Growing Pains (album)
| Growing Pains | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by Mary J. Blige | ||||
| Released | December 18, 2007 | |||
| Recorded | 2007 | |||
| Genre | R&B, hip hop soul | |||
| Length | 65:03 | |||
| Label | Geffen | |||
| Producer | Ron "NEFF-U" Feemstar, Dejoin, Tricky Stewart, Jazze Pha, Bryan-Michael Cox, Dre & Vidal, The Neptunes, Stargate, Charles Harmony, Ne-Yo, Eric Hudson, Sean Garrett, Syience | |||
| Mary J. Blige chronology | ||||
|
||||
| Singles from Growing Pains | ||||
Growing Pains is the eighth studio album by American R&B recording artist Mary J. Blige. The album was released on December 18, 2007 by Geffen Records. It debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 selling 629,000 copies in its first week. Growing Pains was ranked #29 on Rolling Stone's list of the Top 50 Albums of 2007.[1]
"Work That" was released as the second single on December 18, 2007 and managed to peak inside the top 20 of the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and number 65 in the Billboard Hot 100. The third official single "Stay Down" reached the top 40 R&B charts, and was chosen in favor of "Hurt Again", which was originally the third single, but eventually was only a radio single by receiving airplay in Spring 2008.
At the 2009 51st Grammy Awards, it won Best Contemporary R&B Album.[2]
Contents |
[edit] Background
In an interview for Blues & Soul, Blige explained the significance of the album's title, stating:
I started writing the record right after that whole gigantic day I had at the Grammies last year. So it was important to me to get across to my fans that whole feeling I was going through of 'How do I sustain this breakthrough? How do I continue to remind myself I'm in a better place?'... And the only way to continue to stay in that place is to GROW! I believe the majority of people out there, if something uncomfortable is going on in their lives, are forced to either go back to where they were, or to GROW – and that that tension is called PAIN. So the light, happy songs on the album are celebrating my growth. While the less poppy, darker tracks represent the places I'm forced to grow out of. So in that way the title represents the growth, as well as the understanding that – in order for anything to develop – it has to have some kinda tension behind it.[3]—Mary J. Blige
[edit] Singles
"Just Fine" was released as the albums lead single on October 2, 2007. The single was the only single from the album which was released in multiple formats. The single peaked at #22 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #3 On the U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. In the UK, the song performed well peaking at #16 on the official chart. "Work That" was released as the albums second single on December 18, 2007. The single charted from digital downloads when the album was released, and eventually peaked at #65 on the Billboard Hot 100 but did become a top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The song "Hurt Again" was supposed to be released as the official third single released from Growing Pains, but at the last minute was changed in the favor of "Stay Down". Between the loss of momentum from the album's first and second single and lack of promotion for the single, "Stay Down" did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100 chart; it peaked at #34 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart.
[edit] Reception
[edit] Commercial performance
Growing Pains sold 629,000 copies in its first week and debuted at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart[4] and number one on the R&B chart[citation needed]. In its second week the album climbed to number one on the Billboard 200 with 204,000 copies sold.[5] In the UK, the album entered the charts at Number 6, making it her highest charting album there since No More Drama in 2001 with first week sales of 21,755. In Germany, the album was her worst one charting, peaking #48 and staying on the German Albums Chart for only 3 weeks[6]. The album has sold over 1,640,000 copies in the US to date[citation needed].
[edit] Critical response
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | |
| Robert Christgau | (A-)[8] |
| Entertainment Weekly | (B)[9] |
| The Guardian | |
| The Independent | |
| PopMatters | (8/10)[12] |
| Rolling Stone | |
| Slant Magazine | |
| USA Today | |
| The Village Voice | (favorable)[16] |
Growing Pains received positive reviews from most music critics.[17] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 77, based on 17 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".[17] Allmusic editor Marisa Brown gave it four out of five stars and called it "a mature, polished, and utterly professional set of well-crafted songs", noting that "the album takes an even greater step toward pop".[7] Alex Macpherson of The Guardian complimented its themes of Blige's "past and present", while citing the track "Roses" as "one of the best songs of her career".[10] NME gave the album a seven out of 10 rating and commented that it "finds Blige on chirpier form".[18] Michael Arceneaux of PopMatters complimented Blige's "cheerful demeanor" on the album and called it "a good addition to the Mary J. Blige catalogue".[12] USA Today's Edna Gundersen wrote that "Her vulnerability and vocal prowess are undeniable, and resistance melts away as her voice [...] commands and communicates with startling clarity".[15] Steven Hyden of The A.V. Club gave the album a B+ rating and commended Blige for "reaching beyond the relative stability of her personal life and playing up the vulnerable everywoman persona that's long resonated with her female fanbase".[19] BBC Online's Talia Kraines commended Blige for "keeping it real" and complimented her "empowering emotion".[20]
However, Andy Gill of The Independent commented that "it's hard to tell whether the whiplash snares and crisp handclap grooves [...] are suited to [Blige's] needs here" and criticized "Blige's capitulation to R&B cliché, with all women downtrodden and all men culpable, and a corrosively bling-driven worldview".[11] Slant Magazine's Eric Henderson called the album an "overstuffed collection of affirmations, self-definitions, and keepin'-it-real-isms" and wrote that "what's both most compelling and most limiting about Blige's Growing Pains: She keeps her most salable characteristic, her emotiveness, under duress, which provides tension but no release".[14] Alfred Soto of The Village Voice noted "no more drama, but plenty of (occasionally excellent) melodrama", adding that "as her acting chops diminish, her command over plush, slightly jagged contempo r&b improves".[16] Writing for Rolling Stone, critic Robert Christgau commented that "the tone of her confessions has changed with her music", stating "Growing Pains is an edgier record than The Breakthrough, but Blige has definitely lost or just outgrown the brassy urgency of her twenties".[13] In his consumer guide for MSN Music, Christgau described the album as "an expensive, honorable, credible sampler of the hottest current R&B brands", and gave it an A- rating,[8] indicating "the kind of garden-variety good record that is the great luxury of musical micromarketing and overproduction".[21]
[edit] Accolades
In 2008, at the 50th Grammy Awards, "Just Fine" was nominated in the 'Best Female R&B Vocal Performance' category, losing the award to Alicia Keys' "No One".
At the 2009 51st Grammy Awards it was nominated for Best Contemporary R&B Album and Just Fine was nominated for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical. The album won Best Contemporary R&B Album.[2]
[edit] Track listing
[edit] International edition
| # | Title | Length | Songwriters | Producer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Work That" | 3:30 | Mary J. Blige, Theron Otis Feemster, Sean Garrett | Neff-U, Sean Garrett |
| 2 | "Grown Woman" (featuring Ludacris) | 4:05 | Christopher Bridges, Dejion Madison, Mary J. Blige, Terius Nash | Dejion |
| 3 | "Just Fine" | 4:02 | Terius Nash, Mary J. Blige, Jazze Pha, Chris "Tricky" Stewart | Tricky Stewart, Jazze Pha |
| 4 | "Feel Like a Woman" | 4:02 | Theron Otis Feemster, Mary J. Blige, Terius Nash | Neff-U |
| 5 | "Stay Down" | 4:22 | Mary J. Blige, Johnta Austin, Bryan-Michael Cox | Bryan-Michael Cox |
| 6 | "Hurt Again" | 4:08 | Mary J. Blige, Andre Harris, Vidal Davis, Brian Sledge | Dre & Vidal |
| 7 | "Shake Down" (featuring Usher) | 3:36 | Terius Nash, Mary J. Blige, Jazze Pha, Tricky Stewart | Tricky Stewart, Jazze Pha |
| 8 | "Till the Morning" | 4:17 | Pharrell Williams | The Neptunes |
| 9 | "Roses" | 4:35 | Terius Nash, Mary J. Blige, Tricky Stewart | Tricky Stewart |
| 10 | "Fade Away" | 4:15 | Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Mary J. Blige, Ne-Yo | Stargate |
| 11 | "What Love Is" | 4:03 | Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Mary J. Blige, Ne-Yo | Stargate |
| 12 | "Work in Progress (Growing Pains)" | 4:00 | Charles Harmony, Ne-Yo | Charles Harmony, Ne-Yo |
| 13 | "Talk to Me" | 4:09 | Robert Wright, Mary J. Blige, Eric Hudson, Verdine White, Johnta Austin | Eric Hudson |
| 14 | "If You Love Me?" | 3:39 | Mary J. Blige, Johnta Austin, Bryan-Michael Cox | Bryan-Michael Cox |
| 15 | "Smoke" | 3:10 | Reggie Perry, Ne-Yo | Syience |
| 16 | "Come to Me (Peace)" | 5:01 | Terius Nash, Mary J. Blige, Kuk Harrell, Tricky Stewart | Tricky Stewart |
Target released special edition of the album with bonus DVD which includes "Just Fine" music video and the behind-the-scenes footage.
[edit] Japanese edition
| # | Title | Length | Songwriters | Producer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Work That" | 3:30 | Mary J. Blige, Theron Otis Feemster, Sean Garrett | Neff-U, Sean Garrett |
| 2 | "Grown Woman" (featuring Ludacris) | 4:05 | Christopher Bridges, Dejion Madison, Mary J. Blige, Terius Nash | Dejion |
| 3 | "Just Fine" | 4:02 | Terius Nash, Mary J. Blige, Jazze Pha, Chris "Tricky" Stewart | Tricky Stewart, Jazze Pha |
| 4 | "Feel Like a Woman" | 4:02 | Theron Otis Feemster, Mary J. Blige, Terius Nash | Neff-U |
| 5 | "Stay Down" | 4:22 | Mary J. Blige, Johnta Austin, Bryan-Michael Cox | Bryan-Michael Cox |
| 6 | "Hurt Again" | 4:08 | Mary J. Blige, Andre Harris, Vidal Davis, Brian Sledge | Dre & Vidal |
| 7 | "Shake Down" (featuring Usher) | 3:36 | Terius Nash, Mary J. Blige, Jazze Pha, Tricky Stewart | Tricky Stewart, Jazze Pha |
| 8 | "Till the Morning" | 4:17 | Pharrell Williams | The Neptunes |
| 9 | "Nowhere Fast" (featuring Brook Lynn) | 3:46 | Mary Jane Blige, Christopher Stewart, Phalon Alexander, Terius Nash | Tricky Stewart, Jazze Pha |
| 10 | "Roses" | 4:35 | Terius Nash, Mary J. Blige, Tricky Stewart | Tricky Stewart |
| 11 | "Fade Away" | 4:15 | Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Mary J. Blige, Ne-Yo | Stargate |
| 12 | "What Love Is" | 4:03 | Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Mary J. Blige, Ne-Yo | Stargate |
| 13 | "Work in Progress (Growing Pains)" | 4:00 | Charles Harmony, Ne-Yo | Charles Harmony, Ne-Yo |
| 14 | "Talk to Me" | 4:09 | Robert Wright, Mary J. Blige, Eric Hudson, Verdine White, Johnta Austin | Eric Hudson |
| 15 | "If You Love Me?" | 3:39 | Mary J. Blige, Johnta Austin, Bryan-Michael Cox | Bryan-Michael Cox |
| 16 | "Smoke" | 3:10 | Reggie Perry, Ne-Yo | Syience |
| 17 | "Come to Me (Peace)" | 5:01 | Terius Nash, Mary J. Blige, Kuk Harrell, Tricky Stewart | Tricky Stewart |
| 18 | "Hello It's Me" | 4:07 | Todd Rundgren | Mark Ronson |
| 19 | "Mirror" (featuring Eve) | 3:54 | Mary Jane Blige, Christopher Stewart, Terius Nash, Kuk Harrell, Eve Jeffers | Tricky Stewart |
| 20 | "Sleep Walkin'" | 4:24 | Mary Jane Blige, Christopher Stewart, | Tricky Stewart |
[edit] iTunes edition
| # | Title | Length | Songwriters | Producer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Work That" | 3:30 | Mary J. Blige, Theron Otis Feemster, Sean Garrett | Neff-U, Sean Garrett |
| 2 | "Grown Woman" (featuring Ludacris) | 4:05 | Christopher Bridges, Dejion Madison, Mary J. Blige, Terius Nash | Dejion |
| 3 | "Just Fine" | 4:02 | Terius Nash, Mary J. Blige, Jazze Pha, Chris "Tricky" Stewart | Tricky Stewart, Jazze Pha |
| 4 | "Feel Like a Woman" | 4:02 | Theron Otis Feemster, Mary J. Blige, Terius Nash | Neff-U |
| 5 | "Stay Down" | 4:22 | Mary J. Blige, Johnta Austin, Bryan-Michael Cox | Bryan-Michael Cox |
| 6 | "Hurt Again" | 4:08 | Mary J. Blige, Andre Harris, Vidal Davis, Brian Sledge | Dre & Vidal |
| 7 | "Shake Down" (featuring Usher) | 3:36 | Terius Nash, Mary J. Blige, Jazze Pha, Tricky Stewart | Tricky Stewart, Jazze Pha |
| 8 | "Till the Morning" | 4:17 | Pharrell Williams | The Neptunes |
| 9 | "Nowhere Fast" (featuring Brook Lynn) | 3:46 | Mary Jane Blige, Christopher Stewart, Phalon Alexander, Terius Nash | Tricky Stewart, Jazze Pha |
| 10 | "Roses" | 4:35 | Terius Nash, Mary J. Blige, Tricky Stewart | Tricky Stewart |
| 11 | "Fade Away" | 4:15 | Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Mary J. Blige, Ne-Yo | Stargate |
| 12 | "What Love Is" | 4:03 | Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Mary J. Blige, Ne-Yo | Stargate |
| 13 | "Work in Progress (Growing Pains)" | 4:00 | Charles Harmony, Ne-Yo | Charles Harmony, Ne-Yo |
| 14 | "Talk to Me" | 4:09 | Robert Wright, Mary J. Blige, Eric Hudson, Verdine White, Johnta Austin | Eric Hudson |
| 15 | "If You Love Me?" | 3:39 | Mary J. Blige, Johnta Austin, Bryan-Michael Cox | Bryan-Michael Cox |
| 16 | "Smoke" | 3:10 | Reggie Perry, Ne-Yo | Syience |
| 17 | "Come to Me (Peace)" | 5:01 | Terius Nash, Mary J. Blige, Kuk Harrell, Tricky Stewart | Tricky Stewart |
| 18 | "Hello It's Me" | 4:07 | Todd Rundgren | Mark Ronson |
| 19 | "Mirror" (featuring Eve) | 3:54 | Mary Jane Blige, Christopher Stewart, Terius Nash, Kuk Harrell, Eve Jeffers | Tricky Stewart |
- "Just Fine" (Remix) (featuring Lil Mama) (iTunes pre-order only)
- Digital Booklet - Growing Pains
[edit] iTunes UK edition
| # | Title | Length | Songwriters | Producer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Work That" | 3:30 | Mary J. Blige, Theron Otis Feemster, Sean Garrett | Neff-U, Sean Garrett |
| 2 | "Grown Woman" (featuring Ludacris) | 4:05 | Christopher Bridges, Dejion Madison, Mary J. Blige, Terius Nash | Dejion |
| 3 | "Just Fine" | 4:02 | Terius Nash, Mary J. Blige, Jazze Pha, Chris "Tricky" Stewart | Tricky Stewart, Jazze Pha |
| 4 | "Feel Like a Woman" | 4:02 | Theron Otis Feemster, Mary J. Blige, Terius Nash | Neff-U |
| 5 | "Stay Down" | 4:22 | Mary J. Blige, Johnta Austin, Bryan-Michael Cox | Bryan-Michael Cox |
| 6 | "Hurt Again" | 4:08 | Mary J. Blige, Andre Harris, Vidal Davis, Brian Sledge | Dre & Vidal |
| 7 | "Shake Down" (featuring Usher) | 3:36 | Terius Nash, Mary J. Blige, Jazze Pha, Tricky Stewart | Tricky Stewart, Jazze Pha |
| 8 | "Till the Morning" | 4:17 | Pharrell Williams | The Neptunes |
| 9 | "Roses" | 4:35 | Terius Nash, Mary J. Blige, Tricky Stewart | Tricky Stewart |
| 10 | "Fade Away" | 4:15 | Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Mary J. Blige, Ne-Yo | Stargate |
| 11 | "What Love Is" | 4:03 | Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Mary J. Blige, Ne-Yo | Stargate |
| 12 | "Work in Progress (Growing Pains)" | 4:00 | Charles Harmony, Ne-Yo | Charles Harmony, Ne-Yo |
| 13 | "Talk to Me" | 4:09 | Robert Wright, Mary J. Blige, Eric Hudson, Verdine White, Johnta Austin | Eric Hudson |
| 14 | "If You Love Me?" | 3:39 | Mary J. Blige, Johnta Austin, Bryan-Michael Cox | Bryan-Michael Cox |
| 15 | "Smoke" | 3:10 | Reggie Perry, Ne-Yo | Syience |
| 16 | "Come to Me (Peace)" | 5:01 | Terius Nash, Mary J. Blige, Kuk Harrell, Tricky Stewart | Tricky Stewart |
| 17 | "Nowhere Fast" (featuring Brook Lynn) | 3:46 | Mary Jane Blige, Christopher Stewart, Phalon Alexander, Terius Nash | Tricky Stewart, Jazze Pha |
| 18 | "Hello It's Me" | 4:07 | Todd Rundgren | Mark Ronson |
| 19 | "Mirror" (featuring Eve) | 3:54 | Mary Jane Blige, Christopher Stewart, Terius Nash, Kuk Harrell, Eve Jeffers | Tricky Stewart |
| 20 | "Just Fine" (Moto Blanco Vox Remix) | 3:46 | Terius Nash, Mary J. Blige, Jazze Pha, Chris "Tricky" Stewart | Moto Blanco |
- Digital Booklet - Growing Pains
[edit] Personnel
Credits for Growing Pains adapted from Allmusic.[22]
|
|
[edit] Charts
| Chart (2007/2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Albums Chart | 41 |
| Dutch Albums Chart | 31 |
| French Albums Chart | 73 |
| German Albums Chart[6] | 48 |
| Greek Albums Chart | 42 |
| Irish Albums Chart | 47 |
| Italian Albums Chart | 44 |
| Japanese Oricon Albums Chart | 22 |
| Romanian Albums Chart | 8 |
| Swedish Albums Chart | 6 |
| Swiss Album Chart | 6 |
| UK Album Chart[23] | 6 |
| US Billboard 200[24] | 1 |
| US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums | 1 |
[edit] Chart precession and succession
| Preceded by Noël by Josh Groban |
Billboard 200 number-one album January 12, - January 19, 2008 |
Succeeded by In Rainbows by Radiohead |
[edit] Release history
| Region | Date |
|---|---|
| United States | December 18, 2007 |
| United Kingdom | February 4, 2008 |
| Brazil | February 15, 2008 |
| Canada | November 9, 2007 |
| Japan | April 28, 2008 |
[edit] References
- ^ Robert Christgau, David Fricke, Christian Hoard, Rob Sheffield (December 17, 2007). Growing Pains top the Billboard 200, charting at #2. http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/17601851/the_top_50_albums_of_2007/29 "The Top 50 Albums of 2007"] Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2007-12-20
- ^ a b MTV News Staff (2009-02-08). "Grammy 2009 Winners List". MTV. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1604545/20090208/story.jhtml. Retrieved 2009-02-09.
- ^ Pete Lewis Interviews Mary J. Blige, 'Blues & Soul' February 2008
- ^ Brandi Hopper, "Mary J. Blige Sells 629K On The Billboard 200, Jahiem & Lupe Fiasco Surprise", sohh.com, December 27, 2007.
- ^ Katie Hasty, "Blige Topples Groban, Radiohead Debuts Early", Billboard.com, January 2, 2008.
- ^ a b http://www.musicline.de/de/chartverfolgung_summary/artist/Blige%2CMary+J./?type=longplay
- ^ a b Brown, Marisa (December 17, 2007). Growing Pains - Mary J. Blige | AllMusic: Review. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2011-04-17.
- ^ a b Christgau, Robert (February 2008). Inside Music: Consumer Guide. MSN Music. Retrieved on 2011-04-17.
- ^ Greenblatt, Leah (December 7, 2007). Growing Pains | Music | EW.com. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved on 2011-04-17.
- ^ a b Macpherson, Alex (January 25, 2008). CD: Mary J Blige, Growing Pains | Music | The Guardian. The Guardian. Retrieved on 2011-04-17.
- ^ a b Gill, Andy (February 1, 2008). Album: Mary J Blige, Growing Pains (Geffen) - Reviews, Music - The Independent. The Independent. Retrieved on 2011-04-17.
- ^ a b Arceneaux, Michael (December 19, 2007). Mary J. Blige: Growing Pains < PopMatters. PopMatters. Retrieved on 2011-04-17.
- ^ a b Christgau, Robert (December 13, 2007). Growing Pains by Mary J. Blige | Rolling Stone Music | Music Reviews. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2011-04-17.
- ^ a b Henderson, Eric (December 16, 2007). Mary J. Blige: Growing Pains | Music Review | Slant Magazine. Slant Magazine. Retrieved on 2011-04-17.
- ^ a b Gundersen, Edna (December 17, 2007). Mary J. Blige goes to great 'Pains' - USATODAY.com. USA Today. Retrieved on 2011-04-17.
- ^ a b Soto, Alfred (December 11, 2007). Mary J. Blige's Growing Pains - Page 1 - Music - New York - Village Voice. The Village Voice. Retrieved on 2011-04-17.
- ^ a b Growing Pains Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic. Metacritic. Retrieved on 2011-04-17.
- ^ SW (February 1, 2008). Mary J. Blige - Mary J Blige - Album Reviews - NME.COM. NME. Retrieved on 2011-04-17.
- ^ Hyden, Steven (December 18, 2007). Mary J. Blige: Growing Pains | Music | Music Review | The A.V. Club. The A.V. Club. Retrieved on 2011-04-17.
- ^ Kraines, Talia (February 6, 2008). BBC - Music - Review of Mary J. Blige - Growing Pains. BBC Online. Retrieved on 2011-04-17.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (October 15, 2000). Robert Christgau: CG 90s: Key to Icons. Robert Christgau. Retrieved on 2011-04-17.
- ^ Growing Pains - Mary J. Blige | AllMusic. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2011-04-17.
- ^ BBC - Radio 1 - Chart Show - The UK Top 40 Albums
- ^ "Mary J. Blige - Growing Pains worldwide chart positions and trajectories". aCharts. Accessed January 3, 2008.
[edit] External links
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
- 2007 albums
- Albums produced by Bryan-Michael Cox
- Albums produced by Dre & Vidal
- Albums produced by Jazze Pha
- Albums produced by The Neptunes
- Albums produced by Sean Garrett
- Albums produced by Stargate
- Albums produced by Tricky Stewart
- Geffen Records albums
- Mary J. Blige albums
- Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album