| Bitter | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 24, 1999 | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 47:36 | |||
| Label | Maverick [1] | |||
| Producer | Craig Street [2] | |||
| Meshell Ndegéocello chronology | ||||
| ||||
Bitter is the third album by Meshell Ndegeocello. [3] It was released on August 24, 1999, on Maverick Records. The album peaked at #105 on the Billboard Top 200 in 1999. [4] The album also peaked at number 13 on Billboard's Top Internet Albums chart and number 40 on Billboard's R&B Albums chart.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [5] |
| Entertainment Weekly | A [6] |
| Pitchfork | 9.2/10 [7] |
| Robert Christgau |  [8] |
| Rolling Stone |  [9] |
| Spin | 5/10 [10] |
Billboard called the album "a modern masterpiece," writing that it "shines for its sonic presence as well as its inherent musical quality." [2] The New York Times wrote that "its rhythms flow in circulatory patterns guided by Ms. Ndegeocello's bass playing; guitars, strings and her guarded vocals intertwine like brain waves." [11] The Chicago Tribune called it "one long bittersweet downer." [1] Vibe called Bitter the "Album of the Year." [12] The Hartford Courant wrote that "though Bitter attempts to explore ambitious life themes about loyalty, faith, love and beauty, it instead commits the mortal sin of dullness." [13]
(instruments are not stated in the booklet)
