World Power

World Power
Studio album by Snap!
Released May 15, 1990
Genre House, dance, hip house
Length 50:51
Label Bookmark/Arista/Ariola Records
Producer Snap!
Snap! chronology
World Power
(1990)		 The Madman's Return
(1992)

World Power is the debut album of German Eurodance project Snap!, released in 1990 on Bookmark/Ariola Records. The album received generally positive reviews from music critics, as the project's musical style and its vocalists, Turbo B and Penny "Tiny" Ford, were well-received. It also achieved considerable commercial success with the help of four international top-ten hits, including its best-selling single "The Power".

Contents

Reception

Commercial performance

The album reached number seven on Germany's Media Control Charts,[1] number 25 on Australia's ARIA Charts,[2] number four on the Ö3 Austria Top 40, [3] number 20 on the Topplistan chart in Sweden,[4] number four on the Swiss Music Charts, [5] number 10 on the UK Albums Chart,[6] and number 30 on the US Billboard 200 chart.[7] Although it did not chart on the Dutch MegaCharts,[8] it earned gold certification from the NVPI, for sales in excess of 60,000 copies in the Netherlands.[9] World Power has also been certified gold in Austria,[10] Sweden,[11] the United Kingdom,[12] and the United States,[13] while it has received platinum certifications in both Germany and Switzerland.[14][15]

Critical response

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [16]
Chicago Tribune [17]
Robert Christgau (A-)[18]
Entertainment Weekly (A-)[19]

Upon its release, World Power received generally positive reviews from music critics. Chicago Tribune writer Mitchell May gave it 3 out of 4 stars and called it "a dance record you can listen to", noting that "pulsating synth chords, slashing guitar riffs, thundering drums and the gospel-like wails of Tinny Ford combine to give Snap a riveting sound".[17] Greg Sandow of Entertainment Weekly called the album "smart dance/rap, full of surprises".[19] In his consumer guide for The Village Voice, critic Robert Christgau gave World Power an A- rating,[18] indicating "the kind of garden-variety good record that is the great luxury of musical micromarketing and overproduction. Anyone open to its aesthetic will enjoy more than half its tracks".[20] Christgau noted it as "in the great transcultural Technotronic tradition" and described its music as "crazy and radio-ready at the same time. Also funny".[18] In a retrospective review, Allmusic writer Andrew Hamilton gave the album 3 out of 5 stars and perceived rapper Turbo B's enunciation as a flaw, but commended his "energy" and singer Penny Ford's vocals.[16]

Track listing

  1. "The Power" (Benites, C., Garrett) – 5:44
  2. "Ooops Up" (Butler, Simmons, Taylor, Wilson, Wilson, Wilson) – 6:42
  3. "Cult of Snap!" (Benites, Butler, Garrett) – 5:21
  4. "Believe the Hype" (Benites, Butler, Garrett) – 4:50
  5. "I'm Gonna Get You (To Whom It May Concern)" (Benites, Butler, Garrett) – 5:20
  6. "Witness the Strength" (Benites, Butler, Garrett) – 4:57
  7. "Mary Had a Little Boy" (Benites, Butler, Ford, Garrett) – 4:53
  8. "Blasé Blasé" (Benites, Butler, Garrett) – 4:30
Reissue bonus tracks
  1. "Only Human" (Butler) – 3:11
  2. "The Power" (Jungle Fever Mix) (Benites, C., Garrett) – 7:23

Personnel

Charts

Album — Billboard (United States)[21]

Year Chart Position
1990 The Billboard 200 30
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums 13

Singles — Billboard (United States)[22]

Year Single Chart Position
1990 "The Power" The Billboard Hot 100 2
Hot Rap Singles 1
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Tracks 4
Hot Dance Music/Club Play 1
"Ooops Up" The Billboard Hot 100 35
Hot Rap Singles 3
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Tracks 18
"Ooops Up"/"Believe the Hype" Hot Dance Music/Club Play 4
1991 "Mary Had a Little Boy" Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Tracks 56
Hot Dance Music/Club Play 4

References

  1. ^ "Top 100 Longplay Official Media Control (10-9-1990)" (in German). charts.de. http://www.charts.de/charts.asp?cat=a&country=de&year=1990&date=19900910&x=18&y=14. Retrieved 2010-07-27. 
  2. ^ "Interpret: Snap!". Hung Medien. http://www.australian-charts.com/search.asp?cat=a&artist=Snap%21&artist_search=starts&title=&title_search=starts. Retrieved 2010-07-27. 
  3. ^ "Artist: Snap!" (in German). Hung Medien. http://www.austriancharts.at/search.asp?cat=a&artist=Snap%21&artist_search=starts&title=&title_search=starts. Retrieved 2010-07-27. 
  4. ^ "Artist: Snap". Hung Medien. http://www.swedishcharts.com/search.asp?cat=a&artist=Snap&artist_search=starts&title=&title_search=starts. Retrieved 2010-07-27. 
  5. ^ "Artist: Snap". Hung Medien. http://www.swisscharts.com/search.asp?cat=a&artist=Snap&artist_search=starts&title=&title_search=starts. Retrieved 2010-07-27. 
  6. ^ "UK's Singles/Albums Positions to Snap!". Chartstats.com. http://www.chartstats.com/artistinfo.php?id=5771. Retrieved 2010-07-27. 
  7. ^ "US Albums Positions to Snap!". Billboard Magazine. http://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100#/artist/snap/chart-history/5704?f=305&g=Albums. Retrieved 2010-07-27. 
  8. ^ "Artiest: SNap!" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. http://www.dutchcharts.nl/search.asp?cat=a&artist=SNap%21&artist_search=starts&title=&title_search=starts. Retrieved 2010-07-27. 
  9. ^ "Dutch album certifications – Snap – World Power" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. http://www.ifpi.nl/nvpi/pagina.asp?pagkey=61112&documentid=1236444. 
  10. ^ "Austrian album certifications – Snap – World Power" (in German). IFPI Austria. http://www.ifpi.at/?section=goldplatin.  Enter Snap in the field Interpret. Enter World Power in the field Titel. Select album in the field Format. Click Suchen
  11. ^ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (in Swedish) (PDF). IFPI Sweden. http://www.ifpi.se/wp/wp-content/uploads/guld-platina-1987-1998.pdf. 
  12. ^ "British album certifications – Snap – World Power". British Phonographic Industry. http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/search.aspx.  Enter World Power in the field Search. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Click Go
  13. ^ "American album certifications – Snap – World Power". Recording Industry Association of America. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?artist=%22World+Power%22.  If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
  14. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Snap!; 'World Power')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. http://www.musikindustrie.de/gold_platin_datenbank/?action=suche&strTitel=World+Power&strInterpret=Snap%21&strTtArt=alben&strAwards=unchecked. 
  15. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Snap!; 'World Power')". Hung Medien. http://www.swisscharts.com/search_certifications.asp?search=Snap%21+World+Power. 
  16. ^ a b Hamilton, Andrew. Review: World Power. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2010-08-22.
  17. ^ a b May, Mitchell. Review: World Power. Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 2010-08-22.
  18. ^ a b c Christgau, Robert. "Consumer Guide: World Power". The Village Voice: July 31, 1990.
  19. ^ a b Sandow, Greg. Review: World Power. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved on 2010-08-22.
  20. ^ CG Grades 1990– : Key to Icons. Robert Christgau. Retrieved on 2010-02-15.
  21. ^ Billboard.com – Artist Chart History – Snap! – Albums
  22. ^ Billboard.com – Artist Chart History – Snap! – Singles

External links

Snap!
Turbo B · Penny Ford · Thea Austin · Niki Haris
Main albums
World Power (1990) · The Madman's Return (1992)
Hit singles
"The Power" (1990) · "Rhythm Is a Dancer" (1992) · "Exterminate!" (1993) · "Do You See the Light" (1993)
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