Rebellious Soul

Rebellious Soul
Studio album by K. Michelle
Released	August 13, 2013 (2013-08-13)
Recorded	2012–2013
Genre	R&B, soul
Label	Atlantic
Producer	Oak, Pop Wansel, Claude Kelly, Chuck Harmony, Rico Love, Jerry Wonda, Tank, Jack Splash, Eric Hudson, Jerren "J-Kits" Spruill, Earl & E
Singles from Rebellious Soul
"V.S.O.P." Released: May 20, 2013 "Can't Raise a Man" Released: January 14, 2014

Rebellious Soul is the debut studio album by American R&B recording artist K. Michelle. Originally scheduled to be released on July 30, 2013, the album was released on August 13, 2013.^[1]

Background

In 2012, K. Michelle was confirmed as one of the cast members on the VH1 reality TV show Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta.^[2] Because of the publicity that Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta gave to Michelle, she signed a deal with Atlantic Records, and began working on her debut album.^[3] Originally titled Pain Medicine, K. Michelle later announced that the album was titled Rebellious Soul.^[4] On July 15, 2013, Michelle revealed the album cover for Rebellious Soul.^[5]

Singles

The song, "I Just Wanna", was released as a buzz single for the album. However, it was omitted from the final cut of the album. "V.S.O.P." followed as the lead single on May 20, 2013. The track was produced by Pop & Oak, and samples "Very Special" by Debra Laws as well as "That's How Long" by The Chi-Lites.^[6][7] "V.S.O.P." has reached number 89 on the US Hot 100 Singles chart^[8] and number 27 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.^[9] A music video, directed by Benny Boom, was released on June 29, 2013.^[10][11] The second single Can't Raise A Man was released on January 13, 2014 and has so far peaked at number 24 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

Critical response

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	71/100[12]
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[13]
The Guardian	[14]
The New York Times	neutral[15]
PopMatters	[16]
Starpulse	positive[17]
VIBE	positive[18]

Rebellious Soul has received mostly positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 71, which indicates "generally favorable reviews", based on 5 reviews.^[12] Andy Kellman of Allmusic praised the material influenced by classic soul, citing "Damn" and lead single "V.S.O.P." as key examples, overall referring to it as a "compact, lyrically diverse debut."^[13] Stacy-Ann Ellis of Vibe notes Michelle's "rough around the edges" demeanor as evidenced in her role in Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta, but points out that the album shows more to her than just the " 'shaking the table' moments, Piscean dramatics and a mouthful of expletives. Her keep-it-real charm drew fans in, and her rebellious soul will keep them there."^[18]

Maura Johnston of MSN Music wrote, "Reality TV junkies might know this fiery singer from VH1′s ‘Love and Hip-Hop Atlanta,’ but she’s been releasing real-talk-filled mixtapes for the past three years … She shows off her super-raunchy, defiantly strong and maternally devoted sides, among others. All of these lyrics sound like they were written in moments of high passion, thanks in part to her take-no-prisoners voice."

Ayara Pommells of Soul Train said, "Overall Rebellious Soul is a great effort from K.Michelle. You can expect to be serenaded with tales of heartbreak, sexual encounters for grown folks and mantras of female empowerment. The production is complimentary to both K.Michelle’s heavy vocals and candid lyrical content. She does not drown in the instrumentals. The beats are relatively simple without ever crossing over into vanilla territory. Every detail on this album has been carefully constructed so as to allow K.Michelle to shine her brightest."

Elias Legit of PopMatters was more critical, promptly reminiscing of 2009 buzz single "Fakin' It" as a sign of her manipulation over men and pumping up their egos, while lamenting that the same power was nowhere to be found on Rebellious Soul.^[16] Jon Caramancia of The New York Times praised Michelle's "tremendous promise," but was critical of her foul language and lack of boundaries in regards to subject matter, stating, "What she’s missing is restraint."^[15]

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 chart and number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, with first-week sales of 72,000 copies in the United States.^[19] In its second week, the album sold 23,000 more copies bringing its total album sales to 95,000. As of January 2014, Rebellious Soul has sold 299,500 copies.^[20]

Promotion

K. Michelle announced via her Twitter account that a tour for the album, titled, BET Music Matters Rebellious Soul Tour, will begin on November 4, 2013, in San Francisco. The just over 15-date trek is slated to make stops in Chicago, Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo (NY), Pittsburgh, Houston and Charlotte before wrapping up in Boston on Dec. 3 and is an all-ladies affair, featuring Chris Brown protégé Sevyn Streeter & Tiara Thomas. Meet and Greet VIP Packages will be available for fans who want to get up close and personal with the stars.

On December 20, 2013 on BET’s 106 & Park, K. Michelle announced that she will be joining Robin Thicke on the North American leg of his Blurred Lines Tour kicking off on February 21, 2014, in Atlanta, Georgia.

Track listing

Charts

The album debuted at number one on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart & number two on the US Billboard 200 chart selling 72,000 copies in the first week.^[19]

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References