Rich Girl is the sixth studio album by American singer Angie Stone. It was released on September 25, 2012, by Saguaro Road Rhythm,[1] selling 4,000 units in the US in its first week of release. The lead single, '"Do What U Gotta Do" was released on June 5, 2012, and the music video premiered on July 21, 2012.
Washington Post critic Bill Friskics-Warren found that on Rich Girl Stone "sounds as assured as ever with a groove-steeped mix of ballads and mid-tempo testimonials to self-possession and resilience [...] Without a misstep among the pressing beats and handclaps that animate these 15 tracks, the redoubtable Stone proves herself to be in complete command of the smart, sexy neo-soul she's been perfecting ever since the release of her signature 1999 single, "No More Rain (In This Cloud)"."[4] Biana Roach from Associated Press called the album a "triumphant return" and described it as a "a collection of positive, in-your-face, fresh funky tunes" as well as an "easy listening."[3]
L. Michael Gipson, writing for SoulTracks, called Rich Girl "classic Angie Stone old school cry." Less impressed with the uptempo material which he felt was "enjoyable, but just shy of must-listen artistry," Gipson noted that "ballads here fare better."[5]Allmusic editor Andy Kellman remarked that "this album doesn't offer as many high points as her two previous Stax albums, and it's as scattered quality-wise as it is stylistically diverse. Stone's beaming, easygoing nature and typically excellent vocals save the majority of the substandard material [...] If Stone really wanted to get back to basics, she could have made a whole album with the terminally undervalued Mike City. His smacking but smoothened grooves are a great fit [...]"[2]
Chart performance
Rich Girl debuted and peaked at number 109 on the US Billboard 200 in the week of October 13, 2012, selling 4,000 units in its first week of release.[6] The second-highest debut on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, it also debuted and peaked at number 15 on the chart.[7]
