Black Diamond is the debut album by American singer Angie Stone. It was released on September 28, 1999, by Arista Records. The album was named after Stone's daughter Diamond Ti'ara.[3]
Stone rose to fame in the late 1970s as member of the hip-hop trio the Sequence who scored a hit on the US Top Black Singles chart with their 1979 single "Funk You Up."[4] After Sequence disbanded, she began writing songs for Jill Jones and had a stint playing saxophone in Lenny Kravitz's band.[5] In the early 1990s, she became the lead vocalist of the R&B trios Vertical Hold and Devox,[4] and made herself a name as a songwriter for Mary J. Blige, and with D'Angelo who was Stone's boyfriend at the time.[5] In 1997, one song co-written by Stone and D'Angelo, "Everyday," was featured on the soundtrack to the 1997 film Money Talks.[5] Though she had signed with the United Kingdom division of Arista Records earlier that year, the song prompted the label's then A&R manager Peter Edge to bring Stone to label head Clive Davis's attention,[6] who was impressed by "her voice and deep emotional connection to traditional soul music" and signed her to his US division.[6]
In his review for Billboard, Michael Paoletta declared the album "a musically rich and empowering journey through life's many ups and downs" that pairs "smooth, mellow grooves [...] with emotion-packed lyrics." He further wrote: "For those lamenting the lack of honest R&B/soul, stop worrying: With Black Diamond, it's back where it belongs."[14]AllMusic editor Theresa E. LaVeck noted that "purposefully positive, the album chronicles Stone's journeys maintaining personal faith and loving relationships, resplendent with new takes on traditional soul sounds. Stone supports her songwriting and vocal talents with help from A-list musicians/writer/producers such as Lenny Kravitz and D'Angelo. The sophisticated mix is elevated by Stone's incredible voice."[2] Ronda Racha Penrice from Vibe wrote that Stone's "soul-rendering delivery and vocal lushness is a welcomed addition to Arista's House of R&B Divas. With that said, the resident divas [...] should have no problem making accommodations for Stone in their humble abode at Arista."[15]
USA Today's Steve Jones remarked "South Carolina native Stone honed her songwriting skills penning tunes for people such as D'Angelo and Mary J. Blige, but on this earthy debut she quickly establishes herself as an artist to be reckoned with. Stone's rich, mature voice lends an authenticity to lyrics that touch the jagged surface and underlying emotions between people trying to work out or move on from relationships. She deftly blends old-school sentiments and current sensibilities and wraps them around grooves that work at any time."[13] Ayana Byrd, writing for Rolling Stone, compared Stone's vocal performance with Chaka Khan and Gladys Knight and remarked that "Stone's Southern country-road sensibilities prevent her from being derivative of her obvious influences; instead, Black Diamond shines with the intensity of brilliant soul."[12]BBC Music critic Daryl Easlea called the album "a fine debut" that proclaims "after years of struggle, Stone's arrival as an artist in her own right."[16] Kerry Potter from Q described Black Diamond as "a low-key album of quietly poetic soul, epitomised by the muffled funk of "Green Grass Vapors." [It] is meandering and over-polished at times, but, in the main, hints at a sparkling future."[11]Exclaim! editor Del F. Cowie complimented the album for its "classy and subdued mood."[17]
Chart performance
Black Diamond debuted at number 144 on the US Billboard 200 in the week of October 16, 1999,[18] with first week sales of 10,000 copies.[19] It was not until February 19, 2000, that it peaked at number 46.[18] Two weeks prior, on February 2, 2000, the album had been certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[20] By September 2003, Black Diamond had sold 812,000 copies in the United States.[21]
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