99.9% | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | May 6, 2016 | |||
Recorded | 2014–2016 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 59:08 | |||
Label |
| |||
Producer | Kaytranada | |||
Kaytranada chronology | ||||
| ||||
Alternative cover | ||||
Singles from 99.9% | ||||
|
99.9% is the debut studio album by Canadian electronic music producer Kaytranada,released May 6,2016,through XL Recordings worldwide and Ultra Records in Canada. The 15-track album features guest contributions from by Anderson .Paak,Vic Mensa,Little Dragon,Syd,Craig David,AlunaGeorge,and BadBadNotGood amongst others. 99.9% was supported by five singles:"Leave Me Alone" featuring Shay Lia,"Drive Me Crazy" featuring Vic Mensa,the Karriem Riggins and River Tiber-assisted instrumental "Bus Ride","Glowed Up" featuring Anderson .Paak,and "Lite Spots". [1]
The album was named as the winner of the 2016 Polaris Music Prize, [2] and won Electronic Album of the Year at the 2017 Juno Awards. [3]
In May 2014,it was announced that Kaytranada had signed a deal with UK-based independent record label XL Recordings and planned to release an EP in the summer. [4] During an interview with New York-based music magazine The Fader ,the Montreal producer disclosed that XL is "one of the labels I always wanted to be on […] It's a good label for people who are sort of lost and are like,'Let me see what's going on.'" [5] Kaytranada described the untitled EP as "abstract-feeling" and "uptempo,neo-soul," and was aiming to "make it as funky as possible." [5] In addition,he confirmed that he had worked with Vic Mensa,Karriem Riggins,Reva DeVito,and Shay Lia amongst others. [5] [6]
On August 12,2014,at the announcement of the EP's tentative title,So Bad,a song named "Leave Me Alone",featuring vocalist and fellow Montreal native Shay Lia,was released as the lead single. [7] [8] However,no updates had been provided regarding the EP's release date. [9] [10]
As reported on December 15,2014,Kaytranada expanded his project into a full-length album. [10] On Facebook,he posted a glimpse of his renewed contract with XL,along with the words "ALBUM COMING." [11] [12] Serving as the second single is the trap-influenced "Drive Me Crazy",featuring Chicago rapper Vic Mensa,released on January 27,2015. [13] [14]
On September 7,2015,Kaytranada took to Twitter to announce the album's official title:99.9%. [15] During Benji B's "Montreal Special" on BBC Radio 1 on March 16,2016,he shared more details about his long-awaited effort. The producer expounded on the album title,explaining that it reflects his dissatisfaction and indecisiveness when it comes to his musical endeavor. [16] [17] Furthermore,he confirmed that Canadian instrumental band BadBadNotGood and The Internet's lead vocalist Syd were both recruited as guests contributors. [18] Speaking about BadBadNotGood,he revealed that they recorded about fifteen tracks together,though only two were selected for the album. [16] [19] He also premiered a track from the album titled "Bus Ride" which features drum work from Detroit jazz percussionist and producer Karriem Riggins,and accompaniment from Toronto multi-instrumentalist and producer River Tiber. [20] [21] [22] On Twitter,he confirmed that the album would be released on May 6. [18] [23]
The following day,Kaytranada unveiled via Instagram and Facebook the artworks and track listing for 99.9%,along with short individual animations corresponding to each track. [22] [24] The album's digital version was made available for pre-order ahead of its release on iTunes and Amazon,while its physical format could be pre-ordered on XL Recordings' online store. [25] [26] The physical product comes on a double 12-inch vinyl with a gatefold sleeve,and includes a free CD of the digital album. [26]
On April 7,2016,"Glowed Up",which features Anderson .Paak on vocals,debuted on Annie Mac's BBC Radio 1 show,with the music video,directed by Bo Mirosseni,premiering soon after. [27] [28] Marc Hogan from Pitchfork gave the song a "Best New Track" designation,stating that "It's a track where two complementary artists sound like they are right where they want to be,and the pleasure is in how they bring us into this world,too". [29]
In anticipation of the album's release,an album-themed video game,99.9%:The Game,was launched on Kaytranada's website on April 20,2016. [30] Designed by artist Ricardo Cavolo,who also worked on the album's artwork,the game is a side-scroller modeled after 2013's popular mobile game Flappy Bird . [30] [31] Players must navigate an airplane through obstacles while collecting items to earn points. [30] [31] Players who attain a high score of over a hundred points will be rewarded with a free download of "Nobody Beats the Kay," a bonus track from the album. [31] On May 10,2016,a music video for "Lite Spots" was released. [32]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 7.4/10 [33] |
Metacritic | 81/100 [34] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [35] |
Financial Times | [36] |
The Irish Times | [37] |
Mixmag | 9/10 [38] |
The Observer | [39] |
Pitchfork | 8.0/10 [40] |
Q | [41] |
Record Collector | [42] |
Spin | 8/10 [43] |
XLR8R | 8/10 [44] |
99.9% received critical acclaim upon its release. At Metacritic,which assigns a normalized score out of 100 to all reviews from mainstream publications,the album received an average score of 81,based on a number of 21 reviews,indicating "universal acclaim". [34] Both Pitchfork and Spin gave the album a rating of 8 out of 10. Pitchfork's Jonah Bromwich wrote,"The genre-defying stew of funk,soul,R&B,and beat and dance music that Kaytranada has cooked up on 99.9% nods back at that heritage of percussion-driven synthesis." [40] At PopMatters ,which gives a rating out of ten stars,the album received an average rating of 6 stars. In his review,Chris Conaton wrote,"Even though [Kaytranada] doesn't do every genre he attempts equally skillfully,there's a pop music core to most of these songs that keeps 99.9% listenable throughout." [45]
Kaytranada has won the 2016 Polaris Music Prize for the album. [46]
Publication | Accolade | Year | Rank | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
The Guardian | The Best Albums of 2016 | 2016 | 36 | |
The Independent | Best Albums of 2016 | 2016 | 16 | |
NME | NME's Albums of the Year 2016 | 2016 | 5 | |
Rough Trade | Albums of the Year | 2016 | 76 | |
The Skinny | Top 50 Albums of 2016 | 2016 | 25 | |
Stereogum | The 50 Best Albums of 2016 | 2016 | 36 | |
Apple Music | Best Albums of 2016 (Canada) | 2016 | 1 | |
Pitchfork | Best Albums of 2016 | 2016 | 25 |
All tracks produced by Kaytranada,except "Bus Ride" by Kaytranada,Karriem Riggins and River Tiber,and "Weight Off" by Kaytranada and BadBadNotGood.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Track Uno" | Kevin Celestin | 5:44 |
2. | "Bus Ride" (featuring Karriem Riggins and River Tiber) |
| 2:13 |
3. | "Got It Good" (featuring Craig David) |
| 3:48 |
4. | "Together" (featuring AlunaGeorge and GoldLink) |
| 3:17 |
5. | "Drive Me Crazy" (featuring Vic Mensa) |
| 4:37 |
6. | "Weight Off" (featuring BadBadNotGood) | 2:35 | |
7. | "One Too Many" (featuring Phonte) |
| 3:38 |
8. | "Despite the Weather" | Celestin | 2:01 |
9. | "Glowed Up" (featuring Anderson .Paak) |
| 4:58 |
10. | "Breakdance Lesson N.1" | Celestin | 4:28 |
11. | "You're the One" (featuring Syd) |
| 3:47 |
12. | "Vivid Dreams" (featuring River Tiber) |
| 4:36 |
13. | "Lite Spots" | Celestin | 3:50 |
14. | "Leave Me Alone" (featuring Shay Lia) |
| 4:37 |
15. | "Bullets" (featuring Little Dragon) |
| 4:59 |
Total length: | 59:08 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
16. | "Nobody Beats the Kay" | Celestin | 2:03 |
Total length: | 61:11 |
Notes
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [70] | Gold | 10,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [71] | Silver | 60,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Karriem Riggins is an American jazz drummer, record producer, DJ and songwriter from Detroit, Michigan. He met Chicago rapper Common and fellow Detroit musician J Dilla both in 1996, and served as an extensive contributor for releases by both artists. He produced for Common's 1997 album One Day It'll All Make Sense, did so on much of his further projects, and formed the musical trio August Greene with the rapper alongside fellow jazz instrumentalist Robert Glasper in 2018. Furthermore, he formed the Jahari Massamba Unit with Madlib in 2020, and has also worked with prominent music industry artists including Paul McCartney, Kanye West, Denzel Curry, Earl Sweatshirt, and Norah Jones, among others.
Robert Andre Glasper is an American pianist, record producer, songwriter, and musical arranger. His music embodies numerous musical genres, primarily centered around jazz. To date, Glasper has won five Grammy Awards and received eleven nominations across eight categories.
British rapper and singer M.I.A. has released six studio albums, two extended plays, three mixtapes, forty singles and twenty-nine music videos. Born Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam, M.I.A. began her career as a visual artist and film-maker, and moved into making music after filming a documentary on the band Elastica in 2001. The band's lead singer, Justine Frischmann, lent her a Roland MC-505 sequencer/drum machine which she used to make a demo tape that secured her a contract with British label XL Recordings.
Louis Kevin Celestin, known professionally as Kaytranada, is a Haitian-Canadian music producer, rapper, singer and DJ. Celestin rose to prominence after releasing a series of mixtapes, remixes, and original music projects beginning in 2010 under the alias Kaytradamus. By 2013, and under the moniker Kaytranada, he began gaining wider recognition and, the following year, signed a deal with XL Recordings, with whom he would release his critically acclaimed debut studio album 99.9% in 2016. In 2019, he released its follow-up, Bubba, for which he won two Grammy Awards including Best Dance/Electronic Album. Celestin is one half of the hip hop duo The Celestics, along with his brother Lou Phelps.
Kelela Mizanekristos is an American singer. She made her debut in the music industry with the release of her 2013 mixtape Cut 4 Me. In 2015, she released Hallucinogen, an EP which deals with the beginning, middle, and end of a relationship in reverse chronological order. Her debut studio album, Take Me Apart, was released in 2017 to critical acclaim. After a nearly 5-year hiatus, Kelela released her second album, Raven, in February of 2023.
Malibu is the second studio album by American singer Anderson .Paak. It was released on January 15, 2016, by ArtClub International, Empire Distribution, OBE and Steel Wool Records following the release of his EP, Link Up & Suede, with Knxwledge.
NxWorries is an American music superduo consisting of recording artist Anderson .Paak and record producer Knxwledge. They are signed to Stones Throw Records and released their debut studio album, Yes Lawd!, in 2016.
Strength of a Woman is the thirteenth studio album by American R&B singer-songwriter Mary J. Blige. It was released on April 28, 2017, by Capitol Records. The album serves as the follow-up to her twelfth studio album The London Sessions (2014). Strength of a Woman is predominantly a R&B and hip hop soul album. Blige worked with producers and songwriters such as DJ Camper, Brandon "B.A.M." Hodge, Hit-Boy, Jazmine Sullivan, Lamb, Bigg D, Neff-U, Kaytranada, and BadBadNotGood on the album. It also features guest appearances by Kanye West, Quavo, DJ Khaled, Missy Elliott, Prince Charlez, Kaytranada, and BadBadNotGood.
Humanz is the fifth studio album by British virtual band Gorillaz. It was released on 28 April 2017 in the United Kingdom by Parlophone and in the United States by Warner Bros. Records. The album was announced on the band's official Instagram page on 23 March 2017. According to a press release, it was recorded in London, Paris, New York City, Chicago, and Jamaica, and was produced by The Twilite Tone and Remi Kabaka Jr. It was the band's first studio album since 2010's The Fall, and features collaborations with Jehnny Beth, Grace Jones, Kali Uchis, Vince Staples, Popcaan, D.R.A.M., Anthony Hamilton, De La Soul, Danny Brown, Kelela, Mavis Staples, Pusha T, and Benjamin Clementine.
The discography of American musician Thundercat includes four studio albums, an extended play, and twelve singles.
Tommy Paxton-Beesley, also known as River Tiber, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He released his debut studio album Indigo in 2016. As a songwriter, Paxton-Beesley has frequently collaborated with producer Frank Dukes and artists including Kaytranada, Daniel Caesar, and BadBadNotGood. He has co-written the charting songs "No Tellin'" by Drake, "Broken Clocks" by SZA, "AstroThunder" by Travis Scott, and "I Keep Calling" by James Blake.
Louis Kevin Celestin is a producer better known as Kaytranada. This production discography lists the recorded performances, writing and production credits as Louis Kevin Celestin, as Kaytranada, or Kaytradamus.
The discography of American musician Anderson .Paak has released four studio albums, two collaborative albums, four extended plays (EP), one mixtape and 18 singles.
Bad Habits is the second studio album by Canadian rapper Nav. It was released through XO Records and Republic Records on March 22, 2019. The album features guest appearances from The Weeknd, Meek Mill, Young Thug, Gunna, and Lil Durk. The deluxe edition was released four days later on March 26, 2019. It features additional guest appearances from Future and then-XO labelmate duo 88Glam. It follows his previous album, Reckless (2018), as well as his unofficial Brown Boy EP, released a week and a day before Bad Habits. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart as well as the US Billboard 200, becoming Nav's first chart-topper on both.
Ventura is the fourth studio album by American singer Anderson .Paak. It was released on April 12, 2019, by 12 Tone Music and Aftermath Entertainment. It features guest appearances from André 3000, Smokey Robinson, Lalah Hathaway, Jazmine Sullivan, Sonyae Elise, and Brandy, along with posthumous vocals from Nate Dogg.
Bubba is the second studio album by the Canadian electronic music producer Kaytranada, released by RCA Records on December 13, 2019. The album's release was preceded by the release of the single "10%" which features singer Kali Uchis, which was released on December 9, 2019. In the lead-up to the album release, Igloofest, a winter music festival, announced Kaytranada as a surprise guest. Just after the album release, Kaytranada announced a one-day pop-up shop and DJ set in Montreal.
The following is the discography of Kaytranada. Active since 2010, Kaytranada first released a series of mixtapes and original music under the name Kaytradamus. He released his first critically acclaimed studio album, 99.9%, in 2016, which he followed up with the Grammy-winner Bubba in 2019.
The following is the production discography of Canadian instrumental group and production team BadBadNotGood. Formed in 2010, the group has been producing music for other artist since 2012 and are known for their jazz-influenced compositions in hip hop, R&B, and electronic music.
An Evening with Silk Sonic is the debut studio album by American musical superduo Silk Sonic, composed of Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak. It was released on November 12, 2021, by Aftermath Entertainment and Atlantic Records. Silk Sonic reunited with Christopher Brody Brown and James Fauntleroy to write the album. They recruited American musician Bootsy Collins, who came up with the name for Mars and Paak's duo, for narration and American record producer D'Mile to compose the album. Recording sessions for An Evening with Silk Sonic took place from early 2020 to mid-2021 at Shampoo Press & Curl Studios.
Talk Memory is the fifth solo album by Canadian instrumental group BadBadNotGood. It was released on October 8, 2021, by XL Recordings and Innovative Leisure, and is the band's first album in five years. A mostly improvisational work, it was produced and written by the trio with contributions from featured American instrumentalists Laraaji, Karriem Riggins, Terrace Martin, and Brandee Younger, and string arrangements from Brazilian composer Arthur Verocai.