''Journey of a Gemini'' is the fourth

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

by American singer Donell Jones. It was released by LaFace Records on June 20, 2006 in the United States. Pushed back numerous times due to record label complications of the

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–

BMG BMG may refer to: Organizations * Music publishing companies: ** Bertelsmann Music Group, a 1987–2008 division of Bertelsmann that was purchased by Sony on October 1, 2008 *** Sony BMG, a 2004–2008 joint venture of Bertelsmann and Sony that wa ...

merger, the album was released to critical acclaim and became Jones' highest charting album on the ''Billboard''

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chart where it topped at number one, while entering the top 20 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. The album was originally scheduled to be released December 20, 2005 under the title ''Where I Wanna Be: The Last Chapter'', the sequel to his studio album '' Where I Wanna Be'' (1999), but was finally released in the summer of the following year.

Critical reception

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editor Andy Kellman rated the album three and a half ouf of five stars. He found that ''Journey of a Gemini'' "doesn't quite maintain the steady level of consistency that his first three albums carried, it's nonetheless a satisfying addition to his catalog ..Since the album's not as ballad-heavy, Jones is less prone to oversinging, and several excellent midtempo tracks — "Better Start Talking," "I'm Gonna Be," "Spend the Night," "Feelin' You," "Lust or Love" — should function equally well in clubs and living rooms. Just to show that he hasn't turned into a total square, there are plenty of nasty bedroom come-ons." Imani A. Dawson from '' Vibe'' called the album a "tender mood album that highlights Jones's rich, nuanced vocals" and noted it a "warm and comfortable world." In his review for ''

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'', Peter Relic wrote that he Jones "knows to avoid excessive vocal histrionics and let his slow jams shine, but his switch-ups are hit-and-miss. "Better Start Talking" is a barely serviceable club track featuring Jermaine Dupri, but "If You Want Me," laced with snazzy organ and a PG-rated verse from

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, is as good as rapper-crooner collabos get. Then there's "Cry," where, atop a loop of Hall and Oates' " Sara Smile," Jones sheds tears over a preyed-upon girl." ''

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'' found that the album lacked a "narrative structure" and further wrote: "Underlying this loose story is a glossy but bass-heavy 'contemporary' sound that is welcoming if not exactly visionary. Without a doubt, ''Gemini'' lacks the sort of visceral punch that made recent albums by

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, Anthony Hamilton, and Van Hunt so appealing. Nevertheless, Jones provides a solid, if rarely spectacular, collection of songs, compelling as much for their failures as for their successes.

Chart performance

''Journey of a Gemini'' debuted and peaked at number 15 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 in the week of June 28, 2006, with first week sales of 49,000 units. It also debuted at number one on the

chart, becoming Jones's first album to do so.

Track listing

Notes * signifies a co-producer Sample credits * "Cry" samples " Sara Smile" by Hall & Oates. * "Feelin' You" samples "Experience" by Daedelus. * "Can't Wait" contains a sample from "Masquerade" by Ab. * "Lust or Love" contains a portion of the composition entitled "Inside My Love" by Minnie Riperton.

Unreleased material

In many interviews, Donell stated that he recorded 50 songs for the album. Some of those songs started to be leaked during the Summer/Fall period of 2004 due to Mixtape DJ's receiving those songs and putting them in their mixtapes. It was speculated that the album was pushed back numerous times due to the leaking of the songs onto the internet. But Donell stated, it was mainly because of the many complications of the

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merger that happened during the Spring of 2004. Donell was a bit heated at first when he heard about the leaking on the internet but then said it was sign to his fans that he was working on a new album. *"U Make Me Say" (Featuring

Fat Joe Joseph Antonio Cartagena (born August 19, 1970), better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper from New York City. He began his music career as a member of hip hop group Diggin' in the Crates Crew (D.I.T.C.), then forged a sol ...

) – 3:59 *"You Didn't Love Me" – 3:58 *"Do it All" – 2:26 *"Marry Me" – 2:32 *"Free" – 2:01 *"Azzville" – 3:13 *"September Love" – 4:06 *"Bad Girl" – 2:58 *"Sergeant Louise" – 3:54 *"U Make Me Say" (Heya Remix) (Featuring Ja Rule) – 3:59

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References

External links

* ''Journey of a Gemini''at

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 ...

{{Authority control 2006 albums Albums produced by Sean Garrett Albums produced by Jermaine Dupri Albums produced by the Underdogs (production team) Albums produced by Eddie F Donell Jones albums Albums produced by Ryan Leslie Albums produced by Tim & Bob