Untitled (R. Kelly album)

Last updated

Untitled
R. Kelly's New Album.JPG
Studio album by
R. Kelly
ReleasedNovember 30, 2009 (2009-11-30) [1]
RecordedSeptember 2008 – October 2009
Studio Trod Nossel Studios [2]
Genre R&B [3]
Length62:13
Label Jive
Producer
R. Kelly chronology
Double Up
(2007)		Untitled
(2009)		 Love Letter
(2010)
Singles from Untitled
  1. "Number One"
    Released: July 28, 2009
  2. "Religious"
    Released: October 10, 2009
  3. "Echo"
    Released: October 10, 2009

Untitled is the ninth studio album by American R&B recording artist R. Kelly. It was released in the UK on November 30, 2009, and in the US by Jive Records on December 1, 2009. It was entirely produced by R. Kelly and a team of younger producers. [4]

Contents

The album debuted at number 4 on the US Billboard 200, and also reached the top of the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Untitled received generally mixed reviews from contemporary music critics. The album has sold over 500,000 copies.

Background

In 2008, the album's title was initially supposed to be released under the name 12 Play: 4th Quarter, however, that version of this project leaked before release and so it was decided that the whole project should be re-recorded. That title is still referenced in several songs on the album.

Singles

Supaman High featuring OJ da Juiceman was supposed to be the album's lead single, but due to a label and artist dispute, it was repurposed as a promotional single for the album.

The album's lead single, "Number One" featuring Keri Hilson, was released on July 28, 2009. The song peaked at number 59 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 7 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts. [5] [6]

Both second and third singles, "Religious" and "Echo" (both released October 10, 2009), charted lower, with peak positions of numbers 48 and 52 respectively on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [7]
The A.V. Club C+ [8]
Entertainment Weekly C+ [3]
The Daily Telegraph Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [9]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [10]
The New York Times favorable [11]
Pitchfork Media 4.8/10 [12]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Slant Magazine Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [14]
Spin 7/10 [15]

Untitled received generally positive reviews from music critics. [16] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 62, based on 15 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". [16] Allmusic writer Andy Kellman gave it three-and-a-half out of five stars and called it "a simple, concept-free, creatively unambitious R&B album". [7] Mikael Wood of Spin complimented the album's "fresh raunch", noting "'Bangin' the Headboard' and 'Pregnant' (as in 'You make me wanna get you…') are bawdy even by Kelly's considerable standards". [15] Tom Horan of The Daily Telegraph praised Kelly's "unwavering focus" and stated, "should headboard-banging be in the offing, this will make a fine accompaniment." [9]

In a mixed review, The A.V. Club 's Nathan Rabin gave the album a C+ rating and commented that it "feels generic". [8] Drew Hinshaw of The Village Voice found it lacking any "larger themes from Untitled's sex seminars" and stated, "It's tragic to see a master of r&b finesse fall back onto a childish, domineering bent that comes off as boorish, entitled, and mean-spirited." [17] Chicago Tribune writer Greg Kot wrote that Kelly "massages simple (and sometimes simplistic) words into hooks through phrasing that is pliant, inventive, audacious, sometimes silly", commenting that "That ardor is framed by music that is everything his lyrics are not: subtle, ornate, at times downright refined. As a producer and arranger, he is meticulous with detail, orchestrating hand claps, finger snaps and drum machines to create just the right rhythm backdrop for an evening of 'wooo and weee'". [18] Jon Pareles of The New York Times found the album "routine" for Kelly, although he stated, "Still, even a routine R. Kelly song outshines much of the competition." [11]

Accolades

In 2011, Untitled was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album, presented at the 53rd Grammy Awards. [19]

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number 4 on the US Billboard 200, selling 110,000 copies in its first week, marking his ninth top five album on the chart. As of June 2022, the album sold over 500,000 copies in the United States. A disappointing performance compared to his previous album Double Up which debuted at number 1 on the US Billboard 200 and sold over 1,000,000 copies

Track listing

Standard edition [20]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Crazy Night" (featuring Rock City) Robert Kelly, Ronnie Jackson, Maurice Simmonds, Theron Thomas, Timothy Thomas Kelly, Lil' Ronnie 3:35
2."Exit"Kelly, Phalon Alexander, Larry Nix, Kassim Vonicco Washington Kelly, Jazze Pha 4:06
3."Echo"Kelly, Infinity, Darhyl "DJ" Camper, Claude Kelly R. Kelly, Infinity, DJ Camper3:58
4."Bangin' the Headboard"R. Kelly, Camper, Sassieon Hill, Infinity, Miguel "Rico Law" JiminezR. Kelly, Infinity, DJ Camper, Hill, Rico Law3:14
5."Go Low"R. KellyR. Kelly3:51
6."Whole Lotta Kisses"R. KellyR. Kelly4:30
7."Like I Do"R. Kelly, C. Kelly, Carlos McKinney R. Kelly, Los da Mystro 3:40
8."Number One" (featuring Keri Hilson)R. Kelly, Keri Hilson, Roy "Royalty" Hamilton, Raphael "Riffraph" HamiltonR. Kelly, Royalty, Riffraph4:21
9."I Love the DJ"R. Kelly, Rob Allen, Carsten "Soulshock" Schack, Kenneth Karlin R. Kelly, Soulshock & Karlin 3:45
10."Supaman High" (featuring OJ da Juiceman)R. Kelly, Otis Williams, Jr., Radric Davis, William Hodge R. Kelly, Willy Will 4:24
11."Be My #2"R. Kelly, Paul L. Kyser, Jack Splash, Leon Stuckey R. Kelly, Splash4:52
12."Text Me"R. Kelly, Gasner "Gaz" HughesR. Kelly, Gaz4:20
13."Religious"R. Kelly, Warryn Campbell, Eric Dawkins, Antonio Dixon, Tyrese Gibson R. Kelly, The Underdogs 3:03
14."Elsewhere"R. Kelly, Chris Henderson Johnny JB TrueloveR. Kelly, Deep 4:36
15."Pregnant" (featuring Tyrese, Robin Thicke and The-Dream)R. Kelly, Berris Bolton, Leon Dewayne Swan, Terius Nash R. Kelly, Bolton, Swan6:00
Japanese bonus track [21]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
16."Fallin' from the Sky (Write Me Back)"R. Kelly, Johnny JB Truelove, Dennis-Manuel Peters, Mario Bakovic, Daniel CoriglieR. Kelly, T-Town Productions4:25

Charts

Release history

RegionDateFormatLabel(s)Catalogue
United KingdomNovember 30, 2009Clean version [29] Sony Music Entertainment 88697599152
United StatesDecember 1, 2009Clean version [30] Jive Records 886973113721
Explicit lyrics [31] 886973113622

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erykah Badu</span> American singer (born 1971)

Erica Abi Wright, known professionally as Erykah Badu, is an American singer and songwriter. Influenced by R&B, soul, and hip hop, Badu rose to prominence in the late 1990s when her debut album Baduizm (1997), placed her at the forefront of the neo soul movement, earning her the nickname "Queen of Neo Soul" by music critics.

<i>8701</i> 2001 album by Usher

8701 is the third studio album by American singer Usher, released in the United Kingdom on July 9, 2001, and in the United States on August 7, 2001, by Arista Records. Recording was handled by several producers including The Neptunes, Jermaine Dupri, Babyface, Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs, Mike City, Bryan Michael Cox, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. Although intended for an October 31, 2000, release under the title All About U, the album was delayed numerous times, following the leak of several tracks onto the online music store Napster. Usher subsequently recorded new tracks and released the album under the new title, 8701, which is derived from Usher singing for the first time in his local church in 1987 and the album's US release date of August 7, 2001. The single "Can U Help Me" was supplied with Windows XP Service Pack 2 and later Windows versions to showcase Windows Media Player 11 and higher WMP versions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe (singer)</span> American R&B singer (born 1972)

Joseph Lewis Thomas, known mononymously as Joe, is an American R&B singer. He signed to Polygram Records in 1992, and rose to prominence after releasing his debut album Everything the following year. He followed it with a series of successful albums under Jive Records, including All That I Am (1997), the international bestseller My Name Is Joe (2000) as well as the multi-certified albums Better Days (2001) and And Then... (2003). Several songs from these albums became hit singles on the pop and R&B record charts, including the number-one hit "Stutter", the top ten entries "All the Things ", "Don't Wanna Be a Player", and "I Wanna Know" as well as his collaborations "Faded Pictures", "Thank God I Found You" and "Still Not a Player".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maxwell (musician)</span> American R&B singer

Gerald Maxwell Rivera, known mononymously as Maxwell, is an American singer-songwriter, and record producer. He rose to prominence following the release of his debut studio album Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite (1996), which received widespread acclaim and spawned the hit singles "Ascension " and "Sumthin' Sumthin'". Through the album and its follow ups, Maxwell has been cited—along with Lauryn Hill, D'Angelo, and Erykah Badu—for ushering in the neo soul movement and its sensibilities into mainstream popular music during the late 1990s.

<i>Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship</i> 2006 studio album by India Arie

Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship is the third studio album by American singer India Arie, released on June 27, 2006, by Motown. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 161,000 copies in its first week.

<i>Tha Carter III</i> 2008 studio album by Lil Wayne

Tha Carter III is the sixth studio album by American rapper Lil Wayne, released on June 10, 2008, by Cash Money, Universal Motown and Young Money Entertainment. It follows a string of mixtape releases and guest appearances on other hip hop and R&B artists' albums. The album features appearances from Jay-Z, T-Pain, Fabolous, Robin Thicke, Busta Rhymes, Juelz Santana, Babyface, Bobby V, and Kanye West, among others. It also features Static Major, who is credited posthumously following his death in February of that year.

<i>Release Therapy</i> 2006 studio album by Ludacris

Release Therapy is the sixth studio album by American hip hop recording artist Ludacris. It was released on September 26, 2006, under Disturbing tha Peace and Def Jam South. Production for the album was done by The Neptunes, The Trak Starz, Dre & Vidal, DJ Toomp, The Runners and Polow da Don, and features guest contributions from rappers Young Jeezy, Field Mob, Beanie Sigel, Pimp C and C-Murder and R&B singers Pharrell, Mary J. Blige, R. Kelly and Bobby Valentino.

<i>Growing Pains</i> (Mary J. Blige album) 2007 studio album by Mary J. Blige

Growing Pains is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Mary J. Blige. An R&B album that was released on December 18, 2007, by Geffen Records, it debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200, selling 629,000 copies in its first week, and reached number one in January 2008. Growing Pains was ranked number 29 on Rolling Stone's list of the Top 50 Albums of 2007 and was eventually certified Platinum by RIAA.

<i>Jennifer Hudson</i> (album) 2008 studio album by Jennifer Hudson

Jennifer Hudson is the debut studio album by American singer and actress Jennifer Hudson. It was first released in Australia, and it physically released in North America on September 30, 2008, by Arista and J Records. Hudson worked with several producers and songwriters on the album, including R. City, Missy Elliott, Brian Kennedy, Ne-Yo, Salaam Remi, T-Pain, Tank, Timbaland and The Underdogs, among others.

<i>Ready</i> (Trey Songz album) 2009 studio album by Trey Songz

Ready is the third studio album by American R&B recording artist Trey Songz. It was released on August 31, 2009, by Troy Taylor's record label Songbook, distributed by Atlantic Records. The album serves as the sequel to Trey Day (2007). Production for the album took place from 2008 to 2009, which was contributed by Songz's longtime collaborator and his mentor Troy Taylor, along with Bryan-Michael Cox, StarGate and Los da Mystro, among others.

<i>BLACKsummersnight</i> 2009 studio album by Maxwell

BLACKsummers'night is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Maxwell, released July 7, 2009 on Columbia Records. It is the follow-up to his third album Now (2001). Recording sessions for the album took place during 2003 to 2009 and production was handled entirely by Maxwell and Hod David.

<i>Unleashed</i> (Hurricane Chris album) 2009 studio album by Hurricane Chris

Unleashed is the second studio album by American rapper Hurricane Chris. It was released on December 21, 2009, by Polo Grounds Music and J Records. This record would later be his final studio release with Polo Grounds and J Records. Recording sessions took place from 2008 to 2009, featuring the executive production from Hurricane Chris himself, alongside Bryan Leach and Anthony Murray. Aside from the executive production, the album features the production from Play-N-Skillz, Shawty Redd and Fiend, among others.

<i>Back to Me</i> (Fantasia album) 2010 studio album by Fantasia

Back to Me is the third studio album by American singer Fantasia. It was released by J Records on August 24, 2010. Her first project in four years, much of the album was conceived after Fantasia had ventured into musical acting, starring as Celie in the Broadway musical The Color Purple, with production provided by Chuck Harmony, Jim Jonsin, Los Da Mystro, Pop & Oak and others. The album's title was suggested to her by comedian Steve Harvey, when Barrino visited his morning radio program.

<i>Versus</i> (EP) 2010 EP by Usher

Versus is the first EP by American singer Usher. It was released on July 20, 2010 on LaFace Records and Jive Records in conjunction with the deluxe edition of his sixth studio album Raymond v. Raymond. Several producers contributed to the production of the EP, including Polow da Don, Jim Jonsin, Rico Love, Drumma Boy, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and Max Martin. Versus is marked as "the last chapter of Raymond v. Raymond", and follows the theme of Usher exploring around the subjects of being newly single and a father.

<i>Love Letter</i> (R. Kelly album) 2010 studio album by R. Kelly

Love Letter is the tenth studio album by American R&B recording artist R. Kelly. It was released on December 14, 2010, by Jive Records. It was written and produced entirely by Kelly. A departure from his previous work's contemporary sound and sexually explicit themes, Love Letter incorporates classic 1950s/1960s soul music influences and features chivalrous lyrics concerning love and forgiveness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jazmine Sullivan discography</span>

American singer and songwriter Jazmine Sullivan has released four studio albums and 15 singles. Sullivan signed a record deal with J Records in 2008, and released her debut album Fearless in 2008. The album was immediately certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America while debuting at number one. Fearless has spent 12 weeks atop the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums since its US release. The album's first single, "Need U Bad", also reached number thirty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100 and became her first number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The second single, "Bust Your Windows", was released in September 2008 and reached the charts in the US and the UK. It also became her second top forty in the US. "Lions, Tigers & Bears" was released as the third single off the album in late 2008 and became her third top ten in the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in the US. In 2009, it was confirmed Jazmine would open for American singer Ne-Yo's tour. In February that same year, she released the fourth and final single, "Dream Big".

<i>Black Panties</i> 2013 studio album by R. Kelly

Black Panties is the twelfth studio album by American R&B singer R. Kelly. It was released in the United States on December 6, 2013, by RCA Records. The album features guest appearances from Ludacris, 2 Chainz, Young Jeezy, Migos, Kelly Rowland, Juicy J and Future.

<i>Kelly</i> (Kelly Price album) 2011 studio album by Kelly Price

Kelly is the sixth studio album by American R&B singer-songwriter Kelly Price. It was released by My Block Records and Malaco Records on May 3, 2011. The album was preceded by the release of three singles, "Tired", "Not My Daddy" and "Himaholic".

<i>Back to Love</i> (Anthony Hamilton album) 2011 studio album by Anthony Hamilton

Back to Love is the fifth studio album by American R&B singer Anthony Hamilton. It was released on December 13, 2011, by RCA Records. The album features writing and production from Babyface, Dre & Vidal, Kelvin Wooten, Mike City, Jairus Mozee, The Avila Brothers, as well as Hamilton himself.

<i>The Buffet</i> 2015 studio album by R. Kelly

The Buffet is the thirteenth studio album by American R&B singer-songwriter R. Kelly. It was released on December 11, 2015, by RCA Records. The album features guest appearances from Lil Wayne, Jhene Aiko, Ty Dolla Sign, Jeremih, Juicy J, Wizkid and Tinashe. The album also marks the debut of Kelly's own daughter, Joann Kelly going by the stage name Ariirayé.

References

  1. ↑ "New R. Kelly CD set for December release".
  2. ↑ Diorio, Tiffany (January 6, 2011). "R. Kelly track was made in Wallingford". Record-Journal . Archived from the original on January 11, 2011. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  3. 1 2 Greenblatt, Leah. Untitled. Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved on 2022-10-23.
  4. ↑ Stewart, Allison. Review: Untitled. The Washington Post . Retrieved on 2009-12-01.
  5. ↑ R. Kelly Reveals New Album Will Be Called Untitled. MTV News.
  6. ↑ R. Kelly - Number One. DJ Booth.
  7. 1 2 Kellman, Andy. Review: Untitled. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2009-11-28.
  8. 1 2 Rabin, Nathan. Review: Untitled. The A.V. Club . Retrieved on 2009-12-14.
  9. 1 2 Horan, Tom (January 14, 2010). "R Kelly: Untitled, CD review". The Daily Telegraph . London. Retrieved November 5, 2012.
  10. ↑ Sullivan, Caroline. Review: Untitled. The Guardian . Retrieved on 2010-06-04.
  11. 1 2 Pareles, Jon. Review: Untitled. The New York Times . Retrieved on 2009-11-30.
  12. ↑ Fennessey, Sean. Review: Untitled. Pitchfork Media. Retrieved on 2010-01-11.
  13. ↑ Hoard, Christian. Review: Untitled. Rolling Stone . Retrieved on 2009-12-01.
  14. ↑ Cataldo, Jesse. Review: Untitled Archived 2009-12-07 at the Wayback Machine . Slant Magazine. Retrieved on 2009-12-01.
  15. 1 2 Wood, Mikael (January 2010). Review: Untitled. Spin . Retrieved on 2011-02-16.
  16. 1 2 Untitled Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More. Metacritic. Retrieved on 2011-02-16.
  17. ↑ Hinshaw, Drew. Review: Untitled. The Village Voice . Retrieved on 2009-12-01.
  18. ↑ Kot, Greg. Review: Untitled. Chicago Tribune . Retrieved on 2009-11-27.
  19. ↑ Nominees: 2010 - 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards. Grammy.com. Retrieved on 2010-12-02.
  20. ↑ "Untitled (Clean)". Amazon. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  21. ↑ "Untitled". play.com. Archived from the original on November 5, 2009. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  22. ↑ "Lescharts.com – R. Kelly – Untitled". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  23. ↑ "Musiek Top 20". www.rsg.co.za (in Afrikaans). Archived from the original on December 20, 2009. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  24. ↑ "R. Kelly Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  25. ↑ "R. Kelly Chart History (Digital Albums)".[ dead link ] Billboard. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  26. ↑ "R. Kelly Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  27. ↑ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2010". Billboard. January 2, 2013. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  28. ↑ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2010". Billboard. January 2, 2013. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  29. ↑ "R Kelly: Untitled". hmv.com. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  30. ↑ "Untitled [EXPLICIT LYRICS] R. Kelly". barnesandnoble.com. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  31. ↑ "Untitled [EXPLICIT LYRICS] R. Kelly". barnesandnoble.com. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.