''Black and White Heart'' is the debut studio album recorded by Canadian singer-songwriter
Andee
Andee (born Andrée-Anne Leclerc on November 1, 1990) is a Canadian singer-songwriter from Saint-Jean-Chrysostome, Quebec. She rose to fame as a finalist on the Quebecois singing competition '' Star Académie'' before pursuing a solo career i ...
, released May 26, 2015 through
Universal Music Canada
Universal Music Group owns, or has a joint share in, many of the record labels listed here.
According to UMG official site, the main labels are Abbey Road Studios, Bravado, Capitol Music Group, Decca Records, Def Jam Recordings, Deutsche Grammopho ...
.
[ Primarily an English-language album, the deluxe edition includes four tracks recorded in French to reflect Andee's heritage as a ]French Canadian
French Canadians (referred to as Canadiens mainly before the twentieth century; french: Canadiens français, ; feminine form: , ), or Franco-Canadians (french: Franco-Canadiens), refers to either an ethnic group who trace their ancestry to Fren ...
. Musically, the album incorporates elements of pop, rock, and soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...
. Sébastien Lefebvre
Sébastien Lefebvre (born June 5, 1981) is a Canadian musician, who is best known as the rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist for the rock band Simple Plan. He has also released solo albums and duo work.
Equipment
Lefebvre currently uses Fra ...
, best known as a member of Simple Plan
Simple Plan is a Canadian rock band from Montreal, Quebec, formed in 1999. The band's lineup consists of Pierre Bouvier (lead vocals, studio bass guitar), Chuck Comeau (drums), Jeff Stinco (lead guitar), and Sébastien Lefebvre (rhythm guita ...
, produced the album and also co-wrote nine of the thirteen songs; Andee is credited as a writer (under her birth name Andrée-Anne Leclerc) on eight tracks.
The album received generally positive reviews upon release, with critics noting Andee's "powerhouse" vocals and unique sound. It entered the ''Billboard'' Canadian Albums Chart
The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocea ...
at number sixteen on the chart dated June 6, 2015. On iTunes
iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
Canada, the album reached as high as number four on the pop sales chart. The album has produced three singles, including the top-forty-peaking lead single
A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date.
Release s ...
" Never Gone".
Background
In 2012, Andrée-Anne Leclerc auditioned for the fifth edition of the Québecois reality singing competition '' Star Académie'', where she eventually placed in the top eight. On the show, she was discovered by Paul Jessop, the vice-president of promotions at Universal Music Canada
Universal Music Group owns, or has a joint share in, many of the record labels listed here.
According to UMG official site, the main labels are Abbey Road Studios, Bravado, Capitol Music Group, Decca Records, Def Jam Recordings, Deutsche Grammopho ...
, who requested her to perform the French vocals for the "Version Française" of Universal-signed band Hedley's hit single "Kiss You Inside Out
"Kiss You Inside Out" is a song recorded by Canadian pop rock band Hedley, featured on a re-issue of their 2012 album ''Storms''. It was written by Brandyn Burnette, Lauren Christy, and Adrian Newman, and was produced by Newman. The song was fir ...
", released in June 2012. This version is included on the deluxe edition of ''Black and White Heart''. Leclerc encountered Simple Plan
Simple Plan is a Canadian rock band from Montreal, Quebec, formed in 1999. The band's lineup consists of Pierre Bouvier (lead vocals, studio bass guitar), Chuck Comeau (drums), Jeff Stinco (lead guitar), and Sébastien Lefebvre (rhythm guita ...
guitarist Sébastien Lefebvre
Sébastien Lefebvre (born June 5, 1981) is a Canadian musician, who is best known as the rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist for the rock band Simple Plan. He has also released solo albums and duo work.
Equipment
Lefebvre currently uses Fra ...
in the spring of 2013, who reportedly knew upon hearing her for the first time that Leclerc had the ability to "touch people deeply with her music," and the two decided to work together on her debut studio album.[ In January 2014, Leclerc adopted the stage name Andee (an ]anglophone
Speakers of English are also known as Anglophones, and the countries where English is natively spoken by the majority of the population are termed the ''Anglosphere''. Over two billion people speak English , making English the largest language ...
derivative of her birth name, Andrée-Anne) and signed a record deal with Universal Music Canada
Universal Music Group owns, or has a joint share in, many of the record labels listed here.
According to UMG official site, the main labels are Abbey Road Studios, Bravado, Capitol Music Group, Decca Records, Def Jam Recordings, Deutsche Grammopho ...
and a management deal with Coalition Music.[
Recorded principally between the summers of 2013 and 2014, ''Black and White Heart'' is executive produced by Lefebvre and features mostly songs written by Lefebvre and/or Andee. The song "Sorries" was written for Andee by ]Pink
Pink is the color of a namesake flower that is a pale tint of red. It was first used as a color name in the late 17th century. According to surveys in Europe and the United States, pink is the color most often associated with charm, politeness, ...
, Kara Dioguardi
Kara Elizabeth DioGuardi (; born December 9, 1970) is an American songwriter, record producer, music publisher, A&R executive, and singer. She writes music primarily in the pop rock genre. DioGuardi has worked with many popular artists; sales o ...
and The New Royales
The New Royales are a four-person music group consisting of members DJ Khalil, Chin Injeti, Liz Rodrigues, and Erik Alcock. Since forming in 2007, they have worked together as producers and songwriters for artists such as Eminem, Pitbull, Pink ...
, while "Beautiful Bullet" from the deluxe edition was initially intended to be recorded by its co-writer Anjulie
Anjulie Persaud (born May 21, 1983), known as Anjulie, is a Canadian singer and songwriter who has released one self-titled album, and has collaborated with Diplo, Zedd, Boombox Cartel, Kelly Clarkson, Nicki Minaj, TheFatRat, and Benny Benassi, ...
. Described as pop rock
Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...
with a blend of soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...
,[ the album's sound was developed by merging Lefebvre and Andee's musical influences. ''Black and White Heart'' became available for pre-order on May 12, 2015 and was released May 26, 2015.][
]
Singles
" Never Gone" serves as the album's lead single
A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date.
Release s ...
and was released to digital retailers in both English and French versions on May 19, 2014. Its music video, directed by Alon Isocianu, premiered June 26, 2014. "Never Gone" entered the ''Billboard'' Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music industry record chart in Canada for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. The Canadian Hot 100 was launched on the issue dated March 31, 2007, and is currently the standard record chart in Canada; a n ...
at number ninety-four for the week of June 28, 2014 and rose to its peak position of forty for the week of August 23, 2014. It saw the most commercial success at adult contemporary
Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...
radio, where it reached a peak airplay position of six.
The second single was "Sorries," released digitally on October 21, 2014. The song was co-written by Pink
Pink is the color of a namesake flower that is a pale tint of red. It was first used as a color name in the late 17th century. According to surveys in Europe and the United States, pink is the color most often associated with charm, politeness, ...
, Kara DioGuardi
Kara Elizabeth DioGuardi (; born December 9, 1970) is an American songwriter, record producer, music publisher, A&R executive, and singer. She writes music primarily in the pop rock genre. DioGuardi has worked with many popular artists; sales o ...
, and Canadian-American music group The New Royales
The New Royales are a four-person music group consisting of members DJ Khalil, Chin Injeti, Liz Rodrigues, and Erik Alcock. Since forming in 2007, they have worked together as producers and songwriters for artists such as Eminem, Pitbull, Pink ...
as a "gift" welcoming Andee to the industry.[ It is the only track on the standard edition on which neither Andee nor Lefebvre collaborated. "Sorries" peaked at a moderate position of fifty-three on the Canadian Hot 100.
The title track, "Black and White Heart," was released as the album's third single. It impacted Canadian adult contemporary radio on May 25, 2015 in conjunction with the album's release and has so far risen to a position of 30 on the AC airplay chart.
"Tu Enflammes Mon Corps" was released in August 2015 as the album's second ]francophone
French became an international language in the Middle Ages, when the power of the Kingdom of France made it the second international language, alongside Latin. This status continued to grow into the 18th century, by which time French was the l ...
single (following the Version Française of "Never Gone") and the fourth single from the album overall.
Track listing
* All songs produced by Sébastien Lefebvre, except for
** "Beautiful Bullet," produced by Lefebvre and Carl Ryden, and
** "Kiss You Inside Out," produced by Adrian Newman, with vocals produced by Brian Howes
Brian Howes, also known as Howes, is a Canadian songwriter and record producer.
Career
Howes played in a British Columbia band, Young Guns, and later fronted the group DDT which blended punk, ska, and rap. The band was signed to Metallica drumme ...
and Marc Dupré .
;Notes:
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from liner notes.
;Recorded and mixed at
* Acton Vale, Québec
* Montréal, Québec
* Virginia Beach, Virginia
;Performance credits
* All vocals – Andee / Andrée-Anne Leclerc
** Background vocals
A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are used ...
– Jaren Cerf, Jean-François Lefebvre, Sébastien Lefebvre
Sébastien Lefebvre (born June 5, 1981) is a Canadian musician, who is best known as the rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist for the rock band Simple Plan. He has also released solo albums and duo work.
Equipment
Lefebvre currently uses Fra ...
** Lead vocals – Jacob Hoggard
Jacob William Hoggard (born July 9, 1984) is a Canadian convicted sex offender and former singer-songwriter who was the lead singer for the pop-rock band Hedley. Before Hedley was formed, Hoggard competed on the second season of ''Canadian Ido ...
;Instruments
* Bass – Sébastien Lefebvre
* Cello – Christine Giguère
* Drums – Chris Crippin
* Guitar – Jacob Hoggard , Sébastien Lefebvre, Dave Rosin
* Keyboards and piano – Jay Lefebvre, Sébastien Lefebvre, Adrian Newman
** Additional keyboards – Brian Howes
Brian Howes, also known as Howes, is a Canadian songwriter and record producer.
Career
Howes played in a British Columbia band, Young Guns, and later fronted the group DDT which blended punk, ska, and rap. The band was signed to Metallica drumme ...
* Violin – Chantal Bergeron, Nathalie Bonin
** Violin alto – Brian Bacon
;Production
* A&R – Paul Jessop
* Arrangement – Sébastien Lefebvre
** String
String or strings may refer to:
*String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...
arrangement – Andrée-Anne Leclerc, Jay Lefebvre, Sébastien Lefebvre
* Art director
Art director is the title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, film industry, film and television, the Internet, and video games.
It is the charge of a sole art director to supervise and ...
and designer – Susan Michalek
* Digital editor – Adrian Newman
* Engineers
Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the limit ...
– Frank Joly, Sébastien Lefebvre, Adrian Newman
** Vocal engineers – Jean-Sebastien Fournier , Jay Van Poederooyen
* Management
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includes the activities o ...
– Coalition Music Toronto (Eric Lawrence, Rob Lanni)
* Mastering – Matt Cerf, Ted Jensen , Ryan Morey
* Mixers – Serban Ghenea, Frank Joley, Tony Maseratti
* Photographer – Crila Photo
* Record producer – Sébastien Lefebvre, Adrian Newman , Carl Ryden
** Vocal producer – Brian Howes , Marc Dupré
Marc Dupré (born July 28, 1973) is a Canadian singer, songwriter and musician from Quebec.
Career
His first album release was ''Refaire le monde'' in 2005. It included " Tout près du bonheur" with Céline Dion. The song was written by Dion and ...
* Programming – Sébastien Lefebvre, Adrian Newman
* Recording
A record, recording or records may refer to:
An item or collection of data Computing
* Record (computer science), a data structure
** Record, or row (database), a set of fields in a database related to one entity
** Boot sector or boot record, ...
– Sébastien Lefebvre
** Assistant recording – Jay Lefebvre
** Strings recording – Patrick Goyette
* Remix
A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...
er – Lesko Cerf
* Songwriters – Erik Alcok, Brandyn Burnette, Jaren Cerf, Matt Cerf, Lauren Christy
Lauren Christy is a British singer, songwriter and record producer. Originally a solo artist, she found success as part of the writing production trio The Matrix. The Matrix received numerous Grammy nominations including best producer.
Biogr ...
, Kara DioGuardi
Kara Elizabeth DioGuardi (; born December 9, 1970) is an American songwriter, record producer, music publisher, A&R executive, and singer. She writes music primarily in the pop rock genre. DioGuardi has worked with many popular artists; sales o ...
, Andy Duguid
Andy Duguid (born 16 November 1982) is a German- Scottish DJ and producer. His best-known singles, "Don't Belong" and "Wasted", were included on Tiesto's in Search of Sunrise-series in 2007 and 2008.
Career Early life
And Duguid was born in ...
, Marc Dupré
Marc Dupré (born July 28, 1973) is a Canadian singer, songwriter and musician from Quebec.
Career
His first album release was ''Refaire le monde'' in 2005. It included " Tout près du bonheur" with Céline Dion. The song was written by Dion and ...
, Pranam Injeti, Arnold Lanni
Arnold David Lanni (born May 4, 1956) is a Canadian record producer and former member of Frōzen Ghōst and Sheriff. He wrote Sheriff's most successful song, " When I'm with You."
History
Lanni was a founding member of Canadian rock band Sh ...
, Andrée-Anne Leclerc, Sébastien Lefebvre, Alecia Moore
Alecia Beth Moore Hart (born September 8, 1979), known professionally as Pink (stylized as P!nk), is an American singer, songwriter, actress and dancer. She was originally a member of the girl group Choice. In 1995, LaFace Records saw potential ...
, Marc Nelkin, Adrian Newman, Laura Pergolizzi, Anjulie Persaud, Khalil Abdul Rahman, Carl Ryden
* Translator – Andrée-Anne Leclerc, Sébastien Lefebvre, Nelson Minville
;Notes:
Charts
References
{{Authority control
2015 debut albums
Universal Music Group albums