Rokstarr
Encyclopedia
Rokstarr is the second studio album
by English
recording artist Taio Cruz
. It was released on 12 October 2009 in the United Kingdom
. On 11 June 2010, a revised version of the album was released in Europe and the United States
, appearing as Cruz's debut album there. On 22 May 2011, a second revised version of the album was released in Brazil, other South American countries and Europe. The album debuted at number 14 on the UK Albums Chart
and number eight on the U.S. Billboard 200
.
and Babyface, many of the songs do tend to be about relationships in one way or another. But the difference this time is that, as well as the full-on love songs, I am having a little bit more FUN with it all!"
, with sales of 24,000 copies. In its second week, the album made a huge tumble from number eight to #50, with sales of just 9,000 copies. It later, dropped to #101, on its third week. On its fourth week, it was back to Top 100 Albums, at number #94. In its fifth week, it bounced to #86, due to the success of the single "Dynamite
" on the Hot 100 charts. On the week of 24 July 2010 the album climbed up again to number #69. On the week of 31 July 2010, the album fell again to number #80, while on the week of 7 August 2010, the album climbed again to number #73. On the week of 14 August 2010, the album climbed one spot to number #72, while on the week of 21 August 2010 (in its tenth week), the album made a huge climb to number 61, making the album's best week sales since its second week (when it was at #50). On the week of 28 August 2010, the album climb further to number #51.
On the week of 11 September 2010, the album fell to number #69 and on the week of 18 September 2010, the album fell again to number #85. The album re-entered at #122 on the week of 15 January 2011. It gave a huge climb to #75, on the week of 22 January 2011, due to the digital re-release edition.
Mike Driver from BBC
gave a extremely favorable review, saying that: "Rokstarr bounces to a beat that feels fresh and vibrant". Ken Capobianco from The Boston Globe
says that Rokstarr is "an agreeable, singles-going-steady kind of collection that should make for endless radio fodder." The New York Times
review states that "There are vapid lyrics to navigate ("Hit the floor cause that's my plans plans plans plans/I'm wearing all my favorite brands brands brands brands," on "Dynamite"), but they don't disrupt the mood, which is emphatic and rarely sensual: turns out Mr. Cruz has no off switch." Entertainment Weekly
opined that "The only song of equal caliber to "Break Your Heart
" on his Stateside debut is the Ke$ha-assisted sexting number "Dirty Picture
". The rest of the tracks are forgettable and include a cut for throwing hands in the air ("Dynamite") and one awkwardly placed effort to uplift ("I Can Be")." The Rolling Stone
review bluntly states "Cruz's singing lacks personality, and Rokstarr is ultimately a collection of decent, but generic, Eurodisco tracks without a star--"rok" or otherwise—to hold a listener's interest." NME
confess that "Although Cruz's downfall comes when he acts the player ('Break Your Heart', 'Dirty Picture'), it's obvious his real talent comes when he exchanges vocal manipulation for balladeering as on 'Falling In Love', and disregards romantic cynicism for a rather hopeful 'The 11th Hour'." David Jeffres from Allmusic rated it 3 stars (out of 5) and conclued that: "The hooks are plentiful on Rokstarr and infectious as they come. while as a producer Cruz is the Akon
-meets-will.i.am
-meets- Xenomania
package that radio and record labels have dreamed about. Sounds good, and the album does the whole way through, but lyrics are a sore point and when ballads appear to help round out the effort, just help emphasize how his words are trite. Still, when you let the clichés fade into the background this is a master class in what the mainstream wants for a soundtrack in 2010".
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 English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
recording artist Taio Cruz
Taio Cruz
Taio Cruz is a British singer-songwriter, record producer, occasional rapper, and entrepreneur. In 2008, he released his debut album Departure, which Cruz wrote, arranged and produced himself. It achieved initial success in the UK and earned him a MOBO Award nomination...
. It was released on 12 October 2009 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. On 11 June 2010, a revised version of the album was released in Europe and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, appearing as Cruz's debut album there. On 22 May 2011, a second revised version of the album was released in Brazil, other South American countries and Europe. The album debuted at number 14 on the 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...
and number eight on the U.S. Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
.
Background
Speaking to Pete Lewis of the Blues & Soul, Cruz explained the musical background behind the album: "This album shows quite a bit of scope. In that, while it's still got underlining hip hop, dance and R&B-type tones to it, it also has like rocky and indie rock elements. And lyrically, because essentially I come from a ballad place of listening to people like Boyz II MenBoyz II Men
Boyz II Men is an American R&B vocal group best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are the most successful R&B group of all time, having sold more than albums worldwide. In the 1990s, Boyz II Men found fame on Motown Records as a quartet, but original member Michael McCary...
and Babyface, many of the songs do tend to be about relationships in one way or another. But the difference this time is that, as well as the full-on love songs, I am having a little bit more FUN with it all!"
Commercial performance
The album debuted at #8 on the 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...
, with sales of 24,000 copies. In its second week, the album made a huge tumble from number eight to #50, with sales of just 9,000 copies. It later, dropped to #101, on its third week. On its fourth week, it was back to Top 100 Albums, at number #94. In its fifth week, it bounced to #86, due to the success of the single "Dynamite
Dynamite (Taio Cruz song)
"Dynamite" is the fourth single from English recording artist Taio Cruz's second album Rokstarr. It was written by Cruz, Max Martin, Bonnie McKee, and Dr. Luke, and produced by Dr. Luke and Benny Blanco for the international version of Rokstarr. In the UK, the song was released as the first single...
" on the Hot 100 charts. On the week of 24 July 2010 the album climbed up again to number #69. On the week of 31 July 2010, the album fell again to number #80, while on the week of 7 August 2010, the album climbed again to number #73. On the week of 14 August 2010, the album climbed one spot to number #72, while on the week of 21 August 2010 (in its tenth week), the album made a huge climb to number 61, making the album's best week sales since its second week (when it was at #50). On the week of 28 August 2010, the album climb further to number #51.
On the week of 11 September 2010, the album fell to number #69 and on the week of 18 September 2010, the album fell again to number #85. The album re-entered at #122 on the week of 15 January 2011. It gave a huge climb to #75, on the week of 22 January 2011, due to the digital re-release edition.
Critical reception
The album has received generally mixed to positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 61, based on 11 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".Mike Driver from BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
gave a extremely favorable review, saying that: "Rokstarr bounces to a beat that feels fresh and vibrant". Ken Capobianco from 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...
says that Rokstarr is "an agreeable, singles-going-steady kind of collection that should make for endless radio fodder." The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
review states that "There are vapid lyrics to navigate ("Hit the floor cause that's my plans plans plans plans/I'm wearing all my favorite brands brands brands brands," on "Dynamite"), but they don't disrupt the mood, which is emphatic and rarely sensual: turns out Mr. Cruz has no off switch." 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...
opined that "The only song of equal caliber to "Break Your Heart
Break Your Heart
"Break Your Heart" is a song by English singer-songwriter Taio Cruz. The song serves as the lead single from his second studio album Rokstarr. It was written by Cruz and Fraser T. Smith and produced by Smith. It was first released in the UK on 20 September 2009, followed by a release in the United...
" on his Stateside debut is the Ke$ha-assisted sexting number "Dirty Picture
Dirty Picture
"Dirty Picture" is a song by the British R&B singer Taio Cruz. The song was written and produced by Cruz alongside Fraser T. Smith for Cruz's second studio album, Rokstarr. Originally, Cruz wanted the female vocals to be done by Lady Gaga but opted to switch to Kesha due to heavy influence by Dr....
". The rest of the tracks are forgettable and include a cut for throwing hands in the air ("Dynamite") and one awkwardly placed effort to uplift ("I Can Be")." The Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
review bluntly states "Cruz's singing lacks personality, and Rokstarr is ultimately a collection of decent, but generic, Eurodisco tracks without a star--"rok" or otherwise—to hold a listener's interest." NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
confess that "Although Cruz's downfall comes when he acts the player ('Break Your Heart', 'Dirty Picture'), it's obvious his real talent comes when he exchanges vocal manipulation for balladeering as on 'Falling In Love', and disregards romantic cynicism for a rather hopeful 'The 11th Hour'." David Jeffres from Allmusic rated it 3 stars (out of 5) and conclued that: "The hooks are plentiful on Rokstarr and infectious as they come. while as a producer Cruz is the 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...
-meets-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...
-meets- Xenomania
Xenomania
Xenomania is a British songwriting and production team founded by Brian Higgins and based in Kent, England. Formed after Higgins met Miranda Cooper, Xenomania has written and produced for renowned artists such as Cher, Kylie Minogue, Dannii Minogue, Pet Shop Boys, and Sugababes...
package that radio and record labels have dreamed about. Sounds good, and the album does the whole way through, but lyrics are a sore point and when ballads appear to help round out the effort, just help emphasize how his words are trite. Still, when you let the clichés fade into the background this is a master class in what the mainstream wants for a soundtrack in 2010".
Singles
- "Take Me Back", although not officially a single from Rokstarr, was included on the album. The track, featuring Tinchy StryderTinchy StryderKwasi Danquah III , better known by his pseudonyms Tinchy Stryder and Star In The Hood, is a Ghanaian British recording artist, music executive, A&R executive, and businessman...
, was released as a single from his album, Catch 22, peaking at #3 on the UK Singles ChartUK Singles ChartThe 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 ...
.
- "Break Your HeartBreak Your Heart"Break Your Heart" is a song by English singer-songwriter Taio Cruz. The song serves as the lead single from his second studio album Rokstarr. It was written by Cruz and Fraser T. Smith and produced by Smith. It was first released in the UK on 20 September 2009, followed by a release in the United...
" was released as the first single from the album. It spent three weeks at the top of the UK Singles ChartUK Singles ChartThe 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 ...
. For its release in America, it was remixed to feature American rapper LudacrisLudacrisChristopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
and peaked as number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100The 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...
where it remained top of the charts for one week.
- "No Other OneNo Other One (song)"No Other One" is a single by Taio Cruz, the second single from his album Rokstarr. It was released on November 30, 2009. The song peaked at #42 on the UK Singles Chart, making it the lowest charting single from the album.-Reception:...
" was the second single released from the album. It was met by mixed to negative reviews from critics. It failed to meet the expectations or success of the previous single. It was only released in the UK. It reached number 42 on the UK Singles ChartUK Singles ChartThe 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 number 16 on the UK R&B ChartUK R&B ChartThe 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...
.
- "Dirty PictureDirty Picture"Dirty Picture" is a song by the British R&B singer Taio Cruz. The song was written and produced by Cruz alongside Fraser T. Smith for Cruz's second studio album, Rokstarr. Originally, Cruz wanted the female vocals to be done by Lady Gaga but opted to switch to Kesha due to heavy influence by Dr....
", featuring American electropop singer KeshaKeshaKesha village is a small village nestled in the mountains of Yongshun County, northwestern Hunan province, China, located at latitude 29 05' 50", longitude 109 57' 9". The name is pronounced in Standard Chinese. The official language is Manderin Chinese....
, was announced as the album's third single. It was released in April 2010 in Australia, and in May 2010 in the UK. It peaked at number six in the UK and number ten in Ireland. It reached number 16 in Australia and number 12 in New Zealand. The song debuted at number 96 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100The 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...
without an official release, due to strong digital downloads following the album's U.S. release. It was sent to Top 40 and Rhythmic radio as the third U.S. single on 28 September 2010.
- "DynamiteDynamite (Taio Cruz song)"Dynamite" is the fourth single from English recording artist Taio Cruz's second album Rokstarr. It was written by Cruz, Max Martin, Bonnie McKee, and Dr. Luke, and produced by Dr. Luke and Benny Blanco for the international version of Rokstarr. In the UK, the song was released as the first single...
" was released as the album's fourth single overall, and the first single from the revised version of the album. The song debuted at number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100The 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...
before peaking at number two, becoming Cruz's second U.S. hit single. It also topped Australian ARIA ChartARIA ChartsThe 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...
. It peaked at #1 on the UK Singles ChartUK Singles ChartThe 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 ...
.
- "HigherHigher (Taio Cruz song)"Higher" is the fifth single from English singer-songwriter Taio Cruz's second studio album Rokstarr. It was written and produced by Cruz and Sandy Vee, and was released on 26 November 2010. This song was originally written for Australian singer Kylie Minogue's album Aphrodite, but plans fell through...
" was released as the album's fifth single overall, and the second single from the revised version of the album. There are four versions of the song - a solo version by Cruz, a version featuring Travie McCoyTravie McCoyTravie Lazarus McCoy is an American singer and rapper. He is the lead vocalist of the alternative hip-hop band Gym Class Heroes. He released his debut solo album Lazarus on June 8, 2010....
, a version featuring Kylie MinogueKylie MinogueKylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
, and a version with both McCoy and Minogue. The McCoy version was released in the U.S, while the Minogue version was released in Europe and Australia, and the version with both was released in the UK. The McCoy version was sent to U.S. radio on 30 November 2010.
- "Telling the WorldTelling the World"Telling the World" is a song by English singer-songwriter Taio Cruz, released as the seventh overall single and first single from the second re-release of his second studio album, Rokstarr. The song also appears in the film Rio, and is known as the main theme for the film. The lyrics are sung in...
" was released as the sixth overall single from the album, and the first single from the second revised version of the album. It was the lead single from the soundtrack to the animated film Rio, and peaked at #138 on the UK Singles ChartUK Singles ChartThe 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 ...
.
- "Falling in LoveFalling in Love (Taio Cruz song)"Falling in Love" is a song by English singer-songwriter Taio Cruz, released as the eighth overall single and second single from the second re-release of his second studio album, Rokstarr. The single was released exclusively in America and Spain, and was available via digital download from April...
" was released as the seventh overall single from the album, and the second single from the second revised edition of the album. It was only released as a single in some countries, including Spain. A music video was released on February 18, 2011.
Track listing
Charts
| Chart (2009/2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian 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... |
14 |
| 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... |
3 |
| French Albums Chart | 20 |
| German Albums Chart | 31 |
| German Newcomer Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
2 |
| Greek Albums Chart | 45 |
| Irish Albums Chart | 24 |
| Mexican Albums Chart | 77 |
| Swiss Albums Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
39 |
| 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... |
14 |
| 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... |
8 |
| Chart | Certification |
|---|---|
| AUS Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... |
Gold |
Release history
| Region | Release date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 12 October 2009 | 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 ,... , 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... (Original Edition) |
Island Records 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... |
| Poland | 7 May 2010 | 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... |
|
| United States | 1 June 2010 | 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 ,... , 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... (Revised Edition) |
Mercury Records Mercury Records Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal... |
| Canada | Universal Music | ||
| Brazil | 7 June 2010 | ||
| Australia | 16 July 2010 | Island Records | |
| Europe | 19 November 2010 | ||
| Brazil | 1 April 2011 | 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 ,... , 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... (Second Revised Edition) |
Universal Music |