Maps of Music

#willpower (2013)

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

This album was first called Black Einstein and was due out at the end of 2011, but it came out on April 16, 2013.

Key places

Recorded at Ve Smečkách in Prague (2013)

Recording site Ve Smečkách (Prague) — Ve Smečkách in Prague is listed as a recording location for the album. The point uses the building's coordinates. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded at Record Plant, Los Angeles (2013)

Recording site Record Plant (Los Angeles) — Record Plant in Los Angeles is listed as a recording location for the album. The point uses the building's coordinates. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded at Metropolis, London (2013)

Recording site Metropolis Group, London — Metropolis in London is listed as a recording location for the album. The point uses the building's coordinates. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Afrojack's recording work in Spijkenisse (2013)

Recording site Afrojack (Spijkenisse) — Afrojack is listed with Spijkenisse as a recording location. This point marks the town center, not a studio building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded at The Blue Room, Hoogstraten (2013)

Recording site The Blue Room (Hoogstraten) — The Blue Room is listed with Hoogstraten as a recording location. This point marks the town center, not the studio itself. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded at Ethernet, Los Feliz (2013)

Recording site Echo Studio — Ethernet is listed with Los Feliz as a recording location. This point marks the neighborhood center, not a studio building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded at Luke's In The Boo, Malibu (2013)

Recording site Bob Dylan's garage studio (Malibu) — Luke's In The Boo is listed with Malibu as a recording location. This point marks the town center, not the studio itself. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• #willpower: fourth studio album by will.i.am
• Released April 16, 2013, and free to stream on YouTube the same day after an earlier leak
• Originally titled Black Einstein and scheduled for release at the end of 2011
• Renamed #willpower in November 2011 and delayed several more times
• Re-released November 26, 2013, with 'Feelin' Myself' replacing 'Let's Go'

Background

• Fergie revealed during the Black Eyed Peas' sixth album The Beginning that will.i.am was recording a solo album
• will.i.am confirmed the news days later and announced a fourth-quarter 2011 release
• Collaborators named by will.i.am included Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, and others, but not all of them appear on the release
• Italian car maker Lancia commissioned two commercials in April 2012 using a track from the album
• A wrap party on August 13, 2012 marked the end of production and included a private listening session
• The party was held at the Avalon Hollywood, where will.i.am and other DJs played sets
• Britney Spears was confirmed as the next single at that party after a rumor

Recording

• Tracking engineers include Afrojack, Chris Tek O'Ryan, Daniel Zaidenstadt, David Levy, John Hanes, Josh Gudwin, Padriac Kerin, Poet, and will.i.am
• Mix engineers are Dylan Dresdow, Serban Ghenea, and Steve Duda
• Mastering engineer is Brian Big Bass Gardner
• The album's recording locations are shown as map points, including studios in Prague, Los Angeles, London, and several towns in the Netherlands, Belgium, and California

Cover

• The cover is a retouched photograph of will.i.am's head on an orange background, with the shoulders removed

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

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.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

• Mixed-to-negative reviews from music critics
• Metacritic: metascore of 49 based on 13 reviews, which signifies mixed or average reviews
• The Independent: Andy Gill gave the album 3 out of 5 stars and compared it to David Guetta and Swedish House Mafia
• Daily Express: Stephen Unwin gave 3 out of 5 stars, writing that will.i.am 'alongside enjoying a play on words, gets kicks out of collaborations'
• Rolling Stone: Jon Dolan gave the album 3 out of 5 stars
• Slant Magazine: Kevin Liedel called the album a slog of pop clichés and self-absorbed preening, criticizing its repetitive tracks
• USA Today: Brian Mansfield noted the album 'veers often into high-def electro-pop silliness' but praised the collaborations with big-name stars

Records

• Billboard 200: debuted at number 9 with first-week sales of 29,000 copies in the United States
• Second week added 9,300 copies; US total 58,000 as of June 12, 2013
• UK: debuted at number 3 with first-week sales of 20,464
• Worldwide sales reached 489,000 copies as of 2014

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The album was first called Black Einstein; Fergie revealed the solo project during the recording of the Black Eyed Peas album The Beginning.
• Lancia's two 2012 commercials used 'Mona Lisa Smile', but the final album version is called 'Smile Mona Lisa' and does not credit Nicole Scherzinger.
• 'Let's Go' drew a sampling controversy over identical segments with the track 'Rebound' by Arty and Mat Zo, and it was removed from the 2013 re-release.
• 'Reach for the Stars (Mars Edition)' became the first song in history to be broadcast from another planet.
• 'Bang Bang' was included in the official soundtrack of The Great Gatsby movie.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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