Write Me Back (R. Kelly album)
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''Write Me Back'' is the eleventh
studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
by American R&B singer, songwriter, and producer
R. Kelly Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and sex offender convicted of racketeering and multiple sex offenses. During his recording career, Kelly sold over 75 million records worldwid ...
. Released on June 25, 2012, by RCA Records, it was written and produced primarily by Kelly as the follow-up to his 2010 album '' Love Letter'', with recording taking place at Sylvester Stone Studios, The Chocolate Factory (both in Chicago), and MilkBoy The Studio (in Philadelphia). Expanding on ''Love Letter''s traditional R&B mode, the album incorporates musical influences from Philadelphia soul and
Chicago stepping Chicago-Style Stepping (also known as Steppin') is an urban dance that originated in Chicago and continues to evolve nationwide and overseas, while defining its unique style and culture. within urban community. "Chicago-Style Stepping" makes ref ...
in songs about love, its redemptive power, and its complications. Debuting at number five on the ''Billboard'' 200, ''Write Me Back'' registered sales of 68,000 copies in its first week and went on to chart for 16 more weeks, eventually reaching more than 141,000 copies sold in the US. It was promoted with the release of three singles, including " Share My Love" and "
Feelin' Single "Feelin' Single" is the second single by American R&B/soul singer-songwriter-producer R. Kelly from his eleventh studio album ''Write Me Back''. The song peaked at number one on the ''Billboard'' Adult R&B Songs chart, number 13 on the Bubbling ...
". Critically, ''Write Me Back'' was generally well received, earning praise for its musical arrangements and Kelly's vocal stylings in particular.


Background

At the end of his supporting tour for ''Love Letter'', Kelly underwent emergency throat surgery in July 2011 to drain an
abscess An abscess is a collection of pus that has built up within the tissue of the body. Signs and symptoms of abscesses include redness, pain, warmth, and swelling. The swelling may feel fluid-filled when pressed. The area of redness often extends b ...
on one of his tonsils. He recovered, and in August, announced that his next album will be called ''Black Panties'', a sexually charged album in the same vein of his 1993 debut album, ''
12 Play ''12 Play'' is the debut solo studio album by American R&B and soul singer-songwriter R. Kelly; it was released on November 9, 1993, by Jive Records. The album follows his tenure with R&B group Public Announcement, with whom he released one a ...
''. However, he deviated from that plan in January 2012 by announcing ''Write Me Back'' as his next album. He recorded the album at Sylvester Stone Studios and The Chocolate Factory in Chicago, and at MilkBoy The Studio in Philadelphia.


Music and lyrics

''Write Me Back'' expands on its predecessor's traditional R&B aesthetic with 1970s influences, particularly Philadelphia soul and elements of
Chicago stepping Chicago-Style Stepping (also known as Steppin') is an urban dance that originated in Chicago and continues to evolve nationwide and overseas, while defining its unique style and culture. within urban community. "Chicago-Style Stepping" makes ref ...
. Its title is a reference to that album's title. The music is also characterized by uptempo drum programming and smooth keyboard
lines Line most often refers to: * Line (geometry), object with zero thickness and curvature that stretches to infinity * Telephone line, a single-user circuit on a telephone communication system Line, lines, The Line, or LINE may also refer to: Arts ...
. Nitush Abebe of ''
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
'' observes "frictionless glide and delicacy, all the strings and horns caressing around the margins, of late-seventies Philly soul greats and Quincy Jones productions." The album's primary subject matter is love, with exhortations about its redemptive power and its complications. Abebe writes of this theme, "There's love as inspiration and redemption, love as strangled by manipulative men or undercommitted women, love as universal party, love as rotted from the inside by apathy or envy." "Share My Love" is an uptempo song with Philadelphia soul-styled strings. It has a pop-R&B style similar to that of Michael Jackson's 1979 album ''
Off the Wall ''Off the Wall'' is the fifth studio album by American singer Michael Jackson, released on August 10, 1979, by Epic Records. It was Jackson's first album released through Epic Records, the label he recorded under until his death in 2009, and t ...
''. The song has a theme of romance and tongue-in-cheek lyrics: "Populate / Let's get together / Populate". "Green Light" has a quiet storm style and low-
key Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...
mood. It is about a man wanting to please a woman who has a negligent boyfriend. "Feelin' Single" is about the "liminal sense of having checked out of a relationship and started looking around for escape routes." Kelly sings in a high register on the song, which Greg Kot views "evok sthe boyish innocence of a Michael Jackson over a stepping dance groove accented with finger snaps." "Believe in Me" is told from the perspective of a lover about to leave his woman for a prison term and asks for patience and support.
Miles Marshall Lewis Miles Marshall Lewis (born December 18, 1970) is an American pop culture critic, essayist, literary editor, fiction writer, and music journalist. He is a graduate of Morehouse College, class of 1993. Career Lewis was born in The Bronx, New ...
views that the song "embod eselements of the (oft-downtrodden) blue-collar
African-American experience African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...
." "Lady Sunday" is a dance-oriented, orchestrated song with musical similarities to early 1970s
Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes were an American soul and R&B vocal group. One of the most popular Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s, the group's repertoire included soul, R&B, doo-wop, and disco. Founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in ...
. "Believe That It's So" features
disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...
strings, assertive brass, and a narrative that celebrates love's ability to help people overcome adversity before celebrating celebration in general, as Kelly sings about becoming drunk and needing to draw on love to overcome his impending hangover. Deviating from the album's 1970s influence, "All Rounds on Me" has rockabilly elements and an alternating
blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...
arrangement.


Marketing and sales

''Write Me Back'' was marketed with the release of two singles. The lead single, "Share My Love", was released on February 1, 2012, and became a number-one hit on urban adult radio. It peaked at number 13 on the US ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, on which it has charted for 20 weeks. It also charted at number 72 on the
Japan Hot 100 The ''Billboard Japan'' Hot 100 is a record chart in Japan for songs. It has been compiled by ''Billboard Japan'' and '' Hanshin Contents Link'' since February 2008. The chart is updated every Wednesday at Billboard-japan.com ( JST) and every Thur ...
. The second single, "Feelin' Single", was released as a digital download on May 29. It reached number 43 on the ''Billboard'' Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The album was released by RCA Records on June 25 in the United Kingdom and on June 26 in the United States. It is his first album for RCA, after
RCA Music Group RCA Music Group was an umbrella group of labels distributed by Sony Music Entertainment that existed between March 2004 and 2009, and for a short period of time between July 2011 and October 2011 as all RCA Music Group labels were merged with RCA ...
shut down Kelly's former label Jive Records. The album's deluxe edition included four additional songs. On June 27, 2012, Kelly became ill from complications related to his 2011 throat surgery. Consequently, his promotional appearances on ''
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon ''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by comedian Jimmy Fallon. About pag ...
'' and '' Today'' were cancelled. Although his status for subsequent promotional efforts was uncertain, Kelly performed at Reggae Sumfest on July 20, and performed on ''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'' after rescheduling for July 23. "When a Man Lies" later impacted urban adult radio as the album's third and final single on October 15. In the United Kingdom, ''Write Me Back'' debuted at number 80 on the UK Albums Chart in the week of July 7, 2012. In the United States, ''Write Me Back'' debuted at number 5 on the US ''Billboard'' 200, selling 68,000 copies in its first week. It was Kelly's lowest first-week sales since ''12 Play'' in 1993. The album sold 24,600 copies in its second week on the chart, falling 14 spots to number 19. It ultimately charted for 17 weeks on the US ''Billboard'' 200. As reported on August 15, 2012, the album had sold 141,300 copies in the United States.


Critical reception

''Write Me Back'' was met with generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional critics, the album received an average score of 73, based on 18 reviews. August Brown of the '' Los Angeles Times'' dubbed it "the best grown-man dance record of the year" and stated, "the songwriting is, per usual at this point in his career, nimble and nicely matured. But the arrangements are the centerpiece here." Jody Rosen of '' Rolling Stone'' called its music "virtuoso
pastiche A pastiche is a work of visual art, literature, theatre, music, or architecture that imitates the style or character of the work of one or more other artists. Unlike parody, pastiche pays homage to the work it imitates, rather than mocking it ...
– but Kelly's Seventies are freakier than your dad's." Maura Johnston of '' The Village Voice'' viewed "Clipped Wings" as its strongest track and compared the album to ''Love Letter'', stating "it's slightly less drenched in retro tropes, but it's no less of an enjoyable listen."
Miles Marshall Lewis Miles Marshall Lewis (born December 18, 1970) is an American pop culture critic, essayist, literary editor, fiction writer, and music journalist. He is a graduate of Morehouse College, class of 1993. Career Lewis was born in The Bronx, New ...
of ''
Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...
'' felt that "the result distills the melodies and lyrical flair fans love without the NC-17 lines that often make Kelly NSFW." Andy Gill of '' The Independent'' found Kelly "even more at home" musically than on ''Love Letter'' and stated, "for all his production skills, he remains first and foremost a vocal stylist of considerable ability". Thomas Conner of the '' Chicago Sun-Times'' complimented Kelly's "superb voice" and noted the Philadelphia soul influence as "a much more natural fit for Kelly's considerable vocal gifts and lusty one-track mind." Allmusic's Andy Kellman complimented the music's "warmth and joy" and stated, "It's apparent that he can be retro and urbane as instinctively as he can be cutting edge and filthy." Nitsuh Abebe of ''
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
'' commended Kelly for "nailing each voice and narrative" and stated, "He comes at every idea like an impassioned pro, and whether that idea is making people melt, grind, or titter in disbelief, it’s usually his ardor that’s having that effect." In a mixed review, Jon Caramanica of '' The New York Times'' dubbed the album Kelly's "least ambitious" and found it "tepid" by his standards, "which is to say, completely technically accomplished, but lacking the snakelike vocal slither and moist subject matter that mark him at his most virtuosic." ''
Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...
''s Eric Henderson panned its music as " this-porridge-is-just-right uptempo mush" and questioned its genuineness, writing that "even if the songs sound like the height of artifice ... there's little doubt ellybelieves in his own hollow offerings." Pitchfork Media's Jess Harvell observed "a fine line between breezy and half-assed" in the songwriting and criticized its "cut-rate production choices" behind "Kelly's engaged vocal performances." Greg Kot of the '' Chicago Tribune'' called it "a less-consistently strong sequel" and stated, "Listeners may find themselves toggling between questioning Kelly’s sincerity and admiring his facility as a producer and singer." ''
Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...
'' ranked ''Write Me Back'' number 37 on their list of 2012's best albums.


Track listing


Personnel

Credits are taken from the album's liner notes. * Akua Auset – make-up * Davis Barnett – viola * Bigg Makk – bass, composer, guitar, keyboards, producer, programming * Warryn Campbell – composer, producer * Ann Carli – consultant * Jeff Chestek – horn engineer, string engineer * Eliza Cho – violin * Cody Cichowski – assistant * James Cooper – celli * Carl Cox, Jr. – tenor saxophone * DJ Wayne Williams – A&R * Rodney East – keyboards * Ghislaine Fleischmann – violin * Meghan Foley – art direction *
Yvonne Gage Yvonne Gage (born December 20, 1959) is an American singer from Chicago, Illinois. Active since the late 1970s, she has done background vocals for artists prior to and after her own solo success. As a session musician, she has provided vocals for ...
– choir / chorus * Abel Garibaldi – engineer, programming * Donna E. Gay – choir / chorus * Serban Ghenea – mixing * Larry Gold – conductor, horn arrangements, string arrangements * John Hanes – engineer * Pastor Chris Harris – choir / chorus * Mike Harvey – choir / chorus * John Haynes – Pro Tools * Jonathan Kim – viola * Olga Konopelsky – violin * J. LBS – producer * Donnie Lyle – bass, guitar, musical director * Paul Mabin – choir / chorus * Luigi Mazzochi – violin * Ian Mereness – engineer, programming * Jesús Morales – celli * Jeffrey Morrow – choir / chorus * Lauren Pilot Morrow – choir / chorus * Chiquita Oden – grooming * Herb Powers, Jr. – mastering *
R. Kelly Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and sex offender convicted of racketeering and multiple sex offenses. During his recording career, Kelly sold over 75 million records worldwid ...
– arranger, composer, horn arrangements, keyboards, mixing, producer, string arrangements, vocals * Robin Robinson – choir / chorus * April Roomet – stylist * Carlos Rubio – violin * Phil Seaford – assistant engineer * StarrBie – background vocals * Randee St. Nicholas – photography * Gregory Teperman – violin * Jarred Antonacci - trombone * Steve Tirpak – trombone *
Cheryl Wilson Cheryl Wilson is a session singer who has had multiple No. 1 dance songs on the UK ''Billboard'' chart and has performed with many notable artists including Celine Dion, R. Kelly, Alice Peacock, Mavis Staples, The Smashing Pumpkins, Bertie Higgin ...
– choir / chorus * Daniel Wright – trumpet


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


References


External links

* {{Authority control 2012 albums Albums produced by R. Kelly Albums produced by Warryn Campbell R. Kelly albums RCA Records albums