| Where It All Begins | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 18, 2011 | |||
| Length | 54:55 | |||
| Label | Stax | |||
| Producer |
| |||
| Lalah Hathaway chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Where It All Begins | ||||
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"Where It All Begins" is the fifth studio album by American singer Lalah Hathaway. It was released on Stax Records and Concord Music Group on October 18, 2011. [1]
An homage to her father Donny Hathaway, the artwork for Where It All Begins features a collage of her father album covers, with Hathaway inserted in place of her father on most of them. [1] In addition to family photos depicted throughout the booklet, the album features a cover version of Donny Hathaway's "You Were Meant for Me," the original of which was issued as a single a few months prior to his tragic passing. [1] Where It All Begins also features a remake of the song "I'm Coming Back" with Rachelle Ferrell, originally recorded by Vesta Williams for her 1986 album Vesta as well a remake of Hathaway's own "I’m Coming Back," first released in 1991. [1]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| PopMatters |   [2] |
AllMusic editor Andy Kellman found that Where It All Begins "picks up where 2008's Self Portrait left off, though the pop-R&B-type moves – buzzing synthesizers, harder beats – are a little more pronounced. "If You Want To," a gleaming disco-funk track co-written by Rahsaan Patterson, is the best of that lot; the remainder of the album’s highlights are relatively subdued, led by the gliding, atmospheric title track – a stunning throwback to lyrically inward, sonically otherworldly soul-jazz of the '70s." [1]
Elias Leight from PopMatters felt that "though [Hathaway] tries her hand at a number of styles, her results are all similarly unimaginative. It is hard to pinpoint exactly where Hathaway goes wrong, but Where It All Begins is uninteresting. At a time when exciting new things are happening on many fronts of R&B, Hathaway offers a dull tour through the overdone and the bland." [2]
Where It All Begins debuted and peaked at number 32 on the US Billboard 200 in the week of November 5, 2011, becoming Hathaway's highest-charting album yet. [3] It also reached number seven on the Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, making it her second album to reach the top ten. [4]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Strong Woman" |
| Dre & Vidal | 3:07 |
| 2. | "Where It All Begins" |
|
| 5:45 |
| 3. | "My Everything" |
|
| 4:12 |
| 4. | "Small of My Back" | Lee Hutson, Jr. | JR Hutson | 4:47 |
| 5. | "If You Want to" |
|
| 3:28 |
| 6. | "Always Love You" | Michael Flowers | Mike City | 4:08 |
| 7. | "Lie to Me" |
| Dre & Vidal | 4:33 |
| 8. | "This Could Be Love" |
|
| 4:52 |
| 9. | "Wrong Way" |
| Hutson | 3:44 |
| 10. | "You Were Meant for Me" | William James Peterkin |
| 4:03 |
| 11. | "I'm Coming Back" (featuring Rachelle Ferrell) | Gary Taylor |
| 6:57 |
| 12. | "Dreamland" |
|
| 5:19 |
| Total length: | 54:55 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "My Heart" | Flowers | City | 3:42 |
| 14. | "This Could Be Love" (The Wednesday Mix) |
|
| 7:39 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Lose Yourself" | Flowers | City | 4:03 |
| 14. | "We're All in This Together" | Flowers | City |
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 [3] | 32 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [4] | 7 |
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | October 18, 2011 | Stax | [1] |
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