Propelled by the unexpected success of her single "Bounce", the album reached the lower half of US Billboard 200 and debut atop Billboard's Top Heatseekers, the latter of which highlights the sales by new and developing musical recording artists. The collection garnered a mixed reception from American music critics, who felt that the "tracks work because they're qualified by their Europop context. Like the brightest of that genre, they shine like flashy and disposable glowsticks before ultimately terminating."[1]
Background
Sarah Connor was released in 2004 in response to the success of the lead single "Bounce". Connor is Germany's biggest-selling female pop star, but despite singing in English she never seriously attempted to take her music outside of German-speaking countries (she released "Bounce" in England in 2003 with little promotion though as in America it reached the top 20).
In Fall 2003 Sarah released "Key to My Soul" early on during her pregnancy. It was around this time her song "Bounce" was found by some American DJs, who put it on their playlists. Soon "Bounce" featured on playlists across the US and reached number 54. Sony realized they had a potential hit on their hands and decided to try and release a Sarah Connor CD in the US. With no time to record and Sarah on a baby break they decided to release a compilation of her previous singles from all three albums. The album's cover is the same as that of Green Eyed Soul, albeit with the text Green Eyed Soul removed.
The version of "Bounce" included on this compilation is the clean radio edit. This is the mix that was released to US radio (and also featured on the US compilation Now That's What I Call Music! Volume 15, released in March 2004).
Elysa Gardner, writing for USA Today, found that "Connor may not have the technical prowess of, say, Christina Aguilera or Kelly Clarkson, but her vocal approach, which veers from breathy ostentation to bombastic belting, will sound painfully familiar. So will helium-fueled hip-hop workouts such as the hit "Bounce" and maudlin ballads such as "Music Is the Key," one of several predictable collaborations with male rap and R&B artists. Connor fares better on the relatively crisp, breezy He's Unbelievable and the blithely funky Mary Jane Girls cover "In My House," but in general, her green-eyed soul is a pale facsimile of the real thing."[2]AllMusic editor Johnny Loftus wrote that "like most of Sarah Connor, the tracks work because they're qualified by their Europop context. Like the brightest of that genre, they shine like flashy and disposable glowsticks before ultimately terminating."[1]
Chart performance
Released on 9 March 2004 in Canada and the United States, Sarah Connor debuted and peaked at number 106 on the US Billboard 200.[3] It also debuted atop Billboard's Top Heatseekers chart.[4] Connor was not able to promote the album stateside since she was heavily pregnant with her first child at that time.
Track listing
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Sarah Connor.[5]
