Love Letter (R. Kelly album)
Encyclopedia
Love Letter is the tenth studio album
by American R&B
recording artist R. Kelly
, released December 14, 2010 on Jive Records
. It was written and produced entirely by Kelly. A departure from his previous work's contemporary sound and sexually-explicit themes, Love Letter incorporates classicist soul music
influences and features chivalrous lyrics concerning love and forgiveness.
The album debuted at number six on the US Billboard 200
chart, selling 154,000 copies in its first week. It produced two singles that attained respectable charting on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
chart. Upon its release, Love Letter received positive reviews from most music critics, who complimented its classically-minded style and praised Kelly for his singing and songwriting. The album has been certified gold
by the Recording Industry Association of America
and has sold 496,600 copies in the United States.
, Jackie Wilson
, Donny Hathaway
, Sam Cooke
, Michael Jackson
, and Stevie Wonder
.
on December 10, 2010 to the iTunes Store
, which included the album with the iTunes LP
format feature. The album's first single "When a Woman Loves" peaked at number 16 and spent seven weeks on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
chart. It charted at number 93 on the Billboard Hot 100. The second single "Love Letter" also spent seven weeks and peaked at number 13 on Billboards Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs. A three-part video documentary was released in promotion of the album, featuring footage of R. Kelly discussing the album and its conception. The third single "Number One Hit" reached number 83 and has spent four weeks on Billboards Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs.
chart, with first-week sales of 154,000 copies in the United States. It serves as Kelly's thirteenth US top-10 charting album. It also entered at number two on Billboard
s R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and at number three on its Digital Albums chart. On March 1, 2011, the album was certified gold
by the Recording Industry Association of America
, for shipments of 500,000 copies. As of March 30, 2011, Love Letter has sold 496,600 copies in the United States. In the United Kingdom, the album debuted at number 39 on the Top 40 RnB Albums
chart. It charted at number 26 in the Netherlands.
s. At Metacritic
, which assigns a normalized
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average
score of 79, based on 16 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". Allmusic writer Andy Kellman gave it four out of five stars and called it "easily the least sexually charged album in [Kelly's] discography, ideal for those who admire him as a singer, arranger, and producer but tune out the fantastical come-ons". Entertainment Weekly
s Jon Dolan described Love Letter as "a refreshingly tasteful foray into classic soul and PG lovemaking". Los Angeles Times
writer August Brown complimented its "slow-simmered, grown-man emoting" and Kelly's "melodicism and vocal powers". Jon Caramanica of The New York Times
commended the album's "gentle adult-contemporary R&B" and Kelly for "singing as vigorously as ever, on songs that are some of the most elegant of his career", commenting that its songs are "in essence, secular spirituals, bombastic and warm, meant not to raise an eyebrow". Chicago Tribune
writer Greg Kot
noted its classicist musical sources and viewed it as a departure from Kelly's previous work, stating "for the most part Kelly forgoes the sing-songy minimalism that made him rich in favor of more developed melodies, fully orchestrated arrangements and lyrics that are as much spiritual as sexual".
In contrast, Slant Magazine
's Eric Henderson found Kelly's sentiments "generic" and described its music as "vanilla-smooth, grown-folks grooves that hearken not just to stepping in the name of love, but also some of the faux-Motown simulations from that most mechanical of recent musicals, Dreamgirls
". New York
writer Nitsuh Abebe called its songs "the audio equivalent of buying flowers" and interpreted its theme of forgiveness to be directed at "the alleged capacity of women to forgive men for all failures, so long as a little knee-bending and charm is involved". Sean Fennessey of The Washington Post
viewed that Kelly "keeps it too old school", calling it "a familiar but sometimes drab facsimile of the sound". Chicago Sun-Times
writer Thomas Conner noted it as "chock full of vocal talent that's largely squandered on perfectly pleasant but ultimately derivative songs". Rolling Stone
writer Jonah Weiner gave it three-and-a-half out of five stars and perceived a "relatively novel concept", but stated in conclusion "It's a testament to Kelly's ingenuity as a singer and songwriter that Love Letter doesn't fizzle — even with the fly zipped up on his wildest eccentricities". Hugh Montgomery of The Observer
wrote that "It's pastiche, certainly, but Kelly's expressive croon carries the day: equal parts honeyed and rasping, and bristling with a sincerity that reaches its zenith on the spine-tingling, a cappella finale of 'When a Woman Loves'".
Edna Gundersen of USA Today
gave the album three out of four stars and stated "Kelly sticks to fairly tame, if occasionally melodramatic, expressions of love and longing, echoing the seductive powers of Marvin Gaye". Pitchfork Media
's Jess Harvell called Kelly's singing "a marvel throughout" and stated "A few outright and faithful homages to the Marvin/Smokey
era aside, Kelly smears these period references—tremulous Hi Records
guitars, popping SOS Band
bass, the percussion of Michael Jackson's disco years—into unexpected combinations". Mikael Wood of The Village Voice
called it a "commitment-pimping [...] classically minded r&b album" and commented that "much of which plays like a modest about-face from Untitled
s unabashed raunch". Maura Johnston of Spin
praised Kelly's "exquisite phrasing
and unparalleled ability to belt
", commenting that "his decision to ditch the club and retreat to a more conventionally romantic setting allows him to let his voice take center stage". Ken Capobianco of The Boston Globe
called the album "a back-to-basics collection of beautifully sung and arranged tracks emphasizing romance and devotion", writing that its music "complements Kelly’s vocal flights and impeccable, expressive phrasing". The A.V. Club
s Nathan Rabin gave Love Letter a B+ rating and described it as "proudly old-fashioned soul [...] warm, reassuringly familiar" and called Kelly "a consummate showman".
ranked the album number nine on his year-end top albums list for 2010. Love Letter was nominated for a Grammy Award
for Best R&B Album
, set to be presented at the 54th Grammy Awards
in 2012. The song "Radio Message" was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance.
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...
recording artist R. Kelly
R. Kelly
Robert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
, released December 14, 2010 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...
. It was written and produced entirely by Kelly. A departure from his previous work's contemporary sound and sexually-explicit themes, Love Letter incorporates classicist soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
influences and features chivalrous lyrics concerning love and forgiveness.
The album debuted at number six on the 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...
chart, selling 154,000 copies in its first week. It produced two singles that attained respectable charting on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart. Upon its release, Love Letter received positive reviews from most music critics, who complimented its classically-minded style and praised Kelly for his singing and songwriting. The album has been certified gold
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
and has sold 496,600 copies in the United States.
Background
Love Letter is an homage to the classic soul music of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Kelly was heavily inspired by such soul artists as Marvin GayeMarvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
, Jackie Wilson
Jackie Wilson
Jack Leroy "Jackie" Wilson, Jr. was an American singer and performer. Known as "Mr. Excitement", Wilson was important in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. He was known as a master showman, and as one of the most dynamic singers and performers in R&B and rock history...
, Donny Hathaway
Donny Hathaway
Donny Edward Hathaway was an American soul singer-songwriter and musician. Hathaway contracted with Atlantic Records in 1969 and with his first single for the Atco label, "The Ghetto, Part I" in early 1970, Rolling Stone magazine "marked him as a major new force in soul music."His collaborations...
, Sam Cooke
Sam Cooke
Samuel Cook, , better known under the stage name Sam Cooke, was an American gospel, R&B, soul, and pop singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. He is considered to be one of the pioneers and founders of soul music. He is commonly known as the King of Soul for his distinctive vocal abilities and...
, Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael 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...
, and Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
.
Release and promotion
Prior to its physical CD release on December 14, Love Letter was released as a digital downloadMusic 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...
on December 10, 2010 to the iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
, which included the album with the iTunes LP
ITunes LP
iTunes LP is a format for interactive album artwork introduced by Apple Inc. on the 9 September 2009. It is similar to the CMX format being developed by the 4 major record labels, and operates within the iTunes 9 software, allowing the user to view multimedia elements alongside the music...
format feature. The album's first single "When a Woman Loves" peaked at number 16 and spent seven weeks on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart. It charted at number 93 on the Billboard Hot 100. The second single "Love Letter" also spent seven weeks and peaked at number 13 on Billboards Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs. A three-part video documentary was released in promotion of the album, featuring footage of R. Kelly discussing the album and its conception. The third single "Number One Hit" reached number 83 and has spent four weeks on Billboards Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs.
Commercial performance
The album debuted at number six on the US 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...
chart, with first-week sales of 154,000 copies in the United States. It serves as Kelly's thirteenth US top-10 charting album. It also entered at number two on Billboard
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
s R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and at number three on its Digital Albums chart. On March 1, 2011, the album was certified gold
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
, for shipments of 500,000 copies. As of March 30, 2011, Love Letter has sold 496,600 copies in the United States. In the United Kingdom, the album debuted at number 39 on the Top 40 RnB Albums
UK R&B Chart
The Official UK R&B Chart is a forty-position R&B/Hip-Hop chart compiled by The Official UK Charts Company. Although the chart does not receive any airplay, its compilation is viewed on BBC Radio 1's website and publications such as ChartsPlus and Music Week...
chart. It charted at number 26 in the Netherlands.
Critical response
Love Letter received positive reviews from most music criticMusic criticism
See also Music journalism for reporting on classical and popular music in the media.The Oxford Companion to Music defines music criticism as 'the intellectual activity of formulating judgments on the value and degree of excellence of individual works of music, or whole groups or genres'. In this...
s. At Metacritic
Metacritic
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,...
, which assigns a normalized
Standard score
In statistics, a standard score indicates how many standard deviations an observation or datum is above or below the mean. It is a dimensionless quantity derived by subtracting the population mean from an individual raw score and then dividing the difference by the population standard deviation...
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average
Weighted mean
The weighted mean is similar to an arithmetic mean , where instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others...
score of 79, based on 16 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". Allmusic writer Andy Kellman gave it four out of five stars and called it "easily the least sexually charged album in [Kelly's] discography, ideal for those who admire him as a singer, arranger, and producer but tune out the fantastical come-ons". 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...
s Jon Dolan described Love Letter as "a refreshingly tasteful foray into classic soul and PG lovemaking". Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
writer August Brown complimented its "slow-simmered, grown-man emoting" and Kelly's "melodicism and vocal powers". Jon Caramanica of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
commended the album's "gentle adult-contemporary R&B" and Kelly for "singing as vigorously as ever, on songs that are some of the most elegant of his career", commenting that its songs are "in essence, secular spirituals, bombastic and warm, meant not to raise an eyebrow". Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
writer Greg Kot
Greg Kot
Greg Kot is an American writer and journalist. Since 1990, Kot has been the music critic at the Chicago Tribune, where he has covered popular music and reported on music-related social, political and business issues...
noted its classicist musical sources and viewed it as a departure from Kelly's previous work, stating "for the most part Kelly forgoes the sing-songy minimalism that made him rich in favor of more developed melodies, fully orchestrated arrangements and lyrics that are as much spiritual as sexual".
In contrast, 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 :...
's Eric Henderson found Kelly's sentiments "generic" and described its music as "vanilla-smooth, grown-folks grooves that hearken not just to stepping in the name of love, but also some of the faux-Motown simulations from that most mechanical of recent musicals, Dreamgirls
Dreamgirls (film)
Dreamgirls is a 2006 musical drama film, directed by Bill Condon and jointly produced and released by DreamWorks and Paramount Pictures. The film debuted in three special road show engagements beginning December 15, 2006 before its nationwide release on December 25, 2006...
". New York
New York (magazine)
New York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New...
writer Nitsuh Abebe called its songs "the audio equivalent of buying flowers" and interpreted its theme of forgiveness to be directed at "the alleged capacity of women to forgive men for all failures, so long as a little knee-bending and charm is involved". Sean Fennessey of The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
viewed that Kelly "keeps it too old school", calling it "a familiar but sometimes drab facsimile of the sound". Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
writer Thomas Conner noted it as "chock full of vocal talent that's largely squandered on perfectly pleasant but ultimately derivative songs". 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...
writer Jonah Weiner gave it three-and-a-half out of five stars and perceived a "relatively novel concept", but stated in conclusion "It's a testament to Kelly's ingenuity as a singer and songwriter that Love Letter doesn't fizzle — even with the fly zipped up on his wildest eccentricities". Hugh Montgomery of The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
wrote that "It's pastiche, certainly, but Kelly's expressive croon carries the day: equal parts honeyed and rasping, and bristling with a sincerity that reaches its zenith on the spine-tingling, a cappella finale of 'When a Woman Loves'".
Edna Gundersen of USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
gave the album three out of four stars and stated "Kelly sticks to fairly tame, if occasionally melodramatic, expressions of love and longing, echoing the seductive powers of Marvin Gaye". Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
's Jess Harvell called Kelly's singing "a marvel throughout" and stated "A few outright and faithful homages to the Marvin/Smokey
Smokey Robinson
William "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. Robinson is one of the primary figures associated with Motown, second only to the company's founder, Berry Gordy...
era aside, Kelly smears these period references—tremulous Hi Records
Hi Records
Hi Records was a Memphis soul and rockabilly label started in 1957 by singer Ray Harris, record store owner Joe Cuoghi, Bill Cantrell and Quinton Claunch , and three silent partners, including Cuoghi's lawyer, Nick Pesce....
guitars, popping SOS Band
The SOS Band
The SOS Band is an American musical ensemble, founded in Atlanta, Georgia in 1977. Originally known as Santa Monica, the 'SOS' initialism in the band's name stands for Sounds of Success.-History:...
bass, the percussion of Michael Jackson's disco years—into unexpected combinations". Mikael Wood of The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
called it a "commitment-pimping [...] classically minded r&b album" and commented that "much of which plays like a modest about-face from Untitled
Untitled (R. Kelly album)
Untitled is the ninth studio album by American R&B recording artist R. Kelly, released November 30, 2009 in the United Kingdom and December 1, 2009 in the United States, through Jive Records and Sony Music. It was entirely produced by R. Kelly and features prominently carnal lyrical themes...
s unabashed raunch". Maura Johnston of Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
praised Kelly's "exquisite phrasing
Phrase (music)
In music and music theory, phrase and phrasing are concepts and practices related to grouping consecutive melodic notes, both in their composition and performance...
and unparalleled ability to belt
Belt (music)
Belting refers to a specific technique of singing by which a singer produces a loud sound in the upper middle of the pitch range. It is often described as a vocal register although some dispute this since technically the larynx is not oscillating in a unique way...
", commenting that "his decision to ditch the club and retreat to a more conventionally romantic setting allows him to let his voice take center stage". Ken Capobianco of The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
called the album "a back-to-basics collection of beautifully sung and arranged tracks emphasizing romance and devotion", writing that its music "complements Kelly’s vocal flights and impeccable, expressive phrasing". The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
s Nathan Rabin gave Love Letter a B+ rating and described it as "proudly old-fashioned soul [...] warm, reassuringly familiar" and called Kelly "a consummate showman".
Accolades
Jon Caramanica of The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
ranked the album number nine on his year-end top albums list for 2010. Love Letter was nominated for a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best R&B Album
Grammy Award for Best R&B Album
The Grammy Award for Best R&B Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality works on albums in the R&B music genre...
, set to be presented at the 54th Grammy Awards
54th Grammy Awards
The 54th Annual Grammy Awards will be held on February 12, 2012, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. It will be broadcasted on CBS. Nominations were announced on November 30, 2011 on prime-time television as part of "The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live! – Countdown to Music's Biggest Night", a...
in 2012. The song "Radio Message" was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance.
Track listing
All songs written and produced by R. Kelly.Personnel
Credits for Love Letter adapted from Allmusic.- Akua Auset – make-up
- Ann Carli – consultant
- DJ Wayne Williams – A&R
- Rodney East – keyboards
- Meghan Foley – art direction, design
- Andy Gallas – assistant
- Abel Garibaldi – engineer, mixing, programming
- Serban Ghenea – mixing
- John Hanes – mixing
- R. Kelly – arranger, composer, mixing, producer
- Gregg Landfair – guitar
- Susan Linss – set design
- Donnie Lyle – guitar, bass guitar, musical director
- Jeff Meeks – engineer, programming
- Ian Mereness – engineer, mixing, programming
- K. Michelle – vocals
- Jackie Murphy – creative director
- Chiquita Oden – grooming
- Herb Powers Jr. – mastering
- Tim Roberts – mixing assistant
- April Roomet – stylist
- Randee St. Nicholas – photography
Charts
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| 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... |
26 |
| UK RnB Albums UK R&B Chart The Official UK R&B Chart is a forty-position R&B/Hip-Hop chart compiled by The Official UK Charts Company. Although the chart does not receive any airplay, its compilation is viewed on BBC Radio 1's website and publications such as ChartsPlus and Music Week... |
39 |
| 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... |
6 |
| US Billboard 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... |
2 |
External links
- Love Letter at MetacriticMetacriticMetacritic.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,...