singer, as it featured songs with more substance than her last effort. It deals with Ciara's experiences after being in the public eye for the two years prior to the album's release. The tracks are also said to be geared toward a more urban audience. Production from the album came from Lil Jon
, Jazze Pha
, Polow da Don
, The Neptunes
, and Darkchild, among others, and featured guest appearances from 50 Cent
and Chamillionaire
. Ciara also co-wrote and co-produces most of the songs. The album received mixed to positive reviews from most music critics. Generally, critics praised Ciara's increased vocal ability and the album's lyricism, but criticised its frequent interludes and the latter half of the album. The Evolution became Ciara's first number-one album in the US, selling 338,000 copies in its first week. It was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
within five weeks of its release, and has sold 1.3 million copies in the US. It also achieved moderate success in international markets, reaching the top forty in most of the countries it was released in.
The Evolution spawned four commercial singles, including "Get Up
", which reached the top ten in the United States and New Zealand. The US-only single "Promise
" reached number-one on US R&B charts and "Like a Boy
" peaked within top tweny in most of the countries it was released in, including the US, with the former becoming her first top twenty single without a featured act. The final single, "Can't Leave 'em Alone
" achieved moderate success.
, Prince
and Madonna
were influences on the album.
During a MTV News
interview at the ASCAP Pop Music Awards
, Ciara wanted Ciara: The Evolution to be "Goodies to the 10th power", but she did not want to "stray too far from Goodies
" and "rehash the same ideas". Ciara decided to collaborate with up-and-coming producers, such as The Clutch, Calvo Da Gr8, Brian Kennedy, and Antwoine Collins who have not been any artist’s album, so she could be "all about that new person and that new energy". All-star producers also included production on Ciara: The Evolution. Polow da Don
produced the first single "Promise
" and "Bang It Up". In early June 2006, Ciara headed to the recording studio with Sean Garrett
(who co-wrote Ciara's debut single "Goodies
" and The Evolution track "Bang It Up"). She continued to say that she and Sean fight in the studio, but "it makes a good record". The Neptunes
produced "I Proceed" and "I'm Just Me". Bryan Michael Cox
produced the emotional R&B
ballad
"So Hard" and Mr. Collipark
produced the bonus track "Love You Better". Will.i.am
's production included "Get In, Fit In" and "Do It", which samples Salt-N-Pepa
's "Push It
" and is a European iTunes
bonus track. Also Ciara thought the album needed "some kind of flavor", so she brought in 50 Cent
for the Rodney Jerkins
-produced "Can't Leave 'Em Alone
" which was originally called "Dope Boys". Jerkins also produced "Make It Last Forever", which samples Lyn Collins
's "Think (About It)
" and Rob Base's "It Takes Two
." Dallas Austin helped with the inspirational pop
ballad "I Found Myself". Ciara returned to the studio with her debut album collaborators Lil Jon
("That's Right", which samples Pretty Tony
's "Fix It in the Mix" and "Jam the Box"and "C.R.U.S.H." samples "122 BPM" written by Larry Linn.) and Jazze Pha
. Pha contributed the album prequel single "Get Up
". She also wrote/co-wrote most of the songs and co-produced "Like a Boy
" and "My Love". Album production wrapped between late-August and mid-September.
It is described as an "electrifying album opener". Ciara sings with a "sexy mellow voice with Jon's in your face type rapping." It received positive reviews from music critics. The song was scheduled as the fourth single, but it was cancelled for unknown reasons. A music video
was released for the song in late December 2007. The second single "Like a Boy
" was well-received by critics. It is a female empowerment song, which discusses double standards in society and love relationships. "The Evolution of Music", the third track, is an interlude which Ciara narrates how she wanted to record music for the album that is different from others on the radio. The interludes serve as monologues and a "welcome message to be yourself and be confident." Music critics published that the interludes are the album's low point.
The lead single
and fourth track "Promise
" was critical-acclaimed. The song described as "Prince
-ly ballad" and "sci-fi R&B" became Ciara's first single without a featured act to peak in the U.S. Billboard top twenty. "I Proceed" is the fifth track on the album. Many critics compared the song to Janet Jackson
in the 1980s and called it a Missy Elliott
-style throwback" jam. The third and final single "Can't Leave 'Em Alone
" received mixed reviews from critics. A negative review called the song "very bad pop-lite." A positive review published that the song is "simply another Darkchild classic". The J.J. Fad–ness C.R.U.S.H. is the seventh track. It details about a young woman having a high school crush on a guy and she yearns to be his girlfriend. The eighth track, "My Love" was co-produced by Ciara. The song is interpreted to be directed towards Ciara's former boyfriend Bow Wow. It received favorable reviews from critics.
"The Evolution of Dance" is the second interlude and the ninth track on the album. Ciara tells how she became a professional dance
r. The tenth track, "Make It Last Forever" is a "real cool dance/party cut", which samples Rob Base's "It Takes Two
." The crunk
–pop
"Bang It Up", the eleventh track, received favorable reviews from critics. The song is mixture of "half-spoken vocal
style" and "sweetly, flirtatiously rapping." The album's prequel single and twelfth track "Get Up
" was released as the lead single from the film soundtrack Step Up
. The single received mixed reviews from critics and fans, being called a "dead ringer for "1, 2 Step
."
"The Evolution of Fashion" is the third interlude and thirteenth track on the album. Ciara gives influential advice about changing a unique fashion
style and other will follow the trend. The fourteenth track "Get In, Fit In" is 1980s electronica
track. The song follows with the same message as "The Evolution of Fashion" Interlude. This song received mixed reactions. "The Evolution of C" is the fourth and final interlude on the album. Ciara details about her life change within the past two years. The album closes with three ballads, beginning with the sixteenth track "So Hard". The song received mixed reviews from critics. It has been called a "slog", but it "surpass the aching and breaking moments on the debut." The second-closing ballad and seventeenth track "I'm Just Me" had mixed reception. The final track "I Found Myself" is a "quite beautiful and moving epic suite."
and Pointer Sisters
' Break Out
, has a devolved look."
Ciara: The Evolution was released as the standard album with special limited edition DVD. The bonus DVD features Ciara and dancers teaching the choreography for "Get Up" and "Promise", the music videos for the songs, and behind-the-scenes of "Promise." The Japanese DVD edition is manufactured with an alternate album cover. The European limited edition DVD contains the video for "Like a Boy". A two pack of the album and a BET Official Package DVD was released the same day. It contains Ciara's BET Highlights such as, How I'm Living, 106 & Park interviews, and the 2005 Music Special: Sincerely Ciara, the videos for "Get Up", "Promise", and her debut album Goodies videos excluding "And I
" and live performances.
There are four bonus tracks available on different editions. "Love You Better" appears on the U.S. and Japanese iTunes and Japanese pressing. "Addicted" and "Promise" [Go and Get Your Tickets Mix], which features R. Kelly
, are on the European edition. "Do It", which features Will.i.am
, is a European iTunes bonus track.
. In it she previewed songs from the then-upcoming album, and also performed past hits. The tour went to seventeen clubs in cities throughout the United States. Its last date was aired on BET' Access Granted. In August 2007, she headlined the Screamfest '07
tour with T.I., which went to cities in the United States. Ciara, along with Chris Brown and Akon, were supporting acts for Rihanna
's Good Girl Gone Bad Tour in the United Kingdom in December 2007. She performed songs from the album.
", which features Chamillionaire
, was released as the lead single
in Canada and New Zealand on July 25, 2006. It was also released to the US and Europe as the lead single for the soundtrack to the film, Step Up
. The song peaked at seven on the US Billboard Hot 100
and ten on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
chart, becoming her seventh top ten hit on the former. It achieved moderate success in international markets, and reached the top five in New Zealand. It was later re-released as the second single from The Evolution in Europe. "Promise
" was released as the lead single in the United States on October 16, 2006, where it peaked at eleven on the US Hot 100 and became her third number-one hit on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, where it topped for two consecutive weeks. Its official remix, which features R. Kelly
was released via digital download
on February 13, 2007.
"Like a Boy
" was released as the second single in North America and New Zealand and as the lead single in Europe on February 13, 2007. It peaked at nineteen on the US Hot 100 and six on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. It reached the top twenty in most of the international markets it was released in and even reached the top ten in Sweden. "Can't Leave 'em Alone
, which features 50 Cent
, was released as the third and final single on June 12, 2007. It peaked at forty on the US Hot 100 and became her tenth top ten-hit on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. It achieved moderate success in international markets, and even reached the top five in New Zealand. "That's Right", which features Lil Jon
, was planned to be released as a single numerous times, but its release was ultimately cancelled. Its music video was still released on January 12, 2008.
. According to Metacritic
, the album holds a score of 65 out of 100, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Christian Hoard of Rolling Stone
said that "Ciara's still prone to diva blandness and silly little pop songs...but this time she's more interesting by half." For Allmusic, Andy Kellman wrote that "there are plenty of tracks geared toward letting loose and dancing, and most of them do deliver, even if they don't seem quite as fresh as Ciara's past hits", and Entertainment Weekly
called the dance songs "rugged and terrific, but eventually the tempos slow and the album slowlly settles".
and Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart with sales of more than 338,000, which is 213,000 more than Ciara's debut album Goodies
which debuted at number three. The album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
in the January 27, 2007 issue of Billboard
for shipping 1,000,000 units to retail outlets within only five weeks of its release. The album remained in the top twenty for eight weeks before dropping out and top fifty for sixteen weeks.In Canada, the album debuted at thirty-two on the Canadian albums chart and five on the R&B albums chart. In Australia
, Ciara: The Evolution debuted below the ARIA Top 50
at seventy-six. In the UK, the album debuted and peaked in the top twenty at number seventeen, also the album debuted at number twenty-five peaked at number twenty-one in New Zealand
. To date the album sold 1,326,000 copies in the United States
.
Sample credits
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American recording artist Ciara
Ciara
Ciara Princess Harris , known mononymously as Ciara, is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, actress and fashion model. Born in Austin, Texas, she traveled around the world during her childhood, only to land in Atlanta, Georgia where she met music producer, Jazze Pha...
. It was released on December 5, 2006, by LaFace Records
LaFace Records
LaFace Records is an American record label, owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment.-Company history:LaFace was formed in 1989 as a joint venture between the producing duo Antonio "L.A." Reid & Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, and Arista Records. The combined nicknames of the duo's successful...
. The album is separated into five sections, with each showcasing a different side of Ciara's artistry. The first features crunk
Crunk
Crunk is a music style that originated in Memphis, Tennessee in the mid-to-late 1990s and gained mainstream success around 2003–2004. Performers of crunk music are sometimes referred to as crunksters. An archetypal crunk track most frequently uses a drum machine rhythm, heavy bassline, and...
and uptempo records, which mainly deal with feminine independence, while its successor, entitled The Evolution of Music features ballads dealing with the positives and struggles of love. The Evolution of Dance features dance tracks, The Evolution of Fashion deals with self expression, while the last, entitled The Evolution of C, features tracks that discuss how Ciara has evolved as a person since the start of her career.
The album was seen as a coming of age project for the singer, as it featured songs with more substance than her last effort. It deals with Ciara's experiences after being in the public eye for the two years prior to the album's release. The tracks are also said to be geared toward a more urban audience. Production from the album came from Lil Jon
Lil Jon
Jonathan Mortimer Smith , better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, music producer, entrepreneur, and occasional disc jockey who was a member of the group Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz. Lil Jon formed the group in 1997, and the group released several albums between then and 2004...
, Jazze Pha
Jazze Pha
Phalon Anton Alexander , also known as Jazze Pha , is an American singer, and songwriter.raised in Memphis, TN; son of James Alexander ....
, Polow da Don
Polow Da Don
Polow-Freache Jamal Fincher Jones , better known by known by professional name Polow da Don or Awesome Jones, is an American record producer, songwriter, rapper, and singer. His cousin is Atlanta singer Monica. He has produced for a variety of artists including Usher, Nelly, Christina Aguilera, T.I...
, The Neptunes
The Neptunes
The Neptunes are a record production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are credited with contributing the sound for many successful hip hop, R&B and pop artists in the late-1990s and 2000s...
, and Darkchild, among others, and featured guest appearances from 50 Cent
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III , better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin and The Massacre . Get Rich or Die Tryin has been certified eight times platinum by...
and Chamillionaire
Chamillionaire
Hakeem Seriki , better known by his stage name Chamillionaire, is an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. He is the CEO of Chamillitary Entertainment. Chamillionaire is also the founder and an original member of The Color Changin' Click...
. Ciara also co-wrote and co-produces most of the songs. The album received mixed to positive reviews from most music critics. Generally, critics praised Ciara's increased vocal ability and the album's lyricism, but criticised its frequent interludes and the latter half of the album. The Evolution became Ciara's first number-one album in the US, selling 338,000 copies in its first week. It was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
within five weeks of its release, and has sold 1.3 million copies in the US. It also achieved moderate success in international markets, reaching the top forty in most of the countries it was released in.
The Evolution spawned four commercial singles, including "Get Up
Get Up (Ciara song)
"Get Up" is a song by American recording artist Ciara. Released on July 25, 2006, the song serves as the first single from the original soundtrack to the film Step Up , as well as the lead single for her second album, Ciara: The Evolution. It features American rapper Chamillionaire...
", which reached the top ten in the United States and New Zealand. The US-only single "Promise
Promise (Ciara song)
"Promise" is a R&B song recorded by American singer-songwriter Ciara. Written by Ciara, Jasper Cameron, Jamal Jones, and Elvis Williams, it is the official lead single and second release in the North America from Ciara's second studio album, Ciara: The Evolution...
" reached number-one on US R&B charts and "Like a Boy
Like a Boy
"Like a Boy" is a song performed by American singer Ciara for her second album Ciara: The Evolution . Written by Ciara, Candice Nelson, Balewa Muhammad, J. Que, Ezekiel Lewis, and Calvin Kenon, it is the third release in the U.S...
" peaked within top tweny in most of the countries it was released in, including the US, with the former becoming her first top twenty single without a featured act. The final single, "Can't Leave 'em Alone
Can't Leave 'em Alone
"Can't Leave 'em Alone" is a R&B song recorded by American singer Ciara and rapper 50 Cent for Ciara's second album, Ciara: The Evolution . Written by Ciara, LaShawn Daniels, Rodney Jerkins, and 50 Cent, it is the fourth release and official third single from the album...
" achieved moderate success.
Production and development
According to Ciara, the title is "about so much more than just my personal growth -- it's about the evolution of music, the evolution of dance, the evolution of fashion". The source of the album's creativity such as the sound and edge comes from Ciara in general. Although, Michael JacksonMichael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
, Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
and Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
were influences on the album.
During a MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
interview at the ASCAP Pop Music Awards
American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization that protects its members' musical copyrights by monitoring public performances of their music, whether via a broadcast or live performance, and compensating them...
, Ciara wanted Ciara: The Evolution to be "Goodies to the 10th power", but she did not want to "stray too far from Goodies
Goodies (album)
Goodies is the debut studio album by American recording artist Ciara. It was released on September 28, 2004 via LaFace Records. After writing songs for several established acts, Ciara's talents were noticed by Jazze Pha, and she began to work on what became Goodies...
" and "rehash the same ideas". Ciara decided to collaborate with up-and-coming producers, such as The Clutch, Calvo Da Gr8, Brian Kennedy, and Antwoine Collins who have not been any artist’s album, so she could be "all about that new person and that new energy". All-star producers also included production on Ciara: The Evolution. Polow da Don
Polow Da Don
Polow-Freache Jamal Fincher Jones , better known by known by professional name Polow da Don or Awesome Jones, is an American record producer, songwriter, rapper, and singer. His cousin is Atlanta singer Monica. He has produced for a variety of artists including Usher, Nelly, Christina Aguilera, T.I...
produced the first single "Promise
Promise (Ciara song)
"Promise" is a R&B song recorded by American singer-songwriter Ciara. Written by Ciara, Jasper Cameron, Jamal Jones, and Elvis Williams, it is the official lead single and second release in the North America from Ciara's second studio album, Ciara: The Evolution...
" and "Bang It Up". In early June 2006, Ciara headed to the recording studio with Sean Garrett
Sean Garrett
Garrett Hamler, better known by his stage name Sean Garrett is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, and record producer. He has produced fifteen number one singles in only seven years of producing music. That number puts him in fifth place on the Billboard list of producers with the most number...
(who co-wrote Ciara's debut single "Goodies
Goodies (song)
"Goodies" is the debut single by American recording artist Ciara. Written by herself, Sean Garrett, LeMarquis Jefferson, and Craig Love, the song is produced by Lil Jon and features label-mate Petey Pablo. It was released worldwide from June 2004 as the lead single from her debut album of the same...
" and The Evolution track "Bang It Up"). She continued to say that she and Sean fight in the studio, but "it makes a good record". The Neptunes
The Neptunes
The Neptunes are a record production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are credited with contributing the sound for many successful hip hop, R&B and pop artists in the late-1990s and 2000s...
produced "I Proceed" and "I'm Just Me". Bryan Michael Cox
Bryan Michael Cox
Bryan-Michael Cox is a GRAMMY award winning American songwriter and record producer.-History:Bryan-Michael Cox was born in Miami and grew up in Houston, where he attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. While in the eleventh grade he met and was mentored by Greg Curtis...
produced the emotional R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
"So Hard" and Mr. Collipark
Mr. Collipark
Michael Crooms, better known by his stage name Mr. Collipark and also known as DJ Smurf, is a hip hop producer and the president of his own Atlanta-based record label, Collipark Records....
produced the bonus track "Love You Better". Will.i.am
Will.i.am
William James Adams, Jr. , better known by his stage name will.i.am and occasionally by his other stage name Zuper Blahq, is an American rapper, musician, songwriter, singer, actor and producer...
's production included "Get In, Fit In" and "Do It", which samples Salt-N-Pepa
Salt-N-Pepa
Salt-N-Pepa is an American hip hop trio from Queens and Brooklyn, New York, that was formed in 1985. The group, consisting of Cheryl "Salt" Renee James, Sandra "Pepa" Denton, and Deidra "DJ Spinderella" Roper, was one of the first all-female rap crews....
's "Push It
Push It (Salt-N-Pepa song)
"Push It" is a song by the group Salt-N-Pepa, released as a single in 1986. It peaked at number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1987 and has been certified Platinum by the RIAA...
" and is a European iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
bonus track. Also Ciara thought the album needed "some kind of flavor", so she brought in 50 Cent
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III , better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin and The Massacre . Get Rich or Die Tryin has been certified eight times platinum by...
for the Rodney Jerkins
Rodney Jerkins
Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins is an American songwriter, record producer, and musician. Jerkins received two Grammy nominations in 2011.-Biography:...
-produced "Can't Leave 'Em Alone
Can't Leave 'em Alone
"Can't Leave 'em Alone" is a R&B song recorded by American singer Ciara and rapper 50 Cent for Ciara's second album, Ciara: The Evolution . Written by Ciara, LaShawn Daniels, Rodney Jerkins, and 50 Cent, it is the fourth release and official third single from the album...
" which was originally called "Dope Boys". Jerkins also produced "Make It Last Forever", which samples Lyn Collins
Lyn Collins
Lyn Collins was an African American soul singer best known for working with James Brown in the 1970s. Contrary to some reports, she is not related to Bootsy Collins, nor Catfish Collins....
's "Think (About It)
Think (About It)
"Think " is a funk song recorded by Lyn Collins and released as a single on James Brown's People Records in 1972. The recording was produced by Brown and featured instrumental backing from his band The J.B.'s...
" and Rob Base's "It Takes Two
It Takes Two (Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock song)
"It Takes Two" is a 1988 hip hop song by Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock and produced by Teddy Riley that was later certified platinum. The song samples heavily from Lyn Collins' 1972 song "Think ", using multiple drum breaks, the well known "Woo! Yeah!" sample, as well as the lyric sung by Collins which...
." Dallas Austin helped with the inspirational pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
ballad "I Found Myself". Ciara returned to the studio with her debut album collaborators Lil Jon
Lil Jon
Jonathan Mortimer Smith , better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, music producer, entrepreneur, and occasional disc jockey who was a member of the group Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz. Lil Jon formed the group in 1997, and the group released several albums between then and 2004...
("That's Right", which samples Pretty Tony
Pretty Tony
Tony "Pretty Tony" Butler was an influential 1980s electro and freestyle artist based out of Miami, Florida.He recorded a string of popular club tracks on Jam Packed in the mid-'80s. Butler's tracks with his primary group Freestyle Express include such club staples as "It's Automatic", "Don't Stop...
's "Fix It in the Mix" and "Jam the Box"and "C.R.U.S.H." samples "122 BPM" written by Larry Linn.) and Jazze Pha
Jazze Pha
Phalon Anton Alexander , also known as Jazze Pha , is an American singer, and songwriter.raised in Memphis, TN; son of James Alexander ....
. Pha contributed the album prequel single "Get Up
Get Up (Ciara song)
"Get Up" is a song by American recording artist Ciara. Released on July 25, 2006, the song serves as the first single from the original soundtrack to the film Step Up , as well as the lead single for her second album, Ciara: The Evolution. It features American rapper Chamillionaire...
". She also wrote/co-wrote most of the songs and co-produced "Like a Boy
Like a Boy
"Like a Boy" is a song performed by American singer Ciara for her second album Ciara: The Evolution . Written by Ciara, Candice Nelson, Balewa Muhammad, J. Que, Ezekiel Lewis, and Calvin Kenon, it is the third release in the U.S...
" and "My Love". Album production wrapped between late-August and mid-September.
Music
The album's opening track "That's Right" was produced by and features Lil JonLil Jon
Jonathan Mortimer Smith , better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, music producer, entrepreneur, and occasional disc jockey who was a member of the group Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz. Lil Jon formed the group in 1997, and the group released several albums between then and 2004...
It is described as an "electrifying album opener". Ciara sings with a "sexy mellow voice with Jon's in your face type rapping." It received positive reviews from music critics. The song was scheduled as the fourth single, but it was cancelled for unknown reasons. A music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was released for the song in late December 2007. The second single "Like a Boy
Like a Boy
"Like a Boy" is a song performed by American singer Ciara for her second album Ciara: The Evolution . Written by Ciara, Candice Nelson, Balewa Muhammad, J. Que, Ezekiel Lewis, and Calvin Kenon, it is the third release in the U.S...
" was well-received by critics. It is a female empowerment song, which discusses double standards in society and love relationships. "The Evolution of Music", the third track, is an interlude which Ciara narrates how she wanted to record music for the album that is different from others on the radio. The interludes serve as monologues and a "welcome message to be yourself and be confident." Music critics published that the interludes are the album's low point.
The lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
and fourth track "Promise
Promise (Ciara song)
"Promise" is a R&B song recorded by American singer-songwriter Ciara. Written by Ciara, Jasper Cameron, Jamal Jones, and Elvis Williams, it is the official lead single and second release in the North America from Ciara's second studio album, Ciara: The Evolution...
" was critical-acclaimed. The song described as "Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
-ly ballad" and "sci-fi R&B" became Ciara's first single without a featured act to peak in the U.S. Billboard top twenty. "I Proceed" is the fifth track on the album. Many critics compared the song to Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
in the 1980s and called it a Missy Elliott
Missy Elliott
Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott , is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actressA five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one...
-style throwback" jam. The third and final single "Can't Leave 'Em Alone
Can't Leave 'em Alone
"Can't Leave 'em Alone" is a R&B song recorded by American singer Ciara and rapper 50 Cent for Ciara's second album, Ciara: The Evolution . Written by Ciara, LaShawn Daniels, Rodney Jerkins, and 50 Cent, it is the fourth release and official third single from the album...
" received mixed reviews from critics. A negative review called the song "very bad pop-lite." A positive review published that the song is "simply another Darkchild classic". The J.J. Fad–ness C.R.U.S.H. is the seventh track. It details about a young woman having a high school crush on a guy and she yearns to be his girlfriend. The eighth track, "My Love" was co-produced by Ciara. The song is interpreted to be directed towards Ciara's former boyfriend Bow Wow. It received favorable reviews from critics.
"The Evolution of Dance" is the second interlude and the ninth track on the album. Ciara tells how she became a professional dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
r. The tenth track, "Make It Last Forever" is a "real cool dance/party cut", which samples Rob Base's "It Takes Two
It Takes Two (Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock song)
"It Takes Two" is a 1988 hip hop song by Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock and produced by Teddy Riley that was later certified platinum. The song samples heavily from Lyn Collins' 1972 song "Think ", using multiple drum breaks, the well known "Woo! Yeah!" sample, as well as the lyric sung by Collins which...
." The crunk
Crunk
Crunk is a music style that originated in Memphis, Tennessee in the mid-to-late 1990s and gained mainstream success around 2003–2004. Performers of crunk music are sometimes referred to as crunksters. An archetypal crunk track most frequently uses a drum machine rhythm, heavy bassline, and...
–pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
"Bang It Up", the eleventh track, received favorable reviews from critics. The song is mixture of "half-spoken vocal
Spoken word
Spoken word is a form of poetry that often uses alliterated prose or verse and occasionally uses metered verse to express social commentary. Traditionally it is in the first person, is from the poet’s point of view and is themed in current events....
style" and "sweetly, flirtatiously rapping." The album's prequel single and twelfth track "Get Up
Get Up (Ciara song)
"Get Up" is a song by American recording artist Ciara. Released on July 25, 2006, the song serves as the first single from the original soundtrack to the film Step Up , as well as the lead single for her second album, Ciara: The Evolution. It features American rapper Chamillionaire...
" was released as the lead single from the film soundtrack Step Up
Step Up (soundtrack)
The soundtrack to Step Up was released on August 8, 2006 and features new music from Mario, Ciara, Kelis, Chris Brown, Yung Joc, Jamie Scott, and Chamillionaire. The lead singles from the soundtrack are Sean Paul's " Give It Up to Me" featuring Keyshia Cole and Ciara's "Get Up" featuring...
. The single received mixed reviews from critics and fans, being called a "dead ringer for "1, 2 Step
1, 2 Step
"1, 2 Step" is a R&B/dance/hip hop song recorded by Ciara and Missy Elliott for Ciara's debut album Goodies . Written by Ciara and Missy Elliott and produced by Jazze Pha, it was released as the album's second single in October 2004 in the United States and the second quarter of 2005 ...
."
"The Evolution of Fashion" is the third interlude and thirteenth track on the album. Ciara gives influential advice about changing a unique fashion
Fashion
Fashion, a general term for a currently popular style or practice, especially in clothing, foot wear, or accessories. Fashion references to anything that is the current trend in look and dress up of a person...
style and other will follow the trend. The fourteenth track "Get In, Fit In" is 1980s electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
track. The song follows with the same message as "The Evolution of Fashion" Interlude. This song received mixed reactions. "The Evolution of C" is the fourth and final interlude on the album. Ciara details about her life change within the past two years. The album closes with three ballads, beginning with the sixteenth track "So Hard". The song received mixed reviews from critics. It has been called a "slog", but it "surpass the aching and breaking moments on the debut." The second-closing ballad and seventeenth track "I'm Just Me" had mixed reception. The final track "I Found Myself" is a "quite beautiful and moving epic suite."
Album packaging and editions
Unlike Ciara's debut album Goodies, Ciara: The Evolution contains more stylized images. She expresses her "evolution of fashion" strongly through the photography. Markus and Indrani completed the album's artwork. Andy Kellman of Allmusic published "even the album's sleek cover, somewhere between RoboCopRoboCop
RoboCop is a 1987 American science fiction-action film directed by Paul Verhoeven. Set in a crime-ridden Detroit, Michigan in the near future, RoboCop centers on a police officer who is brutally murdered and subsequently re-created as a super-human cyborg known as "RoboCop"...
and Pointer Sisters
Pointer Sisters
The Pointer Sisters are an American pop/R&B recording act from Oakland, California that achieved mainstream success during the 1970s and 1980s. Spanning over three decades, their repertoire has included such diverse genres as pop, disco, jazz, bebop, blues, soul, funk, dance, country and rock.The...
' Break Out
Break Out (Pointer Sisters album)
Break Out is the tenth studio album by the American vocal group The Pointer Sisters, released on November 6, 1983 by Planet Records.-History:...
, has a devolved look."
Ciara: The Evolution was released as the standard album with special limited edition DVD. The bonus DVD features Ciara and dancers teaching the choreography for "Get Up" and "Promise", the music videos for the songs, and behind-the-scenes of "Promise." The Japanese DVD edition is manufactured with an alternate album cover. The European limited edition DVD contains the video for "Like a Boy". A two pack of the album and a BET Official Package DVD was released the same day. It contains Ciara's BET Highlights such as, How I'm Living, 106 & Park interviews, and the 2005 Music Special: Sincerely Ciara, the videos for "Get Up", "Promise", and her debut album Goodies videos excluding "And I
And I
"And I" is a song written by the American R&B singer Ciara, and produced by Adonis Shropshire for Ciara's first album Goodies . It was released as the album's fourth and final single in August 2005 in North America....
" and live performances.
There are four bonus tracks available on different editions. "Love You Better" appears on the U.S. and Japanese iTunes and Japanese pressing. "Addicted" and "Promise" [Go and Get Your Tickets Mix], which features R. Kelly
R. Kelly
Robert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
, are on the European edition. "Do It", which features Will.i.am
Will.i.am
William James Adams, Jr. , better known by his stage name will.i.am and occasionally by his other stage name Zuper Blahq, is an American rapper, musician, songwriter, singer, actor and producer...
, is a European iTunes bonus track.
Promotion and releases
In November 2006, Ciara went on The Evolution TourThe Evolution Tour
The Evolution Tour was the debut concert tour by American recording artist Ciara, in support of her debut album, Goodies and second studio album, Ciara: The Evolution...
. In it she previewed songs from the then-upcoming album, and also performed past hits. The tour went to seventeen clubs in cities throughout the United States. Its last date was aired on BET' Access Granted. In August 2007, she headlined the Screamfest '07
Screamfest '07
Screamfest '07 is a summer concert tour headlined by American rapper T.I. and R&B singer Ciara. The tour features performances from Lloyd, T-Pain, Yung Joc, Tiffany Evans, Yung Berg and 50 Cent...
tour with T.I., which went to cities in the United States. Ciara, along with Chris Brown and Akon, were supporting acts for Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
's Good Girl Gone Bad Tour in the United Kingdom in December 2007. She performed songs from the album.
Singles
"Get UpGet Up (Ciara song)
"Get Up" is a song by American recording artist Ciara. Released on July 25, 2006, the song serves as the first single from the original soundtrack to the film Step Up , as well as the lead single for her second album, Ciara: The Evolution. It features American rapper Chamillionaire...
", which features Chamillionaire
Chamillionaire
Hakeem Seriki , better known by his stage name Chamillionaire, is an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. He is the CEO of Chamillitary Entertainment. Chamillionaire is also the founder and an original member of The Color Changin' Click...
, was released as the lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
in Canada and New Zealand on July 25, 2006. It was also released to the US and Europe as the lead single for the soundtrack to the film, Step Up
Step Up (soundtrack)
The soundtrack to Step Up was released on August 8, 2006 and features new music from Mario, Ciara, Kelis, Chris Brown, Yung Joc, Jamie Scott, and Chamillionaire. The lead singles from the soundtrack are Sean Paul's " Give It Up to Me" featuring Keyshia Cole and Ciara's "Get Up" featuring...
. The song peaked at seven on the US Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and ten on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart, becoming her seventh top ten hit on the former. It achieved moderate success in international markets, and reached the top five in New Zealand. It was later re-released as the second single from The Evolution in Europe. "Promise
Promise (Ciara song)
"Promise" is a R&B song recorded by American singer-songwriter Ciara. Written by Ciara, Jasper Cameron, Jamal Jones, and Elvis Williams, it is the official lead single and second release in the North America from Ciara's second studio album, Ciara: The Evolution...
" was released as the lead single in the United States on October 16, 2006, where it peaked at eleven on the US Hot 100 and became her third number-one hit on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, where it topped for two consecutive weeks. Its official remix, which features R. Kelly
R. Kelly
Robert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
was released via digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
on February 13, 2007.
"Like a Boy
Like a Boy
"Like a Boy" is a song performed by American singer Ciara for her second album Ciara: The Evolution . Written by Ciara, Candice Nelson, Balewa Muhammad, J. Que, Ezekiel Lewis, and Calvin Kenon, it is the third release in the U.S...
" was released as the second single in North America and New Zealand and as the lead single in Europe on February 13, 2007. It peaked at nineteen on the US Hot 100 and six on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. It reached the top twenty in most of the international markets it was released in and even reached the top ten in Sweden. "Can't Leave 'em Alone
Can't Leave 'em Alone
"Can't Leave 'em Alone" is a R&B song recorded by American singer Ciara and rapper 50 Cent for Ciara's second album, Ciara: The Evolution . Written by Ciara, LaShawn Daniels, Rodney Jerkins, and 50 Cent, it is the fourth release and official third single from the album...
, which features 50 Cent
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III , better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin and The Massacre . Get Rich or Die Tryin has been certified eight times platinum by...
, was released as the third and final single on June 12, 2007. It peaked at forty on the US Hot 100 and became her tenth top ten-hit on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. It achieved moderate success in international markets, and even reached the top five in New Zealand. "That's Right", which features Lil Jon
Lil Jon
Jonathan Mortimer Smith , better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, music producer, entrepreneur, and occasional disc jockey who was a member of the group Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz. Lil Jon formed the group in 1997, and the group released several albums between then and 2004...
, was planned to be released as a single numerous times, but its release was ultimately cancelled. Its music video was still released on January 12, 2008.
Reception
Critical response
Ciara: The Evolution received mixed to positive reviews from most music criticsMusic criticism
See also Music journalism for reporting on classical and popular music in the media.The Oxford Companion to Music defines music criticism as 'the intellectual activity of formulating judgments on the value and degree of excellence of individual works of music, or whole groups or genres'. In this...
. According to Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, the album holds a score of 65 out of 100, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Christian Hoard of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
said that "Ciara's still prone to diva blandness and silly little pop songs...but this time she's more interesting by half." For Allmusic, Andy Kellman wrote that "there are plenty of tracks geared toward letting loose and dancing, and most of them do deliver, even if they don't seem quite as fresh as Ciara's past hits", and Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
called the dance songs "rugged and terrific, but eventually the tempos slow and the album slowlly settles".
Commercial performance
Ciara: The Evolution debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
and Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart with sales of more than 338,000, which is 213,000 more than Ciara's debut album Goodies
Goodies (album)
Goodies is the debut studio album by American recording artist Ciara. It was released on September 28, 2004 via LaFace Records. After writing songs for several established acts, Ciara's talents were noticed by Jazze Pha, and she began to work on what became Goodies...
which debuted at number three. The album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
in the January 27, 2007 issue of Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
for shipping 1,000,000 units to retail outlets within only five weeks of its release. The album remained in the top twenty for eight weeks before dropping out and top fifty for sixteen weeks.In Canada, the album debuted at thirty-two on the Canadian albums chart and five on the R&B albums chart. In Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Ciara: The Evolution debuted below the ARIA Top 50
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
at seventy-six. In the UK, the album debuted and peaked in the top twenty at number seventeen, also the album debuted at number twenty-five peaked at number twenty-one in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. To date the album sold 1,326,000 copies in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Track listing
- All songs were written by Ciara HarrisCiaraCiara Princess Harris , known mononymously as Ciara, is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, actress and fashion model. Born in Austin, Texas, she traveled around the world during her childhood, only to land in Atlanta, Georgia where she met music producer, Jazze Pha...
, additional writers are noted below.
Sample credits
- "That's Right" contains samplesSampling (music)In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
from "Fix It in the Mix" written by Tony Butler, as performed by Pretty TonyPretty TonyTony "Pretty Tony" Butler was an influential 1980s electro and freestyle artist based out of Miami, Florida.He recorded a string of popular club tracks on Jam Packed in the mid-'80s. Butler's tracks with his primary group Freestyle Express include such club staples as "It's Automatic", "Don't Stop...
and "Jam the Box" written by Tony Butler and Sherman Nealy, as performed by Pretty Tony. - "C.R.U.S.H." contains a portion of the composition "122 BPM," written by Larry Linn.
- "Make It Last Forever" contains a sample from "Think (About It)Think (About It)"Think " is a funk song recorded by Lyn Collins and released as a single on James Brown's People Records in 1972. The recording was produced by Brown and featured instrumental backing from his band The J.B.'s...
," written by James Brown, as performed by Lyn CollinsLyn CollinsLyn Collins was an African American soul singer best known for working with James Brown in the 1970s. Contrary to some reports, she is not related to Bootsy Collins, nor Catfish Collins....
and contains a portion of the composition "It Takes TwoIt Takes Two (Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock song)"It Takes Two" is a 1988 hip hop song by Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock and produced by Teddy Riley that was later certified platinum. The song samples heavily from Lyn Collins' 1972 song "Think ", using multiple drum breaks, the well known "Woo! Yeah!" sample, as well as the lyric sung by Collins which...
," written by James Brown and Robert Ginyard. - "Do It" contains samples from "You Really Got MeYou Really Got Me"You Really Got Me" is a rock song written by Ray Davies and performed by his band, The Kinks. It was released on 4th August 1964 as the group's third single, and reached Number 1 on the UK singles chart the next month, remaining for two weeks...
," written by Raymond Davies, as performed by The KinksThe KinksThe Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
and "Push ItPush It (Salt-N-Pepa song)"Push It" is a song by the group Salt-N-Pepa, released as a single in 1986. It peaked at number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1987 and has been certified Platinum by the RIAA...
," written by Herby Azor and Raymond Davies, as performed by Salt-N-PepaSalt-N-PepaSalt-N-Pepa is an American hip hop trio from Queens and Brooklyn, New York, that was formed in 1985. The group, consisting of Cheryl "Salt" Renee James, Sandra "Pepa" Denton, and Deidra "DJ Spinderella" Roper, was one of the first all-female rap crews....
.
Charts
| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
32 |
| Canadian R&B Albums Chart | 5 |
| Oricon International Album Chart | 8 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums | 1 |
| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
| Australian Top 50 Albums Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... Chart |
76 |
| Australian Urban Albums Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... Chart |
12 |
| Austria Albums Chart | 68 |
| Belgium Albums Chart | 43 |
| French Albums Chart | 49 |
| German Albums Chart | 32 |
| Irish Albums Chart | 29 |
| New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... RIANZ Top 40 Albums Chart |
21 |
| Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... Albums Chart |
15 |
| Taiwan Albums Chart | 2 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
17 |
| Japan Oricon Album Chart | 30 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification |
|---|---|
| United States (RIAA Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... ) |
|
| Russia (NFPP) | Gold |
Release history
| Region | Date | Label |
|---|---|---|
| United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
December 5, 2006 | LaFace Records LaFace Records LaFace Records is an American record label, owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment.-Company history:LaFace was formed in 1989 as a joint venture between the producing duo Antonio "L.A." Reid & Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, and Arista Records. The combined nicknames of the duo's successful... |
| Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
||
| Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
December 6, 2006 | |
| Indonesia Indonesia Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an... |
December 20, 2006 | |
| Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... |
February 6, 2007 | |
| New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
March 25, 2007 | |
| Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... |
April 6, 2007 | |
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
April 9, 2007 | |
| Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
April 13, 2007 | |
| Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
||
| France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
April 16, 2007 | |
| Brazil Brazil Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people... |
May 30, 2008 |
Production credits
- Executive Producers: Ciara Harris and Phillana Williams
- Management: Phillana Williams for TPF Management
- Mastered by Chris Athens at Sterling Sound, NYC
- A&R: Mark Pitts and Ethiopia Habtemariam
- A&R Administration: Shay Young
- A&R Coordination: Leticia Hillard and Jill Tschogl
- Sample Clearance: David Schmidt, Kobie "The Quarterback" Brown, Donato Guadagnoli
- Art Direction and Design: Courtney Walter
- Photography: Markus Klinko and Indrani
- Styling: John Moore
- Make Up: Yolonda Frederick for Goldfinger Creative
- Hair: Shirlena Allen for Dawn To Dusk Agency