''James'' is the second extended play by American singer-songwriter
Phoebe Ryan
Phoebe Holiday Ryan (born September 21, 1990) is an American singer and songwriter. In 2015, she released a mashup of R. Kelly's "Ignition" and Miguel's "Do You", followed by her first single "Mine" from her debut EP of the same name. She signe ...
, released on October 27, 2017 by
Columbia Records. It serves as the follow-up to her 2015 extended play, ''
Mine'' (2015). The EP was preceded by the release of three singles, and was promoted by a tour span from late October to mid-November 2017.
Background and composition
''James'' is a
pop EP that bases its musical composition in 1980s-inspired
synth-pop, modern
electropop, and
contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B (or simply R&B) is a popular music genre that combines rhythm and blues with elements of pop, soul, funk, hip hop, and electronic music.
The genre features a distinctive record production style, drum machine-backed rhy ...
. The album lyrically chronicles a relationship from beginning to end.
Promotion
Singles
* "
Forgetting All About You
"Forgetting All About You" is a song recorded by the American singer and songwriter Phoebe Ryan, featuring guest vocals by the American recording artist blackbear. It was released on August 4, 2017, as the lead single from her second extended pl ...
" featuring American R&B singer,
blackbear was released on August 4, 2017 as the lead single from the EP. It was supported by both a music video and a performance at the Billboard Hot 100 Festival.
* "
Be Real" was released as the second single on September 8, 2017. A remix EP was released the same month.
* "James Has Changed" was released as the third and final single on October 6, 2017.
Tour
In addition to the three singles being promoted, Ryan also embarked on a tour in support of the extended play. The tour began on October 31, 2017 and concluded on November 14, 2017.
Critical reception
Mike Wass of ''Idolator'' gave the album a positive review; he praised Ryan for "
xaminingmatters of the heart with rare honesty and a razor-sharp wit. Each song leads effortlessly into the next, which is no easy feat considering that they explore wildly different sounds."
Track listing
Personnel
Credits adapted from Tidal.
*
Phoebe Ryan
Phoebe Holiday Ryan (born September 21, 1990) is an American singer and songwriter. In 2015, she released a mashup of R. Kelly's "Ignition" and Miguel's "Do You", followed by her first single "Mine" from her debut EP of the same name. She signe ...
– lead vocals, songwriting
* Kyle Shearer – songwriting (tracks 1–2), record engineering (tracks 1–2)
* Nathaniel Campany – songwriting (tracks 1–2)
* Valley Girl – production (tracks 1–2)
* Joe Zook – mix engineering (track 1)
* Paul Hammond – engineer assistance (track 1)
* Mitch McCarthy – mix engineering (track 2)
* Justin Shturtz – master engineering
* Jordan "DJ Swivel" Young – mix engineering (tracks 3–5)
* Lucas Nordqvist – songwriting (track 3)
* Jurek Reunamäki – songwriting (track 3)
* Frans Mernick – record engineering (track 3)
* Antti Hynninen – songwriting, production, record engineering (track 3)
* Joonas Laaksoharju – songwriting (track 4)
* Axel Ehnström – songwriting (track 4)
*
Big Taste
Leroy James Clampitt (born October 24, 1992), formerly known as Big Taste, is a Grammy-nominated producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Pirongia, New Zealand, based in Los Angeles, California. Leroy has co-written and produced song ...
– songwriting, production (tracks 4–5)
*
Blackbear – featured artist, songwriting (track 5)
* Joseph Kirkland – songwriting (track 5)
* Jason Dean – songwriting (track 5)
References
{{reflist
EPs by American artists
2017 EPs
Columbia Records EPs
Pop music EPs