Battlefield (album)
Encyclopedia
Battlefield is the second studio album
by American R&B
and pop
singer Jordin Sparks
. It was first released on July 17, 2009 in Australia and Ireland, July 20 in the UK and from July 21 worldwide, on Jive Records
. The album has debuted at number 7 in the US, number 11 in the UK, number 34 in Australia and top 20 in many territories.
The album is a mixture of contemporary R&B
and pop
although many critics have cited dance-pop and pop-rock
influences. For the album Sparks was reunited with previous producers and hitmakers Harvey Mason, Jr.
and Claude Kelly as well as experimenting new sounds with award-winning songwriters and producers such as Ryan Tedder
, Dr. Luke and Lucas Secon
. Upon its release, Battlefield received generally mixed to positive reviews from most music critics.
The first single is also called "Battlefield
" and was produced and co-written by Ryan Tedder
. The single was released in North America
on May 12 reaching the top 5 in Canada and top 10 in the US, making it her 5th consecutive top 20 hit there. Internationally the single reached the top 10 in Australia, New Zealand and Ireland, and the top 20 in most other territories. "S.O.S. (Let the Music Play)
" is the second single. "Don't Let It Go to Your Head", a cover of the single originally by Fefe Dobson
was Sparks' third single to be released from the album. So far it has only been released in the UK on January 8, 2010. The album has so far sold over 600,000 copies worldwide.
Sparks spoke to Billboard magazine about how the recording process was much different to that of her previous album. Her debut had been recorded in approximately 20 days due to the huge appetite that fans had for her music. On the new album Sparks took her time meaning that not only could she write some of the songs but also had time to make the sound more mature or reject records which she felt unhappy with. Writing for the album began in the middle of 2008.
, Sparks revealed that she has been involved in writing songs for the album, in total contributing to about 12 of approximately 30 recorded songs. She also revealed that although the album had at that time produced no duets she was hopeful to collaborate with Leona Lewis
for a powerful ballad
. When asked who else she would like to collaborate with she said Fergie, Justin Timberlake
, Alicia Keys
.
None of these collaborations materialized although Sparks did confirm in an interview that she had made a pact to record a duet with Lewis for her future album as she believes the duo could be the next "Whitney Houston
and Mariah Carey
". The reason cited for no duets on this album was a lack of time and tight deadlines. As mentioned previously there are no vocal guests on the album although Tedder can be heard single backing vocals and ad-libs on the album's title song "Battlefield
". Originally the album was intended to feature one guest in the form of T-Pain
who had produced and appeared on the song "Watch You Go" with his signature vocoder
(singing autotune), but for unspecified reasons this version of the song was omitted and replaced with a solo version featuring just Spark's vocals. Furthermore of the 12 songs she has penned four have made the final version of the album ("Emergency (911)", "Was I the Only One", "Faith" and "The Cure") whilst a further two are being used as promotional songs (bonus tracks "Vertigo" and "Papercut"). All together between 30 and 40 songs had been short-listed for inclusion in the album, from which the final track list was selected and mastered.
The album was first announced to be released on July 14, 2009 in America
by Sparks herself through Twitter
and by Amazon.com
. However it was then later confirmed through the official press release from Jive Records that the album would in fact be released a week later instead on July 21, 2009.
On May 10, Sparks went ahead with a planned photo shoot for the album's cover and future singles. A picture from the photo shoot was released in the aforementioned press release which shows Sparks wearing a partially buttoned denim jacket over a white dress, seen leaning against a big fan with stage lights shining through.
Amazon.com
has confirmed that Sparks will be releasing a two disc deluxe edition featuring two bonus tracks at the same time as the standard edition, following in the footsteps of fellow label-mates Ciara
and Britney Spears
. In international markets "Tattoo" and "One Step at a Time
" from her debut album have been included as bonus tracks to help promote the album. Both songs were successful in their own rights reaching top 20 in Japan, the UK and Australia with no promotion.
in support of her second studio album of the same name. The tour kicked off on May 1, 2010 in Uncasville, Connecticut
and saw Sparks performing at 39 intimate venues across the U.S. such as theaters, ballrooms, amusement parks, and casinos. The tour ended on July 18, 2010 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
.
, selling 48,000 copies in its first week. It charted three spots higher, but with lower sales than her debut album. By July 2010, it had sold 177,000 copies in the United States.
Worldwide sales stand below the 600,000 mark as of July 2010.
.
The Guardian
writes "The 2007 hit 'No Air' gave you the breathy, cleancut gist; this second album employs the same tricks - almost literally, in the case of 'Let It Rain', which has a tremulous build-up and heroic chorus ("Let it rain, wash me clean," she commands). Squelchy electronics and a relatively earthy lyric ("Look in her eyes, she's mentally undressing him") give 'S.O.S.' an urban hue, and the clattering 'Let It Rain' is modern R&B worthy of Rihanna. Regrettably, though, Sparks sounds more comfortable with power ballads such as 'No Parade'; and there's an inner Pat Benatar
struggling to get out on the title track. OK if you like this kind of thing."
Slant Magazine
writes "Sparks is a pop artist and makes no bones about it here. Much of the album's running time is filled with the kind of soggy adult contemporary pulp that weighed down both the singer's self-titled debut and Leona Lewis's Spirit
, and the addition of two paper-themed bonus tracks, "Papercut" and "Postcard," on the deluxe version of Battlefield doesn't help matters. One wonders if it would have been a smarter move in terms of career longevity to try to build on the urban audience she started to cultivate with 'No Air'."
Entertainment Weekly
said "Battlefield certainly delivers on the artistic end: It's packed with more hooks than a fisherman's tackle box, none better than on the gorgeous title track, which sports a soaring chorus. Resistance is futile when Sparks, showing heretofore unseen vocal dexterity, takes to the dance floor to ward off a vixen who's barking up the wrong boyfriend. There is actually enough potential hits to keep the singer in heavy rotation until well into Idol's 10th season."
Digital Spy
also gave the album a generally mixed review, writing, "Nothing here is as irresistible as the single, a brilliant update of the '80s arena rock sound that deserves better than its middling chart performance, but several tracks aren't too far off. 'Don't Let It Go To Your Head' [and] 'Let It Rain'... offers lots of soft rock bombast." However, the reviewer also criticized the album for "sentimental mush in its final stretch, with Sparks delivering a series of threadbare clichés over dull, dated arrangements...The result is an album that improves upon Sparks' debut – it doesn't try so hard to cover all of the bases, and Sparks sounds more comfortable on the uptempo cuts – but has the same Achilles heel: a paucity of really memorable songs. Then again, faced with some tough choices and release date approaching, it's hard to blame Sparks – still only 19, lest we forget - for sticking a little too closely to the middle of the road."
DVD contents
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
and pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
singer Jordin Sparks
Jordin Sparks
Jordin Brianna Sparks is an American pop / R&B singer-songwriter and actress. She hails from Glendale, Arizona who rose to fame as the winner of the sixth season of American Idol. Sparks won when she was 17 years old, making her the youngest winner in Idol history...
. It was first released on July 17, 2009 in Australia and Ireland, July 20 in the UK and from July 21 worldwide, on Jive Records
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
. The album has debuted at number 7 in the US, number 11 in the UK, number 34 in Australia and top 20 in many territories.
The album is a mixture of contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
and pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
although many critics have cited dance-pop and pop-rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
influences. For the album Sparks was reunited with previous producers and hitmakers Harvey Mason, Jr.
Harvey Mason, Jr.
Harvey Mason, Jr. is a songwriter, record producer and movie producer. He has written and produced songs for some of the biggest legends in the music industry including Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Whitney Houston, and Luther Vandross as well as today’s superstars like Britney Spears, Jordin...
and Claude Kelly as well as experimenting new sounds with award-winning songwriters and producers such as Ryan Tedder
Ryan Tedder
Ryan Benjamin Tedder is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the frontman of the pop rock band, OneRepublic, though he has an independent career as songwriter and producer for various artists such as Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson, Far East Movement, Jordin Sparks, Leona...
, Dr. Luke and Lucas Secon
Lucas Secon
Lucas Secon, also known by the stage name Lucas, is a world-renowned Danish-American Grammy , MTV Award and Emmy Award-nominated record producer, songwriter,Golden Poets Award winner, DJ, rapper, singer and artist/conceptualist. He lives in London, United Kingdom.Secon has contributed to seven...
. Upon its release, Battlefield received generally mixed to positive reviews from most music critics.
The first single is also called "Battlefield
Battlefield (song)
"Battlefield" is a song performed by American recording artist Jordin Sparks, taken from her second studio album of the same name. The song was written by Wayne Wilkins, Ryan Tedder, Louis Biancaniello and Sam Watters. It was released as the album's lead single in the United States on May 8, 2009...
" and was produced and co-written by Ryan Tedder
Ryan Tedder
Ryan Benjamin Tedder is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the frontman of the pop rock band, OneRepublic, though he has an independent career as songwriter and producer for various artists such as Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson, Far East Movement, Jordin Sparks, Leona...
. The single was released in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
on May 12 reaching the top 5 in Canada and top 10 in the US, making it her 5th consecutive top 20 hit there. Internationally the single reached the top 10 in Australia, New Zealand and Ireland, and the top 20 in most other territories. "S.O.S. (Let the Music Play)
S.O.S. (Let the Music Play)
"S.O.S. " is a song performed by American R&B and pop recording artist Jordin Sparks. It is the second single from her second studio album titled Battlefield. The song was released first in Australia on September 4, 2009 and was sent to US radio on September 29, 2009. It was released in the UK on...
" is the second single. "Don't Let It Go to Your Head", a cover of the single originally by Fefe Dobson
Fefe Dobson
Felicia Lily "Fefe" Dobson is a Canadian singer-songwriter. Her self-titled debut album earned her two Juno Award nominations. Her second album, Sunday Love, was not released and she was terminated from her recording company...
was Sparks' third single to be released from the album. So far it has only been released in the UK on January 8, 2010. The album has so far sold over 600,000 copies worldwide.
Background and production
In several interviews Sparks confirmed that the album would take the themes from the first single "Battlefield". Then it was announced through the official press release that the album would be name after the first single Battlefield because it was central to the themes and other recordings for the album. Speaking of the lead song Sparks saidSparks spoke to Billboard magazine about how the recording process was much different to that of her previous album. Her debut had been recorded in approximately 20 days due to the huge appetite that fans had for her music. On the new album Sparks took her time meaning that not only could she write some of the songs but also had time to make the sound more mature or reject records which she felt unhappy with. Writing for the album began in the middle of 2008.
Music
On May 18, 2009 it was revealed so far Sparks had recorded 30 songs for the album but would select songs that fit well with the first single "Battlefield" since that was now also the name for the album. Later in May during an interview with Digital SpyDigital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
, Sparks revealed that she has been involved in writing songs for the album, in total contributing to about 12 of approximately 30 recorded songs. She also revealed that although the album had at that time produced no duets she was hopeful to collaborate with Leona Lewis
Leona Lewis
Leona Louise Lewis is a British singer and songwriter. Lewis first came to prominence in 2006 when she won the third series of the British television series The X Factor....
for a powerful ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
. When asked who else she would like to collaborate with she said Fergie, Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
, Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
.
None of these collaborations materialized although Sparks did confirm in an interview that she had made a pact to record a duet with Lewis for her future album as she believes the duo could be the next "Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
and Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
". The reason cited for no duets on this album was a lack of time and tight deadlines. As mentioned previously there are no vocal guests on the album although Tedder can be heard single backing vocals and ad-libs on the album's title song "Battlefield
Battlefield (song)
"Battlefield" is a song performed by American recording artist Jordin Sparks, taken from her second studio album of the same name. The song was written by Wayne Wilkins, Ryan Tedder, Louis Biancaniello and Sam Watters. It was released as the album's lead single in the United States on May 8, 2009...
". Originally the album was intended to feature one guest in the form of T-Pain
T-Pain
Faheem Rasheed Najm , better known by his stage name T-Pain, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actor, currently signed to Young Money Entertainment. His debut album, Rappa Ternt Sanga, was released in 2005. In 2007, T-Pain released his second studio album Epiphany,...
who had produced and appeared on the song "Watch You Go" with his signature vocoder
Vocoder
A vocoder is an analysis/synthesis system, mostly used for speech. In the encoder, the input is passed through a multiband filter, each band is passed through an envelope follower, and the control signals from the envelope followers are communicated to the decoder...
(singing autotune), but for unspecified reasons this version of the song was omitted and replaced with a solo version featuring just Spark's vocals. Furthermore of the 12 songs she has penned four have made the final version of the album ("Emergency (911)", "Was I the Only One", "Faith" and "The Cure") whilst a further two are being used as promotional songs (bonus tracks "Vertigo" and "Papercut"). All together between 30 and 40 songs had been short-listed for inclusion in the album, from which the final track list was selected and mastered.
Release and promotion
- July 20 – Good Morning AmericaGood Morning AmericaGood Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
- July 21 – Live with Regis and KellyLive with Regis and KellyLive! with Kelly is a syndicated American television morning talk show, hosted by Kelly Ripa. The show has aired since 1983 in New York City and 1988 nationwide. Tony Pigg has been the show's announcer since its inception...
, Entertainment TonightEntertainment TonightEntertainment Tonight is a daily tabloid television entertainment television news show that is syndicated by CBS Television Distribution throughout the United States, Canada and in many countries around the world. Linda Bell Blue is currently the program's executive producer...
, Late Night with Jimmy FallonLate Night with Jimmy FallonLate Night with Jimmy Fallon is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon on NBC. The show premiered on March 2, 2009, as the third incarnation of the Late Night franchise originated by David Letterman.... - July 22 – interviewed on The Today Show
- July 23 – interviewed on It's On with Alexa ChungIt's On with Alexa ChungIt's On with Alexa Chung was an American live interactive talk and variety program that aired weekdays on MTV from June 15 to December 17, 2009...
- July 24 – The Wendy Williams Show
- August 9 – appearance at the Teen Choice AwardsTeen Choice AwardsThe Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with...
- August 17 – Live with Regis and Kelly
- September 17 – VH1 DivasVH1 DivasIn 1998, VH1 debuted the first annual VH1 Divas concert. VH1 Divas Live was created to support the channel's Save The Music Foundation and subsequent concerts in the series have also benefited that foundation. The VH1 Divas concerts aired annually from 1998 to 2004. After a five year hiatus, the...
- October 13 – Performance of "S.O.S. (Let the Music Play)S.O.S. (Let the Music Play)"S.O.S. " is a song performed by American R&B and pop recording artist Jordin Sparks. It is the second single from her second studio album titled Battlefield. The song was released first in Australia on September 4, 2009 and was sent to US radio on September 29, 2009. It was released in the UK on...
" on The Paul O'Grady ShowThe Paul O'Grady ShowThe Paul O'Grady Show was a BAFTA award-winning British comedy chat show hosted by Birkenhead-born comedian Paul O'Grady. The format was originally devised by Granada Television and was broadcast on ITV before moving to Channel 4...
in the UK.
The album was first announced to be released on July 14, 2009 in America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by Sparks herself through Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
and by Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
. However it was then later confirmed through the official press release from Jive Records that the album would in fact be released a week later instead on July 21, 2009.
On May 10, Sparks went ahead with a planned photo shoot for the album's cover and future singles. A picture from the photo shoot was released in the aforementioned press release which shows Sparks wearing a partially buttoned denim jacket over a white dress, seen leaning against a big fan with stage lights shining through.
Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
has confirmed that Sparks will be releasing a two disc deluxe edition featuring two bonus tracks at the same time as the standard edition, following in the footsteps of fellow label-mates Ciara
Ciara
Ciara Princess Harris , known mononymously as Ciara, is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, actress and fashion model. Born in Austin, Texas, she traveled around the world during her childhood, only to land in Atlanta, Georgia where she met music producer, Jazze Pha...
and Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
. In international markets "Tattoo" and "One Step at a Time
One Step at a Time (song)
"One Step at a Time" is the third single from American Pop/R&B singer Jordin Sparks, from her eponymous debut album. Written by Robbie Nevil, Lauren Evans, Jonas Jeberg and Mich Hansen the song was released in the U.S. on June 10, 2008...
" from her debut album have been included as bonus tracks to help promote the album. Both songs were successful in their own rights reaching top 20 in Japan, the UK and Australia with no promotion.
Singles
- "Battlefield" is the first single from the album peaking at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and number five on the Canadian Hot 100Canadian Hot 100The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
. Internationally the song reached number three on the New Zealand Singles Chart, number four on the Australian Singles ChartARIA ChartsThe ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
, nine in IrelandIrish Recorded Music AssociationIrish Recorded Music Association is the Irish record industry association. IRMA is a non-profit association set up to manage and control the music industry in the Republic of Ireland.-Goals and activities:...
, and eleven in the UK.
- "S.O.S. (Let the Music Play)S.O.S. (Let the Music Play)"S.O.S. " is a song performed by American R&B and pop recording artist Jordin Sparks. It is the second single from her second studio album titled Battlefield. The song was released first in Australia on September 4, 2009 and was sent to US radio on September 29, 2009. It was released in the UK on...
" was confirmed to be lined up as the second single by Jordin Sparks on a radio interview with New York's Fresh 102.7. The song was released in Australia on September 4, 2009 and in the US on September 29, 2009 It was released in the UK on October 12, 2009. The video was shot in Los Angeles, California on August 10, 2009, with Chris RobinsonChris Robinson (director)Chris Robinson is an American film director working mostly with music videos and commercials. He has directed commercials for brands such as iPod, Coca Cola and Verizon and music videos for songs like "Fallin'" and "You Don't Know My Name" by Alicia Keys, "Roc Boys" by Jay-Z, the grammy nominated...
serving as the director. He also worked with Sparks on the "No AirNo Air"No Air" is a song by American recording artist Jordin Sparks featuring American R&B singer Chris Brown. The song was written by James Fauntleroy II, Eric Griggs, Michael Scala, Harvey Mason, Jr., Damon Thomas and Steve Russell...
" music video. - "Don't Let It Go to Your Head" is the third single to be released from the album. It was released as a digital download on January 8, 2010 in the UK only. It was released as a digital download with "Landmines (Main Version)" as the B side.
Tour
On March 15, 2010 it was announced that Sparks was going on her first headlining tour, the Battlefield TourBattlefield Tour
The Battlefield Tour was a concert tour by American pop singer Jordin Sparks in support of her second studio album Battlefield. It is Sparks' first headlining tour. The tour consisted of mostly general assembly venues such as theaters, ballrooms, amusement parks, and casinos. It was initially only...
in support of her second studio album of the same name. The tour kicked off on May 1, 2010 in Uncasville, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
and saw Sparks performing at 39 intimate venues across the U.S. such as theaters, ballrooms, amusement parks, and casinos. The tour ended on July 18, 2010 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
Reception
Commercial performance
The album debuted at number seven on the U.S. Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, selling 48,000 copies in its first week. It charted three spots higher, but with lower sales than her debut album. By July 2010, it had sold 177,000 copies in the United States.
Worldwide sales stand below the 600,000 mark as of July 2010.
Critical response
Upon its release, Battlefield received generally mixed to positive reviews from most music critics, based on an aggregate score of 63/100 from MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
.
The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
writes "The 2007 hit 'No Air' gave you the breathy, cleancut gist; this second album employs the same tricks - almost literally, in the case of 'Let It Rain', which has a tremulous build-up and heroic chorus ("Let it rain, wash me clean," she commands). Squelchy electronics and a relatively earthy lyric ("Look in her eyes, she's mentally undressing him") give 'S.O.S.' an urban hue, and the clattering 'Let It Rain' is modern R&B worthy of Rihanna. Regrettably, though, Sparks sounds more comfortable with power ballads such as 'No Parade'; and there's an inner Pat Benatar
Pat Benatar
Pat Benatar is an American singer and four-time Grammy winner. She had considerable commercial success particularly in the United States...
struggling to get out on the title track. OK if you like this kind of thing."
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
writes "Sparks is a pop artist and makes no bones about it here. Much of the album's running time is filled with the kind of soggy adult contemporary pulp that weighed down both the singer's self-titled debut and Leona Lewis's Spirit
Spirit (Leona Lewis album)
Spirit is the debut album by British singer Leona Lewis, released by Syco Music in November 2007 in the United Kingdom and Ireland, followed by a worldwide release during early 2008...
, and the addition of two paper-themed bonus tracks, "Papercut" and "Postcard," on the deluxe version of Battlefield doesn't help matters. One wonders if it would have been a smarter move in terms of career longevity to try to build on the urban audience she started to cultivate with 'No Air'."
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
said "Battlefield certainly delivers on the artistic end: It's packed with more hooks than a fisherman's tackle box, none better than on the gorgeous title track, which sports a soaring chorus. Resistance is futile when Sparks, showing heretofore unseen vocal dexterity, takes to the dance floor to ward off a vixen who's barking up the wrong boyfriend. There is actually enough potential hits to keep the singer in heavy rotation until well into Idol's 10th season."
Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
also gave the album a generally mixed review, writing, "Nothing here is as irresistible as the single, a brilliant update of the '80s arena rock sound that deserves better than its middling chart performance, but several tracks aren't too far off. 'Don't Let It Go To Your Head' [and] 'Let It Rain'... offers lots of soft rock bombast." However, the reviewer also criticized the album for "sentimental mush in its final stretch, with Sparks delivering a series of threadbare clichés over dull, dated arrangements...The result is an album that improves upon Sparks' debut – it doesn't try so hard to cover all of the bases, and Sparks sounds more comfortable on the uptempo cuts – but has the same Achilles heel: a paucity of really memorable songs. Then again, faced with some tough choices and release date approaching, it's hard to blame Sparks – still only 19, lest we forget - for sticking a little too closely to the middle of the road."
Track listing
Deluxe Edition
Bonus tracks:- "Papercut" (Gad, Robins, Sparks) (produced by Toby Gad) — 3:37
- "Postcard" (Vito Colapietro, Neely Dinkins, Walter Whitney, Brandon Williams, Shaunise Harris, Stephan Jones) (produced by The Co-Stars) — 4:02
DVD contents
- "Hangin' With Jordin Sparks" — 11:39
- "Battlefield: Behind the Scenes" — 9:27
- "Battlefield Photo Shoot — 6:57
- "Battlefield Music Video" — 4:04
Personnel
Credits for Battlefield adapted from Allmusic.- Mark Alloway - mixing assistant
- "Ammo" - ProducerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
- Dameon Aranda - background vocals
- Louis BiancanielloLouis BiancanielloLouis John Biancaniello is a songwriter, record producer, and musician.-Background:Louis' skills were developed while working alongside producer Narada Michael Walden with whom he produced hits for Shanice "I Love Your Smile", Whitney Houston "I'm Every Woman" from the Grammy winning album The...
- background vocals, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, mixing, producer, recording - Michael Biancaniello - guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Jeff Bova - strings arrangement
- David Boyd - recording assistant
- Chris Carmichael - stringsString instrumentA string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
- Scott CutlerScott CutlerScott M. Cutler is an American musician and music producer.-Personal life:He recently had his 1st son "Lane" and his 2nd son "Duke" with his wife Meredith Morton.-Career:...
- producer, recording - Michael Daley - mixing assistant
- Eric Darken - percussion
- Toby GadToby GadTobias "Toby" Gad is a Los Angeles-based hit producer and songwriter from Germany, perhaps best known for co-writing Fergie's Grammy nominated hit song "Big Girls Don't Cry" as well as co-writing and producing Beyoncé's worldwide #1 hit "If I Were a Boy", and The Veronicas multi-platinum #1...
- engineer, instruments, arrangement, mixing, producer - Serban Ghenea - mixing
- Aniela Gottwald - assistant engineer
- Lukasz "Dr. LukeDr. LukeLukasz Gottwald , better known as Dr. Luke, is an American songwriter, record producer, and remixer. Luke performed with the Saturday Night Live Band for ten seasons until 2007. He has co-written and co-produced a string of commercially successful songs...
" Gottwald - producer - John Hanes - mixing engineer
- Mich "CutfatherCutfatherMich Hedin Hansen better known by his stage name Cutfather is a Danish music producer and songwriter.-Career:He is perhaps best known for his remix of "Return of the Mack" by Mark Morrison , and the song "Superstar" released internationally by Jamelia in 2003.He has worked with Danish producer...
" Hansen - music, percussion, producer - Greg Hagan - guitar
- Dabling Harward - recording
- Keeley Hawkes - backing vocals, music
- Andrew Hey - guitar, recording
- Pete Hofman - mixing, editor, recording
- Sam Holland - engineer
- Ghazi Hourani - recording assistant
- Claude Kelly - vocal producer
- David Kopatz - music, producer
- Lasse "Pilfinger" Kramhøft - keyboards, music, producer
- Benjamin "Benny BlancoBenny BlancoBenjamin Levin , better known as Benny Blanco, is an American songwriter and producer from Reston, Virginia. He first came to the attention of Internet blogosphere producing a collaborative EP with Spank Rock. Working with producer Dr...
" Levin - producer - Dave Lopez - editor, recording
- Manny Marroquin - mixing
- Harvey Mason, Jr.Harvey Mason, Jr.Harvey Mason, Jr. is a songwriter, record producer and movie producer. He has written and produced songs for some of the biggest legends in the music industry including Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Whitney Houston, and Luther Vandross as well as today’s superstars like Britney Spears, Jordin...
- mixed, music, producer - Donald "Don E" McLean - bass, keyboards
- Sam Mizell - producer, programming, recording
- Carsten "Mintman" Mortensen - Guitar - Drums - Keyboards - Bass Guitar - Arranger
- Faheem "T-PainT-PainFaheem Rasheed Najm , better known by his stage name T-Pain, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actor, currently signed to Young Money Entertainment. His debut album, Rappa Ternt Sanga, was released in 2005. In 2007, T-Pain released his second studio album Epiphany,...
" Najm - producer - Scott Naughton - engineer, recording
- Mike Payne - guitar
- Christian Plata - mixing assistant
- Tim Roberts - mixing engineer (assistant), assistant engineer
- Lucas SeconLucas SeconLucas Secon, also known by the stage name Lucas, is a world-renowned Danish-American Grammy , MTV Award and Emmy Award-nominated record producer, songwriter,Golden Poets Award winner, DJ, rapper, singer and artist/conceptualist. He lives in London, United Kingdom.Secon has contributed to seven...
- mixing, instruments, producer, programming, arrangement, recording - Jeremy Shaw - instruments
- Adam Smith - programming
- Ryan TedderRyan TedderRyan Benjamin Tedder is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the frontman of the pop rock band, OneRepublic, though he has an independent career as songwriter and producer for various artists such as Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson, Far East Movement, Jordin Sparks, Leona...
- background vocals, bass, guitar, keyboards, producer - Dapo TorimiroDapo TorimiroDapo Torimiro is a multi-platinum songwriter, record producer, multi-instrumentalist and singer. Born in Lagos, Nigeria, he has worked in the music industry in the U.S...
- guitars, programming, keyboards, producer, recording - Javier Valverde - engineer
- Sam WattersSam WattersSam Watters is a Grammy nominated American songwriter, record producer, singer, and record executive. Watters was a member of the multi-platinum selling 1990’s R&B group Color Me Badd and co-authored many of their hits including “I Wanna Sex You Up”, “I Adore Mi Amor”, and “All 4 Love”...
- mixing, producers, recording - Billy Whittington - vocal recording
- Wayne WilkinsWayne WilkinsWayne Wilkins is a classically trained pianist, Record producer, songwriter, record engineer, and record mixer born in the southeast London neighborhood of Croydon...
- keyboards, producer - Emily Wright - vocal editor, engineer
- Noel Zancanella, - recording
Charts
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
34 |
| Austrian Albums IFPI The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a not-for-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland... |
60 |
| Canadian Albums Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
10 |
| Dutch Albums MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
51 |
| Irish Albums Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
17 |
| New Zealand Albums | 17 |
| Polish Albums Chart Polish Music Charts The Polish Music Charts are two official album charts and seven singles charts in Poland, provided by ZPAV, the Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry . The first, the Top 100, is a monthly chart based on data received from the album companies... |
39 |
| Swiss Albums Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
52 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
11 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
7 |
Release history
| Country | Release date | Label(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | July 17, 2009 | Sony Music Entertainment Sony Music Entertainment Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation.... |
| Australia | Zomba, Sony Music | |
| Ireland | RCA Records RCA Records RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label... , Sony Music |
|
| United Kingdom | July 20, 2009 | |
| France | Jive Epic Records | |
| Philippines | Zomba, Sony Music | |
| Denmark | ||
| Hong Kong | ||
| Norway | ||
| New Zealand | ||
| Portugal | ||
| Finland | ||
| Colombia | ||
| Costa Rica | ||
| Czech Republic | ||
| Canada | July 21, 2009 | Jive Records Jive Records Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African... , Zomba |
| United States | ||
| Spain | Zomba, Sony Music | |
| Sweden | July 22, 2009 | |
| Thailand | July 23, 2009 | |
| Germany | July 24, 2009 | |
| Austria | ||
| Japan | August 12, 2009 | Sony Music Japan |
| Belgium | August 24, 2009 | Zomba, Sony Music |
| Poland | January 11, 2010 | Sony Music |