Love Me Back (album)

Love Me Back
Studio album by Jazmine Sullivan
Released November 29, 2010 (2010-11-29)
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)Fearless2008		 Love Me Back
(2010)		 Reality Show
(2015)Reality Show2015
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 singer 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]

Release and promotion

Love Me Back was released by J Records on November 29, 2010, in the United Kingdom,[3] November 30 in the United States,[4] and December 8 in Japan.[5] 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.[6][7] Love Me Back was also promoted with two singles: "Holding You Down (Goin' in Circles)" was released on July 10,[8] and "10 Seconds" on October 15.[9] 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".[10]

Love Me Back debuted at number 17 on the Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 57,000 copies in the United States.[11] It also entered at five on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and at number 12 on its Digital Albums chart.[12][13] The album ultimately spent six weeks on the Billboard 200.[14]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[15]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[16]
The Guardian[17]
Los Angeles Times[18]
MSN MusicA–[19]
The Philadelphia Inquirer[20]
Rolling Stone[21]
Slant Magazine[22]
Spin8/10[23]
USA Today[24]

Love Me Back received widespread acclaim from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 82, based on 11 reviews.[25] AllMusic's Andy Kellman said that it "sprawls and stuns in equal measure".[15] In her review for Spin magazine, music journalist Maura Johnston found Sullivan "both feisty and classy",[23] while Michael Cragg of The Guardian said her singing is marked by experience and accommodates each song.[17] 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".[26] 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".[27] 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".[28] 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."[19]

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".[21] Slant Magazine's Sal Cinquemani felt that the album "fails to reprise many of its predecessor's themes or explore any overarching new ones".[22] 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".[18]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Holding You Down (Goin' in Circles)"Melissa Elliott, Cainon Lamb, Jazmine SullivanMissy Elliott, Cainon Lamb3:36
2."10 Seconds"Salaam Remi, SullivanSalaam Remi3:07
3."Good Enough"Charles Harmon, SullivanChuck Harmony4:02
4."Don't Make Me Wait"Carlos McKinney, SullivanLos da Mystro3:29
5."Love You Long Time"Remi, SullivanSalaam Remi3:12
6."Redemption"Anthony Bell, Steve McKie, SullivanAnthony Bell3:51
7."Excuse Me"Elliott, Lamb, SullivanMissy Elliott, Cainon Lamb3:33
8."U Get on My Nerves" (featuring Ne-Yo)Brandon Green, Shaffer Smith, SullivanNe-Yo3:53
9."Stuttering"Tobias Gad, SullivanToby Gad3:10
10."Famous"David Ewing, Kevin Randolph, Sullivan, Ernest WilsonNo I.D., Prolyfic4:43
11."Luv Back"Elliott, Lamb, Quame Riley, SullivanMissy Elliott, Cainon Lamb3:36

Personnel

Credits are adapted from AllMusic.[30]

Charts

Chart (2010) Peak
Position
US Billboard 200[14] 17
US Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[12] 5

Release history

Country Date
United Kingdom[3] November 29, 2010
United States[4] November 30, 2010
Japan[5] 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. 1 2 Love Me Back: Jazmine Sullivan. Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved on 2010-11-27.
  4. 1 2 Love Me Back: Jazmine Sullivan. Amazon.com. Retrieved on 2010-11-27.
  5. 1 2 3 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.
  6. ↑ Rodriguez, Jayson (August 31, 2010). "Mary J. Blige Announces Tour With Jazmine Sullivan". MTV. Viacom. Retrieved December 1, 2010.
  7. ↑ Concepcion, Mariel (December 3, 2010). "Jazmine Sullivan Thrilled to Succeed Gaga As Billboard's Rising Star". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
  8. ↑ Staff (November 19, 2010). Jazmine Sullivan's New Album Available For Preview. RTTNews. Retrieved on 2010-11-27.
  9. ↑ Amazon.com: 10 Seconds: Jazmine Sullivan: MP3 Downloads Amazon.com, Inc. Retrieved February 17, 2011.
  10. ↑ "Album Cover: Jazmine Sullivan – ‘Love Me Back’". Rap-Up. September 21, 2010. Retrieved November 27, 2010.
  11. ↑ 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.
  12. 1 2 "Jazmine Sullivan Album & Song Chart History – R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
  13. ↑ "Jazmine Sullivan Album & Song Chart History – Digital Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
  14. 1 2 "Jazmine Sullivan Album & Song Chart History – Billboard 200". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
  15. 1 2 Kellman, Andy (November 26, 2010). "Review: Love Me Back". AllMusic. Retrieved November 27, 2010.
  16. ↑ Maerz, Melissa (November 24, 2010). "Review: Love Me Back". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved November 27, 2010.
  17. 1 2 Cragg, Michael (November 25, 2010). "Review: Love Me Back". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved November 27, 2010.
  18. 1 2 Wappler, Margaret (November 30, 2010). "Review: Love Me Back". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
  19. 1 2 Christgau, Robert (February 8, 2011). "Consumer Guide: Love Me Back". MSN Music. Archived from the original on 2011-02-11.
  20. ↑ Amorosi, A.D. (December 19, 2010). Review: Love Me Back. The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved on 2011-01-02.
  21. 1 2 Dolan, Jon (November 30, 2010). "Review: Love Me Back". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Retrieved February 25, 2011.
  22. 1 2 Cinquemani, Sal (November 23, 2010). "Review: Love Me Back". Slant Magazine. Retrieved November 27, 2010.
  23. 1 2 Johnston, Maura (November 25, 2010). "Review: Love Me Back". Spin. SpinMedia. Retrieved November 27, 2010.
  24. ↑ Gardner, Elysa (November 30, 2010). "Review: Love Me Back". USA Today. Gannett Company. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
  25. ↑ "Love Me Back (2010): Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
  26. ↑ Pareles, Jon (November 26, 2010). Review: Love Me Back. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2010-11-27.
  27. ↑ Abebe, Nitsuh (December 8, 2010). Review: Love Me Back. New York. Retrieved on 2010-12-08.
  28. ↑ Macpherson, Alex (December 23, 2010). Review: Love Me Back. The Quietus. Retrieved on 2010-12-24.
  29. ↑ Preorder Love Me Back on iTunes. iTunes Store. Retrieved on 2010-11-27.
  30. ↑ Credits: Love Me Back. AllMusic. Retrieved on 2010-11-27.
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