Taking Monrose's work further into dance and electro music, the album scored a generally negative reception from music critics, with critics highlighting its lack of cohesion, uninspired production, and failure to meet the expectations set by its predecessor, although some noted the album’s fresh sound and well-executed ballads. Upon its release, I Am debuted at number nine on the German Albums Chart and reached top twenty in Austria and Switzerland. It spawned three singles, including Tedder-penned up tempo song "Strike the Match," a top ten hit in Germany, as well as "Hit'n'Run" and "Why Not Us", both of which missed the top ten.
"Why Not Us" by Guy Chambers has been categorized as an "emotional mid-tempo ballad [...] for the wintertime."[3] Originally planned to be released as the album's second single, it was released as the third.[3] In addition, the song served as a promotional track for the We LoveOttomail order campaign. "Stolen" features background vocals by Jamie Pineda from the successful pop music project Sweetbox after Jamie had recorded the song first. Fifth track "Going Out Tonight" incorporates elements of ragga and dancehall music, including rapped verses by all three band members,[3] while "You Can Look" combines dance-pop with rock music.[6] "Teach Me How to Jump" deals with death. The song was recorded in dedication to lost ones, including Guemmour's father, who died in 1992.[5]
I Am received mainly negative reviews. Christian Bartz from Beatblogger wrote that the album "falls short of the high expectations set by its impressive predecessor, Strictly Physical. The hit density is noticeably lower than on the second album, and some filler tracks are hard to avoid. On the plus side, the sound is fresh and often ventures into experimental territory, with production that consistently feels international. A few more memorable melodies wouldn’t have hurt, and at times, the otherwise strong vocals of the Monrose girls fade too far into the background."[9]Saarbrücker Zeitung editor Christina Korb called the album a "mix of high-energy club dance tracks, '80s-inspired dance tunes, and soulful mid-tempo numbers [...] Even if some tracks might not be to everyone’s taste, there’s something here for a wide range of audiences. The ballads, however, are particularly well done."[10]
laut.de critic Artur Schulz described I Am as an "album with less substance than a bag of trail mix. A patchwork of hastily thrown-together, lightweight tunes—stitched together with a hot needle. By now, these three girls reveal themselves as the Sugababes for bargain-bin shoppers. Better Mon Chérie than Monrose — it's just more tasteful."[7] Albert Ranner from CDStarts dismissed the "formulaic, uninspired blend of pop songs" on I Am, calling it a "total sham: heavy beats and female vocals, flawlessly produced, but utterly soulless and interchangeable." He found that "unfortunately, the producers squander the potential here, as their constant eye on the charts gets in the way—preventing the kind of relaxed and unrestrained songwriting that, [...] it deplored their attempt to go more into electropop as doing them no favors, and suggested that it could lead to a downfall from their established position in the German music scene."[6]LetMeEntertainYou found that the album "belongs in the digital dumpster" and conluded: "Two decent little pop songs out of fifteen is a pretty poor return — and makes I Am the weakest Monrose album to date."[8]
Chart performance
I Am debuted and peaked at number 9 on the German Albums Chart on 10 October 2008.[11] It marked the band's third consecutive top ten entry and remained 14 weeks on the chart.[11] In Switzerland, I Am debuted at number 14 on the Swiss Hitparade.[12] It spent another four weeks on the chart.[12] In Austria, the album became the band's first album to miss the top 20 of the Ö3 Austria Albums Chart. It peaked at number 20.[13]
1 2 Ranner, Albert (30 September 2008). "Monrose: I Am". letmeentertainyou.de (in German). Archived from the original on 3 December 2008. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
↑ "Monrose – I Am". beatblogger.de (in German). 7 October 2008. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
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