Epiphany is the second studio album by American R&B and soul singer–songwriter Chrisette Michele, released May 5, 2009 on Def Jam Recordings in the United States. Recording sessions for the album took place during 2008 to 2009. In January 2009, the title track "Epiphany" was released as its lead single. Epiphany debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, while selling 83,000 copies in its first week. Upon its release, the album received generally positive reviews from music critics, based on an aggregate score of 71/100 from Metacritic.. Metacritic. Retrieved on 2009-11-15.

Background

Chrisette Michele told Billboards Mariel Concepcion that her new album would be "more upbeat and youthful". Production for the album was handled by Chuck Harmony, Claude Kelly, Bei Maejor, and Ne-Yo.

Michele says one of her favorite tracks is the piano-based "Blame It on Me", in which she croons, "Blame it on me/Say it's my fault/Say I left you out in the cold with a broken heart/I really don't care/I'm not crying no more/Say I'm a liar, a cheater, say anything that you want/As long as it's over." "On My Own", Michele says, reminds her of her father. "I'm very close to my dad, but recently I've learned how to handle situations on my own, without having him step in for me, and it took a lot of me to be able to do that", she admits.

Reception

Commercial performance

Epiphany debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 83,000 units, giving Michele her first number 1 album on the chart. It was also the lowest sum for a number-one-debuting album since Nielsen SoundScan started keeping records in 1991, until Sugarland's album Live on the Inside debuted at number one with 76,000 copies the week of August 22, 2009. As of 2010 the album has sold over 462,000 copies in the US.

Critical response

Critical response to the album was generally positive. Allmusic's Andy Kellman wrote that "the material, while mostly well-crafted, runs together as a block of slow, serious songs broken up by only a couple brief upswings in energy" and how "Chrisette, naturally, sounds outstanding throughout, as a supernaturally talented vocalist whose songs are nonetheless easily relatable to anyone going through a breakup—or, to a significantly lesser extent here, newfound love." He also felt that the album "could have really used more rhythmic punch than a token throwback strutter." Maiya Norton of Vibe commented on how her album gained some edge, expressing some anger and heartbreak. In his consumer guide for MSN Music, critic Robert Christgau gave Epiphany a rating of honorable mention (),Christgau, Robert. "". MSN Music: October 2009. Archived from on 2009-11-15. indicating "a worthy effort consumers attuned to its overriding aesthetic or individual vision may well like".Christgau, Robert. . Robert Christgau. Retrieved on 2009-03-30.

Despite noting its production as a weakness, Miami Herald writer Adrian Ruhi gave the album 3 out of 4 stars and commended Michele for her vocals.Ruhi, Adrian. . Miami Herald. Retrieved on 2009-11-15. In a positive review, The Koalition said that "it would seem almost impossible for Chrisette Michele to avoid the "sophomore slump", but she finds a way by simply catering to an age old rule: just create great pieces of music." In some reviews her voice has been compared to the likes of Ella Fitzgerald. Giving the album four out of five stars, Timothy Michael Carson of About.com favored her unique, distinctive strong vocals, her cohesiveness, and the song "Blame It on Me", but was disappointed in the fact it had less of a jazz influence than her debut album I Am.

Personnel

Musicians

*Chrisette Michele – vocals; backing vocals (track 5)

*Jesse Bond – guitar (tracks 4, 9, 12)

*Chuck Harmony – drums (tracks 4, 12); guitar (track 2)

*Claude Kelly – backing vocals (tracks 2, 4, 6, 9, 10)

*J. Michel – backing vocals (track 5)

*Calvin Palmer – bass (track 4)

*Brent Paschke – guitar (track 6)

Production

*Allstar – producer, engineer (track 5)

*June Ambrose – stylist

*Ashaunna Ayars – marketing

*A.J. Benson – A&R

*Alan Branch – marketing

*Keith Campbell – hair stylist

*Carol Corless – package production

*Darkchild – producer (track 6)

*Kevin "KD" Davis – mixing (tracks 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11)

*Mildred Delamota – art direction

*Mike "Handz" Donaldson – engineer (track 6)

*Bojan Dugich – engineer (track 10)

*Doug "Biggs" Ellison – executive producer

*Stephen Ferrera – A&R

*Moses Gallart – assistant engineer (tracks 1, 3, 11)

*Anthony "Rocky" Gallo – engineer (track 10); vocal tracking

*Tom Gardner – assistant engineer

*Eshy Gazit – vocal tracking

*Serban Ghenea – mixing

*John Hanes – mixing

*Chuck Harmony – producer (tracks 1–4, 7, 9–12)

*Mike "Track Guru" Johnson – assistant engineer (tracks 2, 4, 7–9, 12)

*Doug Joswick – package production

*Claude Kelly – vocal producer

*Bei Maejor – producer (track 8)

*Ne-Yo – co-producer (tracks 1, 3, 7, 8); executive producer

*Herb Powers, Jr. – mastering

*Geno Regist – engineer (tracks 1–4, 7–9, 11, 12)

*Jeff Riedel – photography

*Tim Roberts – assistant

*Mark Siegel - booking agent

*Noah Tafua – mixing assistant

*Kris Yiengst – art coordinator, photo coordination

Chart history

;Album

;Chart procession and succession

References

Artist/Band Information

Chrisette Michele Payne (born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Chrisette Michele, is an American R&B and soul singer–songwriter on the Island Def Jam Music Group. She won a Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance in 2009 for her song "Be OK".

Biography

Michele was born in Central Islip, New York, and grew up in Patchogue. Her father was a deacon and her mother a choir director. Michele led gospel choirs in high school. She attended Five Towns College in Dix Hills, New York, and graduated with a vocal performance degree.

Music career

Beginnings

Michele has been featured on several hip hop albums. She is on The Game's album LAX on "Let Us Live". On Jay-Z's Kingdom Come she was featured on the second single "Lost One", while on Nas' Hip Hop Is Dead, she was featured three times: on the album's second single "Can't Forget About You", the Kanye West-produced "Still Dreaming", and the final track "Hope". She also appeared on the bonus track "Slow Down", from Ghostface Killah's The Big Doe Rehab.

I Am (2007)

Chrisette Michelle.jpgrightthumb180pxMichele performing in Brooklyn in August 2007.

Michele's debut album, I Am, was released on June 18, 2007. The song "Your Joy" was released on iTunes as a free single of the week. The album spawned four singles: "If I Have My Way", "Best of Me", "Be OK", and "Love Is You". The album's lead single "If I Have My Way" charted at number four on Billboards Hot Adult R&B Airplay and number twenty-four on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. "Breast Milk" charted on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks at number twenty-one. In December 2007, "Be OK" was released as the third single, charting at number sixty-four on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and number twenty-one on the Hot Adult R&B Airplay. In 2008, "Love Is You" was released as the album's fourth and final single on the album; it reached number ninety on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and number twenty on the Hot Adult R&B Airplay.

Epiphany (2009)

In 2008, Michele appeared on the track "Rising Up" from The Roots' album Rising Down. Michele guest starred as herself in The CW's Girlfriends, in the episode entitled "What's Black-a-Lackin'?", which originally aired on February 11, 2008. She also wrote a song for Tyler Perry's House of Payne entitled "I've Gotta Love Jones". From May to July 2008 Michele embarked on a nationwide co-headlining tour with fellow soul singer Raheem DeVaughn called the Art of Love Tour; Solange Knowles served as the opening act. In September 2008, Michele performed twice at the Evening of Stars: A Tribute to Patti Labelle.

In mid-2008, Michele began recording for her second album, Epiphany. In January 2009, the album's title track was released as the lead single. Released on May 5, 2009, the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 selling 83,000 copies in its opening week.

Michele quickly starting working with rapper Rick Ross, and Canadian rapper/singer Drake on the fourth single of Ross's album Teflon Don called Aston Martin Music. The song was released on October 5, 2010.

Michele released her third studio album, Let Freedom Reign, in 2010. The album includes the singles, "I'm a Star", "Goodbye Game". The album features Michele performing hip-hop, R&B, as well as the dance-pop influenced "So Cool".

Discography

*2007: I Am

*2009: Epiphany

*2010: Let Freedom Reign

(Mixtapes)

*2010: Love Thy Brother

Tours

*The Art of Love Tour (with Raheem DeVaughn) (2008)

*The Epiphany Tour (2010)

Awards and nominations

Vibe Music Award

*2008, Breakthrough Artist of the Year (Nominated)

Grammy Award

*2008, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: "If I Have My Way" (Nominated)

*2009, Best Urban/Alternative Performance: "Be OK" (Won)

BET Award

*2010, Centric Award: (Nominated)

*2008, Best New Artist: (Nominated)

BET J/Centric

*2008, Virtual Awards: Soul Approved: (Won)

*2008, Female Artist of the Year: (Nominated)

NAACP Image Awards

*2008, Outstanding New Artist: (Nominated)

Soul Train Awards

*2009, Best R&B/Soul Female Artist: (Nominated)

Urban Music Awards

*2009, Best Female Act: (Nominated)

References