No More Idols
Encyclopedia
No More Idols is the second album by British production duo Chase & Status
, released on 28 January 2011. No More Idols marks the first major full-length release by Chase & Status since their debut album More Than Alot
three years prior; a period in which the group signed a major management deal with Jay-Z
's Roc Nation
and focused more on producing for other artists including Rihanna
's 2009 album Rated R
.
Produced entirely by the group, No More Idols features vocal contributions from primarily UK talent including Tinie Tempah
, Dizzee Rascal
, Clare Maguire
, Tempa T
, White Lies
and long-time collaborator Plan B amongst others. Upon its release the album met with generally positive reviews, receiving comparisons to similar acts such as Pendulum
and The Prodigy
. The genre-bending production style employed on the album was noted as a stand-out feature. The album was preceded by three singles which attained UK chart success.
Mike Haydock of the BBC
gave the album a positive review stating: "No More Idols is a whirlwind of an album, one that smashes together a hundred genres, from trance to grime, hip hop to indie rock, always keeping the listener on their toes. Songs shift between moods in a heartbeat, pulling the carpet out from under you. And the list of collaborations is both smart and prescient: they’ve teamed up with old pal Plan B, Tinie Tempah, Dizzee Rascal, White Lies, Clare Maguire and Cee-Lo Green – artists that can pull in a vast audience in their own right." Andy Gill of The Independent
gave it a four out of five rating, as did Jon Bye of Gigwise.com
, who described it as "an early contender for one of the albums of the year". Allmusic's Jon O'Brien also gave it four stars, describing it as "a consistently impressive and intriguing listen that has the potential to be the drum'n'bass genre's defining studio album". The Observer
s Kitty Empire
described it as sounding "more like a compilation". Metro gave it three out of five, commenting on "increasingly polished songwriting", and the Daily Telegraph also gave it three out of five, describing it as "an effectively youthful update on the Prodigy’s formula". The album received similarly lukewarm reviews from Clash
(Matt Oliver stating "It’s alright and will shift units"), The Guardian
, and the Financial Times
. The album received a one out of ten review in NME
, with reviewer Ash Dosanjh calling it "soulless nonsense".
Production
Additional musicians
Other personnel
Chase & Status
Chase & Status are an electronic music production duo from London consisting of Saul Milton and Will Kennard. MC Rage & Andy Gangadeen also make up the live band.-2003-2005:...
, released on 28 January 2011. No More Idols marks the first major full-length release by Chase & Status since their debut album More Than Alot
More Than Alot
-Personnel:Chase & Status* Will Kennard – producer* Saul Milton – producerProduction* Stuart Hawkes – masteringAdditional musicians* Digga – vocals* Five O – vocals* Jenna G – vocals* Kano – vocals* Nneka – vocals* Plan B – vocals...
three years prior; a period in which the group signed a major management deal with Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
's Roc Nation
Roc Nation
Roc Nation is an American management, music publishing and entertainment company founded by Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter.-History:In April 2008, Live Nation partnered with Jay-Z to create Roc Nation...
and focused more on producing for other artists including Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
's 2009 album Rated R
Rated R
Rated R may refer to:In film:* R rating, a rating of the Canadian Home Video Rating System* R rating, a rating of the Motion Picture Association of America film rating system...
.
Produced entirely by the group, No More Idols features vocal contributions from primarily UK talent including Tinie Tempah
Tinie Tempah
Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu , better known by his stage name Tinie Tempah, is a British rapper. He made his first mixtape in 2007 with 28 songs, freestyles and remixes, the album features Mz Bratt, Chipmunk and G-Unit...
, Dizzee Rascal
Dizzee Rascal
Dylan Kwabena Mills , better known by his stage name Dizzee Rascal, is a Ghanaian British rapper, songwriter and record producer. His music is a blend of garage, hip hop, grime, ragga, pop and electronic music, with eclectic samples and more exotic styles...
, Clare Maguire
Clare Maguire
Clare Rita Mary Maguire is a British singer-songwriter. She was signed to Universal Music Group Polydor Records in 2008. She was rated in fifth place in the BBC Sound of 2011 list of the top 15 most promising new artists. Maguire was also singled out as one of MTV's Brand New: For 2011 Acts...
, Tempa T
Tempa T
Tempa T born , also known as Tempz/T. is a Ghanaian British Grime MC originating from East london and member of underground Grime Crew "Slew Dem Crew". Tempz is particularly known for excitable nature, his angry lyrics, raw energy and muscles the hype that he creates with his tracks. He released a...
, White Lies
White lies
White lies or Kind Lies are benign or trivial lies.One example of a white lie would be when a person falsely affirms that they consider their friend beautiful or intelligent so as to reinforce their friend's self-esteem...
and long-time collaborator Plan B amongst others. Upon its release the album met with generally positive reviews, receiving comparisons to similar acts such as Pendulum
Pendulum (band)
Pendulum is an Australian drum and bass and electronic rock band founded in 2002 in Perth by Rob Swire, Gareth McGrillen, and Paul Harding.Swire and McGrillen were members of the rock band known as Xygen. After hearing Konflict's "Messiah" at a club, they were inspired to enter into the drum and...
and The Prodigy
The Prodigy
The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, and other acts, The Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s...
. The genre-bending production style employed on the album was noted as a stand-out feature. The album was preceded by three singles which attained UK chart success.
Singles
- "End CreditsEnd Credits"End Credits" is the first single from Drum and Bass duo Chase & Status' second studio album No More Idols. The single was co-written, co-produced and features vocals from Plan B and was released on 29 October 2009, reaching a peak position of No. 9 in the UK Singles Chart...
" was released on 29 October 2009 as the first single from their album No More Idols, the song features guest vocals from UK rapper/singer Plan BPlan B (rapper)Benjamin Paul Ballance-Drew primarily known as Plan B or Ben Drew, is a British rapper, singer-songwriter, actor and film director from Forest Gate, London. Plan B first emerged as a hip hop artist releasing his critically acclaimed debut album Who Needs Actions When You Got Words in 2006...
. The single managed to peak at 9 on the UK Singles ChartUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
- "Let You Go" was the second single to be released from the album on 15 August 2010, the single featured vocals from singer Mali. The single peaked at number 11 on the UK Singles Chart.
- "Hypest Hype" featuring Tempa TTempa TTempa T born , also known as Tempz/T. is a Ghanaian British Grime MC originating from East london and member of underground Grime Crew "Slew Dem Crew". Tempz is particularly known for excitable nature, his angry lyrics, raw energy and muscles the hype that he creates with his tracks. He released a...
received radio support after the release of "Let You Go" (reaching BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
's A-List) implying it would be the third single, but it was never released. However, it did chart at #70 on the UK Singles Chart after the release of the album.
- "Blind FaithBlind Faith (song)"Blind Faith" is the third single from British drum and bass duo Chase & Status to be released from their second studio album No More Idols. The single features vocals from Liam Bailey and was released on 21 January 2011. The single reached number 5 in the United Kingdom...
" was released on 21 January 2011 as the third single from their album. The song features guest vocals from British musician Liam BaileyLiam BaileyLiam Bailey is an English musician who has released two EPs; So Down, Cold and 2am Rough Tracks; Bailey also appeared on the Chase & Status single "Blind Faith" which was released on 24 January 2011 in the United Kingdom, where it debuted at number five...
. The single peaked at 5 on the UK Singles ChartUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
- "TimeTime (Chase & Status song)"Time" is a single from British drum-and-bass duo Chase & Status that features vocals from British singer Delilah. The single was released in the United Kingdom as a digital download on 29 April 2011 and serves as the fifth release from the studio album No More Idols.-Track listing:-Remix...
" was released on 29 April 2011 as the fourth single from the album. The single features guest vocals from singer Delilah and has thus far reached number 6 on the UK Dance ChartUK Dance ChartThe UK Dance Chart is a chart compiled by The Official Charts Company from sales in record stores and digital downloads. Although the chart does not currently receive any airplay on the radio or television, the chart can be viewed on the BBC Radio 1 and The Official Charts Company website.Digital...
and 21 on the UK Singles ChartUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
- "HitzHitz (song)"Hitz" is a single from English drum-and-bass duo Chase & Status, which features vocals from English singer Tinie Tempah. The single was released in the United Kingdom as a digital download on 15 July 2011, and served as the sixth release from the studio album No More Idols. It peaked at number 39...
" was released on 15 July 2011 as the fifth single from the album. The single features guest vocals from British rapper Tinie TempahTinie TempahPatrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu , better known by his stage name Tinie Tempah, is a British rapper. He made his first mixtape in 2007 with 28 songs, freestyles and remixes, the album features Mz Bratt, Chipmunk and G-Unit...
and has so far reached number 11 on the UK Dance ChartUK Dance ChartThe UK Dance Chart is a chart compiled by The Official Charts Company from sales in record stores and digital downloads. Although the chart does not currently receive any airplay on the radio or television, the chart can be viewed on the BBC Radio 1 and The Official Charts Company website.Digital...
and 39 on the UK Singles ChartUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. The official video for the single was released 10 June 2011 on Chase and Status VevoVevoVevo is a music video website. It is a joint venture among Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Abu Dhabi Media with EMI licensing its content to the group without taking an ownership stake. The service was launched officially on December 8, 2009...
page.
- "Flashing LightsFlashing Lights (Chase & Status song)"Flashing Lights" is a single from English drum-and-bass duo Chase & Status and Sub Focus, featuring vocals from Takura. The single was released as a digital download on 18 November 2011, and serves as the seventh single from the studio album No More Idols....
" will be released as the sixth single from the album on 21 November 2011.
Critical reception
The album received a generally positive response on its release.Mike Haydock of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
gave the album a positive review stating: "No More Idols is a whirlwind of an album, one that smashes together a hundred genres, from trance to grime, hip hop to indie rock, always keeping the listener on their toes. Songs shift between moods in a heartbeat, pulling the carpet out from under you. And the list of collaborations is both smart and prescient: they’ve teamed up with old pal Plan B, Tinie Tempah, Dizzee Rascal, White Lies, Clare Maguire and Cee-Lo Green – artists that can pull in a vast audience in their own right." Andy Gill of The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
gave it a four out of five rating, as did Jon Bye of Gigwise.com
Gigwise.com
Gigwise.com is an online music magazine that features music news, photos, album reviews, music festivals, concert tickets, and a community forum. Founded in 2001, the magazine is based in the United Kingdom....
, who described it as "an early contender for one of the albums of the year". Allmusic's Jon O'Brien also gave it four stars, describing it as "a consistently impressive and intriguing listen that has the potential to be the drum'n'bass genre's defining studio album". 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,...
s Kitty Empire
Kitty Empire
Kitty Empire is the pen name of a British writer and music critic.Empire was born in Montreal, Quebec in 1970 and brought up in Canada, Italy and Egypt before arriving in Britain in 1988....
described it as sounding "more like a compilation". Metro gave it three out of five, commenting on "increasingly polished songwriting", and the Daily Telegraph also gave it three out of five, describing it as "an effectively youthful update on the Prodigy’s formula". The album received similarly lukewarm reviews from Clash
Clash (magazine)
Clash is a popular music and fashion magazine based in the United Kingdom. Its magazine title is published 12 times a year. It has a circulation of around 40,000....
(Matt Oliver stating "It’s alright and will shift units"), The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, and the Financial Times
Financial Times
The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
. The album received a one out of ten review in NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
, with reviewer Ash Dosanjh calling it "soulless nonsense".
Track listing
Personnel
Chase & Status- Will Kennard – producer, mixing
- Saul Milton – producer, mixing
Production
- Ben Drew – producer, additional producer
- Graham Marsh – engineer
- Dean Reid – engineer
Additional musicians
- Liam BaileyLiam BaileyLiam Bailey is an English musician who has released two EPs; So Down, Cold and 2am Rough Tracks; Bailey also appeared on the Chase & Status single "Blind Faith" which was released on 24 January 2011 in the United Kingdom, where it debuted at number five...
– vocals - Delilah – vocals
- Dizzee RascalDizzee RascalDylan Kwabena Mills , better known by his stage name Dizzee Rascal, is a Ghanaian British rapper, songwriter and record producer. His music is a blend of garage, hip hop, grime, ragga, pop and electronic music, with eclectic samples and more exotic styles...
– vocals - Ben Drew – vocals
- Cee Lo Green – vocals
- Clare MaguireClare MaguireClare Rita Mary Maguire is a British singer-songwriter. She was signed to Universal Music Group Polydor Records in 2008. She was rated in fifth place in the BBC Sound of 2011 list of the top 15 most promising new artists. Maguire was also singled out as one of MTV's Brand New: For 2011 Acts...
– vocals - Mali McCalla – vocals
- Harry McVeighWhite Lies (band)White Lies is an English indie rock band from Ealing, London. Formerly known as Fear of Flying, the band consists primarily of Harry McVeigh , Charles Cave , and Jack Lawrence-Brown...
– vocals - Takura Tendayi – vocals
- Patrick OkogwuTinie TempahPatrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu , better known by his stage name Tinie Tempah, is a British rapper. He made his first mixtape in 2007 with 28 songs, freestyles and remixes, the album features Mz Bratt, Chipmunk and G-Unit...
– vocals - Yolanda Quartey – vocals
- Maverick SabreMaverick SabreMaverick Sabre is an English/Irish vocalist and rapper, born in Hackney, London in England. Associated with genres such as R&B and Folk, Sabre is known for his eerie vocals and guitar playing. In January 2011, Sabre appeared on Professor Green's single Jungle, which peaked at number 31 on the UK...
– vocals - Tempa TTempa TTempa T born , also known as Tempz/T. is a Ghanaian British Grime MC originating from East london and member of underground Grime Crew "Slew Dem Crew". Tempz is particularly known for excitable nature, his angry lyrics, raw energy and muscles the hype that he creates with his tracks. He released a...
– vocals - Mikkel Storleer EriksenStargate (production team)This is a list of songs written and produced by the Norwegian production team Stargate.-Produced singles:-1999:5ive - Invincible*05. "Two Sides to Every Story"*06. "You Make Me a Better Man"Noora Noor - Curious*01. "Curious"...
– keyboards, strings - Tor Erik HermansenStargate (production team)This is a list of songs written and produced by the Norwegian production team Stargate.-Produced singles:-1999:5ive - Invincible*05. "Two Sides to Every Story"*06. "You Make Me a Better Man"Noora Noor - Curious*01. "Curious"...
– keyboards, strings
Other personnel
- John Oakely – executive producer, photography
- Traffic – art direction, design
- Bob Torrez – cover photo
- Carsten – photography
- Ian Hunter – photography
- Sam Neill – photography
- Søren Solkær Starbird – photography
Sample credits
- "Blind FaithBlind Faith (song)"Blind Faith" is the third single from British drum and bass duo Chase & Status to be released from their second studio album No More Idols. The single features vocals from Liam Bailey and was released on 21 January 2011. The single reached number 5 in the United Kingdom...
" samples "Love SensationLove Sensation"Love Sensation" is the title of a 1980 song performed by American R&B singer Loleatta Holloway, taken from her album of the same name. The song was produced and written by Dan Hartman, arranged by Norman Harris, and mixed by Tom Moulton. It was a hit on the U.S...
" by Loleatta HollowayLoleatta HollowayLoleatta Holloway was an American singer, mainly known for disco songs such as "Hit and Run" and "Love Sensation", both of which have been sampled extensively.-Biography:... - "Hypest Hype" samples "Been Down So Long" by The DoorsThe DoorsThe Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
- "Hocus Pocus" samples Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends – Black Nationalists
Chart performance
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Albums Chart 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... (Flanders) |
36 |
| Danish Albums Chart Tracklisten Tracklisten is a Danish top 40 record chart that is presented every Thursday midnight at .The weekly Danish Singles Chart also known as Track Top-40 combines the 40 best selling tracks from legal music downloads and the sales of music singles on either CD or vinyl... |
34 |
| Irish Albums Chart 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... |
50 |
| New Zealand Albums Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
29 |
| 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... |
2 |
| UK Dance Album Chart UK Dance Chart The UK Dance Chart is a chart compiled by The Official Charts Company from sales in record stores and digital downloads. Although the chart does not currently receive any airplay on the radio or television, the chart can be viewed on the BBC Radio 1 and The Official Charts Company website.Digital... |
1 |
Certifications
| Country | Provider | Sales | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | BPI British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... |
300,000+ | Platinum |
Release history
| Region | Date | Label | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
28 January 2011 | Mercury Records Mercury Records Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal... |
Digital download 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... |
| 31 January 2011 | CD Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... |