BLACKsummers'night

Last updated
BLACKsummers'night
Maxwell-BLACKsummersnight.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJuly 7, 2009
Recorded2003–2009
Studio Chung King, Bowery Digital, Platinum Sound Recording
(New York City, New York)
Genre
Length37:21
Label Columbia
CK 89142
Producer MUSZE (Maxwell), Hod David
Maxwell chronology
Now
(2001)
BLACKsummers'night
(2009)
black SUMMERS' night
(2016)
Singles from BLACKsummers'night
  1. "Pretty Wings"
    Released: April 28, 2009
  2. "Bad Habits"
    Released: June 9, 2009
  3. "Cold"
    Released: June 23, 2009
  4. "Fistful of Tears"
    Released: January 19, 2010

BLACKsummers'night is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Maxwell, released July 7, 2009 on Columbia Records. [1] It is the follow-up to his third album Now (2001). Recording sessions for the album took place during 2003 to 2009 and production was handled entirely by Maxwell and Hod David.

Contents

The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 316,000 copies in its first week. It became Maxwell's fourth consecutive US Platinum album and produced four singles that achieved Billboard chart success. Upon its release, the album received acclaim from most music critics and earned Maxwell two Grammy Awards at the 52nd Grammy Awards. It has sold over one million copies in the United States.

The sequel blackSUMMERS'night was released on July 1, 2016. [2]

Background

Recording sessions for the album took place during 2007 to 2009 at Chung King Studios, Bowery Digital, and Platinum Sound Recording Studios in New York City. [3] The album was produced entirely by Maxwell and musician Hod David. [3] BLACKsummers'night is Maxwell's first album since his hiatus after his third album, Now (2001), and serves as the first part of his scheduled trilogy of albums. [4]

The music of BLACKsummers'night is rooted in general soul music, and it features a more straightforward musical structure than Maxwell's previous work such as Embrya (1998). [5] Maxwell's lyrics concern his falling in and out of love during his sabbatical period prior to the album's release. [6] In an interview with Pete Lewis of Blues & Soul , Maxwell stated "The inspiration was real life itself. You know, while I was taking time away from the industry, I came across a relationship that took me by surprise." [7]

Release and promotion

The album was released on July 7, 2009, in multiple formats: digital, physical CD only, physical CD/DVD (Deluxe Version), and vinyl. The deluxe version includes video, entitled "5DAYSofBLACK", which discusses the development of songs and also includes the music video for "Pretty Wings".

The album produced four singles. Its lead single "Pretty Wings" debuted at number one on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, [8] ultimately spending 47 weeks on the chart. [9] It also spent 18 weeks and peaked at number 33 on the Hot 100 and at number 12 on its Radio Songs component chart. [10] [11] The album's second single, "Bad Habits", peaked at number four on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, spending 46 weeks on the chart. [9] It peaked at number 71 on the Hot 100, [10] at number 38 on the Radio Songs chart, [11] and at number 16 on the Hot Dance Club Songs chart. [12] The third single "Cold" spent one week at number 62 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. [9] The album's fourth single "Fistful of Tears" spent 24 weeks on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, peaking at number 11. [9] It charted at number 94 on the Hot 100 and at number 63 on the Radio Songs chart. [10] [11]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic? 7.5/10 [13]
Metacritic 85/100 [14]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [15]
Chicago Tribune Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [6]
Entertainment Weekly B [16]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [17]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [18]
The Observer Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [19]
Pitchfork 7.8/10 [20]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [21]
Spin 8/10 [22]
USA Today Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [23]

BLACKsummers'night received widespread acclaim from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 85, based on 15 reviews. [14] In the Chicago Tribune , Greg Kot said it "evokes the complex late ‘70s albums of Marvin Gaye", as "Maxwell explores his vulnerabilities and idiosyncrasies, while toughening up his sound." [6] Rolling Stone writer Jody Rosen called it "an R&B album about love, not just sex, for grown-ups who know the difference". [21] The Village Voice 's Clover Hope observed more concise and "existentialist" songwriting than on his previous work. "The constant with Maxwell is that he tackles the topic of love with a philosopher's eye", Hope wrote. "It's easy to fancy the mood of his music over its poeticism, but with BLACK, he strikes a pleasant balance that's neither boring nor overwhelming." [24] Pitchfork critic David Drake found Maxwell "structurally ambitious" and avant-garde in his approach to musical structure, while writing that the record's best songs balance "compositional excellence, development, and tension, with carefully designed moods that reflect or complement each work's lyrical focus". [20] Los Angeles Times writer Ann Powers found its songs' structure complementary to the album's themes, stating "the music replicates the experience of an intimate connection, its ebbs and surges, its sometimes frustrating turns". [17] Jon Pareles of The New York Times later named it 2009's best album and found it radical in terms of contemporary R&B because of its supplicant and "elliptical" lyrics, hand-played instrumentation, fluid melodies, and "even when the rhythm gets funky, the sad, lovely songs — about a crumbling romance — are suffused with a yearning that's almost too intimate. It's soul music reinventing itself, moment to moment. [25]

Robert Christgau was less enthusiastic, writing in MSN Music that Maxwell "really believes that the quality of the sex is measured by its curlicues—and by how long it takes to come true"; he named "Badhabits" and "Helpsomebody" as the album's highlights. [26] The Observer 's Paul Mardles was more critical, accusing Maxwell of exhibiting a "fondness for cliche". [19] Allison Stewart from The Washington Post called the album "cerebral but impersonal" and felt that it "never quite breaks free of its self-imposed restraints". [27] Entertainment Weekly 's Leah Greenblatt said Maxwell's "sentiments rarely transcend the boudoir — and listeners lulled by the album's unvaryingly sleek, high-gloss beats may just drift off to dreamland before they get there". [16] In the Chicago Sun-Times , Jim DeRogatis wrote that several songs "never rise above the level of pleasant background music", which he nonetheless found "gorgeously recorded, tastefully arranged and beautifully played". [28]

BLACKsummers'night was one of 2009's most critically acclaimed music releases, being ranked near or at the top of several critics' year-end lists of best albums. [29] It was voted the year's 14th best album in the Pazz & Jop, an annual poll of American critics nationwide, published in The Village Voice. [30] It was also ranked seventh best by the Associated Press, [31] ninth by Billboard, [32] fifth by The Boston Globe's Sarah Rodman, [33] and first by The Washington Post's Chris Richards. [34] BLACKsummers'night also earned Maxwell 2010 Grammy Awards in the categories of Best R&B Album and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance (for "Pretty Wings"). [35] Musician Greg Puciato named BLACKsummers'night his favorite album of 2009. [36] In the 2020 list by Rolling Stone of the Top 500 Albums of All-Time, it was ranked number 467. [37]

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart in July 2009, with first-week sales of 316,000 copies, [38] serving as Maxwell's highest first-week sales. [39] It also entered at number one on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, [40] and at number two on the Top Digital Albums. [41] In its second week on the Billboard 200, it fell to number two with an additional 103,000 copies sold. [42] In its third week, the album dropped to number three with 72,000 more copies sold. [43] In its fourth week, the album sold 55,000 more copies at number three on the chart. [44] By August 2009, BLACKsummers'night had sold 550,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. [45] Charting at number seven on the Billboard 200, the album sold 43,000 copies in its fifth week. [46] It maintained its position at number seven in its sixth week, selling an additional 38,000 copies. [47] It spent 42 weeks on both the Billboard 200 and R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. [48] [49]

In Canada, the album debuted at number 25 on the Top 100 chart, [50] spending one week on the chart. [51] In the United Kingdom, BLACKsummers'night entered at number 66 on the UK Albums Chart, spending one week on the chart, [52] and at number 23 on the UK R&B Chart. [53] On January 19, 2010, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, [54] following shipments in excess of one million copies in the United States. [55] It serves as his fourth consecutive platinum-selling album and has sold more than one million copies in the United States. [54] [56] As of May 2016, it had sold 1,213,000 units in the US. [57]

Track listing

All tracks are written by MUSZE (Maxwell) and Hod David

BLACKsummers'night track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Badhabits"5:52
2."Cold"4:02
3."Prettywings"5:10
4."Helpsomebody"4:01
5."Stoptheworld"3:56
6."Loveyou"3:35
7."Fistfuloftears"3:39
8."Playingpossum"4:22
9."Phoenixrise"2:41

Personnel

Credits for BLACKsummers'night adapted from AllMusic. [58]

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for BLACKsummers'night
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [70] Platinum1,213,000 [57]

Related Research Articles

<i>8701</i> 2001 album by Usher

8701 is the third studio album by American singer Usher, released in the United Kingdom on July 9, 2001, and in the United States on August 7, 2001, by Arista Records. Recording was handled by several producers including The Neptunes, Jermaine Dupri, Babyface, Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs, Mike City, Bryan Michael Cox, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. Although intended for an October 31, 2000, release under the title All About U, the album was delayed numerous times, following the leak of several tracks onto the online music store Napster. Usher subsequently recorded new tracks and released the album under the new title, 8701, which is derived from Usher singing for the first time in his local church in 1987 and the album's US release date of August 7, 2001. The single "Can U Help Me" was supplied with Windows XP Service Pack 2 and later Windows versions to showcase Windows Media Player 11 and higher WMP versions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe (singer)</span> American R&B singer (born 1973)

Joseph Lewis Thomas, known mononymously as Joe, is an American R&B singer-songwriter and record producer. He signed to Polygram Records in 1992, and rose to prominence after releasing his debut album Everything the following year. He followed it with a series of successful albums under Jive Records, including All That I Am (1997), the international bestseller My Name Is Joe (2000) as well as the multi-certified albums Better Days (2001) and And Then... (2003). Several songs from these albums became hit singles on the pop and R&B record charts, including the number-one hit "Stutter", the top ten entries "All the Things ", "Don't Wanna Be a Player", and "I Wanna Know" as well as his collaborations "Faded Pictures", "Thank God I Found You" and "Still Not a Player".

<i>My Love Is Your Love</i> 1998 studio album by Whitney Houston

My Love Is Your Love is the fourth studio album by American singer Whitney Houston, released worldwide on November 17, 1998. It was Houston's first studio album in eight years, following I'm Your Baby Tonight (1990) although she had participated on three movie soundtracks during that period. My Love Is Your Love is composed of mid-tempo R&B, hip hop soul, pop and dance music, produced by musicians such as Rodney Jerkins, Soulshock & Karlin, Missy Elliott, Wyclef Jean, David Foster, Lauryn Hill, and Babyface.

<i>Nellyville</i> 2002 studio album by Nelly

Nellyville is the second studio album by American rapper and singer Nelly. It was released on June 25, 2002, by Universal Records and Fo' Reel Entertainment. The album's production was handled by Waiel Yaghnam, the Neptunes, Jay E, Trackboyz, Ryan Bowser, and Just Blaze. Two singles from Nellyville, "Hot in Herre" and "Dilemma", both topped the US Billboard Hot 100 for respectively seven and ten weeks. The album received generally favorable reviews from music critics, who praised the production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maxwell (musician)</span> American singer

Gerald Maxwell Rivera, known mononymously as Maxwell, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to prominence following the release of his debut studio album Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite (1996), which received widespread acclaim, and spawned the singles "Ascension " and "Sumthin' Sumthin'". The album has since been cited by music critics for helping form the "neo soul" movement that gained popularity during the late 1990s.

<i>Urban Legend</i> (album) 2004 studio album by T.I.

Urban Legend is the third studio album by American rapper T.I., released on November 30, 2004, through Grand Hustle Records and Atlantic Records. The album debuted at number seven on the US Billboard 200, selling 195,000 copies in its first week of release. It also debuted at number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and the Top Rap Albums charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Usher discography</span>

American singer Usher has released eight studio albums, ten compilation albums, eight extended plays, and 80 singles. His music has been released on the LaFace, Arista, Jive and RCA record labels. Usher has sold more than 23 million albums in the United States alone and over 65 million albums worldwide. With over 100 million total records sold worldwide, he is one of the best selling music artists of all time. He has nine Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles and 18 Hot 100 top-ten singles. In 1994, Usher released his self-titled debut album in North America, producing three singles that had moderate chart success, and the album sold more than 500,000 copies. His follow-up 1997 album My Way sold over 8 million copies worldwide, becoming his breakthrough album. It is certified seven-times platinum in the US, and spawned three successful singles, including his first UK number-one "You Make Me Wanna..." and first US Hot 100 number-one song "Nice & Slow". Usher's success continued in 2001 with his third studio album 8701. It debuted at number four on the Billboard 200. The album produced two number-one singles—"U Remind Me" and "U Got It Bad". In 2002, the album was certified four-times platinum in the US for sales of 4 million copies. As of 2010, its worldwide sales stand at over 8 million.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ciara discography</span> Artist discography

American singer Ciara has released seven studio albums, one extended play, one DVD, one promotional single, 53 singles and 28 music videos, including seven as a featured artist. She made her debut in 2004 with her debut album Goodies which debuted at three in the US and charted within the top 40 in several international markets. The album's title track peaked at number-one in the United States for seven weeks and gave the singer the title of "The First Lady of Crunk&B", while singles "1, 2 Step" and "Oh" reached the top three in the US. All three singles reached the top 10 in many international markets, with "Goodies" topping charts in the UK. Goodies was certified triple-Platinum in the United States, Platinum in Canada, and sold over five million copies worldwide. Ciara also participated in a number of successful collaborations, including US top five hits "Lose Control" with Missy Elliott, and "Like You" with rapper Bow Wow, as well as the US top 10 "So What" with group Field Mob.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Brown discography</span>

American R&B singer-songwriter Chris Brown has released 10 studio albums, 1 collaborative album, 1 extended play, 9 mixtapes, 61 singles and 26 promotional singles.

<i>Now</i> (Maxwell album) 2001 studio album by Maxwell

Now is the third studio album by American R&B singer Maxwell. It was released on August 14, 2001, by Columbia Records. Following the lukewarm critical reception of his 1998 record Embrya, Maxwell pursued a different direction while recording Now, abandoning the conceptual style of his previous albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jay E</span> Musical artist

Jason Lee Epperson, known professionally as Jay E, is an American record producer, entrepreneur and DJ. He is a co-founder of the production team Basement Beats. Jay E rose to fame as the producer of rapper Nelly's multi-platinum 2000 album Country Grammar which has sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. He has produced songs for Murphy Lee, St. Lunatics, Justin Timberlake, E-40, Cedric the Entertainer, Lil Wayne, Ron Isley, Three 6 Mafia, and Hilary Duff. He is credited as one of the producers of St. Louis hip hop, a style characterized by hip hop mixed with soul, rhythm and blues and pop music. Billboard magazine, in the December 2000 issue, listed Jay E at No. 16 of the Top 100 Producers and No. 19 of the Top 100 R&B/Hip Hop Producers of 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kuk Harrell</span> American songwriter and producer

Thaddis Laphonia "Kuk" Harrell is an American songwriter, vocal producer, arranger and engineer. He was a member of a songwriting–production team composed of himself, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and Terius "The-Dream" Nash. In 2011, Kuk Harrell and partner Tricky Stewart joined the ranks of Fox's American Idol along with music mogul Jimmy Iovine, producing many of the songs performed on television by the contestants and released via iTunes. 2011 marked the highly anticipated return of Jennifer Lopez and her album LOVE? in which Kuk served as Album Vocal Producer. Earning his fourth Grammy for the vocal production of Rihanna's No. 1 Billboard Single "Only Girl ", Harrell is also the vocal producer and co-writer of Rihanna's Grammy-winning single "Umbrella". A composer and engineer on Beyoncé's chart topping "Single Ladies " from the album I Am... Sasha Fierce, he is also vocal producer and engineer of the Diane Warren-penned "I Was Here" from Beyoncé's 2011 album 4. He also produced the majority of the vocals on Mary J. Blige's Platinum album Growing Pains, which won the 2008 Grammy for Best Contemporary R&B Album. The first single from Growing Pains, "Just Fine", earned a Grammy nomination for best R&B vocal performance in 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blame It</span> 2009 single by Jamie Foxx featuring T-Pain

"Blame It" (also known as "Blame It (On the Alcohol)") is a song by American singer and actor Jamie Foxx, released as the second official single from his third studio album, Intuition (2008). It features American rapper T-Pain and was written by Christopher "Deep" Henderson, Nate Walker, James T. Brown, John Conte Jr., David Ballard and Brandon Melanchon and produced by Christopher "Deep" Henderson. Both Jamie Foxx and T-Pain use the Auto-Tune effect. T-Pain also uses some elements from "I Luv Your Girl" by The-Dream.

<i>Recovery</i> (Eminem album) 2010 studio album by Eminem

Recovery is the seventh studio album by American rapper Eminem. It was released on June 18, 2010, by Aftermath Entertainment, Shady Records, and Interscope Records. The album serves as a direct follow-up to Relapse (2009). Production of the album took place during 2009 to 2010 at several recording studios and was handled by various record producers, including Alex da Kid, Just Blaze, Boi-1da, Jim Jonsin, DJ Khalil, Mr. Porter, and Dr. Dre. Eminem also collaborated with artists such as Pink, Lil Wayne, Rihanna, and Slaughterhouse for the album.

<i>Jeremih</i> (album) 2009 studio album by Jeremih

Jeremih is the debut studio album by American R&B recording artist Jeremih. It was released on June 30, 2009, through Def Jam Recordings. The production on the album was handled by Mick Schultz who also co-wrote the album with Jeremih. To promote the release of the album, the album was posted online for an exclusive preview on MySpace.

<i>So Far Gone</i> (EP) 2009 EP by Drake

So Far Gone is the debut extended play by Canadian rapper and singer Drake. It was released on September 15, 2009 by Cash Money Records, Universal Motown Records and Young Money Entertainment. This is his reissued project from his third mixtape that was released earlier on February 13, 2009. This EP features five tracks from the mixtape, with the inclusions of two new songs. The EP features guest appearances from Trey Songz, Lil Wayne, Bun B and Young Jeezy. The EP was supported by three singles: "Best I Ever Had", "Successful" featuring Trey Songz and Lil Wayne, and "I'm Goin' In" featuring Lil Wayne and Young Jeezy. In April 2010, the EP won the Rap Recording of the Year at the 2010 Juno Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keyshia Cole discography</span>

American singer Keyshia Cole has released seven studio albums, one extended play, two mixtapes, 24 singles and 31 music videos. Cole's debut single, "Never", peaked at number 71 on the United States Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and became Cole's first entry on a national record chart. She was later featured on "Let's Get Blown", a 2004 single by American West Coast hip hop rapper Snoop Dogg – it peaked at number 54 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Cole released her debut album The Way It Is on June 21, 2005, through A&M Records. The album debuted at number six on the US Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 89,000 copies. The Way It Is was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It produced the four singles "I Changed My Mind", "(I Just Want It) To Be Over", "I Should Have Cheated", and "Love", of two of which reached the top ten of the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maxwell discography</span> Neo soul recording artist discography

American R&B singer Maxwell has released five studio albums, one extended play and twenty five singles.

"Fistful of Tears" is a R&B song by American recording artist Maxwell. The song is taken from his platinum album BLACKsummers'night, and reached number-eleven on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The music video was directed by Philip Andelman.

<i>blackSUMMERSnight</i> 2016 studio album by Maxwell

blackSUMMERS'night is the fifth studio album by American R&B singer and songwriter Maxwell. He produced most of the record with longtime collaborator and multi-instrumentalist Hod David; two songs were also co-produced by Stuart Matthewman. The album was released on July 1, 2016, by Columbia Records and charted at number three on the Billboard 200 while garnering widespread acclaim from critics.

References

  1. Billboard – Jan 6, 2007 – Page 32 Vol. 119, No. 1 Maxwell, "Black Summer's Night" (Columbia) "
  2. "Maxwell Announces "blackSUMMERS'night" Album Release Date + Summer Tour". April 8, 2016. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
  3. 1 2 Per liner notes from BLACKsummers'night album
  4. Capobianco, Ken. Review: BLACKsummers'night. The Boston Globe . Retrieved on July 19, 2009.
  5. Nero, Mark Edward. Review: BLACKsummers'night Archived 2009-07-10 at the Wayback Machine . About.com. Retrieved on September 13, 2009.
  6. 1 2 3 Kot, Greg (July 7, 2009). "Maxwell explores life's vulnerabilities". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved January 24, 2020.
  7. Lewis, Pete. Why So Sad Maxwell. Blues & Soul . Retrieved on May 2, 2010.
  8. R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Week of September 05, 2009. Billboard. Retrieved on May 2, 2010.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Chart History – Maxwell: R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Billboard. Retrieved on May 2, 2010.
  10. 1 2 3 Chart History – Maxwell: Hot 100. Billboard. Retrieved on 2010-05-02.
  11. 1 2 3 Chart History – Maxwell: Radio Songs. Billboard. Retrieved on May 2, 2010.
  12. Chart History – Maxwell: Dance/Club Play Songs. Billboard. Retrieved on May 2, 2010.
  13. "Blacksummer's Night by Maxwell reviews". AnyDecentMusic? . Retrieved November 14, 2016.
  14. 1 2 "Reviews for BLACKsummers'night by Maxwell". Metacritic . Retrieved March 15, 2011.
  15. Kellman, Andy. "BLACKsummers'night – Maxwell". AllMusic . Retrieved July 19, 2009.
  16. 1 2 Greenblatt, Leah (July 1, 2009). "BLACKsummers'night". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved July 19, 2009.
  17. 1 2 Powers, Ann (July 7, 2009). "Album review: Maxwell's 'BLACKsummers' Night'". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved July 19, 2009.
  18. "Maxwell: BLACKsummers'night". Mojo (191): 93. September 2009.
  19. 1 2 Mardles, Paul (June 14, 2009). "Urban review: Maxwell, Blacksummer's Night". The Observer . Retrieved May 3, 2010.
  20. 1 2 Drake, David (July 10, 2009). "Maxwell: BLACKsummers'night". Pitchfork . Retrieved July 19, 2009.
  21. 1 2 Rosen, Jody (August 5, 2009). "Maxwell: Blacksummers'night". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on August 26, 2009. Retrieved August 9, 2009.
  22. Wood, Mikael (August 2009). "Maxwell: BLACKsummers'night". Spin . 25 (8): 90. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
  23. Gardner, Elysa (July 10, 2009). "Listen Up: Maxwell re-emerges with maximum effect". USA Today . Retrieved August 21, 2016.
  24. Hope, Clover. Review: BLACKsummers'night. The Village Voice . Retrieved on July 19, 2009.
  25. Pareles, Jon. 2009 in Pop – Reggae and Rock Operas, Intimacies and Anthems. The New York Times . Retrieved on May 3, 2010.
  26. Christgau, Robert (October 2009). "Consumer Guide". MSN Music . Retrieved August 21, 2016.
  27. Stewart, Allison. Review: BLACKsummers'night. The Washington Post . Retrieved on May 2, 2010.
  28. DeRogatis, Jim. Review: BLACKsummers'night Archived July 11, 2009, at the Wayback Machine . Chicago Sun-Times . Retrieved on May 3, 2010.
  29. Best Albums of 2009. Metacritic. Retrieved on May 3, 2010.
  30. Staff. New York Pazz and Jop Albums. The Village Voice. Retrieved on May 3, 2010.
  31. Moody, Nekesa Mumbi. The AP Ranks Top 10 Albums of the Year Archived December 14, 2009, at the Wayback Machine . Associated Press. Retrieved on December 27, 2009.
  32. Staff. Billboard Critics' Top 10 Albums of 2009. Billboard. Retrieved on May 3, 2010.
  33. Rodman, Sarah. Sarah Rodman's Top Albums of 2009. The Boston Globe. Retrieved on May 3, 2010.
  34. Richards, Chris. The Best and Worst of 2009. The Washington Post . Retrieved on December 27, 2009.
  35. Bhansali, Akshay. Maxwell Calls Grammy Wins A 'Blessing'. MTV. Retrieved on May 2, 2010.
  36. Claire, Colette (April 5, 2010). "Option Craziness: An Interview with Greg Puciato of The Dillinger Escape Plan". Mxdwn.com. Southern California. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  37. "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. September 22, 2020. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  38. Sisario, Ben. ‘Blacksummers’night’ Takes Maxwell to No. 1. The New York Times . Retrieved on September 13, 2009.
  39. Caulfield, Keith. Maxwell Tops Billboard 200. Billboard . Retrieved on May 2, 2010.
  40. R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Week of July 25, 2009. Billboard. Retrieved on May 2, 2010.
  41. Digital Albums – Week of July 25, 2009. Billboard. Retrieved on May 2, 2010.
  42. Caulfield, Keith. Daughtry Returns, Debuts At No. 1 On Billboard 200. Billboard. Retrieved on May 2, 2010.
  43. Herrera, Monica. Demi Lovato Debuts At No. 1 On Billboard 200, But Michael Jackson Still Reigns. Billboard. Retrieved on May 2, 2010.
  44. Herrera, Monica. Fabolous Tops Billboard 200; Jackson's 'Ones' Now 2009's Second-Best Seller. Billboard. Retrieved on May 2, 2010.
  45. Herrera, Monica. Maxwell Adds New Dates To 'BLACKsummers'night' Tour. Billboard. Retrieved on May 2, 2010.
  46. Herrera, Monica. Sugarland No. 1 On Billboard 200; Jackson Still Week's Top-Seller. Billboard. Retrieved on May 2, 2010.
  47. Herrera, Monica. George Strait Dethrones Michael Jackson, Tops Billboard 200. Billboard. Retrieved on May 2, 2010.
  48. Chart History – Maxwell: Billboard 200. Billboard. Retrieved on May 2, 2010.
  49. Chart History – Maxwell: R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Billboard. Retrieved on May 2, 2010.
  50. Canadian Albums – Week of July 25, 2009. Billboard. Retrieved on May 2, 2010.
  51. Chart History – Maxwell: Canadian Albums. Billboard. Retrieved on May 2, 2010.
  52. Album Performance: BLACKsummers'night. acharts. Retrieved on May 2, 2010.
  53. Top 40 R&B Albums Archive – 7th November 2009. The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved on May 2, 2010.
  54. 1 2 Gold & Platinum – Searchable Database: Artist: Maxwell. Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved on March 21, 2010.
  55. Columnist. Maxwell Goes Platinum With Blacksummers'night. Vibe. Retrieved on March 21, 2010.
  56. Moody, Nekesa Mumbi. Success is getting in the way of new Maxwell album. Associated Press. Archived from the original [ permanent dead link ] on July 11, 2010.
  57. 1 2 "Upcoming Releases: Hits Daily Double". Hits Daily Double. Archived from the original on May 17, 2016.
  58. "BLACKsummers'night – Maxwell | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  59. "Maxwell Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  60. "Dutchcharts.nl – Maxwell – BLACKsummers'night" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  61. "Lescharts.com – Maxwell – BLACKsummers'night". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  62. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  63. "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  64. "Maxwell Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  65. "Maxwell Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  66. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2009". Billboard. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  67. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2009". Billboard. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  68. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2010". Billboard. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  69. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2010". Billboard. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  70. "American album certifications – Maxwell – BLACKsummers'night". Recording Industry Association of America.