''Been Waiting'' is the debut studio album by Australian recording artist

Jessica Mauboy Jessica Hilda Mauboy (born 4 August 1989) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. Born and raised in Darwin, Northern Territory, she rose to fame in 2006 on the fourth season of ''Australian Idol'', where she was runner-up and subseq ...

, released on 22 November 2008 by

Sony Music Australia Sony Music Entertainment Australia is the predominant record label operated by American parent company Sony Music Entertainment in Australia. SMEA also formerly published and distributed video games in Australia & New Zealand on behalf of Sony ...

. While Mauboy was still a member of the girl group

Young Divas Young Divas was an Australian pop girl group formed in 2006 by Sony BMG Australia, initially for a one-off single and national tour to promote all members as solo artists. The original line-up consisted of former ''Australian Idol'' contestants ...

, she began to work on what became ''Been Waiting''. She co-wrote several of the album's songs and worked with many songwriters and producers, including

Israel Cruz Israel Cruz is an Australian singer-songwriter and record producer. Cruz was born in Quezon City, Philippines and at the age of 3 moved to Melbourne, Australia with his family. He lives in Sydney, Australia with friends and has written and perf ...

Cutfather Mich Hedin Hansen (born 9 April 1968), known professionally as Cutfather, is a Danish music producer, songwriter, remixer and DJ based in Copenhagen. Cutfather has a studio on Njalsgade, Copenhagen. Career Cutfather is perhaps best known for hi ...

, Audius Mtawarira, Michael "Fingaz" Mugisha, Kwame Holland, Jonas Jeberg and Adam Reily, among others. ''Been Waiting'' contains mid-tempo R&B ballads and pop songs. Upon its release, the album received a positive reception from critics, with one mentioning it "sounds like an international R&B record" and another saying it was "an impressive debut". The album reached number 11 on the

ARIA Albums Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...

and spent a year in the ARIA top fifty. It was certified double platinum by the

Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing ...

for shipments of 140,000 copies. The album produced five hit singles, including the

lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...

Running Back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball, and block. Ther ...

" featuring American rapper Flo Rida, and the second single "

Burn A burn is an injury to skin, or other tissues, caused by heat, cold, electricity, chemicals, friction, or ultraviolet radiation (like sunburn). Most burns are due to heat from hot liquids (called scalding), solids, or fire. Burns occur ma ...

". The former peaked at number three on the ARIA Singles Chart and was certified double platinum, while the latter became Mauboy's first number-one hit. The

title track A title track is a song that has the same name as the album or film in which it appears. In the Korean music industry, the term is used to describe a promoted song on an album, akin to a single, regardless of the song's title. Title track may a ...

was released as the third single, which was certified gold along with the fourth single " Because" and the fifth "

Up/Down "Up/Down" is a song by Australian recording artist Jessica Mauboy, taken from her debut studio album '' Been Waiting'' (2008). Written by Kwamé Holland and Frankie Storm, "Up/Down" was released as the fifth single from ''Been Waiting'' on 28 ...

". ''Been Waiting'' earned Mauboy three nominations at the 2009 ARIA Music Awards for Best Pop Release, Breakthrough Artist Album and Highest Selling Album. The album was promoted with live performances across Australia and received further promotion when Mauboy supported Beyoncé on the Australian leg of her I Am... World Tour.

Background and development

In September 2007, it was announced that Mauboy had joined the girl group

, replacing one of the group's original members

Ricki-Lee Coulter Ricki-Lee Dawn Coulter (born 10 November 1985), also known mononymously as Ricki-Lee, is a New Zealand-born Australian singer, songwriter, television, and radio presenter. She was born in Auckland, New Zealand, grew up on the Gold Coast, Qu ...

. A solo career was still very much on the cards for Mauboy, but her management saw the Young Divas as a perfect learning curve about all that was positive and negative in the music industry. Following on from the success of their single " Turn Me Loose", Mauboy began to work on her debut solo album. She began to write songs with Adam Reily,

, Brooke McClymont and Audius Mtawarira, as well as sourcing songs from international publishers. Following her departure from Young Divas in August 2008, it was then announced in the media on 17 September 2008 that Mauboy would be releasing her debut solo single "

" in October 2008.

Release and promotion

An audio sample of songs from ''Been Waiting'' was uploaded to

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

on 6 November 2008. The album was then released through

on 22 November 2008. Its iTunes release included the bonus track "Chinese Whispers". ''Been Waiting'' was released in Japan on 22 April 2009 and included four bonus tracks, two of which were remixes to "

" and "Running Back" as well as a new song titled "Breathe" and the iTunes bonus track "Chinese Whispers". Mauboy re-released the album as a double-disc deluxe edition on 21 August 2009. Disc one featured the standard edition's eleven tracks including seven bonus ones, whereas disc two contained a bonus DVD package of Mauboy's music videos and live performances. In support of the album, Mauboy co-hosted ''

The Music Jungle ''The Music Jungle'' was an Australian music television show that was broadcast on the Nine Network on Saturday mornings between 11am and 12pm. The 2007 season began on 31 March and ended on 8 December. The 2008 season began on 22 March. The ...

'' on 18 October 2008. She performed "Running Back" on '' Australian Idol'' on 13 October 2008, and "Burn" on 23 November 2008. She then held instore appearances in

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

and

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

in December 2008. Mauboy also performed "Running Back" and "Burn" at the Sydney New Year's Eve event on 31 December 2008. She performed several of the album's songs at the

Kia Soul The Kia Soul is a subcompact crossover SUV manufactured and marketed worldwide by Kia, currently in its third generation. Designed at Kia's design center in California, the Soul debuted at the 2008 Paris Motor Show and is manufactured in South K ...

Live at the Chapel event held at the Paddington Uniting Church in Sydney on 9 July 2009. The album received further more promotion when Mauboy became a support act for Beyoncé on the Australian leg of her I Am... World Tour in September 2009.

Singles

" featuring Flo Rida was released as the album's

on 11 October 2008. Upon its release, the song received a positive reception from critics. It reached number three on the ARIA Singles Chart and was certified double platinum by the

for sales of more than 140,000 copies. The song received two nominations at the 2009 ARIA Music Awards, winning the award for 'Highest Selling Single'. It also won the award for 'Urban Work of the Year' at the 2009 APRA Awards. "

" was released as the second single on 17 November 2008. The song became Mauboy's first number one on the ARIA Singles Chart and was certified platinum for selling over 70,000 copies. It also received a nomination for 'Highest Selling Single' at the 2009 ARIA Music Awards. The album's

was released as the third single in March 2009. It peaked at number 12 on the ARIA Singles Chart and was certified gold for sales of more than 35,000 copies. The song received a nomination for 'Most Played Australian Work' at the 2010 APRA Awards. " Because", a pop

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

of which Mauboy says is a break-up song about an ex-boyfriend of hers, was released as the fourth single. It peaked at number nine on the ARIA Singles Chart and was certified gold. "

" was released as the fifth single on 28 August 2009. It peaked at number 11 and was certified gold. The album's sixth and final single " Let Me Be Me" was released on 27 November 2009, and peaked at number 26.

Reception

Commercial performance

''Been Waiting'' debuted at number 16 on the

and peaked at number 11 in its ninth week on the chart. It spent a total of 59 weeks in ARIA top fifty, including nine weeks in the top twenty. The album was certified double platinum by the

for shipments of more than 140,000 copies.

Critical response

''Been Waiting'' received positive reviews from critics. Mawunyo Gbogbo of GrooveOn described most of the album's songs as "soul-searching monologues of love gone awry" and said "Jessica Mauboy sure gives heartbreak a sweet melody". Jarrad Bevan of '' The Mercury'' said the album "sounds like an international R&B record" and that "her potential to break overseas is obvious". Davey Boy of Sputnikmusic awarded the album three out of five stars and said it was an "impressive debut which suggests that there could indeed be quality music to look forward to in the future as she matures and gains experience". Nick Bond of

MTV Australia MTV is a 24-hour general entertainment channel specialising in music and youth culture programming which serves Australia and New Zealand. It is operated by parent company Paramount Networks UK & Australia headquartered in London with a local of ...

said "the whole album does stick very closely to the

Timbaland Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He has received widespread acclaim for his innovative production work and distinc ...

blueprint of skittering beats and airy synths". Marcie of Planet Urban said "''Been Waiting'' is the first real evidence that the girl can not only sing, but might also be able to hold her own, especially after her unsuccessful blink-and-you-missed-it stint with the Young Divas." The album earned Mauboy several awards and nominations. It received three nominations at the 2009 ARIA Music Awards for Best Pop Release, Breakthrough Artist Album and Highest Selling Album. ''Been Waiting'' won the award for 'Album of the Year' at both the

Deadly Awards The Deadly Awards, commonly known simply as The Deadlys, was an annual celebration of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievement in music, sport, entertainment and community. The event was held from 1995 to 2013. Description T ...

and the

NT Indigenous Music Awards The National Indigenous Music Awards (NIMA), also known as the NT Indigenous Music Awards from 2004 to 2008, are music awards presented to recognise excellence, innovation and leadership among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander musicians in ...

in 2009.

Track listing

Deluxe edition

Personnel

Credits for ''Been Waiting'' adapted from album

liner notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for cassettes. Origin Liner notes are desc ...

. * Audius Mtawarira – arrangement,

songwriter A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music ...

, mixing,

production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stati ...

, vocal production * Sean Ray Mullins – arrangement, songwriter *

– songwriter, production *Craig Hardy – songwriter, remix *Taj Jackson – songwriter *

Jonas Jeberg Jonas Jeberg (born January 28, 1975), is a Danish songwriter and music producer residing in Los Angeles. He has written and produced hit songs including Panic! at the Disco's " High Hopes", Selena Gomez's " Fetish" featuring Gucci Mane, Fifth Har ...

– songwriter, instruments, production, programming * Mich Hansen – songwriter, production, percussion *Adam Reily – songwriter, production, drums, keyboard programming *Glen Hannah – acoustic guitar *Bryon Jones – consulting production *Dion Howell – songwriter, vocals *Michael "Fingaz" Mugisha – songwriter, production, instruments, mixing * Simon Cohen – engineering, mixing *

–

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...

, songwriter *

Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper Thornton (born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Her career has spanned over 40 years. Her album ''She's So Unusual'' (1983) was the first debut album by a female artist to achi ...

– songwriter *Rob Hyman – songwriter *Leon Seenandan – arrangement, songwriter, production, mixing *Brooke McClymont – songwriter *David Leslie – acoustic guitar *David Hemming – mixing *Kwame Holland – songwriter, production, instruments *Frankie Storm – songwriter *Josh "Guido" Rivera –

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...

*Steve Robson – songwriter *Karen Poole – songwriter *Jade Edwan – songwriter *Azi Jegbefume – songwriter *Narran McLean – songwriter *

Phil Tan Phil Tan is a Malaysian-American music and audio engineer. Early life and education Tan was born in Malaysia. He attended Full Sail University in Florida in the U.S., where he attained a degree in Recording Arts in 1990. Afterwards he moved to Atla ...

– mixing *Cale Storer – guitar *Anthony Egizii – songwriter, production, programming, mixing *David Musumeci – songwriter *Jason Nevins – additional drum programming, additional keyboards *Don Bartley – mastering *

Tom Coyne Tom Coyne may refer to: * Tom Coyne (writer), American writer and professor * Tom Coyne (broadcaster) (1930–2015), British television presenter * Tom Coyne (music engineer) (1954–2017), American mastering engineer * Thomas Coyne (cricketer) ( ...

– mastering *Jordan Graham – photography *Killanoodle – artwork design *Andrew Cameron – business affairs *Jacqui Elmas – business affairs *David Champion – management *Matz Nilsson – mixing *Mick Perry – production * Jay Dee Springbett – A&R *Sally Piper – A&R Administration

Charts and certification

Weekly charts

Certification

Year-end charts

Release history

References

{{Authority control 2008 debut albums Jessica Mauboy albums Sony Music Australia albums Albums produced by Cutfather Albums produced by DNA Songs