21 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | December 12, 2006 | |||
Recorded | 2005–06 | |||
Studio | Various
| |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 45:15 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer |
| |||
Omarion chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from 21 | ||||
21 is the second studio album by American R&B singer Omarion. It was released on December 26, 2006, by Epic Records and Sony Urban Music. The album was produced by Timbaland, The Neptunes, Eric Hudson and Bryan-Michael Cox and saw Omarion co-write every song on the album. [2] The album's title was inspired from when Omarion turned 21 years old months before the album's release.
The album spawned two singles: "Entourage" and "Ice Box". Exclusively at Walmart, 21 was packaged with a bonus DVD titled BET Presents Omarion (2006). The DVD features BET and performance highlights, and music videos from Omarion's solo career. [3] 21 also received mildly positive reviews from critics, who saw it as an improvement over his debut record O (2005). The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, selling 119,000 copies in its first week.
The European edition add a bonus track: "Man Up", featuring Korean singer Rain.
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
About.com | [4] |
AllMusic | [5] |
DJBooth | [6] |
Entertainment Weekly | B [7] |
Stylus Magazine | B+ [8] |
21 received mildly positive reviews from music critics. Andy Kellman of AllMusic gave it an "Album Pick" title, praising the production throughout and Omarion for putting more input as a songwriter and performer, saying that he "truly surpassed his status as the former member of a boy band." [5] DJ Z of DJBooth commented on the lyricism feeling mature and the production showing more sophistication, saying that "Omarion's second album is a welcome addition to his musical catalog and should appeal to both his fan base and a more adult crowd." [6] Thomas Inskeep of Stylus Magazine also praised the album for its production and having a good ratio of solid-to-great songs. Putting it alongside Ciara's The Evolution for "best straight-up R&B album" he said that "the pair leave plenty of encouragement about the future of the genre." [8]
Damien Scott of Vibe gave a mixed review, saying that Omarion lacked range in his performance and that he's "never fully in charge." [9] Mark Edward Nero of About.com was also mixed towards the album, praising the first two singles but found the other tracks above-average at best, in terms of production and vocal quality that "range from average ("Obsession," Made For TV,") to fair ("Midnight," "Beg For It")." He concluded with: "Although O's taken a step forward in establishing himself as an adult solo artist, he still hasn't completely arrived yet. But at only 21 years of age, he's still got plenty of room to grow." [4]
The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, selling 119,000 copies in its first week. [10] This became Omarion's first US number one debut and his second US top-ten album. [10] In its second week, the album dropped to number ten on the chart, selling an additional 42,000 copies. [11] As of November 2008, the album has sold over 390,000 copies in the United States. [12]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Entourage" |
| Hudson | 4:58 |
2. | "Ice Box" (featuring Timbaland) |
|
| 5:15 |
3. | "Electric" |
| Hudson | 3:25 |
4. | "Made for TV" | 4:46 | ||
5. | "Just Can't Let You Go" |
|
| 3:03 |
6. | "Obsession" | Pharrell Williams | The Neptunes | 4:13 |
7. | "Midnight" |
|
| 3:58 |
8. | "Just That Sexy" |
|
| 3:48 |
9. | "Beg for It" |
|
| 2:56 |
10. | "Do It" |
|
| 3:54 |
11. | "Been With a Star" |
| Hudson | 3:18 |
12. | "What Are We Doing?" |
| Rufus Blaq | 3:53 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
13. | "Man Up" (featuring Rain) | 3:20 |
Adapted from the 21 liner notes. [13]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Omari Ishmael Grandberry, better known by his stage name Omarion, is an American R&B singer and actor. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the boy band B2K. The group achieved success in the early 2000s with their singles "Gots ta Be", "Uh Huh", "Girlfriend", and the number-one hit "Bump, Bump, Bump".
O is the debut solo studio album by American R&B singer Omarion, released on February 22, 2005 via Epic Records and Sony Urban Music. Despite featuring explicit language, the album doesn't have a Parental Advisory label on the cover. It features three singles: the title track, "Touch" and "I'm Tryna." The album entered at number one on the Billboard 200, and has sold more than 750,000 copies in the United States as of November 2008. O went on to be certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 48th Grammy Awards.
TP.3 Reloaded is the seventh studio album by American R&B singer R. Kelly. It was released by Jive Records on July 5, 2005 in the United States. The third installment in Kelly's 12 Play series, it includes the first five parts of the song "Trapped in the Closet". The album became his fifth number-one on the US Billboard 200 album chart, and sold more than 1.02 million copies within its first three months of release.
"Let Me Hold You" is a song by American rapper Bow Wow. It was the first single off his fourth album, Wanted (2005). Released on March 11, 2005, the song features American R&B singer Omarion. It was co-written and co-produced by frequent producer Jermaine Dupri and No I.D. and uses a sample of Luther Vandross' 1985 version of Brenda Russell's "If Only for One Night".
Wanted is the fourth studio album by American rapper Bow Wow. The album was released on July 12, 2005, by Columbia Records and Sony Urban Music. The production of the album was primarily handled by Bow Wow's long-time producer Jermaine Dupri as well as LRoc, Bryan Michael Cox and No I.D. The album also features guest appearances by Omarion, Snoop Dogg, Ciara among others. This was Bow Wow's first album to contain uncensored profanity, although only one curse word is featured, specifically “nigga".
So Amazing: An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross is a tribute album to American singer Luther Vandross, released on September 20, 2005, by J Records, nearly three months after Vandross' death. It consists of cover versions of past songs by Vandross, recorded by R&B, soul, and pop artists. The album debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200 and at number one on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, selling 104,000 copies in its opening week.
The Way It Is is the debut studio album by American singer Keyshia Cole, released on June 21, 2005, through A&M Records and Interscope Records. The album features guest appearances from Jadakiss, Chink Santana, Metro City and Eve. Cole co-wrote every song on the album, and also worked with a number of producers and writers, including Ron Fair, Sean Garrett, Kerry "Krucial" Brothers, Polow da Don, John Legend, Alicia Keys and Kanye West. The Way It Is is an R&B album, with some tracks having hip hop and hip hop soul sensibilities. Lyrically, the album speaks of romantic relationships.
The Breakthrough is the seventh studio album by American singer Mary J. Blige. It was released by Geffen Records on December 20, 2005. Initially expected to be released in 2006, it switched release dates with Blige's first greatest hits album Reflections (2006) after fruitful collaborations with a host of songwriters and record producers, including 9th Wonder, Rodney Jerkins, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Bryan-Michael Cox, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, Raphael Saadiq, Chucky Thompson, Cool & Dre, Ron Fair, and will.i.am, prompted Blige and her label to shift material from Reflections to The Breakthrough.
In My Own Words is the debut studio album of American singer-songwriter Ne-Yo. It was released by Def Jam Recordings on February 28, 2006. Conceived following his songwriting breakthrough with "Let Me Love You" for fellow R&B singer Mario in 2004, Ne-Yo worked with musicians Ron "Neff-U" Feemster, Brandon Howard, Shea Taylor, and Curtis "Sauce" Wilson, as well as Norwegian production duo Stargate on most of the album, some of which would become regular contributors on subsequent projects. The singer co-wrote the lyrics for each song on In My Own Words which features guest appearances by rappers Peedi Peedi and Ghostface Killah.
Bobby Marcel Wilson, better known by his stage name Bobby V, is an American R&B singer. Born in Mississippi and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he first joined the R&B group Mista in 1994, who became best known for their 1996 single "Blackberry Molasses". The song preceded the release of their eponymous debut studio album that same year, which underperformed commercially. The group disbanded the following year.
Year of the Dog... Again is the sixth studio album by American rapper DMX. It was released on August 1, 2006 by Ruff Ryders Entertainment, Sony Urban Music and Columbia Records. The album was mostly produced by Swizz Beatz, Scott Storch, with additional production by others. It features guest appearances from Busta Rhymes, Styles P, Amerie, and Jadakiss.
"Touch" is a song by American R&B singer Omarion. It was released on February 11, 2005, as the second single off his 2005 debut album O. The song was written by Pharrell Williams and includes his background vocals on the song's bridge. The song was produced by The Neptunes. "Touch" was originally planned to be the first single from O in the UK. However, it was eventually decided that as in the US, "O" would be the first single from the album there as well. It was a minor hit in the US, peaking at only number 94 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 35 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
Fantasia is the second studio album by American recording artist Fantasia. It was released by J Records on December 12, 2006 in the United States. Fantasia reteamed with Harold Lilly, Swizz Beatz and Missy Elliott and her team – all of which had contributed to her debut album to work on the project. The label also consulted new collaborators to record with her, including Babyface, Dre & Vidal, Kwamé, and Midi Mafia. Elliott, rapper Big Boi and Fantasia's brother Ricco appear as guest vocalists on the album.
Epiphany is the second studio album by American singer T-Pain, It was released on June 5, 2007, by his record label Nappy Boy Entertainment, under the distribution of Akon's label Konvict Muzik, Jive Records, and Zomba Label Group. The album marks a first for T-Pain, who launched his own record label Nappy Boy Entertainment. Critics gave the album mixed reviews. Epiphany debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and spawned three singles: "Buy U a Drank ", "Bartender" and "Church".
"O" is a song by American singer Omarion. It was released on August 17, 2004, as the lead single from his debut album of the same name. "O" was the first choice for Omarion's debut single in the UK and was picked over "Touch", which was the original choice for his first UK single. The song was Omarion's first hit as a solo artist, peaking at number 27 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It also reached numbers 12 and 24 on both the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Mainstream Top 40 charts respectively. The song also charted in New Zealand and the UK, peaking at numbers 18 and 47 respectively.
Sex, Love & Pain is the third studio album by American R&B singer-songwriter Tank. It was released on May 15, 2007 by Blackground Records and Universal Motown Records. The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, selling 103,000 copies in its first week, while reaching number one on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Tank's first album to have a Parental Advisory sticker, Sex, Love & Pain was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album at the 50th Grammy Awards. Its first single was "Please Don't Go", followed by "Heartbreaker".
Hustlenomics is the second studio album by American rapper Yung Joc. It was released, by Bad Boy Records on August 28, 2007. The album contains the singles "Coffee Shop" and "Bottle Poppin," both featuring rapper Gorilla Zoe.
Just like You is the second studio album by American singer Keyshia Cole. It was released by Geffen Records on September 24, 2007. Cole started work on the project shortly after the release of her debut album, The Way It Is (2005). She consulted a variety of producers and songwriters to work with her on the album, including Missy Elliott, Bryan-Michael Cox, Scott Storch, Rodney Jerkins, The Runners, J. Wells, Pete Rock, and Soulshock. Guest vocalists include Elliott, Lil' Kim, Too $hort, Amina Harris, Anthony Hamilton, Young Dro, T.I., Chink Santana, and Piper.
Face Off is a collaborative album by American rapper Bow Wow and American singer Omarion. The album was released on December 11, 2007 through Columbia Records. The production on the album was handled by Jermaine Dupri, Jim Jonsin, Stereotypes, T-Pain, No I.D. and Lil Ronnie among others.
Kawan Kawmi "KP" Prather is an American record executive. He began his career as a DJ for the Atlanta-based hip hop group Parental Advisory (P.A.) in 1991, which were part of the larger collective Dungeon Family. The group was discovered by Pebbles and L.A. Reid and were the first act from the collective to sign earn a major label deal with LaFace Records, through which he launched his own subsidiary imprint Ghet-O-Vision Entertainment by the late 1990s. During this time, he worked in executive or A&R positions on albums for LaFace labelmates including TLC, OutKast, Goodie Mob, Usher, Pink, and Toni Braxton.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)