Maps of Music

Strut (2014)

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

Strut was the first release on Kravitz's own label, Roxie Records, which is named after his mother, actress Roxie Roker.

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Strut: tenth studio album by American rock musician Lenny Kravitz
Released 23 September 2014
First release on Kravitz's own label, Roxie Records; distribution by Kobalt Label Services
Five singles released in 2014 and 2015
Lead single "The Chamber" released on 24 June 2014
Album title explained by Kravitz as being proud and confident about who you are

Roxie Records named after his mother, actress Roxie Roker
Kravitz wrote all the songs on the album, except for "Ooo Baby Baby" by Smokey Robinson and Warren "Pete" Moore
Kravitz played various instruments on the album
He decided to cover "Ooo Baby Baby" while filming The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, where he played Cinna, stylist to Jennifer Lawrence's heroine
He heard the song in a makeup trailer and included it as the twelfth title
Kravitz said the music is about love and relationships, with grit and glamour, and a lot of sensuality
The video for "The Chamber" is set in Paris, where Kravitz had lived on and off for the past nine years
In 2011 he was awarded France's Order of Arts and Letters

Keyboards, bass and drums were multitracked by Kravitz himself
Craig Ross played guitar on all songs
Kravitz also played guitar on six songs, or nine including bonus tracks
Kravitz produced the album; Bob Crearmountain was brought in for mixing
Kravitz said Crearmountain's sound was beautiful and refined, with very big guitars and drums

Born May 26, 1964 in New York City; American singer, musician, songwriter, record producer, and actor.
Debut album Let Love Rule (1989) blends rock, funk, reggae, hard rock, soul, and R&B.
Hit singles include "It Ain't Over 'til It's Over" (1991) and "Again" (2000), both top ten on the Billboard Hot 100.
Won four consecutive Grammy Awards for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance from 1999 to 2002, a category record.
Has sold over 40 million albums worldwide.
Acted in Precious (2009) and the first two Hunger Games films (2012–13).
Founded the creative studio Kravitz Design Inc.

Raised partly in New York and partly in Los Angeles; began playing drums at age three.
Introduced to rock music in Los Angeles, listening to the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, and Jimi Hendrix.

Metacritic: average score of 71 out of 100, based on five reviews, indicating generally favorable reviews
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic wrote that Kravitz deploys all his considerable sonic skills on songs that are purposefully trashy and unapologetically fun
Erlewine's review gave the album 4.5 out of 5 points
Shane Gilchrist of Otago Daily Times said Strut offers no significant U-turns, unlike previous album Black and White America
Lisa Nash of Cryptic Rock called Strut a very solid piece of work that will still please Kravitz's dedicated followers
Funkatopia's reviewer described the album as raw rock and funk thrown into a blender, with an intense talent and delivery

Rolling Stone ranked Strut No. 35 on its 50 Best Albums of 2014 list
Switzerland: album chart peak of No. 2 over two weeks in total
Switzerland: No. 26 on the 2014 year-end album chart
Germany: album chart peak of No. 2
United States: No. 19 on the Billboard 200
United States: No. 3 on the Billboard Independent Albums chart and No. 6 on the Rock Albums chart
Charted at No. 3 with 14,000 copies sold, per the French-language article

The Chamber video was directed by Anthony Mandler, and model Rian ten Haken played the love scene with Kravitz.
Kravitz heard "Ooo Baby Baby" in a makeup trailer on the Hunger Games set and then decided to put it on the album.
Kravitz described the song as a fitting way to close the album, imagining the moment a nightclub closes, the lights come on, the men start cleaning, and the band plays one more song.
Rolling Stone's review of New York City said it was the best tune Mick Jagger didn't get around to writing in his Studio 54 days.
Kravitz called his previous album, Black and White America, a bad experience with his former label, and said making Strut with his own team felt good.