Chapter II (Ashanti album)
Chapter II | ||||
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Island Def Jam | ||||
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Singles from Chapter II | ||||
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Chapter II is the second
Upon its release, the album debut at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart with first-week sales of 326,000 units. It also reached the top ten in Canada, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Chapter II was eventually certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America in August 2003 and gained gold status in Japan and the United Kingdom. At the 46th Annual Grammy Awards, it earned Ashanti three nominations for Best Contemporary R&B Album, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, and Best R&B Song. Chapter II spawned three singles, including the Billboard Hot 100 number two song "Rock wit U (Awww Baby)", the R&B ballad "Rain on Me" and "Breakup 2 Makeup (Remix)".
Promotion
The album's second single "
Critical reception
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 51/100[7] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Blender | [8] |
Entertainment Weekly | B−[9] |
Mojo | [10] |
PopMatters | [11] |
Q | [7] |
Rolling Stone | [12] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [13] |
Slant Magazine | [14] |
The Village Voice | C[15] |
Chapter II received mixed reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 51, based on 11 reviews, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[7] The New York Times writer Kelefa Sanneh remarked that Chapter II "isn't perfect, but once you edit out the skits (which are, without exception, excruciating), you're left with an album that's graceful, beguiling and above all, light, in the best sense of the word."[16] People magazine noted that "the singer's sophomore CD, though, proves wrong those who thought she would be a one-hit-album wonder. Chapter II, which continues the same hip-hop soul theme as her self-titled debut, is the equivalent of a good beach read: It's easy, breezy listening that doesn't require much brainpower."[17]
Billboard wrote that Chapter II "doesn't stray too far from its predecessor" and complimented the autobiographical songs on the album.[18] Ernest Hardy from Rolling Stone found that the "album is filled with the same beat-driven, slickly produced midtempo tracks and ballads that made up her debut [and] the disc's best moments have a decidedly old-school feel to them [...] Still, dullard schoolgirl insights into love and heartache dominate the album; add some boring between-song skits about 'haters,' and Chapter II wears thin long before its halfway mark."[12] While he complimented Ashanti for her writing credits on the album, Entertainment Weekly journalist Tom Sinclair felt that "Chapter II is too mired in tired R&B conventions to achieve true magnificence."[9]
Commercial performance
In the United States, Chapter II debuted at number one on the
Elsewhere, Chapter II reached the top five on the
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Intro (Medley)" | 1:18 | |
2. | "Shany's World" (featuring Chink Santana) |
| 3:05 |
3. | "Rock wit U (Awww Baby)" |
| 3:29 |
4. | "What Are They Gonna Say Now" (Skit) | 0:31 | |
5. | "Breakup 2 Makeup" |
| 3:41 |
6. | "I Found Lovin'" |
| 4:15 |
7. | "Rain on Me" |
| 4:57 |
8. | "Then Ya Gone" (featuring Chink Santana) |
| 4:59 |
9. | "Living My Life" |
| 3:46 |
10. | "Black Child" (Skit) |
| 1:28 |
11. | "Feel So Good" |
| 4:31 |
12. | "Carry On" |
| 3:15 |
13. | "The Sugar Shack" (Skit) | 1:10 | |
14. | "The Story of 2" |
| 4:33 |
15. | "Ohhh Ahhh" |
| 4:36 |
16. | "Shany Shia" (Skit) | 1:11 | |
17. | "Sweet Baby" (featuring Ja Rule) |
| 4:08 |
18. | "U Say, I Say" (featuring Gunnz) |
| 4:09 |
19. | "I Don't Mind" |
| 5:04 |
20. | "Outro" (featuring Chink Santana) |
| 0:58 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
21. | "I Know" | 4:42 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
22. | "I'm Not Scared" | 4:10 |
Samples[33]
- "Intro (Medley)" contains samples of Ashanti tracks "Foolish", "Happy", "Down 4 U" (with Ja Rule, Charli Baltimore & Vita), "Baby" and "Mesmerize" (with Ja Rule).
- "Breakup 2 Makeup" contains a sample of "I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby" by Barry White.
- "Rain on Me" contains a sample of "Look of Love" by Isaac Hayes.
- "Then Ya Gone" contains samples of "Ain't I Been Good to You" by The Isley Brothers, and "One Day" by UGK.
- "Feel So Good" contains a sample of "Playing Your Game, Baby" by Barry White.
- "The Story of 2" contains a sample of "Dream Maker" by Rick James.
- "Sweet Baby" contains a sample of "I'm Glad You're Mine" by Al Green.
- "U Say I Say" contains a sample of "Never Enough" by Groove Theory.
- "I Found Lovin'" is a cover of the same-titled song by Fatback Band.
Personnel
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Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Japan (RIAJ)[28] | Gold | 100,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[27] | Gold | 100,000^ |
United States (RIAA)[22] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
See also
References
- ^ a b c Allmusic review
- ^ MTV.com. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
- ^ "Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1504. May 16, 2003. p. 28.
- ^ "Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1516. August 8, 2003. p. 26.
- ^ a b Taylor, Chuck (August 30, 2003). "Billboard Picks". Billboard. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
- ^ MTV.com. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
- ^ a b c Critic Reviews at Metacritic
- ^ Blender review[dead link]
- ^ a b Sinclair, Tom (July 11, 2003). "Chapter II". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
- ^ Mojo review
- ^ a b Bottomley, Maurice (September 18, 2003). "Ashanti: Chapter 2". PopMatters. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
- ^ a b Hardy, Ernest. "Rolling Stone review". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2008-05-21. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
- ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- ^ a b Camp, Alexa (June 27, 2003). "Review: Ashanti, Chapter II". Slant Magazine. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
- ^ a b Christgau, Robert (December 2, 2003). "Consumer Guide: Turkey Shoot 2003". The Village Voice. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
- ^ Sanneh, Sanneh (July 6, 2003). "The Solo Beyoncé: She's No Ashanti". The New York Times. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
- ^ "Picks and Pans Review: Chapter II". People. August 4, 2003. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
- ^ "Billboard Pics: Essentials". Billboard. July 12, 2003. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
- ^ a b "Ashanti Returns To No. 1 With 'Chapter II'". Billboard. July 9, 2003. Archived from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
- ^ "Ashanti - Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
- ^ "Ashanti - Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
- ^ a b "American album certifications – Ashanti – Chapter II". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2017-04-22.
- ^ a b "Billboard.BIZ". Billboard.BIZ. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
- ^ a b "Billboard.BIZ". Billboard.BIZ. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
- ^ Lynch, Jason (January 10, 2005). "Ashanti: Take Two". People. Archived from the original on September 13, 2021. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
- ^ a b "Ashanti | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
- ^ a b "British album certifications – Ashanti – Chapter II". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 2017-04-22.
- ^ a b "Japanese album certifications – アシャンティ – チャプターII" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved 2017-06-12. Select 2003年7月 on the drop-down menu
- ^ a b "Swisscharts.com – Ashanti – Chapter II". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
- ^ a b "Australiancharts.com – Ashanti – Chapter II". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
- ^ GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
- ^ "Ashanti".
- Island Def Jam. 2003.
- Pandora Archive.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Ashanti – Chapter II" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
- ^ "Ashanti Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Ashanti – Chapter II" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
- ^ "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 22, no. 30. July 19, 2003. p. 12. Retrieved February 13, 2023 – via World Radio History.
- ^ "Lescharts.com – Ashanti – Chapter II". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
- ^ チャプターII スペシャル・エディション (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on January 18, 2023. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
- ^ "Charts.nz – Ashanti – Chapter II". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 21, 2022.
- ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 21, 2022.
- ^ "Ashanti Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
- ^ "Ashanti Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
- ^ "2003 UK Albums Chart" (PDF). ChartsPlus. Retrieved September 9, 2020.