Brave (Jennifer Lopez album)
Encyclopedia
Brave is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Jennifer Lopez
, released on October 4, 2007 by Epic Records
. It debuted at number twelve on the U.S. Billboard 200
with 53,000 copies sold in its first week. Though the album was generally praised by fans, it got mixed reviews from most critics and subsequently became Lopez's least commercially successful album to date. Brave is the last album Lopez released under Epic Records
.
interview while on the music video set for "Me Haces Falta", Lopez promised fans "danceable music
" on this album. This album returned Lopez to pop, R&B
, and hip hop
sound after her previous English-language studio album, Rebirth
. She stated the album would be "dance, funk
, R&B, hip-hop, all that stuff, all mixed up together to make some great pop music". She described Brave as "a little Jamiroquai
, a little Sade
. It's real feel-good music". Lopez recruited producers including J. R. Rotem
, Bloodshy & Avant
, Midi Mafia
, and Ryan Tedder
. On March 27, 2007, on Total Request Live
, Lopez stated there would be no featured appearances and chose between four uptempo songs for the first single. The first single chosen was "Do It Well
". Lopez played a track in Las Vegas
in late April and stated she was going on her first tour with a mix of English and Spanish music.
" was released as the lead single from the album on September 25, 2007. The music video premiered a few weeks before the official release, on September 17, 2007. The song debuted No.1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play. The song was considered somewhat successful, reaching the top ten in Italy and Brazil, the top twenty in the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Norway and the top 40 in the United States.
"Hold It, Don't Drop It" was released as the second and final single from the album on January 21, 2008. The single was never released in the United States, making "Do It Well," the only US single. The video premiered December 4, 2007.
's official website that filming of the music video for the single had completed. However, it was never released as a single. The song reached No.1 on the South Korean chart, and held its place inside the top five for more than twenty-three weeks after its debut.
Due to digital
sales, "Mile in These Shoes" charted in Finland at number sixteen on the singles chart and number fourteen on the download chart. The song was believed to be the fourth and final single from Brave until all promotion was cancelled. The song was the promotional song used for season four of Desperate Housewives.
said that "Brave is actually one of her strongest albums to date". All Music
said that "It's nothing more than modest music for mellow good times, but it's lively enough to be fleeting fun, with enough good tunes for a mild party, preferably one that's held at home". Now Magazine said that "The songs are formulaic but catchy, and the production is meticulous". The Guardian
said that "The sound harks back to the genre's golden age at the turn of the century: chunky bass lines, disco strings and purring beats dominate, and the brassy melodies are engineered for maximum dancefloor impact". Rolling Stone
said that "J. Lo has turned away from the slick, minimalist future funk currently ruling the pop zeitgeist for chintzy production that screams 1990".
Other reviews were negative. Entertainment Weekly
stated that "Expensive beats and uplifting material are offset by listless vocals". Vibe Magazine was in a similar agreement with Entertainment Weekly, "That Brave on the whole is almost unapologetically poor isn't surprising—Jenny's never made a viable Album of the Year. But never before has the fly-girl-cum-cover girl been so listless". Yahoo Music's review said: "Given Jennifer Lopez's thin voice, it's hard to expect greatness when she puts out an album. But Brave disappoints even for J.Lo-adjusted standards. Chock full of tepid dance grooves, Lopez's voice has never sounded so weak and marginal as on this record." PopMatters
said that "Brave has neither a strong artistic personality nor boffo production, and as a result, ends up being just another disposable pop record with no redeeming value". About.com
said that "The tracks on Brave that try to be club records fall short, containing such light beats and unexciting vocals, that few will be drawn to the dance floor". Entertainment Weekly
placed the album at number 5 on their list of worst albums of 2007.
Notes
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
, released on October 4, 2007 by Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
. It debuted at number twelve on the U.S. 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...
with 53,000 copies sold in its first week. Though the album was generally praised by fans, it got mixed reviews from most critics and subsequently became Lopez's least commercially successful album to date. Brave is the last album Lopez released under Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
.
Production
In a MTV NewsMTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
interview while on the music video set for "Me Haces Falta", Lopez promised fans "danceable music
Electronic dance music
Electronic dance music is electronic music produced primarily for the purposes of use within a nightclub setting, or in an environment that is centered upon dance-based entertainment...
" on this album. This album returned Lopez to pop, 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 hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
sound after her previous English-language studio album, Rebirth
Rebirth (Jennifer Lopez album)
"Rebirth" received an aggregate score of 52/100 from Metacritic, denoting "Mixed or average reviews". Allmusic gave the album four stars and stated that "Since it doesn't deviate from the blueprint she's followed on her first three albums, it's hard to call this record a literal creative rebirth,...
. She stated the album would be "dance, funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
, R&B, hip-hop, all that stuff, all mixed up together to make some great pop music". She described Brave as "a little Jamiroquai
Jamiroquai
Jamiroquai is a British jazz funk and acid jazz band formed in 1992. Jamiroquai were initially the most prominent component in the early-1990s London-based acid jazz movement, alongside groups such as Incognito, the James Taylor Quartet, and the Brand New Heavies. Other Acid Jazz artists such as...
, a little Sade
Sade (band)
Sade is a British smooth jazz band that formed in 1983, named for Nigerian lead singer Sade Adu. Their music features elements of R&B, soul, jazz, and soft rock....
. It's real feel-good music". Lopez recruited producers including J. R. Rotem
J. R. Rotem
- Early life :Rotem was born in South Africa to Israeli immigrant Jewish parents. He moved to Toronto at the age of two and finally to Moraga, California when he was twelve.Rotem's entry point into music was in receiving classical piano tuition at a young age...
, Bloodshy & Avant
Bloodshy & Avant
Bloodshy and Avant are a music production and songwriting team from Sweden made up of Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg...
, Midi Mafia
Midi Mafia
Midi Mafia is a hip hop/R&B production duo consisting of American Bruce Waynne from Brooklyn, New York and Canadian Dirty Swift from Ottawa, Ontario...
, and 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...
. On March 27, 2007, on Total Request Live
Total Request Live
Total Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...
, Lopez stated there would be no featured appearances and chose between four uptempo songs for the first single. The first single chosen was "Do It Well
Do It Well
"Do It Well" is a song written and produced by Ryan Tedder for American recording artist Jennifer Lopez's sixth studio album, Brave . The track contains a sample of Eddie Kendricks' 1973 song "Keep on Truckin'", written by Leonard Caston, Jr., Anita Poree, and Frank Wilson, and was released to...
". Lopez played a track in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
in late April and stated she was going on her first tour with a mix of English and Spanish music.
Singles
"Do It WellDo It Well
"Do It Well" is a song written and produced by Ryan Tedder for American recording artist Jennifer Lopez's sixth studio album, Brave . The track contains a sample of Eddie Kendricks' 1973 song "Keep on Truckin'", written by Leonard Caston, Jr., Anita Poree, and Frank Wilson, and was released to...
" was released as the lead single from the album on September 25, 2007. The music video premiered a few weeks before the official release, on September 17, 2007. The song debuted No.1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play. The song was considered somewhat successful, reaching the top ten in Italy and Brazil, the top twenty in the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Norway and the top 40 in the United States.
"Hold It, Don't Drop It" was released as the second and final single from the album on January 21, 2008. The single was never released in the United States, making "Do It Well," the only US single. The video premiered December 4, 2007.
Notable songs
The third single was set to be the title track "Brave", and it was even posted on Michael HaussmanMichael Haussman
Michael Haussman is an American music video, motion picture and television advertisement director, writer and producer.Michael Haussman is a director, writer and artist, whose internationally acclaimed commercials have won numerous awards and are featured in advertising books and trade journals...
's official website that filming of the music video for the single had completed. However, it was never released as a single. The song reached No.1 on the South Korean chart, and held its place inside the top five for more than twenty-three weeks after its debut.
Due to digital
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
sales, "Mile in These Shoes" charted in Finland at number sixteen on the singles chart and number fourteen on the download chart. The song was believed to be the fourth and final single from Brave until all promotion was cancelled. The song was the promotional song used for season four of Desperate Housewives.
Critical reception
Reviews were generally mixed. Billboard said that "The album is another market-smart collection of radio fodder, rather than Lopez's artistic breakout. That said, no one does classy pop quite like she does". DotmusicDotmusic
Dotmusic was a music website that existed as a standalone website from June 1995 to December 2003. Initially intended as the web complement to the UK music industry trade magazine Music Week, the site was relaunched in December 1998 as a website for music fans.In addition to music news, reviews,...
said that "Brave is actually one of her strongest albums to date". All Music
All Music
All Music was an Italian free-to-air television station which mainly broadcast music videos and music programs. Originally called Rete A, the name was changed to Rete A - All Music , and for a brief period was affiliated before with MTV Italy and after with VIVA.-History:In late 2004 the former...
said that "It's nothing more than modest music for mellow good times, but it's lively enough to be fleeting fun, with enough good tunes for a mild party, preferably one that's held at home". Now Magazine said that "The songs are formulaic but catchy, and the production is meticulous". The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
said that "The sound harks back to the genre's golden age at the turn of the century: chunky bass lines, disco strings and purring beats dominate, and the brassy melodies are engineered for maximum dancefloor impact". Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
said that "J. Lo has turned away from the slick, minimalist future funk currently ruling the pop zeitgeist for chintzy production that screams 1990".
Other reviews were negative. 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...
stated that "Expensive beats and uplifting material are offset by listless vocals". Vibe Magazine was in a similar agreement with Entertainment Weekly, "That Brave on the whole is almost unapologetically poor isn't surprising—Jenny's never made a viable Album of the Year. But never before has the fly-girl-cum-cover girl been so listless". Yahoo Music's review said: "Given Jennifer Lopez's thin voice, it's hard to expect greatness when she puts out an album. But Brave disappoints even for J.Lo-adjusted standards. Chock full of tepid dance grooves, Lopez's voice has never sounded so weak and marginal as on this record." PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
said that "Brave has neither a strong artistic personality nor boffo production, and as a result, ends up being just another disposable pop record with no redeeming value". About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
said that "The tracks on Brave that try to be club records fall short, containing such light beats and unexciting vocals, that few will be drawn to the dance floor". 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...
placed the album at number 5 on their list of worst albums of 2007.
Track listing
(*) Denotes co-producerNotes
- "Hold It Don't Drop ItHold It Don't Drop It"Hold It Don't Drop It" is a song by American recording artist and actress Jennifer Lopez from her sixth studio album, Brave. Written by Lopez, Kevin Risto, Waynne Nugent, Allen Phillip Lees, Tawanna Dabney, Janet Sewell, and Cynthia Lissette and produced by Midi Mafia, the song is built around a...
" – Contains a sample of TavaresTavares (band)Tavares are a successful American R&B, funk and soul music group, composed of five Cape Verdean-American brothers from New Bedford, Massachusetts.-Band members:...
' "It Only Takes a MinuteIt Only Takes a Minute"It Only Takes a Minute" is a 1975 song by Tavares. It would become the group's only Top 10 pop hit in the United States, peaking at #10. It also became their second #1 song on the American soul charts....
" (Dennis Lambert, Brian Potter) - "Do It WellDo It Well"Do It Well" is a song written and produced by Ryan Tedder for American recording artist Jennifer Lopez's sixth studio album, Brave . The track contains a sample of Eddie Kendricks' 1973 song "Keep on Truckin'", written by Leonard Caston, Jr., Anita Poree, and Frank Wilson, and was released to...
" – Contains a sample of Eddie KendricksEddie KendricksEddie Kendricks was an American singer and songwriter. Noted for his distinctive falsetto singing style, Kendricks co-founded the Motown singing group The Temptations, and was one of their lead singers from 1960 until 1971. His was the lead voice on such famous songs as "The Way You Do The Things...
' "Keep on Truckin'Keep on Truckin' (song)"Keep on Truckin" is a 1973 hit song recorded by Eddie Kendricks for Motown Records' Tamla label. The song was Kendricks' first major hit as a solo artist, coming two years after his departure from The Temptations...
" (Leonard Caston, Jr.Leonard Caston, Jr.Leonard Caston, Jr. is an American rhythm and blues songwriter, record producer, pianist and singer. He recorded for both the Chess and Motown labels in the 1960s and 1970s, and co-wrote or co-produced several major hit records, including Mitty Collier's "I Had A Talk With My Man" , The Supremes'...
, Anita Poree, Frank Wilson) - "Gotta Be There" – Contains a sample of Michael JacksonMichael JacksonMichael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's "I Wanna Be Where You AreI Wanna Be Where You Are"I Wanna Be Where You Are" is a song written by Arthur "T-Boy" Ross and Leon Ware for Michael Jackson, who took the song to number sixteen on the U.S. pop singles chart and number two on the U.S. R&B singles chart in 1972...
" (Leon Ware, Arthur Ross) - "The Way It Is" – Contains a sample of Great Pride's "She's a Lady" (Gennaro Leone, Bruce Rudd)
- "Be Mine" – Contains a sample of Paul MauriatPaul MauriatPaul Mauriat was a French orchestra leader, specializing in light music. He is best known in the United States for his million selling remake of André Popp's "Love is Blue", which was #1 for 5 weeks in 1968...
's "SunnySunny (song)"Sunny" is the name of a song written by Bobby Hebb. It is one of the most covered popular songs, with hundreds of versions released. BMI rates "Sunny" number 25 in its "Top 100 songs of the century."...
" (Bobby Hebb) - "I Need Love" – Contains a sample of Bill Withers' "Use Me" (Bill Withers)
Personnel
- Pedro Alfonso – Violin, Viola
- Jim Annunziato – Engineer
- Scott Barns – Make-Up
- Michelle Lynn Bell – Producer, Vocal Arrangement
- Michelle Bell – Vocals (bckgr)
- Big D – Producer
- Chuck Brody – Producer
- CFOS – Mixing Assistant
- Travis Cherry – Producer
- Clutch – Producer
- Brandon Creed – A&R
- Alec Deruggiero – Engineer
- Warren "Oak" Felder – Producer
- William Garrett – Keyboards, Engineer
- Larry Gold – Conductor, String Arrangements
- Alexei Hay – Photography
- John Hill – Producer, Mixing
- Keri Hilson – Vocals (bckgr)
- Hit Boy – Programming, Producer, Instrumentation
- Peter Wade Keusch – Synthesizer, Programming, Producer, Engineer, Vocal Arrangement
- Gelly Kusuma – Assistant Engineer, Mixing Assistant
- Jennifer Lopez – Executive Producer
- Manny Marroquin – Mixing
- Julie Ann Marsibilio – A&R
- Josh McDonnell – Guitar, Engineer
- Keith Naftaly – A&R
- Candice Nelson – Vocals (bckgr)
- Chasity Nwagbara – Vocals (bckgr)
- Ken Paves – Hair Stylist
- Philosophy – Producer
- Herb Powers – Mastering
- Julio C. Reyes – Engineer, String Arrangements, Vocal Producer
- Jared Robbins – Mixing Assistant
- Corey Rooney – Executive Producer, Brass Arrangement, Vocal Producer
- José Juan Sánchez – Engineer
- Ryan Santomauro – A&R
- Sizzler Ponderosa – Vocals (bckgr)
- Chris Soper – Mixing Assistant
- Corey Stocker – Engineer
- Bruce Swedien – Mixing
- Ryan Tedder – Programming, Producer, Instrumentation
- Mike Tschupp – Assistant Engineer, Mixing Assistant
- Peter Wade – Synthesizer, Guitar, Programming, Mixing
- Chasity Wagbara – Vocals (bckgr)
- Bruce Waynne – Producer, Engineer
- Daniel Werner – A&R
- Monique Williams – Vocals (bckgr)
Charts
| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Albums Chart 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... |
46 |
| Austrian Albums Chart | 35 |
| Belgian Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... Albums (Flanders) |
36 |
| Belgian Ultratop 50 Albums (Wallonia) | 18 |
| Canadian Albums Chart 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... |
13 |
| Dutch Albums Chart 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... |
24 |
| French SNEP Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... Albums Chart |
28 |
| German Albums Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
41 |
| Greek International Albums Chart | 2 |
| Greek Albums Chart | 5 |
| Hungarian Mahasz Mahasz Mahasz is the Hungarian music industry association, founded in 1992. Mahasz hands out the Hungarian Music Awards and maintains the music charts for Hungary.... Albums Chart |
17 |
| Italian FIMI Federation of the Italian Music Industry The Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy.... Albums Chart |
10 |
| Japanese Oricon Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... Albums Chart |
6 |
| Mexican Albums Chart | 36 |
| 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... |
31 |
| Spanish Albums Chart | 21 |
| Swedish Albums Chart | 59 |
| Swiss Albums Chart 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... |
6 |
| 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... |
24 |
| U.S. 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... |
12 |
| U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
7 |
Sales and certifications
Release history
| Region | Date |
|---|---|
| Netherlands | October 4, 2007 |
| Denmark | |
| Poland | |
| Germany | October 5, 2007 |
| Italy | |
| Switzerland | |
| Ireland | |
| Australia | October 6, 2007 |
| United Kingdom | October 8, 2007 |
| France | |
| Spain | |
| Portugal | |
| Greece | |
| Czech Republic | |
| Philippines | |
| Hungary | |
| Romania | |
| United States | October 9, 2007 |
| Canada | |
| Mexico | |
| Brazil | |
| Argentina | |
| Chile | |
| Cuba | |
| Puerto Rico Puerto Rico Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an... |
|
| Israel | |
| South Korea | |
| China | |
| Japan | October 10, 2007 |
| Thailand | October 11, 2007 |
| Russia | October 13, 2007 |
| Ukraine | |
| New Zealand | |
| India | October 16, 2007 |