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Love.Live.Life

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This article is about the N-Dubz album. For for the Zelda album and song, see Zelda (band).
Untitled

Love.Live.Life is the third studio album by British hip hop group N-Dubz, released on 29 November 2010, by All Around the World and Island Records.

Composition and recording

Love.Live.Life, N-Dubz's third studio album, follows the group's first two platinum-selling albums Uncle B (2008) and Against All Odds (2009).[5] Following the release of the group's MOBO Award-winning single "Playing with Fire" in January of 2010,[6] N-Dubz announced that they will embark on a trip to the United States in an attempt to secure a recording deal for themselves there.[7] The group, however, were banned from travelling to the country because of visa issues which were later resolved in early February.[8] Def Jam Recordings boss, L.A. Reid, a big N-Dubz fan, then arranged a meeting with the group with the intention of signing the trio to his label.[8] In May 2010, it was announced that the group had secured a five-album recording deal with Def Jam,[9] and that they would be flying to Los Angeles, California to record their third studio album with American producers Dr. Luke and Jim Jonsin.[10]

"We'll never use American accents. I hate when singers go there and do that. You lose respect from British fans."

—Dappy[11]

N-Dubz recorded with American producers Salaam Remi, Jean Baptiste Kouame and Jim Jonsin on the album who are well-known for their work with the likes of Amy Winehouse, The Black Eyed Peas and Beyoncé Knowles.[12] The producers recording with N-Dubz had issues with the group's British slang on the tracks and as a result the group improved their vocabulary but put their creative foot down and in the end lost none of their Englishness on the album.[12] Words like "Blood" and "You get me?" were removed from the final edit of the album tracks for their American listeners but the group's trademark phrase "Na, na, niii" remained as the group did not want to lose the respect they had earned from their British fans.[11]

Singles

  • "Best Behaviour" was released on October 17, 2010 as the lead single from the album. It peaked at 10 in both the UK and Scotland, and became a top 40 hit in Ireland.[13]
  • Although not intentionally released as a single from the album "So Alive" was released on December 9, 2010. It appears on the album but is released as a single from artist Skepta's album Doin' It Again.
  • "Girls" was released on December 12, 2010 as the second single from the album. It peaked at 19 in the UK, and 4 on the R&B chart.
  • A video was released for track "Took It All Way" released as a promotional single. The video is made up from the characters of video game Little Big Planet.
  • "Morning Star" is the third single from the album. It peaked at 15 on the UK R&B Chart.
  • A video has been released for track "Cold Shoulder", released to promote the album.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[14]
Daily Mirror[15]
Evening Standard[16]
NME[17]
The Guardian[18]
The Independent[19]
The Observer[20]
The Scotsman[1]
Yahoo! Music[21]

The album has received mixed reviews from contemporary music critics. Gavin Martin of the Daily Mirror gave the album a three star rating, deeming it upbeat and boisterous. Martin felt that "[the album's] quality wavers but Transatlantic studio muscle and tracks like 'Toot It and Boot It' may see an advance on [N-Dubz's] U.S. ambitions."[15] While David Smyth from the Evening Standard said that with the release of the album, "[N-Dubz are] in too much of a hurry to develop their frantic, hip-pop sound, though the finger-clicking R&B of 'Toot It and Boot It' and name-check for Lil' Wayne in 'Girls' show a definite Americanisation in their music." Smyth complimented how when the group keep things simple, like on "Love Sick", they show a great ear for a good tune. He, however, criticised how tracks on the album sound like three songs playing at once, "suitable [only] for a teenager's minimal attention span."[16] Andy Gill of The Independent deemed the album as "a fairly predictable fare," highlighting "So Alive" as its best track: "The best piece on here is 'So Alive,' blessed with bullient bonhomie which despite the lingering attitude, proves engagingly infectious."[19]

Fraser McAlpine from NME said of the album: "What N-Dubz try to express as anthemic wisdom always seems to come out braggier and shoutier than they mean to."[17] Killian Fox of The Observer felt that for all the album's dynamism, it feels like a formula-driven move, and its insistence on having fun wears thin.[20] While Fiona Sheperd of The Scotsman said that Love.Live.Life oscillates between processed mulch such as "Love Sick" and more successful grime crossover tracks like "So Alive". Sheperd further deemed the album as "still just kids' stuff."[1]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Intro"N-Dubz, Z. AndersonFazer1:25
2."Best Behaviour"N-Dubz, Mr Hudson,Fazer, Mr Hudson,Ccolaco3:57
3."Took It All Away"N-DubzFazer, Martin Anderson3:39
4."Living for the Moment"N-Dubz, U. Yancy, K. CobySoundz, Josh Franceschi4:54
5."Love.Live.Life"Jean Baptiste, Ryan Buendia, C. Gibson, Nick Marsh, Michael McHenryFree School3:57
6."Scream My Name"N-Dubz, B. Reckless, I. Wroldsen, N. Walka, M. Gousse, Z. AndersonFuego, Max Gousse, Mark Hoppus3:03
7."Love Sick" (Tulisa featuring Ny)I. Wroldsen, P. Ighile, K. Abrahams, D. WardeParker & James3:50
8."Took It & Boot It"Dappy, K. Jackson, T. Griffin, M. Newman, N. Lee Jr., T. BluechelTyron TY$ Griffin, Max Gousse, Chad Gilbert4:03
9."Skit" (featuring Fearless)Dappy, FearlessFazer, Mazer2:38
10."So Alive" (N-Dubz vs Skepta)N-Dubz, SkeptaSkepta, Ccolaco3:38
11."Girls"N-Dubz, J. Jonsin, Z. AndersonJim Jonsin2:50
12."Cold Shoulder"N-Dubz, S. Remi, H. Beliewe, U. YancySalaam Remi, Staybent, Krunk-A-Delic3:13
13."Morning Star"Jean Baptiste, Ryan Buendia, Nick Marsh, S. Gordon, Michael McHenryFree School3:07
14."Outro"N-Dubz, Z. AndersonFazer1:30
15."We Dance On" (featuring Bodyrox)N-Dubz, N. Bridges, L. Caporoso, N. Clow, J. PearnBodyrox2:53

Additional Credits

  • Management by Jonathan Shalit & Rich Castillo for ROAR Global, London.
  • A&R'd by Rich Castillo assisted by Dean Ondrus Coulson for ROAR 2wo7even.
  • A&R for IDJ - Max Gousse
  • Design & Artwork by enjine.

Samples and covers

Tour

Date Country City Venue
April 11 2011 England Isle Of Wight Ryde Arena
April 12 2011 Margate Margate Winter Garden
April 13 2011 Grimsby Grimsby Auditorium
April 14 2011 Doncaster Doncaster Dome
April 16 2011 Northern Ireland Belfast Waterfront Hall
April 17 2011 Ireland Dublin Olympia Theatre
April 19 2011 England Nottingham Nottingham Royal Centre
April 21 2011 Scotland Glasgow SECC
April 22 2011 England Newcastle Metro Arena
April 23 2011 Bournemouth Bournemouth BIC
April 24 2011 Plymouth Plymouth Pavillions
April 26 2011 Brighton Brighton Centre
April 28 2011 Manchester MEN Arena
April 29 2011 Birmingham LG Arena
April 30 2011 London The O2
May 6 2011 Bristol O2 Academy Bristol
May 7 2011 Leicester O2 Academy Leicester
May 8 2011 Leeds O2 Academy Leeds
May 9 2011 Liverpool O2 Academy Liverpool
May 12 2011 Oxford O2 Academy Oxford

Support Acts

Starboy Nathan

Lady NY

Professor Green (From 21 April)

Fearless

Encore

Charts

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