The Block (album)

The Block
Studio album by New Kids on the Block
Released September 2, 2008
Recorded 2008
Genre Pop, dance-pop, R&B, blue-eyed soul, pop rock
Length 60:43 (deluxe edition)
Label Interscope
Producer Hakim Abdoulsamad, Nasri Atweh, Polow da Don, Fernando Garibay, Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon, Jimmy Iovine (exec.), Adida Kavarro, Martin Kierszenbaum (exec.), Emanuel Kiriakou, Adam Messinger, Ne-Yo, Aaron "AP" Pearce, RedOne, Teddy Riley, Rick Rock, Aliaune "Akon" Thiam, Timbaland, Donnie Wahlberg (also exec.)
New Kids on the Block chronology

Face the Music
(1994)		 The Block
(2008)		 10
(2013)
Singles from The Block
  1. "Summertime"
    Released: May 13, 2008
  2. "Single"
    Released: August 12, 2008
  3. "Dirty Dancing"
    Released: December 19, 2008
  4. "2 in the Morning"
    Released: February 23, 2009
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source Rating
Metacritic (51/100)[1]
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [2]
The A.V. Club C+[3]
Digital Spy [4]
Entertainment Weekly C-[5]
Los Angeles Times [6]
The Observer [7]
PopMatters [8]
Slant Magazine [9]
Virgin Media [10]
Yahoo! Music UK [11]

The Block is the fifth studio album by New Kids on the Block. The album was released on September 2, 2008, along with a deluxe edition that included four bonus tracks. It sold 100,000 copies in its first week of release and debuted at number one on the U.S. Top Pop Albums chart and at number two on the Billboard 200. Several artists collaborated on the album, such as Ne-Yo, Lady Gaga, The Pussycat Dolls, Akon, Teddy Riley and New Edition.

The first official single from the album is "Summertime" and the song was released on May 13, 2008.[12] The second official single titled "Single" featuring Ne-Yo was released on August 12, 2008. The third single "Dirty Dancing" was released on December 19. The single was the album's most successful single in Europe and Canada, peaking at number 31 and reaching the number-one position on the CHUM Chart in Toronto on February 21, 2009 after twelve weeks on the chart. The album's fourth single, "2 in the Morning", was officially released February 23, 2009 in the United States and the United Kingdom.

It is the group's first studio album in fourteen years since Face the Music.

Release and reception

The Block was released on September 2, 2008 and debuted at number one on the Billboard Pop Album Chart and at number two on the Billboard 200, selling 95,000 copies in its first week of release.[13] As of April 2013, the album had sold 332,000 copies in the United States.[14] On the Canadian Albums Chart, the album debuted at number one, becoming their first and only number-one album there. It sold 9,000 copies in its first week.[15] The Block has been certified gold in Canada.[16]

Track listing

No. TitleWriter(s)Producer(s) Length
1. "Click Click Click"  Aliaune Thiam, Hakim Abdoulsamad, Nasri Atweh, Donnie WahlbergAliaune "Akon" Thiam, Hakim Abdoulsamad, Nasri Atweh, Adam Messinger 3:44
2. "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo)Jamal Jones, Shaffer SmithPolow da Don, Ne-Yo (co.) 3:55
3. "Big Girl Now" (featuring Lady Gaga)RedOne, Wahlberg, Jordan KnightRedOne 3:28
4. "Summertime"  Wahlberg, Abdulsamad, AtwehHakim Abdoulsamad 3:22
5. "2 in the Morning"  Emanuel Kiriakou, Kasia Livingston, Wahlberg, Zukhan BeyEmanuel Kiriakou 3:25
6. "Grown Man" (featuring The Pussycat Dolls and Teddy Riley)Dejanee Riley, Adida Kavarro, Richard Stanard, Tyler Thurmond, Don CovayTeddy Riley, Adida Kavarro (co.) 3:00
7. "Dirty Dancing"  RedOne, Wahlberg, Joaquin BynumRedOne 3:37
8. "Sexify My Love"  RedOne, Wahlberg, AtwehRedOne 3:31
9. "Twisted"  Timothy Mosley, Jerome Harmon, James Fauntleroy IITimbaland, Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon 3:09
10. "Full Service" (featuring New Edition)RedOne, Wahlberg, Lady GagaRedOne 3:56
11. "Lights, Camera, Action"  Jones, Brian Kennedy, Cornell Haynes, Jasper Cameron, Lloyd PolitePolow da Don 3:05
12. "Put It on My Tab" (featuring Akon)RedOne, Wahlberg, Atweh, ThiamRedOne 3:55
13. "Stare at You"  Atweh, Wahlberg, Adam Messinger, KnightNasri Atweh, Donnie Wahlberg, Adam Messinger 3:33

Re-recordings

Charts

Chart (2008) Peak
position
Australian Albums Chart[17] 81
Austrian Albums Chart[18] 69
Canadian Albums Chart[19] 1
German Albums Chart[18] 21
Japanese Albums Chart[20] 170
Swiss Albums Chart[18] 73
UK Albums Chart[18] 16
U.S. Billboard 200[21] 2
U.S. Billboard Top Internet Albums[22] 1

References

  1. ↑ "The Block Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  2. ↑ Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "The Block - New Kids on the Block : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". Allmusic. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  3. ↑ Battaglia, Andy (September 15, 2008). "New Kids On The Block: The Block". The A.V. Club. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  4. ↑ Levine, Nick (September 8, 2008). "New Kids On The Block: 'The Block'". Digital Spy. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  5. ↑ Fonseca, Nicholas (August 29, 2008). "The Block Review". Entertainment Weekly (September 5, 2008) (#1008). Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  6. ↑ Wood, Mikael; Lewis, Randy; Weiss, Jeff (September 2, 2008). "They're hangin' tough". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  7. ↑ Boden, Sarah (September 14, 2008). "Pop review: New Kids on the Block, The Block". The Observer. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  8. ↑ Joseph, Mike (October 16, 2008). "New Kids on the Block: The Block". PopMatters. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  9. ↑ Cinquemani, Sal (August 28, 2008). "New Kids on the Block: The Block". Slant Magazine. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  10. ↑ Dee, Johnny. "New Kids On The Block: The Block review". Virgin Media. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  11. ↑ Gennoe, Dan (September 16, 2008). "New Kids On The Block - The Block". Yahoo! Music. Archived from the original on June 13, 2011. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  12. ↑ Finan, Eileen; Jordan, Julie (January 26, 2008). "New Kids On The Block Stage Comeback". People. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  13. ↑ Hasty, Katie (10 September 2008). "Young Jeezy Nets Second Album Chart-Topper". Billboard. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
  14. ↑ Lipshutz, Jason (2 April 2013). "New Kids on the Block's Knight: Band Has 'Gone Back Home On This Album'". Billboard. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
  15. ↑ Williams, John. "New Kids return to No. 1". Canoe Inc. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
  16. ↑ "Gold and Platinum". Cria.ca. 2012-01-01. Retrieved 2012-01-16.
  17. ↑ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 "New Kids On The Block - The Block - Music Charts". Acharts.us. Retrieved 2012-01-16.
  19. ↑ HMV Canada: "All Hope is Gone" by Slipknot tops CD sales list
  20. ↑ http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/120104/ranking/cd_album/
  21. ↑ Hasty, Katie (September 3, 2008). "Slipknot Edges The Game Atop Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  22. ↑ "New Kids on the Block - Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-01-16.

External links