Just Go (album)

Last updated
Just Go
Just go lionel.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedMarch 13, 2009
Genre R&B [1]
Length59:17
Label Island
Producer
Lionel Richie chronology
Sounds of the Season
(2006)
Just Go
(2009)
Tuskegee
(2012)
Singles from Just Go
  1. "Face in the Crowd"
    Released: July 18, 2008 (NL)
  2. "Good Morning"
    Released: December 15, 2008
  3. "Just Go"
    Released: March 12, 2009 (UK)
  4. "I'm in Love"
    Released: May 19, 2009

Just Go is the ninth studio album by American singer Lionel Richie. It was first released by Island Records on March 10, 2009 in the United Kingdom. Richie worked with Tricky Stewart and Norwegian production duo StarGate on the majority of the album, which features additional production from Akon, David Foster, and John Ewbank as well as writing credits by Ne-Yo, Johntá Austin, The-Dream, and Espen Lind. [2] Although Richie had little writing involvement of the songs for Just Go, he did write "Eternity", which is also included on the tribute album Change Is Now: Renewing America's Promise . [3]

Contents

The album earned generally positive reviews and debuted at number 24 on the US Billboard 200 and number nine on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Just Go also entered the top ten in Austria, Germany, and the United Kingdom. By May 2012, it had sold 95,000 copies in the US, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and additional 60,000 units in the UK. [4] The album was preceded by lead single "Good Morning" and follow-up "Just Go" as well as "I'm in Love" and the promotional singles "Face in the Crowd", "Forever and Ever" and "I'm Not Okay".

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic (68/100) [5]
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Billboard (favorable) [6]
Entertainment Weekly C+ [7]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [8]
New York Times (favorable) [9]
The Observer (unfavorable) [10]
People Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [11]
The Times Star full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [12]
Vibe Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [5]

Upon release, Just Go received positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 68 based on 6 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews." [5] Allmusic editor Andy Kellman wrote that "introducing a 60-year-old artist to a younger audience with new material is asking for a lot, but Richie's devoted fanbase will find plenty to like. Just Go, slightly more so than [previous album] Coming Home , tends to be a happy (and comforting) medium between Richie's familiar approach and contemporary R&B." [1] Caroline Sullivan, writing for The Guardian , remarked that Just Go "finds Richie in reliably smooth voice, ruminating placidly about love. Fair enough; that's what he's for, and he's game enough to couch it [...] He's rarely sounded so unruffled. What would it be like if he let go a bit?" [8]

New York Times journalist Nate Chinen felt that while Just Go came across like "a textbook adult-contemporary album, it also lends credible emotional footing to the songs. It’s one reason that Mr. Richie doesn’t sound out of his element singing on tracks provided by contemporary R&B hit makers, complete with up-to-the-minute production." [9] People critics Chuck Arnold and Joey Bartolomeo wrote that Akon, The-Dream and Stargate "put a fresh but familiar spin on Richie’s sound. Still, the old guy falls into a bit of a midtempo rut." [11] Similarly, Entertainment Weekly critic Leah Greenblatt found that Richie's collaborators "may be top dogs on their own territory, but they don’t have much on the old tricks of the Commodore-turned-1980s solo star. On his ninth studio album, undifferentiated swaths of midtempo digital groove leave one longing for the (relative) analog authenticity of vintage Lionel." [7]

Chart performance

In the United States, Just Go debuted at number 24 on the US Billboard 200 and number nine on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. [13] It became Richie's fifth top ten entry on the latter chart and sold 95,000 copies in the US. [13] In the United Kingdom, it peaked at number 10 on the UK Albums Chart and was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), indicating sales in excess of 60,000 copies. [14]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Forever"
Stargate 3:19
2."Just Go" (featuring Akon)
  • Akon
  • Tuinfort [a]
4:11
3."Nothing Left to Give" (featuring Akon)
  • Thiam
  • Tuinfort
  • Akon
  • Tuinfort [a]
3:32
4."Forever and a Day"Stewart4:04
5."I'm Not Okay"
  • Stewart
  • Nash
Stewart3:28
6."Good Morning"
  • Stewart
  • Nash
  • James Button
  • Corron Cole
  • Stewart
  • JB & Corron
4:06
7."Through My Eyes"
  • Jackson
  • Eriksen
  • Hermansen
Stargate4:06
8."I'm in Love"
4:05
9."Think of You"
  • Jackson
  • Eriksen
  • Hermansen
  • Stargate
  • Martin K.
4:12
10."Into You Deep"
  • Stewart
  • Nash
  • Sean Hall
  • Stewart
  • Sean K.
5:19
11."Pastime"Stargate3:52
12."Face in the Crowd" (with Trijntje Oosterhuis) John Ewbank
  • Ewbank
  • Nando Eweg
  • Clayton Haraba
4:21
13."Somewhere in London"
  • Stewart
  • Nash
Stewart5:05
14."Eternity" Lionel Richie David Foster 4:37

Notes

Charts

Chart (2009)Peak
position
scope="row"Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [15] 9
scope="row"Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [16] 89
scope="row"Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [17] 22
scope="row"French Albums (SNEP) [18] 79
scope="row"German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [19] 9
scope="row"Italian Albums (FIMI) [20] 74
scope="row"Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [21] 28
scope="row" UK Albums (OCC) [22] 10
scope="row"US Billboard 200 [23] 24
scope="row"US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [24] 9

Certifications and sales

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [14] Silver60,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<i>Chapter II</i> (Ashanti album) 2003 studio album by Ashanti

Chapter II is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Ashanti. It was released by Murder Inc. and Island Def Jam on July 1, 2003 in the United States. Ashanti reteamed with Murder Inc. head Irv Gotti and producer Chink Santana to work on the album. Chapter II features a guest appearance by rapper Ja Rule, Chink Santana, and Gunnz. Critical reception towards the album was generally mixed, with critics commending the album's autobiographical lyrics, and its fun yet light nature, while other critics felt Chapter II lacked creativity and personality and relied too heavily on the formula of her debut album (2002).

<i>Cant Slow Down</i> (Lionel Richie album) 1983 studio album by Lionel Richie

Can't Slow Down is the second solo studio album by American recording artist Lionel Richie. It was released on October 14, 1983, by Motown Records.

<i>Dancing on the Ceiling</i> Album

Dancing on the Ceiling is the third solo studio album by American singer Lionel Richie, released on August 5, 1986. The album was originally to be titled Say You, Say Me, after the Academy Award-winning track of the same name, but it was renamed to a different track's title after Richie rewrote several songs on the album. The album was released to generally positive reviews and it made No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 4 million copies. The album was Richie’s second with session guitarist Carlos Rios. Following this album's release, Richie went on a long hiatus, not releasing an album of entirely new material for another ten years.

<i>Trouble</i> (Akon album) 2004 studio album by Akon

Trouble is the debut album by American singer Akon, released in on June 29, 2004. The album contains Akon's worldwide hit single, "Lonely", which was his commercial breakthrough. However, the release of "Locked Up" propelled Akon to sign a record deal. "Gunshot " was released as promotional single on May 11, 2004. The album performed well in the United Kingdom where it peaked at No. 1 on the UK Album Chart. Trouble sold 25,000 copies in the first week, and certified Platinum by the RIAA in the United States and has sold 1.6 million copies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lionel Richie discography</span>

Lionel Richie is an American R&B and pop singer, who has released 10 studio albums, three live albums, and seven compilation albums. Formerly the lead vocalist of The Commodores, Richie began a solo career in the early 1980s and has released over 40 singles, five of which became number-one hits on the US Billboard Hot 100.

<i>Eminem Presents: The Re-Up</i> 2006 compilation album by Shady Records

Eminem Presents: The Re-Up or simply, The Re-Up, is a compilation album performed by various artists of American record label, Shady Records. The album features performances by Shady Records artists Eminem, D12, 50 Cent, Obie Trice, Stat Quo, Bobby Creekwater and Cashis, while affiliated artists such as Lloyd Banks, Akon and Nate Dogg, made guest appearances. The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart and has since sold over one million copies in the US alone, being certified platinum by the RIAA.

<i>Konvicted</i> 2006 studio album by Akon

Konvicted is the second studio album by American singer Akon. It was released on November 14, 2006. The album features collaborations with rappers Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Styles P and T-Pain.

<i>Coming Home</i> (Lionel Richie album) Album by Lionel Richie

Coming Home is the eighth studio album by American singer Lionel Richie. It was released by The Island Def Jam Music Group on September 12, 2006 in the United States. A breakaway from his previous albums and their adult contemporary sounds, Richie and executive producer Antonio "L.A." Reid recruited a number of sought-after producers and songwriters from the contemporary R&B and hip-hop genres to work with him on the album, including Dallas Austin, Jerry Duplessis, Jermaine Dupri, Sean Garrett, Wyclef Jean, Rodney Jerkins, and Norwegian duo Stargate.

<i>Time</i> (Lionel Richie album) 1998 album by Lionel Richie

Time is the fifth studio album by Lionel Richie, released on June 23, 1998. It was a commercial disappointment, selling far fewer copies than any of his previous material.

<i>Back to Front</i> (Lionel Richie album) 1992 compilation album by Lionel Richie

Back to Front is the first compilation album by American singer Lionel Richie, which was released on May 5, 1992, by Motown Records. It contains songs from both his successful solo career and as part of the band the Commodores, along with three new tracks (1–3). The international version of the album also includes the tracks "Dancing on the Ceiling" and "Stuck on You". It debuted atop both the UK Albums Chart and the ARIA Albums Chart, and spent 12 weeks at number one on the Dutch Album Top 100. The single "Do It to Me" reached #21 at US Hot 100.

<i>Renaissance</i> (Lionel Richie album) Lionel Richie album

Renaissance is the sixth studio album by American singer Lionel Richie. It was released by The Island Def Jam Music Group on October 16, 2000 in the United States. A breakaway from his previous two albums Louder Than Words (1996) and Time (1998) which had been released after a decade-long hiatus and featured chief production from James Anthony Carmichael, Richie consulted a team of new collaborators to work with him, including Walter Afanasieff, Brian Rawling, Daryl Simmons, and Mark Taylor as well as Rodney Jerkins and his brother Fred.

<i>Just for You</i> (Lionel Richie album) 2004 album by Lionel Richie

Just for You is the seventh studio album by American singer Lionel Richie. It was released by Island Records first on March 8, 2004, in the United Kingdom. Released shortly after Richie's divorce from his second wife Diane, the album features Richie in collaboration with singers and musicians from different backgrounds, including frequent collaborators Chuckii Booker, Mark Taylor, and Ric Wake as well as contemporary R&B producer 7 Aurelius and singers Daniel Bedingfield and Lenny Kravitz, both of whom appear as guest vocalists.

<i>Curtis</i> (50 Cent album) 2007 studio album by 50 Cent

Curtis is the third studio album by American rapper 50 Cent. It was released September 11, 2007, by Shady Records, Aftermath Entertainment, G-Unit Records, Interscope Records, and Universal Music Group. The album features production from Dr. Dre, Eminem, and Timbaland, among others. Music writers have noted that 50 Cent divides between "hard" and "soft" songs on the album. The album went through many changes in the lead up to its release and was heavily anticipated after the success of 50 Cent's two prior albums, Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2003) and The Massacre (2005).

<i>Before I Self Destruct</i> 2009 studio album by 50 Cent

Before I Self Destruct is the fourth studio album by American rapper 50 Cent, released November 9, 2009, on Shady Records, Aftermath Entertainment, G-Unit Records, Interscope Records and Universal Music Group. The album is his final solo release with Shady, Aftermath and Interscope excluding his 2017 Greatest Hits album Best Of. A feature film, also titled Before I Self Destruct was also made, and is available within the album packaging.

<i>LAX</i> (album) 2008 studio album by the Game

LAX is the fourth studio album by American rapper the Game. It was released on August 26, 2008, by Geffen Records. Recording sessions took place from 2007 to 2008, with the production that were contributed by Cool & Dre, Kanye West, Scott Storch, Nottz, Hi-Tek, J.R. Rotem and JellyRoll; as well as guest appearances from DMX, Chrisette Michele, Common, Ice Cube, Keyshia Cole, Ludacris, Nas, Ne-Yo, Raekwon, Raheem DeVaughn, Travis Barker, Bilal and Lil Wayne. The album was supported by four singles: "Game's Pain" featuring Keyshia Cole, Grenique "Dope Boys" featuring Travis Barker, "My Life" featuring Lil Wayne, and "Camera Phone (song)" featuring Ne-Yo. The album was released with two different cases such as one cover art for the deluxe version with Game looking at the camera with his bandanna in his hand, and the cover art for another was with him sitting on a couch smoking a blunt.

<i>Freedom</i> (Akon album) 2008 Studio album by Akon

Freedom is the third studio album by American singer and record producer Akon. The album was originally named Acquitted; however, Akon changed it before it was released. It was released as a download on December 1, 2008, and in stores December 2, 2008. The album debuted at number 7 on the Billboard 200 with 110,600 copies sold in its first week.

<i>R.O.O.T.S.</i> 2009 studio album by Flo Rida

R.O.O.T.S. is the second studio album by American rapper Flo Rida. It was released on March 24, 2009, by Poe Boy Entertainment and Atlantic Records.

<i>I Look to You</i> 2009 studio album by Whitney Houston

I Look to You is the seventh and final studio album by American singer Whitney Houston. It was first released on August 28, 2009, through Sony Music in Europe, then August 31, 2009 with Arista Records in the United States before being released by RCA Records in the United Kingdom on October 19, 2009. The album was Houston's first non-holiday studio album since 2002's Just Whitney. It received favorable reviews from music critics, based on an aggregate score of 66/100 from Metacritic and debuted on the US Billboard 200 at number one with sales of 305,000 beating her previous career best first-week sale of 205,137 units with Just Whitney (2002), and it was her first album to reach number one in the US since 1992's The Bodyguard. Additionally it became her fourth chart-topping album, thus extending her as the female artist with the most cumulative weeks at the number one position.

<i>The Circle</i> (Bon Jovi album) 2009 studio album by Bon Jovi

The Circle is the eleventh studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi. Released on November 10, 2009, the album was produced by John Shanks. The album debuted at number 1 in several countries, including the U.S., where it sold 163,000 copies in its first week.

<i>Tuskegee</i> (album) 2012 studio album by Lionel Richie

Tuskegee is the tenth and most recent studio album by American singer Lionel Richie. It was released by Mercury Records on March 5, 2012, in the United States. The album consists entirely of reinterpretations of previously released songs by Richie, each performed with a different guest artist, all of which are stars in the country music genre. Tuskegee is named after the Alabama city where Richie was born and later completed his undergraduate degree at Tuskegee Institute.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Allmusic review
  2. Lewis, Pete (2009-03-13). "Three Times A Superstar - Pete Lewis Interviews Lionel Richie". Blues & Soul. Retrieved 2009-09-18.
  3. Cohen, Jonathan (2008-11-03). "Akon, Ne-Yo Give Lionel Richie A Lift". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2008-11-03.
  4. "Lionel Richie's 'Tuskegee' Becomes Year's Second-Biggest Album: Singer's Country Set Has Outsold His Last Three Combined". Billboard . 2012-05-24. Retrieved 2012-06-01.
  5. 1 2 3 Critic reviews at Metacritic
  6. "Billboard review". Archived from the original on June 11, 2009. Retrieved 2013-01-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  7. 1 2 Entertainment Weekly review
  8. 1 2 "Lionel Richie: Just Go". The Guardian . 2007-01-13. Archived from the original on 2022-02-04.
  9. 1 2 "New CDs (Published 2009)". The New York Times . Archived from the original on 2019-03-01.
  10. "CD Review: Lionel Ritchie, Just Go". The Guardian . 2009-03-15. Archived from the original on 2017-03-28.
  11. 1 2 People review
  12. The Times review Archived June 17, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  13. 1 2 Caulfield, Keith. "Madonna Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200, Lionel Richie at No. 2". Billboard.com . Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  14. 1 2 "British album certifications – Lionel Richie – Just Go". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 2017-06-11.
  15. "Austriancharts.at – Lionel Richie – Just Go" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2017-06-11.
  16. "Ultratop.be – Lionel Richie – Just Go" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2017-06-11.
  17. "Dutchcharts.nl – Lionel Richie – Just Go" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2017-06-11.
  18. "Lescharts.com – Lionel Richie – Just Go". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2017-06-11.
  19. "Offiziellecharts.de – Lionel Richie – Just Go" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 2017-06-11.
  20. "Italiancharts.com – Lionel Richie – Just Go". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2017-06-11.
  21. "Swisscharts.com – Lionel Richie – Just Go". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2017-06-11.
  22. "Lionel Richie | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 2017-06-11.
  23. "Lionel Richie Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 2017-06-11.
  24. "Lionel Richie Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 2017-06-11.