Ihmisten edessä
Encyclopedia
Ihmisten edessä is the debut studio album
by Finnish
pop
singer Jenni Vartiainen
. The Finnish-language
album was released digitally on September 5, 2007, with the physical release following on September 12. The album was produced by Jukka Immonen. Well-received by music critics who complimented the album for nuanced vocals, interpretation and mixing of several musical styles such as electro
and funk
, the album debuted at number eight on the Finnish Albums Chart, peaking at number six in mid-April 2008 and charting for 35 weeks. To date, the album has sold over 61,000 copies in Finland.
, Ilkka Mattila gave Ihmisten edessä four out of five stars, saying the debut album was a "precedent" in the Finnish pop of 2000s as it showed how Vartiainen "seriously tries to get rid of a talent show star's role". Mattila considered "Tunnoton" with its "captivating banjo and folk
ambience" one of the best Finnish pop songs of the year and "Ihmisten edessä" "British
-spirited, melancholic gay disco with all the hooks". Helsingin Sanomat praised Vartiainen's intimate interpretation as the core of the music. Noting a little R&B
-esque singing popular on talent shows, Mattila went on to say the record is "commercial though amibitious and, therefore, pleasurable pop". Mattila credited producer and composer Jukka Immonen for "fearlessly using unfashionable special effects such as Soul II Soul
-like comping and synthetic choirs". Kirsi Taivainen from Keskisuomalainen
gave the album four out of five stars alike, saying the album is "balanced, hued, poppish music" that is "not too calculated for being genuine". Noting old synthpop sounds and tiny musical elements, she considered the "finely-mixed album strongly contemporary". Giving credits to the bass and drums synchronizing the songs with a back rhythm, Taivainen complimented Vartiainen's "developed vocals with a range of delicate nuances" for "not being mainstream".
The pop rock magazine Stara went further by considering the album worth five out of five stars. The magazine denounced the opening act "Tuhannet mun kasvot" as "a cacophonous, lousy fiddle", though it thanked "Ihmisten edessä", the following, "extremely beautiful piano track", for "saving the mood". Stara considered "Kerro miltä se tuntuu" as well as "Toinen" evocative of a couple of international lounge
hits. The magazine pointed out the "surprising" banjo
hook of "Tunnoton" and considered "Malja" an "entertaining, eccentric mix of electronic music and pop from late 1970s and early 1980s". The magazine believed "Mustaa kahvia" could have some potential to become a hit due to its "tough funk
beat and electro influences". Stara highlighted the "groovy and catchy" "Elämänperhonen" with its "beautifully catchy synth-violin solo" and the "overly elegant" "Mandartania" with its "Massive Attack
-style jingle" as the best tracks of the album. In conclusion, Stara complimented Jukka Immonen, with his "ear for sounds", for creating "an exceptionally elegant Finnish album" which is "world-class by all its components"—excepting the first track.
", was released on April 11, 2007. It failed to chart on the Finnish Singles Chart, though it charted for three weeks on the Official Finnish Download Chart, peaking at number 22. The second single "Ihmisten edessä
", released on September 5, 2007, debuted at number 20 on the Singles Chart and peaked at number two on its fourth week in mid-October. It charted for 32 weeks altogether and gold with over 14,600 copies. The single peaked at number one on the Download Chart and charted there for 44 weeks altogether. The first promotional single
"Toinen
", released on December 3, 2007, charted for seven weeks on the Singles Chart, peaking at number 13, and for 11 weeks on the Download Chart, reaching number 10. The second promotional single "Mustaa kahvia
", released on March 17, 2008, failed to chart on the Singles Chart, though it charted for three weeks on the Download Chart, peaking at number 21.
.
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 Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
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...
singer Jenni Vartiainen
Jenni Vartiainen
Jenni Mari Vartiainen is a Finnish pop singer. Before her professional musical endeavours, she was a figure skater in her teen-age years and attended the Kuopio Senior High of Music and Dance...
. The Finnish-language
Finnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
album was released digitally on September 5, 2007, with the physical release following on September 12. The album was produced by Jukka Immonen. Well-received by music critics who complimented the album for nuanced vocals, interpretation and mixing of several musical styles such as electro
Electro (music)
Electro is a genre of electronic dance music directly influenced by the use of TR-808 drum machines, Moog keytar synthesizers and funk sampling...
and funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
, the album debuted at number eight on the Finnish Albums Chart, peaking at number six in mid-April 2008 and charting for 35 weeks. To date, the album has sold over 61,000 copies in Finland.
Critical reception
Ihmisten edessä was well-received by music critics, as most of the reviewers complimented the audacious use of musical elements and styles and Vartiainen's nuanced vocals and interpretation. The critics also noted Vartiainen's stylistic departure from her previous pop band Gimmel. Writing for Helsingin SanomatHelsingin Sanomat
Helsingin Sanomat is the largest subscription newspaper in Finland and the Nordic countries, owned by Sanoma. Except after certain holidays, it is published daily. In 2008, its daily circulation was 412,421 on weekdays and 468,505 on Sundays...
, Ilkka Mattila gave Ihmisten edessä four out of five stars, saying the debut album was a "precedent" in the Finnish pop of 2000s as it showed how Vartiainen "seriously tries to get rid of a talent show star's role". Mattila considered "Tunnoton" with its "captivating banjo and folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
ambience" one of the best Finnish pop songs of the year and "Ihmisten edessä" "British
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...
-spirited, melancholic gay disco with all the hooks". Helsingin Sanomat praised Vartiainen's intimate interpretation as the core of the music. Noting a little R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
-esque singing popular on talent shows, Mattila went on to say the record is "commercial though amibitious and, therefore, pleasurable pop". Mattila credited producer and composer Jukka Immonen for "fearlessly using unfashionable special effects such as Soul II Soul
Soul II Soul
Soul II Soul are a British group that was created in London in 1988. They are best known for their 1989 UK chart-topper and U.S. Top 5 hit, "Back to Life ".-Career:...
-like comping and synthetic choirs". Kirsi Taivainen from Keskisuomalainen
Keskisuomalainen
Keskisuomalainen is a daily Finnish newspaper published in Jyväskylä, serving central Finland . It was founded in 1871, and is the oldest Finnish-language newspaper, with the fifth-highest circulation of daily Finnish papers...
gave the album four out of five stars alike, saying the album is "balanced, hued, poppish music" that is "not too calculated for being genuine". Noting old synthpop sounds and tiny musical elements, she considered the "finely-mixed album strongly contemporary". Giving credits to the bass and drums synchronizing the songs with a back rhythm, Taivainen complimented Vartiainen's "developed vocals with a range of delicate nuances" for "not being mainstream".
The pop rock magazine Stara went further by considering the album worth five out of five stars. The magazine denounced the opening act "Tuhannet mun kasvot" as "a cacophonous, lousy fiddle", though it thanked "Ihmisten edessä", the following, "extremely beautiful piano track", for "saving the mood". Stara considered "Kerro miltä se tuntuu" as well as "Toinen" evocative of a couple of international lounge
Lounge music
Lounge music is a retrospective description of music popular in the 1950s and 1960s. It is a type of mood music meant to evoke in the listeners the feeling of being in a place — a jungle, an island paradise, outer space, et cetera — other than where they are listening to it...
hits. The magazine pointed out the "surprising" banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
hook of "Tunnoton" and considered "Malja" an "entertaining, eccentric mix of electronic music and pop from late 1970s and early 1980s". The magazine believed "Mustaa kahvia" could have some potential to become a hit due to its "tough funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
beat and electro influences". Stara highlighted the "groovy and catchy" "Elämänperhonen" with its "beautifully catchy synth-violin solo" and the "overly elegant" "Mandartania" with its "Massive Attack
Massive Attack
Massive Attack are an English DJ and trip hop duo from Bristol, England consisting of Robert "3D" Del Naja and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall. Working with co-producers, as well as various session musicians and guest vocalists, they make records and tour live. The duo are considered to be of the trip...
-style jingle" as the best tracks of the album. In conclusion, Stara complimented Jukka Immonen, with his "ear for sounds", for creating "an exceptionally elegant Finnish album" which is "world-class by all its components"—excepting the first track.
Chart performance
Ihmisten edessä entered the Finnish Albums Chart at number eight. The album went down the chart towards the end of 2007, reaching its lowest position, number 37, in the week 47. After that, Ihmisten edessä started to climb up the chart, reaching its peak position, number six, in April 2008 (week 15). Altogether, the album charted for 35 weeks and sold over 26,000 copies in 2008, becoming 15th-best-selling album of 2008 in Finland. To date, Ihmisten edessä has sold platinum with over 61,000 copies.Singles
The lead single of Ihmisten edessä, "TunnotonTunnoton
"Tunnoton" is a Finnish-language song by Finnish pop singer Jenni Vartiainen, released as the debut single from her debut album Ihmisten edessä on April 11, 2007, by Warner Music Finland. Written by Juhani Lappalainen and composed by A. Stierncreutz, the song peaked at number 22 on the Finnish...
", was released on April 11, 2007. It failed to chart on the Finnish Singles Chart, though it charted for three weeks on the Official Finnish Download Chart, peaking at number 22. The second single "Ihmisten edessä
Ihmisten edessä (song)
"Ihmisten edessä" is a Finnish-language song by Finnish pop singer Jenni Vartiainen. It was released by Warner Music Finland on September 5, 2007, as the second single from her eponymous debut album Ihmisten edessä....
", released on September 5, 2007, debuted at number 20 on the Singles Chart and peaked at number two on its fourth week in mid-October. It charted for 32 weeks altogether and gold with over 14,600 copies. The single peaked at number one on the Download Chart and charted there for 44 weeks altogether. The first promotional single
Promotional recording
A promotional recording, or promo, is an audio or video recording distributed for free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available...
"Toinen
Toinen
"Toinen" is a Finnish-language song by Finnish pop singer Jenni Vartiainen, released in Finland on December 3, 2007, by Warner Music Group. The first promotional single from her debut album Ihmisten edessä, the song peaked at number 13 on the Finnish Singles Chart in early 2008 and at...
", released on December 3, 2007, charted for seven weeks on the Singles Chart, peaking at number 13, and for 11 weeks on the Download Chart, reaching number 10. The second promotional single "Mustaa kahvia
Mustaa kahvia
"Mustaa kahvia" is a Finnish-language song by Finnish singer Jenni Vartiainen, released as the second promotional single from her debut album Ihmisten edessä on March 17, 2008, by Warner Music Finland. The release includes the song, written by Kyösti Salokorpi, its remix and remixes of two other...
", released on March 17, 2008, failed to chart on the Singles Chart, though it charted for three weeks on the Download Chart, peaking at number 21.
Track listing
- Digital download
Personnel
The credits for Ihmisten edessä are adapted from DiscogsDiscogs
Discogs, 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...
.
- Carla Ahonius – styling
- Joakim Bachmann – drums
- Teemu Brunila – lyricist, composer
- Miika Colliander – guitar
- Svante Forsbäck – mastering
- Luis Hererro – bass
- Jukka Immonen – composer, guitar, bass, arranger, mixing, programming, producer, recording
- Ville Juurikkala – photography
- Anssi KelaAnssi KelaAnssi Kela is a Finnish singer-songwriter multi-instrumentalist who has published five albums. The first, Nummela, is one of the best-selling Finnish records – it has sold over 150,000 copies . The album is named after Kela's former hometown Nummela, in Vihti. Kela became famous with his hit...
– bass - Hannu Korkeamäki – banjo, organ
- Juhani Lappalainen – lyricist
- Leri Leskinen – piano
- Mariska – lyricist
- Anssi Muurimäki – artwork
- Inka Nousiainen – lyricist
- Arttu Peljo – mixing, recording
- Kyösti Salokorpi – lyricist, composer
- A. Stierncreutz – composer
- Jenni Vartiainen – lyricist, composer, vocals, flute, piano
- Aura-S Y. – lyricist
Charts
| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Finnish Albums Chart | 6 |