Brand New | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 21, 1997 | |||
Studio |
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Length | 57:27 | |||
Label | London | |||
Producer |
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Salt-N-Pepa chronology | ||||
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Singles from Brand New | ||||
Brand New is the fifth studio album by American hip hop group Salt-N-Pepa, released on October 21, 1997, by London Records. The group's international label at the time, Red Ant Entertainment, filed for bankruptcy before the album was officially released; aside from a brief tour and some TV and print ads, almost no promotion was available to boost the record. Brand New spawned two singles: "R U Ready" and "Gitty Up". The album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on November 25, 1997, a sharp decline from the group's previous efforts.
Brand New was the first Salt-N-Pepa album released after the group parted ways with longtime producer, writer, and manager Hurby "Luv Bug" Azor. [1] Instead, Salt took the lead in co-writing and co-produced the album. [2]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [3] |
Robert Christgau | [4] |
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [5] |
Entertainment Weekly | B− [6] |
Music Week | [7] |
Rolling Stone | [8] |
Natasha Stovall of Rolling Stone praised the "richer piano-, guitar- and vocal-filled sound, emphasizing gritty soul and sweet, unadulterated funk." [8] Jon Pareles of The New York Times wrote that the group "still juxtapose catchy come-ons ... and determinedly positive messages." [9] Connie Johnson of the Los Angeles Times wrote that "while it's commendable that they're stretching out in a more uplifting, spiritually motivated arena, the group's forte is still worldly, raunchy, of-the-flesh fare." [10]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "R U Ready" |
|
| 3:58 |
2. | "Good Life" |
|
| 3:54 |
3. | "Do Me Right" |
|
| 4:36 |
4. | "Friends" (featuring Queen Latifah and Mad Lion) |
|
| 4:42 |
5. | "Say Ooh" |
|
| 4:09 |
6. | "Imagine" (featuring Sheryl Crow) |
|
| 5:26 |
7. | "Knock Knock" |
|
| 4:32 |
8. | "Gitty Up" |
|
| 4:00 |
9. | "Boy Toy" |
|
| 4:24 |
10. | "Brand New" |
|
| 4:05 |
11. | "Silly of You" |
| C. James | 3:52 |
12. | "The Clock Is Tickin'" | C. James | C. James | 4:51 |
13. | "Hold On" (featuring Kirk Franklin and Sounds of Blackness) |
|
| 5:06 |
Chart (1997) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA) [11] | 186 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [12] | 64 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [13] | 23 |
US Billboard 200 [14] | 37 |
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [15] | 16 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA) [16] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
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