Kelly Rowland (album)
Encyclopedia
Here I Am is the third studio album
by American recording artist Kelly Rowland
, released through Universal Motown (Universal Music
) from July 22, 2011. The ten-song set (deluxe: fourteen, international: seventeen) is Rowland's first album since parting ways with Matthew Knowles as her manager and leaving long time label Columbia Records
. Here I Am is predominately a R&B
and pop music
album with subtle influences of dance music
. It follows Rowland's assertion that "no one puts her in a box" with common themes around womanhood, sexual intemacy and love. Originally scheduled for release in 2010, the album was pushed back after the first round of singles were released to mixed reception both with the critics and commericially.
"Commander
" (2010) produced by and featuring David Guetta
topped international and US dance charts, becoming a top-ten hit in the UK and some of Europe. Three other singles: "Forever and a Day
," "Rose Colored Glasses" and "Grown Woman
", all had limited commercial success and are subsequently included selected editions of the album or excluded all together. The international version of the album features seventeen songs including ones excluded from the US editions and some remixes. Here I Am features guest performances from Lil Wayne, Nelly
, Rico Love
, Lil Playy, The WAV.s and Big Sean
, who features on the single "Lay It on Me
". Production of the album was was handled by the likes of Rodney Jerkins
, Guetta, Jim Jonsin
, Hit-boy, RedOne
and The Runners
. Love wrote half of the songs on the album, while Rowland earns writing credits for three of the songs.
After re-recording the majority of the album, a new single featuring Lil Wayne
titled "Motivation
", preceded the album in the US. It was greeted with a positive reception from critics and topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
chart as well as peaking in the top-twenty of the Billboard Hot 100
, becoming Rowland's most successful single to date. Here I Am was received well by critics, many of whom praised the strong productions and vocal performances but questioned some of the guests and a lack of the up-tempo dance sound Rowland had spoken of. Here I Am debuted at number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
chart and number three on the US Billboard 200
albums chart, selling 77,000 copies. To date, it is Rowland's highest debuting album. Its full international release is immenent.
in Weston-Super-Mare
, United Kingdom, Rowland was exposed to British bands and live festival music. It inspired her to pursue a new sound for her then untitled third album. She then travelled the South of France for vacation in Summer 2008 where she was exposed to dance music
. It was here that she met French disc jockey
(DJ) David Guetta and heard the foundations of "When Love Takes Over
", a song that would leave a lasting impression on the singer. After falling in love with the song, Rowland would take it back to London to write and record the vocals with Australian songwriters, The Nervo Twins. However Columbia Records
were not impressed with the new sound and the record was left unfinished until it was rediscovered by Guetta, when compiling his One Love
album.
In March 2009, it was revealed that the singer was parting ways with Columbia Records
. Speaking of her decision to leave, Rowland said, "as a solo artist, I felt the need to explore new directions, new challenges, and new freedoms outside my comfort zone and my friends and family at Columbia have been incredibly understanding about my evolution. I want to thank everyone at Columbia for the love and support they've shown and I will never forget how many good times we've had over the years." It was also announced in March that Guetta was releasing "When Love Takes Over", his collaboration with Rowland. The song went on to be a worldwide success for the duo. Jason Lipshutz of Billboard
said "the success comes at an intriguing time in Rowland's career", having noted that she had landed a hosting job on Bravo's The Fashion Show
and was in between labels.
In October 2009 it was suggested that the success of the single had made Rowland consider signing a new record deal with EMI Music. Despite earlier claims, Rowland told Entertainment Weekly
in 2010 that she didn't leave Columbia Records of her own accord. She was dropped because her previous album, Ms. Kelly
, was not commercially successful. Then in May 2010, speculation of Rowland's new record ended when an official press release revealed that she had signed to Universal Motown Records
. It was whilst recording within the studios with Guetta that Rowland caught the attention of the head of Universal Motown, Sylvia Rhone
, which led to the new deal. On the decision to go with Rhone's label, Rowland said "they have really embraced me and have set me up to succeed. I decided, after careful thought, to sign with Universal Motown not only because of their track record of success, but also because they truly put their artists first". Here I Am has a distinctly different sound to Rowland's previous albums. Simply Deep
(2002) followed a rock
–dance
sound, while Ms. Kelly
(2007) featured an urban
sound. However on her third album, there are a lot of up-tempo tracks. The album is tailored specifically towards individual markets, with the US version of the album featuring more traditional R&B
and pop records
, while the international version of the album features more of an "up-tempo dancey" sound.
, Rowland admitted that with her first two records she struggled to find her sound. "I was in a stage with the first two records where I was searching and I was like, let me try a rock-dance approach, the label [and management] wanted me to try it and I did it... And then after that came a more urban approach with Ms. Kelly
in 2007." She further described the songs on her previous albums as sounding very much the same, which led her to the realisation that she "needed refreshing". She told Entertainment Focus that meeting French DJ David Guetta "changed her perspective and helped to inspire the new sound". She then spent more time in Europe in 2009, something which she said had influenced her. "It's different being over here in Europe and just being able to look at different magazines and fashion shows and things like that. And just thinking about the look and working with different stylists as well. I wanted to make sure it was a look that was all me, you know?" She noted that seeing people's reactions to dance music made her feel "completely intoxicated!" In July 2010 said "I spent about a year of my life in Europe really listening to a whole bunch of European DJs and hearing dance music a lot on the radio and really loving it. "When Love Takes Over" was my first introduction to dance music [and] it was a whole other monster. It's really a culture and I love it," during an interview with Alex Catarinella of PAPER
magazine.
When she was interviewed for Blues & Soul
in 2010, she explained that the album will blend her urban roots with a strong dance music influence. "I'd say the main difference between this new album and my previous albums, is that this time I wasn't afraid to take a risk. I didn't care whether it was urban, dance
, hip hop
, WHATEVER... I just wanted a great track that I could sing and that people would enjoy." Part of the inspiration for the new sound on the album was wanting to do something different. In her interview with The Independent she said, "For me, it was being kind of at a flat line with urban music and wanting something different ... when I did 'When Love Takes Over', it was easy to do it – it was almost like it happened before me in spirit and I walked right into it. ...so I knew I couldn't be afraid of this direction, and I wasn't going to let the thoughts and opinions of others make me afraid to go in this direction." Then in response to criticisms that her long-standing fans would not have their expectations met, she said "I did not forget about my urban roots, nor will I ever ... That is one of the reasons I am here period ... I thank everyone for being so wonderful and so open to me trying something new. I won't let you down this record, I promise you."
She experessed frustrations with the constant comparisons to Beyoncé and opinions that urban artists should only produce urban records. Defending her decision to widen the range of genres on the new album, she said "Nobody puts me in a box!" Alex Cantaranella of Paper magazine described her position on the album as "an unassuming, poised woman who isn't fazed by the 'bullshit that comes with the territory." Rowland explained the decision to name the album after herself by explaining that "It's more so introducing myself as Kelly Rowland being Kelly Rowland and just being myself. I'm the most confident I've been on a record ever. And it's by myself. I love it." Rowland would go on to say that the album was "a mixture of different sounds that express me and where I'm at right now in my career", and promising that the album will be a "defining moment" in her career.
Upon completion of the album Rowland said
. During the interview she gave to The Daily Star, she had approached Irish indie band The Script for a duet whilst another indie band, The Guillemots, gave Rowland one of their songs to work with. Then following her leave from Columbia Records, she began work on her third album despite being without a record label for over one year. Sessions took place in Los Angeles
, New York
and Miami with Rowland specifically wanting a wide range of songs to choose from.
One of the first people she actually entered the studios with was David Guetta. He co-wrote and produced the song, "Commander", a song with themes of controlling destiny, taking control and being sexy. Rowland said of the song, "I hope to see women singing the song like they’re in charge. It’s important to know that we are commanders who have the power to shape our own destiny." Rico Love
wrote the song and, according to Rowland, had credits on around half of the album. "Commander" features on the album as track number nine, while its urban remix featuring Nelly
features on the deluxe edition as track fourteen. Guetta also had a hand in co-producing "Forever and a Day
" with Danish producer Jonas Jeberg. The song was written by Sam Watters
, Andre Merrit, Jeberg and Rowland. During the album's New York listening party in June 2010, "Forever and Day" was described by Honey Mag as a display of Rowland's "vocals" with "long-winded riffs and sky-high notes." It was released as a single in some international markets in September 2010. Aside from Guetta, Rowland was reunited with 'The Nervo Twins' who previously helped Rowland to write "When Love Takes Over".
American R&B
singer-songwriter Ne-Yo
has been involved in the album and has written three songs which were produced by StarGate
. When describing the process of working with him, Rowland said, "Ne-Yo asked me what I wanted to talk about, and I replied 'I'm in a different space. Change is very comfortable for me, and I'm happy where I am'." The first of these records, "Shake Them Haters Off", was originally intended to be a single in the US. It is an "up-tempo" and fun record with lyrics such as "Its like a job I that I never get a break from/because haters never take a vacation." Another collaboration titled "Grown Ass Woman" (later changed to "Grown Woman") was described by Rowland as her favorite song on the new album. Ne-Yo conceptualized the song in a three-minute conversation with Rowland, where she told him she wanted a record where she could claim "I'm grown!". According to Janine Simon from Honey Mag, on "Grown [Ass] Woman" Rowland digs "through old pictures from the Destiny’s Child days reflecting on how far she has come yet how 'Grown and silly' she still is." It would later be released as one of the album's two US lead singles. The pair collaborated on a third song, "Heaven and Earth", described by Simon as a ballad using imagery to demonstrate a "sonic portrait, painted with flecks of sentiment; a picture of what the singer believes is what 'we deserve as a people'." According to Rowland, one of these three records was also recorded as a duet featuring Ne-Yo's vocals. None of these songs made the album apart from "Heaven and Earth", which features as song number eleven on the deluxe edition.
Ester Dean
and Dr. Luke
also worked on the album, respectively writing and producing the other US lead single "Rose Colored Glasses". Then song's lyrics portray "the issues that arise when one plays the fool in a relationship." During Rowland's concert series for iheartradio
, the singer took time out to reflect on the song. She recalled, "The first time I heard the song it made me think of all of the relationships where I had to wear rose-colored glasses." It was also revealed that, during the studio recording session with Dean, she began to cry at the thought of all the "toxic relationships" she had been in "where she needed to leave." Later in an interview with The Belfast Telegraph
, Rowland said that the song had taken its toll on her. She said "It brought back a few memories, and when I recorded it I cried so much my vocal chords got swollen." Dean also worked alongside Rowland during last minute studio sessions with producer Tricky Stewart
, which spawned a female empowerment song called "I'm Dat Chick". Although "Rose Colored Glasses" was omitted from the US track listing, Dean's song "I'm Dat Chick" made the album appearing as the opening song. Written as a "confidence-boosting" anthem, "I'm Dat Chick" is built around a urban
-electro
club beat designed to get "even shy women to come out of their shells" according to Rap-Up magazine. Meanwhile Dean's third contribution, "Lay It on Me", features upcoming rapper Big Sean
and centers on an up-tempo R&B melody with 808s
and high NRG
-led production. It features a "tinkling piano" melody and light R&B beat.
"Take Everything", another song recorded for the album, is one of several songs written by Love and produced by Jim Jonsin
and was the first record that Rowland recorded with the duo. Jonsin praised his studio sessions with Rowland, describing the new sound as Donna Summer
-esque. During an interview with 103.5 KTU FM, she accidentally revealed she had collaborated with Pitbull
, but it was not until August 15, 2010 during an interview with 97.9 The Box FM
, that it was revealed that he features on "Take Everything". Another song written and produced by the duo is titled "Motivation" featuring Lil Wayne
. It was released as the album's lead single
in April 2011. Speaking of how the record came about, Rowland said "Motivation came about when I was in the studio with [producers] Jim Jonsin and Rico Love, and we kind of were just vibing. I told Rico I wanted something really sexy ... and he came up with 'Motivation' along with Jim. It turned into this amazing record... I played [ 'Motivation' for Lil Wayne
] and he got on it, and it was just as simple as that." The racy lyrics center around Rowland asking her man to use his hands all over her body, and are accompanied by a "synth
-saturated beat" produced by Jonsin. In terms of instruments, "Motivation" uses sparse keyboard notes, programmed beats and pulsing synths in the chorus
. Wayne adds a rap verse complementing Rowland's seductive suggestions, using the kitchen and a car as metaphors for sex.
A press release also revealed she had worked with Salaam Remi
, something which Love confirmed when he said he had worked on a song with Remi called "Love Is the Greatest" that he hoped would make the album. Of these recordings, only "Motivation" made the album appearing as song number three, while its Rebel Rock Remix appears on the deluxe edition as track thirteen. In another interview Rowland told the Daily Star that she had spoken to will.i.am
about working on the album and was also keen to get Sean "Diddy" Combs
on the album. Shondrae 'Bangladesh
' Crawford who is best known for producing "Diva
" and "Video Phone" by Rowland's ex-bandmate and close friend Beyoncé Knowles
, revealed to Rap-Up that he had also been in the studio with Rowland. Of the collaborations, Bangladesh said, "the music that we've done is just hard, it's edgy, but it's still sexy, and it's not raunchy ... What I like to do when I go in with artists, I like to recreate and reinvent 'em, even if they didn't need that." Another song recorded for the album was the Brian Kennedy
-produced dance song "On and On" which was written by Kennedy, Merritt, Rowland and Robert Allen. "On and On" was used in episode fifteen of the MTV
reality TV series The Hills
. Both Bangladesh and Kennedy productions are omitted from the album.
Other studio sessions took place with Akon
, while new writing sessions were planned with season eight
American Idol
runner-up Adam Lambert
. No songs from either Akon or Lambert appear on the US track listing. In September 2010 it was also confirmed that Stewart's fellow songwriting and production partner, The-Dream
, had joined his studio sessions with Rowland. Rap-Up reported that The-Dream had been staying in New York City
where he was penning songs for Rowland to record. Then on September 5, 2010 songwriter and producer Jermaine Dupri
, revealed in his 'Living the Life' series that he was in the studio with Rowland recording material for the album. In the second of these videos, songwriter Bryan-Michael Cox was also present during sessions with Rowland and Dupri. It was later revealed that the opportunity and desire to schedule more recording sessions with the duo led to the album's pushback into 2011. None of the tracks with Dupri, Cox or The-Dream made the album. In January 2011, during a trip to London, it was revealed that Gucci Mane
, Lil Wayne
and Rick Ross
will all appear on the album. Although by the time the track listing was revealed, only Wayne's song features while rappers Mane and Ross were replaced with new songs, respectively featuring Big Sean
, Lil Playy and Love.
Love features on the 2 Live Crew
-sampling "All of the Night". Using elements
of "One and One", the steamy duet sees "Rowland comparing her bedroom activities to music." Love also co-wrote and co-produced another R&B midtempo for the album titled "Feeling Me Right Now", where the lyrics describe what it is like to find "self-love" in the club. The final Love-penned song which appears on the album is titled "Each Other" and was co-written/co-produced by Souldiggaz. Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins scores two songs on the album, including the Lil Playy-assisted "Work It Man". Beginning with a strong piano riff, the song picks up its tempo resulting in a "speaker-banger." The lyrics see Rowland telling listeners what kind of man she wants. "Turn It Up", another Darkchild production, features a synth
-heavy production with lyrics about having a good time and allowing karma to deal with a cheating partner. Joseph "Lonny" Bereal
helped Rowland and two others to co-write "Keep It Between Us", a song that appears as the eighth song on the album. In February 2011, during New York Fashion Week
, Rowland confirmed that she also had sessions arranged with RedOne
, which led to the conception of the album's tenth song, a Eurodance
song called "Down for Whatever," co-produced by The WAV.s and Jimmy Joker.
Rowland revealed in August 2010 that she would be releasing a different, "more up-tempo dancey" version of the album in international territories after she experienced more success with dance music
internationally.. With the album beginning production from as early as late 2008, Rowland completed a number of songs with a wide range of producers, some of which didn't make the US version of the album. Rowland confirmed in July 2011 that the European track listing will consist of leftover songs from the album's recording sessions as well as songs from the US version and some newly recorded songs. The international version of the album features the original ten songs from the standard edition plus: "Heaven & Earth" and "Each Other" from the deluxe edition, as well as "When Love Takes Over
" (with Guetta), "Rose Colored Glasses," "Motivation (Diplo Remix)," "Forever and a Day
" and "What a Feeling
" (with Alex Gaudino
), all excluded from the US edition of the album.
where she revealed that her third studio album would be eponymously-titled. Subsequently during an interview with PAPERMAG
the following month, Rowland July 2010, Rowland announced that the self-titled album would "introduce Kelly Rowland being Kelly Rowland," with a wide range of records. She said, "I'm the most confident I've been on a record ever. And it's by myself. I love it." Kelly Rowland was due to arrive in stores on September 14, 2010. However, just days after the interview, the singer said she was having second thoughts about the name. A facility was set-up whereby fans could suggest new names through Rowland's official website. The album was also pushed back a week, though no reason was given. This would be swiftly followed by another announcement that Rowland had seized the opportunity for new studio sessions with Akon
and Christopher "Tricky" Stewart
(respectively) and hence the album would now come out on October 26, 2010 The album was pushed back a fourth time, by one week with no reason give.
In an interview with JLB Mornings on WJLB Radio, Rowland would go to explain that part of the reasons for the constant pushbacks were her desires to perfect the album. This was followed by another pushback to November 9, 2010 and an announcement on The Today Show
that despite numerous false reports and rumors, the album was still missing a title. She said "I saw one blog saying that the album was called One Woman Show, [and] that's totally never been the case." Expanding further she said that "the title has to work with the tracks that make the record, and that's why even though there have been some good suggestions from fans I can't decide on one that fits". Then on September 11, 2010, during New York Fashion Week
, Rowland broke the news that the album was incomplete and would now be released in 2011 so that she could work with R&B songwriting
and production
duo Jermaine Dupri
and Bryan-Michael Cox.
Also in mid-late September it was revealed that three new names had been shortlisted for the album, including one suggested by a fan. Then some eight months after revealing that three names had been shortlisted for the album, Rowland gave an exclusive interview with Billboard
, where she revealed that the album would be called Here I Am. In the interview she said: After receiving a release date of Fall 2011, the album was moved up to July 26, 2011 following the success of the album's lead single "Motivation
". Rowland had previously said that she had intended to release two alternative versions of the album, one for the US and a more up-tempo dance
version for international markets. A new version of the album will be released in the United Kingdom in November 2011, coinciding with Rowland's new job as a judge on series eight
of The X Factor (UK). Rowland will release Here I Am in the UK with a performance on the show.
in Miami. Following this, Rowland held an album listening party at Hudson Hall in New York
on June 17, 2010. During the party, Rowland was interviewed by Gayle King while introducing songs from the album. Among those played were, "Rose Colored Glasses", "Shake Them Haters Off", "Grown [Ass] Woman", "Forever and a Day
" and "Heaven and Earth". From as far back as January 12, 2010, Rowland has given magazine interviews about the album including spreads with New!, Take 5, The Daily Star and Musicology magazine. She performed at a second Fuck Me I'm Famous party, this time in Paris on June 25 and 26. In June, Rowland also appeared in the United Kingdom giving interviews with various radio stations, including Gaydar
. She was interviewed for UK entertainment site 'Entertainment Focus' during her promotional tour in London, UK, before returning to the US on July 3, 2010 to host the Independence Day (July 4)
celebrations at the Pure
nightclub in Las Vegas
. These performances were reprised at 103.5 KTU
's Beatstock 2010 in New York on July 8 and 9. Then for a week beginning on July 26, 2010, Rowland flew to Australia to help the Optus
mobile network to launch the iPhone 4
. Part of the promotion included her performing a mini-concert for the network's customers. She also performed at the 2010 FlavaMen Blatino Awards
afterparty.
She also performed for an exclusive audience of fans at the Gramercy Theatre, New York City
on August 26, 2010 where she played a mini-set of new and old songs, as well as performing at the 'Ladies Night' during the Atlanta Black Gay Pride weekend on September 3 to September 5, 2010. However, not all of the promotion went as planned; the New York Post
reported that Rowland had lip-synced during her performances at the P.C. Richard and Son Theatre for the iheartradio
concert season. According to the Post, "Rowland was upset because she knew she didn't rock the house. The next day, reps for her Universal Motown label told Clear Channel suits, who handled the iheartradio Concert Series, they couldn't use the show for an online video." They also alleged that she had lip-synced at the KTU Beatstock festival, something which her representative said was not true as she sang "live to track". On June 26, 2011, Rowland took to the stage of the 2011 BET Awards
to perform her new US lead single "Motivation
" for the first time. Additionally Rowland's managers told Billboard magazine that there are plans for Rowland to play some concert dates in the United States alongside her appearance as a judge on series eight
of the British X Factor reality TV series. According to CBS News
, Rowland will tour with Chris Brown throughout September and October 2011. An international tour will take place in 2012, following the end of series eight of The X Factor
on March 27, 2010. It features and was produced by French disc jockey
(DJ) David Guetta, and was released from May 17, 2010 to iTunes store
s around the world for digital download
. Upon release the single was met with positive reception from music critics who praised the dance
sound of the song. In the United Kingdom, "Commander" topped the UK Dance Chart
and became a top-ten hit on the UK Singles Chart
, and Rowland's best chart position since 2008. Despite not being serviced as a single in the United States, it managed to top the Hot Dance Club Songs chart.
Initially in the United States, separate pop
and R&B
singles were planned to be serviced to radio in a dual release strategy. The first of these singles, the Dr. Luke
-produced "Rose Colored Glasses" was serviced to contemporary hit radio
and released for digital download on June 29, 2010. It received praise for showcasing a "trademark classy, controlled delivery" from Rowland, and "real strength is in its story and theme, that carries an emotional weight that Commanders talk of 'dance floor loving' could never reach." Despite this, the single only managed to peak at number thirty-nine on the US Top 40 Airplay
chart, as compiled by Media Base. The second of the aforementioned dual singles for the U.S. market, the R&B
single "Grown Woman
", (produced by StarGate
) was serviced to urban
, rhythmic
and urban AC
radios on June 29, 2010 with a digital release coming later on. It was slightly more successful than the pop single "Rose Colored Glasses", managing to peak at number fifty-one in its third week on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
chart. While "Rose Colored Glasses" was featured on the international edition of the album, "Grown Woman" was excluded from both versions. International markets were serviced with a second single, "Forever and a Day
", that was produced by Jonas Jeberg
and co-produced by Guetta. It premiered via BBC Radio 1
on August 18, 2010 and was released from September 20, 2010. Despite receiving praise of Rowland's strong vocals, the single failed to match the success of "Commander", peaking at number forty-nine on the UK Singles Chart.
After the failed attempt to launch the album with the dual U.S. releases of pop single ("Rose Colored Glasses") and R&B single ("Grown Woman"), Rowland announced that the album would be rebooted with a brand new lead single for the US market. In April 2011, Rowland released the new lead single "Motivation
" featuring Lil Wayne
, replacing the previous lead singles. It was produced by Jim Jonsin
with a synth
-saturated beat. The single was praised for its sex appeal, and upon release peaked at number seventeen on the Billboard Hot 100
as well as peaking at number one on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. "Motivation" became Rowland's highest charting single on the R&B format as a solo lead artist, and achieved the highest Hot 100 debut of her career. Ultimately it became Rowland's highest charting single, and the only single from Here I Am thus far to chart on the Hot 100.
The next U.S. single is "Lay It on Me" featuring rapper Big Sean
. Billboard described "Lay It on Me" is an uptempo song, led by an 808
and a hi-NRG
piano introduction with production by Hitboy.. The single received positive praise from critics, who felt it was catchy and sexy. "Lay It on Me" was sent to US rhythmic radio
on August 16, 2011 and to Urban radio on September 6, 2011. The video for Lay it on Me was filmed in early September 2011, it was directed by british fashion photographer/director Sarah Chatfield and choreographer Frank Gatson, Jr., both of whom had worked with Rowland on the video for "Motivation.".The music video for "Lay It On Me" was released on October 12, 2011. The next international single is the RedOne
-produced "Down for Whatever" (featuring The WAV.s). The music video was filmed in early September 2011 and directed by british fashion photographer/director Sarah Chatfield and choreographer Frank Gatson, Jr., both of whom had worked with Rowland on the video for "Motivation".. "Down for Whatever" impacted UK radio on September 16, 2011 and the music video was released on October 18, 2011. "Down for Whatever" was released in New Zealand and Australia on October 26, 2011, in Germany on November 4, 2011, and was released as a digital download in the UK on November 20, 2011.. The video for "Keep It Between Us" was filmed on November 22 and November 23, 2011, actor Lance Gross plays Rowland's love interest in the video. The song has yet to be confirmed as an official single.
, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 65, based on eleven reviews, indicating "generally favourable reviews". Allmusic editor Andy Kellman gave Here I Am four out of five stars and complimented its appeal to "hip-hop and R&B" radio, adding that "Although very eclectic taste is required to appreciate in full, this is clearly Rowland’s brightest, most confident album yet." Entertainment Weekly
s Adam Markovitz gave Here I Am a B rating and called it "a solid if unambitious set of medium-hot finger snappers." Simon Gage from the Daily Express
called Here I Am a "jumping" collection of up-tempo songs comparable to Donna Summer
, but "broadly much tougher and maybe just a tad over-processed." Gage added that Rowland could include Here I Am amongst her other career highlights such as her singles "Work
" (2008) and "When Love Takes Over
" (2009 collaboration with David Guetta
), as well as her judging role on series 8
of The X Factor (UK). The A.V. Club
s Evan Rytlewski called Here I Am a declaration of Rowland's liberation. Rytlewski attributed the album's appeal to the producers, whom he felt "drove forward the sound" and prevented Rowland from taking "songs too seriously" as done on Simply Deep
. He concluded his review by also praising Rowland's choice to include elements of dance music
. Elyssa Garnder from USA Today
gave the album a mixed review, stating that "Rowland traverses the gamut of predictable romantic scenarios prettily enough... alas, Here I Am proves a lot more cautious than that dare suggests." Jon Caramanica from the New York Times called the album both smart and surprising. "Here I Am is something much more confident and more surprising [than expected]. It's a chewy and moody R&B album on which Ms. Rowland sounds assured and vital. Or, at minimum, is made to sound that way... Her vocals are stacked thick and placed loud in the mix, but while they’re noticeable, they’re not particularly notable apart from their arrangements."
Despite finding some of its material unoriginal, Ken Capobianco of The Boston Globe
commented that "Rowland makes up for her limited range with expressiveness throughout," while noting that the songs are centered around "self-affirmation and confidence." He ended his review by stating that the album's closing track "Down for Whatever" had a "pounding groove" which should have been the sentiment for the rest of the album. Allison Stewart from The Washington Post
commented that Here I Am would not establish a personality for Rowland, but it did not matter as she was in a place in her career where she did not need one. Described as a "perfectly likeable club-centric R&B" offering, Stewart said Rowland makes the most of the "killer beats and a flat affect" trends in the industry. Comments echoed by Michaelangelo Matos from the Los Angeles Times
whose scathing review criticised the "bland material," particularly noting "secondhand beats" and awkward lyrics. Slant Magazine
's Jesse Cataldo also called the album mediocre. Cataldo said "the skimpy roster [of rappers] makes Here I Am sound distressingly bare, and depressingly short on surprises and diversion. Rowland makes up for this by pushing the sex angle, but this pose never seems entirely natural."
at number three and number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
with 77,000 copies sold. To date it is Rowland's highest debuting and charting album in the United States. As of September 2011, the album has sold 151,400 copies in the US.Here I Am also debuted in the top-ten on the Canadian Urban Albums chart and at number forty-five on the Canadian Albums Chart
. Despite an official international version not yet being released, the US version was made available for purchase in some international territories. The US version of Here I Am debuted at number fifteen on the Australian Urban Albums Chart
and number forty-five on the Australian Digital Albums chart. It performed better in the United Kingdom where it debuted at number thirty-eight on the UK Digital Albums chart but slightly lower on the UK R&B Albums chart, appearing at number sixteen.
Creativity and management
Performances
Technical
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 Kelly Rowland
Kelly Rowland
Kelendria Trene "Kelly" Rowland is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer, and television personality. She rose to fame as one of the founding members of the American girl group Destiny's Child...
, released through Universal Motown (Universal Music
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
) from July 22, 2011. The ten-song set (deluxe: fourteen, international: seventeen) is Rowland's first album since parting ways with Matthew Knowles as her manager and leaving long time label Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
. Here I Am is predominately a 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...
and pop music
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...
album with subtle influences of dance music
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
. It follows Rowland's assertion that "no one puts her in a box" with common themes around womanhood, sexual intemacy and love. Originally scheduled for release in 2010, the album was pushed back after the first round of singles were released to mixed reception both with the critics and commericially.
"Commander
Commander (song)
"Commander" is a song performed by American recording artist Kelly Rowland from her third studio album, Here I Am . It serves as the project's international lead single and her debut release with Universal Motown...
" (2010) produced by and featuring David Guetta
David Guetta
Pierre David Guetta , known professionally as David Guetta , is a French house music producer and DJ. Originally a DJ at nightclubs during the 1980s and 1990s, he co-founded Gum Productions and released his first album, Just a Little More Love, in 2002. Later, he released Guetta Blaster and Pop Life...
topped international and US dance charts, becoming a top-ten hit in the UK and some of Europe. Three other singles: "Forever and a Day
Forever and a Day (Kelly Rowland song)
"Forever and a Day" is a song by American recording artist Kelly Rowland. Written by Rowland, Andre Merritt, Samual Watters, and Jonas Jeberg, the uptempo Europop song is the second international single taken from her third studio album, Here I Am...
," "Rose Colored Glasses" and "Grown Woman
Grown Woman
"Grown Woman" is a song by American singer Kelly Rowland, recorded during the recording sessions for her third studio album Here I Am . It was written by singer-songwriter Ne-Yo as well as Magnus Beite and Bernt Stray, and co-written and produced by Norwegian duo StarGate...
", all had limited commercial success and are subsequently included selected editions of the album or excluded all together. The international version of the album features seventeen songs including ones excluded from the US editions and some remixes. Here I Am features guest performances from Lil Wayne, Nelly
Nelly
Cornell Iral Haynes, Jr. , better known by his stage name Nelly, is an Grammy Award winning American rapper and actor. He has performed with the rap group St. Lunatics since 1993 and signed to Universal Records in 1999. Under Universal, Nelly began his solo career in 2000 with his debut album...
, Rico Love
Rico Love
Richard Preston Butler, Jr. , better known by his stage name Rico Love, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. Love wrote and produced hit records such as Usher’s "There Goes My Baby" and "Hey Daddy ”, Nelly's "Just a Dream" and "Gone", Beyoncé Knowles' "Sweet Dreams"...
, Lil Playy, The WAV.s and Big Sean
Big Sean
Sean Michael Anderson , better known by his stage name Big Sean, is an American rapper. Big Sean signed with Kanye West's G.O.O.D...
, who features on the single "Lay It on Me
Lay It on Me
"Lay It on Me" is a song by American recording artist Kelly Rowland and American rapper Big Sean, taken from Rowland's third studio album, Here I Am . It was sent to US rhythmic radio on August 16, 2011 by Universal Motown as the album's second single. "Lay It on Me" is a up-tempo R&B song that...
". Production of the album was was handled by the likes of Rodney Jerkins
Rodney Jerkins
Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins is an American songwriter, record producer, and musician. Jerkins received two Grammy nominations in 2011.-Biography:...
, Guetta, Jim Jonsin
Jim Jonsin
James Scheffer, better known by his professional name, Jim Jonsin, is an American Grammy award winning record producer, songwriter, record executive, and entrepreneur...
, Hit-boy, RedOne
RedOne
Nadir Khayat , known by the stage name RedOne, is a Moroccan producer and songwriter. Renowned for co-producing hit singles such as "Just Dance", "Poker Face", "LoveGame", "Bad Romance", "Alejandro" and "Judas", he is attributed by some as the key to Lady Gaga's success...
and The Runners
The Runners
The Runners is a hip hop production duo from Orlando, Florida, consisting of Andrew "Dru Brett" Harr and Jermaine "Mayne Zayne" Jackson. They came together to form the team in 2000, but they have known each other since they were in kindergarten. They are best known for producing the hit singles "Go...
. Love wrote half of the songs on the album, while Rowland earns writing credits for three of the songs.
After re-recording the majority of the album, a new single featuring 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...
titled "Motivation
Motivation (Kelly Rowland song)
"Motivation" is a song performed by American recording artist Kelly Rowland, taken from her third studio album Here I Am . The song was written by Jim Jonsin, Rico Love, Daniel Morris and Lil Wayne, with Jonsin producing the song and Lil Wayne having featured vocals. The R&B slow-jam serves as the...
", preceded the album in the US. It was greeted with a positive reception from critics and topped 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,...
chart as well as peaking in the top-twenty of the 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...
, becoming Rowland's most successful single to date. Here I Am was received well by critics, many of whom praised the strong productions and vocal performances but questioned some of the guests and a lack of the up-tempo dance sound Rowland had spoken of. Here I Am debuted at number one on the 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 and number three on the US 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...
albums chart, selling 77,000 copies. To date, it is Rowland's highest debuting album. Its full international release is immenent.
Background and new label
During her 2008 performances at T4 on the BeachT4 on the Beach
T4 On The Beach is a British one day music event which is held on the beach at Weston-super-Mare and televised for Channel 4. The event began in 2003 as Pop Beach in Great Yarmouth, changing to the current title and venue in 2005....
in Weston-Super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare is a seaside resort, town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which is within the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. It is located on the Bristol Channel coast, south west of Bristol, spanning the coast between the bounding high ground of Worlebury...
, United Kingdom, Rowland was exposed to British bands and live festival music. It inspired her to pursue a new sound for her then untitled third album. She then travelled the South of France for vacation in Summer 2008 where she was exposed to dance music
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
. It was here that she met French disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
(DJ) David Guetta and heard the foundations of "When Love Takes Over
When Love Takes Over
"When Love Takes Over" is a song by French disc jockey -music producer David Guetta from his fourth studio album, One Love. It was released as the lead single from the album on 21 April 2009 by Virgin Records...
", a song that would leave a lasting impression on the singer. After falling in love with the song, Rowland would take it back to London to write and record the vocals with Australian songwriters, The Nervo Twins. However Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
were not impressed with the new sound and the record was left unfinished until it was rediscovered by Guetta, when compiling his One Love
One Love (David Guetta album)
One Love received generally favourable reviews from most music critics. According to Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 66, based on ten reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews"...
album.
In March 2009, it was revealed that the singer was parting ways with Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
. Speaking of her decision to leave, Rowland said, "as a solo artist, I felt the need to explore new directions, new challenges, and new freedoms outside my comfort zone and my friends and family at Columbia have been incredibly understanding about my evolution. I want to thank everyone at Columbia for the love and support they've shown and I will never forget how many good times we've had over the years." It was also announced in March that Guetta was releasing "When Love Takes Over", his collaboration with Rowland. The song went on to be a worldwide success for the duo. Jason Lipshutz 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...
said "the success comes at an intriguing time in Rowland's career", having noted that she had landed a hosting job on Bravo's The Fashion Show
The Fashion Show (U.S. TV series)
The Fashion Show: Ultimate Collection is an American reality television series on the Bravo network which focuses on fashion design and is hosted by fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi and supermodel Iman. The contestants compete against each other to create the best clothes and are usually restricted...
and was in between labels.
In October 2009 it was suggested that the success of the single had made Rowland consider signing a new record deal with EMI Music. Despite earlier claims, Rowland told 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...
in 2010 that she didn't leave Columbia Records of her own accord. She was dropped because her previous album, Ms. Kelly
Ms. Kelly
Ms. Kelly is the second solo studio album by American R&B singer Kelly Rowland. It was released by Columbia Records in collaboration with Music World Entertainment and Sony Music during the third quarter of 2007, beginning with most European territories on June 22...
, was not commercially successful. Then in May 2010, speculation of Rowland's new record ended when an official press release revealed that she had signed to Universal Motown Records
Universal Motown Records
Universal Motown Records was a record label that operated as a division of Universal Motown Republic Group. It was the contemporary incarnation of the legendary Motown Records label, and the "urban" half of UMRG, although there was some rock artists on the label as well.Changes were made at...
. It was whilst recording within the studios with Guetta that Rowland caught the attention of the head of Universal Motown, Sylvia Rhone
Sylvia Rhone
Sylvia Rhone is an American music industry executive who served as president of Universal Motown Records until 2011.She has overseen a roster of artists in the Universal Motown lineup including Lil Wayne and the Cash Money artists Nicki Minaj, Drake, Kid Cudi, Nelly, Melanie Fiona, Akon, Erykah...
, which led to the new deal. On the decision to go with Rhone's label, Rowland said "they have really embraced me and have set me up to succeed. I decided, after careful thought, to sign with Universal Motown not only because of their track record of success, but also because they truly put their artists first". Here I Am has a distinctly different sound to Rowland's previous albums. Simply Deep
Simply Deep
Simply Deep is the debut solo album by American singer Kelly Rowland, first released by Columbia Records on October 28, 2002 in North America, and by February 3, 2003 throughout most international territories...
(2002) followed a rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
–dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
sound, while Ms. Kelly
Ms. Kelly
Ms. Kelly is the second solo studio album by American R&B singer Kelly Rowland. It was released by Columbia Records in collaboration with Music World Entertainment and Sony Music during the third quarter of 2007, beginning with most European territories on June 22...
(2007) featured an urban
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...
sound. However on her third album, there are a lot of up-tempo tracks. The album is tailored specifically towards individual markets, with the US version of the album featuring more traditional 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...
and pop records
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...
, while the international version of the album features more of an "up-tempo dancey" sound.
Musical influences
In an interview with The IndependentThe Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, Rowland admitted that with her first two records she struggled to find her sound. "I was in a stage with the first two records where I was searching and I was like, let me try a rock-dance approach, the label [and management] wanted me to try it and I did it... And then after that came a more urban approach with Ms. Kelly
Ms. Kelly
Ms. Kelly is the second solo studio album by American R&B singer Kelly Rowland. It was released by Columbia Records in collaboration with Music World Entertainment and Sony Music during the third quarter of 2007, beginning with most European territories on June 22...
in 2007." She further described the songs on her previous albums as sounding very much the same, which led her to the realisation that she "needed refreshing". She told Entertainment Focus that meeting French DJ David Guetta "changed her perspective and helped to inspire the new sound". She then spent more time in Europe in 2009, something which she said had influenced her. "It's different being over here in Europe and just being able to look at different magazines and fashion shows and things like that. And just thinking about the look and working with different stylists as well. I wanted to make sure it was a look that was all me, you know?" She noted that seeing people's reactions to dance music made her feel "completely intoxicated!" In July 2010 said "I spent about a year of my life in Europe really listening to a whole bunch of European DJs and hearing dance music a lot on the radio and really loving it. "When Love Takes Over" was my first introduction to dance music [and] it was a whole other monster. It's really a culture and I love it," during an interview with Alex Catarinella of PAPER
Paper (magazine)
Paper magazine is a New York City–based independent magazine covering and discovering cultural movements with a focus on fashion, design, pop-culture, nightlife, music, art and film. The magazine covers trends, new creative talent, urban American lifestyle as well as international lifestyles and...
magazine.
When she was interviewed for Blues & Soul
Blues & Soul
Blues & Soul is a British music magazine covering black music. Genres covered include soul, R&B, jazz, hip hop, reggae and world music. It was first published in 1966 and is known for first using the term Northern Soul....
in 2010, she explained that the album will blend her urban roots with a strong dance music influence. "I'd say the main difference between this new album and my previous albums, is that this time I wasn't afraid to take a risk. I didn't care whether it was urban, dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
, 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...
, WHATEVER... I just wanted a great track that I could sing and that people would enjoy." Part of the inspiration for the new sound on the album was wanting to do something different. In her interview with The Independent she said, "For me, it was being kind of at a flat line with urban music and wanting something different ... when I did 'When Love Takes Over', it was easy to do it – it was almost like it happened before me in spirit and I walked right into it. ...so I knew I couldn't be afraid of this direction, and I wasn't going to let the thoughts and opinions of others make me afraid to go in this direction." Then in response to criticisms that her long-standing fans would not have their expectations met, she said "I did not forget about my urban roots, nor will I ever ... That is one of the reasons I am here period ... I thank everyone for being so wonderful and so open to me trying something new. I won't let you down this record, I promise you."
She experessed frustrations with the constant comparisons to Beyoncé and opinions that urban artists should only produce urban records. Defending her decision to widen the range of genres on the new album, she said "Nobody puts me in a box!" Alex Cantaranella of Paper magazine described her position on the album as "an unassuming, poised woman who isn't fazed by the 'bullshit that comes with the territory." Rowland explained the decision to name the album after herself by explaining that "It's more so introducing myself as Kelly Rowland being Kelly Rowland and just being myself. I'm the most confident I've been on a record ever. And it's by myself. I love it." Rowland would go on to say that the album was "a mixture of different sounds that express me and where I'm at right now in my career", and promising that the album will be a "defining moment" in her career.
Upon completion of the album Rowland said
Music and production
The earliest indication that Rowland had begun her third studio album came in 2008 following her performance at T4 on the BeachT4 on the Beach
T4 On The Beach is a British one day music event which is held on the beach at Weston-super-Mare and televised for Channel 4. The event began in 2003 as Pop Beach in Great Yarmouth, changing to the current title and venue in 2005....
. During the interview she gave to The Daily Star, she had approached Irish indie band The Script for a duet whilst another indie band, The Guillemots, gave Rowland one of their songs to work with. Then following her leave from Columbia Records, she began work on her third album despite being without a record label for over one year. Sessions took place in 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...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Miami with Rowland specifically wanting a wide range of songs to choose from.
One of the first people she actually entered the studios with was David Guetta. He co-wrote and produced the song, "Commander", a song with themes of controlling destiny, taking control and being sexy. Rowland said of the song, "I hope to see women singing the song like they’re in charge. It’s important to know that we are commanders who have the power to shape our own destiny." Rico Love
Rico Love
Richard Preston Butler, Jr. , better known by his stage name Rico Love, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. Love wrote and produced hit records such as Usher’s "There Goes My Baby" and "Hey Daddy ”, Nelly's "Just a Dream" and "Gone", Beyoncé Knowles' "Sweet Dreams"...
wrote the song and, according to Rowland, had credits on around half of the album. "Commander" features on the album as track number nine, while its urban remix featuring Nelly
Nelly
Cornell Iral Haynes, Jr. , better known by his stage name Nelly, is an Grammy Award winning American rapper and actor. He has performed with the rap group St. Lunatics since 1993 and signed to Universal Records in 1999. Under Universal, Nelly began his solo career in 2000 with his debut album...
features on the deluxe edition as track fourteen. Guetta also had a hand in co-producing "Forever and a Day
Forever and a Day (Kelly Rowland song)
"Forever and a Day" is a song by American recording artist Kelly Rowland. Written by Rowland, Andre Merritt, Samual Watters, and Jonas Jeberg, the uptempo Europop song is the second international single taken from her third studio album, Here I Am...
" with Danish producer Jonas Jeberg. The song was written by Sam Watters
Sam Watters
Sam Watters is a Grammy nominated American songwriter, record producer, singer, and record executive. Watters was a member of the multi-platinum selling 1990’s R&B group Color Me Badd and co-authored many of their hits including “I Wanna Sex You Up”, “I Adore Mi Amor”, and “All 4 Love”...
, Andre Merrit, Jeberg and Rowland. During the album's New York listening party in June 2010, "Forever and Day" was described by Honey Mag as a display of Rowland's "vocals" with "long-winded riffs and sky-high notes." It was released as a single in some international markets in September 2010. Aside from Guetta, Rowland was reunited with 'The Nervo Twins' who previously helped Rowland to write "When Love Takes Over".
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...
singer-songwriter Ne-Yo
Ne-Yo
Shaffer Chimere Smith, Jr. , better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and actor. Beginning his career as a songwriter, Ne-Yo penned the hit "Let Me Love You" for singer Mario...
has been involved in the album and has written three songs which were produced by StarGate
Stargate (production team)
This is a list of songs written and produced by the Norwegian production team Stargate.-Produced singles:-1999:5ive - Invincible*05. "Two Sides to Every Story"*06. "You Make Me a Better Man"Noora Noor - Curious*01. "Curious"...
. When describing the process of working with him, Rowland said, "Ne-Yo asked me what I wanted to talk about, and I replied 'I'm in a different space. Change is very comfortable for me, and I'm happy where I am'." The first of these records, "Shake Them Haters Off", was originally intended to be a single in the US. It is an "up-tempo" and fun record with lyrics such as "Its like a job I that I never get a break from/because haters never take a vacation." Another collaboration titled "Grown Ass Woman" (later changed to "Grown Woman") was described by Rowland as her favorite song on the new album. Ne-Yo conceptualized the song in a three-minute conversation with Rowland, where she told him she wanted a record where she could claim "I'm grown!". According to Janine Simon from Honey Mag, on "Grown [Ass] Woman" Rowland digs "through old pictures from the Destiny’s Child days reflecting on how far she has come yet how 'Grown and silly' she still is." It would later be released as one of the album's two US lead singles. The pair collaborated on a third song, "Heaven and Earth", described by Simon as a ballad using imagery to demonstrate a "sonic portrait, painted with flecks of sentiment; a picture of what the singer believes is what 'we deserve as a people'." According to Rowland, one of these three records was also recorded as a duet featuring Ne-Yo's vocals. None of these songs made the album apart from "Heaven and Earth", which features as song number eleven on the deluxe edition.
Ester Dean
Ester Dean
Ester Renay Dean is an American singer and songwriter, and record producer signed to Zone 4 Records/Interscope Records. She is most notable for her dual appearance on Rio: Music From The Motion Picture and her 2009 US hit single "Drop It Low", which featured singer Chris Brown...
and Dr. Luke
Dr. Luke
Lukasz Gottwald , better known as Dr. Luke, is an American songwriter, record producer, and remixer. Luke performed with the Saturday Night Live Band for ten seasons until 2007. He has co-written and co-produced a string of commercially successful songs...
also worked on the album, respectively writing and producing the other US lead single "Rose Colored Glasses". Then song's lyrics portray "the issues that arise when one plays the fool in a relationship." During Rowland's concert series for iheartradio
Iheartradio
iHeartRadio is a Clear Channel Radio network to aggregate local radio brands, personalities and on-demand content. It is best known as a mobile application...
, the singer took time out to reflect on the song. She recalled, "The first time I heard the song it made me think of all of the relationships where I had to wear rose-colored glasses." It was also revealed that, during the studio recording session with Dean, she began to cry at the thought of all the "toxic relationships" she had been in "where she needed to leave." Later in an interview with The Belfast Telegraph
The Belfast Telegraph
The Belfast Telegraph is a daily evening newspaper published in Belfast, Northern Ireland by Independent News & Media.It was first published as the Belfast Evening Telegraph on 1 September 1870 by brothers William and George Baird...
, Rowland said that the song had taken its toll on her. She said "It brought back a few memories, and when I recorded it I cried so much my vocal chords got swollen." Dean also worked alongside Rowland during last minute studio sessions with producer 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...
, which spawned a female empowerment song called "I'm Dat Chick". Although "Rose Colored Glasses" was omitted from the US track listing, Dean's song "I'm Dat Chick" made the album appearing as the opening song. Written as a "confidence-boosting" anthem, "I'm Dat Chick" is built around a urban
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...
-electro
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
club beat designed to get "even shy women to come out of their shells" according to Rap-Up magazine. Meanwhile Dean's third contribution, "Lay It on Me", features upcoming rapper Big Sean
Big Sean
Sean Michael Anderson , better known by his stage name Big Sean, is an American rapper. Big Sean signed with Kanye West's G.O.O.D...
and centers on an up-tempo R&B melody with 808s
Roland TR-808
The Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer was one of the first programmable drum machines . Introduced by the Roland Corporation in early 1980, it was originally manufactured for use as a tool for studio musicians to create demos. Like earlier Roland drum machines, it does not sound very much like a real...
and high NRG
Hi-NRG
Hi-NRG describes a form of high-tempo disco music as well as a genre of electronic dance music originating in the United States during the late 1970s...
-led production. It features a "tinkling piano" melody and light R&B beat.
"Take Everything", another song recorded for the album, is one of several songs written by Love and produced by Jim Jonsin
Jim Jonsin
James Scheffer, better known by his professional name, Jim Jonsin, is an American Grammy award winning record producer, songwriter, record executive, and entrepreneur...
and was the first record that Rowland recorded with the duo. Jonsin praised his studio sessions with Rowland, describing the new sound as Donna Summer
Donna Summer
LaDonna Adrian Gaines , known by her stage name, Donna Summer, is an American singer/songwriter who gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s. She has a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Summer is a five-time Grammy winner and was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach...
-esque. During an interview with 103.5 KTU FM, she accidentally revealed she had collaborated with Pitbull
Pitbull (rapper)
Armando Christian Pérez , better known by his stage name Pitbull, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and record producer. His first recorded performance was from the Lil Jon album Kings of Crunk in 2002, after which he released his debut album in 2004 titled M.I.A.M.I. under TVT Records...
, but it was not until August 15, 2010 during an interview with 97.9 The Box FM
KBXX
KBXX is a Houston-based radio station with an urban contemporary musical format. It is owned by Radio One. Its transmitter is located in Missouri City, Texas. 97.9 The Box is currently the only station that plays hip hop and modern R&B music in the Greater Houston area after the demise of KPTY in...
, that it was revealed that he features on "Take Everything". Another song written and produced by the duo is titled "Motivation" featuring 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...
. It was released as the album's 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 April 2011. Speaking of how the record came about, Rowland said "Motivation came about when I was in the studio with [producers] Jim Jonsin and Rico Love, and we kind of were just vibing. I told Rico I wanted something really sexy ... and he came up with 'Motivation' along with Jim. It turned into this amazing record... I played [ 'Motivation' for 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...
] and he got on it, and it was just as simple as that." The racy lyrics center around Rowland asking her man to use his hands all over her body, and are accompanied by a "synth
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
-saturated beat" produced by Jonsin. In terms of instruments, "Motivation" uses sparse keyboard notes, programmed beats and pulsing synths in the chorus
Refrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
. Wayne adds a rap verse complementing Rowland's seductive suggestions, using the kitchen and a car as metaphors for sex.
A press release also revealed she had worked with Salaam Remi
Salaam Remi
Salaam Remi Gibbs, better known as Salaam Remi, is a hip hop producer and keyboard player, known for his association with Nas, Amy Winehouse, and his reggae-tinged approach to production...
, something which Love confirmed when he said he had worked on a song with Remi called "Love Is the Greatest" that he hoped would make the album. Of these recordings, only "Motivation" made the album appearing as song number three, while its Rebel Rock Remix appears on the deluxe edition as track thirteen. In another interview Rowland told the Daily Star that she had spoken to 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...
about working on the album and was also keen to get Sean "Diddy" Combs
Sean Combs
Sean John Combs , also known by his stage names Diddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and his clothing line earned a Council of Fashion Designers of America award. He was originally...
on the album. Shondrae 'Bangladesh
Bangladesh (producer)
Shondrae Crawford, better known as Bangladesh or Mr. Bangladesh, is a Grammy Award winning American record producer and disc jockey and rapper, who was born and raised in Des Moines, Iowa, and now lives in Atlanta, Georgia.- Life and career :...
' Crawford who is best known for producing "Diva
Diva (Beyoncé Knowles song)
"Diva" is a song by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles. The song was written and produced by Shondrae "Bangladesh" Crawford, Sean Garrett, and Knowles for her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce . It was released as the album's third overall single in the United States alongside the third...
" and "Video Phone" by Rowland's ex-bandmate and close friend Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
, revealed to Rap-Up that he had also been in the studio with Rowland. Of the collaborations, Bangladesh said, "the music that we've done is just hard, it's edgy, but it's still sexy, and it's not raunchy ... What I like to do when I go in with artists, I like to recreate and reinvent 'em, even if they didn't need that." Another song recorded for the album was the Brian Kennedy
Brian Kennedy (producer)
Brian Kennedy Seals is an American songwriter, record producer and musician from Kansas City, MO. Revered as a piano prodigy, he has been making music tracks since 2001...
-produced dance song "On and On" which was written by Kennedy, Merritt, Rowland and Robert Allen. "On and On" was used in episode fifteen of the MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
reality TV series The Hills
The Hills
The Hills is a reality television series which originally aired on MTV from May 31, 2006 until July 13, 2010. The show uses a reality television format, following the personal lives of several young adults living in Los Angeles, California, but tends towards a narrative format more commonly found...
. Both Bangladesh and Kennedy productions are omitted from the album.
Other studio sessions took place with Akon
Akon
Aliaune Damala Badara Thiam, better known as simply Akon , is a Senegalese American R&B recording artist and songwriter.According to Forbes, Akon grossed $21 million in 2010, $20 million in 2009 and $12 million in 2008. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up", the first...
, while new writing sessions were planned with season eight
American Idol (season 8)
The eighth season of American Idol premiered on January 13, 2009, and concluded on May 20, 2009. Judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson continued to judge the show's contestants, along with Ryan Seacrest as host. The season introduced Kara DioGuardi as the fourth judge on the Idol...
American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
runner-up Adam Lambert
Adam Lambert
Adam Mitchel Lambert is an American singer, songwriter, and actor from San Diego, California. In May 2009, he finished as the runner-up on the eighth season of American Idol...
. No songs from either Akon or Lambert appear on the US track listing. In September 2010 it was also confirmed that Stewart's fellow songwriting and production partner, 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...
, had joined his studio sessions with Rowland. Rap-Up reported that The-Dream had been staying in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
where he was penning songs for Rowland to record. Then on September 5, 2010 songwriter and producer Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri Mauldin , known as Jermaine Dupri or JD, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper.- Early life and career :...
, revealed in his 'Living the Life' series that he was in the studio with Rowland recording material for the album. In the second of these videos, songwriter Bryan-Michael Cox was also present during sessions with Rowland and Dupri. It was later revealed that the opportunity and desire to schedule more recording sessions with the duo led to the album's pushback into 2011. None of the tracks with Dupri, Cox or The-Dream made the album. In January 2011, during a trip to London, it was revealed that Gucci Mane
Gucci Mane
Radric Davis , better known by his stage name Gucci Mane, is an American rapper. He debuted in 2005 with Trap House and followed with albums such as Hard to Kill in 2006, Trap-A-Thon and Back to the Trap House in 2007. In 2009, his second studio album The State vs. Radric Davis was released...
, 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...
and Rick Ross
Rick Ross (rapper)
William Leonard Roberts II , better known by his stage name Rick Ross, is an American rapper. He derived his stage name from the drug trafficker "Freeway" Ricky Ross, to whom he has no connection...
will all appear on the album. Although by the time the track listing was revealed, only Wayne's song features while rappers Mane and Ross were replaced with new songs, respectively featuring Big Sean
Big Sean
Sean Michael Anderson , better known by his stage name Big Sean, is an American rapper. Big Sean signed with Kanye West's G.O.O.D...
, Lil Playy and Love.
Love features on the 2 Live Crew
2 Live Crew
2 Live Crew was a hip hop group from Miami, Florida. They caused considerable controversy with the sexual themes in their work, particularly on their 1989 album As Nasty As They Wanna Be.- Early career :...
-sampling "All of the Night". Using elements
Sampling (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...
of "One and One", the steamy duet sees "Rowland comparing her bedroom activities to music." Love also co-wrote and co-produced another R&B midtempo for the album titled "Feeling Me Right Now", where the lyrics describe what it is like to find "self-love" in the club. The final Love-penned song which appears on the album is titled "Each Other" and was co-written/co-produced by Souldiggaz. Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins scores two songs on the album, including the Lil Playy-assisted "Work It Man". Beginning with a strong piano riff, the song picks up its tempo resulting in a "speaker-banger." The lyrics see Rowland telling listeners what kind of man she wants. "Turn It Up", another Darkchild production, features a synth
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
-heavy production with lyrics about having a good time and allowing karma to deal with a cheating partner. Joseph "Lonny" Bereal
Lonny Bereal
Joseph A. Bereal, also known by his stage name Lonny Bereal, is an American R&B singer, songwriter and producer.-Career:Bereal is the cousin of songwriter and producers Charles and Kenneth Bereal. Having started off as a drummer, Bereal got his first break as a background vocalist for John P. Kee...
helped Rowland and two others to co-write "Keep It Between Us", a song that appears as the eighth song on the album. In February 2011, during New York Fashion Week
New York Fashion Week
The semi-annual New York Fashion Week, branded Mercedes-Benz FashionWeek in 2009, is held in February and September of each year in New York City. It is one of four major fashion weeks held around the world .-History:The first New York Fashion Week, then called Press Week, was the world's first...
, Rowland confirmed that she also had sessions arranged with RedOne
RedOne
Nadir Khayat , known by the stage name RedOne, is a Moroccan producer and songwriter. Renowned for co-producing hit singles such as "Just Dance", "Poker Face", "LoveGame", "Bad Romance", "Alejandro" and "Judas", he is attributed by some as the key to Lady Gaga's success...
, which led to the conception of the album's tenth song, a Eurodance
Eurodance
Eurodance is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s or early 1990s primarily in Europe. It combines many elements from House, Techno, Hi-NRG and especially Italo-Disco...
song called "Down for Whatever," co-produced by The WAV.s and Jimmy Joker.
Rowland revealed in August 2010 that she would be releasing a different, "more up-tempo dancey" version of the album in international territories after she experienced more success with dance music
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
internationally.. With the album beginning production from as early as late 2008, Rowland completed a number of songs with a wide range of producers, some of which didn't make the US version of the album. Rowland confirmed in July 2011 that the European track listing will consist of leftover songs from the album's recording sessions as well as songs from the US version and some newly recorded songs. The international version of the album features the original ten songs from the standard edition plus: "Heaven & Earth" and "Each Other" from the deluxe edition, as well as "When Love Takes Over
When Love Takes Over
"When Love Takes Over" is a song by French disc jockey -music producer David Guetta from his fourth studio album, One Love. It was released as the lead single from the album on 21 April 2009 by Virgin Records...
" (with Guetta), "Rose Colored Glasses," "Motivation (Diplo Remix)," "Forever and a Day
Forever and a Day (Kelly Rowland song)
"Forever and a Day" is a song by American recording artist Kelly Rowland. Written by Rowland, Andre Merritt, Samual Watters, and Jonas Jeberg, the uptempo Europop song is the second international single taken from her third studio album, Here I Am...
" and "What a Feeling
What a Feeling (Alex Gaudino song)
"What a Feeling" is a song by Italian disc jockey Alex Gaudino, taken from his second studio album Magnificent . The club-ready house song features leading vocals from American singer Kelly Rowland. It was written by Gaudino, Giuseppe D'Albenzio, Emmanuel Mijares, Jenson Vaughan, Rowland and...
" (with Alex Gaudino
Alex Gaudino
Alex Gaudino is a record producer and disc jockey from Salerno, Italy.-Early Career :Alex was born in Salerno, Italy...
), all excluded from the US edition of the album.
Title and release
On June 17, 2010, Rowland held an album listening party at Hudson Hall in New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
where she revealed that her third studio album would be eponymously-titled. Subsequently during an interview with PAPERMAG
Paper (magazine)
Paper magazine is a New York City–based independent magazine covering and discovering cultural movements with a focus on fashion, design, pop-culture, nightlife, music, art and film. The magazine covers trends, new creative talent, urban American lifestyle as well as international lifestyles and...
the following month, Rowland July 2010, Rowland announced that the self-titled album would "introduce Kelly Rowland being Kelly Rowland," with a wide range of records. She said, "I'm the most confident I've been on a record ever. And it's by myself. I love it." Kelly Rowland was due to arrive in stores on September 14, 2010. However, just days after the interview, the singer said she was having second thoughts about the name. A facility was set-up whereby fans could suggest new names through Rowland's official website. The album was also pushed back a week, though no reason was given. This would be swiftly followed by another announcement that Rowland had seized the opportunity for new studio sessions with Akon
Akon
Aliaune Damala Badara Thiam, better known as simply Akon , is a Senegalese American R&B recording artist and songwriter.According to Forbes, Akon grossed $21 million in 2010, $20 million in 2009 and $12 million in 2008. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up", the first...
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...
(respectively) and hence the album would now come out on October 26, 2010 The album was pushed back a fourth time, by one week with no reason give.
In an interview with JLB Mornings on WJLB Radio, Rowland would go to explain that part of the reasons for the constant pushbacks were her desires to perfect the album. This was followed by another pushback to November 9, 2010 and an announcement on The Today Show
The Today Show
Today is an iconic American morning news and talk show airing every morning on NBC. Debuting on January 14, 1952, it was the first of its genre on American television and in the world. The show is also the fourth-longest running American television series...
that despite numerous false reports and rumors, the album was still missing a title. She said "I saw one blog saying that the album was called One Woman Show, [and] that's totally never been the case." Expanding further she said that "the title has to work with the tracks that make the record, and that's why even though there have been some good suggestions from fans I can't decide on one that fits". Then on September 11, 2010, during New York Fashion Week
New York Fashion Week
The semi-annual New York Fashion Week, branded Mercedes-Benz FashionWeek in 2009, is held in February and September of each year in New York City. It is one of four major fashion weeks held around the world .-History:The first New York Fashion Week, then called Press Week, was the world's first...
, Rowland broke the news that the album was incomplete and would now be released in 2011 so that she could work with R&B songwriting
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and production
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
duo Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri Mauldin , known as Jermaine Dupri or JD, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper.- Early life and career :...
and Bryan-Michael Cox.
Also in mid-late September it was revealed that three new names had been shortlisted for the album, including one suggested by a fan. Then some eight months after revealing that three names had been shortlisted for the album, Rowland gave an exclusive interview with 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...
, where she revealed that the album would be called Here I Am. In the interview she said: After receiving a release date of Fall 2011, the album was moved up to July 26, 2011 following the success of the album's lead single "Motivation
Motivation (Kelly Rowland song)
"Motivation" is a song performed by American recording artist Kelly Rowland, taken from her third studio album Here I Am . The song was written by Jim Jonsin, Rico Love, Daniel Morris and Lil Wayne, with Jonsin producing the song and Lil Wayne having featured vocals. The R&B slow-jam serves as the...
". Rowland had previously said that she had intended to release two alternative versions of the album, one for the US and a more up-tempo dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
version for international markets. A new version of the album will be released in the United Kingdom in November 2011, coinciding with Rowland's new job as a judge on series eight
The X Factor (UK series 8)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. The eighth series began airing on ITV on 20 August 2011. Louis Walsh is the only judge from the previous series to return, as the other three, Simon Cowell, Dannii Minogue and Cheryl Cole, all left to join other...
of The X Factor (UK). Rowland will release Here I Am in the UK with a performance on the show.
Artwork
On June 27, 2011, just under a month away from its US release, Rowland revealed the two versions of the album cover: one for the standard edition of the album and the other for the deluxe edition. The shoot took place with fashion photographer Derek Blanks. Photos from the shoot and a series of promotional/press photos were released on June 13, 2011. The shoot included various scenes including Rowland pinned against a bamboo fence and numerous semi-naked shots. Some of the images were tinted blue, and images shot include those used for the album cover and single cover for "Lay it on Me." Make-up for the shoot was done by Latasha Wright while Kim Kimble handled the hairstyling.Marketing and promotion
The promotional trail for the project began in March 2010 when Rowland performed at Cathy Guetta's Fuck Me I'm Famous party at the Winter Music ConferenceWinter Music Conference
The Winter Music Conference is a weeklong electronic music conference, held every March since the mid-1980s in Miami, Florida, United States. Venues are hosted primarily in Downtown Miami and Miami's South Beach...
in Miami. Following this, Rowland held an album listening party at Hudson Hall in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
on June 17, 2010. During the party, Rowland was interviewed by Gayle King while introducing songs from the album. Among those played were, "Rose Colored Glasses", "Shake Them Haters Off", "Grown [Ass] Woman", "Forever and a Day
Forever and a Day (Kelly Rowland song)
"Forever and a Day" is a song by American recording artist Kelly Rowland. Written by Rowland, Andre Merritt, Samual Watters, and Jonas Jeberg, the uptempo Europop song is the second international single taken from her third studio album, Here I Am...
" and "Heaven and Earth". From as far back as January 12, 2010, Rowland has given magazine interviews about the album including spreads with New!, Take 5, The Daily Star and Musicology magazine. She performed at a second Fuck Me I'm Famous party, this time in Paris on June 25 and 26. In June, Rowland also appeared in the United Kingdom giving interviews with various radio stations, including Gaydar
Gaydar
Gaydar is a colloquialism referring to the intuitive ability of a person to assess others' sexual orientations as homosexual, bisexual, or heterosexual. Gaydar relies almost exclusively on non-verbal clues and LGBT stereotypes...
. She was interviewed for UK entertainment site 'Entertainment Focus' during her promotional tour in London, UK, before returning to the US on July 3, 2010 to host the Independence Day (July 4)
Independence Day (United States)
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
celebrations at the Pure
Pure Nightclub
Pure is a popular nightclub at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. The venue is and is the host of The Pussycat Dolls Lounge. The club is frequented by celebrities...
nightclub in Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
. These performances were reprised at 103.5 KTU
WKTU
WKTU is a radio station based in New York City that plays an upbeat, gold-based CHR format. The station's broadcast transmitter is located on the top of the Empire State Building and its city of license is Lake Success, New York, with offices formerly in the "Newport" section of Jersey City, New...
's Beatstock 2010 in New York on July 8 and 9. Then for a week beginning on July 26, 2010, Rowland flew to Australia to help the Optus
Optus
SingTel Optus Pty Limited is the second largest telecommunications company in Australia, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore Telecommunications...
mobile network to launch the iPhone 4
IPhone 4
The iPhone 4 is a touchscreen slate smartphone developed by Apple Inc. It is the fourth generation iPhone, and successor to the iPhone 3GS. It is particularly marketed for video calling , consumption of media such as books and periodicals, movies, music, and games, and for general web and e-mail...
. Part of the promotion included her performing a mini-concert for the network's customers. She also performed at the 2010 FlavaMen Blatino Awards
FlavaMen Blatino Awards
The FlavaMen Blatino Awards were launched in 2009 by FlavaMen, a gay erotic magazine devoted to black and Latino men and published by Flava Works...
afterparty.
She also performed for an exclusive audience of fans at the Gramercy Theatre, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on August 26, 2010 where she played a mini-set of new and old songs, as well as performing at the 'Ladies Night' during the Atlanta Black Gay Pride weekend on September 3 to September 5, 2010. However, not all of the promotion went as planned; the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
reported that Rowland had lip-synced during her performances at the P.C. Richard and Son Theatre for the iheartradio
Iheartradio
iHeartRadio is a Clear Channel Radio network to aggregate local radio brands, personalities and on-demand content. It is best known as a mobile application...
concert season. According to the Post, "Rowland was upset because she knew she didn't rock the house. The next day, reps for her Universal Motown label told Clear Channel suits, who handled the iheartradio Concert Series, they couldn't use the show for an online video." They also alleged that she had lip-synced at the KTU Beatstock festival, something which her representative said was not true as she sang "live to track". On June 26, 2011, Rowland took to the stage of the 2011 BET Awards
BET Awards of 2011
The 2011 BET Awards took place at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California on June 26, 2011. The awards recognized African-Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. Actor Kevin Hart hosted the event for the first time. ...
to perform her new US lead single "Motivation
Motivation (Kelly Rowland song)
"Motivation" is a song performed by American recording artist Kelly Rowland, taken from her third studio album Here I Am . The song was written by Jim Jonsin, Rico Love, Daniel Morris and Lil Wayne, with Jonsin producing the song and Lil Wayne having featured vocals. The R&B slow-jam serves as the...
" for the first time. Additionally Rowland's managers told Billboard magazine that there are plans for Rowland to play some concert dates in the United States alongside her appearance as a judge on series eight
The X Factor (UK series 8)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. The eighth series began airing on ITV on 20 August 2011. Louis Walsh is the only judge from the previous series to return, as the other three, Simon Cowell, Dannii Minogue and Cheryl Cole, all left to join other...
of the British X Factor reality TV series. According to CBS News
CBS News
CBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
, Rowland will tour with Chris Brown throughout September and October 2011. An international tour will take place in 2012, following the end of series eight of The X Factor
Singles
"Commander" was unveiled as Here I Ams first single during the 2010 Winter Music ConferenceWinter Music Conference
The Winter Music Conference is a weeklong electronic music conference, held every March since the mid-1980s in Miami, Florida, United States. Venues are hosted primarily in Downtown Miami and Miami's South Beach...
on March 27, 2010. It features and was produced by French disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
(DJ) David Guetta, and was released from May 17, 2010 to iTunes store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
s around the world for 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...
. Upon release the single was met with positive reception from music critics who praised the dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
sound of the song. In the United Kingdom, "Commander" topped the UK Dance Chart
UK Dance Chart
The UK Dance Chart is a chart compiled by The Official Charts Company from sales in record stores and digital downloads. Although the chart does not currently receive any airplay on the radio or television, the chart can be viewed on the BBC Radio 1 and The Official Charts Company website.Digital...
and became a top-ten hit on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, and Rowland's best chart position since 2008. Despite not being serviced as a single in the United States, it managed to top the Hot Dance Club Songs chart.
Initially in the United States, separate 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...
and 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...
singles were planned to be serviced to radio in a dual release strategy. The first of these singles, the Dr. Luke
Dr. Luke
Lukasz Gottwald , better known as Dr. Luke, is an American songwriter, record producer, and remixer. Luke performed with the Saturday Night Live Band for ten seasons until 2007. He has co-written and co-produced a string of commercially successful songs...
-produced "Rose Colored Glasses" was serviced to contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
and released for digital download on June 29, 2010. It received praise for showcasing a "trademark classy, controlled delivery" from Rowland, and "real strength is in its story and theme, that carries an emotional weight that Commanders talk of 'dance floor loving' could never reach." Despite this, the single only managed to peak at number thirty-nine on the US Top 40 Airplay
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
chart, as compiled by Media Base. The second of the aforementioned dual singles for the U.S. market, the 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...
single "Grown Woman
Grown Woman
"Grown Woman" is a song by American singer Kelly Rowland, recorded during the recording sessions for her third studio album Here I Am . It was written by singer-songwriter Ne-Yo as well as Magnus Beite and Bernt Stray, and co-written and produced by Norwegian duo StarGate...
", (produced by StarGate
Stargate (production team)
This is a list of songs written and produced by the Norwegian production team Stargate.-Produced singles:-1999:5ive - Invincible*05. "Two Sides to Every Story"*06. "You Make Me a Better Man"Noora Noor - Curious*01. "Curious"...
) was serviced to urban
Urban contemporary
Urban contemporary is a music radio format. The term was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s. Urban contemporary radio stations feature a playlist made up entirely of hip hop/rap, contemporary R&B, pop, electronica such as dubstep and drum and bass and Caribbean music...
, rhythmic
Rhythmic Contemporary
Rhythmic contemporary, also known as rhythmic top 40, rhythmic contemporary hit radio or rhythmic crossover, is a music radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip-hop and R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary rarely uses rock music or country music in its airplay, but it may...
and urban AC
Urban Adult Contemporary
Urban adult contemporary is the name for a format of radio music, similar to an urban contemporary format. Radio stations using this format usually would not have rap music on their playlists. The format was designed by Barry Mayo when he, Lee S. Simonson and Bill Pearson organized Broadcast...
radios on June 29, 2010 with a digital release coming later on. It was slightly more successful than the pop single "Rose Colored Glasses", managing to peak at number fifty-one in its third week 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,...
chart. While "Rose Colored Glasses" was featured on the international edition of the album, "Grown Woman" was excluded from both versions. International markets were serviced with a second single, "Forever and a Day
Forever and a Day (Kelly Rowland song)
"Forever and a Day" is a song by American recording artist Kelly Rowland. Written by Rowland, Andre Merritt, Samual Watters, and Jonas Jeberg, the uptempo Europop song is the second international single taken from her third studio album, Here I Am...
", that was produced by Jonas Jeberg
Jonas Jeberg
Jonas Jeberg , is a Danish songwriter and music producer best known for co'writing/ co'producing the smash hits I hate this part for Pussycat dolls and One step at a time for Jordin Sparks...
and co-produced by Guetta. It premiered via BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
on August 18, 2010 and was released from September 20, 2010. Despite receiving praise of Rowland's strong vocals, the single failed to match the success of "Commander", peaking at number forty-nine on the UK Singles Chart.
After the failed attempt to launch the album with the dual U.S. releases of pop single ("Rose Colored Glasses") and R&B single ("Grown Woman"), Rowland announced that the album would be rebooted with a brand new lead single for the US market. In April 2011, Rowland released the new lead single "Motivation
Motivation (Kelly Rowland song)
"Motivation" is a song performed by American recording artist Kelly Rowland, taken from her third studio album Here I Am . The song was written by Jim Jonsin, Rico Love, Daniel Morris and Lil Wayne, with Jonsin producing the song and Lil Wayne having featured vocals. The R&B slow-jam serves as the...
" featuring 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...
, replacing the previous lead singles. It was produced by Jim Jonsin
Jim Jonsin
James Scheffer, better known by his professional name, Jim Jonsin, is an American Grammy award winning record producer, songwriter, record executive, and entrepreneur...
with a synth
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
-saturated beat. The single was praised for its sex appeal, and upon release peaked at number seventeen on the 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...
as well as peaking at number one on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. "Motivation" became Rowland's highest charting single on the R&B format as a solo lead artist, and achieved the highest Hot 100 debut of her career. Ultimately it became Rowland's highest charting single, and the only single from Here I Am thus far to chart on the Hot 100.
The next U.S. single is "Lay It on Me" featuring rapper Big Sean
Big Sean
Sean Michael Anderson , better known by his stage name Big Sean, is an American rapper. Big Sean signed with Kanye West's G.O.O.D...
. Billboard described "Lay It on Me" is an uptempo song, led by an 808
Roland TR-808
The Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer was one of the first programmable drum machines . Introduced by the Roland Corporation in early 1980, it was originally manufactured for use as a tool for studio musicians to create demos. Like earlier Roland drum machines, it does not sound very much like a real...
and a hi-NRG
Hi-NRG
Hi-NRG describes a form of high-tempo disco music as well as a genre of electronic dance music originating in the United States during the late 1970s...
piano introduction with production by Hitboy.. The single received positive praise from critics, who felt it was catchy and sexy. "Lay It on Me" was sent to US rhythmic radio
Rhythmic Contemporary
Rhythmic contemporary, also known as rhythmic top 40, rhythmic contemporary hit radio or rhythmic crossover, is a music radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip-hop and R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary rarely uses rock music or country music in its airplay, but it may...
on August 16, 2011 and to Urban radio on September 6, 2011. The video for Lay it on Me was filmed in early September 2011, it was directed by british fashion photographer/director Sarah Chatfield and choreographer Frank Gatson, Jr., both of whom had worked with Rowland on the video for "Motivation.".The music video for "Lay It On Me" was released on October 12, 2011. The next international single is the RedOne
RedOne
Nadir Khayat , known by the stage name RedOne, is a Moroccan producer and songwriter. Renowned for co-producing hit singles such as "Just Dance", "Poker Face", "LoveGame", "Bad Romance", "Alejandro" and "Judas", he is attributed by some as the key to Lady Gaga's success...
-produced "Down for Whatever" (featuring The WAV.s). The music video was filmed in early September 2011 and directed by british fashion photographer/director Sarah Chatfield and choreographer Frank Gatson, Jr., both of whom had worked with Rowland on the video for "Motivation".. "Down for Whatever" impacted UK radio on September 16, 2011 and the music video was released on October 18, 2011. "Down for Whatever" was released in New Zealand and Australia on October 26, 2011, in Germany on November 4, 2011, and was released as a digital download in the UK on November 20, 2011.. The video for "Keep It Between Us" was filmed on November 22 and November 23, 2011, actor Lance Gross plays Rowland's love interest in the video. The song has yet to be confirmed as an official single.
Critical response
Here I Am received positive reviews from music critics. At MetacriticMetacritic
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,...
, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 65, based on eleven reviews, indicating "generally favourable reviews". Allmusic editor Andy Kellman gave Here I Am four out of five stars and complimented its appeal to "hip-hop and R&B" radio, adding that "Although very eclectic taste is required to appreciate in full, this is clearly Rowland’s brightest, most confident album yet." 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...
s Adam Markovitz gave Here I Am a B rating and called it "a solid if unambitious set of medium-hot finger snappers." Simon Gage from the Daily Express
Daily Express
The Daily Express switched from broadsheet to tabloid in 1977 and was bought by the construction company Trafalgar House in the same year. Its publishing company, Beaverbrook Newspapers, was renamed Express Newspapers...
called Here I Am a "jumping" collection of up-tempo songs comparable to Donna Summer
Donna Summer
LaDonna Adrian Gaines , known by her stage name, Donna Summer, is an American singer/songwriter who gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s. She has a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Summer is a five-time Grammy winner and was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach...
, but "broadly much tougher and maybe just a tad over-processed." Gage added that Rowland could include Here I Am amongst her other career highlights such as her singles "Work
Work (Kelly Rowland song)
"Work" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Kelly Rowland. It was written by Rowland, Scott Storch and "Work" is a song recorded by [[United States|American]] singer-songwriter [[Kelly Rowland]]. It was written by Rowland, [[Scott Storch]] and "Work" is a song recorded by [[United...
" (2008) and "When Love Takes Over
When Love Takes Over
"When Love Takes Over" is a song by French disc jockey -music producer David Guetta from his fourth studio album, One Love. It was released as the lead single from the album on 21 April 2009 by Virgin Records...
" (2009 collaboration with David Guetta
David Guetta
Pierre David Guetta , known professionally as David Guetta , is a French house music producer and DJ. Originally a DJ at nightclubs during the 1980s and 1990s, he co-founded Gum Productions and released his first album, Just a Little More Love, in 2002. Later, he released Guetta Blaster and Pop Life...
), as well as her judging role on series 8
The X Factor (UK series 8)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. The eighth series began airing on ITV on 20 August 2011. Louis Walsh is the only judge from the previous series to return, as the other three, Simon Cowell, Dannii Minogue and Cheryl Cole, all left to join other...
of The X Factor (UK). The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
s Evan Rytlewski called Here I Am a declaration of Rowland's liberation. Rytlewski attributed the album's appeal to the producers, whom he felt "drove forward the sound" and prevented Rowland from taking "songs too seriously" as done on Simply Deep
Simply Deep
Simply Deep is the debut solo album by American singer Kelly Rowland, first released by Columbia Records on October 28, 2002 in North America, and by February 3, 2003 throughout most international territories...
. He concluded his review by also praising Rowland's choice to include elements of dance music
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
. Elyssa Garnder from USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
gave the album a mixed review, stating that "Rowland traverses the gamut of predictable romantic scenarios prettily enough... alas, Here I Am proves a lot more cautious than that dare suggests." Jon Caramanica from the New York Times called the album both smart and surprising. "Here I Am is something much more confident and more surprising [than expected]. It's a chewy and moody R&B album on which Ms. Rowland sounds assured and vital. Or, at minimum, is made to sound that way... Her vocals are stacked thick and placed loud in the mix, but while they’re noticeable, they’re not particularly notable apart from their arrangements."
Despite finding some of its material unoriginal, Ken Capobianco of The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
commented that "Rowland makes up for her limited range with expressiveness throughout," while noting that the songs are centered around "self-affirmation and confidence." He ended his review by stating that the album's closing track "Down for Whatever" had a "pounding groove" which should have been the sentiment for the rest of the album. Allison Stewart from The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
commented that Here I Am would not establish a personality for Rowland, but it did not matter as she was in a place in her career where she did not need one. Described as a "perfectly likeable club-centric R&B" offering, Stewart said Rowland makes the most of the "killer beats and a flat affect" trends in the industry. Comments echoed by Michaelangelo Matos from the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
whose scathing review criticised the "bland material," particularly noting "secondhand beats" and awkward lyrics. Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
's Jesse Cataldo also called the album mediocre. Cataldo said "the skimpy roster [of rappers] makes Here I Am sound distressingly bare, and depressingly short on surprises and diversion. Rowland makes up for this by pushing the sex angle, but this pose never seems entirely natural."
Commercial performance
Here I Am debuted 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...
at number three and number one on the 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...
with 77,000 copies sold. To date it is Rowland's highest debuting and charting album in the United States. As of September 2011, the album has sold 151,400 copies in the US.Here I Am also debuted in the top-ten on the Canadian Urban Albums chart and at number forty-five on the 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...
. Despite an official international version not yet being released, the US version was made available for purchase in some international territories. The US version of Here I Am debuted at number fifteen on the Australian Urban Albums Chart
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
and number forty-five on the Australian Digital Albums chart. It performed better in the United Kingdom where it debuted at number thirty-eight on the UK Digital Albums chart but slightly lower on the UK R&B Albums chart, appearing at number sixteen.
Track listing
Notes- Track listing and producers per HMV GroupHMV GroupHMV is a British global entertainment retail chain and is the largest of its kind in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The company also operates in Hong Kong and Singapore. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE Fledgling Index...
and album booklet. - Track seven, "All of the Night", contains an interpolationInterpolationIn the mathematical field of numerical analysis, interpolation is a method of constructing new data points within the range of a discrete set of known data points....
of the 2 Live Crew2 Live Crew2 Live Crew was a hip hop group from Miami, Florida. They caused considerable controversy with the sexual themes in their work, particularly on their 1989 album As Nasty As They Wanna Be.- Early career :...
song "One and One", written by Luther CampbellLuther CampbellLuther R. Campbell , also known as Luke Skyywalker, Uncle Luke or Luke, is a record label owner, rap performer , and actor...
, David Hobbs, Mark Ross and Christopher Wongwon.
Credits and personnel
- Adapted from Barnes & NobleBarnes & NobleBarnes & Noble, Inc. is the largest book retailer in the United States, operating mainly through its Barnes & Noble Booksellers chain of bookstores headquartered at 122 Fifth Avenue in the Flatiron District in Manhattan in New York City. Barnes & Noble also operated the chain of small B. Dalton...
.
Creativity and management
- Derek Blanks – photographer
- Sandy Brummels – creative and art direction
- Omar Grant – A&R consultant
- Lorna Leighton – art direction
- Sylvia RhoneSylvia RhoneSylvia Rhone is an American music industry executive who served as president of Universal Motown Records until 2011.She has overseen a roster of artists in the Universal Motown lineup including Lil Wayne and the Cash Money artists Nicki Minaj, Drake, Kid Cudi, Nelly, Melanie Fiona, Akon, Erykah...
– executive producerExecutive producerAn executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production... - Edward Richardson – project co-ordination
- Gillian Russell – A&R administration
Performances
- Kelly RowlandKelly RowlandKelendria Trene "Kelly" Rowland is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer, and television personality. She rose to fame as one of the founding members of the American girl group Destiny's Child...
– lead vocals - Lil Playy – guest vocal performance (track 2 "Work It Man")
- Lil WayneLil WayneDwayne 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...
– guest vocal performance (track 3 "MotivationMotivation (Kelly Rowland song)"Motivation" is a song performed by American recording artist Kelly Rowland, taken from her third studio album Here I Am . The song was written by Jim Jonsin, Rico Love, Daniel Morris and Lil Wayne, with Jonsin producing the song and Lil Wayne having featured vocals. The R&B slow-jam serves as the...
", track 13 "Motivation [Rebel Remix]") - Big SeanBig SeanSean Michael Anderson , better known by his stage name Big Sean, is an American rapper. Big Sean signed with Kanye West's G.O.O.D...
– guest vocal performance (track 4 "Lay It on Me") - Joseph "Lonny" Bereal – background vocals
- Rico LoveRico LoveRichard Preston Butler, Jr. , better known by his stage name Rico Love, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. Love wrote and produced hit records such as Usher’s "There Goes My Baby" and "Hey Daddy ”, Nelly's "Just a Dream" and "Gone", Beyoncé Knowles' "Sweet Dreams"...
– guest vocal performance (track 7 "All of the Night") - David GuettaDavid GuettaPierre David Guetta , known professionally as David Guetta , is a French house music producer and DJ. Originally a DJ at nightclubs during the 1980s and 1990s, he co-founded Gum Productions and released his first album, Just a Little More Love, in 2002. Later, he released Guetta Blaster and Pop Life...
– credited performers (track 9 "CommanderCommander (song)"Commander" is a song performed by American recording artist Kelly Rowland from her third studio album, Here I Am . It serves as the project's international lead single and her debut release with Universal Motown...
") - The WAV.s – credited performers (track 10 "Down for Whatever")
- NellyNellyCornell Iral Haynes, Jr. , better known by his stage name Nelly, is an Grammy Award winning American rapper and actor. He has performed with the rap group St. Lunatics since 1993 and signed to Universal Records in 1999. Under Universal, Nelly began his solo career in 2000 with his debut album...
– guest vocal performance (track 14 "Commander [Urban Remix]") - Amber StreeterRichGirlRichGirl was an American R&B girl group consisting of four members, Audra, Brave, Lyndriette and SeVen. The group was formed with the help of record producer Rich Harrison, and is managed by Tina Davis...
– background vocals
Technical
- Diego Avendaño – engineer
- Marshall Bryant – engineer
- Richard Butler (Rico Love) – vocal producer, producer, remixer
- Cary Clark – engineer
- LaShawn "The Big Shiz" DanielsLaShawn DanielsLaShawn Ameen Daniels is an American songwriter, best known for his work with longtime colleague Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins. Daniels has written several of the Darkchild Team's hit songs, among them "The Boy Is Mine" by Brandy & Monica, "Say My Name" and "Lose My Breath" by Destiny's Child, "You...
– vocal producer - Ester DeanEster DeanEster Renay Dean is an American singer and songwriter, and record producer signed to Zone 4 Records/Interscope Records. She is most notable for her dual appearance on Rio: Music From The Motion Picture and her 2009 US hit single "Drop It Low", which featured singer Chris Brown...
– vocal producer - Aubry "Big Juice" Delaine – engineer, vocal engineer
- Mike "Handz" Donaldson – engineer
- Robert "LB" Dorsey – vocal engineer
- Earl Hood – producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, programming - Eric "E2" Goudy II – producer, programming
- Seth Foster – mastering engineer
- Chris Gehringer – mastering
- David Guetta – producer, recording engineer, audio mixerAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
, programming - Chauncey "Hit-Boy" Hollis – producer, programming
- Kuk HarrellKuk HarrellThaddis "Kuk" Harrell is an American songwriter, vocal producer, arranger and engineer. He is managed by RedZone Entertainment, and is a member of a songwriting–production team composed of himself, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and Terius "The Dream" Nash...
– engineer, vocal producer - Sam "The Engineer" Jaquet – engineer
- Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins – producer, vocal producer, instrumentation
- Jimmy Joker – rogramming, producer, instrumentation
- AJ Junior – engineer
- Nadir "RedOneRedOneNadir Khayat , known by the stage name RedOne, is a Moroccan producer and songwriter. Renowned for co-producing hit singles such as "Just Dance", "Poker Face", "LoveGame", "Bad Romance", "Alejandro" and "Judas", he is attributed by some as the key to Lady Gaga's success...
" Khayat – producer, proogramming, producer, engineer, vocal arrangements, instrumentation
- Kevin "DJ Rebel" Leyers – producer ( track 13 "Motivation" [Rebel Rock Remix] )
- Robert Marks – engineer
- Thurston McCrea – assistant recording engineer
- R.E.A.L. Music – keyboard arrangements
- Trevor Muzzy – engineer, vocal editing
- Chris "TEK" O'Ryan – engineer
- Christopher Richardson – engineer
- The Runners (Jermaine Jackson & Andrew Harr)The RunnersThe Runners is a hip hop production duo from Orlando, Florida, consisting of Andrew "Dru Brett" Harr and Jermaine "Mayne Zayne" Jackson. They came together to form the team in 2000, but they have known each other since they were in kindergarten. They are best known for producing the hit singles "Go...
– producer - James Scheffer (Jim JonsinJim JonsinJames Scheffer, better known by his professional name, Jim Jonsin, is an American Grammy award winning record producer, songwriter, record executive, and entrepreneur...
) – producer, programming - Shaffer "Ne-YoNe-YoShaffer Chimere Smith, Jr. , better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and actor. Beginning his career as a songwriter, Ne-Yo penned the hit "Let Me Love You" for singer Mario...
" Smith – producer, vocal producer - StarGateStargate (production team)This is a list of songs written and produced by the Norwegian production team Stargate.-Produced singles:-1999:5ive - Invincible*05. "Two Sides to Every Story"*06. "You Make Me a Better Man"Noora Noor - Curious*01. "Curious"...
(Mikkel Eriksen & Tor Hermansen) – producer, engineer - Christopher "Tricky" StewartChristopher 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...
– producer - Souldiggaz (Karriem Mack & Shaun Owens) – producer
- Latif Tayour – engineer
- Brian "B-Luv" Thomas – engineer
- Christopher "c4" Umana – producer, programming
- Orlando Vitto – engineer
- The WAV.s – programming, producer, instrumentation
- Sandy Wilhem (Sandy VeeSandy VeeSandy Julien Wilhelm, known professionally as Sandy Vee, is a French songwriter, disc jockey and music producer. Originally a disk jockey and producer within the house genre, he began working with pop artists in 2009...
) – recording engineer, audio mixer, programming - Andrew Wuepper – engineer
Charts
US Version| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
61 |
| 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... |
45 |
| Swiss Albums Chart | 69 |
| 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... |
126 |
| UK R&B Albums Chart UK R&B Chart The Official UK R&B Chart is a forty-position R&B/Hip-Hop chart compiled by The Official UK Charts Company. Although the chart does not receive any airplay, its compilation is viewed on BBC Radio 1's website and publications such as ChartsPlus and Music Week... |
16 |
| US 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... |
3 |
| US 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... |
1 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Edition (Format) | Catalog | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | July 22, 2011 | US Standard edition (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... ) |
602527431420 | Universal Music Universal Music Group Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations... |
| Italy | US Standard edition US Deluxe edition |
1015865212 -- |
Universal Republic Universal Music Group Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations... |
|
| United Kingdom | July 25, 2011 | US deluxe edition (Digital download) (Limited Time only) | 602527775975 | Universal Island Island Records Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group... |
| Canada | July 26, 2011 | US Standard edition (CD Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... ) |
602527431420 | Universal Music |
| US Deluxe edition (CD) | 602527775975 | |||
| United States | Standard edition (CD / digital download) | 602527431420 | Universal Motown | |
| Deluxe edition (CD / digital download) | 602527775975 | |||
| Australia | July 29, 2011 | US deluxe edition (CD) | 602527775975 | Universal Music |
| Japan | September 21, 2011 | US deluxe edition with Japan only bonus (CD) | — | |
| United Kingdom | August 8, 2011 | US standard edition (CD) | 2743142 | Universal Island |
| November 28, 2011 | International version (CD / digital download) | — | ||
| Poland | December 2, 2011 | Universal Music | ||
| Germany | ||||
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External links
- Here I Am at MetacriticMetacriticMetacritic.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,...