The Day (Babyface album)

Last updated

The Day
The Day (Babyface album) coverart.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedOctober 22, 1996
Studio
Various
Genre R&B
Length46:12
Label Epic
Producer Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds
Babyface chronology
For the Cool in You
(1993)
The Day
(1996)
Unplugged
(1997)
Singles from The Day
  1. "This Is for the Lover in You"
    Released: October 5, 1996
  2. "Talk to Me"
    Released: October 29, 1996
  3. "Every Time I Close My Eyes"
    Released: January 14, 1997
  4. "How Come, How Long"
    Released: July 7, 1997

The Day is the fourth studio album by American R&B singer Babyface. It was released by Epic Records on October 22, 1996, in the United States. [1] The album peaked at number 6 on the US Billboard 200 and number 4 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, also reaching the top ten on the Dutch Albums Chart. [2] [3] The Day was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), [4] and received Grammy Award nominations for Album of the Year and Best R&B Album respectively. [5]

Contents

From the album, the track "Every Time I Close My Eyes" was nominated for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. A duet with Stevie Wonder, titled "How Come, How Long", was also Grammy nominated for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. [5] Additionally, the singles "This Is for the Lover in You" and "Every Time I Close My Eyes" both reached number 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [6]
Entertainment Weekly A− [7]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [8]
Muzik Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [9]
The New York Times (Mixed) [10]
The Village Voice A− [11]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [12]

AllMusic editor Leo Stanley found that The Day "confirms his skill for subtle, inventive songwriting and accessible, polished yet soulful production [...] He is still compelling – his voice is as smooth as silk, and nearly as seductive – but it doesn't quite have the force of personality as his greatest productions. Nevertheless, The Day qualifies as state-of-the-art mid-'90s soul, featuring a handful of terrific songs, and a lot of extremely pleasurable filler." [6] David Browne from Entertainment Weekly wrote that on the album, Babyface "immerses himself in the same hot-tub soul he's applied to everyone from Toni Braxton to Eric Clapton. All the Babyface trademarks — the crisp, unobtrusive percussion, the silky guitars, the harmonies that blanket the melodies like a quilt — are laid out like a three-piece suit. But more so than any previous album he’s made, The Day is chockful of luscious, gently persuasive songs, from doe-eyed testimonials to his devotion to misty childhood reminiscences. [7]

Track listing

The Day track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Every Time I Close My Eyes" (featuring Kenny G and Mariah Carey) Kenneth Edmonds Babyface4:56
2."Talk to Me"EdmondsBabyface4:54
3."I Said I Love You"EdmondsBabyface4:05
4."When Your Body Gets Weak"EdmondsBabyface5:40
5."Simple Days"
  • Babyface
  • Spalter [a]
4:31
6."All Day Thinkin'"Edmonds
  • Babyface
  • Gerald Baillergeau [a]
4:23
7."Seven Seas"
Babyface4:02
8."The Day (That You Gave Me a Son)"EdmondsBabyface4:29
9."How Come, How Long" (featuring Stevie Wonder)
  • Edmonds
  • Wonder
Babyface5:15
10."This Is for the Lover in You" (featuring LL Cool J, Howard Hewett, Jody Watley, and Jeffrey Daniels)
  • Babyface
  • LL Cool J [a]
5:26
Total length:46:12
Bonus tracks (2001 reissue)
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
11."Every Time I Close My Eyes" (Timbaland Remix)Edmonds
4:50
12."Every Time I Close My Eyes" (Urban Soul Basement Mix)Edmonds
  • Babyface
  • Urban Soul [b]
4:40
13."This Is for the Lover in You" (Honey Lookin' Laced Extended Remix)
  • Hewett
  • Meyers
Babyface5:26

Notes

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes. [13]

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [29] Gold35,000^
Canada (Music Canada) [30] Platinum100,000^
Japan (RIAJ) [31] Gold100,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [32] Silver60,000^
United States (RIAA) [1] 2× Platinum2,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

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