All I Have | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | July 30, 2002 | |||
Recorded | 2001–2002 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | R&B | |||
Length | 42:56 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | Rich Harrison | |||
Amerie chronology | ||||
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Alternative cover | ||||
Japanese edition cover | ||||
Singles from All I Have | ||||
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All I Have is the debut studio album by American R&B recording artist Amerie. It was released on July 30,2002,through Columbia Records,Rise Entertainment and Richcraft Records. Entirely produced by Rich Harrison,the album debuted and peaked at number nine on the US Billboard 200 chart in August 2002,remaining in the top twenty for two weeks only and dropping off the top hundred in its fourteenth week. It also received generally mixed reviews from the music critics. Nevertheless,the album was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling over 500,000 copies on October 3,2003, [1] and won Amerie a Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist in 2003. According to Nielsen SoundScan,the album has sold over 661,000 copies in the United States as of July 2009. [2] All I Have produced two singles:"Why Don't We Fall in Love" (which peaked at number 23 on the US Billboard Hot 100) and a minor hit "Talkin' to Me".
While studying at Georgetown,Amerie befriended a Washington,D.C.,club promoter who put her in touch with producer Rich Harrison. [3] During an interview with Maxim ,Amerie said she met up with Harrison at a McDonald's parking lot,and performed a song for him in her car. [4] Rich Harrison—who had just worked on Mary J. Blige's albums Mary and No More Drama —began developing demos with Amerie. This led to her first record deal with Harrison's Richcraft Entertainment,in collaboration with Columbia Records. [3] According to Amerie,she and Harrison immediately hit it off. In a 2002 interview,she commented "For some reason we had a very special chemistry. When we would work together something great would happen." [5]
Amerie recorded the chorus for the 2001 single "Rule",performed by Nas. [6] The single peaked at number 67 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles &Tracks chart in the United States. She also recorded a song with Detroit rapper Royce da 5'9",titled "Life",the third and final single from his Rock City (Version 2.0) album.
All I Have was first released in United States,for CD and vinyl LP,on July 30,2002,through Columbia Records,Rise Entertainment and Richcraft Records. It was released on August 5,2002,in Europe through Sony Music Entertainment. It was also released in Japan,on November 20,2002,through Sony Music Entertainment Japan.
In April 2002,Amerie's debut single,"Why Don't We Fall in Love",was released,peaking at number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming a top ten hit on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Dance Club Play charts. [7] The song was an urban top twenty hit in Australia and reached the top 40 in the United Kingdom. [8] [9] To promote the album,Amerie went on tour with Usher and Nas,traveling on Usher's Evolution 8701 Tour in 2002. [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] Amerie also promoted the album by touring with rapper Nelly,performing on twelve of his concert dates. [15] [16] [17] The second and final single from All I Have was "Talkin' to Me",a top twenty entry on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs,although it peaked outside the top forty on the Billboard Hot 100.
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Boston Globe | mixed [19] |
Boston Herald | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
PopMatters | mixed [21] |
Q | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
USA Today | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
All I Have received generally mixed reviews from music critics. William Ruhlmann of AllMusic gave the album the grade of two and a half out of five stars,stating:"The debut album by 22-year-old Amerie is basically a showcase for writer/producer Rich Harrison,who constructs a series of mid-tempo rhythm tracks and writes lyrics of romantic longing. Harrison's lack of originality is suggested by his inability even to come up with new song titles. Among the tracks here are newly written songs entitled "Need You Tonight" "Got to Be There" and even "I Just Died" (that's right,"in your arms"). Amerie has a pleasant-enough voice that she uses to express a tempered fervor and a degree of eroticism,but she seems to be just another modestly talented performer chosen mostly for her looks;record companies seem to be on an endless search for attractive young women of mixed racial heritage (apparently in hopes of demographic crossover) who can carry a tune,and this willing Georgetown graduate with a Korean mother and African-American father is just the latest in a long line. None of which is to say that she won't succeed (record companies make a lot of money taking such bets),but at least on the basis of her debut album,Amerie has nothing to recommend her beyond a fairly anonymous surface appeal." [18]
Vanessa E. Jones of The Boston Globe gave a mixed review,stating:Amerie's almond eyes come courtesy of her Korean mother,while her caramel skin was inherited from her African-American dad. On her debut CD,All I Have,she proves that the melange makes a soulful combination. If there was a representative sound of the summer this year,it should have been the singer's shimmering single,"Why Don't We Fall in Love". With jazzy horns and romantic strings caressed by Amerie's strong,yearning alto,the song brought to mind beach holidays and summer fun every time it came on the air. Amerie follows up that effort with a 12-song CD with several distinctive cuts. It would be a great debut if it weren't for all the filler,and for lyrics (written by the CD's producer Rich Harrison) that revolve around the tired subjects of love,betrayal,and hate. When Amerie fails to follow her instincts,the results can be disastrous. "Float",for instance,finds her relying on histrionic yelling rather than crooning. But this is definitely a talent to watch,as the songs "Can't Let Go","Talkin' to Me","Got to Be There" and "Why Don't We Fall in Love" show." [19]
Sarah Rodman of Boston Herald gave the album positive review with the grade of three out of four stars,stating:"This 22-year-old Georgetown grad may be blessed with a lovely,flinty voice and great looks,but even she must have been shocked when her debut album,All I Have,made a Top 5 debut in Billboard . Amerie's music is two parts intriguing (a strong yet sultry R&B growl matched with the off-kilter hip-hop grooves of producer Rich Harrison) and one part run-of-the-mill (banal romance lyrics). There are tunes about Mr. Right,Mr. Right Now and Mr. Wrong. Amerie scores extra points for keeping things short,sweet and free from gratuitous vocal acrobatics. She stands out from the female R&B pack without resorting to affectation or gimmickry." [20] Steve Jones of USA Today gave the album two and a half out of four stars,stating:"On her strings-laced hit single,"Why Don't We Fall in Love",22-year-old Amerie shows a talent for subtlety and nuance not often heard from a debut singer. The sultry vocalist lets the intensity build rather than relying on over-the-top flourishes. She shows her versatility with the jazzy "Nothing Like Loving You",the edgy "I Just Died" and the infectious "Talkin' to Me". While the material is not consistently strong,it serves as a nice introduction to a singer with great potential for growth." [23]
Felicia Pride from PopMatters gave a mixed review,stating:"Even with all her charming characteristics,the brains,the voice and the looks,her debut is,well,boring... The tracks run into each other to the point that they become one very long song... The songs that really carry the album are "I Just Died" and "Show Me". Both are quiet storm ballads in which her vocals are richer,not as forced (quieter) and dance hand-in-hand with sexy hooks that allow the track to take the lead... The ingredients are there,she just needs to perfect the mix." [21]
The album debuted and peaked at number nine on the US Billboard 200 chart in August 2002,remaining in the top 20 for two weeks only and dropping off the chart in its fourteenth week. The album was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on October 3,2003, [1] and earned Amerie a Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist in 2003. According to Nielsen SoundScan,as of July 2009,the album has sold 661,000 copies in the United States. [2] It peaked at number one on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart by Billboard . It was also minor success in Japan,peaking at number 181 on the Oricon albums chart.
All tracks are written by Rich Harrison except where indicated. Also, all tracks were produced by Harrison
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Why Don't We Fall in Love" | 2:39 | |
2. | "Talkin' to Me" | 3:54 | |
3. | "Nothing Like Loving You" | 3:51 | |
4. | "Can't Let Go" | 4:21 | |
5. | "Need You Tonight" |
| 3:49 |
6. | "Got to Be There" |
| 3:01 |
7. | "I Just Died" | 3:29 | |
8. | "Hatin' on You" | 3:57 | |
9. | "Float" | 4:03 | |
10. | "Show Me" | 4:14 | |
11. | "All I Have" | 4:08 | |
12. | "Outro" |
| 1:03 |
Total length: | 42:56 |
No. | Title | Length |
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13. | "Just What I Needed to See" | 3:15 |
14. | "Why Don't We Fall in Love" (Main Mix featuring Ludacris) | 3:30 |
15. | "Why Don't We Fall in Love" (Richcraft Remix) | 3:36 |
Total length: | 52:37 |
Credits for All I Have adapted from liner notes. [24]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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United States (RIAA) [31] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Catalog | Ref. |
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United States | July 30, 2002 |
| [32] [33] | ||
Europe | August 5, 2002 | CD | Sony Music | 5089732 | [34] |
Japan | November 20, 2002 | SICP 283 | [35] |
Amerie Mi Marie Nicholson is an American actress, singer-songwriter, and writer. She has released four studio albums to date: All I Have (2002), Touch (2005), Because I Love It (2007), In Love & War (2009). She is best known for her 2005 single "1 Thing".
Touch is the second studio album by American singer Amerie, released on April 26, 2005, by Richcraft Records, Sony Urban Music, and Columbia Records. Following the release of her debut album, All I Have (2002), and her first acting role, Amerie began work on her second studio album. As with All I Have, the album was co-written and produced by mentor Rich Harrison, with contributions from additional productions. Unlike her debut, Amerie co-wrote every track but one, and assumed more creative control over the visual imagery accompanying the album, such as music videos and artwork.
Richard Christopher Harrison is an American record producer and songwriter from Washington, D.C., specializing in R&B and hip hop music.
"1 Thing" is a song by American singer Amerie from her second studio album, Touch (2005). Written by Amerie and Rich Harrison and produced by the latter, the song is influenced by go-go rhythms and features a prominent sample of the Meters' 1970 funk recording of "Oh, Calcutta!", written by Stanley Walden. Its lyrics focus on an unidentified "thing" that fuels a romantic attraction.
"Why Don't We Fall in Love" is a song written and produced by Rich Harrison for American R&B singer Amerie's debut album, All I Have (2002). Released as the album's lead single in the United Kingdom in October 2001 and in the United States in July 2002. After being sent to US Urban/Urban AC, Top 40 and Rhythmic radio in April 2002, the song reached number twenty-three on the Billboard Hot 100 and became a top ten hit on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. It performed moderately elsewhere, peaking at number forty in the United Kingdom and number seventy-three in Australia. The song is also used for the promo of the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless. It is also one of the songs used in the American version of Donkey Konga 2. Part of the lyrics, along with the background music, was sampled in the song "Rule the World" by 2 Chainz and Ariana Grande and No Fake Love by Queen Naija and YoungBoy Never Broke Again.
Libra is the sixth studio album by American singer Toni Braxton, released on September 27, 2005, by Blackground Records. It marked Braxton's debut on the label, following her split with longtime record company Arista Records in 2003 after the release of her album More Than a Woman (2002), which was commercially less successful than its predecessors. The album's title is a reference to Braxton's astrological sign, Libra.
The Way I Feel is the only studio album by Canadian R&B musician Remy Shand. The album was released in 2001 in Shand's native Canada, UK & Europe via Universal Records and on March 12, 2002 in the United States via Motown Records. Three singles were released from the album: "Take a Message", "The Way I Feel", and "Rocksteady". "Take a Message" was the only song from the album to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #89. Shand wrote and produced all of the album's tracks.
"Take This Ring" is a song by American singer Toni Braxton. It was written and produced by Rich Harrison for her fifth studio album, Libra (2005). A subdued go go track, it features an uncredited sample from the song "Here Comes the Meter Man" (1969) by The Meters. Lyrically, it has Braxton singing about her plans to be free from a night of matrimonial responsibilities. "Take This Ring was released as the album's third and final stateside single but failed to enter the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, though it peaked at number 12 on the Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.
"Talkin' to Me" is a song by American R&B singer Amerie from her debut album, All I Have (2002). Produced by Rich Harrison, it was released in late 2002 as the album's second and final single solely in the United States, thus not being able to make the charts elsewhere. A remix of "Talkin' to Me" by the production duo Trackmasters featuring rapper Foxy Brown exists. The song first obtained airplay during the week of October 8, 2002.
Because I Love It is the third studio album by American singer Amerie. It was released on May 11, 2007, by Columbia Records. In the United States, the album was released exclusively through retailers such as Walmart and FYE, before its physical release was officially made available on September 30, 2008, by which point all future singles and promotion had been scrapped due to Amerie's departure from Columbia Records. As a result, the album failed to chart on the Billboard 200, becoming Amerie's first studio album to do so. Nevertheless, the album was a moderate success in Europe and Japan, and has been certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).
"Paradise" is a song by American rapper LL Cool J featuring American singer Amerie. The song was released on December 14, 2002, as the second single from LL Cool J's ninth studio album, 10 (2002). It also appears on the soundtrack to the 2003 film Deliver Us from Eva, in which LL Cool J stars alongside Gabrielle Union. Singer Tweet was originally slated to provide vocals but Amerie was eventually chosen instead. On the August 12, 2022 edition of The Breakfast Club, 50 Cent revealed that he ghostwritten LL’s verses on the song. "Paradise" embodies portions of Keni Burke's 1982 song "Risin' to the Top", penned by Burke, Allan Felder, and Norma Jean Wright.
American singer Amerie has released four studio albums, two compilation albums, one mixtape, three extended plays, and fifteen singles. Her debut album, All I Have (2002), was certified Gold in the United States, and produced the top forty song "Why Don't We Fall in Love". Amerie's 2005 single "1 Thing"—from her second album, Touch became her biggest hit in the US and elsewhere, although US sales of Touch did not match those of her debut. Her third album, Because I Love It (2007), was preceded by the single "Take Control" and the mixtape Because I Love It Vol. 1, and it remains unreleased in North America. Amerie's recordings outside her solo material include featured credits on singles by Nas, LL Cool J, DJ Kayslay, Ricky Martin and Chingy.
"No Time" is the debut single by American rapper Lil' Kim featuring Puff Daddy. It was released as the lead single for her debut album Hard Core in October 1996. It peaked at number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100, reached the top ten on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and peaked the US Rap Songs for nine weeks—becoming Kim's first number one hit on the chart. Additionally, the song charted at number 45 on the UK Singles Chart. "No Time" was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and contains a sample of Vicki Anderson's "Message from the Soul Sisters" and Lyn Collins's "Take Me Just As I Am."
"Talkin' About" is a song by American recording artist Amerie. It was co-written and produced by Rich Harrison for her second album, Touch (2005). According to Amerie, it is one of her "really personal" songs and may be her favorite track on the album. Released as a promotional single, "Talkin' About" peaked at number two on the US Billboard Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart. There was a remix made featuring East Coast rapper Jadakiss.
"Free" is a song by American singer Mýa. It served as the third and final single from her second studio album, Fear of Flying (2000), in December 2000. Originally featured on the soundtrack to the 2000 film Bait, the song was one of the two tracks added to the re-release edition of Fear of Flying on November 7, 2000. It was written and composed by Jimmy Jam, Harrison, Terry Lewis, Alexander Richbourg, and Tony Tolbert. Lyrically, "Free" addresses on independence.
"The Best of Me" is a song by American singer Mýa. It served as Harrison's first single from her second studio album Fear of Flying (2000) and featured Yonkers rapper Jadakiss. The song was written and composed by the latter and Harrison along with Teron Beal, Jimmy Cozier, Swizz Beatz and Mashonda Tifrere. Lyrically, "The Best of Me," a street savvy anthem addresses a woman holding off being intimate or physical with a guy.
"Movin' On" is a song by American singer Mya, released in July 1998 as the second single from her self-titled debut studio album. It was written and composed by Harrison, Mark Andrews and Darryl Pearson. Musically, the album version is a funk and pop song, while the single remix version is a hip hop song. Lyrically, the record speaks of a woman leaving her cheating ex-boyfriend.
In Love & War is the fourth studio album by American singer Amerie, released November 3, 2009, on Def Jam Recordings. Recording sessions for the album took place between 2008 and 2009 at Record Plant Studios in Hollywood, California and at other recording studios in Miami, Florida and Atlanta, Georgia. The album serves as Amerie's first release after leaving Columbia Records and forming her own label, Feenix Rising, which released the album under exclusive license and distribution through the Island Def Jam Music Group.
"He Ain't wit Me Now (Tho)" is a song by R&B girl group RichGirl. The song serves as the group's debut single from the quartet's self-titled debut album, RichGirl, which was later shelved following the group's disbandment. The single was produced and written by Rich Harrison, who has additionally worked with Beyoncé on her chart-topping 2003 hit "Crazy in Love" and Amerie on "1 Thing". The song was digitally released on June 2, 2009 on iTunes, and released onto "Rhythmic and Urban" radio the following July.
American singer and songwriter Angie Stone has released ten studio albums, one compilation album, and more than two dozen singles. She has sold near five million records as a solo artist, including over 1.4 million albums in the United States. Stone's career began as a member of the hip hop trio The Sequence in the late 1970s. In 1999, she released her first solo album, Black Diamond on Arista Records. It debuted at number 46 on the US Billboard 200 and peaked at number nine on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, eventually selling more than 750,000 copies. Black Diamond was awarded gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), and produced the singles "No More Rain ", "Life Story" and "Everyday", the former of which became a number-one hit on the Adult R&B Songs chart.