The album spawned four singles, three of which made the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. While lead single "Keys to the Range" became the group's first single not to chart on the latter chart, second single "He Can't Love U" reached number 15 on the Hot 100, becoming the group's first top 20 single, while reaching number three on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks. "Let's Get Married" was the third single released from the album. It reached number eleven on Billboard Hot 100 and managed to become the group's first single to reach number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks. Final single "Promise" also reached the top of the chart.
Vibe editor Joanne Eustache found that "Jagged Edge avoids the sophomore jinx and returns with a solid performance with their new release, J.E. Heartbreak. Group members Wingo, Case, Brasco and Quick — led by founder, producer and label-owner Jermaine Dupri — stick to the formula that slowly but surely brought them gold sales with last year's debut A Jagged Era."[7]AllMusic editor William Ruhlmann felt that J.E. Heartbreak "the group's slavish obeisance to current R&B conventions continued to be its aesthetic stumbling block. As producer/writer Jermaine Dupri's answer to Boyz II Men, Jagged Edge turned out another set full of slow jams indistinguishable from what was already all over urban radio."[4]
PopMatters Mark Anthony Neal found that "Jagged Edge does little to distinguish themselves from the host of wannabes who currently vie for whatever mantle of success New Edition could even hold claim to. Largely produced by Jermaine Dupri and newcomer Bryan-Michael Cox, J.E. Heartbreak, the follow-up to the groups gold selling debut A Jagged Era is as polished as most contemporary R&B; production."[6]Entertainment Weekly' Matt Diehl wrote: "Producer Jermaine Dupri's surprisingly innovative grooves give these soul slicksters an edge over their boys-to-men brethren."[5]
Commercial performance
Released on September 28, 1999, J.E. Heartbreak was the week's major debut, landing at number eight on the US Billboard 200 and number one on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, with more than 86,000 copies sold.[8] The album marked the band's first top ten set.[9]J.E. Heartbreak was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on February 14, 2000 and reached 2× Platinum status on February 6, 2001.[10]
1 2 Diehl, Matt (February 25, 2000). "j.e. heartbreak". [Entertainment Weekly]]. Archived from the original on August 9, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
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