My Worlds Acoustic | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Remix album by | ||||
Released | November 26, 2010 | |||
Recorded | 2010 | |||
Genre | Acoustic | |||
Length | 37:47 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer |
| |||
Justin Bieber chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from My Worlds Acoustic | ||||
|
My Worlds Acoustic is the debut remix album by Canadian singer Justin Bieber. It was released on November 26, 2010 and was initially sold exclusively at Walmart retail stores and Sam's Club. The album features nine acoustic versions of songs from his debut extended play, My World (2009), and first album My World 2.0 (2010), as well as a new song "Pray". The new versions of the songs were produced by Bieber's music director, Dan Kanter, his vocal producer Kuk Harrell, and also producer Rob Wells. Internationally, the set is included as a part of the compilation album, My Worlds: The Collection (2010), which included songs from the previous two releases. My Worlds Acoustic was released to iTunes, on February 8, 2011.
According to Bieber, he wanted to release the album for the naysayers who critiqued his actual singing ability. The singer said that he wanted to have an acoustic album, to reflect the effect of production on his vocals. Although labeled as an acoustic album, the songs still include subtle usages of electronic sounds such as synthesizers. The album received generally favorable reviews from critics, however most critics were not satisfied that the album was not genuinely acoustic. In Canada, the song debuted at number five, and later peaked at number four on the Canadian Albums Chart and certified Platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association. My Worlds Acoustic debuted at number seven on the US Billboard 200, selling 115,000 copies in its first week, becoming Bieber's third consecutive top ten album.
On October 18, 2010, Bieber announced on his Twitter plans for an acoustic album in time for the holiday season, and that it would feature unplugged versions of his songs, as well as a new song. [1] Days later, on October 24, 2010, he revealed that the album was set for release on November 26, 2010. [2] In an interview with MTV News, Bieber said that the album was for the "haters" who say he cannot sing and saying his voice was auto-tuned, and that "stripping it down and having it kind of really mellow and being able to hear my voice" was his purpose. [3] The singer said he wanted to do the acoustic set because the Electronic Music production sometimes "drowns out your voice" and "takes away from the singer, over the synths and everything." [3] According to Kyle Anderson of MTV News the album might not have been "just another project", but rather the purpose could be "to prove that he has the skills to sustain a long and fulfilling career." [4] In the same interview he confirmed that "Baby" and other My World 2.0 songs were re-recorded, as well as a new song. [3]
It was later confirmed that the song was an inspirational song entitled, "Pray." [5] According to Bieber, the song is a gift to his fans. [5] The song's arrangement is set to reflect Bieber's music before he was discovered, but also includes instrumentation from a string quartet, congas, and a cajón drum, the latter to represent Bieber's worldly travels, specifically to Africa. [5] While Bieber was being interviewed by Ryan Seacrest on his radio show, Bieber talked about the song's initial writing stating that it was influenced by Michael Jackson, and he thought of Jackson's "Man in the Mirror" when writing the song. [6] Vocally, Bieber's vocals are sung in a lower key compared to previous singles. [7] [8] Bieber plays guitar on the album, along with his guitarist and musical director Dan Kanter. [5] The new versions of the other songs on the album were produced by Kanter, Bieber's vocal producer Kuk Harrell, and also producer Rob Wells. [9]
To promote the album as well as draw interest for Bieber's then-upcoming 3D film, Justin Bieber: Never Say Never , Bieber shot an alternate music video for the acoustic version of the song, "Never Say Never." The video premiered during Game 3 of the 2010 World Series, and in the clip, the singer dons apparel from both teams. [10] Bieber performed "Pray" for the first time at the 2010 American Music Awards. [7] The performance opened with Bieber sitting playing the piano while singing. [7] Midway through the performance Bieber arose from the piano and took center stage; he was accompanied by a choir singing background vocals. The performance was ended with Bieber kneeling singing the song's title, the performance was greeted by standing ovation from the audience. [7] After originally being sold only at Walmart and Sam's Club first, the album was released on iTunes on February 11, 2011, accompanying the release of Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, and preceding the release of Never Say Never – The Remixes . [11]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [12] |
Billboard | (positive) [13] |
Chicago Sun-Times | [14] |
Entertainment Weekly | (B-) [15] |
Rockstar Weekly | [16] |
The Daily Telegraph | (positive) [17] |
The Washington Post | (favorable) [18] |
Lucy Jones of The Daily Telegraph said that "with catchy choruses, soulful key changes and cute hooks laid bare, these are undeniably brilliant pop songs." [17] Jones further commented that "finger clicks, bongos and mellow guitars are a welcome change from the squealing synths and pounding beats favoured by Bieber and his peers," and that the album had the ability to connect with audiences beyond his demographic. [17] Mikael Wood of Entertainment Weekly gave the album a "B−" rating, stating that the album doesn't change Bieber's beloved "kiddie-soul vocals" calling it "perfunctory", but said that acoustic renditions such as "Baby", "One Time" and new song "Pray" deliver their "saccharine payload." [15] Thomas Conneron of Chicago Sun-Times said that "calming down several of the pop tunes with slower tempos and patient singing" was not bad and that slowing everything down made listeners hear how the singer's voice had matured. [14]
Calling it "the sugariest acoustic album in history," Allison Stewart of The Washington Post said "its arrangements and melodies – the best parts of any Bieber record - are stripped down but otherwise little changed, demonstrating just how great most of these songs were to begin with." [18] Stewart also said that urban numbers such as "Baby," "survive their makeovers without a hitch." [18] Andy Kellman of Allmusic gave the album 2 and a half out of 5 stars saying that the album was "an enticement." [12] Dan Savoie of Rockstar Weekly gave the album 4 out of 5 stars, saying that it is "the perfect showcase for a talented young artist who's on his way to the Grammy Awards this year." [16] Although she commented that the "acoustic" labeling was a bit misleading, Monica Hererra of Billboard said that the album "succeeds", calling songs like the live version of "Favorite Girl" the album's saving grace and "truly acoustic." [13] On the former, Herrera said, "It's the one moment where you can hear all of the young artist's strengths falling in line-raw talent, maturing vocals and, of course, an all-too-valuable connection with his fans." [13]
In Canada, My Worlds Acoustic it debuted at number five on the Canadian Albums Chart, then rose to number four the following week. [19] The album was subsequently certified Platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association the same month it was released, shifting over 80,000 units. [20] The album debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200 with 115,000 copies sold in the first week released. [21] My Worlds Acoustic became Bieber's second top ten album in a little over a year, following the extended play My World and debut studio album, My World 2.0 . [21] After fluctuating on the chart for weeks, due to the album being available for digital download on iTunes, the album returned to the top ten of the Billboard on the week of February 26, 2011. [22]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "One Time" |
| 3:06 |
2. | "Baby" |
| 3:35 |
3. | "One Less Lonely Girl" |
| 3:57 |
4. | "Down to Earth" |
| 4:03 |
5. | "U Smile" |
| 3:16 |
6. | "Stuck in the Moment" |
| 3:18 |
7. | "Favorite Girl" (live) |
| 5:09 |
8. | "That Should Be Me" |
| 4:09 |
9. | "Never Say Never" (featuring Jaden Smith) |
| 3:42 |
10. | "Pray" |
| 3:32 |
Total length: | 37:47 |
No. | Title | Director(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
11. | "Pray" | 3:33 | |
Total length: | 41:20 |
Notes
Adapted from My Worlds Acoustic liner notes. [9]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada) [29] | Platinum | 80,000^ |
United States (RIAA) [30] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Justin Drew Bieber is a Canadian singer. Regarded as a pop icon, he is recognized for his multi-genre musical performances. He was discovered by American record executive Scooter Braun in 2008 and subsequently brought to American singer Usher, both of whom formed the record label RBMG Records to sign Bieber in October of that year. He gained recognition following the release of his debut extended play (EP) My World (2009), which was quickly met with international commercial success and led to his establishment as a teen idol.
My World is the debut extended play (EP) by Canadian singer Justin Bieber. It was released on November 17, 2009, by Island, RBMG and Schoolboy Records. The EP is considered the first half of a two-piece project, later being supplemented by Bieber's debut studio album My World 2.0 (2010). After signing a recording contract in light of his growing popularity on YouTube, Bieber worked with various collaborators, including his mentor Usher and producers Tricky Stewart, D'Mile, and MIDI Mafia. The EP's music incorporates pop and dance-pop styles with R&B influences, and lyrically discusses teen romance and coming of age situations.
Rated R is the fourth studio album by Barbadian singer Rihanna. It was released on November 20, 2009, by Def Jam Recordings and SRP Records. Recording sessions for the album began in March 2009 and took place at recording studios throughout United States and Europe. Rihanna was the executive producer of the album alongside Antonio "L.A." Reid and The Carter Administration. It features additional production by various record producers, including Chase & Status, Stargate, The-Dream, Ne-Yo, and Brian Kennedy. The record features several vocalists and instrumentalists, including Young Jeezy, will.i.am, Justin Timberlake and Slash, who played the guitars in "Rockstar 101".
"Baby" is a song by Canadian singer Justin Bieber featuring American rapper Ludacris. It was released as the lead single on Bieber's debut studio album, My World 2.0. The track was written by the artists alongside Christina Milian and producers Tricky Stewart and The-Dream.
"Never Let You Go" is a song recorded by Canadian singer Justin Bieber for his debut album, My World 2.0 (2010). The track was written by Bieber and was co-written and produced by production duo Johntá Austin and Bryan-Michael Cox. It was released as a promotional single from the album on March 2, 2010 by Island Records. The song charted within the top twenty in Canada and New Zealand, twenty-one in the United States, and in the lower regions of the charts in Australia and the United Kingdom, respectively. The accompanying music video features Bieber and Paige Hurd at the Atlantis Resort in The Bahamas, including scenes at the resort, an aquarium, and on the coast. Bieber performed the song a number of times, including on BET's SOS: Saving Ourselves - Help for Haiti Telethon, which benefited victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
"Eenie Meenie" is a song by American-Jamaican singer Sean Kingston and Canadian singer Justin Bieber. The song was written by both Kingston and Bieber along with Carlos Battey, Steven Battey, Marcos Palacios and Ernest Clark and Benny Blanco and was produced by the latter. It was originally released as the first single from Kingston's third studio album Back 2 Life on March 13, 2010, but was taken off for unknown reasons. However, it is included on Bieber's first studio album My World 2.0. The song, a dance-pop number with Kingston's reggae influences and Bieber's R&B vocals, is lyrically about an indecisive lover.
"U Smile" is a song performed by Canadian singer Justin Bieber. It was written by Jerry Duplessis, Arden Altino, and Dan August Rigo, and produced by Duplessis and Altino. The song was released as the second digital-only single from the latter half of Bieber's first album on March 16, 2010. It was released to mainstream radio in Canada on August 9, 2010, followed by a mainstream and rhythmic release on August 24, 2010, in the United States as the album's third single there.
"Somebody to Love" is a song by Canadian singer Justin Bieber featuring American singer Usher. The song served as the second single from Bieber's first studio album My World 2.0. It was written by Heather Bright and The Stereotypes, and produced by the latter. The song was originally recorded as a demo by Usher, who was Bieber's mentor, for his sixth studio album, Raymond v. Raymond (2010). After things went stale with Usher's label, The Stereotypes were encouraged to give the song to Bieber, who recorded it, with Usher performing background vocals. The song is an upbeat pop song, which also derives from R&B genre, while making use of Eurodisco influences. It impacted US mainstream and rhythmic radio on April 20, 2010. The remix of the song featuring Usher was featured on Bieber's first compilation album My Worlds: The Collection and his second remix album Never Say Never: The Remixes.
"Never Say Never" is a song by Canadian singer Justin Bieber. The song is used as the theme song for the 2010 film The Karate Kid, and features a rap verse from its star, Jaden Smith. Originally a risque demo with sexual lyrics performed by Travis Garland, it was written and produced by The Messengers, and Omarr Rambert. However, Bieber was tapped to record the song for the film. He re-wrote the song with the original artists along with Smith and his vocal producer Kuk Harrell, to feature inspirational lyrics to foil the film's theme.
Justin Bieber: Never Say Never is a 2011 American 3-D concert film centering on Canadian singer Justin Bieber. It received generally positive reviews from critics. It was released in the United States on February 11, 2011 and grossed $99 million worldwide, against a $13 million production budget. A sequel was released on December 25, 2013, entitled Justin Bieber's Believe.
"Pray" is a song performed by Canadian singer Justin Bieber. The song was written by Bieber along with Omar Martinez, and Adam Messinger and Nasri of The Messengers, with the latter duo producing the track. The song is taken as a single in several European countries from his first compilation album, My Worlds: The Collection. In the United States and Canada, the song is included on My Worlds Acoustic. According to Bieber, he was inspired by Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror" (1988) when writing the song. The song is a contemporary Christian song, using a world music backdrop. It primarily features acoustic instruments, but it does make minor usage of electronic sounds.
My Worlds: The Collection is the first compilation album released by Canadian singer Justin Bieber. As the international alternative to the Walmart and Sam's Club exclusive My Worlds Acoustic (2010), My Worlds: The Collection was released in numerous European countries on November 19, 2010. The album consists of two discs; the first is a slightly altered version of My Worlds Acoustic, and the second is My Worlds, a compilation itself made up of Bieber's first EP My World (2009) and his first studio album, My World 2.0 (2010). In addition, the compilation also features a new song, an inspirational ballad entitled "Pray", an acoustic version of Bieber's collaboration with Jaden Smith, "Never Say Never", and remixes of his single "Somebody to Love". The new versions of the songs were produced by Bieber's music director, Dan Kanter, his vocal producer Kuk Harrell, and also record producer Rob Wells. While most professional reviewers complimented the set, several thought that its release was unneeded. The album charted moderately in Europe, reaching the top half of several countries' album charts.
Never Say Never: The Remixes is the second remix album by Canadian singer Justin Bieber. Released on February 14, 2011, the album accompanies the release of Bieber's first film, Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (2011). The album mostly includes remixes of songs from Bieber's first studio album, My World 2.0 (2010), featuring guest appearances from Jaden Smith, Rascal Flatts, Usher, Chris Brown, Kanye West, Raekwon and Miley Cyrus. In addition, a brand-new track is also included. The Jaden Smith-assisted "Never Say Never", originally released as the theme song for the film The Karate Kid (2010), was included on the tracklist and re-released as the album's lead and only single on January 25, 2011.
"That Should Be Me" is a song by Canadian singer Justin Bieber, included as the tenth and final track on his first studio album, My World 2.0, released on March 19, 2010. The song was written by Bieber alongside Luke Boyd and Nasri Atweh and Adam Messinger of The Messengers, the production team who produced the track. "That Should Be Me" is an orchestral ballad in which Bieber sings about losing his love, and according to Monica Herrera of Billboard, plays the "scorned ex." Most music critics positively received the song, and it debuted at number ninety-two on the Billboard Hot 100 following the release of My World 2.0.
"Next to You" is a song by American singer Chris Brown, featuring Canadian singer Justin Bieber included as a track on the former's fourth studio album, F.A.M.E., released on June 21, 2011. Brown co-wrote the song with frequent collaborator Sevyn Streeter of American girl group RichGirl. The track is one of the four tracks Brown and Bieber worked together on, the others being a remix of Bieber's "Up" (2011), "Ladies Love Me" contained in Brown's mixtape Boy in Detention (2011), and "Don't Check on Me" from Brown's 2019 album Indigo.
"Mistletoe" is a Christmas song by Canadian singer Justin Bieber. The song was written by Bieber and his producers, Nasri Atweh and Adam Messinger. The song was released on October 17, 2011, as the lead single from his second studio album and first Christmas album, Under the Mistletoe (2011). "Mistletoe" is a pop and R&B song, that has reggae influences. "Mistletoe" received generally positive reviews from most music critics. The song reached the top ten in Canada, Denmark and Norway, and slightly missed the top 10 in the US, peaking at 11, while also reaching the top forty in nine other countries. It set the record for the highest debut for a Christmas song in Billboard Hot 100 history. The song's accompanying music video was directed by Roman White. It features the singer singing on a snowy, lit-up street.
"Boyfriend" is a song by Canadian singer Justin Bieber, taken from his third studio album, Believe (2012). Bieber explained that the track would surprise people in different ways, since it is a musical departure from his previous material. A snippet of "Boyfriend" was previewed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on March 1, 2012, Bieber's 18th birthday. The song was announced as a single on the same day, and was released on March 26, 2012. The cover art was revealed on March 19, 2012.
"All Around the World" is a song by Canadian singer Justin Bieber from his third studio album, Believe (2012). It was written by Bieber, Sir Nolan and Nasri of The Messengers in collaboration with Ludacris, who guest features. This was the second collaboration between Bieber and Ludacris, having previously collaborated on "Baby" (2010). It was first released on June 4, 2012, as a promotional single from the album. The song was released as the fourth international single, and the fifth and final US single on February 26, 2013. The Eurodance track features a similar instrumentation to songs by Britney Spears, Chris Brown and Usher. Lyrically, it features Bieber singing to his love interest that "all around the world, people want to be loved". "All Around the World" received critical acclaim from music critics, who welcomed the song's Eurodance style. The song had moderate success worldwide, reaching the top ten in several countries, such as Belgium, Canada and Norway. Bieber promoted the song through live performances and a music video.
Believe Acoustic is the third remix album by the Canadian singer Justin Bieber. It was released on January 29, 2013, by Island Records as the follow-up to his second remix album, Never Say Never: The Remixes (2011). It is Bieber's second acoustic album, following My Worlds Acoustic (2010). The album has acoustic and live versions of songs from his third studio album Believe (2012), as well as three new recordings. The album went to number one on the US Billboard 200 albums chart, making this Bieber's fifth number-one album and seventh consecutive top 10 album in the United States.
"Heartbreaker" is a song by Canadian singer Justin Bieber from his second compilation album, Journals (2013). The song was produced by Bieber, Maejor Ali, T-Minus, and Chef Tone, who served as co-writers with Xavier Smith. Bieber penned the song in 2013 on his Believe Tour, writing it for people going through a heartbreak as he was at the time. After announcing the song on June 3, 2013, the singer shared a preview on July 19. It was released for digital download and streaming as the lead single for the album and the first in Bieber's Music Mondays series on October 7, 2013, through Island Records. An acoustic R&B ballad with elements of pop, it prominently features an emo melody and chords.