The High Road
Encyclopedia
The High Road is the second studio album
by American recording artist JoJo, released in the United States on October 17, 2006 by Da Family Entertainment and Blackground Records
. Recording sessions for the album took place during late 2005 to mid 2006 in California
, New York City
, and Miami. The album contains lyrical themes about relationships, love and break-ups, and features musical styles such as alternative, pop, R&B, rock, soul and hip hop. Released as the follow-up to her platinum
debut album, JoJo
, the album was expected to be another major hit for the artist.
The album spawned three singles. The first of these, "Too Little Too Late
", was released on August 15, 2006. Not only was the song positively received by critics, but it was also a commercial success, becoming her biggest hit to date. In the US, the song climbed to number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100
, making it her highest charting single on the chart. It also became another hit on US radio for JoJo, reaching number 2 on the Pop 100
. In the United Kingdom
, the song became her third Top 10 hit, peaking at number 4 on the UK Singles Chart
. The song also became her third Top 10 hit in New Zealand
, peaking at number 5. The single also became her second to reach the Top 10 in Australia, peaking at number 10. This marks the first time JoJo has appeared in the Top 10 of the Australian Singles Chart
since her debut single, "Leave (Get Out)
". The second single, "How to Touch a Girl
", was released on November 14, 2006 in the US. The single was not released worldwide, as it was a commercial failure in the US, failing to chart on the Billboard Hot 100
. It did, however, peak at number 76 on the Pop 100
. "Anything
" was released as the album's third and final single on May 7, 2007. Due to lack of promotion, the single became a commercial failure, becoming her second consecutive single to miss out on the Billboard Hot 100
. It did, however, become her fourth Top 40 hit in the UK, peaking at number 21. The song also reached the Top 20 of Ireland
, peaking at number 18.
The High Road also enjoyed some success of its own, when it debuted at number 3 on the Billboard 200
, one spot higher than her debut album
. The album sold 108,000 copies in its first week, 13,000 more than her debut album. The High Road also became her first album to chart in the Top 20 of the Canadian Album's Chart
, peaking at number 12. In the UK, the album debuted at number 24, two spots lower than her previous effort. To date, the album has sold 2,000,000 Copies Worldwide.
), Vincent Herbert (also exec.), Josh Alexander, Beau Dozier, Ryan Leslie
, J. R. Rotem
, Matthew Gerrard
, Soulshock & Karlin
, Stargate
, Billy Steinberg
, Peter Stengaard, Scott Storch
, Swizz Beatz
, Justin Trugman and Bernard "Focus..." Edwards, Jr.
. It was reported that over 30 songs were written and recorded for the album, before being narrowed down to the twelve that made the final track listing. During an interview, JoJo compared The High Road to her previous album by stating, "I recorded my first album when I was 12, and now I’m 15. From age 12 to age 15 is a big jump in a young girl’s life. I think with the new album, you can hear the maturity and confidence in my vocals. I’m coming into myself and being more comfortable. All of the songs on the album came out well - the music style is mostly urban like the my first album, but there are some rock elements too."
When asked about the recording process, JoJo stated, "I had finished promoting my first album, then I went to Australia to film Aquamarine," she recalled. "It was a busy time – while I was in Australia, I auditioned via satellite for RV. When I finished with Aquamarine, I came home and started working on the new album. It was mainly recorded in New York, Miami and L.A. We recorded over 30 songs with a lot of different people. [...] I feel that doing 30 songs was fine for the album. Some people would say that’s too many to do, and it’s costly to record that many songs. But Chris Brown recorded 50 songs for his album, and then he whittled it down and made a great record. When you record a lot of songs, you come up with different styles and ideas." On the album, JoJo got to work with Diane Warren, whom she had idled. She recalled the process by saying, "I was very excited to get together with Diane Warren," she said. "I love Diane – she’s one of my favorite people. We recorded four or five songs together, two of which made the album, ‘Exceptional’ and ‘Note To God.’ She’s so cool."
. During an interview, JoJo stated, "I definitely felt more confident recording this album because I know how to go into the studio and how to work with producers. When you go into the studio you have to have a relationship with the producer while recording. Also, this time I knew how to warm up my vocals and what to expect." When asked about how the type of music she wanted on the album, she stated, "Well my executive Producer is Vincent Herbert and I’ve known him since I was twelve, actually since I was eleven, and he is very good at picking songs he thinks I’d like. He does like to throw curveballs sometimes and try different things. But most of the time we have the same taste."
The first song on the album is "This Time". The uptempo Hip Hop
track has been called a personal favorite of JoJo's, with her performing it multiple times live. Lyrically, the song speaks of not letting someone she likes "get away" like she did with the last one. The Way You Do Me is the second song on the album, and was released as a promotional single for the album on September 20, 2006. Like the previous track, the song is very influenced by Hip Hop
and R&B tracks. "Too Little Too Late
" is the third song on the album, as well as the lead single
. The song has become one of JoJo's biggest hits to date, reaching the Top 10 in the United States
, Australia
and the United Kingdom
, among others. Lyrically, the song speaks of how JoJo cannot forgive her ex for what he has done to her. "The High Road", the album's title track, is the fourth song on the album. The mid-tempo song is influenced by more jazz
and soul
music than the rest of the album. "Anything
" is the fifth song on the album, as well as the third and final single. The uptempo track is heavily influenced by urban
Hip Hop
and R&B tracks, and lyrically speaks of JoJo falling in love with someone. "Like That", the sixth song on the album, is an R&B influenced mid-tempo track. The song features a piano
throughout the song as well, and has been compared to releases by Ciara
, among others.
The seventh track on the album, "Good Ol", is a mid-tempo Hip Hop
track that sees JoJo singing about being free and having fun. "Coming For You" is another Hip Hop
track featured on the album. The song has been called a female-anthem, as JoJo is heard singing about not letting go of someone, and she is going to get them, and win their heart. The ninth song on the album is "Let It Rain". The mid-tempo R&B song was initially meant to be released as the third single from the album, however, its release was eventually cancelled. It was released as a promotional single on September 20, along with two other songs from the album. "Exceptional" is the tenth song on the album, and is more slow paced than the rest of the album. The song is designed to show off JoJo's vocals on the track. "How to Touch a Girl
" is the eleventh song on the album, as well as the album's second single. JoJo has called the song her favorite on the album. Lyrically, the song speaks of how to treat a woman, and how to touch her heart, according to JoJo. "Note to God
" is the final song on the album. The song was covered and released in 2010 by pop singer Charice, as her debut US single. The song had minor success on the Billboard Hot 100
, peaking at number 44.
", and was released on August 15, 2006. The single became an instant hit for JoJo. "Too Little Too Late" broke the record for the biggest jump into the top three on the Billboard Hot 100
chart, moving from number sixty-six to number three in one week; this record was previously held by Mariah Carey
with her 2001 single "Loverboy
", which went from number sixty to number two. However, the record was ultimately broken on the issue dated February 7, 2009 by Kelly Clarkson
's "My Life Would Suck Without You
", which jumped from number ninety-seven to number one. In the UK, the single entered the UK Singles Chart
at number twenty-two based on downloads alone two weeks before its physical CD release. This is because from 2007, the UK has changed charting rules and downloaded singles can enter the UK Singles Chart at any time. When the song was released to physical CD, it went up the chart to number four, its peak position. This made it JoJo's second top five and third top ten single in the UK. The song also reached number one on the UK iTunes Top 100 Songs on January 10. With "Too Little Too Late" having spent six weeks in the top ten, and eleven weeks in the top forty, it has been named her most successful single in the UK, although "Leave (Get Out)" peaked at number two. The song also managed to stay in the top seventy-five until late April.
On September 20, 2006, three promotional singles were released to iTunes
to help promote the release of the album. "This Time", "The Way You Do Me", and "Let It Rain". The songs have all been performed live at several venues. The second official single, "How to Touch a Girl
", was released on November 14, 2006. The song was well received by critics. Chuck Taylor of Billboard
said that "'How to Touch a Girl' again casts the youngster with a crafty melody, albeit strikingly similar in structure to the previous hit. Despite the bizarre, almost perverse title, this track could propel the burgeoning talent all the way." In a review of The High Road, Bill Lamb called the song "a near perfect piece of teen pop
." Despite the strong critical reception, the song failed to have any chart success. In the US, the single failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100
, and only reached number 76 on the Pop 100
. Due to it's failure in the US, the single was not released anywhere else. Initially, "Let It Rain" was meant to be the album's third single, however, due to lack of fan approval, the single was scrapped. "Anything
" was then released as the album's third and final single on May 7, 2007. The single was the second official single from The High Road in European countries and was released in the United Kingdom on May 7, 2007; it began gaining airplay there on March 24, 2007, eventually debuting on BBC Radio 1
's playlist under the B-list section. JoJo was in the UK during the first two weeks of May to promote the single; she performed at London
's G-A-Y
on May 12, and appeared on GMTV
on May 8 as part of a series of radio and television interviews. "Anything" remained in the top forty of the UK Singles Chart
for three weeks.
snippets of threeà Vu]]"), Kelly Clarkson
("Since U Been Gone
"), SWV
, Gnarls Barkley
, Jackson 5, Justin Timberlake
("My Love
"), Maroon 5
, Usher
, Carlos Santana
, Jill Scott
, Michael Jackson
, George Benson
, Musiq Soulchild, and Amy Winehouse
("Rehab", replacing the title with "Boston"). In November 2007, JoJo she toured in Brasil at the Live Pop Rock Brasil.
gave the album a positive 4/5 stars stated that, "Hotshot R&B producers have been roped in: Swizz Beatz' fiery The Way You Do Me, which continues in the vein of his sterling work on the more red-blooded moments of Beyoncé's latest album, is a particular highlight, with JoJo herself proving surprisingly adept at frenzied, sexually possessed hollering. At heart, though, she's an earnest sort of girl, most evident on the supremely melodramatic Note to God, a Diane Warren-penned state-of-the-nation ballad that starts off with JoJo emoting over a solo Wurlitzer and inevitably ends up caught in a storm of crashing chorales. JoJo is, however, at her best when compulsively dissecting emotional situations straight out of high-school movies via the medium of big, heartfelt choruses: the country-tinged Good Ol' is gently, dreamily optimistic, and the wonderfully weepy pinnacle comes with the bleak resignation of Too Little Too Late." Matt Collar of Allmusic gave the album a positive 4/5 stars stated that, "These are well-written, catchy pop songs with a healthy dose of hip-hop rhythm that serve as solid launching pads for Jojo's superb vocal abilities. It also helps that she's matured just enough so that her somewhat sexy persona makes a bit more sense now than it did in 2004, and she easily sells the cheeky and raw dance-funk of such tracks as "This Time" and "The Way You Do Me." However, it's the blissfully melodic ballads and mid-tempo anthems that make the biggest impression here. Cuts such as the gorgeous and dreamy "Like That" and "Anything," with its unexpectedly hip sampling of Toto's "Africa," make for gleefully enjoyable guilty pleasures. Similarly, "Good Ol'" is the best summer anthem ever to see release in the fall, and "'Comin' for You" smartly borrows some of Kelly Clarkson's rock energy. While Jojo may not be taking a career road less traveled, The High Road does make time for some surprising and memorable pit stops along the way."
Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times
gave the album a mixed review stating that, "Nothing else on The High Road, JoJo's second CD, is as great as that song, which reached No. 3 on the pop chart. JoJo is a teen-pop star with an R&B singer's voice: that means she can outsing much of the competition, but it also means more ballads (the album's second half is infested with them) and more not-quite-credible lovesick lyrics. Still, she knows exactly what to do with a good beat. In The Way You Do Me, she sounds as hyped-up as Swizz Beatz's track. And in Anything, she sings a lovely little song over a sample of the 1982 Toto hit Africa. That's classic rock, if you're a singer of a certain age."
. In the US, the album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200
, selling 108,000 copies in it's first week. The album debuted behind Diddy
's Press Play and Evanescence
's The Open Door
. Nearly a month after it's release in the US, on November 28, 2006, the album was certified Gold
by the RIAA, for selling 500,000 copies in the country. The album debuted at number twelve on the Canadian Albums Chart
, becoming her first album to enter the Top 20 in that country. In it's second wek, sales dropped nearly 70%, and saw the album falling out of the Top 40. Despite this, the album was certified gold by the Canadian Recording Industry Association
on January 17, 2007 for selling in excess of 50,000 copies.
In the United Kingdom
, The High Road reached a peak position of number twenty-four on the UK Albums Chart
, two spots lower than that of her debut album. Despite the lower chart position, the album did have sales success, receiving a gold certification by the British Phonographic Industry
on June 8, 2007 for shipping over 100,000 copies. In Australia
, the album failed to chart on the official album's chart, however, it did have some success on the Australian Urban Album's Chart
, where it peaked at number 22. In Japan
, the album missed out on the Top 40, becoming her first album to do so. It debuted and peaked at number 45 on the Japanese Album's Chart
, and quickly fell off the chart. The album's poor performance in the country could be attributed to the fact that none of the singles managed to make an impact on music charts in the country. In Europe
, the album debuted at number 92 on the official album's chart, and fell off the next week. The album had a similar outcome in Belgium
and Switzerland
, peaking at number 94 and 96 respectively.
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 JoJo, released in the United States on October 17, 2006 by Da Family Entertainment and Blackground Records
Blackground Records
Blackground Records is an American record label owned by entertainment attorney and artist manager Barry Hankerson and his son Jomo Hankerson.-History:...
. Recording sessions for the album took place during late 2005 to mid 2006 in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, 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...
, and Miami. The album contains lyrical themes about relationships, love and break-ups, and features musical styles such as alternative, pop, R&B, rock, soul and hip hop. Released as the follow-up to her platinum
Platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is a dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal...
debut album, JoJo
JoJo (album)
JoJo is the self-titled debut album by American recording artist JoJo, released in the United States on June 22, 2004 by Da Family Entertainment and Blackground Records...
, the album was expected to be another major hit for the artist.
The album spawned three singles. The first of these, "Too Little Too Late
Too Little Too Late
"Too Little Too Late" is a song written by Billy Steinberg, Josh Alexander, and Ruth-Anne Cunningham for JoJo's second studio album The High Road. It was co-produced by Alexander, Vincent Herbert, and Billy Steinberg. "Too Little Too Late" was released as the album's first single in North America...
", was released on August 15, 2006. Not only was the song positively received by critics, but it was also a commercial success, becoming her biggest hit to date. In the US, the song climbed to number 3 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...
, making it her highest charting single on the chart. It also became another hit on US radio for JoJo, reaching number 2 on the Pop 100
Pop 100
The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 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...
, the song became her third Top 10 hit, peaking at number 4 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 ...
. The song also became her third Top 10 hit in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, peaking at number 5. The single also became her second to reach the Top 10 in Australia, peaking at number 10. This marks the first time JoJo has appeared in the Top 10 of the Australian Singles Chart
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
since her debut single, "Leave (Get Out)
Leave (Get Out)
"Leave " is a song by American singer JoJo from her self-titled debut album, JoJo. It was released as the album's lead single on February 24, 2004...
". The second single, "How to Touch a Girl
How to Touch a Girl
"How to Touch a Girl" is a song by American singer JoJo from her second studio album, The High Road . Released as the album's second single to Top 40 radio in December 2006, the song was written by JoJo, Billy Steinberg, and Josh Alexander and produced by Steinberg and Alexander. Its release marks...
", was released on November 14, 2006 in the US. The single was not released worldwide, as it was a commercial failure in the US, failing to chart 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...
. It did, however, peak at number 76 on the Pop 100
Pop 100
The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009...
. "Anything
Anything (JoJo song)
"Anything" is a song by American pop-R&B singer JoJo from her second studio album, The High Road . Written by Beau Dozier, Mischke Butler, and Justin Trugman and released as the album's third and single in May 2007, the track contains a sample from Toto's 1982 song "Africa"—a former number-one...
" was released as the album's third and final single on May 7, 2007. Due to lack of promotion, the single became a commercial failure, becoming her second consecutive single to miss out 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...
. It did, however, become her fourth Top 40 hit in the UK, peaking at number 21. The song also reached the Top 20 of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, peaking at number 18.
The High Road also enjoyed some success of its own, when it debuted at number 3 on the 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...
, one spot higher than her debut album
JoJo (album)
JoJo is the self-titled debut album by American recording artist JoJo, released in the United States on June 22, 2004 by Da Family Entertainment and Blackground Records...
. The album sold 108,000 copies in its first week, 13,000 more than her debut album. The High Road also became her first album to chart in the Top 20 of the Canadian Album's Chart
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
, peaking at number 12. In the UK, the album debuted at number 24, two spots lower than her previous effort. To date, the album has sold 2,000,000 Copies Worldwide.
Background
After the success of her debut album, JoJo quickly went back in the studio to work on new tracks. While recording, she worked with producers such as Eivan "Ricco" Bj (exec.Executive producer
An 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...
), Vincent Herbert (also exec.), Josh Alexander, Beau Dozier, Ryan Leslie
Ryan Leslie
Anthony Ryan Leslie, known professionally as Ryan Leslie, is a Grammy nominated American record producer, multi-instrumentalist, rapper, entrepreneur, and singer. Founder of the media company NextSelection Lifestyle Group, Leslie has produced singles for a number of artists in a variety of genres...
, J. R. Rotem
J. R. Rotem
- Early life :Rotem was born in South Africa to Israeli immigrant Jewish parents. He moved to Toronto at the age of two and finally to Moraga, California when he was twelve.Rotem's entry point into music was in receiving classical piano tuition at a young age...
, Matthew Gerrard
Matthew Gerrard
Matthew Gerrard is a Canadian record producer and songwriter. He has written hit singles by artists such as Nick Carter , Kelly Clarkson , Hilary Duff , Eden's Crush and Jesse McCartney...
, Soulshock & Karlin
Soulshock & Karlin
Soulshock & Karlin is a duo of Danish record producers and songwriters, Carsten Schack and Kenneth Karlin. They have produced a large number of successful songs, including Monica's "Before You Walk out of My Life", Whitney Houston's "Heartbreak Hotel", JoJo's "Leave ", and Fantasia's "Truth Is"...
, 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"...
, Billy Steinberg
Billy Steinberg
William Endfield "Billy" Steinberg is an American songwriter. He has achieved most of his success as part of a song writing team, most notably with Tom Kelly. He has also co-written several hit songs with Rick Nowels.-Biography:...
, Peter Stengaard, Scott Storch
Scott Storch
Scott Storch is an American record producer. He produces a variety of music, particularly hip hop, reggaeton, and R&B. His label, Storch Music Company responsible for signing Brooke Hogan and Nox...
, Swizz Beatz
Swizz Beatz
Kasseem Dean , better known by his stage name, Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, DJ, rapper and painter. At the age of 17, he gained attention in the hip-hop world through his friendship with rapper DMX. Grady Spivey and rapper Cassidy helped launch his label Full Surface Records...
, Justin Trugman and Bernard "Focus..." Edwards, Jr.
Focus...
Bernard "Focus..." Edwards, Jr is a Atlanta-based Grammy Award–winning producer who first rose to fame when signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment. Since then he has produced tracks for Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Lopez, Beyoncé Knowles, Busta Rhymes, Bishop Lamont, Tony Yayo, Stat Quo,...
. It was reported that over 30 songs were written and recorded for the album, before being narrowed down to the twelve that made the final track listing. During an interview, JoJo compared The High Road to her previous album by stating, "I recorded my first album when I was 12, and now I’m 15. From age 12 to age 15 is a big jump in a young girl’s life. I think with the new album, you can hear the maturity and confidence in my vocals. I’m coming into myself and being more comfortable. All of the songs on the album came out well - the music style is mostly urban like the my first album, but there are some rock elements too."
When asked about the recording process, JoJo stated, "I had finished promoting my first album, then I went to Australia to film Aquamarine," she recalled. "It was a busy time – while I was in Australia, I auditioned via satellite for RV. When I finished with Aquamarine, I came home and started working on the new album. It was mainly recorded in New York, Miami and L.A. We recorded over 30 songs with a lot of different people. [...] I feel that doing 30 songs was fine for the album. Some people would say that’s too many to do, and it’s costly to record that many songs. But Chris Brown recorded 50 songs for his album, and then he whittled it down and made a great record. When you record a lot of songs, you come up with different styles and ideas." On the album, JoJo got to work with Diane Warren, whom she had idled. She recalled the process by saying, "I was very excited to get together with Diane Warren," she said. "I love Diane – she’s one of my favorite people. We recorded four or five songs together, two of which made the album, ‘Exceptional’ and ‘Note To God.’ She’s so cool."
Composition
The High Road contains a mixture of songs, ranging from R&B to popPop 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...
. During an interview, JoJo stated, "I definitely felt more confident recording this album because I know how to go into the studio and how to work with producers. When you go into the studio you have to have a relationship with the producer while recording. Also, this time I knew how to warm up my vocals and what to expect." When asked about how the type of music she wanted on the album, she stated, "Well my executive Producer is Vincent Herbert and I’ve known him since I was twelve, actually since I was eleven, and he is very good at picking songs he thinks I’d like. He does like to throw curveballs sometimes and try different things. But most of the time we have the same taste."
The first song on the album is "This Time". The uptempo Hip Hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
track has been called a personal favorite of JoJo's, with her performing it multiple times live. Lyrically, the song speaks of not letting someone she likes "get away" like she did with the last one. The Way You Do Me is the second song on the album, and was released as a promotional single for the album on September 20, 2006. Like the previous track, the song is very influenced by Hip Hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
and R&B tracks. "Too Little Too Late
Too Little Too Late
"Too Little Too Late" is a song written by Billy Steinberg, Josh Alexander, and Ruth-Anne Cunningham for JoJo's second studio album The High Road. It was co-produced by Alexander, Vincent Herbert, and Billy Steinberg. "Too Little Too Late" was released as the album's first single in North America...
" is the third song on the album, as well as the lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
. The song has become one of JoJo's biggest hits to date, reaching the Top 10 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and 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...
, among others. Lyrically, the song speaks of how JoJo cannot forgive her ex for what he has done to her. "The High Road", the album's title track, is the fourth song on the album. The mid-tempo song is influenced by more jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and soul
Soul
A soul in certain spiritual, philosophical, and psychological traditions is the incorporeal essence of a person or living thing or object. Many philosophical and spiritual systems teach that humans have souls, and others teach that all living things and even inanimate objects have souls. The...
music than the rest of the album. "Anything
Anything (JoJo song)
"Anything" is a song by American pop-R&B singer JoJo from her second studio album, The High Road . Written by Beau Dozier, Mischke Butler, and Justin Trugman and released as the album's third and single in May 2007, the track contains a sample from Toto's 1982 song "Africa"—a former number-one...
" is the fifth song on the album, as well as the third and final single. The uptempo track is heavily influenced by urban
African American culture
African-American culture, also known as black culture, in the United States refers to the cultural contributions of Americans of African descent to the culture of the United States, either as part of or distinct from American culture. The distinct identity of African-American culture is rooted in...
Hip Hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
and R&B tracks, and lyrically speaks of JoJo falling in love with someone. "Like That", the sixth song on the album, is an R&B influenced mid-tempo track. The song features a piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
throughout the song as well, and has been compared to releases by Ciara
Ciara
Ciara Princess Harris , known mononymously as Ciara, is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, actress and fashion model. Born in Austin, Texas, she traveled around the world during her childhood, only to land in Atlanta, Georgia where she met music producer, Jazze Pha...
, among others.
The seventh track on the album, "Good Ol", is a mid-tempo Hip Hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
track that sees JoJo singing about being free and having fun. "Coming For You" is another Hip Hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
track featured on the album. The song has been called a female-anthem, as JoJo is heard singing about not letting go of someone, and she is going to get them, and win their heart. The ninth song on the album is "Let It Rain". The mid-tempo R&B song was initially meant to be released as the third single from the album, however, its release was eventually cancelled. It was released as a promotional single on September 20, along with two other songs from the album. "Exceptional" is the tenth song on the album, and is more slow paced than the rest of the album. The song is designed to show off JoJo's vocals on the track. "How to Touch a Girl
How to Touch a Girl
"How to Touch a Girl" is a song by American singer JoJo from her second studio album, The High Road . Released as the album's second single to Top 40 radio in December 2006, the song was written by JoJo, Billy Steinberg, and Josh Alexander and produced by Steinberg and Alexander. Its release marks...
" is the eleventh song on the album, as well as the album's second single. JoJo has called the song her favorite on the album. Lyrically, the song speaks of how to treat a woman, and how to touch her heart, according to JoJo. "Note to God
Note to God
"Note to God" is a song written by Diane Warren and first recorded by American R&B singer JoJo in 2006 for her album The High Road. On May 18, 2009, Filipina pop singer Charice performed it on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Charice's recording of the song, produced by David Foster, served as the first...
" is the final song on the album. The song was covered and released in 2010 by pop singer Charice, as her debut US single. The song had minor success 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...
, peaking at number 44.
Singles
The High Road spawned several official and promotional singles. The album's lead single was "Too Little Too LateToo Little Too Late
"Too Little Too Late" is a song written by Billy Steinberg, Josh Alexander, and Ruth-Anne Cunningham for JoJo's second studio album The High Road. It was co-produced by Alexander, Vincent Herbert, and Billy Steinberg. "Too Little Too Late" was released as the album's first single in North America...
", and was released on August 15, 2006. The single became an instant hit for JoJo. "Too Little Too Late" broke the record for the biggest jump into the top three 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...
chart, moving from number sixty-six to number three in one week; this record was previously held by Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
with her 2001 single "Loverboy
Loverboy (Mariah Carey song)
"Loverboy" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released on July 16, 2001 by Virgin Records as the lead single from Carey's eighth studio album, Glitter . Written and produced by Carey, Larry Blackmon, Thomas Jenkins, Clark Kent, "Loverboy" is built around a sample from...
", which went from number sixty to number two. However, the record was ultimately broken on the issue dated February 7, 2009 by Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...
's "My Life Would Suck Without You
My Life Would Suck Without You
"My Life Would Suck Without You" is a song performed by American pop rock singer-songwriter Kelly Clarkson. It is the first single from her fourth studio album, All I Ever Wanted. Dr. Luke and Max Martin, writers of her hit "Since U Been Gone", co-produced and co-wrote the song. Claude Kelly also...
", which jumped from number ninety-seven to number one. In the UK, the single entered 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 ...
at number twenty-two based on downloads alone two weeks before its physical CD release. This is because from 2007, the UK has changed charting rules and downloaded singles can enter the UK Singles Chart at any time. When the song was released to physical CD, it went up the chart to number four, its peak position. This made it JoJo's second top five and third top ten single in the UK. The song also reached number one on the UK iTunes Top 100 Songs on January 10. With "Too Little Too Late" having spent six weeks in the top ten, and eleven weeks in the top forty, it has been named her most successful single in the UK, although "Leave (Get Out)" peaked at number two. The song also managed to stay in the top seventy-five until late April.
On September 20, 2006, three promotional singles were released to iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
to help promote the release of the album. "This Time", "The Way You Do Me", and "Let It Rain". The songs have all been performed live at several venues. The second official single, "How to Touch a Girl
How to Touch a Girl
"How to Touch a Girl" is a song by American singer JoJo from her second studio album, The High Road . Released as the album's second single to Top 40 radio in December 2006, the song was written by JoJo, Billy Steinberg, and Josh Alexander and produced by Steinberg and Alexander. Its release marks...
", was released on November 14, 2006. The song was well received by critics. Chuck Taylor 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 that "'How to Touch a Girl' again casts the youngster with a crafty melody, albeit strikingly similar in structure to the previous hit. Despite the bizarre, almost perverse title, this track could propel the burgeoning talent all the way." In a review of The High Road, Bill Lamb called the song "a near perfect piece of teen pop
Teen pop
Teen pop is a subgenre of pop music that is created, marketed and oriented towards teenagers. Teen pop copies genres and styles such as pop, dance, R&B, hip hop, country and rock....
." Despite the strong critical reception, the song failed to have any chart success. In the US, the single failed to chart 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...
, and only reached number 76 on the Pop 100
Pop 100
The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009...
. Due to it's failure in the US, the single was not released anywhere else. Initially, "Let It Rain" was meant to be the album's third single, however, due to lack of fan approval, the single was scrapped. "Anything
Anything (JoJo song)
"Anything" is a song by American pop-R&B singer JoJo from her second studio album, The High Road . Written by Beau Dozier, Mischke Butler, and Justin Trugman and released as the album's third and single in May 2007, the track contains a sample from Toto's 1982 song "Africa"—a former number-one...
" was then released as the album's third and final single on May 7, 2007. The single was the second official single from The High Road in European countries and was released in the United Kingdom on May 7, 2007; it began gaining airplay there on March 24, 2007, eventually debuting on 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...
's playlist under the B-list section. JoJo was in the UK during the first two weeks of May to promote the single; she performed at London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's G-A-Y
G-A-Y
G-A-Y is a gay nightclub in London. It operated from the London Astoria music venue for 15 years until July 2008. The Boston Globe described it as "London's largest gay-themed club night", NME reported that it "attracts 6,000 clubbers each week", and The Independent described it as "the one London...
on May 12, and appeared on GMTV
GMTV
GMTV was the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 September 2010. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc. in November 2009. Shortly after, ITV plc announced the programme would end...
on May 8 as part of a series of radio and television interviews. "Anything" remained in the top forty of 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 ...
for three weeks.
Promotion
On September 20, 2006, fans were able to buy from the iTunes StoreITunes 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...
snippets of threeà Vu]]"), Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...
("Since U Been Gone
Since U Been Gone
"Since U Been Gone" is a song written and produced by Max Martin and Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald for American singer Kelly Clarkson. The song was released as the second single from her second album, Breakaway in the US and Australia and was released as the first single in Europe...
"), SWV
SWV
Sisters with Voices, better known as SWV, is an American female R&B trio from New York. Formed in 1990 as a gospel group, SWV became one of the most successful R&B groups of the 1990s. They had a series of hits, including "Weak", "Right Here/Human Nature", "I'm So Into You", and "You're the One"....
, Gnarls Barkley
Gnarls Barkley
Gnarls Barkley is an American soul duo comprising Danger Mouse and Cee Lo Green. Their first studio album St. Elsewhere was released in 2006; along with its first single "Crazy". Both single and album were a major commercial success and have been noted for their large sales by download...
, Jackson 5, Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
("My Love
My Love (Justin Timberlake song)
"My Love" is a song by American singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake from his second studio album, FutureSex/LoveSounds . It was released on September 26, 2006, by Jive Records as the second single from the album...
"), Maroon 5
Maroon 5
Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. While they were in high school, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Adam Levine, keyboardist Jesse Carmichael, bass guitarist Mickey Madden, and drummer Ryan Dusick formed a garage band called Kara's Flowers and released one album...
, Usher
Usher (entertainer)
Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
, Carlos Santana
Carlos Santana
Carlos Augusto Alves Santana is a Mexican rock guitarist. Santana became famous in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band, Santana, which pioneered rock, salsa and jazz fusion...
, Jill Scott
Jill Scott
Jill Scott is an American soul and R&B singer-songwriter, poet, and actress. In 2007, Scott made her cinematic debut in the films Hounddog and in Tyler Perry's feature film, Why Did I Get Married? That year, her third studio album, The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3, was released on...
, Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
, George Benson
George Benson
George Benson is a ten Grammy Award winning American musician, whose production career began at the age of twenty-one as a jazz guitarist....
, Musiq Soulchild, and Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse
Amy Jade Winehouse was an English singer-songwriter known for her powerful deep contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres including R&B, soul and jazz. Winehouse's 2003 debut album, Frank, was critically successful in the UK and was nominated for the Mercury Prize...
("Rehab", replacing the title with "Boston"). In November 2007, JoJo she toured in Brasil at the Live Pop Rock Brasil.
Critical reception
The album has received generally positive reviews from music critics. Alex Macpherson of The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
gave the album a positive 4/5 stars stated that, "Hotshot R&B producers have been roped in: Swizz Beatz' fiery The Way You Do Me, which continues in the vein of his sterling work on the more red-blooded moments of Beyoncé's latest album, is a particular highlight, with JoJo herself proving surprisingly adept at frenzied, sexually possessed hollering. At heart, though, she's an earnest sort of girl, most evident on the supremely melodramatic Note to God, a Diane Warren-penned state-of-the-nation ballad that starts off with JoJo emoting over a solo Wurlitzer and inevitably ends up caught in a storm of crashing chorales. JoJo is, however, at her best when compulsively dissecting emotional situations straight out of high-school movies via the medium of big, heartfelt choruses: the country-tinged Good Ol' is gently, dreamily optimistic, and the wonderfully weepy pinnacle comes with the bleak resignation of Too Little Too Late." Matt Collar of Allmusic gave the album a positive 4/5 stars stated that, "These are well-written, catchy pop songs with a healthy dose of hip-hop rhythm that serve as solid launching pads for Jojo's superb vocal abilities. It also helps that she's matured just enough so that her somewhat sexy persona makes a bit more sense now than it did in 2004, and she easily sells the cheeky and raw dance-funk of such tracks as "This Time" and "The Way You Do Me." However, it's the blissfully melodic ballads and mid-tempo anthems that make the biggest impression here. Cuts such as the gorgeous and dreamy "Like That" and "Anything," with its unexpectedly hip sampling of Toto's "Africa," make for gleefully enjoyable guilty pleasures. Similarly, "Good Ol'" is the best summer anthem ever to see release in the fall, and "'Comin' for You" smartly borrows some of Kelly Clarkson's rock energy. While Jojo may not be taking a career road less traveled, The High Road does make time for some surprising and memorable pit stops along the way."
Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
gave the album a mixed review stating that, "Nothing else on The High Road, JoJo's second CD, is as great as that song, which reached No. 3 on the pop chart. JoJo is a teen-pop star with an R&B singer's voice: that means she can outsing much of the competition, but it also means more ballads (the album's second half is infested with them) and more not-quite-credible lovesick lyrics. Still, she knows exactly what to do with a good beat. In The Way You Do Me, she sounds as hyped-up as Swizz Beatz's track. And in Anything, she sings a lovely little song over a sample of the 1982 Toto hit Africa. That's classic rock, if you're a singer of a certain age."
Commercial performance
The High Road was expected to be a huge hit for the artist, after the success of her previous album, as well as the album's lead singleLead 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 the US, the album debuted at number three on the 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...
, selling 108,000 copies in it's first week. The album debuted behind Diddy
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...
's Press Play and Evanescence
Evanescence
Evanescence is an American rock band founded in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1995 by singer/pianist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody. After recording private albums, the band released their first full-length album, Fallen, on Wind-up Records in 2003. Fallen sold more than 17 million copies worldwide...
's The Open Door
The Open Door
The Open Door is the second studio album by the American rock band Evanescence. It was first released in Poland on September 25, 2006, through Wind-up Records and subsequently in more than 20 other countries worldwide...
. Nearly a month after it's release in the US, on November 28, 2006, the album was certified Gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
by the RIAA, for selling 500,000 copies in the country. The album debuted at number twelve 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...
, becoming her first album to enter the Top 20 in that country. In it's second wek, sales dropped nearly 70%, and saw the album falling out of the Top 40. Despite this, the album was certified gold by the Canadian Recording Industry Association
Canadian Recording Industry Association
Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada...
on January 17, 2007 for selling in excess of 50,000 copies.
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...
, The High Road reached a peak position of number twenty-four 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...
, two spots lower than that of her debut album. Despite the lower chart position, the album did have sales success, receiving a gold certification by the British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
on June 8, 2007 for shipping over 100,000 copies. In Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, the album failed to chart on the official album's chart, however, it did have some success on the Australian Urban Album's 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...
, where it peaked at number 22. In Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, the album missed out on the Top 40, becoming her first album to do so. It debuted and peaked at number 45 on the Japanese Album's Chart
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and quickly fell off the chart. The album's poor performance in the country could be attributed to the fact that none of the singles managed to make an impact on music charts in the country. In Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, the album debuted at number 92 on the official album's chart, and fell off the next week. The album had a similar outcome in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, peaking at number 94 and 96 respectively.
Track listing
Target and Circuit City
Released October 17, 2006UK edition
European edition
Japanese edition
Philippine Version
Peak positions
| Chart (2006/2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| 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... |
22 |
| Belgian Albums Chart Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... (Flanders) |
94 |
| 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... |
12 |
| European Top 100 Albums European Top 100 Albums The European Top 100 Albums chart is the European adaptation of the Billboard 200 albums chart. It was created in March 1984.The European Top 100 Albums, commonly referred to as Eurochart Top 100 Albums shows the sales of an act in 19 European countries based on IFPI data.The European Top 100... |
92 |
| Japanese Albums Chart Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... |
45 |
| 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... |
96 |
| 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... |
24 |
| 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... |
3 |
Certifications
| Country | Certifier | Certification | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | CRIA Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada... |
Gold | 50,000 |
| United Kingdom | BPI British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... |
Gold | 100,000 |
| United States | RIAA Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
Gold | 538,000 |
Release history
| Country | Date |
|---|---|
| United States | October 17, 2006 |
| United Kingdom | November 6, 2006 |
| Sweden | November 13, 2006 |
| Denmark | |
| Finland | |
| Norway | |
| Australia | November 18, 2006 |
| Germany | November 20, 2006 |
| Poland | November 27, 2006 |
| Japan | December 6, 2006 |
| Brazil | December 12, 2006 |
| Mexico | February 19, 2007 |