''Back to the World'' is the third studio album by R&B singer

Tevin Campbell Tevin Jermod Campbell (born November 12, 1976) is an American singer and songwriter. He performed gospel in his local church from an early age. Following an audition for jazz musician Bobbi Humphrey in 1988, Campbell was signed to Warner Bros. Re ...

. It was released by

Qwest Records Qwest Records is the American record label started by Quincy Jones in 1980 as a joint venture with Warner Bros. Records, and owned by Warner Music Group, although Jones was still under contract with A&M Records through 1981. George Benson's 198 ...

on June 18, 1996.

Critical reception

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

editor Leo Stanleyndi found that ''Back to the World'' "is proof positive that the teen idol is now a man ..For the most part, he succeeds in establishing himself as a vocalist of prodigious talents and significant worth .No matter how Campbell tries to phase out that sweetness on ''Back to the World'', he retains that appealing quality, which makes the album all the more endearing." ''

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''s Paul Verna found that the song selection on ''Back to the World'' "suggests a more adult approach, despite several hip-hop tracks that give the mostly mellow set a trendy bounce. Credit is due to label's commitment to artist delevopment which is readily apparent on the project because of the performer's stronger delivery and continually evolving sound." ''

Vibe ''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down producti ...

'' editor David Mills felt that with the album Campbell "maintains versatility, and also seems a lot more comfortable singing in his gutsier, sly-sounding lower register ..This album is a robust statement about Tevin's vocal transformation, a shrewd departure from his first two ..''Back to the World'' isn't the yummy teen fluff ''I'm Ready'' was. Nor is it the delightful baby candy of his debut. This album is about growing up, its underlying vocal theme a bold quest for maturity." Carl Allen from ''

The Buffalo News ''The Buffalo News'' is the daily newspaper of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area, located in downtown Buffalo, New York. It recently sold its headquarters to Uniland Development Corp. It was for decades the only paper fully owned by W ...

'' found that "sounding just short of adulthood is what makes Campbell's work so outstanding ..This first compact disc since his stirring debut about three years ago is bound to again put him in contention with some of the big boys of popular music. He has the ability to enclose lyrics in a suspended tonal reality that has clarity as its major feature. The result is romantic music that can be understood immediately. Pretty effective stuff taken track by track. A little tedious all at once, except for true fans."

Commercial performance

''Back to the World'' was a commercial disappointment compared to his first two albums ''

T.E.V.I.N. ''T.E.V.I.N.'' is the debut studio album by American R&B singer Tevin Campbell. It was released by Qwest Records on November 19, 1991. The album was certified platinum by Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 1994. Critical rece ...

'' and '' I'm Ready''. Three singles were released off the album: " Back to the World", "I Got It Bad" and " Could You Learn to Love".

Critical reception

Commercial performance

Track listing

Charts

References

External links