''Maureen'' is the third studio album by
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
recording artist
Joy Denalane
Joy Maureen Denalane (born 11 June 1973) is a German singer-songwriter, known for her mixture of soul, R&B, and African folk music with lyrics in German and English.
Early life
Denalane was born in Berlin-Schöneberg to a South African father ...
. It was released by Nesola Records and
Four Music
Four Music (''Four Music Productions GmbH'') is a German record label founded by hip hop group Die Fantastischen Vier in 1996. It was originally located in Stuttgart, but has moved to Kreuzberg, Berlin.
In 2004, Max Herre's debut album, as wel ...
on May 20, 2011, in
German-speaking Europe
This article details the geographical distribution of speakers of the German language, regardless of the legislative status within the countries where it is spoken. In addition to the German-speaking area (german: Deutscher Sprachraum) in Europe, ...
. Her first German-language studio album since ''
Mamani
Mamani is a surname, and may refer to;
*Abdoulaye Mamani (1932–1993), Nigerian poet, novelist and trade unionist
*Mohammad Reza Mamani (born 1982), Iranian footballer
*Moisés Mamani (1969–2020), Peruvian politician
*Elías Blanco Mamani (born ...
'' (2002), it takes its title from Denalane's middle name. Incorporating
neo soul
Neo soul (sometimes called progressive soul) is a genre of popular music. As a term, it was coined by music industry entrepreneur Kedar Massenburg during the late 1990s to market and describe a style of music that emerged from soul and contempo ...
,
R&B and
hip hop styles, it features production and songwriting credits from Steve McKie, Anthony Bell, Kahedi, Paul "Gooch" Cantor,
Bilal __NOTOC__
Bilal may refer to:
People
* Bilal (name) (a list of people with the name)
* Bilal ibn Rabah, a companion of Muhammad
* Bilal (American singer)
* Bilal (Lebanese singer)
Places
*Bilal Colony, a neighbourhood of Korangi Town in Karachi, ...
and Denalane's husband
Max Herre
Maximilian Herre (born 22 April 1973) is a German rapper, singer-songwriter and music producer who rose to fame as a member of the group Freundeskreis. He is also A&R for the record label Nesola, a joint venture with his wife Joy Denalane, amon ...
.
Upon its release, ''Maureen'' earned a mixed response from critics who complimented its production but found that the album lacked depth. On the charts, it debuted number eight on the
German Albums Chart
The GfK Entertainment charts are the official music charts in Germany and are gathered and published by GfK Entertainment (formerly Media Control and Media Control GfK International), a subsidiary of GfK, on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindust ...
. Elsewhere, the album peaked at number thirty-six in Austria and number eleven on the
Swiss Albums Chart
The Swiss Hitparade (german: link=no, Schweizer Hitparade) is Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the ...
. Spawning four singles, including lead single "Niemand (Was wir nicht tun)," an English language version of ''Maureen'' was released in March 2012.
Critical reception
''Maureen'' earned generally mixed reviews from music critics. ''
Laut.de
laut.de is a German online magazine dealing exclusively with entertainment music, especially pop music, rock music, alternative music, alternative, Metal music, metal, hip-hop, jazz and Techno music, techno. It comprises record reviews, intervi ...
'' editor Mara Wecker rated the album three stars out of five and noted that ''Maureen'' was "a bit more pop" than Denalane's previous albums. She concluded that "even if there is objectively nothing wrong with this record, the spark in the overall package doesn't really jump over. The rawness and rawness that made Joy Denalane so stunning from the start only comes through in certain places."
Frank Lähnemann from the German edition of ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' praised the album's technical as well as Denalane's vocal performance on ''Maureen'' but noted that the album left him "unemotional," writing: "Here I only feel cold and strangeness, as if I were leafing through the advice pages of ''
Cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan may refer to:
Food and drink
* Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo"
History
* Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953
Hotels and resorts
* Cosmopoli ...
''."
''Plattentests.de'' called the album a "logical consequence of her two previous albums: The modernity of classic soul."
Track listing
Sample credits
*
denotes additional producer
Charts
Release history
References
External links
JoyDenalane.com— official site
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maureen (album)
2011 albums
Joy Denalane albums
Albums produced by Jake One