Maps of Music

Coming Home (2006)

Where the lyrics of Coming Home take you, and where it was really made.

Richie brought in contemporary R&B and hip-hop producers for this record, a sharp break from the adult contemporary sound of his earlier albums, and critics split over the change.

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Album story

Overview

• Coming Home: eighth studio album by American singer Lionel Richie
• Released 12 September 2006 in the United States by The Island Def Jam Music Group
• Breakaway from his previous adult contemporary sound
• Executive producer Antonio "L.A." Reid
• Collaborators from contemporary R&B and hip-hop: Dallas Austin, Jerry Duplessis, Jermaine Dupri, Sean Garrett, Wyclef Jean, Rodney Jerkins, and the Norwegian duo Stargate

Background

• Richie's sound was updated by working with a set of sought-after younger producers and songwriters
• The album was Richie's biggest hit album since 1986's Dancing on the Ceiling
• Coming Home reprised the chart success of Renaissance (2000) and Just for You (2004)
• Several singles were released, including "I Call It Love" and "Why"

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Born June 20, 1949, in Tuskegee, Alabama; grew up on the Tuskegee Institute campus and attended Tuskegee Institute on a tennis scholarship.
• In the late 1960s he joined the Commodores as singer and saxophonist; they moved from Atlantic to Motown, first as a support act to The Jackson 5.
• Commodores' early funky sound ("Machine Gun", "Brick House") gave way to romantic ballads he wrote and sang, such as "Easy", "Three Times a Lady", "Still" and "Sail On".

Career

• 1974: first commercial songwriting success with "Happy People", recorded by The Temptations as a No. 1 R&B hit.
• 1980: wrote "Lady" for Kenny Rogers, a US No. 1; produced Rogers' album Share Your Love in 1981.
• 1981: "Endless Love", a duet with Diana Ross, became one of Motown's biggest hits.
• 1982: debut solo album Lionel Richie, with the No. 1 single "Truly", sold over 4 million copies.
• 1983: Can't Slow Down won Album of the Year and sold over twice as many copies; "All Night Long" was a No. 1 hit.
• 1985: co-wrote "We Are the World" with Michael Jackson; "Say You, Say Me" from White Nights won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe.
• 1986: Dancing on the Ceiling, his last widely popular album; a break from recording followed until the 1992 hits collection Back to Front.
• Sold over 90 million records worldwide and won four Grammy Awards.
• Judge on American Idol from its 16th season (2018 onward).
• 2022: inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• People: praised the album as a welcome return to R&B, singling out "What You Are", "I Call It Love", and "I Love You" while noting weaker uptempo tracks
• USA Today: Steve Jones gave two and a half stars, noting the album revisited the smooth style of his Commodores and solo hits
• Entertainment Weekly: Michael Endelman gave a B−, praising the collaboration with younger producers for updating his quiet-storm sound
• AllMusic: Andy Kellman found the album uneven
• Sacramento News & Review: Kel Munger criticized it as an unsuccessful comeback attempt
• Okayplayer criticized its modern production choices as awkward and dated
• PopMatters: Christian John Wikane dismissed it for prioritizing contemporary trends over Richie's established identity, while praising "Reason to Believe"

Reappraisal

• Critical reception was generally mixed, with critics either complimenting or dismissing the update of his sound

Records

• US Billboard 200: debuted and peaked at number six, his first top 10 album debut
• US sales: over 75,000 copies in the first week; up to 449,000 copies sold
• US Billboard R&B Albums: number three (per Japanese article)
• France: entered the Top Albums at number 17 on 16 September 2006, its best position there
• Germany and Switzerland: entered the top ten
• Belgium (francophone): number 47 on Ultratop 200 Albums
• United States: certified gold in February 2007 for 500,000 units shipped
• United Kingdom: gold

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · fr.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The album's lead single "I Call It Love" had a music video featuring Richie's adopted daughter Nicole Richie.
• Stargate, who produced "I Call It Love", were brought back for Richie's next album Just Go (2009).
• Jermaine Dupri, who produced "What You Are", described the song as a modern take on Richie's 1984 hit "Hello".
• The US edition has eleven tracks, while the Japanese and UK editions add two bonus tracks.

Sources: ja.wikipedia.org

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