Untitled (R. Kelly album)

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Untitled
File:R. Kelly's New Album.JPG
Studio album by R. Kelly
Released November 30, 2009 (2009-11-30)
Recorded September 2008–October 2009 at Trod Nossel Studios[1]
Genre R&B[2]
Length 62:13
Label Jive, Sony
Producer R. Kelly (exec.), Lil' Ronnie, Jazze Pha, Infinity, DJ Camper, Sassieon Hill, Rico Law, Los da Mystro, Royalty, Riffraph, Soulshock & Karlin, Willy Will, Jack Splash, Gaz, The Underdogs, Deep, Berris Bolton, DeWayne Swan, T-Town Productions
R. Kelly chronology
Double Up
(2007)Double Up2007
Untitled
(2009)
Love Letter
(2010)Love Letter2010
Singles from Untitled
  1. "Supaman High"
    Released: June 12, 2009
  2. "Number One"
    Released: July 28, 2009
  3. "Religious"
    Released: October 10, 2009
  4. "Echo"
    Released: January 2010
  5. "Be My #2"
    Released: Unknown

Untitled is the ninth studio album by American R&B recording artist R. Kelly. It was released, by Jive Records and Sony Music on November 30, 2009 in the UK; while it was released on December 1, 2009 in the US.[3] It was entirely produced by R. Kelly and features prominently carnal lyrical themes.[4]

The album debuted at number 4 on the US Billboard 200, selling 110,000 in its first week, making it his ninth top five album on that chart, and reached the top of the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, selling 350,000 copies in total US domestically to date.[5] Untitled received generally mixed reviews from contemporary music critics.

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.

Singles

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.[6][7]

Both second and third singles, "Religious" (released on October 10, 2009) and "Echo" (released on January 2010), underquoted this success with peak positions of numbers 48 and 52 respectively on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, never making it to the official Hot 100.

Reception

The album debuted at number 4 on the US Billboard 200, selling 110,000 copies in its first week, marking his ninth top 5 album on the chart. On March 27, 2010, the album has currently sold 334,000 copies in the United States.[citation needed]

Accolade

In 2011, Untitled was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album, presented at the 53rd Grammy Awards.[8]

Critical response

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic 3.5/5 stars[9]
The A.V. Club C+[10]
Entertainment Weekly C+[2]
The Daily Telegraph 4/5 stars[11]
The Guardian 2/5 stars[12]
The New York Times favorable[13]
Pitchfork Media 4.8/10[14]
Rolling Stone 3.5/5 stars[15]
Slant Magazine 2/5 stars[16]
Spin 7/10[17]

Untitled received generally mixed reviews from music critics.[18] 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".[18] 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".[9] 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".[17] 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."[11]

In a mixed review, The A.V. Club's Nathan Rabin gave the album a C+ rating and commented that it "feels generic".[10] 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."[19] 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'".[20] 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."[13]

Track listing

Standard edition[21]
No. Title Writer(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 Camper 3:58
4. "Bangin' the Headboard"   R. Kelly, Camper, Sassieon Hill, Infinity, Miguel "Rico Law" Jiminez R. Kelly, Infinity, DJ Camper, Hill, Rico Law 3:14
5. "Go Low"   R. Kelly R. Kelly 3:51
6. "Whole Lotta Kisses"   R. Kelly R. Kelly 4:30
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" Hamilton R. Kelly, Royalty, Riffraph 4:21
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, Splash 4:52
12. "Text Me"   R. Kelly, Gasner "Gaz" Hughes R. Kelly, Gaz 4:20
13. "Religious"   R. Kelly, Warryn Campbell, Eric Dawkins, Antonio Dixon, Tyrese Gibson R. Kelly, The Underdogs 3:03
14. "Elsewhere"   R. Kelly, Chris Henderson R. 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, Swan 6:00

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2009) Peak
position
South African Albums Chart[23] 19
US Billboard 200[citation needed] 4
US Digital Albums (Billboard)[24] 5
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[citation needed] 1

Year-end charts

Chart (2010) Position
US Billboard 200 109[25]

Release history

Region Date Format Label(s) Catalogue
United Kingdom November 30, 2009 Clean version[26] Sony Music Entertainment 88697599152
United States December 1, 2009 Clean version[27] Jive Records 886973113721
Explicit lyrics[28] 886973113622

See also

References

  1. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Greenblatt, Leah. Review: Untitled. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved on 2009-11-27.
  3. Video: R. Kelly f/ Keri Hilson – ‘Number One’. Rap-Up.
  4. Stewart, Allison. Review: Untitled. The Washington Post. Retrieved on 2009-12-01.
  5. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. R. Kelly Reveals New Album Will Be Called Untitled. MTV News.
  7. R. Kelly - Number One. DJ Booth.
  8. Nominees: 2010 - 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards. Grammy.com. Retrieved on 2010-12-02.
  9. 9.0 9.1 Kellman, Andy. Review: Untitled. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2009-11-28.
  10. 10.0 10.1 Rabin, Nathan. Review: Untitled. The A.V. Club. Retrieved on 2009-12-14.
  11. 11.0 11.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. Sullivan, Caroline. Review: Untitled. The Guardian. Retrieved on 2010-06-04.
  13. 13.0 13.1 Pareles, Jon. Review: Untitled. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2009-11-30.
  14. Fennessey, Sean. Review: Untitled. Pitchfork Media. Retrieved on 2010-01-11.
  15. Hoard, Christian. Review: Untitled. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2009-12-01.
  16. Cataldo, Jesse. Review: Untitled. Slant Magazine. Retrieved on 2009-12-01.
  17. 17.0 17.1 Wood, Mikael (January 2010). Review: Untitled. Spin. Retrieved on 2011-02-16.
  18. 18.0 18.1 Untitled Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More. Metacritic. Retrieved on 2011-02-16.
  19. Hinshaw, Drew. Review: Untitled. The Village Voice. Retrieved on 2009-12-01.
  20. Kot, Greg. Review: Untitled. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved on 2009-11-27.
  21. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. http://www.rsg.co.za/musiek_top20.asp Archived December 20, 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  24. http://www.billboard.com/artist/277270/r-kelly/chart?f=400
  25. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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External links