''Fall in Love with RichGirl'' is the debut

mixtape A mixtape (alternatively mix-tape, mix tape or mixed tape) is a compilation of music, typically from multiple sources, recorded onto a medium. With origins in the 1980s, the term normally describes a homemade compilation of music onto a cassette ...

by R&B

girl group A girl group is a music act featuring several female singers who generally harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female pop music singing groups, many of who ...

RichGirl RichGirl was an American R&B vocal girl group consisting of four members: Audra Simmons, Christina "Brave" Williams, Kristal Lyndriette Smith (then known as Lyndriette and now known as Kristal, a member of June's Diary) and Amber Streeter (no ...

. The mixtape serves as the first official release by the group that pertains to anything concerning an album release. The mixtape was released on

Valentines Day Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, throu ...

, February 14, 2011 by Richcraft and Jive for free download. Along with previously unreleased material, the mixtape includes remixes of songs by popular hip hop, R&B and

pop music Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former describe ...

artists. Each member of the group also individually takes lead vocals covers of songs by

Bruno Mars Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985), known professionally as Bruno Mars, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is known for his stage performances, retro showmanship, and for performing in a wide range of musical s ...

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...

, Usher and

Keri Hilson Keri Lynn Hilson (born December 5, 1982) is an American R&B singer, songwriter and actress. She was born and raised in Decatur, Georgia and spent most of her youth working with producer Anthony Dent as a songwriter and background vocalist for ...

Release and promotion

The mixtape's name, ''Fall in Love with RichGirl'', pays tribute to its release date

, February 14, 2011. The mixtape was released as a "love letter to their loyal fans," allowing fans to download the mixtape for free. The mixtape contains eleven tracks which include industry remixes with the ladies of RichGirl putting a "pleasant spin" on each track. Notable remixes include

Roscoe Dash Jeffery Lee Johnson Jr. (born April 2, 1990), better known by his stage name Roscoe Dash, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He is best known for his debut single " All the Way Turnt Up" (featuring Soulja Boy), which peaked at numbe ...

's "No Hands",

’ "Grenade",

’s "All of the Lights", and

’s "Pretty Girl Rock". As promotion for the mixtape, RichGirl released their version of "Lay It Down" before its official release, originally performed by Lloyd. The girls each get a chance to individually showcase their vocals and talents on the mixtape by creating solo-cuts on sampled material. The mixtape was released with expectations to "hold fans over" until an official debut album is released.

Reception

The mixtape garnered positive reviews from critics, most of which appreciate the group itself and named the mixtape a pleasant surprise. During the premiere of the mixtape, ''

Rap-Up ''Rap-Up'' is a magazine launched in 2001 by founder Devin Lazerine. The publication was originally a website devoted to hip hop, until Lazerine decided to pitch the possibility of a magazine to several publishers. The magazine is focused on the ...

'' stated that the girls "show off their pipes," warning that the mixtape will have one falling head over heals in love with the quartet. ''

BET Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los A ...

s ''Sound Off!'' included the mixtape on a list of the most anticipated mixtapes released on Valentines Day, ''Fall in Love with RichGirl'' coming in at number eleven. Stating that their talents are meant to be showcased, Dayalan Kulendran of ''Soulculture'' named "Decisions", "Lay It Down" and "RichGirl Rock" as highlights of the mixtape. ''Yk2daily'' gave the mixtape a negative review stating that the album should have consisted of newer RichGirl-material than remixes, which seem to dominate the track listing.

Track listing

;Notes * "No Hands" features uncredited vocals only by

& Waka Flocka Flame due to the song sample."Fall in Love with RichGirl" Digital Album Notes included once officially purchased. Published by Richcraft, Jive in 2011 * "All of the Lights" features uncredited vocals by Kanye West &

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...

due to the song sample. * "Roc" was previously recorded by

Beyoncé Knowles Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...

but never officially released. *"Decisions" was previously recorded by

Brandy Brandy is a liquor produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35–60% alcohol by volume (70–120 US proof) and is typically consumed as an after-dinner digestif. Some brandies are aged in wooden casks. Others are coloured with ...

and the songs writer

Ne-Yo Shaffer Chimere Smith (born October 18, 1979), known professionally as Ne-Yo, is an American singer, songwriter, actor, dancer, and record producer. He gained fame for his songwriting abilities when he penned Mario's 2004 hit " Let Me Love You ...

, but never officially released.

References

{{Sevyn Streeter 2011 mixtape albums