Southern Hummingbird | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | April 2, 2002 | |||
Recorded | 2000–2002 | |||
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Genre | ||||
Length | 66:27 | |||
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Producer |
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Tweet chronology | ||||
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Singles from Southern Hummingbird | ||||
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Southern Hummingbird is the debut studio album by American singer Tweet, released on April 2, 2002, by The Goldmind Inc. and Elektra Records. The album features production by Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, Timbaland, Craig Brockman, Nisan Stewart, guitarist John "Jubu" Smith, and Tweet herself. It also features guest vocals by Elliott, Bilal, and Ms. Jade, and included a bonus track performed by Elliott, "Big Spender", which samples the song of the same name from the 1966 musical Sweet Charity .
The album was met with positive reviews from music critics, who commended the album's musical direction and its lyrical content. The album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, selling 195,000 copies in its first week. Southern Hummingbird was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on April 30, 2002, and by September 2015, it had sold 897,000 units in the United States.
The album was preceded by lead single "Oops (Oh My)", which reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Southern Hummingbird also spawned the singles "Call Me" and "Boogie 2nite", as well as the promotional single "Smoking Cigarettes".
In the 1990s, Tweet was part of the female trio Sugah. During this time, Tweet met and formed a close friendship with Missy Elliott. She also met Timbaland, who would later provide production for Southern Hummingbird.
This album is an irresistible blend of blues, rootsy soul, and soft acoustic rock, with poignant and heartfelt lyrical phrasing. A truly impressive debut album so expect more soulful humming from one of r&b's rising stars.
According to Keysha Davis from BBC Music, the album is a blend of blues, rootsy soul, and soft acoustic rock. [1] Southern Hummingbird and Tweet were commended for creating a "mood in the room that might either make you want to take your clothes off or that of your significant others." [2] Noting the album's musical style as groovy and "just feels good". [2] Songs like "Smoking Cigarettes" were noticed for making the listener feel how Tweet feels. [2] Tweet's voice was compared to the album's title with critics saying "she's not called the Southern Hummingbird for no reason", describing her vocals as "[s]oft, gentle, emotional and captivating". [2]
Lyrically the album fixates on the opposite sex, noted by The A.V. Club for its lyrical "intensity that borders on pathological". The album opens with Tweet "writhing in a pit of suicidal despair", followed by themes of Tweet singing about chastised cheating men, pined for the commitment-phobic, offered to take back lovers, and generally behaved like a strong woman whose happiness is nevertheless dependent almost entirely on her romantic entanglements." [3] The album's lyrics received large amounts of praise with reviewers say Tweet has a way with words continuing to say "songs like 'Beautiful' helped us understand how lyrics can move people." [2]
The album's third song "Smoking Cigarettes" is described as a "lush, laid back affair" which incorporates "bluesy 70's soul" and multi-layered vocals, built over a snare drum. Lyrically the song is based on the idea of cigarette smoking being used as a coping mechanism. [1] "Best Friend", featuring American singer Bilal, displays "lilting strings, exquisite vocals and heartbeat bass" noted for its use of "grassroots soul". [4] "Boogie 2nite" is a "feel-good" song that contains a repetitive "funky guitar riff" with lyrics discussing the "party vibe". [1] "Oops (Oh My)" is noted for its lyrical content which can be interpreted as discussing "female masturbation or a tribute to self-love." The song is built around a "superb groove" noted for its unmistakable Timbaland production. The song also contains "quick syncopated rhythms and Tweet's raspy vocals." [1] "Drunk" is an atmospheric song that continues to take influence from the idea of intoxicants, in the same vein as "Smoking Cigarettes". Lyrically the song sees Tweet broken and alone with only the aid of alcohol for company. [1]
"Oops (Oh My)", featuring Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, was released as the album's lead single in January 2002. The song was a commercial success, reaching number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100, number one on the US Billboard 's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and number five on the UK Singles Chart. [5] [6]
"Call Me" was released as the second single in April 2002. It peaked at number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at number nine on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, becoming Tweet's second consecutive top-10 entry on the latter chart. [5] The track also reached number 35 in the United Kingdom. [6]
The album's third and final single, "Boogie 2nite", was released solely in Europe in October 2002. After English dance music duo Booty Luv released a cover version of the track in November 2006, Tweet's original song charted at number 167 in the UK that same month. [7]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 73/100 [8] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [9] |
The A.V. Club | A [3] |
BBC Music | Favorable [1] |
Robert Christgau | [10] |
Dotmusic | 7/10 [4] |
Entertainment Weekly | C+ [11] |
NME | [12] |
PopMatters | Favorable [13] |
Rolling Stone | [14] |
Slant Magazine | [15] |
Southern Hummingbird received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 73, based on 10 reviews. [8] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic praised the album's musical direction and production, but felt that Tweet fading into the mix. [9] The A.V. Club praised the album's lyrical content and Tweet's "sultry" vocals, continuing to say, "Tweet recognizes the value of subtlety and understatement, but she also skillfully writes and produces or co-produces much of her own material." [3] BBC Music gave Southern Hummingbird called the album "the stuff of real divas", adding that "Tweet's inherent melancholy further confirms the musical rite of passage in the tradition of other soul greats such as Aretha, Mary J Blige and Billie Holiday". [1]
Dotmusic commended Tweet's vocals saying she has the "kind of voice that doesn't overpower her music but lets it breathe." [4] Entertainment Weekly gave the album a mixed review noting that the album's production was a highlight which helped to showcase her "breathy coo", while praising the "well-crafted" the critics felt the album contained "too-similar ballads." [11] Imran Ahmed of NME gave a positive reception towards the album's production and musical style saying the album is a "rarely thrilling collection of R&B"; however, he felt the album lacked front to back cohesiveness. [12] Rolling Stone felt that "Oops" and "Make Ur Move" were highlights of the album, noting them for making "this hummingbird [fly]." [14]
Southern Hummingbird debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200, selling 195,000 copies in its first week. [16] The album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on April 30, 2002, [17] and had sold 897,000 copies in the United States as of September 2015. [18] The album also fared well in European territories, peaking at number 15 on the UK Albums Chart. [6]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "So Much to Say (Intro)" |
| 1:24 | |
2. | "My Place" |
|
| 4:24 |
3. | "Smoking Cigarettes" |
| 4:16 | |
4. | "Best Friend" (featuring Bilal) |
| 5:08 | |
5. | "Always Will" |
|
| 4:41 |
6. | "Boogie 2nite" |
|
| 4:10 |
7. | "Oops (Oh My)" (featuring Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott) |
| Timbaland | 3:58 |
8. | "Make Ur Move" |
| Timbaland | 3:49 |
9. | "Motel" |
| Tweet | 3:48 |
10. | "Beautiful" |
| Brockman | 4:05 |
11. | "Complain" |
| 5:14 | |
12. | "Heaven" |
| 3:39 | |
13. | "Call Me" |
| Timbaland | 2:56 |
14. | "Drunk" |
|
| 5:25 |
15. | "Southern Hummingbird (Outro)" |
| 1:31 | |
16. | "Sexual Healing (Oops Pt. 2)" (featuring Ms. Jade) |
| Timbaland | 4:47 |
17. | "Big Spender" (bonus track, performed by Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott) |
|
| 3:12 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
15. | "Get Away (Move On)" (placed between "Drunk" and "Southern Hummingbird (Outro)") |
| 4:22 |
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Southern Hummingbird. [20]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA) [17] | Gold | 897,000 [18] |
Region | Date | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
United States | April 2, 2002 | [9] | |
Japan | April 10, 2002 | Warner | [19] |
Australia | May 13, 2002 | [40] | |
United Kingdom | Elektra | [41] | |
Germany | May 27, 2002 | Warner | [42] |
Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott, also known as Misdemeanor, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She began on her musical career as a member of the R&B girl group Sista during the 1990s, who were part of the larger musical collective Swing Mob—led by DeVante Swing of Jodeci. The former group's debut album, 4 All the Sistas Around da World (1994) was released by Elektra Records and met with positive critical reception despite commercial failure. She collaborated with album's producer and Swing Mob cohort Timbaland to work in songwriting and production for other acts, yielding commercially successful releases for 702, Aaliyah, SWV, and Total. She then re-emerged as a solo act with numerous collaborations and guest appearances by 1996, and in July of the following year, she released her debut studio album, Supa Dupa Fly (1997).
Timothy Zachery Mosley, known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, rapper, and singer. Born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia, he has received widespread acclaim for his innovative production work and distinctive "stuttering" rhythmic style. In 2007, Entertainment Weekly stated that "just about every current pop trend can be traced back to him—from sultry, urban-edged R&B songstresses [...] to the art of incorporating avant-garde sounds into No. 1 hits."
Charlene Keys, better known by the stage name Tweet, is an American singer-songwriter.
Swing Mob was a loosely knit musical collective consisting of artists and record labels first discovered by Jodeci member DeVante Swing in 1991. The artists on Swing Mob included Missy Elliott with the group Sista, Timbaland, Magoo, Ginuwine, Static Major and the rest of Playa, Darryl Pearson, Mike "Funky Mike" Jackson, Tweet with the group Sugah, Majik, Jimmy Douglass, Stevie J, Maija Max, Renee Anderson, Bazaar Royale and Chad "Dr. Ceuss" Elliott among others, although the group's full membership has never been documented comprehensively. A list of some known artists in Swing Mob at the time of the group's activity can be found in the liner notes of Jodeci's third studio album, The Show, The After-Party, The Hotel (1995).
"Back in the Day" is a 2003 hip-hop song by Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, featuring guest vocals from Jay-Z and Elliott protégé Tweet. The song appears on her 2002 album Under Construction and was at one time planned for release as a single. It peaked at #86 on Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart in 2003 before being scrapped as a single.
Supa Dupa Fly is the debut studio album by American rapper Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, released July 15, 1997, on The Goldmind, East West, and Elektra Entertainment Group. The album was recorded and produced solely by Timbaland in October 1996, and features the singles, "The Rain ", "Sock It 2 Me", "Hit Em wit da Hee" and "Beep Me 911". Guest appearances on the album include Busta Rhymes, Ginuwine, 702, Magoo, Da Brat, Lil' Kim, and Aaliyah. The album was recorded in just two weeks.
Under Construction is the fourth studio album by American rapper Missy Elliott, released by The Goldmind Inc. and Elektra Records on November 12, 2002, in the United States. The album was primarily produced by Timbaland, with additional production by Craig Brockman, Nisan Stewart, Errol "Poppi" McCalla and Elliott herself.
"Work It" is a hip hop song written by American rapper Missy Elliott and her producer Tim "Timbaland" Mosley for Elliott's fourth studio album Under Construction (2002). The song's musical style, and production by Timbaland, were heavily inspired by old school hip hop from the early 1980s. It samples Run-D.M.C.'s "Peter Piper" and Rock Master Scott & the Dynamic Three's "Request Line".
The Goldmind, Inc. is an American record label founded in 1997 by rapper Missy Elliott. Elliott and Goldmind were once distributed through East West Records & Elektra Entertainment Group, Until 2004 when Time Warner sold WMG to a private investment group. The new owners then merged the Elektra with sister label Atlantic Records, transferring Elliott and Goldmind. Goldmind is home to Missy Elliott, specializing in R&B/hip-hop/soul music.
The discography of American rapper and record producer Missy Elliott consists of six studio albums, three compilation albums, one extended play, seventy-four singles and twenty solo music videos.
It's Me Again is the second studio album by American singer Tweet. It was released on March 21, 2005, by The Goldmind Inc. and Atlantic Records. The album debuted at number 17 on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 55,000 copies.
"Oops (Oh My)" is a song by American singer Tweet from her debut studio album, Southern Hummingbird (2002). It features vocals from American rapper Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, who co-wrote the song with Tweet, while production was handled by Timbaland. The song was released on January 11, 2002, as the album's lead single.
Shock Value is the second solo studio album by record producer Timbaland. The album was released in the UK on April 2, 2007, and released in the US one day later. It is Timbaland's first release on his own imprint, the Interscope Records-distributed Mosley Music Group. Shock Value features a long list of guest artists, among them Fall Out Boy, Justin Timberlake, the Hives, Keri Hilson, Nelly Furtado, Missy Elliott, 50 Cent, Tony Yayo, Dr. Dre, OneRepublic, Elton John, Magoo and Nicole Scherzinger.
American singer and songwriter Tweet has released three studio albums, one live album, one extended play, 13 singles, two promotional singles, and 13 music videos.
"4 My People" is a song by American rapper Missy Elliott. It was written by Elliott, Timbaland, Eve Jeffers, Nisan Stewart, Craig Brockman and Dante "D-Man" Nolan for her third studio album Miss E... So Addictive (2001). Production was helmed by Stewart and Nolan, with Elliott serving as a co-producer and Timbaland credited as an additional producer, with Eve providing featured vocals.
Unbroken is the third studio album by American singer Demi Lovato. It was released on September 20, 2011, by Hollywood Records. Primarily a pop record, Lovato described the album as "more mature" and with more R&B elements than her previous material, citing Rihanna as the major influence. While some of the album's lyrical content was heavily influenced by Lovato's personal struggles, it also deals with lighter subjects, such as love and self empowerment. Contributions to the album's production came from a wide range of producers, including Toby Gad, Ryan Tedder, Timbaland, Jim Beanz and Rock Mafia.
"Call Me" is a song by American singer Tweet from her debut studio album, Southern Hummingbird (2002). It was written by Tweet and Missy Elliott, and produced by Timbaland. The song was released on April 22, 2002, as the album's second single. "Call Me" reached number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number nine on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, becoming Tweet's second consecutive top-10 entry on the latter chart.
"Take Away" is a song by American rapper Missy Elliott. It was written by Elliott and Timbaland for her third studio album, Miss E... So Addictive (2001), while production was helmed by the latter, with Elliott and Craig Brockman served as co-producers. The downtempo track features guest vocals from R&B singer Ginuwine. While the album version of "Take Away" credits background vocals by 702 member, Kameelah Williams, the single version replaces Williams's vocals with then-newcomer, Elliott's former protégée Tweet.
"Get Involved" is a song by the American singer Ginuwine from his sixth studio album A Man's Thoughts (2009). The song was co-written by Missy Elliott and produced by Timbaland and featured guest vocals from the pair. Although the song was originally scheduled to be released in summer 2009 as the second single from the album, it was pushed back to 2010 as an international single from the album because of a dispute between Ginuwine and Timbaland.
Charlene is the third studio album by American singer Tweet. It was released on February 26, 2016, by eOne Music. "Won't Hurt Me" was released on September 21, 2015, as the album's lead single. The second single "Magic" was released on January 21, 2016, followed by "Neva Shouda Left Ya" on February 11, 2016. Rolling Stone listed Charlene as the 12th best R&B album of 2016.
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