Back of My Mind | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | June 18, 2021 | |||
Recorded | 2019-2021 | |||
Genre | R&B [1] | |||
Length | 79:18 | |||
Label | RCA | |||
H.E.R. chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Back of My Mind | ||||
|
Back of My Mind is the debut studio album by American R&B singer H.E.R. [2] It was released on June 18, 2021, through RCA. The album features guest performances from YG, Lil Baby, Ty Dolla Sign, Yung Bleu, Cordae, DJ Khaled, Bryson Tiller and Chris Brown. The music was written and produced with a host of musicians, including Mike Will Made-It, Hit-Boy, Tiara Thomas, Kaytranada, Thundercat and Darkchild, amongst others.
Back of My Mind was met with positive reactions, with critics praising the singer's musical showcase to a greater, matured extent and the album's cohesion within various R&B sounds. The album was proceeded by three singles: "Slide", featuring rapper YG, released on September 29, 2019, "Damage", released on October 21, 2020 and "Come Through" featuring Chris Brown, released on April 23, 2021. The album contains an alternative version of the song "I Can Have It All", which also appears on DJ Khaled's 2021 album Khaled Khaled . The album debuted at number six on the Billboard 200 after moving over 36,000 album-equivalent units. With this, it became her highest charting album and first top 10 entry on the chart. [3]
The album received two nominations for Album of the Year and Best R&B Album at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards, it marks her third and second nominations in the categories respectively. "Damage" also received nominations for Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song.
Gabriella Wilson, professionally known as H.E.R., rose to prominence in late 2016 and early 2017 following a series of EP's, named H.E.R. Vol.1 and H.E.R. Vol.2 respectively. Following this she released her first compilation album known as her eponymous debut project H.E.R. which is a combination of both formerly released EP's and a handful of additional songs, including "Best Part", a duet with R&B singer Daniel Caesar. The album was nominated for Album of the Year at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards with H.E.R. earning two Grammy awards the same year. Following the release of H.E.R., she released a new compilation album in 2019, also a combination of formerly released EP's, titled I Used to Know Her . In 2020, following the George Floyd protests she released the song "I Can't Breathe". The song was awarded with Song of the Year at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. On June 10, 2021, H.E.R announced the album release date and a trailer on her social media accounts. [4] [5] [6] The following day, she announced the album pre-order alongside the album's fifth single "We Made It". [7] The following week, H.E.R continued teasing the album by posting photos from its photoshoot, and revealed the tracklist the day before its release. [8] [9] [10]
The lead single "Slide" was released on September 27, 2019. The song debuted at number 85 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in January 2020, later peaking at number 43, becoming H.E.R.'s highest entry on the chart. "Damage" was released as the second single on October 21, 2020. [11] [12] It reached number one on Urban Radio and peaked at number 44 on the Hot 100 chart, [13] [14] and was certified platinum by the RIAA on May 21, 2021. [15] "Hold On" was then released as the first promotional single on October 25, 2020. [16]
On April 23, 2021, H.E.R. released "Come Through", a duet with American singer Chris Brown, as the third single off the album, with a music video for the song premiered on May 13. The song was certified gold by RIAA in September 2021. [17] "We Made It" was released as the second promotional single off the album on June 11, 2021. [18] [19]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 75/100 [20] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [20] |
Pitchfork | 6.8/10 [20] |
HipHopDX | [20] |
Exclaim! | 9/10 [20] |
Clash | 8/10 [20] |
On review aggregator Metacritic, the album has a score of 75, indicating it received mainly positive reviews, based on seven critic reviews. [20] Andy Kellman of AllMusic in a mixed review said that on the album "H.E.R. is often too accommodating". [21] Reed Jackson of Pitchfork said that "Ballads were a staple of H.E.R.’s initial five EPs, and she again uses them frequently on Back of My Mind, for better or worse. Nearly all of them are simple and pretty". [22] Writing for Exclaim! , Antoine-Samuel Mauffette Alavo reviewed the album positively, proclaiming H.E.R. is "in total control of her sound, with masterful command of her artistic direction" and complimenting the ease of adapting her "signature sounds" to fit the featured artists on the project. [23] HipHopDX's Riley Wallace stated that "H.E.R. doesn’t push the genre or her artistry forward with this debut, but she more than proves herself a worthy torchbearer for the art of R&B balladry". [24]
Back of My Mind debuted at number six on the Billboard 200 chart dated July 3, 2021, with 36,000 album-equivalent units, marking H.E.R.’s best weekly performance. [25] 29,500 of the album-equivalent units stemmed from the album's 43.56 million on-demand streams, while 5,500 were pure album sales, and 1,000 were from track-equivalent units. [25]
The album debuted at number one on the Billboard Top R&B Albums Chart, and number four on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. In addition, six of the album’s tracks landed on the Hot R&B Songs chart. [25]
H.E.R. jumped 84-32 on Billboard's Artist 100, which ranks artist popularity, giving her best showing on the chart in over two years, since she climbed to her number 26 career peak in February 2019. [25]
Award | Year | Category | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
American Music Awards | 2021 | Favorite Soul/R&B Album | Nominated | [26] |
BET Awards | 2022 | Album of the Year | Nominated | [27] |
Grammy Awards | 2022 | Album of the Year | Nominated | [28] |
Best R&B Album | Nominated | |||
NAACP Image Awards | 2022 | Outstanding Album | Nominated | [29] |
Soul Train Music Awards | 2021 | Album of the Year | Nominated | [30] |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "We Made It" | 5:14 | ||
2. | "Back of My Mind" (featuring Ty Dolla Sign) |
|
| 3:41 |
3. | "Trauma" (with Hit-Boy featuring Cordae) |
| 4:31 | |
4. | "Damage" |
| 3:47 | |
5. | "Find a Way" (featuring Lil Baby) |
| Chi Chi | 3:17 |
6. | "Bloody Waters" |
|
| 4:20 |
7. | "Closer to Me" |
|
| 4:06 |
8. | "Come Through" (featuring Chris Brown) |
|
| 3:34 |
9. | "My Own" |
| 3:39 | |
10. | "Lucky" |
| DJ Camper | 3:03 |
11. | "Cheat Code" |
|
| 3:11 |
12. | "Mean It" |
|
| 3:17 |
13. | "Paradise" (featuring Yung Bleu) |
|
| 2:37 |
14. | "Process" |
|
| 3:54 |
15. | "Hold On" |
|
| 3:22 |
16. | "Don't" |
|
| 4:01 |
17. | "Exhausted" |
| 3:29 | |
18. | "Hard to Love" |
|
| 4:02 |
19. | "For Anyone" |
|
| 3:54 |
20. | "I Can Have It All" (featuring DJ Khaled and Bryson Tiller) |
|
| 4:23 |
21. | "Slide" (featuring YG) |
|
| 3:56 |
Total length: | 79:18 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
22. | "Behind H.E.R's 'Back of My Mind'" | 8:21 |
Notes
Sample credits
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA) [42] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Mary Jane Blige is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Often referred to as the "Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and "Queen of R&B", Blige has won nine Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, four American Music Awards, twelve NAACP Image Awards, and twelve Billboard Music Awards, including the Billboard Icon Award. She has been nominated for three Golden Globe Awards and two Academy Awards, including one for her supporting role in the film Mudbound (2017) and another for its original song "Mighty River", becoming the first person nominated for acting and songwriting in the same year.
Brandy is the debut studio album by American singer Brandy. It was released on September 27, 1994, by Atlantic Records. Chiefly produced by Keith Crouch, the album contains a range of contemporary genres, including hip-hop, pop-soul, and R&B. Aside from Crouch, Norwood worked with a range of other writers and producers, including R&B group Somethin' for the People, Arvel McClinton, and Damon Thomas.
Samuel Joshua Watters is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and record executive. Watters was a member of the multi-platinum selling 1990s R&B group Color Me Badd and co-authored many of their hits including "I Adore Mi Amor", and "All 4 Love". Watters has also written and produced songs for Grammy-winning and nominated artists such as American Idol winners Fantasia, Kelly Clarkson and Jordin Sparks, and other superstars such as Céline Dion, Whitney Houston, Leona Lewis, and Anastacia. Watters is a member of the production/songwriting team The Runaways including fellow hitmakers Rico Love, Wayne Wilkins, Ryan Tedder, and Louis Biancaniello.
The Carters are an American musical duo composed of married artists Beyoncé and Jay-Z. Their first album under the moniker, Everything Is Love, was released on June 16, 2018. The album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
"Never Too Much" is the debut song written, composed, produced, and performed by Luther Vandross. The R&B song was released in 1981, as the lead single from Vandross's debut album of the same name. The title track hit number one on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, reached number four on the US Billboard Dance Club Songs chart, and peaked at number 33 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Ledisi Anibade Young, better known simply as Ledisi, is an American R&B and jazz recording artist, songwriter, music producer, author and actress. Her name means "to bring forth" or "to come here" in Yoruba.
Vanessa Williams is an American actress and singer. In 1988, Williams released her debut album, The Right Stuff. The first single, "The Right Stuff", found success on the R&B chart, while the second single, "He's Got the Look", found similar success on the same chart. The third single, "Dreamin'", was a pop hit, becoming Williams's first top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 8, and her first number one single on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The album reached gold status in the US and earned her an NAACP Image Award and three Grammy Award nominations, including one for Best New Artist.
The discography of American disc jockey DJ Khaled consists of thirteen studio albums which contain 54 singles ; his videography consists of at least 58 music videos. Khaled's value proposition is his extensive network of artists of whom he enlists to perform on studio recordings. While first accumulating such connections from his work as a live DJ and radio personality, he's since become known himself for numerous quips and phrases uttered on these records—many of which became Internet memes. Furthermore, his interviews, quotes, or other presentative qualities have often been described as "motivational" or "inspirational". Despite commercial success, the albums in Khaled's discography have garnered largely mixed to negative reception from music critics.
Priscilla Renea Hamilton, known professionally as Muni Long, is an American singer and songwriter from Gifford, Florida. Under her birth name, she released her solo debut studio album, Jukebox, in December 2009 through Capitol Records. She then spent the following decade co-writing songs for other artists, including the hit singles "California King Bed" for Rihanna, "Worth It" for Fifth Harmony, "Love So Soft" for Kelly Clarkson, "Imagine" for Ariana Grande, and the global chart-topping hit "Timber" for Pitbull featuring Kesha.
"Cross My Mind" is a single released in 2005 by American R&B/soul singer/songwriter Jill Scott and from her second album, Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol. 2. The song was an R&B top 40 hit, peaking at number 38 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The song earned Scott her first Grammy Award in 2005, for Best Urban/Alternative Performance.
The Internet is an American alternative R&B band from Los Angeles, California. It consists of vocalist Syd, keyboardist Matt Martians, bassist Patrick Paige II, drummer Christopher Smith, and guitarist Steve Lacy.
"Love and War" is the lead single by American recording artist Tamar Braxton from her second album of the same name. The song received two Grammy Award nominations at the 56th Grammy Awards for Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance.
Ella Mai Howell is an English R&B singer. Her musical career began at London's British and Irish Modern Music Institute in 2014, during which time she auditioned as part of a trio on the 11th season of The X Factor. In 2015, she uploaded a four-track solo EP of originals to SoundCloud titled Troubled, and was discovered on social media by American producer DJ Mustard and signed with his record label, 10 Summers Records.
Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson, known professionally as H.E.R., is an American R&B singer and songwriter. She has received an Academy Award, a Children's and Family Emmy Award, and five Grammy Awards, along with nominations for a Golden Globe Award, three American Music Awards, and four Billboard Music Awards.
Dominique Armani Jones, known professionally as Lil Baby, is an American rapper, singer and songwriter. He rose to prominence in 2017 following the release of his mixtape Harder than Hard, which included his first US Billboard Hot 100 entry with its lead single "My Dawg". He followed up with his debut studio album Harder Than Ever (2018), which peaked at number three on the US Billboard 200 and spawned the Billboard Hot 100 top ten single "Yes Indeed". He released two additional retail projects within the same year: The collaborative mixtape Drip Harder with Georgia-based rapper Gunna—which saw continued success with its singles "Drip Too Hard" and "Close Friends"—and his commercial mixtape Street Gossip, which peaked at number two on the Billboard 200.
Summer Marjani Walker is an American R&B singer-songwriter from Atlanta, Georgia. In November 2017, she signed a recording contract with the local record label Love Renaissance, an imprint of Interscope Records. The following year, she released her debut commercial mixtape Last Day of Summer and received her first Billboard Hot 100 entry with its single "Girls Need Love," which spawned a remixed version featuring Canadian rapper Drake. In October 2019, Walker released her debut studio album Over It, which was met with critical and commercial success. It debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 chart—breaking the record for the biggest streaming debut-week for a female R&B artist at the time—and received double platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Temilade Openiyi, known professionally as Tems, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, and record producer. She rose to prominence after being featured on Wizkid's 2020 single "Essence", which peaked at number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart following the release of the remix version with Justin Bieber. The song earned her a Grammy Award nomination. That same year, she was featured on the song "Fountains" by Drake.
Nova Wav is a record production and songwriting duo composed of Brittany "Chi" Coney and Denisia "Blu June" Andrews. Over the course of their career, Nova Wav has written and produced on tracks and albums for artists including Beyoncé, Rihanna, DJ Khaled, Ariana Grande, Jay-Z, Saweetie, Nicki Minaj, Teyana Taylor, Kehlani and more. They were signed to Warner Chappell Music by Ryan Press and "Big Jon" Platt. They were named Billboards 2018 R&B/Hip-Hop 100 Power Players and listed on Revolt's Top 9 producers of 2019 that demanded the sound of Hip Hop and R&B.
"Damage" is a song by American singer H.E.R., released on October 21, 2020, through RCA Records as the second single from her debut studio album Back of My Mind (2021). It was written by H.E.R., Ant Clemons, Carl McCormick, Tiara Thomas, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and produced by Cardiak, DJ Prince OVO and Jeff "Gitty" Gitelman. It samples Herb Alpert's 1987 song "Making Love in the Rain".
"Big Energy" is a song by American rapper Latto. It was released through Streamcut and RCA Records on September 24, 2021, as the lead single from Latto's second studio album, 777 (2022). It was written by Latto, A1 LaFlare, Jaucquez Lowe, Randall Hammers, Theron Thomas, Dr. Luke, and Vaughn Oliver, with the latter two handling the production. Adrian Belew, Chris Frantz, Steven Stanley, and Tina Weymouth received songwriting credits since the song samples Tom Tom Club's 1981 song "Genius of Love". "Big Energy" has been described as pop and funk-rap.