The Definition Of...

The Definition Of...
A shiny blue mask of a woman's face against a bright orange background.
Studio album by Fantasia
Released July 29, 2016 (2016-07-29)[1]
Recorded 2014–16
Genre
Length 48:37
Label
Producer
Fantasia chronology
Side Effects of You
(2013)		 The Definition Of...
(2016)
Singles from The Definition Of...
  1. "No Time for It"
    Released: January 7, 2016
  2. "Sleeping with the One I Love"
    Released: May 26, 2016

The Definition Of... is the fifth studio album by American recording artist Fantasia. It was released by RCA Records and 19 Recordings on July 29, 2016 in the United States and for online streaming worldwide on Apple Music a day earlier. Fantasia worked with producers Ron Fair, Brian Kennedy, Neff-U, Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon and GRADES on the album. The album featured two top 20 singles on the Adult R&B Songs airplay chart: "No Time for It", which peaked at number 6 and "Sleeping with the One I Love" which peaked at number 9. In order to further promote the album, Fantasia embarked on a tour with Anthony Hamilton called Fantasia & Anthony Hamilton: Live in Concert. The Definition Of... received mixed to positive review from music critics. The album peaked at number six on the US Billboard 200. The album also topped that week's Billboard R&B Albums Chart, making it Barrino's fourth top ten album, and was No. 2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Album's chart.

Background and development

Following her performance in the Broadway musical After Midnight, Fantasia began working on her fifth studio album with producer Harmony Samuels. She previously collaborated with Samuels on her fourth album Side Effects of You, referring to him as her Quincy Jones since they would work "from scratch with him going to the keyboard and just playing things." Fantasia sought to make music that combined her soulful childhood singing in church with "a certain side of [her] that wants to tap into that whole rock world."[2] On November 20, 2014, she posted a short clip of her and R. Kelly in the studio.[3]

Fantasia worked with producers Ron Fair, Brian Kennedy, Neff-U, Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon, and GRADES and collaborated with Tye Tribbett and Stacy Barthe.[4] In an interview with Essence magazine, Fantasia discussed her intentions to incorporate live music and real musical instruments into the album. She expressed a desire to avoid following the trends of contemporary radio. She added "I wanted music that would touch people's hearts; that would bless people and move people because, you know, music makes the world go round".[5] Fantasia also sought to have full control over the album's production and release, saying she regretted "not taking control of her destiny sooner."[6] She was influenced by Aerosmith, Tina Turner,[7] Prince, James Brown, and Michael Jackson.[8]

Title and artwork

The title and cover of The Definition Of... were revealed on April 21, 2016.[4] According to Fantasia, the title represents how she is every woman: "I'm the definition of strength, the definition of love, the definition of a fighter, the list goes on."[6] The cover features one of mixed media artist Kip Omolade's Diovadiova Chrome paintings, which took five months to complete. Omolade described feeling a connection with Fantasia, saying "we both share a commitment to skillful artistry and soulful expression".[9]

Release and promotion

The album was originally scheduled to be released on June 10,[4] but it was pushed back to July 29.[10] It was made available for streaming a day early through Apple Music. The album spawned two singles, and two promotional singles. "No Time for It" was released as the lead single from the album on January 7, 2016.[11] It peaked at number six on the United States' Adult R&B Songs Billboard chart.[12] "Ugly" was released on April 7 as a promotional single;[13] Fantasia performed it on the series finale of American Idol on the same day.[14] The songs "So Blue" and "Sleeping with the One I Love" were released on April 21 and May 26 respectively.[15][16] Photographer Derek Blanks shot the accompanying music video for "Sleeping with the One I Love", which features Fantasia "portray[ing] multiple characters in a compelling plot twist".[17]

To further promote the album, Fantasia embarked on the Fantasia & Anthony Hamilton: Live in Concert with Anthony Hamilton.[18] The tour started on April 21, 2016 and ended on June 19. They had twenty-eight shows in North America.

Commercial performance

The Definition Of... debuted in the top ten of the US Billboard 200 chart, peaking at number six with the sales of 32,000 during its first week of release.[19] However, in its second week, the album fell to #66, and it left the top 100 in its third week.[20] The album debuted at #1 on the US Billboard R&B Albums chart [21] and #2 on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

Critical reception

The Definition Of... received a positive review from pop music website PopCrush. They said: "Across 11 tracks, Fantasia shifts gears as frequently as she did on American Idol, when following up a Barry Manilow single with "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" didn't seem strange. Somehow, though, it works — it's more intentional heterogeneity than frantic mess, and will likely have you questioning why more albums aren't taking as many left turns."[22] Entertainment Weekly gave album the grade of B-. While praising album's tracks "Sleeping with the One I Love", "I Made It" and "Lonely Legend", they criticized her tracks "Roller Coaster" and "Wait for You". They described "Sleeping with the One I Love" as "a jazzy torch song penned by R. Kelly" while describing "I Made It" as "a spiritual turn-up that shows Fantasia should make a gospel album".[23] Andy Kellman of AllMusic gave album mixed review, giving it 2.5 out of five stars saying: "The album starts with a cluttered, uptempo rock-R&B hybrid and never really stabilizes after that, abruptly moving into one of a few ballads suited more for a pop-oriented R&B artist, later involving a contemporary country number seemingly written by an algorithm, and a triumphant Tye Tribbett-driven gospel belter, among other approaches. Even in this highly variable setting, the Aloe Blacc collaboration "Roller Coasters" is utterly bizarre, like something from Janelle Monáe's Wondaland camp if they sought inspiration from folk-rockers America. One mark of consistency here is that Barrino often sounds like she's fulfilling roles, however effectively, rather than baring her soul. The most favorable pairing is with R. Kelly, who grants "Sleeping with the One I Love," a spacious, retro-styled ballad where Barrino is at her best, expressing anguish and conflicted emotions.", giving similar review as EW.com.[24] Thisisrnb.com gave positive review, saying "Never one to be what others want her to be, Fantasia defines herself with no apologies on The Definition Of... Her ability to transition from one genre to the next is a unique dynamic of her artistry. Her confident vocals reflect the strength she has discovered despite her weaknesses"[25] Soul in Stereo gave mixed review, giving 3.5 out of five stars. They described both album singles and track "So Blue" as the best tracks.[26] They stated that The Definition Of... is "Fantasia at her most confident. From the uplifting optimism of "Stay Up" to the affirmation of beauty preached in "Ugly", Fantasia is unapologetically raw and refreshingly real. Inconsistent pacing and a lack of standout tracks make the collection far from flawless, but hey, neither is Fantasia."

Track listing

The Definition Of... – Standard edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Crazy"  Troi Irons
4:49
2."No Time for It"  
3:25
3."So Blue"  
  • Ron Fair
4:23
4."When I Met You"  
  • Ron Fair
  • Priscilla "Priscilla Renea" Hamilton
  • Ron "Neff-U" Feemster
4:33
5."Sleeping with the One I Love"  R. Kelly
  • R. Kelly
5:03
6."Stay Up" (featuring Stacy Barthe)
  • Stacy Barthe
  • Dylan Wiggins
  • Dylan Wiggins
  • Ron Fair
3:37
7."Ugly"  
Ron Fair3:17
8."Wait for You"  
  • Sasha Monica Keable
  • Scott Hoffman
  • Vanya Saide Taylor
  • Daniel Traynor
5:09
9."Roller Coasters" (featuring Aloe Blacc)
Ron Fair4:55
10."Lonely Legend"  
  • Dreshan Smith
  • Michael Carlos Jones
  • Salomes Jackson
  • Dreshan Smith
  • Ron Fair
3:50
11."I Made It" (featuring Tye Tribbett)
  • Tye Tribbett
  • David Outing
  • Ron Fair
  • Tye Tribbett
  • David Outing
5:40
Total length:48:41

Charts

Chart (2016) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[27] 6
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[28] 2
US R&B Albums (Billboard) 1

Release history

Region Date Format Label Catalog Ref.
Worldwide July 28, 2016 Streaming Sony Music – [1]
United States July 29, 2016
B01BD0NL0Q [10][29]

References

  1. 1 2 Stream Fantasia's Album 'The Definition Of...' (July 28, 2016). "The Definition Of...". Rap-Up. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Fantasia Q&A: 'Still Full of Joy' Ten Years In, Fifth Album & 'After Midnight'". Billboard. June 8, 2014. Archived from the original on April 25, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2016.
  3. ↑ DJ JusMusic (November 21, 2004). "Fantasia Logs Studio Time with R. Kelly: "This Man Is Teaching Me So Much"". Singers Room. Archived from the original on May 29, 2016. Retrieved May 29, 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 "Fantasia To Release "The Definition Of..." June 10th 2016". RCA. Archived from the original on May 29, 2016. Retrieved May 28, 2016.
  5. ↑ Davis, Rachaell (April 29, 2016). "Fantasia Slays A Capella At Essence, Talks Past Mistakes and New Album 'The Definition Of'". Essence. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
  6. 1 2 Barrino, Fantasia (March 23, 2016). "KJLH" (Interview). Interview with Tammi Mac. Los Angeles, California: KJLH.
  7. ↑ Wake, Matt (April 29, 2016). "Fantasia talks tour, next album, fellow 'American Idol' alums". The Birmingham News. Archived from the original on May 30, 2016. Retrieved May 30, 2016.
  8. ↑ Lewis, Brittany. "[Video] Fantasia Barrino Gushes About Marriage, New Album, & The Perks Of Having White Neighbors". Global Grind. Archived from the original on June 2, 2016. Retrieved June 2, 2016.
  9. ↑ Robertson, Erin C. J. (June 27, 2016). "Kip Omolade on His Amazing Afrofuturistic Portraits Inspired by Nigeria's Ife Bronze Heads". OkayAfrica. Archived from the original on July 10, 2016. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
  10. 1 2 The Definition Of... — Fantasia (March 22, 2016). "The Definition of...". iTunes. Retrieved March 22, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Fantasia Signs New Management Deal and Readies Fifth Album". thesource. February 12, 2015. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Adult R&B Songs". Billboard. Retrieved March 22, 2016.
  13. ↑ Wass, Mike (April 6, 2016). "Fantasia To Perform "Ugly" On American Idol Series Finale". RCA Records. Retrieved May 29, 2016.
  14. ↑ Yahr, Emily (April 8, 2016). "'American Idol' finale: The 10 weirdest, funniest and most emotional moments". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 29, 2015.
  15. ↑ Breezy, Elle (March 29, 2016). "Fantasia Regrets Her Revenge On 'So Blue'". Singersroom. Retrieved May 29, 2015.
  16. ↑ "Fantasia Drops 'Sleeping With The One I Love". RTTNews. May 28, 2016. Retrieved May 29, 2015.
  17. ↑ "Grammy Award Winner Fantasia Releases Music Video For "Sleeping With The One I Love" – "The Definition Of…" Available Everywhere 7/29". RCA Records. June 27, 2016. Archived from the original on July 7, 2016. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
  18. ↑ "Fantasia And Anthony Hamilton Announce Joint Tour". Rap-Up. February 29, 2016. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
  19. ↑ http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/7461832/dj-khaled-earns-his-first-no-1-album-on-billboard-200-album-chart-major-key. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  20. ↑ http://acharts.co/album/101071
  21. ↑ "R&B Albums | Billboard". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-10-19.
  22. ↑ Fantasia's 'The Definition Of...' Album Review - PopCrush. "The Definition Of...". PopCrush. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
  23. ↑ Entertainment Weekly (July 27, 2016). "Fantasia's 'The Definition Of...': EW Review". EW.com. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
  24. ↑ Andy Kellman (July 29, 2016). "The Definition Of... - Fantasia". AllMusic. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
  25. ↑ Review: Fantasia Releases New Album 'The Definition Of...' (July 29, 2016). "The Definition Of...". thisisrnb.com. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
  26. ↑ Album Review: Fantasia, The Definition Of... (August 1, 2016). "The Definition Of...". Soul in Stereo. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
  27. ↑ "Fantasia – Chart history" Billboard 200 for Fantasia. Retrieved August 8, 2016.
  28. ↑ "Fantasia – Chart history" Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums for Fantasia. Retrieved August 8, 2016.
  29. ↑ Fantasia - The Definition Of... - Amazon.com Music. "The Definition Of...". Amazon.com. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
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