Love Me Back is the second studio album by American R&B singer Jazmine Sullivan. It was released by J Records on November 29, 2010. The follow-up to her 2008 debut album Fearless, Sullivan reteamed with producers Salaam Remi, Missy Elliott, her protégé Cainon Lamb and duo Carvin & Ivan to work on the album. New collaborated included Anthony Bel, Chuck Harmony, Los da Mystro, Bei Maejor, No I.D., and Prolyfic as well as singer Ne-Yo. Sullivan co-wrote every song on Love Me Back.

The album was released to received universal acclaim from music critics, who praised its songwriting and Sullivan's singing. It debuted at number 17 on the US Billboard 200, selling 57,000 copies in its first week of release. Love Me Back also reached number five on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The album produced three singles, including leading single "Holding You Down (Goin' in Circles)", which peaked at number three on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and follow-ups "10 Seconds" and "Excuse Me".

Background The album is the follow-up to Sullivan's debut album Fearless (2008), which was well received by music critics, sold 517,000 copies, and earned Sullivan seven Grammy Award nominations.Herrera, Monica. Lipshutz, Jason (November 12, 2010). Jazmine Sullivan to Receive Billboard's Rising Star Award for Women in Music. Billboard. Retrieved on 2010-12-01. Recording sessions for the album took place at various recording locations, including Carrington House Studios, Goldmind Studios, and Lostas Studi in Atlanta, Georgia, CNSO Recording Studio in Czech Republic, Cutting Room Studios, Germano Studios, KMA Studios, and MSR Studios in New York, New York, Instrument Zoo in Miami, Florida, Metropolis Studios in London, Waya Flow Studios and Westlake Studios in Los Angeles, California, Strawberrybee Studios in California, and The Studio in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.. Muze. Retrieved on 2010-12-01.

Promotion Love Me Back was released by J Records on November 29, 2010, in the United Kingdom, November 30 in the United States, and December 8 in Japan. Prior to its release, Sullivan accompanied R&B recording artist Mary J. Blige on the latter's Music Saved My Life concert tour during October 2010. Love Me Back was also promoted with three singles: "Holding You Down (Goin' in Circles)" was released on July 10,Staff (November 19, 2010). Jazmine Sullivan's New Album Available For Preview. RTTNews. Retrieved on 2010-11-27., "10 Seconds" was released on October 15,Amazon.com: 10 Seconds: Jazmine Sullivan: MP3 Downloads Amazon.com, Inc. Retrieved February 17, 2011. and "Excuse Me" on March 25, 2011https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVyB-ai9z3I&ra=m The album's cover was premiered on September 21, 2010 and features Sullivan dressed in all black, leaning against a vintage model Chevrolet Impala, a reference to her hit single "Bust Your Windows".

Critical reception

Love Me Back was met with widespread critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional critics, the album received an average score of 82, based on 11 reviews. AllMusic editor Andy Kellman rated the album five out of five stars. He felt that it "sprawls and stuns in equal measure." In Spin magazine, Maura Johnston found Sullivan "both feisty and classy," while Michael Cragg of The Guardian said her singing is marked by experience and accommodates each song. Jon Pareles, writing in The New York Times, felt that Sullivan sounds "narrow and jagged" on the album, "with more grain and more tears as she applies gospel dynamics to her venting."Pareles, Jon (November 26, 2010). Review: Love Me Back. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2010-11-27. BBC Music critic Natalie Shaw called Love Me Back an "instant and self-assured blast of a record."

New York magazine's Nitsuh Abebe described her voice as "warm, well-textured, and big — authentically, naturally big," and stated, "the warmth and weight of the songwriting and production live up to the singing."Abebe, Nitsuh (December 8, 2010). Review: Love Me Back. New York. Retrieved on 2010-12-08. Alex Macpherson of The Quietus commended Sullivan for "letting [her] ideas run riot while staying true to genre values" on the "most creative R&B album of the year."Macpherson, Alex (December 23, 2010). Review: Love Me Back. The Quietus. Retrieved on 2010-12-24. In his review for MSN Music, Robert Christgau felt that the songwriting is "a big extra difference maker, with enough pop moves to lighten the overall mood" amid "the soulful melodrama." He believed Sullivan role-plays "with unflinching intelligence" on each song and, although the lyrics could be based on personal history, "it's simpler just to wish every pro was such an astute student of the female condition."Christgau, Robert (February 8, 2011). "Consumer Guide: Love Me Back". MSN Music. Archived from the original on 2011-02-11.

Some reviewers were less receptive. Jon Dolan of Rolling Stone expressed ambivalence about Sullivan's decision to play "a little nicer, adhering to the Mary J. Blige school of gritty, nuanced hip-hop soul." Slant Magazines Sal Cinquemani felt that the album "fails to reprise many of its predecessor's themes or explore any overarching new ones." Margaret Wappler of the Los Angeles Times said that Sullivan "walks herself to the precipice of emotion without falling off," but lamented what she believed to be not enough "experimentation."

Commercial performance Love Me Back debuted at number 17 on the Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 57,000 copies in the United States. It also entered at five on Billboards R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and at number 12 on its Digital Albums chart. The album ultimately spent six weeks on the Billboard 200.

Track listing

Notes denotes vocal producer

Personnel Credits are adapted from AllMusic.[ Credits: Love Me Back]. AllMusic. Retrieved on 2010-11-27.

Guy Aroch – photography Christian Baker – engineer Anthony Bell – instrumentation, producer, programming Ricky Blaze – drum programming, producer Jesse Bonds – guitar Anita Marisa Boriboon – art direction, design Cary Clark – engineer Los DaMystro – conductor, producer Gleyder "Gee" Disla – engineer DJ Showoff – vocals Peter Edge – producer Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott – engineer, executive producer, producer Paul J. Falcone – engineer Rick Frederick – engineer Toby Gad – engineer, piano, producer Anthony "Rocky" Gallo – engineer Erwin Gorostiza – creative director Chuck Harmony – producer Brandon Henderson – assistant Vincent Henry – flute, alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, tenor saxophone, wah wah guitar Trevor Jerideau – producer Mike "TrakGuru" Johnson – engineer Rob Kinelski – engineer StayBent KrunkaDelic – keyboards Dave Kutch – mastering Lamb – drum programming, engineer, producer

Erik Madrid – assistant, mixing engineer Bei Maejor – producer Manny Marroquin – mixing Scott Naughton – engineer Ne-Yo – producer, vocals No I.D. – producer Brandon Parks – engineer Calvin Parmer – bass Christian Plata – assistant Prolyfic – additional production Questlove – drums, engineer Kevin Randolph – keyboards Rebel One – management Geno Regist – engineer Salaam Remi – bass, drum programming, drums, executive producer, Fender rhodes, keyboards, producer, strings Harold Robinson – bass Andros Rodriguez – engineer Davide Rossi – cello, string arrangements, strings, viola, violin Ashunta Sheriff – make-up Jazmine Sullivan – producer, vocals Pam Sullivan – management Pamela Watson – stylist Sam Wheat – engineer Yusef Williams – hair stylist Steve Wyreman – guitar

Charts

Weekly charts + Weekly chart performance for Love Me Back Chart (2010) Peakposition scope="row" scope="row"

Year-end charts + Year-end chart performance for Love Me Back Chart (2011) PeakpositionUS Billboard 200170US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)43

Release history + Love Me Back release history Region Date Format(s) Label Ref United Kingdom November 29, 2010 RCA United States November 30, 2010 Japan December 8, 2010

References

External links