Coco is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat. The album was released on July 10, 2007, in the United States through Universal Republic. After her prominence on MySpace - following several shots at singing competitions - the singer enlisted English producer Mikal Blue to help her bringing her sound to the forefront, thus recording what would be her debut album. Critics were ambivalent towards the album, with some praising its melodies and her charm throughout the record, while others criticized its clichéd lyrics and monotonous sound.
Its lead single, "Bubbly", released on May 15, 2007, was a huge international hit, which led her to attain significant notoriety, prompting the album to debut at number five on the US Billboard 200, selling 51,000 copies in its first week.[1] It also became Caillat's best-selling album to date, selling 2,100,000 copies in the United States and over 3,000,000 copies around the world. It peaked inside the top-ten in four countries and top-twenty in over eight nations. Caillat supported the album with the Coco World Tour, as well as other two singles: "Realize" and "The Little Things", that became minor hits. "Somethin' Special" was released as a promo support the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, while "Midnight Bottle" was a promotional single and a success in Brazil.
Background and recording
Early in her life, at age eleven, Colbie Caillat started her singing debut, venturing in talent shows and school performances in her city.[2] Daughter of Fleetwood Mac's producer, Ken Caillat, the singer grew up listening to the songs that her father used to mix at their Malibu beach house.[3] She attributed her insterest in doing music after Lauryn Hill's role in the film Sister Act 2 (1993), taking vocal lessons as a result of the inspiration.[3] In early 2000s, she auditioned for American Idol but was rejected at the pre-audition stage and was unable to sing for the judges.[4] The second time she auditioned for the show, she sang her own original song "Bubbly" and was rejected once again. However, Caillat expressed gratitude at the judges' decision, saying "I was shy. I was nervous. I didn't look the greatest. I wasn't ready for it yet. I was glad, when I auditioned, that they said no."[5]
Soon after, Caillat met English producer Mikal Blue, who hired her to sing on techno songs used at fashion shows.[3] Caillat began playing the acoustic guitar at the age of 19 and Blue helped her record her first song.[3] Later on, songwriter and producer Jason Reeves came on board, bringing his artistic expertise to enhance Caillat's growing talents.[3] A year prior to her breakthrough, Caillat was working at a tanning salon on weekdays,[6] until one of her friends decided to build her a profile on social networking platform MySpace and posted some of her original songs to the site.[3] Little response was generated until she uploaded the then-exclusive track "Bubbly". As word spread, her MySpace page started attracting thousands of daily visitors. With 6,240 friends amassed, Rolling Stone recognized her as one of the top female artists on the platform.[3] The popularity of Caillat's MySpace profile led her to become the number-one unsigned singer in her genre for four consecutive months.[7]
After her MySpace popularity, Caillat crafted the basic melodies, often composing in her bathroom for its reverb-heavy acoustics, and later collaborated with Blue and Reeves for artistic input.[3] Boasting such an impressive milestone, she attracted the attention of record labels and eventually signed with Universal Republic as her online following surpassed 100,000.[3] As she recalled: "It happened so fast. I was just writing songs and putting them up on MySpace, and then I got a record deal. Then it was like, 'Whoa, you're going on tour with the Goo Goo Dolls this summer.' So it was brand-new."[4]
Music
Caillat with the album's main collaborator Jason Reeves, who co-wrote 10 out of the 12 songs on the regular edition of the album.
Coco was produced by Mikal Blue, with additional production by Caillat, her father Ken Caillat and Jason Reeves.[8][9] Its title derivates from Caillat's nickname that was given to her when she was a young child.[10] The album allows her to "show off her warm and inviting voice", as noted by Washington Post's Allison Stewart.[7] Stewart also considered it "a wispy and amiable exercise in coffeehouse soul that draws equally from Carole King, John Mayer and, more to the point, Jack Johnson, who shares Caillat's love of mildly played, determinedly pleasant folk."[7] Jason Lymangrover of Allmusic described it as "a summertime record suitable for both the coffeehouse and the beach."[3] For Bill Lamb from About.com, "this is a CD to tuck into your picnic basket on a summer day."[11] Caillat herself considered the album's content "fresh and sunny".[4]
Lyrically, the album features "numerous love songs [that] find Caillat practically hyperventilating over romantic relationships," as noted by Plugged In authors Adam R. Holz and Bob Smithouser,[12] with intimacy and drowning sorrows also being featured themes.[12] The opening track, "Oxygen", "glides by in a serene soft rock shuffle, with Caillat's vocal being compared to those of Joss Stone and Corinne Bailey Rae.[13] Lyrically, the song has Colbie joyously incapacitated [in a metaphoric way], wanting to share her feelings for a special guy".[12] The follow-up track, "The Little Things" talks about love reconciliation,[14] while "One Fine Wire" deals with emotional distress.[15] Its lead single, "Bubbly", is built over "simple strummed acoustic guitar, a whisper of drums for a beat," and as described by Lamb, "Colbie Caillat's unadorned singing".[16] Lyrically, it suggests intimacy where a couple "is getting playful under the covers."[12] It was compared to Jack Johnson's "Bubble Toes" by Stewart.[7]
"Feelings Show" follows, using "unobtrusive acoustic guitar, mild grooves and a subtle beat, until it builds up for the chorus.[17] Caillat's voice "reaches the upper levels of her range with sensual whispers", as noted by Blogcritics author Jeff Martin.[18] Its lyrics find Caillat "request[ing] that a guy 'take it real slow' while she sorts through conflicting emotions".[12] The sixth track, "Midnight Bottle", has Colbie "chasing the pain of a bad relationship down with alcohol",[18] while "Realize" is about "a potential perfect relationship if only the other person would just realize it."[17] "Battle" touches upon themes of disappointment of disintegrating love,[18] the sweet "Tailor Made" has lyrics of "urg[ing] a girlfriend to quit waffling and invest in a man who’s perfect for her",[12] and "Magic" was considered more explicit with lyrics such as "Wake me with your lips/Come at me from above/Yeah I need you".[12] The conflicts of staying in and fighting for a relationship are the main themes of "Tied Down",[19] while the last song, "Capri", has a "life-affirming melody" with lyrics about "a pregnant woman and the precious baby she’s carrying."[12]
Release and promotion
Caillat performing at The Malibu Inn, 2007.
Coco was released on July 10, 2007, in Australia and Asia and a week later in North America.[20][21][22] Its deluxe edition was released on September 3, 2008, in Japan and November 11, 2008, worldwide.[23][24][25][26][27] The album's first single, "Bubbly", was released on May 15, 2007 in the United States. It became a smash hit across the globe, with four number-ones around the world, including Australia, while also reaching the top-ten in almost each country it charted.[28][29] In the United States, it peaked at number five; it remains Caillat's biggest hit in the US to date, and her only single to reach the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100.[30] The single's music video, directed by Liz Friedlander, aired on MTV, VH1 and CMT.[31] A still from the music video was used as the cover for the album. It was featured in the hit PlayStation 2 karaoke game SingStar Pop Vol 2 released in late September 2008 in the United States,[32] and the SingStar Hottest Hits in PAL regions.[33]
It was followed by a second single, "Realize", officially released on January 22, 2008 for airplay in the United States.[34] The song peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming her second top-twenty hit in the U.S.[30] Caillat and her backup band performed "Realize" as the featured musical performance that closed the May 23, 2008, broadcast of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.[35] The third single, "The Little Things", was released in Germany on March 7, 2008,[36] and on October 28, 2008, in the United States.[37] Unlike its predecessor, the song managed to chart in some European countries.[38] However, in the United States, it only peaked at number seven on US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100.[39] In 2008, she recorded a French translated version of the song, called "Ces Petits Rien".[40] According to one of the pictures on Caillat's MySpace page, it was assumed that her song "Battle" would have been the fourth and final single from Coco. Because of her collaboration with Jason Mraz, "Lucky", being released as a single and with the release of her second album, it was assumed that the single and music video were canceled and all promotion was then focused on "Lucky" and her second album Breakthrough.[41]
Some songs from the album were released as promotional singles. First was the song "Tailor Made", released in Netherlands as a promotional single in 2008.[42] Later, "Midnight Bottle" was released as a single in January 2008 only in Brazil as soundtrack song of Brazilian telenovela The Three Sisters.[43] The song peaked at number one in Brazil.[44] "Somethin' Special" was released as the third promotional on July 29, 2008, to support to the American athletes participating in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.[45] The song was also the opening song of the 2009 film Bride Wars and appeared on the AT&T Team USA Soundtrack.[46]
Coco was also promoted with two tours: Coco Summer Tour in 2007 and Coco World Tour in 2008.[47][48] To commemorate the 15th anniversary of the album, Caillat embarked on a tour to celebrate it in 2022.[49]
Critical reviews of the album were mixed to favorable. Allmusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave the album 4 out of 5 stars, writing that "she sings about simple, everyday things in an unassuming manner, letting her melodies and girl-next-door charm carry the day".[50] Similarly, Bill Lamb rated the album with four stars in his About.com review, praising it for being "a perfect album for relaxing and watching the world go by on a warm afternoon. Despite some insinuations of calculated efforts from her family and well-connected friends, Coco is pure, easy pop with abundant familiar charm."[11] Chuck Arnold of People magazine said that "although the midtempo tracks start to blend together, this California girl keeps the sun-kissed sounds coming."[54] Daryl Easlea from BBC Music claimed the album " is very pleasant indeed, perfectly produced, and is packed with tracks like Bubbly, the sort of record destined to reside on a Magic Playlist for the rest of the year."[51] Jeff Martin wrote for Blogcritics stated that "'Coco' remains a remarkably listenable album that will keep you thinking of summer long after the leaves have started to fall in your backyard."[18]
Sputnikmusic staff was restrained in their review, rating 3 out of 5 stars, enjoying the songs as a whole, but criticizing its "lack of identity", naming it "merely another good pop album in a sea of other good pop albums."[17]Rolling Stone reviewer Caryn Ganz noted that Caillat has "soulful swing, but over a dozen bland, sunny tunes, it's hard to pin her down."[52] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine was less favorable, rating the album 2 out of 5 stars, criticizing "Caillat's acoustic-soul-meets-California-pop" naming it "completely innocuous", adding, "her rhymes are rudimentary, her voice is unspectacular (her profile describes it as "sweet honey flowing over rocks"). She cites Lauryn Hill as a primary influence but India.Arie is a more apt point of comparison: wholesome, vanilla, and utterly forgettable. Coco makes me crinkle my nose—and not in the good way," he concluded.[53] Nick Oliver of musicOMH panned the album, rating with 1 out of 5 stars, labelling it a "glossy, utterly soulless album."[13]
Commercial performance
Coco debuted straight at number five on the US Billboard 200 chart on the week chart of August 4, 2007,[55] selling 51,000 copies, with 56% of the album's first week sales coming from digital copies.[56] Throughout the other weeks, the album received an increase in its sales, whereas in its fourteenth week, the album moved back to the top-ten, climbing to number 10, with sales of 50,000 copies, bringing a total of 417,000 copies solely in the U.S..[57] The album was certified 2× Platinum by the RIAA with shipments to U.S. retailers of 2,000,000 units.[58] The album also managed to debut inside the top-ten in Brazil, Denmark and Norway.[59][60][61] In the Danish Album Chart, the album debuted at number 20 on March 14, 2008, before peaking at number 8 the following week, remaining a total of six weeks on the chart,[60] whereas in Norway, the album debuted at number 36, and kept on climbing the following four weeks until it reached its peak position of number six.[61] After falling out of the top ten, the album climbed to number 10 in its ninth week.[61] It remained for fourteen weeks on the chart.[61]
In Australia, the album debuted at number 39 on the ARIA Albums Chart, on the week of April 13, 2008. After fluctuating on the charts for five weeks, it climbed to its peak position of number thirteen, where it remained for another week.[62] The album remained inside the top-twenty for extra three weeks and inside the chart as a whole for sixteen weeks.[62] In Germany, it debuted at number 82 on the week of September 14, 2007 and peaked at number 15 on October 5, 2007.[63] It stayed on the chart consecutively until February 1, 2008, until it re-entered on March 21, 2008 at number 85 and left the chart three weeks later at number 76, on the week of April 11, 2008, bringing a total of twenty-four weeks on the chart receiving a "Gold" certification.[63] In some European countries, although it peaked outside the top-ten or top-twenty, the album managed to remain at their charts for longer weeks. In Switzerland, it peaked at number 23 (for two weeks), remained for 38 weeks, spending almost a year inside the album's chart,[64] in France, the song peaked in its twenty-third week at number 15 and only left the chart in its fortieth week on June 9, 2009 (more than year following its March 1, 2008 debut),[65] and in Netherlands, it spent 45 weeks inside the chart for over a year, peaking twice at number 11: in its eight week on February 2, 2008, and in its thirty-fourth week on August 2, 2008.[66]
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
Colbie Marie Caillat is an American singer-songwriter. She rose to fame on the social networking website Myspace in 2005. At that time, she was the number one unsigned artist of her genre.
"Bubbly" is the debut single of American singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat from her first album, Coco (2007). Written by Caillat and Jason Reeves and produced by Mikal Blue, the song was released as the album's lead single on May 15, 2007. "Bubbly" is Caillat's only song to peak within the top ten of US Billboard Hot 100; it remains her highest-charting song. Internationally, "Bubbly" reached number one in Australia, Brazil, and the Czech Republic. It also became a top-10 hit in several European countries, including Belgium, Germany, and Norway, as well as Japan and New Zealand. It is certified six-times platinum in the US and Australia as well as gold or higher in six additional countries.
"Mistletoe" is an original Christmas song written and performed by Colbie Caillat. It was co-written by Caillat's friend and former manager, Stacy Blue, and producer Mikal Blue. "Mistletoe" was released as a standalone single on November 20, 2007. A re-recorded version of the song was included on Caillat's 2012 holiday album, Christmas in the Sand.
"Realize" is a song by American singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat, taken from her debut album, Coco (2007). In the song, Caillat sings of having romantic feelings for a best friend. It was the follow-up to her worldwide debut hit, "Bubbly", and was officially released in January 2008 as the second single from the album, peaking at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming her second top-twenty hit in the US. The song also charted in Canada and the Netherlands, reaching the top 40 in both countries. It features uncredited harmony vocals by singer and songwriter Jason Reeves.
American singer Fergie has released two studio albums, thirteen singles, and twenty music videos. Throughout her solo career, she has sold over 35 million albums and 60 million singles worldwide. According to Recording Industry Association of America, Fergie has sold 27.5 million albums & singles in the United States. Fergie was ranked 16th on Billboard's 2000s Top Female Artist of the Decade.
"The Little Things" is the third single from Colbie Caillat's 2007 debut album, Coco, released on March 7, 2008, in Germany, and on October 28, 2008, in the US. It was written by Caillat and Jason Reeves. The single did not chart well in the US, and was her weakest charting single from her album Coco. In 2008, she recorded a French translated version of this song.
Jason Bradford Reeves is an American songwriter, singer, and guitarist. He is best known for his songwriting work for Colbie Caillat, with whom he formed the acoustic pop band Gone West in 2018.
The discography of Colbie Caillat, an American musician and singer-songwriter, contains seven studio albums, seven extended plays, one compilation album, 22 singles, 22 music videos and other album appearances and songwriting credits. Caillat rose to fame through social networking website Myspace. At that time, she was the number-one unsigned artist of her genre. After signing with Universal Republic, she released debut album in July 2007, Coco has sold 2,060,000 copies in the United States and is certified 3× Platinum. In August 2009, she released Breakthrough, her second album which became her first album to debut at number one on Billboard 200. It has been certified Platinum by RIAA. In July 2011, she released her third studio album, All of You. In October 2012 she released her first Christmas album, Christmas in the Sand. Caillat sold 11 million albums and 25 million singles worldwide.
"Lucky" is a song by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat. It is the third single from Mraz's third studio album We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. The song also appears as a bonus track on the international edition of Caillat’s album Breakthrough. The song has been on the Billboard charts, as well as other music charts worldwide.
"Fallin' for You" is a song by American singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat. It was written by Caillat along with Rick Nowels and produced by Nowels, John Shanks, and Caillat's father, Ken Caillat, for her second studio album, Breakthrough (2009). The song was released on June 26, 2009, as the lead single from the album, through Universal Republic. According to Caillat, the song speaks of someone falling for a man that they are friends with.
Breakthrough is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat. The album was released on August 19, 2009 through Universal Republic Records. The follow-up to her successful debut album, Coco (2007), Breakthrough was developed in late 2008 when Caillat returned to her home after two years on tour, with the singer setting up a "writing camp" with songwriters and producers in Hawaii and writing over 40 songs for the record.
"I Never Told You" is a song by the American pop singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat from her second album Breakthrough (2009). The song was released on February 16, 2010 in the United States as the second single. The song is a power ballad in E-flat major and was written by Caillat, Jason Reeves and Kara DioGuardi and produced by DioGuardi. The song talks about the love the singer still has for her lover they felt strongly about at one point in their life. The song received positive reviews from music critics. In the charts, the song has performed moderately well, it has peaked at #48 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #3 on the Adult Pop Songs.
"Breathe" is a song by Taylor Swift featuring Colbie Caillat from Swift's second studio album, Fearless (2008). Swift wrote the song with Caillat and produced it with Nathan Chapman. A pop rock ballad, "Breathe" incorporates strummed acoustic instruments and a string section. The lyrics are about heartbreak from losing a close friend. Big Machine Records released the track onto Rhapsody on October 21, 2008. Music critics found "Breathe" a sentimental song with resonant lyrics, but some deemed it insubstantial. The song was nominated for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards in 2010.
All of You is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat. The album was scheduled to be released on May 3, 2011, but was pushed back by two months to a July 6, 2011, release in the United States through Universal Republic Records. The set, largely produced by Greg Wells, features one guest appearance by rapper/actor Common, who graces "Favorite Song", while her songwriting collaborators include Ryan Tedder, Toby Gad, Jason Reeves and Rick Nowels. The album's lead-single "I Do" was released on February 7, 2011, and has charted at number 23 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and at number 11 on the Adult Pop Songs. A second single "Brighter Than the Sun" was released on May 17, 2011, and has charted at number 47 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
"Brighter Than the Sun" is a song by American recording artist Colbie Caillat. It was written by Caillat and Ryan Tedder and produced by the latter. The song was released as the second single from Caillat's third studio album, All of You (2011). The song was released to digital download on May 23, 2011, through Universal Republic. The song received a positive reaction from music critics, who complimented its summer feel. The song is certified platinum in the United States and has been successful on many Billboard charts, including the Hot 100, where the song reached the top 50, the Adult Contemporary chart, where the song peaked at number one for a week. "Brighter Than the Sun" also was a top-40 hit in Austria and was the third-biggest song of 2012 on US adult contemporary radio.
Christmas in the Sand is a Christmas album and the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat. It was released on October 23, 2012 in the United States through Universal Republic Records. The album includes eight cover versions of popular holiday songs and four original songs, written by Caillat along with several other songwriters. Produced by her father Ken Caillat, Christmas in the Sand features collaborations with Brad Paisley, Gavin DeGraw, Justin Young and Jason Reeves.
Gypsy Heart is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat. It was released on September 30, 2014 by Republic Records. It was produced by American record producer Babyface. It features songwriting collaborations with past co-writer, Jason Reeves, as well as new co-writers and producers Max Martin, Julian Bunetta, and Johan Carlsson. "Try" was released as the first and only single on June 9 to the 16.
"Try" is a song by American singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat from her fifth studio album, Gypsy Heart (2014). It was released on June 9, 2014 by Republic Records as the lead single from the album. The song was written by Caillat, Jason Reeves, Babyface and Antonio Dixon and was produced by the latter two. Lyrically, the midtempo pop ballad is about not trying to be someone else to make others happy. It was written after a session where Caillat was feeling pressure to be someone she was not, both musically and image-wise. It received acclaim from music critics, who noted it was a simple, but beautiful empowering ballad.
Gone West was an American country pop group composed of Colbie Caillat, Justin Young, Jason Reeves, and Nelly Joy. They made their debut as a band on the Grand Ole Opry stage and signed with Triple Tigers. The band released their debut and only album, Canyons, on June 12, 2020.
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