The Intro (Ruth B EP)
| The Intro | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by Ruth B | ||||
| Released | November 27, 2015 | |||
| Recorded | 2015 | |||
| Genre | Pop rock | |||
| Length | 16:26 | |||
| Label | Columbia[1] | |||
| Producer | Ruth B | |||
| Ruth B chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from The Intro | ||||
|
||||
The Intro is the debut EP by Canadian singer/songwriter Ruth B.[2] It was released on November 27, 2015,[3] and was met with generally positive reviews.[4][5]
Background
Ruth B had initially gained popularity by posting six-second snippets of her singing on Vine; she was encouraged by her fans to write a full-length song, so she wrote "Lost Boy", which ended up being her first hit.[5][6] The song entered the Top 100 of the iTunes chart "with no promotion", and B began receiving offers for recording contracts from various record labels. She signed to Columbia Records and shortly after began recording music for "The Intro."[5][7] B stated in an interview with Rookie that being signed "felt really validating and cool that people in the business thought that I could do it, not just my friends and family."[7]
Writing and recording
Ruth B began writing music after being signed to her record label; she stated that she wanted to take an "honest, real, and vulnerable" approach when writing the music.[7] Ruth B self-produced her entire EP,[7] and wrote 14 songs for the EP, selecting 4 to be included on the release.[3] Three of the EP's songs ("Lost Boy", "Golden", and "2 Broke Kids") were written prior to Ruth B's signing to the record label; she wrote "Superficial Love" shortly after being signed. The EP was recorded in two days at a music studio in Brooklyn.[8]
Release
The album was released as an MP3 on 27 November 2016, and re-released on CD in 2016, following the success of "Lost Boy".[9]
Critical reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [5] |
The album garnered positive reviews upon release, with critics praising the album's lyrics and Ruth B's vocal performance. Andy Kellman, writing for AllMusic, awarded the album three out of five stars, calling the lyrics "elegant and direct" and concluding that the EP is "all aching love songs that are nonetheless comforting."[5] The album holds a score of 60/100 on review aggregator site Album of the Year.[4]
Commercial performance
The EP debuted at number 20 on the Billboard Canadian Albums Chart.[10] It also entered the US Billboard 200, at number 52.[11] The Intro also reached number 7 on the Americana/Folk Albums chart.[12]
Track listing
Adapted from AllMusic. All songs written by Ruth B.[3]
| Standard edition[5] | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "2 Poor Kids" | 3:47 |
| 2. | "Lost Boy" | 4:36 |
| 3. | "Golden" | 4:36 |
| 4. | "Superficial Love" | 3:26 |
| Total length: | 16:26 | |
Charts
| Chart (2015–2016) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Albums (Billboard)[10] | 20 |
| US Billboard 200[11] | 52 |
| US Folk Albums (Billboard)[12] | 7 |
References
- ↑ "Ruth B The Intro releases". Allmusic. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
- ↑ "Ruth B Discography". Discogs. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
- 1 2 3 Wass, Mike. "Popping Up: Ruth B". Idolator. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
- 1 2 "Ruth B. - The Intro Overview". Album of the Year. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Kellman, Andy. "Ruth B The Intro (review)". AllMusic. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
- ↑ "Ruth B chart history". Billboard.biz. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 Montague, Taylor. "Ruth B: The Intro". Rookie Mag. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
- ↑ "REVIEW: Ruth B's debut EP is soft, sweet and way too short". The Diamondback. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
- ↑ "Ruth B – The Intro (overview)". Discogs. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
- 1 2 "Ruth B – Chart history" Billboard Canadian Albums Chart for Ruth B. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
- 1 2 "Ruth B – Chart history" Billboard 200 for Ruth B. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
- 1 2 "Ruth B – Chart history" Billboard Folk Albums for Ruth B. Retrieved November 27, 2016.