Heaven (Rebecca Ferguson album)
Heaven | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 5 December 2011 | |||
Length | 35:40 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer |
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Rebecca Ferguson chronology | ||||
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US cover artwork | ||||
Singles from Heaven | ||||
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Heaven is the debut
The album received universal acclaim, receiving no less than four out of five stars from all critics. The Daily Telegraph said that "reality television has finally turned out someone who not only has the hallmarks of a real star, but is also an artist in her own right."[3] Upon the release of the album, the album charted at number-three on the UK Albums Chart selling 128,458 copies in its opening week. The most copies for a number three chart position in 2011. It was held off the number-one by Amy Winehouse's posthumous album Lioness: Hidden Treasures and Michael Bublé's album Christmas. After two weeks of the album being released, the British Phonographic Industry awarded Ferguson with a Platinum certification.[4] As of August 2012 Heaven had sold 536,960 in the United Kingdom.[5]
A deluxe edition of the album was released in the United Kingdom on 15 October 2012. It features three new tracks and two covers. "
Background
"I've loved writing and recording the album throughout this year so I'm really excited for everyone to hear it! I feel like I've learnt a lot about myself going through the writing process, putting my experiences on paper and into the tracks. It's a record I'm really proud of."
—Rebecca Ferguson on recording the album[6]
Ferguson revealed that recording her first album was a dream come true after struggling to get into the
Development
Ferguson revealed that her journey throughout
"A lot of the songs are about past relationships. The theme is relationships in general, making them, breaking them, love and loss. Recording was hard. It wasn't a case of skipping to the studio and being happy. I got really emotional and sometimes I had really bad days. I poured out all my heart and soul into the album and would often cry. At the beginning they didn't know I could write so they were bringing songs in for me but I put my foot down and said if you want me to be a credible artist you have to let me write. Now I've co-written every single song on the album." She also revealed her life growing up with a Foster care family inspired her to write the album.[7]
—Ferguson on her inspiration[10]
Ferguson planned to have a collaboration with the Kings of Leon on the album.[11] She revealed that she was recording the album for 11 months straight.[11] Ferguson also revealed that she wanted to write her own songs in order for her to "connect" to the songs properly, though she did not have anything against people who do not write their own music.[6][11] Ferguson said that her record label's gave her fantastic options for her album but the option were not for herself. She said the songs she was given were not bad songs, they were just not for her.[11] The album has inspiration from Aretha Franklin who she calls the "queen of soul"[11] Simon Cowell praised the album, saying that he was "blown away" when he heard it.[11] She said that she would never be like Rihanna after she said she was a "bad role model" for her children and children around the world and Ferguson refuses to let her children watch her.[12] Adele admitted she is a fan of Ferguson's voice.[13]
Composition and recording
Ferguson confirmed that after The X Factor Live Tour she was in the album full-time recording for around 11 months before deciding the album was ready to be released.[11] About the lead single from Ferguson's debut album "Nothing's Real but Love", she said that the song pretty much sums her up as an artist, in the sentiment of the song. She went on to say that the song is not particularly commercial and saying the song is "a bit different" from what is currently being played on the radio at the minute.[11]
She said that she thought it was important to put her "own little stamp" on her music and she hopes she has done that with the album. She said that the album focus's on relationships and that she has been "sternly honest" on the album, her relationship with her two children and her parents and growing up in a
She said that her album is "
Ferguson revealed that she always knew what kind of music she wanted to make. She said that she didn't know how but she always knew that creating the album and being a popstar would be hard work, saying it may have been something she saw or read. She said that people are disillusioned [including her before the success] as they think it is all about turning up at fancy events and having loads of money but yet not working for it. She went on to say recording the album was early morning and lots of hard work, pointing out you wouldn't have it any other way.[15] She revealed that her label promised her to fly on British Airways, yet she ended up flying on EasyJet to record her album.[15]
Singles
The lead single from Heaven, "
"
"
"
In Germany, "
Promotion
In United Kingdom, Ferguson performed "Nothing's Real but Love" on 20 November 2011 on The X Factor, "Teach Me How to Be Loved" on 10 May 2012 on
Critical reception
"I didn't even think of the audience when I was writing the album, I just thought I love this song. The feedback has been amazing, and the album's been getting praise from people I really didn't expect to like it."
—Ferguson shocked about the response to the album[14]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
New York Daily News | [28] |
Heaven received universal acclaim from critics.[29] The Daily Telegraph gave the album 5 out of 5 stars, saying "There is nothing about this record I don't like. After 12 years, reality TV has finally turned out someone who not only has the hallmarks of a real star, but is also an artist in her own right."[3] Digital Spy also gave the album a 5/5 review: "Fortunately, it would seem the best has been saved for last. She may have been branded "the shy one" on last year's show, but there's plenty of evidence here to suggest she won't take any crap (she insisted on co-writing each of the album's ten tracks)."[22] The Independent gave a very positive review, claiming "By the law of averages, talent-show telly has to throw up at least one genuinely serviceable talent every ten years or so, and Rebecca Ferguson is surely that one."[30]
Chart performance
The album debuted at number nine on the Irish Albums Chart.[33] In the United Kingdom, the album entered the UK Albums Chart at number three, selling 128,458 copies, the highest for a number three album in 2011. The album was kept off the top spot by the first week sales of Amy Winehouse's posthumous album Lioness: Hidden Treasures, which sold over 194,000 copies, and Michael Bublé's album Christmas, which sold 190,000.[34] Heaven became the second fastest-selling debut album of 2011 in United Kingdom; One Direction's debut album Up All Night was the fastest-selling album, selling 138,631 copies in its opening week.[35] During the second week of sales, the album sold 96,000 copies, dropping it to number seven on the charts. After two weeks of the album being released, the British Phonographic Industry awarded Ferguson with a Platinum certification. During the third week, the album sold around 90,000 and it remained at number seven. The deluxe edition of Heaven re-entered the charts at number five.[36] By November 2012 Heaven was certified double platinum.[37] As of December 2012 Heaven had sold 586,000 in the United Kingdom.[38]
In United States, Heaven debuted at 23 on the US
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | " Shoulder to Shoulder" |
| White | 3:13 |
4. | "Fairytale (Let Me Live My Life This Way)" |
| White | 3.23 |
5. | "Mr Bright Eyes" |
| Xenomania | 4:00 |
6. | "Fighting Suspicions" |
| White | 4:15 |
7. | "Teach Me How to Be Loved" |
| Lattimer | 3:50 |
8. | "Run Free" |
| Booker | 3:13 |
9. | "Diamond to Stone" |
| F. Smith | 3:39 |
10. | "Too Good to Lose" |
| White | 3:44 |
Total length: | 35:40 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
11. | "Shoulder to Shoulder" (Piano version) |
| White | 3:04 |
12. | "Too Good to Lose" (Dukebox Remix) |
|
| 3:38 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
11. | "Too Good to Lose" (Seamus Haji Mix) |
|
| 3:00 |
12. | "Too Good to Lose" (Ayo Mix) |
|
| 3:19 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
11. | "Backtrack" |
|
| 3:10 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
11. | "Backtrack" |
|
| 3:10 |
12. | "Nothing's Real but Love" (Acoustic version) |
| White | |
13. | "Glitter & Gold" (Live version) |
|
| |
14. | "Fairytale (Let Me Live My Life This Way)" (Live version) |
| White | |
15. | "Shoulder to Shoulder" (Live version) |
| White |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
11. | "Backtrack" |
|
| 3:10 |
12. | "Strange & Beautiful (I'll Put a Spell on You)" |
| Hales | 3:39 |
13. | "Good Days, Bad Days" |
|
| 4:18 |
14. | "I'll Count the Days" |
| Lunn | 2:42 |
15. | "I'll Take Care of You" (Live at Liverpool Echo Arena) | Brook Benton | Stephen Large | 4:11 |
Notes
- ^[a] denotes additional producer
- On the deluxe edition of the album, a new version of "Mr Bright Eyes" replaces the original. It bears minor differences to the original and is known as the "Single Mix".[45]
Credits and personnel
(Credits taken from Allmusic[46])
- Florrie Arnold – Drums
- Beatriz Artola – Engineer
- Ben Baptie – Assistant
- Guy Barker – Trumpet
- Paul Barry – Composer, piano, background vocals, wurlitzer
- Tim Baxter – Producer
- Richard Beesley – Saxophone
- Marcus Bonfanti – Guitar
- Steve Booker – Clavinet, composer, guitar, piano, producer, programming
- Nathan Bray – Trumpet
- Dan Carpenter – Trumpet
- Tom Cawley – Piano
- Rupert Christie – Additional production
- John Davis – Mastering
- Alessandro Destefanis – Assistant engineer
- Eg White – Additional production, bass, drums, guitar, mixing, piano, producer, programming, saxophone, background vocals
- Tom Elmhirst – Mixing
- Ben Epstein – Bass
- Rebecca Ferguson – Composer, vocals, background vocals
- Luke Fitton – Composer, keyboards, programming
- Fraser T Smith– Composer, guitar, piano, producer
- Matt Gray – Composer, engineer, keyboards, programming
- Richard Griffiths – Representation
- Brian Higgins – Composer, keyboards, producer, programming
- Jon Kelly – Engineer
- Jonny Lattimer – Composer, producer
- Harry Magee – Representation
- Sam Martin – Keyboards
- Pino Palladino – Bass
- Owen Parker – Bass, composer, guitar, keyboards
- Martin Radford – Cello
- James Roberts – A&R
- Toby Scott – Composer, engineer, keyboards, programming
- Alex Smith – Composer, guitar, producer, background vocals
- Ash Soan – Drums, percussion
- Ben Taylor – Engineer
- Mark Taylor – Keyboards, producer
- Phil Todd – Saxophone
- Utters – Programming
- Ellen Von Unwerth – Photography
- Francis White – Composer
- Neal Wilkinson – Drums
- Dave Williams – Trombone
- Xenomania – Producer
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Ireland (IRMA)[68] | Platinum | 15,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[70] | 2× Platinum | 661,189[69] |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Release history
Region | Date | Format | Edition | Label | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ireland | 2 December 2011 |
|
Standard |
|
[71][72] |
United Kingdom | 5 December 2011 | [71][72] | |||
Australia | 13 January 2012 | [73] | |||
Italy | 7 February 2012 | [74] | |||
Argentina | 28 March 2012 | [75] | |||
Germany | 6 April 2012 | [76] | |||
Brazil | 2 May 2012 | [77] | |||
United States | 29 May 2012 |
|
[78] | ||
United Kingdom | 15 October 2012 | Deluxe |
|
[79] |
References
- ^ "Rebecca Ferguson: Heaven – review". The Guardian. 1 December 2011. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- ^ a b c d e Rebecca Ferguson explains Archived 2 December 2011 at the Wayback Machine some of the tracks on her new LP
- ^ a b c "CBBC Newsround - Review: Rebecca Ferguson - Heaven". 24 November 2011. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 15 January 2013. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
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- ^ a b c "Rebecca Ferguson expresses her excitment for her first album". Google.com. Retrieved 31 July 2017.[dead link]
- ^ a b c d e Kappala-Ramsamy, Gemma (10 December 2011). "Rebecca Ferguson: 'I thought, ooh it would be lovely if I win'". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
- ^ a b "Ferguson: I told Cowell I was writing LP". Digitalspy.co.uk. 16 November 2011. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
- ^ "Rebecca Ferguson album about Zayn split". Digitalspy.co.uk. 23 October 2011. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
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- ^ "STV programmes news and information". Live Local. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
- ^ a b c "Album: Rebecca Ferguson, Heaven (RCA)". The Independent. 1 December 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
- ^ a b c "Liverpool Echo: Latest Liverpool and Merseyside news, sports and what's on". Liverpooldailypost.co.uk. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
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- ^ "Rihanna does the Official Charts double!". Theofficialcharts.com. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
- ^ "Top 50 Singles Chart - Australian Record Industry Association". Archived from the original on 12 September 2009. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
- ^ "Chart Log UK" (TXT). Zobbel.de. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
- ^ "Rebecca Ferguson vamps it up in red in Too Good To Lose music video". Metro.co.uk. 2 February 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
- ^ "Rebecca Ferguson announces debut album 'Heaven' deluxe version". Digital Spy. 23 August 2012. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
- ^ "Teach Me How To Be Loved - EP by Rebecca Ferguson on Apple Music". iTunes. 7 December 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
- ^ a b Copsey, Robert (2 December 2011). "Rebecca Ferguson: 'Heaven' - Album review". Digital Spy. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
- ^ McCormick, Neil (24 November 2011). "Rebecca Ferguson: Heaven, CD review". The Daily Telegraph. London.
- ^ Sullivan, Caroline (1 December 2011). "Rebecca Ferguson: Heaven – review". The Guardian. London.
- ^ Gage, Simon (2 December 2011). "CD review - Rebecca Ferguson: Heaven (Epic)". Daily Express. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
- ^ Pearson, Rick (2 December 2011). "CDs of the week: Amy Winehouse, The Black Keys, Rebecca Ferguson". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 16 December 2013. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
- Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
- ^ Farber, Jim (22 May 2012). "Ferguson of 'X Factor' now a contender for stardom". Daily News. New York.
- ^ "Heaven - Rebecca Ferguson". Metacritic.
- ^ Gill, Andy (1 December 2011). "Album: Rebecca Ferguson, Heaven (RCA)". The Independent. London.
- ^ "Cheryl Cole 'so proud' of X Factor acts Cher Lloyd and Rebecca Ferguson". Metro.co.uk. 23 November 2011. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
- ^ "MSN Singapore - Outlook, Skype, Hotmail, Messenger". entertainment.xin.msn.com. Archived from the original on 13 November 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
- ^ "GFK Chart-Track". Chart-track.co.uk. Archived from the original on 13 November 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
- ^ "Amy's Lioness: Queen Of The Official Albums Chart". Theofficialcharts.com. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
- ^ "One Direction Thank Fans For 'Up All Night' Chart Success". Capitalfm.com. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
- ^ Anon. (17 October 2012). "Jake Bugg's debut album set to topple Mumford & Sons off Number One slot". NME. IPC Media. Retrieved 18 October 2012.
- ^ bpi.co.uk
- The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
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: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "ARIA Top 100 Albums 2012". ARIA. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
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- ^ a b "Connecting to the iTunes Store". itunes.apple.com. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
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