Help (Erica Campbell album)

Last updated
Help
Erica-Campbell Help CD.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedMarch 25, 2014
Recorded2013-2014
Genre Christian R&B, Urban gospel, contemporary R&B
Length51:32(Standard Edition)
Label eOne
Producer Warryn Campbell
Erica Campbell chronology
Help
(2014)
Help 2.0
(2015)
Singles from Help
  1. "A Little More Jesus"
    Released: June 25, 2013
  2. "Help"
    Released: January 10, 2014
  3. "You Are"
    Released: August 4, 2014

Help is the debut studio album by gospel musician Erica Campbell, originally released on March 25, 2014 by eOne. This is Erica Campbell's debut studio album without her sister Tina Campbell. The album's release was preceded by the singles "A Little More Jesus", the title track "Help" and "You Are". [1] [2] [3] [4] The album debuted at number 1 on the US Billboard Gospel Albums chart and number 6 on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 23,000 copies. [5] The album also won the Grammy Award for Best Gospel Album at the 57th Grammy Awards.

Contents

Background

This album was released on March 25, 2014. The release marks the first solo studio album apart from her duo of Mary Mary, which was produced by her husband Warryn Campbell and released under the eOne record label.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [6]
CCM Magazine Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [7]
Cross Rhythms U+25A0.svgU+25A0.svgU+25A0.svgU+25A0.svgU+25A0.svgU+25A0.svgU+25A0.svgU+25A0.svgU+25A0.svgSolid white borderedS.svg [8]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [9]
New Release TuesdayStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [10]

Help garnered praise from four music critics ratings and reviews. At Los Angeles Times , Mikael Wood rated the album three out of four stars, stating that on the release "Campbell is always open to more feeling." [9] David Jeffries of AllMusic rated the album three-and-a-half stars out of five, writing that the release "is a return to more traditional themes like prayer, creation, and the struggles of everyday life, while traditional gospel plays more of a role than the usual R&B, thus allowing Erica to show off her vocal talents." [6] At CCM Magazine , Andrew Greer rated the album a perfect five stars, saying that the release "is set to enamor urban music history". [7] Dwayne Lacy of New Release Tuesday rated the album four-and-a-half stars out of five, remarking that the release "was a very good debut offering" on which the production was "nothing short of masterful." [10] In a nine squares review by Cross Rhythms, Stephen Luff believes the music on the album creates a "top debut solo album with the potential for more radio friendly songs" in the near future. [8]

Commercial performance

For the Billboard charting week of April 12, 2014, Help was the No. 6 most sold album in the entirety of the United States by the Billboard 200, and it was the No. 2 Independent Album sold the same week. In addition, the album was the No. 1 most sold Top Gospel Albums.

Track listing

Unless otherwise indicated, Credits are adapted from liner notes. [11]

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."The Question" Warryn Campbell Warryn Campbell 5:17
2."You Are" Erica Campbell, W. CampbellWarryn Campbell4:44
3."A Little More Jesus"E. Campbell, W. Campbell,
Tina Campbell
Warryn Campbell3:56
4."Help (featuring Lecrae)"E. Campbell, W. Campbell, Lecrae Moore, Aaron Sledge, Harold Lilly, Hasben JonesWarryn Campbell4:57
5."I'm a Fan"Gerald Haddon, Tammi HaddonWarryn Campbell,
Gerald Haddon,
Tammi Haddon (Co.)
3:53
6."The Atkins House"W. CampbellWarryn Campbell1:08
7."Eddie" (Contains a Drum Sample from "Fool Yourself" performed by Little Feat [12] )E. Campbell, W. CampbellWarryn Campbell3:33
8."Looking Like"E. Campbell, W. Campbell,
G. Haddon
Warryn Campbell4:00
9."P.O.G"E. Campbell, W. Campbell, Dayna CaddellWarryn Campbell, TRiON (co.), Augie Ray (of TRiON),
Jintae Ko (of TRiON)
4:19
10."More Than a Lover" (Contains Re-Sung Lyrics from "More Than a Woman" performed by Aaliyah [13] )E. Campbell, W. CampbellWarryn Campbell, TRiON (co.), Augie Ray (of TRiON),
Jintae Ko (of TRiON)
3:20
11."Nobody Else"E. Campbell, W. Campbell, LaShawn Daniels Warryn Campbell
(All Instruments),
LaShawn Daniels (Vocals)
3:05
12."All I Need Is You"E. Campbell, W. CampbellWarryn Campbell5:59
13."Changes"Percy BadyWarryn Campbell3:39
Total length:51:32

Personnel

Chart performance

Chart (2014)Peak
position
US Billboard 200 [14] 6
US Top Gospel Albums (Billboard) [15] 1
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [16] 2

Related Research Articles

Aaliyah American singer, actress, and model (1979–2001)

Aaliyah Dana Haughton, known mononymously as Aaliyah, was an American singer, actress, dancer, and model. She has been credited for helping to redefine contemporary R&B, pop and hip hop, earning her the nicknames the "Princess of R&B" and "Queen of Urban Pop".

Mary J. Blige American singer and actress (born 1971)

Mary Jane Blige is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and actress. Often referred to as the "Queen of Hip-Hop Soul", Blige has won nine Grammy Awards, four American Music Awards, and ten Billboard Music Awards. She has been nominated for three Golden Globe Awards and two Academy Awards, including one for her supporting role in the film Mudbound (2017) and another for its original song "Mighty River", becoming the first person nominated for acting and songwriting in the same year.

The Clark Sisters are an American gospel vocal group consisting of five sisters: Jacky Clark Chisholm, Denise "Niecy" Clark-Bradford, Elbernita "Twinkie" Clark, Dorinda Clark-Cole, and Karen Clark Sheard. The Clark Sisters are the daughters of gospel musician and choral director Dr. Mattie Moss Clark. They are credited for helping to bring gospel music to the mainstream and are considered pioneers of contemporary gospel. Their biggest hits include "Is My Living in Vain", "Praise the Lord (Hallelujah)", "I Can Do All Things Through Christ That Strengthens Me", "A Praying Spirit", "Nothing to Lose, All to Gain", "Endow Me", "Jesus Is a Love Song", "Ha-Ya ", "Pure Gold", "Expect Your Miracle", and their biggest, mainstream crossover hit, "You Brought the Sunshine". As a group, the Clark Sisters have won three Grammy Awards and are the highest-selling female gospel group in history. In 2020, it was announced that the Clark Sisters would be honored with the James Cleveland Lifetime Achievement Award at the 35th Annual Stellar Awards.

Chanté Moore Musical artist

Chanté Torrane Moore is an American singer-songwriter, actress, television personality, and author. Rising to fame in the early 1990s, Moore established herself as an R&B singer.

Mary Mary American gospel duo

Mary Mary is a female American urban contemporary gospel duo composed of sisters Erica Campbell and Trecina Atkins-Campbell. Formed in 1998, Mary Mary was launched into mainstream recognition following the release of their best-selling debut album, Thankful (2000), which contained the hit single "Shackles ". Their followup album Incredible (2002), reached number one on the Top Gospel Albums chart. Their self-titled third album, Mary Mary (2005), which contains themes the public interpreted as a channel to the group's experience, contains the worldwide hits "Heaven", "The Real Party", and "Yesterday". Their song “Can’t Give Up Now” was acknowledged by NBA Point Guard, Chris Paul after winning the NBA Western Conference Finals on the night of June 30, 2021.

Tank (American singer) American singer and songwriter

Durrell Artaze Babbs, better known by his stage name Tank, is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer and actor. He is known for the singles "Maybe I Deserve" (2001), "Please Don't Go" (2006), and "When We" (2017). According to Billboard, Tank has sold 1.76 million albums in the U.S. as of 2013.

Warryn Stafford Campbell, Jr. is an American record producer. He has worked with a number of gospel, hip hop and R&B artists. Campbell originally got his start as a session musician and producer under the tutelage of DJ Quik on his third album Safe + Sound.

Cheryl Elizabeth Gamble, better known by her stage name Coko, is an American singer-songwriter best known as the lead singer of the R&B vocal trio Sisters With Voices (SWV). Aside from her R&B career, Gamble also has a solo gospel career. As a member of SWV, Coko has sold 10 million records in the US, and 25 million records worldwide, and is a four-time Grammy Award nominee.

More Than a Woman (Aaliyah song) 2001 single by Aaliyah

"More Than a Woman" is a song performed by American singer Aaliyah. It was written by Static Major and Timbaland, who produced the song for her self-titled third and final studio album (2001). A pop, electro and hip hop song, it was one of three records Timbaland produced for Aaliyah and features digital strings, harsh-sounding synthetic bass, and guitar sounds. The song incorporates an uncredited sample from Syrian singer Mayada El Hennawy's 1993 song "Alouli Ansa". Lyrically, the track expresses a female's promise to be "more than a woman" to her love interest.

<i>Mountain High... Valley Low</i> 1999 studio album by Yolanda Adams

Mountain High... Valley Low is the sixth studio album by American singer Yolanda Adams. It was released by Elektra Records on September 21, 1999 in the United States. The album stands as Adams's best-selling to date, having sold more than 2,374,000 copies and being certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album.

Jason Crabb American musician

Jason Douglas Crabb is a Christian music singer and musician. He has been the lead vocalist for the group The Crabb Family.

<i>Sunday Best</i> (American TV series) US television series

Sunday Best is a reality television Gospel music singing competition series airing on BET.

<i>The Sound</i> (Mary Mary album) 2008 studio album by Mary Mary

The Sound is the fifth studio album by American duo Mary Mary. It was released on October 21, 2008, by Columbia Records. A concept album suggesting an FM radio broadcast experience, the project was produced by Warryn Campbell.

Kierra Sheard Musical artist

Kierra Valencia Sheard-Kelly is an American gospel singer, songwriter, fashion designer, actress, entrepreneur, author and creative director. She is the daughter of gospel singer Karen Clark-Sheard and granddaughter of gospel choral director Mattie Moss Clark. Sheard portrayed her mother in the hit Lifetime movie, The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel. After appearing on her mother's and aunt's albums, Sheard broke to the music scene with the release of her debut album I Owe You in 2004. Her hit single "You Don't Know" was inspired by her mother almost losing her life to a fatal blood clot.

<i>Something Big</i> (Mary Mary album) 2011 studio album by Mary Mary

Something Big is the sixth studio album by American duo Mary Mary. It was released on March 29, 2011 by Columbia Records. Originally set to be released on December 14, 2010 under the title OMG, it was not released until 2011. Something Big was primarily written by Mary Mary and produced by Warryn Campbell, along with Jazz Nixon, Gerald Haddon and LaMar "Mars" Edwards.

Anita Wilson Musical artist

Anita M. Wilson is an American gospel music singer, songwriter, and music producer.

Sheri Jones-Moffett, is an American gospel musician. She started her music career, in 1992, with the Tri City Singers, which was a group assembled and led by Donald Lawrence. Her solo career got started in 2009 with Renewed that was released by EMI Gospel. She got a Grammy Award nomination for Renewed at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards in the Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album category. She released the second album, Power & Authority, in 2014 by Motown Gospel. These albums both chart on the Billboard Gospel Albums chart.

Koryn Mattanah Hawthorne is an American contemporary Christian music and gospel singer. Hawthorne was a finalist in season 8 of NBC's singing competition The Voice, at the age of 17, as a member on Pharrell Williams's team. After placing fourth on the show, Hawthorne got signed to RCA Inspiration, a division of Sony Music dedicated to gospel music recordings. Her debut studio album, Unstoppable, was released on July 13, 2018, and earned her multiple awards nominations, including two Grammy nominations.

Erica Campbell American singer-songwriter

Erica Monique Campbell is an American urban contemporary gospel, Christian R&B and contemporary R&B singer and songwriter. She started her music career in 1998 with her younger sister, Tina Campbell, as part of the gospel music group, Mary Mary. Her solo music career began in 2013, and has since released two albums with Entertainment One Music, which both charted on the Billboard magazine charts. She won a Grammy Award for Best Gospel Album at the 57th edition of the event. Since May 2016, she has been the host of Get Up! Mornings with Erica Campbell with comedian Griff, currently distributed by Reach Media, the syndication arm of Urban One.

Trecina Evette "Tina" Campbell is an American urban contemporary gospel, Christian R&B and contemporary R&B recording artist and musician. She started her music career in 1998 with her older sister, Erica Campbell, as part of the gospel music group, Mary Mary. Her solo music career began in 2014, and has since released one studio album with Gee Tree Creative, where it charted on the Billboard magazine chart. She released her second studio album, It's Still Personal on September 29, 2017.

References

  1. "Mary Mary's Erica Campbell On Going Solo, Grammys Nods And Her Controversial Skintight Dress". billboard.com. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
  2. "ERICA CAMPBELL DEBUTS "HELP"". wetv.com. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
  3. Zaccaria, Marcina. "Erica Campbell releases her solo album, 'Help'". thecelebritycafe.com. Archived from the original on 6 December 2014. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
  4. "Mary Mary's Erica Campbell Uncovers New Solo Single & Album Release Date". thatgrapejuice.net. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
  5. Caulfield, Keith (April 2, 2014). "'Frozen' Rules With Most Weeks At No. 1 Since Adele's '21'" . Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  6. 1 2 Jeffries, David (March 24, 2014). "Erica Campbell - Help : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved April 20, 2014.
  7. 1 2 Greer, Andrew (May 15, 2014). "Erica Campbell: Help (My Block, Inc./eOne)" (PDF). CCM Magazine. Salem Publishing. p. 36. ISSN   1524-7848 . Retrieved May 14, 2014.
  8. 1 2 Luff, Stephen (July 2, 2014). "Review: Help - Erica Campbell". crossrhythms.com. Cross Rhythms . Retrieved July 16, 2014.
  9. 1 2 Wood, Mikael (March 24, 2014). "Erica Campbell's debut solo album 'Help' brims with feeling". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 20, 2014.
  10. 1 2 Lacy, Dwayne (May 14, 2014). "One of the Marys is Stepping Out". New Release Tuesday. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
  11. Erica Campbell - Help. eOne Music 99923 9340
  12. "Eddie" Sample of "Fool Yourself". WhoSampled.com. http://www.whosampled.com/sample/261819/Erica-Campbell-Eddie-Little-Feat-Fool-Yourself/
  13. Erica Campbell's "More Than a Lover" Sample of Aaliyah's "More Than a Woman". WhoSampled.com. http://www.whosampled.com/sample/261821/Erica-Campbell-More-Than-a-Lover-Aaliyah-More-Than-a-Woman/
  14. "Erica Campbell: Billboard 200" . Retrieved April 20, 2014.
  15. "Erica Campbell: Top Gospel Albums" . Retrieved April 20, 2014.
  16. "Erica Campbell: Independent Albums" . Retrieved April 20, 2014.