''Jukebox'' is the debut studio album by American pop singer-songwriter

Priscilla Renea Priscilla Renea Hamilton (born September 14, 1988), known professionally as Muni Long (pronounced "money long"), is an American singer and songwriter. Under her birth name, her solo debut studio album, ''Jukebox'', was released through Capitol R ...

. It was released on December 1, 2009. The album received positive reviews and spawned two singles: "

Dollhouse A dollhouse or doll's house is a toy home made in miniature. Since the early 20th century dollhouses have primarily been the domain of children, but their collection and crafting is also a hobby for many adults. English-speakers in North America ...

", which garnered mild success, and " Lovesick".

Background

Six out of the eleven songs on the album were solely written by Renea. Renea wrote many songs like stories, by beginning with the verses and working on a chorus later, to make the songs more soulful and heartfelt. Renea performed many of the guitar and piano pieces of the songs herself. The album was originally due for an October 20, 2009, release but it was delayed by over a month for additional recording to occur for the album.

Critical reception

The album received generally positive reviews from critics. Ivan Mitchell of ''Prefixmag'' called the album "abstract", stating: "lead single 'Dollhouse' is the kind of sassy, exuberant pop/

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

/ R&B hybrid that

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 ...

would have probably done earlier in her career". He went on to say that "'Fixing My Hair' finds common ground with the flashy torch soul productions of the 1980s". Latifah Muhammad of ''ConcreteLoop'' stated that the album is "a delightful hybrid of poetic expression garnished with life lessons". She opined that "the theme of ''Jukebox'' revolves around the old saying 'you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar' in that it manages to get a point across in a softer tone rather than boisterous and overbearing. Even though nothing really manages to ride above a steady boil, that's not always a bad thing. ''Jukebox'' is a pretty smooth ride null of any huge potholes or blunders, which is admirable and worth a good listen". The album was also reviewed favorably in ''Billboard''.

Promotion

Renea promoted the album by releasing an EP before the album. ''Hello My Apple'' was released on March 31, 2009, for digital download. However, Renea never performed live to promote the album, and only promoted the album with singles. However, Renea did release videos via YouTube to give her fans a sneak peek of the album's songs before its release.

Singles

* "

" was released as the lead single from the album on August 18, 2009. The single reached number eleven on the Heatseekers singles chart, number thirty-one on the

Hot Dance Club Songs Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...

chart and number thirty-four on the

Pop Songs Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/ CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played on a panel of Top 40 radio stations in the Un ...

, becoming a mild chart success. A video was released in September 2009. * " Lovesick" was released as the second and final single from the album on March 2, 2010. The single was promoted with videos of Renea singing the song with fans.

Track listing

References

{{Authority control 2009 debut albums Albums produced by Benny Blanco Muni Long albums Capitol Records albums