Fearless | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | September 23, 2008 | |||
Recorded | 2007–2008 | |||
Genre | R&B | |||
Length | 47:53 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer |
| |||
Jazmine Sullivan chronology | ||||
| ||||
Alternative cover | ||||
Singles from Fearless | ||||
|
Fearless is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Jazmine Sullivan. It was released on September 23,2008,through J Records. Production for the album took place during 2007 to 2008 and was handled by several record producers,including Missy Elliott,Stargate,Carvin &Ivan,Wyclef Jean,Jack Splash and Salaam Remi.
The album debuted at number six on the US Billboard 200 chart,selling 65,000 copies in its first week. It also produced three singles that attained respectable charting on Billboard 's Hot 100 chart. Upon its release,Fearless received generally positive reviews from most music critics who complimented its production and Sullivan's vocals,comparing her to female R&B artists such as Alicia Keys and Lauryn Hill. The album earned Sullivan seven Grammy Award nominations and has sold 517,000 copies in the United States and since been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for exceeded sales of one million units.
Sullivan signed to Jive Records in 2003 where she later began providing vocals for other artists such as Kindred the Family Soul. [1] Sullivan graduated from the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts in Philadelphia in 2005, [2] [3] where she was a vocal music major. After graduation,she was dropped from her record label Jive Records,later scrapping her original debut album which remains unreleased. [4] In 2007,Peter Edge,record executive and then president of J Records,saw interest in her after listening to her demo that she recorded for Christina Milian's single "Say I" (2006),he later which offered her a deal with J Records. [5] [6] She eventually began work for her debut studio album. [7]
The lead single,"Need U Bad",produced by Missy Elliott,was released on May 13,2008. [8] and its music video premiered on July 7,2008. [9] The song reached number thirty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. [10] [11] She later performed the song at the 2008 BET Awards. [12] "Bust Your Windows" was released as the second single from the album on September 16,2008, [13] and its music video premiered in October 2008. [14] [15] It reached number 31 on the Hot 100 and serves as Sullivan's most successful single. It also reached number four on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs,becoming her second top-ten hit on that chart. [16] [17] Two other singles "Lions,Tigers &Bears" (which reached number 74 on the Hot 100) and "Dream Big" were later released and were accompanied by music videos. [18] [19]
In a September 2008 interview with Pete Lewis of Blues &Soul ,Sullivan disccused the album's title and lyrical themes,
I named the album 'Fearless' because I'm just not afraid of ANYTHING right now. I'm young, I'm 22 years old... And I just feel that, if YOU embrace your uniqueness by not being afraid to take chances and being different, then everybody ELSE will! You know, I definitely did not wanna exclude ANYBODY! So, if you buy my record and think you're gonna get just a bunch of reggae beats or just a bunch of R&B beats, you'll be wrong! You're gonna get EVERYTHING! I mean, the genres can range from jazz, to gospel, to pop... Because that's who I AM! And, with me having been inspired by so much, I wanted everybody to SEE that diversity in me. [20]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
About.com | [21] |
AllMusic | [22] |
Entertainment Weekly | C+ [23] |
MSN Music (Consumer Guide) | [24] |
musicOMH | [25] |
NOW | [26] |
Okayplayer | 86/100 [27] |
Slant Magazine | [28] |
USA Today | [29] |
The album received generally positive reviews from most music critics. Sullivan received many comparisons by critics to other well-known female R&B artists, such as Lauryn Hill, Amy Winehouse, Mary J. Blige, and Alicia Keys. [27] [30] [31] [25] [32] AllMusic writer Andy Kellman gave the album four and a half out of five stars and praised her performance, stating: "There's a lot of range on display here, and there is just as much depth." [22] Vibe 's Erika Ramirez praised Sullivan's singing and lyrical substance, writing "Sullivan's vocal perfection pilots her debut album [...] and boasts her self-penned lyrics which are filled with struggle and heartache, embodying every inch of the soul star she is." [33] NOW 's Benjamin Boles commended Sullivan for her "strong voice" and the album's production, stating "she’s pulling from a pleasingly wide range of influences – dropping bits of doo-wop, roots reggae, Motown and hip-hop into the mix while maintaining a consistent feel." [26] Houston Chronicle writer Joey Guerra wrote favorably of her songwriting and called the album "a collection brimming with attitude, edge and soul." [31] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine gave it four out of five stars and commended Sullivan for her lyrical honesty and musical range. [28] The Washington Post 's Allison Stewart described Fearless as "a mix of awkward-but-novel devices (reggae beats, Daft Punk samples) and nakedly confessional songwriting" and called it "a snappy, intensely human debut." [30]
However, Entertainment Weekly 's Simon Vozick-Levinson gave Fearless a C+ rating and described most of its music as "schmaltzy pop-&-B." [23] Giving the album three out of five stars, About.com's Mark Edward Nero viewed her vocals as "generic and lack emotion or urgency" on some songs, but ultimately wrote that "there are more hits than misses here." [21] Nero lauded Sullivan's vocal performance and compared her songwriting to that of R&B musician Ne-Yo, writing "due to both artists' talent for writing on-point, introspective lyrics. Like Ne-Yo, Jazmine has a knack for crafting intricate, deeply personal verses that make you feel at one with the singer. Even on the weaker songs on Fearless, the songwriting is still above par." [21] USA Today 's Steve Jones gave the album 3 out of 4 stars and wrote that she "sings every word as if she means it." [29] MusicOMH writer Michael Cragg praised Sullivan's vocal range and themes on the album, writing "Sullivan has created a mature, engaging R&B album that doesn't rely solely on the usual tropes of sexuality, money and posturing. Instead, Fearless deals with real emotions sung in a way that convinces the listener she means every single word." [25] Okayplayer 's Jeff Harvey called it "a well produced urban pop album" and wrote that Sullivan's voice "carries a subtle tenderness that adds intriguing nuance." [27] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times wrote favorably of Sullivan's performance, citing "Her sense of humor" as "her best asset. She doesn't have a huge, imposing voice, but she's versatile, dabbling in jazz and reggae phrasings with ease." [34]
Fearless entered at number six on the Billboard 200, with first week sales of 65,000 copies. [35] It fell to number 10 in its second week, selling 42,000 more copies. [36] The album also peaked at number one on Billboard 's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. [37] As of November 2010, Fearless has sold 517,000 copies in the United States. [38]
She earned five 2009 Grammy Award nominations for the album including Best Female R&B Vocal Performance ("Need U Bad"), Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance ("In Love with Another Man"), Best R&B Song ("Bust Your Windows"), and Best Contemporary R&B Album, while Sullivan herself was nominated for Best New Artist. [39]
She also earned two 2010 Grammy Award nominations for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song ("Lions, Tigers, and Bears"). [40] [41] [42] Vibe magazine named the album one of the Ten Best Albums of 2008. [43]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Bust Your Windows" | Remi | 4:26 | |
2. | "Need U Bad" |
| 4:17 | |
3. | "My Foolish Heart" | Carvin & Ivan | 3:39 | |
4. | "Lions, Tigers & Bears" |
| Remi | 4:11 |
5. | "Call Me Guilty" |
| Remi | 3:25 |
6. | "One Night Stand" |
| Fisticuffs | 3:33 |
7. | "After the Hurricane" |
| Stargate | 3:58 |
8. | "Dream Big" |
|
| 3:35 |
9. | "Live a Lie" |
| Remi | 3:16 |
10. | "Fear" | Sullivan | DJ Dirty Harry | 3:54 |
11. | "In Love with Another Man" |
|
| 4:10 |
12. | "Switch!" | Jack Splash | 3:02 | |
Total length: | 47:53 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
13. | "Best of Me" |
|
| 2:47 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
13. | "Need U Bad" (Remix featuring T.I.) |
|
| 4:25 |
14. | "Dream Big" (StoneBridge Club Remix) |
|
| 6:48 |
Notes
Sample credits
Credits for Fearless adapted from Allmusic. [45]
|
|
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA) [56] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Angela Laverne Brown, known professionally as Angie Stone, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. She rose to fame in the late 1970s as member of the hip hop trio the Sequence. In the early 1990s, she became a member of the R&B trio Vertical Hold. Stone then signed with Arista Records to release her debut solo album Black Diamond (1999), which received gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and spawned the single "No More Rain ".
"Free Yourself" is a song by American singer Fantasia. It was written by rapper Missy Elliott, Craig Brockman, and Nisan Stewart for her debut album of the same name (2004), while production was helmed by Elliott, with Brockman credited as co-producer. The song was released as the album's fourth single on June 1, 2005 in United States where it peaked at number forty-one on the Billboard Hot 100, number three on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and number one on the Adult R&B Airplay chart. "Free Yourself" was nominated for two Grammy Awards, and is the winner of an ASCAP Rhythm and Soul Award.
Jazmine Marie Sullivan is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter. She has won two Grammy Awards, a Billboard Women in Music Award, and two BET Awards over the course of her career. In 2022, Time placed her on their list of the 100 Most Influential People.
"Need U Bad" is a song performed by American recording artist Jazmine Sullivan from her debut album, Fearless (2008). The song features rapper Missy Elliott, as well as rapper Pepa of rap duo Salt-N-Pepa speaking a Jamaican chant. "Need U Bad" is Sullivan's debut single and the lead single from Fearless. It was first released on May 13, 2008 in the United States by J and Arista Records. The song was co-written by Sullivan in collaboration with Elliott, Cainon Lamb, and Taurian Osbourne. It was produced by Elliott and Lamb. The song uses a sample from Nicholas Taylor Stanton's "Higher Meditation Riddim Version", and Tapper Zukie's "Papa Big Shirt".
"Bust Your Windows" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Jazmine Sullivan from her debut album Fearless. The song was available as a digital download on Amazon in the U.S. on September 16, 2008. The song was then later released as a promo CD on November 15, 2008, after it was sent to radio stations for airplay around the U.S..
"Everything to Me" is a song by American recording artist Monica. It was written by fellow singer Jazmine Sullivan and co-produced by Missy Elliott and Cainon Lamb for her sixth studio album Still Standing (2010), incorporating a sample of the 1981 recording "Silly" as penned by Fritz Baskett, Clarence McDonald, and June Deniece Williams and performed by Deniece Williams.
"Holding You Down (Goin' In Circles)" is a song by American singer Jazmine Sullivan. It was written by Sullivan, Cainon Lamb, and Missy Elliott for her second album, Love Me Back (2010), while production was helmed by Elliott, with Lamb credited as co-producer. The song was released as the album's leads single in July 2010. It reached number 60 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards.
Love Me Back is the second studio album by American R&B singer Jazmine Sullivan. It was released by J Records on November 30, 2010 in the United States. The follow-up to her 2008 debut album Fearless, Sullivan reteamed with producers Salaam Remi, Missy Elliott, her protégé Cainon Lamb and duo Carvin & Ivan to work on the album. New collaborated included Anthony Bel, Chuck Harmony, Los da Mystro, Bei Maejor, No I.D., and Prolyfic as well as singer Ne-Yo. Sullivan co-wrote every song on Love Me Back.
"10 Seconds" is a song by American singer Jazmine Sullivan. It was written by Sullivan and Salaam Remi for her second studio album, Love Me Back (2010), with production helmed by the latter. It was released on October 15, 2010, as the album's second single and reached number 15 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.
American singer and songwriter Jazmine Sullivan has released four studio albums and 15 singles. Sullivan signed a record deal with J Records in 2008, and released her debut album Fearless in 2008. The album was immediately certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America while debuting at number one. Fearless has spent 12 weeks atop the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums since its US release. The album's first single, "Need U Bad", also reached number thirty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100 and became her first number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The second single, "Bust Your Windows", was released in September 2008 and reached the charts in the US and the UK. It also became her second top forty in the US. "Lions, Tigers & Bears" was released as the third single off the album in late 2008 and became her third top ten in the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in the US. In 2009, it was confirmed Jazmine would open for American singer Ne-Yo's tour. In February that same year, she released the fourth and final single, "Dream Big".
Pieces of Me is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Ledisi. It was released on June 14, 2011, by Verve Forecast Records.
New Life is the seventh studio album by American singer Monica, released by RCA Records on April 6, 2012. It marked the singer's debut release with the label following the dissolution of her former label, J Records in October 2011. A musical continuation of her commercially successful previous album Still Standing (2010), Monica began working on the album only weeks after the release of the former. She returned to work with frequent collaborators; writers and producers including Bryan-Michael Cox, Jermaine Dupri, Missy Elliott, and Cainon Lamb, as well as such as singer and songwriter Rico Love, whose songs replaced much of her cousin, producer Polow da Don's original material.
Cainon Renard Lamb, professionally known as Lamb or Lamb Litty, is an American record producer and songwriter from Miami, Florida. He has worked with artists including Beyoncé, SWV, Missy Elliott, Monica, Keyshia Cole and Jazmine Sullivan. In 2017, Lamb made his rapping debut on colleague Missy Elliott's single "I'm Better".
"Love That Girl" is a song by American recording artist Raphael Saadiq, released as a single on August 5, 2008, by Columbia Records. It was the lead single for Saadiq's 2008 album The Way I See It. The song was written by Saadiq and co-producer Bobby Ozuna. "Love That Girl" is a Motown-inspired soul song with sweet-natured, innocent lyrics about affection.
"Let It Burn" is a song by American singer Jazmine Sullivan. It was written by Sullivan and Key Wane for her third studio album Reality Show (2015), while production was helmed by the latter. The song is built around a sample of "Ready or Not" (1989) by American R&B group After 7. Due to the inclusion of the sample, its writer Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds is also credited as songwriter.
Reality Show is the third studio album by American R&B singer Jazmine Sullivan. It was released by RCA Records on January 13, 2015, in the United States. Sullivan recorded the album, her first in five years, during a hiatus from the music industry, writing and working with producers such as Anthony Bell, Salaam Remi, and Key Wane. Reality Show received widespread acclaim from critics and sold 30,000 copies in its first week.
"Lions, Tigers & Bears" is the fourth single released from American R&B–soul singer Jazmine Sullivan's debut album Fearless. The song impacted radio on November 11, 2008, and was officially released on December 16, 2008, as the third single. The track received a Grammy Nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and a nomination for Best R&B Song.
"Pick Up Your Feelings" is a song by American singer Jazmine Sullivan, released on November 20, 2020, as the second single from her debut extended play (EP), Heaux Tales (2021). The song was written by Sullivan, Audra Mae, Kyle Coleman, Michael Holmes, Brittany Coney, Denisia Andrews and produced by the latter three. At the 64th Annual Grammy Awards, the song received two nominations for Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance, winning the latter in a tie with "Leave the Door Open" by Silk Sonic.
Heaux Tales is an EP by American R&B singer Jazmine Sullivan. Released by RCA Records on January 8, 2021, it was her first project since 2015's critically-acclaimed Reality Show. It includes features from Ari Lennox, Anderson .Paak, and H.E.R. The EP was primarily recorded in Sullivan's Philadelphia home.
"Girl like Me" is a song by American singer Jazmine Sullivan featuring American singer H.E.R. It was released on January 6, 2021, as the third single from Sullivan's debut extended play (EP) Heaux Tales (2021). The song was written by Sullivan, H.E.R., and Tarron Crayton, along with its producer, BongoByTheWay.
{{citation}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)