A Time to Love (album)

A Time to Love
Studio album by Stevie Wonder
Released	September 27, 2005
Recorded	2004–2005
Length	77:39
Label	Motown
Producer	Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder chronology
Natural Wonder (1995) A Time to Love (2005)
Singles from A Time to Love
"So What the Fuss" Released: 2005 "From the Bottom of My Heart" Released: 2006

A Time to Love is the twenty-third studio album by Stevie Wonder, his first since Conversation Peace in 1995. Originally to have been completed in 2004, it was finally released to stores on October 18, 2005, following an exclusive digital release on Apple's iTunes Music Store on September 27.

The first single, issued in April 2005, was "So What the Fuss", which featured Prince on guitar and En Vogue on backing vocals. Follow-up singles included "Positivity" with his daughter Aisha Morris, "From the Bottom of My Heart" and "Shelter in the Rain".

The song "Shelter in the Rain" was in tribute to his first wife, the singer Syreeta Wright, who died of cancer the year before the album was released. Wonder was quoted as saying he would have had Wright singing lead on it had she lived.

It is also Wonder's latest studio album to date, as of 2025, though multiple follow-ups have long been promised.

Reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	66/100 [1]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Blender	[3]
Entertainment Weekly	C [4]
Los Angeles Times	[5]
Pitchfork	7.4/10 [6]
PopMatters	7/10 [7]
Robert Christgau	A− [8]
Rolling Stone	[9]
Slant	[10]
Stylus	B− [11]

The album was received with generally positive reviews, despite its having been delayed several times during the year of its release. In 2005, Wonder won the Best Male Pop Vocal Performance in the Grammy Awards for "From the Bottom of My Heart", his fourth win in this category.

Commercial performance

A Time to Love debuted at number 5 on the US Billboard 200, selling 121,000 copies in its first week. ^[12]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Stevie Wonder, except where noted

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"If Your Love Cannot Be Moved" (featuring Kim Burrell)		6:12
2.	"Sweetest Somebody I Know"		4:31
3.	"Moon Blue"	Wonder, Akosua Busia	6:45
4.	"From the Bottom of My Heart"		5:12
5.	"Please Don't Hurt My Baby"		4:40
6.	"How Will I Know" (featuring Aisha Morris)		3:39
7.	"My Love Is on Fire" (featuring Hubert Laws on flute)		6:16
8.	"Passionate Raindrops"		4:50
9.	"Tell Your Heart I Love You"		4:30
10.	"True Love"		3:32
11.	"Shelter in the Rain" (featuring Kirk Franklin)		4:19
12.	"So What the Fuss" (featuring En Vogue and Prince)		5:04
13.	"Can't Imagine Love Without You"		3:45
14.	"Positivity" (featuring Aisha Morris)		5:07
15.	"A Time to Love" (featuring India Arie and Paul McCartney on guitar)		9:17
Total length:			77:39

Personnel

Music

• Thomassina Atkins – choir/chorus
• Francis Awe – talking drum
• Kimberly Brewer – background vocals
• Shirley Brewer – background vocals
• Kim Burrell – primary vocals
• Teddy Campbell – drums
• Mabvuto Carpenter – background vocals
• Jherimi Leigh Carter – choir/chorus
• Wendell Kelly – trombone
• Oscar Castro-Neves – guitar
• Ayrianna Cerant – choir/chorus
• Swapan Chaudhuri – tabla
• Gregory Curtis – background vocals
• Monique DeBarge – background vocals
• DeVere Duckett – background vocals
• Nathan East – bass guitar
• Kevon Edmonds – background vocals
• Lynne Fiddmont – background vocals
• Brianna Ford – choir/chorus
• Doug E. Fresh – beat box
• Patrick Gandy – conductor, orchestration
• Richie Gajate Garcia – congas/hand percussion
• Tony Gates – choir/chorus
• Daronn Gooden – choir/chorus
• Timothy Hall – choir/chorus
• Kenya Hathaway – background vocals
• India.Arie – composer, primary artist
• Herman Jackson – bells, keyboard
• Phillip "Taj" Jackson – background vocals
• Keith John – background vocals
• Accalra Johnson – choir/chorus
• Desarae Johnson – choir/chorus
• Timothy Jon Johnson – background vocals
• Unique Johnson – choir/chorus
• Chatoya Jones – choir/chorus
• Erica L. King – choir/chorus
• Abbos Kosimov – doira
• Debra Laws – background vocals
• Hubert Laws – flute
• Ricky Lawson – drums
• Paul McCartney – acoustic/electric guitar
• Melody McCully – background vocals
• Brijee McDowell – choir/chorus
• Sebastian Mego – choir/chorus, background vocals
• Kristie Mingo – background vocals
• Aisha Morris – primary artist
• Woody Murray – vibraphone
• Traci Nelson – background vocals
• Morris O'Connor – guitar
• Conesha Owens – background vocals
• Greg Phillinganes – electric piano
• Mike Phillips – saxophone
• Doc Powell – guitar
• Prince – guitar
• Bryan Sledge – choir/chorus
• Amir Sofi – darbouka
• Lamont Van Hook – background vocals
• Nathan Watts – bass
• Andy Weiner – conductor, orchestration, string arrangements
• Willie Wheaton, Jr. – background vocals
• Fred White – background vocals
• Johneisha White – choir/chorus
• Tamiko Whitsett – background vocals
• Barbara Wilson – background vocals
• Sherman B. Wilson – choir/chorus
• LaLynda Winfield – choir/chorus
• LaShanea Winfield – choir/chorus
• LaShanique Winfield – choir/chorus
• Stevie Wonder – arranger, art conception, audio production, bass, bells, bongos, chimes, clapping, clavinet, composer, drawing, drum loop, drums, editing, Fender Rhodes, finger cymbals, flexatones, flute arrangement, guitar loops, hand percussion, harmonica, keyboard guitar, keyboards, marimba, Moog bass, organ, percussion, piano, piano (electric), primary artist, producer, programming, rhythm section, sequencing arranger, string arrangements, synthesizer bass, tambourine, vocal arrangement, vocals (background), voice box

Production

• Gary Adante – engineer
• Stephanie Andrews – art conception, project coordinator
• Robert A. Arbittier – digital editing, editing, overdubs, programming
• David Blumberg – arranger
• Barry G. Clark – technical support
• Jeffrey Coprich – leader
• Tom Corwin – engineer, producer
• Greg Edenfield – engineer
• Scott Elgin – assistant
• Aaron Fessel – engineer
• Ernie Fields Jr. – contractor
• Kirk Franklin – arranger, producer
• Brian Gardner – mastering
• Evren Göknar – assistant
• John Holino – technical support
• Femi Jiya – engineer, mixing
• Steve Jones – programming
• Jim Keller – assistant
• Chris Kornmann – creative director
• Nick Marshall – assistant
• Rickey Minor – orchestra supervision, string arrangements
• Bobby Montez – assistant
• Scott Moore – assistant
• Francesco Perlangeli – assistant
• Neil Pogue – mixing
• Joel Poinsett – assistant
• Josean Posey – engineer
• Bonnie Raitt – producer
• Dave Reitzas – engineer
• Paul Riser – arranger
• Anthony Ruotolo – engineer
• Rafa Sardina – engineer
• Christine Sirois – assistant
• Ralph Sutton – engineer
• Heratch Touresian – programming
• Gregory Upshaw – wardrobe
• Peter Vargo – assistant
• Donnie Whittmore – assistant
• Val Williams – make-up
• Eddie Wolfl – photography

Charts

Chart performance for A Time to Love

Chart (2005)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [13]	61
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [14]	93
Danish Albums (Hitlisten) [15]	15
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [16]	51
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) [17]	27
French Albums (SNEP) [18]	19
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [19]	43
Italian Albums (FIMI) [20]	16
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [21]	12
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [22]	9
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) [23]	81
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [24]	9
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [25]	24
UK Albums (OCC) [26]	24
US Billboard 200 [27]	5

Certifications

Certifications for A Time to Love

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Japan (RIAJ) [28]	Gold	88,000 [29]
United Kingdom (BPI) [30]	Silver	60,000^
United States (RIAA) [31]	Gold	500,000 [32]
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. "Critic Reviews for A Time to Love". Metacritic . Retrieved February 20, 2013.
2. Theakston, Rob. "A Time to Love Review". AllMusic.
3. Christgau, Robert (2005). "Stevie Wonder - A Time to Love". Blender. Archived from the original on December 12, 2008.
4. "A Time to Love (2005) - Stevie Wonder". Entertainment Weekly. October 24, 2005. Archived from the original on April 21, 2009. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
5. "Los Angeles Times review". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 1, 2013.
6. Nelson, Elizabeth (February 27, 2022). "Stevie Wonder: A Time to Love Album Review". Pitchfork . Retrieved February 28, 2022.
7. Cober-Lake, Justin (October 27, 2005). "Stevie Wonder: A Time to Love". PopMatters . Retrieved February 28, 2022.
8. Christgau, Robert (November 1, 2005). "Consumer Guide: Christians and Heathens" . Retrieved March 11, 2019.
9. Moon, Tom (October 20, 2005). "Stevie Wonder - A Time To Love". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 12, 2008. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
10. Henderson, Eric (2005). "Stevie Wonder - A Time 2 Love". Slant. Archived from the original on May 6, 2008.
11. Soto, Alfred (November 4, 2005). "Stevie Wonder - A Time To Love". Stylus. Archived from the original on May 26, 2009.
12. "Simpson Strikes Back: Ashlee Scores 2nd No. 1". Billboard. October 26, 2005. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
13. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 305.
14. "Ultratop.be – Stevie Wonder – A Time 2 Love" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
15. "Danishcharts.dk – Stevie Wonder – A Time 2 Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
16. "Dutchcharts.nl – Stevie Wonder – A Time 2 Love" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
17. "Stevie Wonder: A Time 2 Love" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
18. "Lescharts.com – Stevie Wonder – A Time 2 Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
19. "Offiziellecharts.de – Stevie Wonder – A Time 2 Love" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
20. "Italiancharts.com – Stevie Wonder – A Time 2 Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
21. "Highest position and charting weeks of A Time to Love by Stevie Wonder (スティービー・ワンダー-リリース-ORICON STYLE-ミュージック)". oricon.co.jp (in Japanese). Oricon Style . Retrieved January 16, 2012.
22. "Norwegiancharts.com – Stevie Wonder – A Time 2 Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
23. "Spanishcharts.com – Stevie Wonder – A Time 2 Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
24. "Swedishcharts.com – Stevie Wonder – A Time 2 Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
25. "Swisscharts.com – Stevie Wonder – A Time 2 Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
26. "Stevie Wonder | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
27. "Stevie Wonder Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
28. "Japanese album certifications – スティーヴィー・ワンダー – タイム・トゥ・ラヴ" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan.Select 2005年12月 on the drop-down menu
29. Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970-2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN   4-87131-077-9.
30. "British album certifications – Stevie Wonder – A Time to Love". British Phonographic Industry.
31. "American album certifications – Stevie Wonder – A Time to Love". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved February 20, 2013.
32. Peters, Mitchell (August 2, 2007). "Wonder Embarking On Rare Tour In Late Summer". Billboard . Retrieved January 7, 2013.

External links

• Stevie Wonder interview with Newsweek, in which he discusses the album