How to Be a Lady: Volume 1
Encyclopedia
How to Be a Lady: Volume 1 is the debut album of American R&B
group Electrik Red
, released May 26, 2009 on Radio Killa and Def Jam Recordings
. Production and songwriting for the album was handled primarily by The-Dream
and Christopher "Tricky" Stewart
. Primarily an R&B album, it incorporates musical elements of electropop and hip hop
, and contains lyrics concerning sexual and gender-related themes.
The album debuted at number 100 on the U.S. Billboard 200
chart, selling 5,000 copies in its first week. It produced two singles, "Drink in My Cup" and "So Good
", that achieved moderate chart success. Upon its release, How to Be a Lady: Volume 1 received generally positive reviews from most music critics. The album has sold over 5,000 copies in the United States.
in his 2004 Confessions
tour, Kyndra "Binkie" Reevey and Lesley Lewis asked Sarah Rosete if she wanted to be a part of their girl group. Rosete agreed to join, but requested that they meet with her best friend Naomi Allen, who they "fell in love with". The group moved to Los Angeles
, where they began working with different producers, including Shannon "Slam" Lawrence and Rodney Jerkins
. The group officially formed Electrik Red in 2005. They continued to work as professional dancers, individually appearing in videos for artists such as Mariah Carey
, and Janet Jackson
. After individually performing as dancers and models, they appeared together in Ciara
's video for "Like a Boy
". In late 2007, Allen and Rosete were cast in the video for The-Dream
's single "Shawty Is a 10
".
After Shakir Stewart
, then-Executive Vice President of Def Jam Recordings
, organized an audition for the group with label chairman L. A. Reid
, they were signed to the label on February 23, 2008. Stewart then organized a meeting for the group with The-Dream and Tricky Stewart
, who cosigned Electrik Red to their Def Jam
-based label, Radio Killa. From then, the pair began producing their music and executive produced their debut album. The group explained they named the album as a "play on the stereotype of what a lady is supposed to be, how she is supposed to act and what she is supposed to say. We're bringing a new age woman to the world". The group wanted to show that it was "okay to be different".
". Music videos were filmed for the singles; "Drink in My Cup" (and one for album track "Friend Lover") were directed by Marc Klasfeld
. The group shot a video for the remix of their single "So Good" with rapper Lil Wayne
. The album's second single, "So Good", has peaked at #60 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
.
chart, with first-week sales of 5,000 copies in the United States. It ultimately spent one week on the chart. It also charted at number 20 on Billboard
s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
chart.
, particularly side-projects such as Apollonia 6
and Vanity 6
. Allmusic writer Andy Kellman gave it 4 out of 5 stars and wrote favorably of Electrik Red's thematic approach, while writing "the bottom line is that the album has some of the best pop-R&B songs of 2009". Vibes Tracy Garraud praised the musical aspect of How to Be a Lady: Volume 1 and wrote that it "flows with easy hooks, layered composition, and eccentric idioms particular to the pair—what separates it from previous work is its raciness". Jeremy Clayton of Giant
called it "eclectic" and wrote that the group "adds spice to the atypical girl group". Blender
lauded the group's musicianship, stating "Electrik Red might be the most musically proficient women to ever inspire drunken bar-top dancing and bad decisions". However, Rolling Stone
s Jon Dolan gave it 3 out of 5 stars and perceived a lack of "personality" in its songwriting. In a generally mixed review, Jon Pareles
of The New York Times
commended The-Dream and Tricky Stewart for their "lavished musical ingenuity" in its production, but viewed the album's sexual themes as unimaginative.
In contrast, Metro Spirit
s Frazia Lee perceived its production as "fanatical and at times hard to swallow", and wrote that the album "has the potential to be very successful in the pop arena for its catchiness and innovations, but also extremely annoying in its outrageous execution of it". The Village Voice
writer Rob Harvilla recommended the album to listeners of The-Dream and stated "Love vs. Money
devotees able to suspend both their disbelief and their feminist ardor will love it". Pitchfork Media
writer Tim Finney praised its songwriting and wrote that the "gratuitous little surprises" in its production make its music "feel as real and lived-in as dazzling, shiny R&B can hope to, possessing a capacity for rightness that cannot be reduced to lyrical sophistication, performative flair, or production novelty, but is borne of the kind of charisma you can possess when you take success for granted". The Huffington Post
s Marjon Rebecca Carlos praised the album's sexual and gender themes and its musical execution, stating "Loads of imagery, color, synth-beats and lithe forms come popping forth much to the listener's amusement". The Guardian
s Alex Macpherson gave it 5 out of 5 stars and called it "a fully-formed and magnificently executed vision – of love, of sex – set to beats that thrill and seduce in equal measure, and sung with an unabashed confidence", citing it as "one of the most essential R&B albums of the decade".
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...
group Electrik Red
Electrik Red
Electrik Red is an R&B girl group comprising Kyndra "Binkie" Reevey, Lesley Lewis, Naomi Allen and Sarah Rosete. The members began their individual careers as back-up dancers in New York City and Toronto. The group formed in 2005 and signed with Def Jam Recordings in 2008...
, released May 26, 2009 on Radio Killa and Def Jam Recordings
Def Jam Recordings
Def Jam Recordings is an American record label, focused primarily on hip hop and urban music, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as a part of The Island Def Jam Motown Music Group...
. Production and songwriting for the album was handled primarily by The-Dream
The-Dream
Terius Youngdell Nash , better known by his stage name The-Dream, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is known for co-writing "Umbrella" for Rihanna and "Single Ladies " for Beyoncé, as well as for his three solo albums, Love Hate, Love vs...
and Christopher "Tricky" Stewart
Christopher Stewart (music producer)
Christopher "Tricky" Stewart is an American songwriter, music producer, music publisher, executive producer, recording industry executive and recording studio owner. In a career spanning 16 years, Stewart, at the helm of his company RedZone Entertainment, is responsible for over 25 million...
. Primarily an R&B album, it incorporates musical elements of electropop and hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
, and contains lyrics concerning sexual and gender-related themes.
The album debuted at number 100 on the 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...
chart, selling 5,000 copies in its first week. It produced two singles, "Drink in My Cup" and "So Good
So Good (Electrik Red song)
"So Good" is the lead single for the debut album How to Be a Lady: Volume 1 by Urban girl group Electrik Red. The single was released on February 3, 2009 in the US and internationally on April 7, 2009...
", that achieved moderate chart success. Upon its release, How to Be a Lady: Volume 1 received generally positive reviews from most music critics. The album has sold over 5,000 copies in the United States.
Background
While working as back-up dancers for UsherUsher (entertainer)
Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
in his 2004 Confessions
Confessions (Usher album)
Confessions is the fourth studio album by American R&B recording artist Usher, released March 23, 2004, on Arista-imprint label LaFace Records. Recording sessions for the album took place during 2003 to 2004 with production by Jermaine Dupri, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and Lil Jon...
tour, Kyndra "Binkie" Reevey and Lesley Lewis asked Sarah Rosete if she wanted to be a part of their girl group. Rosete agreed to join, but requested that they meet with her best friend Naomi Allen, who they "fell in love with". The group moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, where they began working with different producers, including Shannon "Slam" Lawrence and Rodney Jerkins
Rodney Jerkins
Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins is an American songwriter, record producer, and musician. Jerkins received two Grammy nominations in 2011.-Biography:...
. The group officially formed Electrik Red in 2005. They continued to work as professional dancers, individually appearing in videos for artists such as Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
, and 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...
. After individually performing as dancers and models, they appeared together in 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...
's video for "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...
". In late 2007, Allen and Rosete were cast in the video for The-Dream
The-Dream
Terius Youngdell Nash , better known by his stage name The-Dream, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is known for co-writing "Umbrella" for Rihanna and "Single Ladies " for Beyoncé, as well as for his three solo albums, Love Hate, Love vs...
's single "Shawty Is a 10
Shawty Is a 10
"Shawty Is a 10" is the first single from American singer-songwriter The-Dream's debut studio album, Love Hate. The track is produced by Los Da Mystro who also produced J. Holiday's single, "Bed". The album version features Fabolous...
".
After Shakir Stewart
Shakir Stewart
Shakir Stewart , a native of Oakland, California, was a US record executive in a number of companies, the latest being Def Jam...
, then-Executive Vice President of Def Jam Recordings
Def Jam Recordings
Def Jam Recordings is an American record label, focused primarily on hip hop and urban music, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as a part of The Island Def Jam Motown Music Group...
, organized an audition for the group with label chairman L. A. Reid
L. A. Reid
Antonio "L.A." Reid is a three-time Grammy Award-winning US record executive, songwriter, and record producer. Best known as the co-founder of LaFace Records, he is responsible for signing and helping bring Mariah Carey, Pink, Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Kanye West, Avril Lavigne, Toni Braxton, TLC,...
, they were signed to the label on February 23, 2008. Stewart then organized a meeting for the group with The-Dream and Tricky Stewart
Christopher Stewart (music producer)
Christopher "Tricky" Stewart is an American songwriter, music producer, music publisher, executive producer, recording industry executive and recording studio owner. In a career spanning 16 years, Stewart, at the helm of his company RedZone Entertainment, is responsible for over 25 million...
, who cosigned Electrik Red to their Def Jam
Def Jam Recordings
Def Jam Recordings is an American record label, focused primarily on hip hop and urban music, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as a part of The Island Def Jam Motown Music Group...
-based label, Radio Killa. From then, the pair began producing their music and executive produced their debut album. The group explained they named the album as a "play on the stereotype of what a lady is supposed to be, how she is supposed to act and what she is supposed to say. We're bringing a new age woman to the world". The group wanted to show that it was "okay to be different".
Singles
How to Be a Lady: Volume 1 spawned two official singles, "Drink in My Cup" and "So GoodSo Good (Electrik Red song)
"So Good" is the lead single for the debut album How to Be a Lady: Volume 1 by Urban girl group Electrik Red. The single was released on February 3, 2009 in the US and internationally on April 7, 2009...
". Music videos were filmed for the singles; "Drink in My Cup" (and one for album track "Friend Lover") were directed by Marc Klasfeld
Marc Klasfeld
Marc Klasfeld is an American music video director. He has directed over two hundred music videos for artists such as Katy Perry, Jay-Z, Kid Rock, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nelly, Foo Fighters, Jewel, Sum 41, Avril Lavigne and many others with multiple MTV award wins and nominations...
. The group shot a video for the remix of their single "So Good" with rapper Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included...
. The album's second single, "So Good", has peaked at #60 on the 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,...
.
Commercial performance
The album debuted at number 100 on the U.S. 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...
chart, with first-week sales of 5,000 copies in the United States. It ultimately spent one week on the chart. It also charted at number 20 on Billboard
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
chart.
Critical response
Upon its release, How to Be a Lady: Volume 1 received generally positive reviews from most music critics. Several writers drew comparisons to the early work of musician PrincePrince (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...
, particularly side-projects such as Apollonia 6
Apollonia 6
Apollonia 6 was a 1980s female singing trio created by Prince as a continuation/succession of a previous group, Vanity 6.-Formation and Purple Rain:...
and Vanity 6
Vanity 6
Vanity 6 was a female vocal trio assembled by Prince in the early 1980s.They released one studio album, which blended the sounds of pop, New Wave, dance music, R&B, and funk.-Formation:...
. Allmusic writer Andy Kellman gave it 4 out of 5 stars and wrote favorably of Electrik Red's thematic approach, while writing "the bottom line is that the album has some of the best pop-R&B songs of 2009". Vibes Tracy Garraud praised the musical aspect of How to Be a Lady: Volume 1 and wrote that it "flows with easy hooks, layered composition, and eccentric idioms particular to the pair—what separates it from previous work is its raciness". Jeremy Clayton of Giant
Giant (magazine)
GIANT was a magazine headquartered in New York geared to the urban music market. It began in October 2004 as a bimonthly publication catering to the interests of 20-something men, focusing on pop culture including reviews of video games, movies, fine tobacco, music, everyday happenings and...
called it "eclectic" and wrote that the group "adds spice to the atypical girl group". Blender
Blender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
lauded the group's musicianship, stating "Electrik Red might be the most musically proficient women to ever inspire drunken bar-top dancing and bad decisions". However, 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...
s Jon Dolan gave it 3 out of 5 stars and perceived a lack of "personality" in its songwriting. In a generally mixed review, Jon Pareles
Jon Pareles
Jon Pareles is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of the New York Times. He played jazz flute and piano, and graduated from Yale University with a degree in music. In the 1970s he was an associate editor of Crawdaddy!, and in the 1980s an associate...
of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
commended The-Dream and Tricky Stewart for their "lavished musical ingenuity" in its production, but viewed the album's sexual themes as unimaginative.
In contrast, Metro Spirit
Metro Spirit
The Metro Spirit is a free alternative news weekly in Augusta, Georgia . The paper is widely available at news stands across the Augusta area....
s Frazia Lee perceived its production as "fanatical and at times hard to swallow", and wrote that the album "has the potential to be very successful in the pop arena for its catchiness and innovations, but also extremely annoying in its outrageous execution of it". The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
writer Rob Harvilla recommended the album to listeners of The-Dream and stated "Love vs. Money
Love vs. Money
Love vs. Money is the second studio album by American R&B and pop artist The-Dream, released March 10, 2009 on Radio Killa and Def Jam Recordings. It is the follow-up to his debut album Love Hate , and it was written and produced primarily by The-Dream and Christopher "Tricky" Stewart. The album...
devotees able to suspend both their disbelief and their feminist ardor will love it". Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
writer Tim Finney praised its songwriting and wrote that the "gratuitous little surprises" in its production make its music "feel as real and lived-in as dazzling, shiny R&B can hope to, possessing a capacity for rightness that cannot be reduced to lyrical sophistication, performative flair, or production novelty, but is borne of the kind of charisma you can possess when you take success for granted". The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
s Marjon Rebecca Carlos praised the album's sexual and gender themes and its musical execution, stating "Loads of imagery, color, synth-beats and lithe forms come popping forth much to the listener's amusement". The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
s Alex Macpherson gave it 5 out of 5 stars and called it "a fully-formed and magnificently executed vision – of love, of sex – set to beats that thrill and seduce in equal measure, and sung with an unabashed confidence", citing it as "one of the most essential R&B albums of the decade".
Track listing
Personnel
Credits for How to Be a Lady: Volume 1 adapted from Allmusic.- Ashaunna Ayars – marketing
- Jo Baker – make-up
- Tom Coyne – mastering
- Conor Gilligan – assistant
- Mark Grey – mixing assistant
- Christy Hall – production assistant
- Kuk Harrell – engineer, vocal engineer, vocal producer
- Kendu Isaacs – management
- Jahaun Johnson – management
- Sean K. – producer
- Giancarlo Lino – mixing assistant
- Scott Naughton – assistant
- Ciarra Pardo – art direction
- Dave Pensado – mixing
- Yves Aimé Pierre – assistant management
- Kelly "Becky 4 Real" Sheehan – engineer
- Chris "Tricky" Stewart – producer, executive producer
- Shakir Stewart – executive producer, A&R
- Brian "B Luv" Thomas – engineer
- Pat Thrall – engineer
- Randy Urbanski – mixing assistant
- Andrew Wuepper – mixing assistant
Chart history
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
Sales |
|---|---|---|
| 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... |
100 | |
| U.S. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
20 | |
| U.S. Billboard Comprehensive Albums Billboard Comprehensive Albums Billboard Comprehensive Albums was established in 2003 and was a weekly albums chart produced by Billboard magazine that ranked the biggest selling albums in the United States regardless of the product's age or method of sales.... |
107 |
External links
- How to Be a Lady: Volume 1 at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
- Album Review at Concrete Loop