How to Be a Lady: Volume 1 | ||
---|---|---|
Studio album by Electrik Red | ||
Released | May 26, 2009 | |
Recorded | 2008-2009 | |
Genre | R&B, electropop | |
Length | 52:00 | |
Label | Def Jam/Radio Killa | |
Producer | The-Dream (also exec.), L.O.S Da Mystro, Sean K., Tricky Stewart (also exec.) | |
Singles from How to Be a Lady: Volume 1 | ||
|
How to Be a Lady: Volume 1 is the debut album of American R&B group Electrik Red, released May 26, 2009 on Radio Killa and Def Jam Recordings. Production and songwriting for the album was handled primarily by The-Dream and Christopher "Tricky" Stewart. Primarily an R&B album, it incorporates musical elements of electropop and hip hop, and contains lyrics concerning sexual and gender-related themes.
The album debuted at number 100 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling 5,000 copies in its first week. It produced two singles, "Drink in My Cup" and "So Good", that achieved moderate chart success. Upon its release, How to Be a Lady: Volume 1 received generally positive reviews from most music critics. The album has sold over 5,000 copies in the United States.
Contents |
While working as back-up dancers for Usher in his 2004 Confessions tour,[1] Kyndra "Binkie" Reevey and Lesley Lewis asked Sarah Rosete if she wanted to be a part of their girl group. Rosete agreed to join, but requested that they meet with her best friend Naomi Allen, who they "fell in love with".[2] The group moved to Los Angeles, where they began working with different producers, including Shannon "Slam" Lawrence and Rodney Jerkins.[2] The group officially formed Electrik Red in 2005.[3] They continued to work as professional dancers, individually appearing in videos for artists such as Mariah Carey, and Janet Jackson.[1] After individually performing as dancers and models, they appeared together in Ciara's video for "Like a Boy".[2] In late 2007, Allen and Rosete were cast in the video for The-Dream's single "Shawty Is a 10".[2]
After Shakir Stewart, then-Executive Vice President of Def Jam Recordings, organized an audition for the group with label chairman L. A. Reid, they were signed to the label on February 23, 2008.[1][4] Stewart then organized a meeting for the group with The-Dream and Tricky Stewart, who cosigned Electrik Red to their Def Jam-based label, Radio Killa.[2] From then, the pair began producing their music and executive produced their debut album. The group explained they named the album as a "play on the stereotype of what a lady is supposed to be, how she is supposed to act and what she is supposed to say. We're bringing a new age woman to the world". The group wanted to show that it was "okay to be different".[4]
How to Be a Lady: Volume 1 spawned two official singles, "Drink in My Cup" and "So Good". Music videos were filmed for the singles; "Drink in My Cup" (and one for album track "Friend Lover") were directed by Marc Klasfeld.[5][6] The group shot a video for the remix of their single "So Good" with rapper Lil Wayne.[7] The album's second single, "So Good", has peaked at #60 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.[8]
The album debuted at number 100 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart,[9] with first-week sales of 5,000 copies in the United States.[10] It ultimately spent one week on the chart.[11] It also charted at number 20 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[12]
Professional ratings | |
---|---|
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [13] |
Bay Area Reporter | (favorable)[14] |
The Guardian | [15] |
The Huffington Post | (favorable)[16] |
Metro Spirit | (mixed)[17] |
The New York Times | (mixed)[18] |
Pitchfork Media | (8.2/10)[19] |
Rolling Stone | [20] |
Vibe | (favorable)[21] |
The Village Voice | (favorable)[22] |
Upon its release, How to Be a Lady: Volume 1 received generally positive reviews from most music critics. Several writers drew comparisons to the early work of musician Prince, particularly side-projects such as Apollonia 6 and Vanity 6.[13][15][16][17][23] Allmusic writer Andy Kellman gave it 4 out of 5 stars and wrote favorably of Electrik Red's thematic approach, while writing "the bottom line is that the album has some of the best pop-R&B songs of 2009".[13] Vibe's Tracy Garraud praised the musical aspect of How to Be a Lady: Volume 1 and wrote that it "flows with easy hooks, layered composition, and eccentric idioms particular to the pair—what separates it from previous work is its raciness".[21] Jeremy Clayton of Giant called it "eclectic" and wrote that the group "adds spice to the atypical girl group".[23] Blender lauded the group's musicianship, stating "Electrik Red might be the most musically proficient women to ever inspire drunken bar-top dancing and bad decisions".[24] However, Rolling Stone's Jon Dolan gave it 3 out of 5 stars and perceived a lack of "personality" in its songwriting.[20] In a generally mixed review, Jon Pareles of The New York Times commended The-Dream and Tricky Stewart for their "lavished musical ingenuity" in its production, but viewed the album's sexual themes as unimaginative.[18]
In contrast, Metro Spirit's Frazia Lee perceived its production as "fanatical and at times hard to swallow", and wrote that the album "has the potential to be very successful in the pop arena for its catchiness and innovations, but also extremely annoying in its outrageous execution of it".[17] The Village Voice writer Rob Harvilla recommended the album to listeners of The-Dream and stated "Love vs. Money devotees able to suspend both their disbelief and their feminist ardor will love it".[22] Pitchfork Media writer Tim Finney praised its songwriting and wrote that the "gratuitous little surprises" in its production make its music "feel as real and lived-in as dazzling, shiny R&B can hope to, possessing a capacity for rightness that cannot be reduced to lyrical sophistication, performative flair, or production novelty, but is borne of the kind of charisma you can possess when you take success for granted".[19] The Huffington Post's Marjon Rebecca Carlos praised the album's sexual and gender themes and its musical execution, stating "Loads of imagery, color, synth-beats and lithe forms come popping forth much to the listener's amusement".[16] The Guardian's Alex Macpherson gave it 5 out of 5 stars and called it "a fully-formed and magnificently executed vision – of love, of sex – set to beats that thrill and seduce in equal measure, and sung with an unabashed confidence", citing it as "one of the most essential R&B albums of the decade".[15]
All songs written and composed by Terius Nash and Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, except as noted.
No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Muah" | The-Dream, Tricky Stewart | 3:56 |
2. | "So Good" (Sean Hall, Nash, Stewart) | The-Dream, Tricky Stewart, Sean K. | 3:25 |
3. | "Devotion" | The-Dream, Tricky Stewart | 4:34 |
4. | "Freaky Freaky" | The-Dream, Tricky Stewart | 4:17 |
5. | "Bed Rest" | The-Dream, Tricky Stewart | 4:30 |
6. | "Friend Lover" (Carlos McKinney, Nash) | The-Dream, L.O.S Da Mystro | 3:44 |
7. | "P Is for Power" | The-Dream, Tricky Stewart | 3:49 |
8. | "W.F.Y." | The-Dream, Tricky Stewart | 3:58 |
9. | "9 to 5" (McKinney, Nash) | The-Dream, L.O.S Da Mystro | 3:33 |
10. | "On Point" | The-Dream, Tricky Stewart | 3:08 |
11. | "Drink in My Cup" | The-Dream, Tricky Stewart | 3:34 |
12. | "Go Shawty" | The-Dream, Tricky Stewart | 3:00 |
13. | "Kill Bill" | The-Dream, Tricky Stewart | 3:21 |
14. | "So Good" (Remix featuring Lil Wayne) | The-Dream, Tricky Stewart | 3:29 |
Credits for How to Be a Lady: Volume 1 adapted from Allmusic.[25]
|
|
Chart (2009) | Peak position |
Sales |
---|---|---|
U.S. Billboard 200 | 100[26] |
|
U.S. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums | 20[12] | |
U.S. Billboard Comprehensive Albums | 107[27] |