The Point of It All

Last updated
The Point of It All
Anthony Hamilton - The Point of It All.png
Studio album by
Anthony Hamilton
ReleasedDecember 16, 2008 (2008-12-16)
Studio
Length59:20
Label
Producer
Anthony Hamilton chronology
Southern Comfort
(2007)		The Point of It All
(2008)		 Back to Love
(2011)
Singles from The Point of It All
  1. "Cool"
    Released: September 12, 2008
  2. "The Point of It All"

The Point of It All is the fourth studio album by American singer Anthony Hamilton. It was released by Mister's Music, So So Def Recordings, and Zomba on December 16, 2008 in the United States. The album's production was handled by Hamilton himself along with Mark Batson, Kevin Wooten, Dre & Vidal, James "Big Jim" Wright and Salaam Remi, among others.

Contents

The album debuted at number 12 on the US Billboard 200 and at number three on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, selling 133,000 copies in its first week of release, the highest sales week of his career. Upon its release, The Point of It All received generally positive reviews from most music critics. As of May 2010, the album had sold over 519,000 copies in the United States and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Singles

The album's lead single "Cool" featuring David Banner, and it peaked at number 74 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and at number 19 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 72/100 [1]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Entertainment Weekly B [3]
The Phoenix Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]
PopMatters 8/10 [5]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Spin Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [7]
USA Today Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [8]

The Point of It All 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 72, based on nine reviews. [1] Vibe editor Erika Ramirez wrote that "there are no true missteps on this set, although he does veer a bit left with the upbeat, almost cheerful content, but the turn is not aggressive enough to lose the fans following behind him. The joyful arrangement in The Point of It All enhances Hamilton's storytelling abilities, serving as a lovely mixer to his lyrical depth and sensual, rich voice. All the tools were present and properly used to create this masterpiece." [9] Andy Kellman of AllMusic felt that "at least a third of the album's contents would have to be part of any representative introduction to Hamilton. In fact, this puts a cap on a three-album run as remarkable as any other in 2000s R&B." [2]

Mike Joseph of PopMatters viewed Hamilton as "an artist capable of filling the void created when Gerald LeVert and Luther Vandross passed away. [5] Mike Joseph of PopMatters wrote, "His raspy tone has drawn comparisons to everyone from Bill Withers to Bobby Womack, [...] he's proven himself to be one of the few current artists capable of sounding like an authentic throwback (as opposed to a pale facsimile) and completely contemporary at the same time." [5] Entertainment Weekly 's Greg Kot felt that the siner "avoids slavish retro-ism with a smart mix of programmed beats and churchy keyboards, and a voice that bridges seduction and gospel fervor. Though Anthony Hamilton sings about adult relationships with nuance and intensity, there is a drawback: He tends to keep his pleas at a midtempo simmer." [3]

Jon Pareles from The New York Times noted that "Hamilton won't place himself in the niche of gospel. He's a contender in the secular realm of R&B who sings hooks for hip-hop songs between his own albums, and he's determined to reach current radio audiences without jettisoning his roots." [10] In his review for The Washington Post , Bill Friskics-Warren wrote: "Though rooted in tradition (both the streets and the church), Hamilton's latest is thoroughly contemporary, from the bumping grooves of the mid-tempo ballads to the record's mix of programmed and live beats." [11] The New Yorker ″s Ben Greenman found that "the album’s overall emotional heft reduces [some] complaints to quibbles and magnifies its charms into considerable achievements." [12] USA Today editor Steve Jones found noted that Hamilton was "one of the genre’s rare singers who finds joy in life’s small pleasures and appreciates relationships that are built to last. That's really keeping it real." [8]

Commercial performance

The Point of It All debuted and peaked at number twelve on the US Billboard 200 and number three on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, with first week sales of 133,000 units, [13] becoming Hamilton's highest-charting album yet. [13] On May 27, 2010, The Point of It All was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments figures in excess of 500,000 copies. [14]

Track listing

The Point of It All track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."The News"
Batson3:34
2."Cool" (featuring David Banner)
  • Hamilton
  • Kelvin Wooten
  • Lavell Crump
  • Ramon Montgomery
Wooten4:16
3."The Day We Met"
  • Hamilton
  • Batson
Batson3:58
4."Diamond in the Rough"
  • Harris
  • Davis
3:37
5."I Did It for Sho"
SalaamRemi.com3:19
6."Hard to Breathe"
  • Hamilton
  • Batson
Batson4:12
7."Soul's on Fire"
  • Hamilton
  • Batson
Batson4:23
8."Please Stay"
Jack Splash5:03
9."The Point of It All"
3:50
10."Fallin' in Love"
  • Hamilton
  • Batson
Batson3:07
11."Prayin' for You/Superman"
  • Hamilton
  • Wooten
  • Wooten
  • Hamilton [a]
7:54
12."Her Heart"
  • Hamilton
  • Wooten
Wooten4:03
13."Fine Again"
  • Hamilton
  • Wooten
Wooten4:30
14."She's Gone" (bonus track)
 Heavy D 3:28
Total length:59:20

Notes

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for The Point of It All
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [14] Gold500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Notes

  1. ↑ Tracks 1, 3, 7, 13 and 14
  2. ↑ Track 2
  3. ↑ Track 4
  4. ↑ Track 5
  5. ↑ Tracks 6 and 10
  6. ↑ Track 8
  7. ↑ Track 9
  8. ↑ Tracks 11 and 12

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References

  1. 1 2 "The Point Of It All by Anthony Hamilton – Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic . Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  2. 1 2 Kellman, Andy. Review: The Point of It All. AllMusic. Retrieved on November 111, 2009.
  3. 1 2 Kot, Greg (December 10, 2008). "Music Review: The Point of It All (2008)". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on December 12, 2008. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  4. ↑ Lundy, Zeth (December 16, 2008). "Review: Anthony Hamilton, The Point of it All". The Phoenix . Archived from the original on April 25, 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  5. 1 2 3 Joseph, Mike (January 8, 2009). "Anthony Hamilton, The Point of It All". PopMatters . Archived from the original on January 16, 2009. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  6. ↑ Rosen, Jody (January 8, 2009). "Album Reviews". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on January 24, 2009. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  7. ↑ Peisner, David (January 16, 2009). "Review: The Point of It All". Spin . Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  8. 1 2 Jones, Steve (December 15, 2008). "This week's reviews: Fall Out Boy's 'Folie', Soulja Boy's shallows, Keyshia's difference". USA Today . Archived from the original on April 18, 2010. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  9. ↑ Ramirez, Erika (December 16, 2008). "Anthony Hamilton: The Point of It All". Vibe . Archived from the original on December 18, 2008. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  10. ↑ Pareles, Jon (December 15, 2008). "CRITICS' CHOICE; ANTHONY HAMILTON". The New York Times . Archived from the original on January 23, 2025. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  11. ↑ Friskics-Warren, Bill (December 16, 2008). "Quick Spins: The Point of It All". The Washington Post . Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  12. ↑ Greenman, Ben (December 15, 2008). "On Point". The New Yorker . Archived from the original on August 5, 2020. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  13. 1 2 Cohen, Jonathan (December 24, 2008). "Taylor Swift Trumps Big Debuts To Stay No. 1". Billboard . Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  14. 1 2 "American album certifications – Anthony Hamilton – The Point of It All". Recording Industry Association of America. May 27, 2010. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
  15. ↑ "Anthony Hamilton Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
  16. ↑ "Anthony Hamilton Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
  17. ↑ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2009". Billboard. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
  18. ↑ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2009". Billboard. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
  19. ↑ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2010". Billboard. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
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