Legacy! Legacy! | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | May 10, 2019 | |||
Studio |
| |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 49:02 | |||
Label | Jagjaguwar | |||
Producer |
| |||
Jamila Woods chronology | ||||
|
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 8.4/10 [1] |
Metacritic | 89/100 [2] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [3] |
And It Don't Stop | B+ [4] |
Chicago Tribune | [5] |
Exclaim! | 8/10 [6] |
Financial Times | [7] |
The Guardian | [8] |
NME | [9] |
Pitchfork | 8.5/10 [10] |
Rolling Stone | [11] |
Uncut | 9/10 [12] |
Legacy! Legacy! is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter and poet Jamila Woods, released on May 10, 2019, by Jagjaguwar. [13] Woods supported the album with her own concert tour, along with performing as the opening act for the rapper Common's tour in 2019 and the singer Raphael Saadiq's 2020 Jimmy Lee Tour. [14]
The album was met with widespread critical acclaim. [2] Reviewing for AllMusic, Andy Kellman hailed it as a "galvanizing declaration of pride, support, and discontent", as well as a "modern R&B album" with mostly "electro-soul" and "chunky hip hop" productions. [3] Ann-Derrick Gaillot from The Nation credited Woods's neo soul style for "captur[ing] the power of black pride" and achieving a novel musical accomplishment, "in which she melds disparate influences and pushes her vocal-layering techniques to build her dynamic neo-soul sound". [15] In his Substack-published "Consumer Guide" column, Robert Christgau highlighted musical qualities on the songs "Miles", "Muddy", "Zora", and "Basquiat" while saying of the album as a whole: "This poetry-with-sophistofunk tribute to a sharp selection of 20th-century African-American art heroes plus Frida Kahlo will always be a tad too atmospheric and impressionistic to suit me. But it does both flow and signify." [4]
In a year-end essay for Slate , Ann Powers cited Legacy! Legacy! as one of her favorite albums from 2019 and proof that the format is not dead but rather undergoing a "metamorphosis". She added that concept albums had reemerged through the culturally-relevant autobiographical narratives of artists such as Woods, who created a tribute to her ancestors "that spoke volumes about black life today". [16]
Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Exclaim! | Exclaim!'s 10 Best Soul, Funk and World Albums of 2019 | 1 | [17] |
Pitchfork | The 50 Best Albums of 2019 | 11 | [18] |
The 200 Best Albums of the 2010s | 181 | [19] | |
Stereogum | The 50 Best Albums of 2019 | 37 | [20] |
Under the Radar | Under the Radar's Top 100 Albums of 2019 | 82 | [21] |
All tracks are written by Jamila Woods, except where noted
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Betty" | Oddcouple | 3:11 | |
2. | "Zora" | Slot-A | 3:06 | |
3. | "Giovanni" | 4:48 | ||
4. | "Sonia" (featuring Nitty Scott) |
| Slot-A | 4:21 |
5. | "Frida" | Slot-A | 2:58 | |
6. | "Eartha" | Peter Cottontale | 2:49 | |
7. | "Miles" | Slot-A | 3:08 | |
8. | "Muddy" | Slot-A | 3:11 | |
9. | "Basquiat" (featuring Saba) |
| 6:45 | |
10. | "Sun Ra" (featuring theMIND and Jasminfire) |
| 3:26 | |
11. | "Octavia" | Slot-A | 3:11 | |
12. | "Baldwin" (featuring Nico Segal) |
| 3:53 | |
13. | "Betty (For Boogie)" | Slot-A | 4:15 | |
Total length: | 49:02 |
Chart (2019) | Peak position |
---|---|
UK R&B Albums (OCC) [22] | 20 |
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) [23] | 6 |
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [24] | 26 |
Neo soul is a genre of popular music. As a term, it was coined by music industry entrepreneur Kedar Massenburg during the late 1990s to market and describe a style of music that emerged from soul and contemporary R&B. Heavily based in soul music, neo soul is distinguished by a less conventional sound than its contemporary R&B counterpart, with incorporated elements ranging from funk, jazz fusion, hip hop, and African music to pop, rock, and electronic music. It has been noted by music writers for its traditional R&B influences, conscious-driven lyrics, and strong female presence.
Simon Green, known by his stage name Bonobo, is a British musician, producer, and DJ based in Los Angeles. He debuted with a trip hop aesthetic and has since explored more upbeat approaches as well as jazz and world music influences. His electronic sound incorporates the use of organic instrumentation and is recreated by a full band in live performances.
The Way I See It is the third album by American R&B singer, songwriter, and producer Raphael Saadiq. It was released on September 16, 2008, by Columbia Records – his first for the label. Prior to signing with Columbia, Saadiq had independently released his 2004 album Ray Ray, recorded with the songwriting and production duo Jake and the Phatman. He developed a creative partnership with their colleague, audio engineer Charles Brungardt, who shared Saadiq's fascination with historic recording techniques and equipment. In 2008, the singer returned from a vacation that had inspired him to pursue classic soul music and recorded The Way I See It primarily at his North Hollywood studio with Brungardt.
Ray Ray is the second studio album by American R&B singer, songwriter, and producer Raphael Saadiq. It was released October 5, 2004, by his record label, Pookie Entertainment. After being dropped from Universal Records, Saadiq formed the label and recorded the album. He pursued a 1970s-inspired musical direction that was looser than his 2002 debut album, Instant Vintage, and produced Ray Ray with Michael Angelo, Jake and the Phatman, and Kelvin Wooten.
Airtight's Revenge is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Bilal. It was released on September 6, 2010, by the independent record label Plug Research, his first album for the label.
Jamila Woods is a Chicago-based American singer, songwriter and poet. Woods is a graduate of St. Ignatius College Prep and Brown University, where she received a BA in Africana Studies and Theater & Performance Studies. Her work focuses on themes of Black ancestry, Black feminism, and Black identity, with recurring emphases on self-love and the City of Chicago.
When I Get Home is the fourth studio album by American singer and songwriter Solange, released on March 1, 2019. It is the follow-up to her 2016 album A Seat at the Table and explores Solange's hometown of Houston, Texas.
We Get By is the fourteenth studio album by American R&B, soul and gospel singer Mavis Staples. It was released on May 24, 2019, by Anti-.
Heavn is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Jamila Woods. It was released on July 15, 2016 through Jagjaguwar.
Shea Butter Baby is the debut studio album by American singer and songwriter Ari Lennox. It was released on May 7, 2019, by Dreamville and Interscope Records. The album was executive produced by Dreamville producer Elite. In addition, the majority of the album was produced by Dreamville's in-house producers: J. Cole, Elite, Omen, Ron Gilmore, and Christo, among others.
Jaime is the debut solo studio album from Brittany Howard, released on September 20, 2019, via ATO Records. It has received acclaim from critics and has been nominated for several awards; it was a moderate sales success, appearing on several charts. The album is a mix of several musical styles that reflects intimate events and perspectives in Howard's life, which she supported with her first solo tour.
Angel's Pulse is a mixtape by Dev Hynes as Blood Orange. It was released via Domino Recording Company on 12 July 2019. It is his first release since his fourth studio album Negro Swan (2018). Originally released digitally, it was later released on compact disc, vinyl, and cassette tape on 4 October 2019.
Eve is the third studio album by American rapper Rapsody, released on August 23, 2019. Each song is named for an influential black woman, including Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Myrlie Evers, and Aaliyah. Eve also samples artists like Phil Collins, Nina Simone and Herbie Hancock.
Jimmy Lee is the fifth studio album by American R&B singer, songwriter, and producer Raphael Saadiq. It was released on August 23, 2019 by Columbia Records. Recorded at Saadiq's personal studio in North Hollywood, it follows the critical success of his 2011 album Stone Rollin' and a period of years spent working on other musical projects, particularly those associated with African-American culture.
It Is What It Is is the fourth studio album by American musician Thundercat, released through Brainfeeder on April 3, 2020. It was preceded by five singles: "King of the Hill," which was released as a single from the label's compilation album Brainfeeder X in 2018, and "Black Qualls," "Dragonball Durag," "Fair Chance," and "Innerstellar Love," the latter four being released in 2020. The track "Unrequited Love" had previously been used in an episode of the anime Carole & Tuesday in 2019. The album was executive produced by Thundercat and Flying Lotus, and features guest appearances from Louis Cole, Steve Lacy, Steve Arrington, Childish Gambino, Ty Dolla Sign, Lil B, Kamasi Washington, BadBadNotGood, and Zack Fox.
Saint Cloud is the fifth studio album by American indie rock act Waxahatchee, released on March 27, 2020, by Merge Records.
Alfredo is a collaborative studio album by American rapper Freddie Gibbs and American hip hop producer The Alchemist. It was released on May 29, 2020, through Gibbs' own record label ESGN Records, as well as ALC Records and Empire Distribution.
Black Country, New Road are an English art rock and post-rock band formed in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire in 2018. The original founders of the band consisted of Tyler Hyde, Lewis Evans, Georgia Ellery, May Kershaw, Charlie Wayne and Isaac Wood ; they added their then-seventh member, guitarist Luke Mark, in 2019.
Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You is the fifth studio album by the American band Big Thief, released as a double album through 4AD on February 11, 2022. Produced by drummer James Krivchenia, the album features 20 songs which were recorded over five months in five different locations across the United States. The album was supported by six singles.
Raven is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Kelela. It was released on February 10, 2023, via Warp Records. It comes six years after the release of Kelela's debut album Take Me Apart, which was lauded by critics as one of the best albums of 2017. In a press release, Kelela said Raven began as a reaction to feeling alone as a Black femme working within dance music, and describes the album as an affirmation of that perspective. Raven was supported by the singles "Washed Away", "Happy Ending", "On the Run", "Contact", and "Enough for Love".