''Fearless'' is the debut
studio album by American singer-songwriter
Jazmine Sullivan
Jazmine Marie Sullivan (born April 9, 1987) is an American R&B and soul singer. Born and raised in Philadelphia, her debut album, ''Fearless'' was released in 2008. The record topped ''Billboards Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and was certifie ...
. It was released on September 23, 2008, through
J Records
J Records was an American record label owned and operated by Bertelsmann Music Group until it was transferred to Sony Music Entertainment when they acquired all of BMG’s record labels in late 2008. It was distributed through the RCA Music Gro ...
. Production for the album took place during 2007 to 2008 and was handled by several record producers, including
Missy Elliott,
Stargate,
Carvin & Ivan
Carvin & Ivan are a production duo from Philadelphia consisting of Record producer, producer and songwriters Ivan "Orthodox" Barias and Carvin "Ransum" Haggins. Initially starting out as solo hip hop artists, Haggins and Barias moved into producti ...
,
Wyclef Jean
Nel Ust Wyclef Jean (; born October 17, 1969) is a Haitian rapper, musician, and actor. At the age of nine, Jean immigrated to the United States with his family. He first achieved fame as a member of the New Jersey hip hop group the Fugees, a ...
,
Jack Splash
Jack Splash is an American recording artist, musician, songwriter, and record producer from Los Angeles, California. Splash's works include writing and production on singles for artists such as Alicia Keys, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, John Legend, ...
and
Salaam Remi
Salaam Remi Gibbs (born May 14, 1972) is a Grammy winning American record producer known for his association with Nas, Amy Winehouse, Robby, Fugees, Fergie, Estelle, Black Thought, and Miguel, and for his reggae-tinged (often referred to as ...
.
The album debuted at number six on the US
''Billboard'' 200 chart, selling 65,000 copies in its first week. It also produced three singles that attained respectable charting on ''
Billboard''s
Hot 100 chart. Upon its release, ''Fearless'' received generally positive reviews from most music critics who complimented its production and Sullivan's vocals, comparing her to female R&B artists such as
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...
and
Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Noelle Hill (born May 26, 1975) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer. She is often regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, as well as being one of the most influential musicians of her generation. ...
. The album earned Sullivan seven
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
nominations and has sold 517,000 copies in the United States and since been certified platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for exceeded sales of one million units.
Background
Sullivan signed to
Jive Records in 2003 where she later began providing vocals for other artists such as
Kindred the Family Soul. Sullivan graduated from the
Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts in Philadelphia in 2005,
where she was a vocal music major. After graduation, she was dropped from her record label
Jive Records, later scrapping her original debut album which remains unreleased. In 2007,
Peter Edge
Peter Edge is an English-American record executive. He is the chairman and CEO of RCA Records.
Early life and education
Edge was born near Coventry, England. Fueled in part by his sister’s record collection – which included influential ...
, record executive and then president of J Records, saw interest in her after listening to her demo that she recorded for
Christina Milian's single "
Say I
"Say I" is a song by American singer Christina Milian. It was written by Jazmine Sullivan, Jay Jenkins (at the time Young Jeezy, now simply known as Jeezy), Andre Lyon, and Marcello Valenzano and produced by Lyon and Valenzano under their pro ...
" (2006), he later which offered her a deal with
J Records
J Records was an American record label owned and operated by Bertelsmann Music Group until it was transferred to Sony Music Entertainment when they acquired all of BMG’s record labels in late 2008. It was distributed through the RCA Music Gro ...
. She eventually began work for her debut studio album.
The lead single, "
Need U Bad", produced by
Missy Elliott, was released on May 13, 2008.
and its music video premiered on July 7, 2008. The song reached number thirty-seven on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number one on the
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
chart. She later performed the song at the
2008 BET Awards.
"
Bust Your Windows
"Bust Your Windows" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Jazmine Sullivan from her debut album '' Fearless''. The song was available as a digital download on Amazon in the U.S. on September 16, 2008. The song was then later released as ...
" was released as the second single from the album on September 16, 2008, and its music video premiered in October 2008. It reached number 31 on the Hot 100 and serves as Sullivan's most successful single. It also reached number four on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, becoming her second top-ten hit on that chart. Two other singles "
Lions, Tigers & Bears" (which reached number 74 on the Hot 100) and "
Dream Big" were later released and were accompanied by music videos.
In a September 2008 interview with Pete Lewis of ''
Blues & Soul
''Blues & Soul'' is a British music magazine, established in 1967 by John Abbey. ''The Independent'' has noted ''Blues & Soul'' as being the equal of magazines such as '' NME'' and '' Q''. ''Billboard'' magazine has called ''Blues & Soul'' "a ...
'', Sullivan disccused the album's title and lyrical themes,
Critical reception
The album received generally positive reviews from most music critics. Sullivan received many comparisons by critics to other well-known female R&B artists, such as
Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Noelle Hill (born May 26, 1975) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer. She is often regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, as well as being one of the most influential musicians of her generation. ...
,
Amy Winehouse
Amy Jade Winehouse (14 September 1983 – 23 July 2011) was an English singer and songwriter. She was known for her deep, expressive contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres, including soul, rhythm and blues and jazz.
A membe ...
,
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige ( ; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Often referred to as the " Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and " Queen of R&B", Blige has won nine Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, four American Music Award ...
, and
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...
.
[Columnist]
Breaking: Jazmine Sullivan
. ''Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
''. Retrieved on 2010-03-29. 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 databa ...
writer Andy Kellman gave the album 4½ out of 5 stars and praised her performance, stating "There's a lot of range on display here, and there is just as much depth".
[Kellman, Andy. Review: ''Fearless'' ]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 databa ...
. Retrieved on 2009-08-28. ''
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 ...
''s Erika Ramirez praised Sullivan's singing and lyrical substance, writing "Sullivan's vocal perfection pilots her debut album... and boasts her self-penned lyrics which are filled with struggle and heartache, embodying every inch of the soul star she is".
[Ramirez, Erika]
Review: ''Fearless''
''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 ...
''. Retrieved on 2009-08-27. ''
NOW
Now most commonly refers
to the present time.
Now, NOW, or The Now may also refer to:
Organizations
* Natal Organisation of Women, a South African women's organization
* National Organization for Women, an American feminist organization
* Now ...
''s Benjamin Boles commended Sullivan for her "strong voice" and the album's production, stating "she’s pulling from a pleasingly wide range of influences – dropping bits of doo-wop, roots reggae, Motown and hip-hop into the mix while maintaining a consistent feel".
[Boles, Benjamin]
Review: ''Fearless''
''Now
Now most commonly refers
to the present time.
Now, NOW, or The Now may also refer to:
Organizations
* Natal Organisation of Women, a South African women's organization
* National Organization for Women, an American feminist organization
* Now ...
''. Retrieved on 2009-08-27. ''
Q'' gave it 4 out of 5 stars and wrote "
r voice merges Beyonce and Amy Winehouse and is backed by slick productions".
[Columnist.]
Review: ''Fearless''
. '' Q'': 107. ''
Houston Chronicle
The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With i ...
'' writer Joey Guerra wrote favorably of her songwriting and called the album "a collection brimming with attitude, edge and soul".
[Guerra, Joey]
Review: ''Fearless''
''Houston Chronicle
The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With i ...
''. Retrieved on 2010-03-29. Sal Cinquemani of
Slant Magazine gave it 4 out of 5 stars and commended Sullivan for her lyrical honesty and musical range.
[Cinquemani, Sal]
Review: ''Fearless''
. Slant Magazine. Retrieved on 2009-08-27. ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
''s Allison Stewart described ''Fearless'' as "a mix of awkward-but-novel devices (reggae beats, Daft Punk samples) and nakedly confessional songwriting" and called it "a snappy, intensely human debut".
[Stewart, Allison.]
Review: ''Fearless''
. ''The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'': C.5. September 23, 2008. Archived fro
the original
on 2009-08-27.
However, ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cu ...
''s Simon Vozick-Levinson gave ''Fearless'' a C+ rating and described most of its music as "schmaltzy pop-&-B".
[Vozick-Levinson, Simon]
Review: ''Fearless''
''Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cu ...
''. Retrieved on 2009-08-27. Giving the album 3 out of 5 stars,
About.com
Dotdash Meredith (formerly About.com) is an American digital media company based in New York City. The company publishes online articles and videos about various subjects across categories including health, home, food, finance, tech, beauty, ...
's Mark Edward Nero viewed her vocals as "generic and lack emotion or urgency" on some songs, but ultimately wrote that "there are more hits than misses here".
[Nero, Mark Edward]
Review: ''Fearless''
About.com
Dotdash Meredith (formerly About.com) is an American digital media company based in New York City. The company publishes online articles and videos about various subjects across categories including health, home, food, finance, tech, beauty, ...
. Retrieved on 2010-03-29. Nero lauded Sullivan's vocal performance and compared her songwriting to that of R&B musician
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 ...
, writing "due to both artists' talent for writing on-point, introspective lyrics. Like Ne-Yo, Jazmine has a knack for crafting intricate, deeply personal verses that make you feel at one with the singer. Even on the weaker songs on Fearless, the songwriting is still above par".
''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgi ...
''s Steve Jones gave the album 3 out of 4 stars and wrote that she "sings every word as if she means it".
[Jones, Steve]
Review: ''Fearless''
. ''USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgi ...
''. Retrieved on 2009-08-27. MusicOMH writer Michael Cragg praised Sullivan's vocal range and themes on the album, writing "Sullivan has created a mature, engaging R&B album that doesn't rely solely on the usual tropes of sexuality, money and posturing. Instead, Fearless deals with real emotions sung in a way that convinces the listener she means every single word".
[Cragg, Michael]
Review: ''Fearless''
MusicOMH. Retrieved on 2010-03-29. Okayplayer's Jeff Harvey called it "a well produced urban pop album" and wrote that Sullivan's voice "carries a subtle tenderness that adds intriguing nuance".
[Harvey, Jeff]
Review: ''Fearless''
Okayplayer. Retrieved on 2009-08-27. Jon Caramanica of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' wrote favorably of Sullivan's performance and wrote "Her sense of humor is her best asset. She doesn't have a huge, imposing voice, but she's versatile, dabbling in jazz and reggae phrasings with ease".
[Caramanica, Jon]
Review: ''Fearless''
''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
''. Retrieved on 2009-08-27.
Commercial performance
''Fearless'' entered at number six on the
''Billboard'' 200, with first week sales of 65,000 copies.
[Harris, Chris]
Metallica Are #1 For Third Week In A Row, As Death Magnetic Nears Million-Sold Mark
. MTV. Retrieved on 2010-03-29. It fell to number 10 in its second week, selling 42,000 more copies. The album also peaked at number one on ''
Billboard''s
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated ...
chart.
[ Billboard Charts: ''Fearless'' Allmusic. Retrieved on 2010-03-29.] As of November 2010, ''Fearless'' has sold 517,000 copies in the United States.
[Jazmine Sullivan to Receive Billboard's Rising Star Award for Women in Music](_blank)
(November 12, 2010). Billboard. Retrieved on 2010-11-12.
Accolades
She earned five
2009 Grammy Award nominations for the album including
Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (previously called Best Rhythm and Blues Solo Vocal Performance, Female) was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards ...
("Need U Bad"),
Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance ("In Love with Another Man"),
Best R&B Song
The Grammy Award for Best R&B Song (sometimes known as the R&B Songwriter's Award) has been awarded since 1969. From 1969 to 2000, it was known as the Grammy Award for Best Rhythm and Blues Song. Beyoncé has won it a record four times, while Bab ...
("Bust Your Windows"), and
Best Contemporary R&B Album
The Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality works on albums in the contemporary ...
, while Sullivan herself was nominated for
Best New Artist
The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since 1959. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for records released in the previous year. The award was not presented in 1967. The official guidelines are as ...
.
She also earned two
2010 Grammy Award
The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards took place on January 31, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2009. Neil Young was honored as the 2010 MusiCares P ...
nominations for
Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (previously called Best Rhythm and Blues Solo Vocal Performance, Female) was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards ...
and
Best R&B Song
The Grammy Award for Best R&B Song (sometimes known as the R&B Songwriter's Award) has been awarded since 1969. From 1969 to 2000, it was known as the Grammy Award for Best Rhythm and Blues Song. Beyoncé has won it a record four times, while Bab ...
("Lions, Tigers, and Bears"). ''
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 ...
'' magazine named the album one of the Ten Best Albums of 2008.
[Cummings, Jozen]
The Ten Best Albums of 2008: 808s & Heartbreak
. ''Vibe''. Accessed April 13, 2009.
Track listing
Sample credits
* "Bust Your Windows" uses a sample from
Salaam Remi
Salaam Remi Gibbs (born May 14, 1972) is a Grammy winning American record producer known for his association with Nas, Amy Winehouse, Robby, Fugees, Fergie, Estelle, Black Thought, and Miguel, and for his reggae-tinged (often referred to as ...
's "Bad Man Waltz" and interpolates a lyric from
Soulja Boy Tell Em's "
Crank That (Soulja Boy)
"Crank That" is the debut single by American rapper Soulja Boy Tell'em. It served as the lead single from his debut studio album, '' souljaboytellem.com'' (2007) and accompanies the Soulja Boy dance. The song is recognized by its looping steelp ...
"
* "Need U Bad" uses a sample from Nicolas Taylor Stanton's "Higher Meditation Riddim Version", and Tapper Zukie's "Papa Big Shirt"
* "My Foolish Heart" uses a sample from
Willie Mitchell's "Groovin'"
* "Lions, Tigers and Bears" uses a sample from
Salaam Remi
Salaam Remi Gibbs (born May 14, 1972) is a Grammy winning American record producer known for his association with Nas, Amy Winehouse, Robby, Fugees, Fergie, Estelle, Black Thought, and Miguel, and for his reggae-tinged (often referred to as ...
's "Sheila's Playground"
* "Call Me Guilty" uses a sample from
Salaam Remi
Salaam Remi Gibbs (born May 14, 1972) is a Grammy winning American record producer known for his association with Nas, Amy Winehouse, Robby, Fugees, Fergie, Estelle, Black Thought, and Miguel, and for his reggae-tinged (often referred to as ...
's "Police Theme"
* "Dream Big" uses a sample from
Daft Punk's "Veridis Quo"
* "Live a Lie" uses a sample from
Salaam Remi
Salaam Remi Gibbs (born May 14, 1972) is a Grammy winning American record producer known for his association with Nas, Amy Winehouse, Robby, Fugees, Fergie, Estelle, Black Thought, and Miguel, and for his reggae-tinged (often referred to as ...
's "The Truth"
* "Fear" samples
Art of Noise
Art of Noise (also The Art of Noise) were an English avant-garde synth-pop group formed in early 1983 by engineer/producer Gary Langan and programmer J. J. Jeczalik, along with keyboardist/arranger Anne Dudley, producer Trevor Horn, and mus ...
's "
Beat Box
Beatboxing (also beat boxing) is a form of vocal percussion primarily involving the art of mimicking drum machines (typically a TR-808), using one's mouth, lips, tongue, and voice. " and interpolates elements from
Stevie Wonder's "
I Was Made to Love Her
"I Was Made to Love Her" is a soul music song recorded by American musician Stevie Wonder for Motown's Tamla label in 1967. The song was written by Wonder, his mother Lula Mae Hardaway, Sylvia Moy, and producer Henry Cosby and included on Wonder' ...
"
* "Switch" uses a sample from Ivy Hunter & William Stevenson "Your Cheating Ways" performed by the Marvelettes
Personnel
Credits for ''Fearless'' adapted from
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 databa ...
.
[ Credits: ''Fearless'' Allmusic. Retrieved on 2010-03-29.]
* June Ambrose – stylist
* Ivan "Orthodox" Barias – various, producer, engineer, tracking, audio production, instrumentation
* Anthony Bell – various, producer, engineer, audio production, instrumentation
* Biz & Riz – bells, Fender Rhodes
* Tim Blacksmith – management
* Anita Marisa Boriboon – art direction, design
* Danny D – management
* Dirty Harry – programming
* Peter Edge – executive producer
* Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott – producer, engineer, executive producer, audio production
* Mikkel S. Eriksen – various, engineer, instrumentation
* Paul J. Falcone – engineer
* Ron Feuer – piano
* Fisticuffs – various, audio production
* Erwin Gorostiza – creative director
* Carvin "Ransum" Haggins – producer, engineer, tracking, audio production
* Vincent Henry – clarinet, flute, guitar, alto saxophone, baritone saxophhone, tenor saxophone
* Tor Erik Hermanson – various
* Trevor Jerideau – A&R
* Iman Jordan – piano
* Lamb Audio – production
* The Love Life – orchestra various
* Manny Marroquin – mixing
* Pepa – vocals
* David "Mr. Somebody" Pierre – piano, keyboards
* Christian Plata – mixing assistant
* Rebel One – management
* Salaam Remi – bass, percussion, piano, strings, drums, keyboards, executive producer, Fender Rhodes, audio production, instrumentation
* Harold "Jukebox" Robinson – bass
* Malachy Robinson – performer
* Johnnie "Smurf" Smith – keyboards
* Franklin Emmanuel Socorro – engineer
* Jack Splash – arranger, various, producer, performer, audio production
* Jazmine Sullivan – performer, background vocals, producer, executive producer, audio production
* Brian Warfield – performer
* Yusef Williams – hair stylist
* James M. Wisner – engineer
* James Wisner – audio engineer
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
See also
*
List of Billboard number-one R&B albums of 2008
References
External links
*
*
Fearless' at
Discogs
Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the ...
Jazmine Sullivan Clear for Take Offat ''
Blues & Soul
''Blues & Soul'' is a British music magazine, established in 1967 by John Abbey. ''The Independent'' has noted ''Blues & Soul'' as being the equal of magazines such as '' NME'' and '' Q''. ''Billboard'' magazine has called ''Blues & Soul'' "a ...
''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fearless (Jazmine Sullivan Album)
2008 debut albums
Albums produced by Jack Splash
Albums produced by Missy Elliott
Albums produced by Salaam Remi
Albums produced by Stargate
Arista Records albums
J Records albums
Jazmine Sullivan albums