Fearless Love

Last updated
Fearless Love
Melissaetheridgefearlesslove.jpg
Studio album by
Melissa Etheridge
ReleasedApril 27, 2010
StudioThe Document Room (Malibu, California)
Henson Recording Studios (Los Angeles, California)
Genre Rock
Length56:31
Label Island
Producer John Shanks, Melissa Etheridge
Melissa Etheridge chronology
A New Thought for Christmas
(2008)		Fearless Love
(2010)		 4th Street Feeling
(2012)
Singles from Fearless Love
  1. "Fearless Love"
    Released: 2010

Fearless Love is the eleventh studio album by American rock musician Melissa Etheridge, released on April 27, 2010 by Island/Def Jam Music Group, produced by John Shanks. Etheridge said in an interview the album is "about being fearless. It's about choosing love over fear. It's a way, a philosophy of living life that suits me well." [1] The album was recorded at the Document Room in Malibu, and Hensons Studios in Hollywood, CA. It features twelve tracks on the standard release and two bonus tracks on the deluxe edition.

Contents

Production

The album was produced by John Shanks, and co-produced by Etheridge. In an interview Etheridge stated about Shanks, she said: "He and I have a great relationship and I knew he could understand my desire to really get back to the rock and roll roots of myself and my music. He certainly did all that and more." [2]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Billboard (favorable) [4]
The Boston Globe (average) [5]
The New York Times (favorable) [6]
NU.nl (6/10) [7]
PopMatters Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [9]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [10]

Chart history

Fearless Love was widely viewed as Etheridge's "return to rock" after a more introspective and blues-influenced album in The Awakening . [11] She embarked on an extensive promotional tour in support of the album, performing the lead single on QVC , Oprah , The Tonight Show with Jay Leno , Dancing with the Stars , The View , Good Morning America , and Ellen .

In its first week on the Billboard 200, Fearless Love debuted at #7, selling 46,000 copies. Although the number of albums sold was nearly identical to The Awakening's first week, this album debuted six spots higher on the chart. [12] It was her highest charting debut since Your Little Secret , which debuted at #6 in 1995. As of 2012 the album has sold 158,000 copies in United States. [13]

Chart (2010)Peak position
Billboard 200 [3] 7
Austrian Albums Chart [14] 26
Canadian Albums Chart [15] 13
Dutch Album Charts [16] 28
Greek Album Charts [17] 18
Swiss Album Charts [18] 51

Critical reception

Critical reception towards the album was mixed and positive. At Metacritic, which assigns a rating to reviews from mainstream critics, it holds a "mixed or average reviews" score of 59% based on seven reviews. [9]

Rolling Stone gave it 3.5 stars out of 5, calling the album, Melissa's "feistiest disc since her 1988 debut." [10]

The New York Times praised the "broad, bruising rock arrangements." [6]

The Boston Globe also noted that the rock tracks are the ones when Etheridge's "scarred, emotive croon works its visceral voodoo." [5]

AllMusic was less positive, giving the album 2 stars out of 5 and criticizing the "oppressive" production. [3]

NU.nl states that "despite a strong and promising opening, Fearless Love gets trapped halfway in (...) cliché-filled lyrics against a backdrop of insignificant heartland rock and schmalzy power ballads." [7]

Track listing

All songs written by Melissa Etheridge.

  1. "Fearless Love" – 4:28
  2. "The Wanting of You" – 4:12
  3. "Company" – 4:53
  4. "Miss California" – 4:00
  5. "Drag Me Away" – 4:41
  6. "Indiana" – 5:28
  7. "Nervous" – 3:12
  8. "Heaven on Earth" – 3:47
  9. "We Are the Ones" – 5:39
  10. "Only Love" – 5:43
  11. "To Be Loved" – 5:16
  12. "Gently We Row" – 5:11

Bonus tracks

  1. "The Heart of a Woman" – 5:16
  2. "Away" – 4:37

Personnel

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melissa Etheridge</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1961)

Melissa Lou Etheridge is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and guitarist. Her eponymous debut album was released in 1988 and became an underground success. It peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard 200 and its lead single, "Bring Me Some Water", garnered Etheridge her first Grammy Award nomination for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female in 1989. Her second album, Brave and Crazy, appeared that same year and earned Etheridge two more Grammy nominations. In 1992, Etheridge released her third album, Never Enough, and its lead single, "Ain't It Heavy", won Etheridge her first Grammy Award.

<i>Skin</i> (Melissa Etheridge album) Album by Melissa Etheridge

Skin is the seventh album by singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge, released in 2001. The album explores the pain, confusion, grief, and recovery Etheridge went through following her split from Julie Cypher, her companion of 12 years. "Heal Me" features background vocals by Laura Dern and Meg Ryan. Etheridge plays almost all the instruments and penned all the songs. Skin peaked at number nine on the Billboard 200.

<i>Breakdown</i> (Melissa Etheridge album) Album by singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge

Breakdown is the sixth album by singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge, released in 1999. A Limited Edition version of the album was simultaneously released featuring three bonus tracks.

<i>Lucky</i> (Melissa Etheridge album) Album by Melissa Etheridge

Lucky is the eighth album by singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge, released in 2004. Lucky made a debut on Billboard chart at No. 15 with almost 92,000 copies sold.

<i>Melissa Etheridge</i> (album) Album by Melissa Etheridge

Melissa Etheridge is the debut album by American singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge, released in 1988.

<i>Brave and Crazy</i> Album by Melissa Etheridge

Brave and Crazy is the second album by singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge, released in 1989. As of 2010, the album has sold 632,000 copies in the United States alone, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

<i>Never Enough</i> (Melissa Etheridge album) Album by Melissa Etheridge

Never Enough is the third album by singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge, released in 1992. As of 2010, the album has sold 997,000 copies in the United States alone, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

<i>Yes I Am</i> (Melissa Etheridge album) Album by Melissa Etheridge

Yes I Am is the fourth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge, released by Island Records on September 21, 1993. The title is generally thought to refer to Etheridge's recent coming out as a lesbian, confirming long-standing rumors about her personal life. However, in 2018, Etheridge clarified that in fact the title for the track and album were not statements regarding her sexual identity. Yes I Am is the pivotal album that gave Etheridge national and international recognition. The rock ballad "Come to My Window" was the first single released from the album, which peaked at No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100, and its video featured the actress Juliette Lewis having a nervous breakdown. This single was quickly followed by "I'm the Only One", which became a major hit in the US and reached No. 8 on the Hot 100, and "If I Wanted To", which reached No. 16.

<i>Your Little Secret</i> 1995 album by Melissa Etheridge

Your Little Secret is the fifth studio album by singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge, released in 1995. It was her most successful album on the Billboard 200, where it peaked at number six. The album also contained three singles, "Your Little Secret", "I Want to Come Over", and "Nowhere to Go". "I Want to Come Over" went on to reach No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, and "Nowhere to Go" peaked at No. 40. As of 2010, the album has sold 1,348,000 copies in the United States alone, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Come to My Window</span> 1993 single by Melissa Etheridge

"Come to My Window" is a song by American singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge, released in 1993 as the second single from her fourth studio album, Yes I Am (1993). This was the first song to become a hit after Etheridge publicly announced that she was a lesbian. With the driving force of gay rights, the song gained substantial airplay on radio stations, mostly through call-in requests. The song debuted on the Billboard charts after the first week of its release, reaching number 25 on the chart. The song also charted in Canada, reaching number 13 on the RPM Top Singles chart. It was the second song from Etheridge that earned her a Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. In 2019, Billboard included "Come to My Window" in its list of the "30 Lesbian Love Songs".

Philip Sayce is a Welsh-born, American/Canadian guitarist, singer, songwriter, performer, and producer.

<i>Still the Same... Great Rock Classics of Our Time</i> 2006 studio album by Rod Stewart

Still the Same... Great Rock Classics of Our Time is the 24th album by Rod Stewart, released on 10 October 2006. After four years of success singing pop standards from the Great American Songbook, Still the Same was composed of classic rock covers.

<i>The Awakening</i> (Melissa Etheridge album) Melissa Etheridge album

The Awakening is the ninth album by rock singer Melissa Etheridge and her ninth studio album. It was released on September 25, 2007. The rock album conveys Etheridge's current autobiographical, religious and political perspectives. Etheridge made the album to convey parts of her story and journey along with her love for God. In the album's booklet, she included a letter to all who buy it starting with "Dear Friend".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angels Would Fall</span> 1999 single by Melissa Etheridge

"Angels Would Fall" is a 1999 Melissa Etheridge song and the first single from her album Breakdown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melissa Etheridge discography</span>

This is a comprehensive listing of official releases by American singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge. She has released 16 studio albums, 43 singles and 38 music videos on Island Records, Universal Music Group, ME Records, and BMG. Over the course of her career, she has amassed five Platinum albums, three of which are multi-platinum, and two Gold albums. She also has 11 Billboard Hot 100 charting singles, with six of them hitting the Top 40, and 11 Billboard Adult Contemporary charting singles, all peaking in the Top 40. According to the Recording Industry Association of America, she has sold 13 million certified albums in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Shanks</span> American record producer and songwriter

John Matthew Shanks is an American songwriter, record producer and guitarist.

<i>4th Street Feeling</i> Album by Melissa Etheridge

4th Street Feeling is the twelfth studio album by American rock musician Melissa Etheridge, released on September 4, 2012 by Island Records, produced by Jacquire King and Steve Booker, with all tracks co-produced by Etheridge. The album was recorded at the "House of Blues Studio" in Encino, California. It features twelve tracks on the standard release and three bonus tracks on the deluxe edition.

<i>This Is M.E.</i> Album by Melissa Etheridge

This Is M.E. is the thirteenth studio album by American rock/pop musician Melissa Etheridge, released on September 30, 2014 by Etheridge's own label ME Records, which is distributed by Primary Wave Records. It features eleven tracks on the standard release and four bonus tracks on the Target exclusive version.

<i>The Medicine Show</i> (album) 2019 studio album by Melissa Etheridge

The Medicine Show is the fifteenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge. The album was released on April 12, 2019, by ME Records and Concord Records.

<i>Fearless (Taylors Version)</i> 2021 re-recorded album by Taylor Swift

Fearless (Taylor's Version) is the first re-recorded album by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, released on April 9, 2021, via Republic Records. It is the re-recording of Swift's second studio album, Fearless (2008), a counter-measure by Swift following the 2019 dispute over the ownership of her back catalog released by Big Machine Records. It includes six previously unreleased "From the Vault" tracks. Of the re-recorded tracks, 13 are from the original Fearless release, six are from the 2009 Platinum Edition, and one was a soundtrack single ("Today Was a Fairytale").

References

  1. ↑ "Melissa Etheridge Discusses her New Album Fearless Love
  2. ↑ "SheWired.com"
  3. 1 2 3 AllMusic review
  4. ↑ Wood, Mikael (2010-05-07). "Melissa Etheridge, "Fearless Love"". Billboard . Retrieved 2012-02-16.
  5. 1 2 O'Neil, Luke (2010-04-26). "Melissa Etheridge, 'Fearless Love'". The Boston Globe . Retrieved 2012-11-16.
  6. 1 2 Caramanica, Jon (2010-04-25). "Critics' Choice – New From Etheridge, Roky Erickson and Jacky Terrasson – Review". The New York Times . Retrieved 2012-02-16.
  7. 1 2 Oitmann, Pierre. "Review: Fearless Love". NU.nl . Retrieved 15 April 2010.
  8. ↑ Leftridge, Steve (2010-05-18). "Melissa Etheridge: Fearless Love < PopMatters". PopMatters . Retrieved 2012-02-16.
  9. 1 2 "Critic Reviews for Fearless Love". Metacritic . Retrieved 2010-05-30.
  10. 1 2 Walters, Barry (2010-04-27). "Fearless Love". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 2012-11-16.
  11. ↑ "Melissa Etheridge Returns To Her Rock Roots"
  12. ↑ "B.o.B. Bounds In At No. 1 On The Billboard 200"
  13. ↑ "Upcoming Releases 2013". Hits Daily Double. September 6, 2012. Archived from the original on September 6, 2012. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Melissa Etheridge Austrian Charting". Austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2010-06-05.
  15. ↑ "Fearless Love > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums". Allmusic. Macrovision. 2010. Retrieved 2010-06-05.
  16. ↑ "Melissa Etheridge Dutch Charting". Dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 2010-06-05.
  17. ↑ "Melissa Etheridge Greek Charts". greekcharts.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-24. Retrieved 2010-06-05.
  18. ↑ "Melissa Etheridge Swiss Charting". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 2010-06-05.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.