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The Lady Killer (album)

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Untitled

The Lady Killer is the third solo album by American recording artist Cee Lo Green, released November 5, 2010 on Elektra Records. Production for the album was handled by Salaam Remi, ELEMENT, The Smeezingtons, Fraser T. Smith, Paul Epworth, and Jack Splash during 2009 to 2010.

The album debuted at number nine on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 41,000 copies in its first-week. It achieved respectable chart success elsewhere and produced two singles, including the international hit "Fuck You!". The Lady Killer received general acclaim from most music critics, earning praise for its production, classicist soul music approach, and Green's singing.

Release and promotion

The album was released on November 9, 2010, by Elektra Records and Roadrunner Records.[1] It was made available for streaming at NPR through to November 9, 2010.[2]

The lead single "Fuck You!" was released on August 19, 2010, and charted at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100.[3] It also became an international hit and peaked within the top-ten of charts in several countries, including number one in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.[3] The radio edit of the song was entitled "Forget You", while another edit is simply entitled "FU".[4][5] A music video for the song was released on YouTube on August 19, 2010,[6] featuring the lyrics of the song appearing on different colored backgrounds with film grain overlayed on the video. The video went viral, receiving over two million views within a week of its release.[7] The official music video was released on September 1, 2010.[8]

The album's second single, "It's OK", will be released on December 13, 2010.[9]

Reception

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number nine on the US Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 41,000 copies in the United States.[10] It also entered at number two on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[11] As of November 24, 2010 the album has sold 66,000 copies in the United States.[12]

The Lady Killer attained moderate international charting.[13] In the United Kingdom, the album debuted at number 10 on the Top 40 Albums and at number one on the Top 40 RnB Albums chart.[14][15] In Canada, it debuted at number 29 on the Top 100 Albums chart.[16] It also entered at number 91 in Belgium,[17] at number 18 in Ireland,[18] at number 43 in the Netherlands,[19] at number 24 in Australia,[20] at number 90 in France,[21] at number 53 in Sweden,[22] and at number 16 in Scotland.[23]

Critical response

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[24]
Chicago Sun-Times[25]
Entertainment Weekly(A-)[26]
The Guardian[27]
The New York Times(mixed)[28]
Pitchfork Media(7.3/10)[29]
Rolling Stone[30]
Slant Magazine[31]
Spin(8/10)[32]
The Village Voice(favorable)[33]

The Lady Killer received general acclaim from most music critics.[34] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 82, based on 25 reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim".[34] Allmusic writer Andy Kellman gave it 4 out of 5 stars and called it "a thoroughly engrossing album".[24] Entertainment Weekly's Leah Greenblatt gave The Lady Killer an A- rating and wrote that it "both honors and tweaks the tropes of vintage songcraft with hefty doses of sweet Motown/Stax boogie, a smattering of Curtis Mayfield superfly, and imaginary theme songs for James Bond".[26] Bill Friskics-Warren of The Washington Post wrote that the album "offers some of the most ebullient pop this side of old-school hit-machines ranging from Holland-Dozier-Holland to Gamble and Huff".[35] BBC Online's Mike Diver stated "With material of a standard to match his fantastic pipes, here [Green] has crafted his finest Cee-Lo long-player yet".[36] Will Dean of The Guardian called it "tremendous fun" and praised Green's "wonderful engine-powered voicebox".[27] Chicago Tribune writer Greg Kot gave it 3½ out of 4 stars and lauded Green's "retro-soul classicism and dark-tinged eccentricity".[37] Slant Magazine's Huw Jones praised the album's "buoyant nü-Motown and progressive soul", accessibility, and Green's singing as "absolutely flawless. Pitch-perfect from tip to toe".[31] URB's Dan Vidal gave the album 4 out of 5 stars and cited it as Green's "most cohesive work (including the Gnarls Barkley releases)"[38] Rolling Stone writer Jody Rosen called it "one of the most engrossing records of 2010".[30]

In contrast, Jon Caramanica of The New York Times perceived Green as "reduced to an accent piece... purposefully restrained" and stated "Green’s vocals are buried low in the mix, mere decoration for the arrangements and textures... crisp, lovely and certainly well rehearsed".[28] Will Salmon of Clash expressed a mixed response towards its high-spirited style and stated "musically it feels like a lesser take on Outkast’s 'The Love Below'".[39] Jer Fairall of PopMatters found its premise inconsistent and wrote that the album "feels relatively safe [...] a thoroughly likeable little trifle of a record", but stated "As a throwback, it is indeed impeccable".[40] Despite viewing it as less "gleefully unhinged" than his previous work, NME's Jason Draper gave the album a 7/10 rating and cited it as Green's "most focused solo album".[41] The Observer's Killian Fox wrote that "his idiosyncrasies have proven too potent to repress".[42] Nitsuh Abebe of New York called it "suitably theatrical—a lavishly orchestrated thing", and lauded Green's dramatist "lady-killer persona" and "artifice".[43] Los Angeles Times writer Margaret Wappler noted "a glassy modernity that makes the album a sexy sonic adventure of loving and leaving" and wrote that "it’s not Green’s caddish ways that charm. Rather... it’s his big heart underneath".[44] Ken Capobianco of The Boston Globe commended "how he negotiates moods here and turns phrases with subtlety, wit, and style".[45]

Despite writing that "he's not always lethal", Pitchfork Media's Joshua Klein expressed that Green "manages to avoid being both too rough or too smooth" and complimented his "contemporary, confident conception of soul music" and the album's "de rigueur synthetic frills".[29] Barry Walters of Spin noted its "detailed encapsulations of Saturday-night transcendence and Sunday-morning love pains" and its music "beautifully busy 21st-century Motown as greasy as it is vibrant".[32] Amy Linden of The Village Voice called the album "romantic—chaste, even" and wrote that "[Green]'s written a manual on how to both break and mend someone's heart".[33] The Independent's Andy Gill gave the album 5 out of 5 stars and wrote that "he manages to avoid all the bubblebath boudoir-soul cliches that litter most R&B albums".[46] Newday writer Glenn Gamboa gave it an A rating and stated "Green has secured his place among R&B's greatest singers - in part by taking their strengths and twisting them into his broader plan".[47] Robert Everett-Green of The Globe and Mail gave the album 3½ out of 4 stars and commended Green for his "allegiance to classic R&B song forms and arrangements", while noting its "compulsive grooves and dance-ready choruses".[48] Chicago Sun-Times writer Thomas Conner called it "an utter delight" and stated "every song rings fresh, modern, anthemic, packed with earth, wind and fire".[25]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."The Lady Killer Theme" (Intro)Thomas CallawayGrey Area1:37
2."Bright Lights Bigger City"Ben H. Allen, Callaway, Tony ReyesBen H. Allen, Graham Marsh (co)3:38
3."Fuck You!"Brody Brown, Callaway, Peter Hernandez, Philip Lawrence, Ari LevineThe Smeezingtons3:43
4."Wildflower"Callaway, Fraser T. SmithFraser T. Smith4:02
5."Bodies"Callaway, Salaam RemiSalaam Remi3:43
6."Love Gun" (featuring Lauren Bennett)Callaway, Mack David, Jerry Livingston, Terrence SimpkinsCee Lo Green, Salaam Remi (co)3:20
7."Satisfied"Callaway, Rick NowelsFraser T. Smith3:26
8."I Want You"Callaway, Fraser T. Smith, Jack SplashFraser T. Smith, Jack Splash3:36
9."Cry Baby"Callaway, NowelsFraser T. Smith3:27
10."Fool for You" (featuring Philip Bailey)Callaway, SplashJack Splash3:40
11."It's OK"Callaway, Hitesh Ceon, Noel Fisher, Kim OfstadELEMENT, Paul Epworth (co)3:46
12."Old Fashioned"Callaway, Alan KasiryeAlan Nglish, Salaam Remi (co)3:24
13."No One's Gonna Love You"Creighton Barrett, Benjamin Bridwell, James HamptonPaul Epworth3:29
14."The Lady Killer Theme" (Outro)CallawayGrey Area0:58
International edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."The Lady Killer Theme" (Intro)Thomas CallawayGrey Area1:37
2."Bright Lights Bigger City"Ben H. Allen, CallawayBen H. Allen, Graham Marsh (co)3:38
3."Forget You"Brody Brown, Callaway, Bruno Mars, Philip Lawrence, Ari LevineThe Smeezingtons3:42
4."Wildflower"Callaway, Fraser T. SmithFraser T. Smith4:02
5."Bodies"Callaway, Salaam RemiSalaam Remi3:43
6."Please" (featuring Selah Sue)  5:00
7."Satisfied"Callaway, Rick NowelsFraser T. Smith3:26
8."I Want You"Callaway, Fraser T. Smith, Jack SplashFraser T. Smith, Jack Splash3:36
9."Cry Baby"Callaway, NowelsFraser T. Smith3:27
10."Fool for You" (featuring Philip Bailey)Callaway, SplashJack Splash3:40
11."It's OK"Callaway, Hitesh Ceon, Noel Fisher, Kim OfstadELEMENT, Paul Epworth (co)3:46
12."Old Fashioned"Callaway, Alan KasiryeAlan Nglish, Salaam Remi (co)3:24
13."The Lady Killer Theme" (Outro)CallawayGrey Area0:58
14."Fuck You!"Brody Brown, Callaway, Bruno Mars, Philip Lawrence, Ari LevineThe Smeezingtons3:43
Japan bonus tracks[49]
No.TitleLength
15."Georgia"3:46
16."Grand Canyon"3:25
Itunes/Amazon Bonus Tracks
No.TitleLength
15."Everybody Loves You (Baby)"3:32
16."Scarlet Fever"4:45
US Best Buy Release
No.TitleLength
15."Red Hot Lover"3:15
16."Grand Canyon"3:25

 • (co) Co-producer

Personnel

Credits for The Lady Killer adapted from Allmusic.[50]

Musicians

Production

Charts and certifications

Release history

Region Date Label
Netherlands November 5, 2010 Elektra
France
Ireland
Australia
Belgium
United Kingdom November 8, 2010
Denmark
Greece
Finland
New Zealand
Sweden
Spain
Norway November 9, 2010
Italy
United States
Israel November 18, 2010
Germany November 19, 2010
Brazil November 30, 2010
Japan December 1, 2010

References

  1. ^ Mapes, Jillian (September 22, 2010). Cee Lo Pushes Up 'The Lady Killer' Release Date to Nov. 9. Billboard. Retrieved on 2010-11-06.
  2. ^ Jarenwattananon, Patrick. Yenigun, Sami (October 31, 2010). First Listen: Cee Lo Green, 'The Lady Killer'. NPR. Retrieved on 2010-11-01.
  3. ^ a b Song Performance: 'Fuck You!'. αCharts.us. Retrieved on 2010-11-11.
  4. ^ "Cee Lo's Viral Hit: Blunt and Sweet". All Things Considered. NPR. August 26, 2010. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
  5. ^ Brown, Damon (August 30, 2010). "Cee Lo's YouTube hit you won't hear on radio". CNN. Retrieved August 30, 2010.
  6. ^ Green, Cee-Lo (August 19, 2010). "Cee Lo Green - FUCK YOU". YouTube. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
  7. ^ Ehrlich, Brenna (August 23, 2010). "Cee-lo's "F**ck You" Goes Viral". Mashable. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
  8. ^ Green, Cee-Lo (September 1, 2010). "Cee Lo Green - FUCK YOU (Official Video)". YouTube. Retrieved September 6, 2010.
  9. ^ Staff (November 2010). Music – Singles Release Diary. Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 2010-11-20.
  10. ^ a b Caulfield, Keith (November 17, 2010). Susan Boyle Tops Billboard 200, 'Glee' Reigns On Digital Songs. Billboard. Retrieved on 2010-11-18.
  11. ^ a b R&B/Hip-Hop Albums - Week of November 13, 2010. Billboard. Retrieved on 2010-11-18.
  12. ^ R&B/Hip-Hop Albums - Week of November 21, 2010. HipHopDX. Retrieved on 2010-11-25.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g Album Performance: The Lady Killer. αCharts.us. Retrieved on 2010-11-13.
  14. ^ The Official UK Top 40 Albums Chart – 14 November 2010. BBC Online. Retrieved on 2010-11-14.
  15. ^ a b UK Top 40 RNB Albums – 14 November 2010. BBC Online. Retrieved on 2010-11-14.
  16. ^ a b Albums: Top 100 – For the Week Ending 11 November, 2010. Jam!. Retrieved on 2010-11-18.
  17. ^ a b ultratop - 100 Albums: 13/11/2010. ULTRATOP & Hung Medien / hitparade.ch. Retrieved on 2010-11-13.
  18. ^ Top 100 Individual Artist Albums - Week ending 11th November 2010. Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved on 2010-11-15.
  19. ^ GfK Dutch Album Top 100 - 13/11/2010. Hung Medien / hitparade.ch. Retrieved on 2010-11-15.
  20. ^ ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart – 15/11/2010. Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved on 2010-11-15.
  21. ^ Le Classement des Albums Nouveautés - Semaine du 08/11/2010 au 14/11/2010. Disque en France. Retrieved on 2010-11-20.
  22. ^ Sveriges Officiella Topplista: Veckolista Album - Vecka 46, 19 november 2010. Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved on 2010-11-20.
  23. ^ a b Top 40 Scottish Albums Archive - 20th November 2010. The Official Charts Company. Retrieved on 2010-11-21.
  24. ^ a b Kellman, Andy (November 8, 2010). Review: The Lady Killer. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2010-11-08.
  25. ^ a b Conner, Thomas (November 5, 2010). Review: The Lady Killer. Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved on 2010-11-05.
  26. ^ a b Greenblatt, Leah (November 3, 2010). Review: The Lady Killer. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved on 2010-11-04.
  27. ^ a b Dean, Will (October 28, 2010). Review: The Lady Killer. The Guardian. Retrieved on 2010-11-04.
  28. ^ a b Caramanica, Jon (November 8, 2010). Review: The Lady Killer. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2010-11-08.
  29. ^ a b Klein, Joshua (November 11, 2010). Review: The Lady Killer. Pitchfork Media. Retrieved on 2010-11-11.
  30. ^ a b Rosen, Jody (November 9, 2010). Review: The Lady Killer. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2010-11-08.
  31. ^ a b Jones, Huw (November 8, 2010). Review: The Lady Killer. Slant Magazine. Retrieved on 2010-11-08.
  32. ^ a b Walters, Barry (November 2, 2010). Review: The Lady Killer. Spin. Retrieved on 2010-11-04.
  33. ^ a b Linden, Amy (November 10, 2010). The Fearless Cee Lo Green. The Village Voice. Retrieved on 2010-11-10.
  34. ^ a b The Lady Killer (2010): Reviews. Metacritic. Retrieved on 2010-11-06.
  35. ^ Friskics-Warren, Bill (November 9, 2010). Review: The Lady Killer. The Washington Post. Retrieved on 2010-11-09.
  36. ^ Diver, Mike (November 2, 2010). Review: The Lady Killer. BBC Online. Retrieved on 2010-11-04.
  37. ^ Kot, Greg (November 7, 2010). Review: The Lady Killer. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved on 2010-11-08.
  38. ^ Vidal, Dan (November 10, 2010). Review: The Lady Killer. URB. Retrieved on 2010-11-10.
  39. ^ Salmon, Will (November 5, 2010). Review: The Lady Killer. Clash. Retrieved on 2010-11-06.
  40. ^ Fairall, Jer (November 10, 2010). Review: The Lady Killer. PopMatters. Retrieved on 2010-11-10.
  41. ^ Draper, Jason (October 29, 2010). Review: The Lady Killer. NME. Retrieved on 2010-11-04.
  42. ^ Fox, Killian (November 7, 2010). Review: The Lady Killer. The Observer. Retrieved on 2010-11-06.
  43. ^ Abebe, Nitsuh (November 7, 2010). Review: The Lady Killer. New York. Retrieved on 2010-11-08.
  44. ^ Wappler, Margaret (November 10, 2010). Review: The Lady Killer. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on 2010-11-10.
  45. ^ Capobianco, Ken (November 9, 2010). Review: The Lady Killer. The Boston Globe. Retrieved on 2010-11-08.
  46. ^ Gill, Andy (October 29, 2010). Review: The Lady Killer. The Independent. Retrieved on 2010-11-04.
  47. ^ Gamboa, Glenn (November 5, 2010). Review: The Lady Killer. Newsday. Retrieved on 2010-11-06.
  48. ^ Everett-Green, Robert (November 5, 2010). Review: The Lady Killer. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved on 2010-11-06.
  49. ^ The Lady Killer: Cee Lo Green: Japanese edition. HMV.co.jp. Retrieved on 2010-11-23.
  50. ^ Credits: The Lady Killer. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2010-11-06.
  51. ^ Cee-Lo Green Album & Song Chart History – European Albums. Billboard. Retrieved on 2010-11-28.
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