Lyrics (Donell Jones album)

Lyrics
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 28, 2010
Length55:30
Label
Producer
Donell Jones chronology
The Lost Files
(2009)
Lyrics
(2010)
Forever
(2013)
Singles from Lyrics
  1. "Love Like This"
    Released: August 10, 2010

Lyrics is the fifth studio album by R&B singer Donell Jones. It released by Candyman Music, Jones's own label, through eOne Music on September 28, 2010 in the United States.[1] The album marked his first release with the venture, following his departure from LaFace Records, and features production credits by Mike City and Jones himself. The album debuted at number 5 on the US Billboard Independent Albums chart and number 9 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart with almost 15,000 in sales. "Love Like This" was the album's lead single and reached the top of the US Adult R&B Songs chart.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
About.com[2]
AllMusic[3]
PopMatters6/10[4]

AllMusic editor Andy Kellman rated the album three and a half ouf of five stars. He found that "the majority of it convincingly picks up where 2006's Journey of a Gemini left off. Jones has nothing to prove nor to lose, and that's the way this album sounds. He writes, plays, and produces most of the material and gets only a small amount of instrumental assistance. The probing "Imagine That" and "Blackmail," along with delicate-but-durable slow jams like "Love Like This" and "The Finer Things in Life," will be enough to please Jones' followers."[3] Mark Edward Nero from About.com felt that the album "features Donell doing what he does best: creating sexy and romantic songs that can either tug on your heartstrings or have you heading to the bedroom. Or sometimes both. Although the album falters slightly on the songs that have more of a hip-hop attitude, this is a very solid release overall."[2]

PopMatters critic Quentin B. huff noted: "As a producer, Jones does a strong job, making his songs layered but crisp. Inasmuch as Lyrics fits the current landscape, it stands high on the list production-wise. But it's nevertheless indistinguishable from the crowd [...] It would be great if he focused on the warmth and honesty of his vocal performances without the mediators of Auto-Tune and other effects. That, along his ability to convey sincerity and to develop intense psychological details, is a talent he should continue to hone."[4] Natalie Shaw from BBC Music found that "Jones is clever and sleek enough to pull this album off. Through slamming slap bass, masterful slow-grind and clear-cut self-obsession, Lyrics is a unified hip hop-tinged RnB mainstay, familiar without the distasteful nostalgia, and heavy on infectious beats."[5]

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number 28 on the US Billboard 200, with first week sales of almost 15,000 units.[6] It also number five on the US Billboard Independent Albums chart and number 9 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.[6]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Donell Jones (unless otherwise noted)

Lyrics track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)ProducerLength
1."The World is Yours" Donell Jones3:58
2."Your Place" Donell Jones5:01
3."Love Like This" Donell Jones3:37
4."Imagine That" Donell Jones4:53
5."Backdoor" Donell Jones3:47
6."Blackmail" Donell Jones4:15
7."All About the Sex" Donell Jones5:36
8."Stripclub" (featuring Yung Joc) Donell Jones4:22
9."What's Next" (featuring Inessa) Donell Jones3:43
10."You Can Burn" (performed by Breese) Donell Jones3:30
11."The Finer Things in Life"Mike CityMike City4:05
12."Just a Little" Donell Jones4:49
13."O How I Wonder" Donell Jones3:49
Total length:55:19
Best Buy bonus tracks[7]
No.TitleProducerLength
14."All About the Sex" (Acoustic Mix)Donell Jones5:36
15."Ménage à Troi"Donell Jones4:23
16."Don't Trip"Donell Jones3:31

Charts

Weekly chart performance for Lyrics
Chart (2010) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[8] 28
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[9] 9

References

  1. ^ "Love Like This - single". iTunes. Retrieved 10 August 2010.
  2. ^ a b Nero, Mark Edward. "Album Review: Donell Jones – Lyrics". About.com. Archived from the original on October 20, 2011. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  3. ^ a b Kellman, Andy Review: Lyrics. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2010-10-22.
  4. ^ a b Quentin B., Huff (March 6, 2011). "Donell Jones: Lyrics". PopMatters. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  5. ^ Shaw, Natalie. "Donell Jones, Lyrics, Review". PopMatters. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  6. ^ a b Concepcion, Mariel (October 11, 2010). "Donell Jones Rewrites Career with New 'Lyrics'". Billboard.com. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  7. ^ "Joe – No One Else Comes Close (CD single)". Discogs. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  8. ^ "Donell Jones Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  9. ^ "Donell Jones Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 17, 2018.