''The Intro'' is the debut EP by Canadian singer/songwriter
Ruth B
Ruth Berhe (born July 2, 1995), better known by her stage name Ruth B., is a Canadian singer and songwriter from Edmonton, Alberta. She started by singing songs on Vine in early 2013. In November 2015, she released her debut extended play '' The I ...
.
It was released on November 27, 2015,
and was met with generally positive reviews.
Background
Ruth B had initially gained popularity by posting six-second snippets of her singing on
Vine
A vine (Latin ''vīnea'' "grapevine", "vineyard", from ''vīnum'' "wine") is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners themselv ...
; she was encouraged by her fans to write a full-length song, so she wrote "Lost Boy", which ended up being her first hit.
The song entered the Top 100 of the iTunes chart "with no promotion", and B began receiving offers for recording contracts from various record labels. She signed to Columbia Records and shortly after began recording music for "The Intro."
B stated in an interview with
Rookie
A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year).
In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...
that being signed "felt really validating and cool that people in the business thought that I could do it, not just my friends and family."
Writing and recording
Ruth B began writing music after being signed to her record label; she stated that she wanted to take an "honest, real, and vulnerable" approach when writing the music.
Ruth B self-produced her entire EP,
and wrote 14 songs for the EP, selecting 4 to be included on the release.
Three of the EP's songs ("Lost Boy", "Golden", and "2 Broke Kids") were written prior to Ruth B's signing to the record label; she wrote "Superficial Love" shortly after being signed. The EP was recorded in two days at a music studio in Brooklyn.
Release
The album was released as an MP3 on 27 November 2015, and re-released on CD in 2016, following the success of "Lost Boy".
Critical reception
Andy Kellman, writing for
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 ...
, calls the lyrics "elegant and direct" and concludes that the EP is "all aching love songs that are nonetheless comforting."
Commercial performance
The EP debuted at number 20 on the ''Billboard''
Canadian Albums Chart
The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocea ...
.
and number 52 on the US
''Billboard'' 200.
''The Intro'' also reached number 7 on the Americana/Folk Albums chart.
Track listing
Adapted from AllMusic. All songs written by Ruth B.
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Intro
2015 debut EPs
Columbia Records EPs