Who You Are (Jessie J album)
Encyclopedia
Who You Are is the debut studio album
by English recording artist Jessie J
, released on 28 February 2011 in the UK and on 12 April in the US. Due to high demand and interest from fans, the release date was pushed ahead by over an entire month, from its original 28 March 2011 release date. Production for the album took place throughout 2010. A range of producers contributed to the album, including Dr. Luke
, Toby Gad
, and K-Gee
, among others.
Who You Are received generally poor reviews from contemporary music critics. It debuted at #2 on the UK Albums Chart selling 105,000 copies in its first week. The album debuted in the US at #11 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart with first-week sales of 34,000 copies. Two singles preceded the album: Jessie J's UK debut single "Do It Like a Dude
" and "Price Tag
", featuring B.o.B
which served as the US lead single. A third single, "Nobody's Perfect
", became J's third consecutive top 10 hit in the UK. The fourth single from the album "Who's Laughing Now
", released 21 August 2011, peaked at #16 on the UK Singles Chart
. The title track "Who You Are
" was released on 13 November 2011 as the album's fifth UK single.
A re-release of Who You Are (variably called the "Deluxe Edition" or the "Platinum Edition") was released on 14 November 2011. It includes J's second US single "Domino
" and two new songs.
, Jessie J confirmed that it took her 6 years to completely finish the album - it was completed on 19 January 2011. In an interview Jessie J stated that she wrote her first song, "Big White Room", in a hospital when she was just 10 years old. A ward mate of hers, a little boy, died. She recalls waking up in the middle of the night and seeing him praying, and her mother explaining that he was having an operation the next day and was asking God to save him. "He died the next day so I said to my mum 'but God didn't save him'. I was so angry and it really confused me. I always wanted to write a song about the experience, but I knew I had to be of an age where it wasn't tacky or depressing and had a lightness to it." She prefers the song with just an acoustic guitar; stripped down and bare.
The song "Casualty of Love" was released to the US iTunes store
on 22 February 2011. It's the title song of her album "Who You Are" of which she is proudest. It's the song that draws the most messages from fans, on YouTube
, Twitter
and Facebook
. "The other day I had a girl message me saying 'I was ready to take my life and then I heard "Who You Are"'. That pressure is beautiful but scary at the same time. I want to be a positive role model for young people. I always say that I'm half-artist, half-therapist", she laughs. She wrote the song at the end of a lonely three-month trip to Los Angeles when she was 20, having been shunted from studio to studio with various producers. "I'm very much someone that lives to be happy. It's not just about the parties and I know so-and-so – I'm not that girl. So I looked in the mirror and started to cry and said 'who am I?' Music is my therapy."
reports a score of 4.9 based on seventeen professional reviews. Daisy Bowie Sell of The Daily Telegraph
complimented Cornish's "big voice and ballsy attitude" and wrote that the album "switches effortlessly from R&B ballads to punchy rap tunes". Kitty Empire of The Observer
noticed that Cornish "remains relatively quirky throughout" and found Who You Are "impressive, if not entirely lovable". Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian
wrote that it "brims with infectious, Americanised songs, delivered with a confidence money can't buy", but criticised the slower songs saying that "divested of the slowies, this would have been a fine pop record". Andy Gill from The Independent
noticed "the distinctly transatlantic nature of her style" and praised the songs "Do It Like a Dude
" and "Who's Laughing Now" "whose lithe, funky groove carries her dismissal of the schoolyard bullies", while criticizing other tracks such as "Casualty Of Love" and "Rainbow", calling them "unimpressive" and "tricked out with the showy vocal bling favoured by R&B divas as a substitute for genuine soul". Johnny Dee of Virgin Media
found the album "a bit patchy"; he felt that "when Jessie is having fun she's unstoppable", but noted that "the album's problems come when Jessie overdoes the vocal warbling and completely forgets to write an actual song". However, he concluded by stating that Cornish will be "[one of] the biggest and coolest UK female artists for decades". Mischa Pearlman of Yahoo! Music
wrote that the album "doesn't entirely deliver, but even when its songs fall short of the promised hype, their potential is obvious" and stated that "next time, she'll be one step closer to getting it spot on".
Mike Diver of BBC Music
gave a mixed review, writing that "the songs of Who You Are are expectedly split between slower, slushier affairs and punchy anthems for bolshy teens" and called the album "too patchy, too hurried, the powers behind it too eager to capitalise on the artist's current chart success", although he felt that "there's ample room for improvement". Ailbhe Malone from NME
described it as "cheeky, relevant, and fresh [...] but unfortunately [...] a flash that's shortly over" and noticed that "no matter how much Jessie J sings about being herself, we don't really ever get a sense of who, or what, that is". Gary McGinley of No Ripcord
called it "an album of two halves as the stronger brat-pop moments soon give way to by insipid, dated ballads"; he noted that "there are glimpses of promise scattered between the overwrought delivery and unnecessary vocal gymnastics", but concluded by saying that Who You Are "promised much more than what has been delivered". Fiona Shepherd of The Scotsman
wrote that it "covers all the tried and tested commercial territory: mainly a slick, generic imitation of American R&B divas [...] blended with the obligatory hip-pop stance" and felt that Cornish "is more interested in tiresome vocal showboating than communicating anything truthful". Eric Henderson from Slant Magazine
agreed, saying that "in the quest to find herself, she seems to have gotten sidetracked". Matthew Perpetua of Pitchfork Media
was particularly critical; he felt that "the music is scattered, covering all the bases in an over-eager attempt to prove vocal chops" and noticed that Cornish "comes across like a severely dumbed-down Lily Allen
at best, and at worst she seems like someone you would want to root against in a televised singing competition". Sean Adams of Drowned in Sound
was equally negative; he wrote that the album "is riddled with so-called vocal performances that are a half a step above an X Factor audition", called it "a starchy soulless slop" and eventually described it as "an 'urban' 'pop' record made to fade in the background in lobbies and cafes, and, yeah, mandem-mandem, squawk, squawk".
, behind Adele
's 21
, shifting 105,000 copies in its first week. It has since been certified 2x platinum by the British Phonographic Industry
(BPI) for shipments of 600,000 units in the UK. The album debuted at number eleven on the Billboard 200
, with first-week sales of 34,000 copies. In Australia, the album peaked at number four. It has since been certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association
(ARIA) for shipments of 35,000 units. The album debuted at number 30 in Denmark on 11 March 2011. The following week it reached number 33, before leaving the chart. On 12 August, Who Are You re-entered the chart at number ten. In its fifth week on the chart the reached number five, archiving a new peak position. On November 2011 it was revealed that Who You Are was the biggest selling debut album of 2011 in the UK.
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 recording artist Jessie J
Jessie J
Jessica Ellen Cornish , better known by her stage name Jessie J, is an English recording artist currently signed to Island Records. She began her career as a songwriter for artists including Chris Brown and Miley Cyrus. Her debut single, "Do It Like a Dude", was released in November 2010 and peaked...
, released on 28 February 2011 in the UK and on 12 April in the US. Due to high demand and interest from fans, the release date was pushed ahead by over an entire month, from its original 28 March 2011 release date. Production for the album took place throughout 2010. A range of producers contributed to the album, including Dr. Luke
Dr. Luke
Lukasz Gottwald , better known as Dr. Luke, is an American songwriter, record producer, and remixer. Luke performed with the Saturday Night Live Band for ten seasons until 2007. He has co-written and co-produced a string of commercially successful songs...
, Toby Gad
Toby Gad
Tobias "Toby" Gad is a Los Angeles-based hit producer and songwriter from Germany, perhaps best known for co-writing Fergie's Grammy nominated hit song "Big Girls Don't Cry" as well as co-writing and producing Beyoncé's worldwide #1 hit "If I Were a Boy", and The Veronicas multi-platinum #1...
, and K-Gee
K-Gee
K-Gee is the alias for Karl Gordon, a British DJ, producer and songwriter and former member of the Outlaw Posse.Gordon was brought up listening to reggae by his father and was inspired to become a DJ after listening to Grandmaster Flash's "The Message" and other early hip-hop tracks.K-Gee and his...
, among others.
Who You Are received generally poor reviews from contemporary music critics. It debuted at #2 on the UK Albums Chart selling 105,000 copies in its first week. The album debuted in the US at #11 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart with first-week sales of 34,000 copies. Two singles preceded the album: Jessie J's UK debut single "Do It Like a Dude
Do It Like a Dude
"Do It Like a Dude" was written by Jessie J, George Astasio, Jason Pebworth, Jon Shave, Kyle Abrahams and Peter Ighile and was produced by The Invisible Men with Parker & James. Cornish originally wrote the song with Rihanna in mind because "Rude Boy" was released at the time, partly inspiring...
" and "Price Tag
Price Tag
"Price Tag" is a song by English singer-songwriter Jessie J, featuring American rapper B.o.B. It was released on 28 January 2011 in the United Kingdom as the second single from Jessie J's debut studio album, Who You Are. "Price Tag" was written by Jessie J, Dr. Luke, Claude Kelly and B.o.B, and it...
", featuring B.o.B
B.o.B
Bobby Ray Simmons, Jr. , better known by his stage name B.o.B, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and record producer. He is currently signed under the labels of Grand Hustle Records, Rebel Rock Entertainment, and Atlantic Records. His debut single "Nothin' on You" reached number one in both...
which served as the US lead single. A third single, "Nobody's Perfect
Nobody's Perfect (Jessie J song)
"Nobody's Perfect" is a song by English singer-songwriter Jessie J from her debut studio album, Who You Are. The song was written by Jessie J and Claude Kelly, and it was produced by Andre Brissett and Kelly, and refers to a struggle about perfection complex and regret over past indiscretions...
", became J's third consecutive top 10 hit in the UK. The fourth single from the album "Who's Laughing Now
Who's Laughing Now (song)
"Who's Laughing Now" is a song by English singer-songwriter Jessie J from her debut studio album, Who You Are. The song was written by Jessie J, Talay Riley, Astasio, Pebworth, Shave - collectively known as The Invisible Men, Abrahams and Ighile and it was produced by Parker and James and The...
", released 21 August 2011, peaked at #16 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 title track "Who You Are
Who You Are (Jessie J song)
"Who You Are" is a song by English R&B and soul recording artist Jessie J taken as the fifth single from her debut studio album of the same name. The song was written by Cornish, Toby Gad and Shelly Peiken, while the production was handled by Gad...
" was released on 13 November 2011 as the album's fifth UK single.
A re-release of Who You Are (variably called the "Deluxe Edition" or the "Platinum Edition") was released on 14 November 2011. It includes J's second US single "Domino
Domino (Jessie J song)
"Domino" is a song by English singer-songwriter Jessie J, released as the first and currently only single from the platinum edition of her debut studio album, Who You Are. It was released on 29 August 2011. The song was written by Jessie, Dr. Luke, Claude Kelly, Max Martin and Cirkut, and it was...
" and two new songs.
Background
Who You Are was one of the most anticipated releases of 2011 due to Jessie J winning the Critics Choice award at the 2011 Brit Awards and topping the BBC's Sound of 2011 poll. On TwitterTwitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
, Jessie J confirmed that it took her 6 years to completely finish the album - it was completed on 19 January 2011. In an interview Jessie J stated that she wrote her first song, "Big White Room", in a hospital when she was just 10 years old. A ward mate of hers, a little boy, died. She recalls waking up in the middle of the night and seeing him praying, and her mother explaining that he was having an operation the next day and was asking God to save him. "He died the next day so I said to my mum 'but God didn't save him'. I was so angry and it really confused me. I always wanted to write a song about the experience, but I knew I had to be of an age where it wasn't tacky or depressing and had a lightness to it." She prefers the song with just an acoustic guitar; stripped down and bare.
The song "Casualty of Love" was released to the US iTunes store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
on 22 February 2011. It's the title song of her album "Who You Are" of which she is proudest. It's the song that draws the most messages from fans, on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
and Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
. "The other day I had a girl message me saying 'I was ready to take my life and then I heard "Who You Are"'. That pressure is beautiful but scary at the same time. I want to be a positive role model for young people. I always say that I'm half-artist, half-therapist", she laughs. She wrote the song at the end of a lonely three-month trip to Los Angeles when she was 20, having been shunted from studio to studio with various producers. "I'm very much someone that lives to be happy. It's not just about the parties and I know so-and-so – I'm not that girl. So I looked in the mirror and started to cry and said 'who am I?' Music is my therapy."
Singles
- The album's first single was the Parker & James and "The Invisible MenThe Invisible Men"The Invisible Men" are a songwriting and production trio based in London. The team are Jason Pebworth and George Astasio and Jon Shave ....
"-produced "Do It Like a DudeDo It Like a Dude"Do It Like a Dude" was written by Jessie J, George Astasio, Jason Pebworth, Jon Shave, Kyle Abrahams and Peter Ighile and was produced by The Invisible Men with Parker & James. Cornish originally wrote the song with Rihanna in mind because "Rude Boy" was released at the time, partly inspiring...
", which was released on 18 November 2010. Initially the single peaked at number five 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 ...
however, after Jessie won the Critics Choice award at the 2011 BRIT Awards2011 BRIT AwardsThe 2011 BRIT Awards was held on Tuesday 15 February 2011.It was the 31st edition of the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The award ceremony was held at The O2 Arena...
, "Do It Like a Dude" would reached a new peak of number two, some eight weeks after first charting. The song also charted at 11 on the Irish Singles ChartIrish Singles ChartThe Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...
.
- It was followed up by the B.o.BB.o.BBobby Ray Simmons, Jr. , better known by his stage name B.o.B, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and record producer. He is currently signed under the labels of Grand Hustle Records, Rebel Rock Entertainment, and Atlantic Records. His debut single "Nothin' on You" reached number one in both...
-assisted second single "Price TagPrice Tag"Price Tag" is a song by English singer-songwriter Jessie J, featuring American rapper B.o.B. It was released on 28 January 2011 in the United Kingdom as the second single from Jessie J's debut studio album, Who You Are. "Price Tag" was written by Jessie J, Dr. Luke, Claude Kelly and B.o.B, and it...
," released on 30 January 2011 and also serving as the album's lead US single. The single went on to peak at number one on 6 February 2011, giving Jessie her second top-three hit in the UK. "Price Tag" became Jessie's breakout international hit, also peaking at number one in Australia, Ireland and New Zealand. On 15 April 2011.
- "Nobody's PerfectNobody's Perfect (Jessie J song)"Nobody's Perfect" is a song by English singer-songwriter Jessie J from her debut studio album, Who You Are. The song was written by Jessie J and Claude Kelly, and it was produced by Andre Brissett and Kelly, and refers to a struggle about perfection complex and regret over past indiscretions...
," one of her three favourite tracks from Who You Are, was released as the album's third single. It became Jessie's third consecutive top-ten hit in the UK peaking at number nine, performing similarly in Australia and New Zealand. In Ireland it became Jessie's third single to reach the top-fifteen.
- Initially Jessie confirmed the album's title track as the fourth single, during an interview with Digital SpyDigital SpyDigital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
on 18 May 2011. However since then, Jessie revealed that UK fans had pushed her towards releasing. "Who's Laughing NowWho's Laughing Now (song)"Who's Laughing Now" is a song by English singer-songwriter Jessie J from her debut studio album, Who You Are. The song was written by Jessie J, Talay Riley, Astasio, Pebworth, Shave - collectively known as The Invisible Men, Abrahams and Ighile and it was produced by Parker and James and The...
" instead, because of the sentiments against bullying. The video for "Who's Laughing Now" premiered on YouTube on 10 August 2011. It was the fourth single from the album.
- Jessie released the song "DominoDomino (Jessie J song)"Domino" is a song by English singer-songwriter Jessie J, released as the first and currently only single from the platinum edition of her debut studio album, Who You Are. It was released on 29 August 2011. The song was written by Jessie, Dr. Luke, Claude Kelly, Max Martin and Cirkut, and it was...
" from the platinum edition of Who You Are in the United States as her second single in the country; it later became a fifth single overall.
- The title track "Who You AreWho You Are (Jessie J song)"Who You Are" is a song by English R&B and soul recording artist Jessie J taken as the fifth single from her debut studio album of the same name. The song was written by Cornish, Toby Gad and Shelly Peiken, while the production was handled by Gad...
" was released on 13 November 2011 as the fifth official UK single, while being the sixth official overall single.
Critical reception
Upon its release, Who You Are received mixed 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 51, based on 23 reviews, which indicates "mixed or average reviews", while aggregating website AnyDecentMusic?AnyDecentMusic?
AnyDecentMusic? is a website that collates reviews of contemporary music albums, covering rock, pop, electronic, dance, folk, country, roots and urban...
reports a score of 4.9 based on seventeen professional reviews. Daisy Bowie Sell of The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
complimented Cornish's "big voice and ballsy attitude" and wrote that the album "switches effortlessly from R&B ballads to punchy rap tunes". Kitty Empire of The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
noticed that Cornish "remains relatively quirky throughout" and found Who You Are "impressive, if not entirely lovable". Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
wrote that it "brims with infectious, Americanised songs, delivered with a confidence money can't buy", but criticised the slower songs saying that "divested of the slowies, this would have been a fine pop record". Andy Gill from The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
noticed "the distinctly transatlantic nature of her style" and praised the songs "Do It Like a Dude
Do It Like a Dude
"Do It Like a Dude" was written by Jessie J, George Astasio, Jason Pebworth, Jon Shave, Kyle Abrahams and Peter Ighile and was produced by The Invisible Men with Parker & James. Cornish originally wrote the song with Rihanna in mind because "Rude Boy" was released at the time, partly inspiring...
" and "Who's Laughing Now" "whose lithe, funky groove carries her dismissal of the schoolyard bullies", while criticizing other tracks such as "Casualty Of Love" and "Rainbow", calling them "unimpressive" and "tricked out with the showy vocal bling favoured by R&B divas as a substitute for genuine soul". Johnny Dee of Virgin Media
Virgin Media
Virgin Media Inc. is a company which provides fixed and mobile telephone, television and broadband internet services to businesses and consumers in the United Kingdom...
found the album "a bit patchy"; he felt that "when Jessie is having fun she's unstoppable", but noted that "the album's problems come when Jessie overdoes the vocal warbling and completely forgets to write an actual song". However, he concluded by stating that Cornish will be "[one of] the biggest and coolest UK female artists for decades". Mischa Pearlman of Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music, owned by Yahoo!, is the provider of a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming...
wrote that the album "doesn't entirely deliver, but even when its songs fall short of the promised hype, their potential is obvious" and stated that "next time, she'll be one step closer to getting it spot on".
Mike Diver of BBC Music
BBC Music
BBC Music is a team working in the department of Audio and Music Interactive at the BBC. Responsible for the BBC Music website - the portal site to music content across the BBC website....
gave a mixed review, writing that "the songs of Who You Are are expectedly split between slower, slushier affairs and punchy anthems for bolshy teens" and called the album "too patchy, too hurried, the powers behind it too eager to capitalise on the artist's current chart success", although he felt that "there's ample room for improvement". Ailbhe Malone from 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...
described it as "cheeky, relevant, and fresh [...] but unfortunately [...] a flash that's shortly over" and noticed that "no matter how much Jessie J sings about being herself, we don't really ever get a sense of who, or what, that is". Gary McGinley of No Ripcord
No Ripcord
No Ripcord is an online music and film magazine based in Sheffield, England.-History:The website was originally created in April 1999 by editor-in-chief David Coleman and A.M. Booth...
called it "an album of two halves as the stronger brat-pop moments soon give way to by insipid, dated ballads"; he noted that "there are glimpses of promise scattered between the overwrought delivery and unnecessary vocal gymnastics", but concluded by saying that Who You Are "promised much more than what has been delivered". Fiona Shepherd of The Scotsman
The Scotsman
The Scotsman is a British newspaper, published in Edinburgh.As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 38,423, down from about 100,000 in the 1980s....
wrote that it "covers all the tried and tested commercial territory: mainly a slick, generic imitation of American R&B divas [...] blended with the obligatory hip-pop stance" and felt that Cornish "is more interested in tiresome vocal showboating than communicating anything truthful". Eric Henderson from Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
agreed, saying that "in the quest to find herself, she seems to have gotten sidetracked". Matthew Perpetua of Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
was particularly critical; he felt that "the music is scattered, covering all the bases in an over-eager attempt to prove vocal chops" and noticed that Cornish "comes across like a severely dumbed-down Lily Allen
Lily Allen
Lily Rose Beatrice Cooper , better known as Lily Allen, is an English recording artist and fashion designer. She is the daughter of actor and musician Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. In her teenage years, her musical tastes evolved from glam rock to alternative...
at best, and at worst she seems like someone you would want to root against in a televised singing competition". Sean Adams of Drowned in Sound
Drowned in Sound
DrownedinSound.com or DiS is a UK based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway . The site is an editorially independent music website.-History:...
was equally negative; he wrote that the album "is riddled with so-called vocal performances that are a half a step above an X Factor audition", called it "a starchy soulless slop" and eventually described it as "an 'urban' 'pop' record made to fade in the background in lobbies and cafes, and, yeah, mandem-mandem, squawk, squawk".
Commercial performance
On 6 March 2011, Who You Are debuted at number two on the UK Albums ChartUK 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...
, behind Adele
Adele (singer)
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins , known professionally as Adele, is an English singer-songwriter. She was the first recipient of the Brit Awards Critics' Choice and was named the number-one predicted breakthrough act of 2008 in an annual BBC poll of music critics, Sound of 2008...
's 21
21 (Adele album)
21 is the second studio album by English recording artist Adele. Released on 24 January 2011 in the United Kingdom and most of Europe, and on 22 February 2011 in North America, the album was named after the age of the singer at the time of its production...
, shifting 105,000 copies in its first week. It has since been certified 2x platinum 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...
(BPI) for shipments of 600,000 units in the UK. The album debuted at number eleven 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...
, with first-week sales of 34,000 copies. In Australia, the album peaked at number four. It has since been certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association
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...
(ARIA) for shipments of 35,000 units. The album debuted at number 30 in Denmark on 11 March 2011. The following week it reached number 33, before leaving the chart. On 12 August, Who Are You re-entered the chart at number ten. In its fifth week on the chart the reached number five, archiving a new peak position. On November 2011 it was revealed that Who You Are was the biggest selling debut album of 2011 in the UK.
Track listing
- The Japanese release of Who You Are uses an alternate recording of "Nobody's Perfect" called the "New Album Version", previously included on the Australian digital EP for the song (called the "Alternative Version"). It is an extended version of the re-recorded radio edit with an additional chorus and outro.
Charts
| Chart (2011) | 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... |
4 |
| Austrian Albums Chart O3 O3 may refer to:*O3, the molecular formula for ozone*O3, the 1993 debut album by the techno band Sunscreem*O3: A Trilogy, a concept album trilogy by progressive metal band Dominici... |
22 |
| Belgian Albums Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... (Flanders) |
38 |
| Belgian Albums Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... (Wallonia) |
26 |
| 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... |
6 |
| Danish Albums Chart Tracklisten Tracklisten is a Danish top 40 record chart that is presented every Thursday midnight at .The weekly Danish Singles Chart also known as Track Top-40 combines the 40 best selling tracks from legal music downloads and the sales of music singles on either CD or vinyl... |
5 |
| Dutch Albums Chart MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
41 |
| French Albums Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
22 |
| German Albums Chart | 18 |
| Irish Albums Chart Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
4 |
| Italian Albums Chart Federation of the Italian Music Industry The Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy.... |
74 |
| New Zealand Albums Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
4 |
| Polish Albums Chart Polish Music Charts The Polish Music Charts are two official album charts and seven singles charts in Poland, provided by ZPAV, the Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry . The first, the Top 100, is a monthly chart based on data received from the album companies... |
51 |
| 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... |
29 |
| 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... |
2 |
| 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... |
11 |
Certifications
Release history
| Region | Date | Label | Edition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | 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... |
Standard edition | |
| Netherlands | 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... |
||
| Switzerland | |||
| United Kingdom | Island Records | ||
| France | Universal Music | ||
| Belgium | |||
| Luxembourg | |||
| Denmark | 2 March 2011 | ||
| Australia | 4 March 2011 | ||
| New Zealand | 7 March 2011 | ||
| Brazil | 18 March 2011 | ||
| Mexico | 5 April 2011 | ||
| United States | 12 April 2011 | Lava Records Lava Records Lava Records is an American based record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated through Universal Republic Records.-Company history:... , Universal Republic Universal Republic Universal Republic Records is a record label, owned by Universal Music Group. It is based on the now-defunct Republic Records label founded by brothers Monte and Avery Lipman... |
|
| Canada | |||
| Germany | 20 May 2011 | Universal Music | |
| Japan | 8 June 2011 | ||
| United States | 9 November 2011 | Lava Records, Universal Republic | Deluxe Edition |
| United Kingdom | 14 November 2011 | Island Records | |
| Germany | 25 November 2011 | Universal Music |
External links
- Who You Are at MetacriticMetacriticMetacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...