My Soul is the third studio album by American soul singer-songwriter Leela James. It was released by Stax Records on May 25, 2010, in the United States, marking James' debut with the label. Her highest-charting effort to date, the album debuted and peaked at number 7 on Billboards Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and at number 37 on the US Billboard 200 chart.
Critical reception
AllMusic editor Andy Kellman praised My Soul as James' strongest album to that point, highlighting its stronger material, balance of classic and contemporary sounds, and her growth as a songwriter. Billboard critic Gail Mitchell praised the album's "gritty, soulfully booming" vocals and James' return to original material, highlighting tracks such as "I Ain't New to This," "The Fact Is," and "Tell Me You Love Me." Mario Tarradell from The Dallas Morning News gave My Soul an A grade, praising James' powerful vocals, songwriting, and soulful style. Tarradell highlighted "I Want It All," "Let It Roll," and "I Ain't New to This" as standout tracks.
About.com's Mark Edward Nero gave My Soul four stars, praising its raw soul sound, live instrumentation, and James' powerful performances on tracks including "Mr. Incredible, Ms. Unforgettable," "I Want It All," and "So Cold." Writing for All About Jazz, Ernest Barteldes praised the album's energetic performances and blend of classic soul influences with a contemporary approach. PopMatters critic David Maine gave a mixed review, praising James' vocals while criticizing some production choices and songwriting inconsistencies.
Commercial performance My Soul became James' highest-charting album, a position it still holds to date, peaking at number 37 on the US Billboard 200 and number 7 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It marked her first album to reach the top ten on the latter.
Track listing Credits adapted from the liner notes of My Soul.
Sample credits "I Ain't New To This" contains a sample of "Solitary Love Affair", performed by Millie Jackson. "The Fact Is" contains a sample of "Lovely Way She Loves", performed by The Moments "Tell Me You Love Me" contains a sample from "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye", performed by The Manhattans. "It's Over" contains a sample of "Can't Be Alone", performed by Hodges, James & Smith.
Personnel
Anabel DeHaven – Make–Up, Stylist Kyonte Vincent – Engineer Al Manerson – Executive Producer Dwayne Moore – Bass Shelby Johnson – Composer, Vocals (Background) Milton Fletcher Jr. – Keyboards Michael Gassel – Package Design Sammy Friedman – Composer Gus McKinney – Composer Gerrard Baker – Producer Gerald Craig Glanville – Composer Carvin Haggins – Composer Carl "Chucky" Thompson – Producer Bud Wales – Sax (Tenor) Brenda Walkin – Sax (Tenor) Billy Earl Kennedy – Composer Barry Wilson – Sax (Baritone) Andrea Martin – Composer, Vocals (Background) Sylvia Robinson – Composer William "Mickey" Stevenson – Composer Gordon Williams – Composer, Engineer Paul Blakemore – Mastering Deborah Mannis–Gardner – Sample Clearance
Billy Brown – Composer Mary Hogan – A&R Eric "Ebo" Butler – Engineer Tiffany Wilson – Vocals (Background) Ray Murray – Producer, Engineer Malik Albert – Producer, Engineer Ivan "Orthodox" Barias – Producer, Engineer Carvin "Ransum" Haggins – Producer, Engineer Seth Presant – Mixing Raheem DeVaughn – Composer, Vocals (Background), Vocals Steve "Supe" White – Producer, Engineer Johnnie "Smurf" Smith – Keyboards Leela James – Arranger, Composer, Vocals (Background), Additional Production, Executive Producer, Vocals George "Spanky" McCurdy – Drums Devin DeHaven – Photography Ben Wendel – Sax (Tenor) Kadis – Producer, Engineer Larissa Collins – Art Direction Mark Bowers – Bass, Guitar Al Goodman – Composer Chris Dunn – Executive Producer John D. Loudermilk – Composer
Charts Chart (2010) Peak position
References
External links