| Departure | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 17 March 2008 | |||
| Recorded | 2006–2008 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 43:58 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | Taio Cruz | |||
| Taio Cruz chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Departure | ||||
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Departure is the debut studio album by English singer and songwriter Taio Cruz. It was released on 17 March 2008. The album entered the UK Albums Chart at number 17.
In terms of his musical ambitions for the album, in February 2008 Cruz told noted UK R&B writer Pete Lewis of the award-winning Blues & Soul: "I tried to be diverse in my music while not going too far left. Before I go off and hit people with random stuff that they just wouldn't recognise, I'd rather they get to know me first! Which is why I've given them something they can relate to and won't be too difficult for them to grasp, while at the same time not making it generic. Unlike American R&B – which is often really samey a sometimes a bit obvious – I genuinely don't think my record sounds like anybody else." [3]
The first single was "I Just Wanna Know", which was released on 6 November 2006. It hit number 29 on the UK Singles Chart. The second single was "Moving On", which was released on 10 September 2007. The digital download version was released on 3 September 2007. The song did better than the first single by hitting number 26 on the UK Singles Chart. [4] The third single, "Come On Girl" featuring Luciana, was released on 3 March 2008 and hit number 5 on the UK Singles Chart. [5] The fourth single, "I Can Be", reached number 19 on the UK Singles Chart, dated on the chart 25 May 2008, based on downloads sales alone. [6] It also reached number 23 on the Irish Singles Chart, again on the back of downloads. The fifth single, "She's Like a Star", was released on 11 August 2008. The song peaked at number 20 on the UK Singles Chart.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Digital Spy |   [7] |
| The Guardian | [8] |
| Time Out London | [9] |
Departure earned largely positive reviews. Alex Macpherson from The Guardian wrote: "This isn't only manifest in the beats and electronic focus; the album is drenched in wonderfully camp disco strings. Cruz's own swooping vocals are most reminiscent of Seal; "Never Gonna Get Us" seems permanently on the verge of segueing into Crazy. Though somewhat lacking in low end at times (Cruz should learn about the virtues of a heavy bassline), this is a stylish, inventive debut." [8] BBC editor Paul Clarke noted: "Most of the ballads deploy strings over their R&B rhythms, but "Come On Girl", is all crunchy electro. "Fly Away" starts with a slick electric guitar riff and "I Can Be" recalls '80s British pop soul acts like Joe Jackson or Fine Young Cannibals. Yet Departure is a much more American than British-sounding album, with Cruz's voice blurring into a mid-Atlantic burr." [2] Digital Spy critic Nick Levine found that "this frequently impressive debut suggests Cruz can make good on his pledge, once he realises, of course, that variety is a staple ingredient of any great pop album. For now, though, Departure's combination of state-of-the-art beats and lovelorn lyrics points to a meeting with Leona Lewis' A&R man very, very soon." [7]
Departure debuted and peakead at number 17 on the UK Albums Chart, with first week sales of 11,880 units. [10] In September 2008, the album was officially certified gold by BPI by reaching sales in excess of 100,000 units. [11]
All songs written, arranged and produced by Taio Cruz.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I'll Never Love Again" | 3:51 |
| 2. | "I Just Wanna Know" | 4:00 |
| 3. | "I Can Be" | 3:54 |
| 4. | "I Don't Wanna Fall in Love" | 3:24 |
| 5. | "So Cold" | 3:29 |
| 6. | "Fly Away" | 4:05 |
| 7. | "Driving Me Crazy" | 3:16 |
| 8. | "Moving On" | 3:27 |
| 9. | "Come On Girl" (featuring Luciana) | 3:36 |
| 10. | "Never Gonna Get Us" | 3:54 |
| 11. | "She's Like a Star" | 3:39 |
| 12. | "Can't Say Go" | 3:23 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Your Game" | 3:38 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Come on Girl" (Delinquent Mix) | 4:37 |
| 14. | "Fly Away" (Delinquent Mix) | 3:57 |
| 15. | "I Can Be" (Delinquent Mix) | 4:19 |
| 16. | "I Just Wanna Know" (Delinquent Mix) | 3:11 |
| 17. | "I'll Never Love Again" (Delinquent Mix) | 4:34 |
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums (OCC) [12] | 17 |
| UK R&B Albums (OCC) [13] | 3 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI) [11] | Gold | 100,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Jacob Taio Cruz is an English singer-songwriter, rapper, and record producer. In 2008, he released his debut album Departure, which he wrote, arranged and produced. The album achieved certified gold status in the United Kingdom and earned him a Music of Black Origin Awards (MOBO) nomination.
"I Just Wanna Know" is the debut single written and produced by English singer and songwriter Taio Cruz. "I Just Wanna Know" was released as the lead single from Cruz's debut studio album Departure (2008). The single was released on 4 November 2006, via digital download, and two days later physically. It charted on the UK Singles Chart at #29. Despite having a lower peak position than his second single, "Moving On", "I Just Wanna Know" managed six weeks inside the UK top 75 compared to the four weeks "Moving On" charted for. The single is the only of Cruz's releases to be made available on two physical single formats. The B-side, "Backseat Love", features rapper Erick Sermon.
"Moving On" is a song written and produced by Taio Cruz, and was the second single taken from his debut studio album Departure (2008). "Moving On" became his second top thirty hit, peaking at number 26 on the UK Singles Chart, outpeaking his debut single by three places. It did not, however, spend as long inside the UK top 75 as previous single "I Just Wanna Know", which had a six-week chart run, in comparison to the four-week chart run for "Moving On".
"Leavin'" is a song by American singer-songwriter Jesse McCartney, released as the lead single from McCartney's third studio album Departure (2008). Written and produced by Tricky Stewart and The-Dream, with additional writing by James Bunton and Corron Ty Cole, "Leavin'" was sent to U.S. mainstream radios on March 10, 2008.
"Come On Girl" is a song written and produced by Taio Cruz, featuring a guest vocal from singer Luciana. It is the third single from his debut studio album Departure (2008). It was his biggest hit to date, peaking at number five in the UK Singles Chart, outperforming both of his previous top 30 UK hits, until his 2009 hit "Break Your Heart", which peaked at number one. The single features the B-side "Can't Say Go", written and produced by Cruz himself.
"I Can Be" is a song by British singer-songwriter Taio Cruz, released as the fourth single from his debut album Departure, released in May 2008. The song peaked at number 18 on the UK Singles Chart. The single's B-side, "Disco Fever", was written and recorded exclusively for the release, and featured in the television adverts for Britannia High, an ITV1 musical series broadcast in July 2008.
"She's like a Star" is a song written, produced and performed by British singer and songwriter Taio Cruz. It was released on 18 August 2008 as the fifth single from his debut studio album Departure (2008). An R&B ballad, the lyrics of "She's like a Star" are about the theme of parenthood, an idea which inspired Cruz to compose the song. The song was remixed to feature vocals from English girl group Sugababes and American rapper Busta Rhymes. Another remix features rapper K.R. "She's like a Star" received generally mixed reviews from critics, who were ambivalent towards the composition. Upon release, it peaked at number twenty on the UK Singles Chart. The song's music video features Hollyoaks actress Roxanne McKee as Cruz's love interest. Cruz performed the song with the Sugababes at the 2008 MOBO Awards ceremony, and at Radio 1's Big Weekend 2011.
English singer Taio Cruz has released three studio albums, one compilation album, one live album, one extended play, twenty singles and twenty-three music videos. After signing a publishing deal at the age of 19, Cruz released his debut studio album, Departure in 2006; it reached number 17 on the UK Albums Chart and was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). The album contained five singles, all of which reached the top 30 of the UK Singles Chart: "Come On Girl", which peaked at number five, was the most successful of these singles.
"Break Your Heart" is a song by British singer and songwriter Taio Cruz. The song serves as the lead single from his second studio album, Rokstarr (2009). It was written by Cruz and Fraser T Smith and produced by Smith. It was first released in the United Kingdom on 20 September 2009, followed by a release in the United States and other markets on 2 February 2010. The single version features US rapper Ludacris; that version was the single released in North American countries. The song, originally penned for Cheryl Cole, is an electropop song with dance-pop elements, accompanied by Cruz's vocals. The song is lyrically a warning to someone about being a heartbreaker.
Rokstarr is the second studio album by English singer and songwriter Taio Cruz. It was released on 12 October 2009 in the United Kingdom. On 11 June 2010, a revised version of the album was released in Europe and the United States, appearing as Cruz's debut album there. On 22 May 2011, a second revised version of the album was released in Brazil, other South American countries and Europe. The album debuted at number 14 on the UK Albums Chart and number eight on the US Billboard 200.
"Dirty Picture" is a song by British R&B singer Taio Cruz, which features vocals from American singer Kesha and was released from his second studio album, Rokstarr (2009). The song was written and produced by Cruz alongside Fraser T Smith, and later released as the album's third single on 5 April 2010. Originally, Cruz wanted the female vocals to be done by Lady Gaga but opted to switch to Kesha due to heavy influence by Dr. Luke and for finding her voice unique. The song was later re-recorded as an album bonus track for Kesha's debut album, Animal (2010), and dubbed the "Kesha edit" or "Dirty Picture Pt. 2". Lyrically, the song is about sending a dirty picture to a significant other whom you miss.
"Dynamite" is a song by British singer and songwriter Taio Cruz from the revised version of his second studio album, Rokstarr (2010). Cruz co-wrote the song, along with Max Martin, Bonnie McKee, Benny Blanco, and Dr. Luke; the latter two are also the producers. The song features additional instrumentation by Cruz himself. It was released internationally as the fourth single from Rokstarr. In the UK, the song was released as the first single from Cruz's compilation album, The Rokstarr Collection (2010). On 30 May 2010, it was released to US and Canadian radio stations as his second single and across Europe as his fourth single. An official remix was released featuring new label mate, Jennifer Lopez.
The Rokstarr Collection is the first compilation album by English R&B recording artist Taio Cruz. It was released on 20 September 2010. According to Cruz's website, the album combines "the biggest hits of Taio’s debut album 'Departure' and recent album 'Rokstarr'". The album includes all of Cruz's singles from his first two studio albums, excluding "No Other One". The album also includes album tracks and the American version of "Break Your Heart", featuring Ludacris. Island Records added the video advertisement for the collection to their YouTube account on 18 August 2010.
Obsession is the third studio album by English singer Shayne Ward. It was released by Syco Music and Sony Music Entertainment on 15 November 2010 in the United Kingdom, and on 8 February 2011 in the United States. While he reteamed with Cutfather, Arnthor Birgisson, Savan Kotecha and Rami Yacoub to record for the album, Ward consulted a wider range of producers to work with him on new material, including Ray Hedges, Lucas Secon, Wayne Hector, Tony Nilsson, and Quiz & Larossi.
"Let the Sun Shine" is the debut single from English musician, Labrinth. It was produced and written by Labrinth and Da Digglar, and was released on 27 September 2010 on Simco Ltd and Sony Records. The single is available on iTunes as an extended-play, which also includes 4 remixes of the song.
"Shine a Light" is the second single from English band McFly's fifth studio album, Above the Noise. The single features vocals from singer Taio Cruz. The single was released on 7 November 2010 via digital download, with a physical release following the next day. A free download was available for members of the band's new website, SuperCity. The song received mostly positive reviews from pop music critics. On 3 November 2010, the song was added to BBC Radio 1's A-List. The song peaked the number 9 in UK Airplay Chart. McFly secured their fifteenth Top 5 hit with "Shine a Light" on the UK Singles Chart.
"Higher" is the fifth single from English singer-songwriter Taio Cruz's second studio album, Rokstarr. It was written and produced by Cruz and Sandy Vee, and was released on 26 November 2010. This song was originally written for Australian singer Kylie Minogue's album Aphrodite, but plans fell through. However, Cruz and Minogue recorded a version of the song for the European release, while American rapper Travie McCoy recorded guest raps for the American release. The Brazilian and United Kingdom versions have parts of McCoy's rap mixed into the Minogue version. The version on Cruz's albums feature a solo vocal by Cruz with no guest vocalist and an edited version of the solo version was added to Radio Disney's playlist.
"Telling the World" is a song by English recording artist Taio Cruz, released as the seventh overall single and first single from the second re-release of his second studio album, Rokstarr. The song also appears on his third album TY.O, and in the film Rio as the main theme for the film. The lyrics are sung in the perspective of Blu, the protagonist of the film. The song was released in the United Kingdom on 20 March 2011 via digital download, peaking at number 138 on the UK Singles Chart. The music video was uploaded to YouTube on 18 March 2011.
"Hangover" is a song by English singer Taio Cruz from his third studio album, TY.O. Released on 4 October 2011 in United States, 18 October 2011 in Germany and 4 March 2012 in the United Kingdom, the song serves as the album's international lead single, and follows "Troublemaker" as the album's second British single. American rapper Flo Rida contributes guest vocals. Another alternate version of the song, titled "Takeover", was leaked online via NewJams.net.
TY.O is the third studio album by British record producer and singer Taio Cruz which features special guest appearances from Flo Rida, Pitbull, David Guetta and Ludacris. Taking a more electronic music sound than his previous releases, TY.O was released in December 2011 by Universal Island Records but for reasons unknown to Cruz, its British and American release were held off. Instead, a year after its original release, an extended play (EP) version of the album titled The Fast Hits was released in the UK on 16 December 2012.
