Love Me Back (album)

Love Me Back
Studio album by Jazmine Sullivan
Released November 29, 2010
Genre R&B, hip hop soul
Length 40:12
Label J, Arista
Producer Anthony Bell, Missy Elliott, Toby Gad, Chuck Harmony, Cainon Lamb, Los da Mystro, Ne-Yo, No I.D., Prolyfic, Salaam Remi
Jazmine Sullivan chronology

Fearless
(2008)		 Love Me Back
(2010)		 Reality Show
(2015)
Singles from Love Me Back
  1. "Holding You Down (Goin' in Circles)"
    Released: July 10, 2010
  2. "10 Seconds"
    Released: October 15, 2010

Love Me Back is the second studio album by American R&B recording artist Jazmine Sullivan, released on November 29, 2010, by J Records. Sullivan co-wrote the album with producers Missy Elliott, Ne-Yo, No I.D., Los da Mystro, and Salaam Remi, among others.

The album debuted at number 17 on the Billboard 200 and sold 57,000 copies in its first week. It produced two singles, including the lead single "Holding You Down (Goin' in Circles)", which peaked at number three on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Love Me Back received universal acclaim from music critics, who praised its songwriting and Sullivan's singing.

Background

The album is the follow-up to Sullivan's debut album Fearless (2008), which was well received by music critics, sold 517,000 copies, and earned Sullivan seven Grammy Award nominations.[1] Recording sessions for the album took place at various recording locations, including Carrington House Studios, Goldmind Studios, and Lostas Studi in Atlanta, Georgia, CNSO Recording Studio in Czech Republic, Cutting Room Studios, Germano Studios, KMA Studios, and MSR Studios in New York, New York, Instrument Zoo in Miami, Florida, Metropolis Studios in London, Waya Flow Studios and Westlake Studios in Los Angeles, California, Strawberrybee Studios in California, and The Studio in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[2]

Singles

"Holding You Down (Goin' in Circles)" was released on July 10, 2010, as the album's lead single.[3] It had leaked to the Internet on June 29, 2010.[4] The single peaked at number 60 on the Billboard Hot 100,[5] and at number three on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.[6] It spent nine weeks on the Hot 100 and 16 weeks on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.[5][6] A music video for the single premiered August 30, 2010 on BET's 106 & Park program.[7] Directed by Marcus Raboy, the video features references to 1980s hip hop culture and house parties, with cameos by hip hop artists Missy Elliott, Doug E. Fresh, Sandra "Pepa" Denton, Pete Rock, and Kwamé.[7] The song has been nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, set to be presented at the 53rd Grammy Awards in 2011.[8]

The album's second single, "10 Seconds", leaked to the Internet in September, and was officially released as a single on October 15, 2010.[9] It has spent 10 weeks on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, peaking at number 18.[6] The single's music video was released to the Internet on November 13, 2010.[10] It features the theme of revenge towards an unfaithful boyfriend.[10] It charted at number 17 and has spent 14 weeks on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.[6]

Release and promotion

Love Me Back was originally scheduled to be released on September 28, 2010.[11] It was released by J Records on November 29 in the United Kingdom,[12] November 30 in the United States,[13] and December 8, 2010 in Japan.[14] Prior to its release, Sullivan accompanied R&B recording artist Mary J. Blige on the latter's Music Saved My Life concert tour during October 2010.[15][16] The album's cover was premiered on September 21, 2010 and features Sullivan dressed in all black, leaning against a vintage model Chevrolet Impala, a reference to her hit single "Bust Your Windows".[17]

Love Me Back debuted at number 17 on the Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 57,000 copies in the United States.[18] It also entered at five on Billboard‍ '​s R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and at number 12 on its Digital Albums chart.[19][20] The album ultimately spent six weeks on the Billboard 200.[21]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic [22]
Robert Christgau A–[23]
Entertainment Weekly B+[24]
The Guardian [25]
Los Angeles Times [26]
The Philadelphia Inquirer [27]
Rolling Stone [28]
Slant Magazine [29]
Spin 8/10[30]
USA Today [31]

Love Me Back received widespread acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 85, based on 10 reviews.[32] AllMusic's Andy Kellman said that it "sprawls and stuns in equal measure".[22] In her review for Spin magazine, music journalist Maura Johnston found Sullivan "both feisty and classy",[30] while Michael Cragg of The Guardian said her singing is marked by experience and accommodates each song.[25] Jon Pareles, writing in The New York Times, said Sullivan sounds "narrow and jagged" on the album, "with more grain and more tears as she applies gospel dynamics to her venting".[33] New York magazine's Nitsuh Abebe described her voice as "warm, well-textured, and big — authentically, naturally big", and stated, "the warmth and weight of the songwriting and production live up to the singing".[34] Alex Macpherson of The Quietus commended Sullivan for "letting [her] ideas run riot while staying true to genre values" on the "most creative R&B album of the year".[35] In his review for MSN Music, Robert Christgau felt that the songwriting is "a big extra difference maker, with enough pop moves to lighten the overall mood" amid "the soulful melodrama". He believed Sullivan role-plays "with unflinching intelligence" on each song and, although the lyrics could be based on personal history, "it's simpler just to wish every pro was such an astute student of the female condition."[23]

In a mixed review, Jon Dolan of Rolling Stone was ambivalent towards Sullivan's decision to play "a little nicer, adhering to the Mary J. Blige school of gritty, nuanced hip-hop soul".[28] Slant Magazine's Sal Cinquemani felt that the album "fails to reprise many of its predecessor's themes or explore any overarching new ones".[29] Margaret Wappler of the Los Angeles Times said that Sullivan "walks herself to the precipice of emotion without falling off", but criticized that the album "could use more experimentation".[26]

Track listing

No. TitleWriter(s)Producer(s) Length
1. "Holding You Down (Goin' in Circles)"  Melissa Elliott, Cainon Lamb, Jazmine SullivanMissy Elliott, Cainon Lamb 3:36
2. "10 Seconds"  Salaam Remi, SullivanSalaam Remi 3:07
3. "Good Enough"  Charles Harmon, SullivanChuck Harmony 4:02
4. "Don't Make Me Wait"  Carlos McKinney, SullivanLos da Mystro 3:29
5. "Love You Long Time"  Remi, SullivanSalaam Remi 3:12
6. "Redemption"  Anthony Bell, Steve McKie, SullivanAnthony Bell 3:51
7. "Excuse Me"  Elliott, Lamb, SullivanMissy Elliott, Cainon Lamb 3:33
8. "U Get on My Nerves" (featuring Ne-Yo)Brandon Green, Shaffer Smith, SullivanNe-Yo 3:53
9. "Stuttering"  Tobias Gad, SullivanToby Gad 3:10
10. "Famous"  David Ewing, Kevin Randolph, Sullivan, Ernest WilsonNo I.D., Prolyfic 4:43
11. "Luv Back"  Elliott, Lamb, Quame Riley, SullivanMissy Elliott, Cainon Lamb 3:36

Personnel

Credits are adapted from AllMusic.[37]

  • Guy Aroch – photography
  • Christian Baker – engineer
  • Anthony Bell – instrumentation, producer, programming
  • Ricky Blaze – drum programming, producer
  • Jesse Bonds – guitar
  • Anita Marisa Boriboon – art direction, design
  • Cary Clark – engineer
  • Los DaMystro – conductor, producer
  • Gleyder "Gee" Disla – engineer
  • DJ Showoff – vocals
  • Peter Edge – producer
  • Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott – engineer, executive producer, producer
  • Paul J. Falcone – engineer
  • Rick Frederick – engineer
  • Toby Gad – engineer, piano, producer
  • Anthony "Rocky" Gallo – engineer
  • Erwin Gorostiza – creative director
  • Chuck Harmony – producer
  • Brandon Henderson – assistant
  • Vincent Henry – flute, alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, tenor saxophone, wah wah guitar
  • Trevor Jerideau – producer
  • Mike "TrakGuru" Johnson – engineer
  • Rob Kinelski – engineer
  • StayBent KrunkaDelic – keyboards
  • Dave Kutch – mastering
  • Lamb – drum programming, engineer, producer
  • Erik Madrid – assistant, mixing engineer
  • Bei Maejor – producer
  • Manny Marroquin – mixing
  • Scott Naughton – engineer
  • Ne-Yo – producer, vocals
  • No I.D. – producer
  • Brandon Parks – engineer
  • Calvin Parmer – bass
  • Christian Plata – assistant
  • Prolyfic – additional production
  • Questlove – drums, engineer
  • Kevin Randolph – keyboards
  • Rebel One – management
  • Geno Regist – engineer
  • Salaam Remi – bass, drum programming, drums, executive producer, Fender rhodes, keyboards, producer, strings
  • Harold Robinson – bass
  • Andros Rodriguez – engineer
  • Davide Rossi – cello, string arrangements, strings, viola, violin
  • Ashunta Sheriff – make-up
  • Jazmine Sullivan – producer, vocals
  • Pam Sullivan – management
  • Pamela Watson – stylist
  • Sam Wheat – engineer
  • Yusef Williams – hair stylist
  • Steve Wyreman – guitar

Charts

Chart (2010) Peak
Position
US Billboard 200[21] 17
US Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[19] 5

Release history

Country Date
United Kingdom[12] November 29, 2010
United States[13] November 30, 2010
Japan[14] December 8, 2010

References

  1. ↑ Herrera, Monica. Lipshutz, Jason (November 12, 2010). Jazmine Sullivan to Receive Billboard's Rising Star Award for Women in Music. Billboard. Retrieved on 2010-12-01.
  2. ↑ Product notes – Love Me Back. Muze. Retrieved on 2010-12-01.
  3. ↑ Staff (November 19, 2010). Jazmine Sullivan's New Album Available For Preview. RTTNews. Retrieved on 2010-11-27.
  4. ↑ Administrator (June 29, 2010). Jazmine Sullivan, "Holding You Down (Goin' In Circles)" MP3. The Fader. Retrieved on 2010-11-27.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Jazmine Sullivan Album & Song Chart History – Hot 100. Billboard. Retrieved on 2010-11-27.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Jazmine Sullivan Album & Song Chart History – R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Billboard. Retrieved on 2010-11-27.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Joseph, Justin (August 27, 2010). Exclusive: Behind the Scenes Footage of Jazmine Sullivan's New Vid. Centric. Retrieved on 2010-11-27.
  8. ↑ Nominees: 2010 - 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards. Grammy.com. Retrieved on 2010-12-02.
  9. ↑ Amazon.com: 10 Seconds: Jazmine Sullivan: MP3 Downloads Amazon.com, Inc. Retrieved February 17, 2011.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Staff (November 13, 2010). Jazmine Sullivan Plots Her Revenge in '10 Seconds'. Singersroom. Retrieved on 2010-11-27.
  11. ↑ Staff (July 23, 2010). Rappers “Hold Down” Jazmine Sullivan. BET. Retrieved on 2010-11-27.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Love Me Back: Jazmine Sullivan. Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved on 2010-11-27.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Love Me Back: Jazmine Sullivan. Amazon.com. Retrieved on 2010-11-27.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 ラヴ・ミー・バック: ジャズミン・サリヴァン. Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved on 2010-11-27.
  15. ↑ Rodriguez, Jayson (August 31, 2010). "Mary J. Blige Announces Tour With Jazmine Sullivan". MTV. Viacom. Retrieved December 1, 2010.
  16. ↑ Concepcion, Mariel (December 3, 2010). "Jazmine Sullivan Thrilled to Succeed Gaga As Billboard's Rising Star". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
  17. ↑ "Album Cover: Jazmine Sullivan – ‘Love Me Back’". Rap-Up. September 21, 2010. Retrieved November 27, 2010.
  18. ↑ Caulfield, Keith (December 8, 2010). "Boyle Back to No. 1 on Billboard 200, Peas Begin At No. 6". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 8, 2010.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 "Jazmine Sullivan Album & Song Chart History – R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard (Prometheus Global Media). Retrieved December 9, 2010.
  20. ↑ "Jazmine Sullivan Album & Song Chart History – Digital Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 "Jazmine Sullivan Album & Song Chart History – Billboard 200". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Kellman, Andy (November 26, 2010). "Review: Love Me Back". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved November 27, 2010.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Christgau, Robert (February 8, 2011). "Consumer Guide: Love Me Back". MSN Music. Archived from the original on 2011-02-11.
  24. ↑ Maerz, Melissa (November 24, 2010). "Review: Love Me Back". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved November 27, 2010.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Cragg, Michael (November 25, 2010). "Review: Love Me Back". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved November 27, 2010.
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 Wappler, Margaret (November 30, 2010). "Review: Love Me Back". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
  27. ↑ Amorosi, A.D. (December 19, 2010). Review: Love Me Back. The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved on 2011-01-02.
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Dolan, Jon (November 30, 2010). "Review: Love Me Back". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Retrieved February 25, 2011.
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 Cinquemani, Sal (November 23, 2010). "Review: Love Me Back". Slant Magazine. Retrieved November 27, 2010.
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 Johnston, Maura (November 25, 2010). "Review: Love Me Back". Spin. Spin Media. Retrieved November 27, 2010.
  31. ↑ Gardner, Elysa (November 30, 2010). "Review: Love Me Back". USA Today. Gannett Company. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
  32. ↑ "Love Me Back (2010): Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
  33. ↑ Pareles, Jon (November 26, 2010). Review: Love Me Back. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2010-11-27.
  34. ↑ Abebe, Nitsuh (December 8, 2010). Review: Love Me Back. New York. Retrieved on 2010-12-08.
  35. ↑ Macpherson, Alex (December 23, 2010). Review: Love Me Back. The Quietus. Retrieved on 2010-12-24.
  36. ↑ Preorder Love Me Back on iTunes. iTunes Store. Retrieved on 2010-11-27.
  37. ↑ Credits: Love Me Back. AllMusic. Retrieved on 2010-11-27.

External links