Maps of Music
Songs About Girls (2007)
Where the lyrics of Songs About Girls take you, and where it was really made.
The album was first titled Keep the Beeper, and will.i.am later called it his debut album even though it was his third studio album.
View on the mapKey places
Recording at The Record Plant (2007)
Recording site Record Plant Studios — The Record Plant in Los Angeles is listed as a recording location for this album. The point marks the venue's coordinates at building level. Google Maps · Apple Maps
How to get there: See the map for directions.
Recording in Rio de Janeiro (2007)
Recording site Blue Studios — Rio de Janeiro is named as one of the places where the album was recorded. Only a city-level location is available, so the point marks the city center. Google Maps · Apple Maps
How to get there: See the map for directions.
Album story
Overview
- Songs About Girls: third studio album by American musician will.i.am
- Original title was Keep the Beeper
- Released 19 September 2007
- First single: club track 'I Got It from My Mama', debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at #93 on 17 August 2007
- Guest appearances by Cheryl and Snoop Dogg
- Recorded by Pardraic Kerin and will.i.am; mixed by Dylan Dresdow
Background
- will.i.am described it as a semi-autobiographical conceptual album
- The album is partially based on a seven-year relationship, its infidelities and its break-up
- will.i.am considers it his debut album; his first two were production compilations
- The album's songs were meant to follow the journey of falling in love, falling out of love and starting a new situation
Recording
- Recorded by Pardraic Kerin and will.i.am
- Mixed by Dylan Dresdow
- The Record Plant in Los Angeles is listed as a recording location
- Allmusic says the album was recorded everywhere from Rio to The Record Plant
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Artist
Formation
- William James Adams Jr., born March 15, 1975, in Los Angeles, California; stage name will.i.am.
- Raised by his mother in the Estrada Courts housing projects in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles.
- Formed the Black Eyed Peas in 1995 with apl.de.ap and Taboo; the group evolved from Atban Klann, signed to Eazy-E's Ruthless Records in 1992.
- Black Eyed Peas signed with Interscope Records; debut single "Joints & Jam" in early 1998.
Members
- Core members of Black Eyed Peas: will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo, and Fergie (joined in 2002).
Career
- Solo albums: Lost Change (2001), Must B 21 (2003), Songs About Girls (2007), #willpower (2013).
- Black Eyed Peas albums Elephunk (2003), Monkey Business (2005), The E.N.D. (2009), and The Beginning (2010) achieved their highest success.
- Founded his own record label in 1998; founded technology company i.am+ in 2013.
- Mentor on The Voice UK, The Voice Australia, and The Voice Kids UK.
- Won seven Grammy Awards, a Latin Grammy Award, and a Daytime Emmy Award.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Reception
At release
- Rolling Stone's Caryn Ganz: not a hip-hop record but a pop R&B album of mellow head-nodders
- BBC's Tom Jones called it a 'soulless record' that 'wore thin very quickly' and is 'far too long'
- AllMusic's John Bush praised it as a tour de force of next-generation contemporary R&B
- Bush said it had more innovation, enthusiasm and excitement than contemporary work by Pharrell, Kanye West and Mark Ronson
Records
- Debuted at #38 on the Billboard 200 with 21,000 copies sold (Nielsen SoundScan)
- Lower debut than Elephunk (#14), Monkey Business (#2) and Fergie's The Dutchess (#2)
- Not a commercial success despite will.i.am's record as a producer
- Debuted on the Australian ARIA Albums Chart on 1 October 2007 at #58 with 870 copies sold
- Released in Argentina on 5 October 2007
- Went Gold in Poland three days before its release
- Leaked to the Internet on 19 September 2007
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Trivia
- The album leaked to the Internet on its release day, 19 September 2007.
- Kat Graham sings on 'I Got It from My Mama', 'One More Chance' and 'The Donque Song' but is not credited.
- 'Dynamite Interlude' has no writing or production credits.
- The 2008 song 'American Boy' by Estelle uses the instrumental from 'Impatient', which was also produced by will.i.am.
- Only the Snoop Dogg collaboration made the final cut of the planned guest list.
- will.i.am said the album was meant to be an infinitely expandable collection of songs distributed through Musicane.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
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