Love.Live.Life
Encyclopedia
Love.Live.Life is the third studio album
by British hip hop group N-Dubz
, released on 29 November 2010, as a collaboration by All Around the World and Island Records
.
", the group announced that they would be embarking on a trip to the United States
in an attempt to secure a record deal for themselves there. The group, however, were banned from travelling to the country because of visa issues which were later resolved in early February. Def Jam Recordings
boss L.A. Reid, a big N-Dubz fan, then arranged a meeting with the group with the intention of signing the trio to his label. In May 2010, it was announced that the group had secured a five-album recording deal with Def Jam, and that they would be flying to Los Angeles
to record their third studio album with American producers Dr. Luke
and Jim Jonsin
. The group recorded the album with American producers Salaam Remi
, Jean Baptiste Kouame
and Jim Jonsin on the album who are well-known for their work with the likes of Amy Winehouse
, The Black Eyed Peas
and Beyoncé Knowles
. The producers recording with the album issues with the group's British slang
on the tracks and as a result the group improved their vocabulary but put their creative foot down and in the end lost none of their roots on the album. Words like "Blood" and "You get me?" were removed from the final edit of the album, but the group's trademark phrase "Na, na, niii" remained as the group did not want to lose the respect they had earned from their British fans. The making of the album was released on DVD.
" was released on May 20, 2010, as the album's lead single. It peaked at #5 on the UK Singles Chart
. The song was also included on the soundtrack to the film Streetdance 3D. "Best Behaviour
" was released on October 17, 2010 as the second single from the album. It peaked at 10 in both the UK and Scotland, and became a top 40 hit in Ireland. The song also appears on Skepta
's album Doin' It Again
. "Girls
" was released as the album's third single on December 12, 2010. It peaked at 19 on the UK Singles Chart
. A fourth track from the album, "So Alive
" was released as single on February 6, 2011. The album's fifth and final single, "Morning Star
" was released on March 14.
said that with the release of the album, "[N-Dubz are] in too much of a hurry to develop their frantic, hip-pop sound, though the finger-clicking R&B of 'Toot It and Boot It' and name-check for Lil' Wayne in 'Girls' show a definite Americanisation in their music." Smyth complimented how when the group keep things simple, like on "Love Sick", they show a great ear for a good tune. He, however, criticised how tracks on the album sound like three songs playing at once, "suitable [only] for a teenager's minimal attention span." Andy Gill of The Independent
deemed the album as "a fairly predictable fare," highlighting "So Alive" as its best track: "The best piece on here is 'So Alive,' blessed with bullient bonhomie which despite the lingering attitude, proves engagingly infectious." Fraser McAlpine from NME
said of the album: "What N-Dubz try to express as anthemic wisdom always seems to come out braggier and shoutier than they mean to." Killian Fox of The Observer
felt that for all the album's dynamism, it feels like a formula-driven move, and its insistence on having fun wears thin. While Fiona Sheperd of The Scotsman
said that Love.Live.Life oscillates between processed mulch such as "Love Sick" and more successful grime crossover tracks like "So Alive". Sheperd further deemed the album as "still just kids' stuff."
Setlist
Supporting Acts
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by British hip hop group N-Dubz
N-Dubz
N-Dubz are a British hip hop group from Camden Town, London. The group consists of members Dappy, Tulisa Contostavlos and Fazer.N-Dubz were previously signed to Polydor Records before joining All Around the World Records...
, released on 29 November 2010, as a collaboration by All Around the World and Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
.
Background
The group began recording the album following the success of Against All Odds. Following the success of the group's MOBO Award-winning single "Playing with FirePlaying with Fire (N-Dubz song)
"Playing with Fire" is a song by English hip-hop trio, N-Dubz featuring Mr Hudson. The song is the second single taken from N-Dubz' second album, Against All Odds. The meaning of the song is a girl realizing that her boyfriend is cheating on her and trying to get him to confess. It shows both the...
", the group announced that they would be embarking on a trip to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in an attempt to secure a record deal for themselves there. The group, however, were banned from travelling to the country because of visa issues which were later resolved in early February. Def Jam Recordings
Def Jam Recordings
Def Jam Recordings is an American record label, focused primarily on hip hop and urban music, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as a part of The Island Def Jam Motown Music Group...
boss L.A. Reid, a big N-Dubz fan, then arranged a meeting with the group with the intention of signing the trio to his label. In May 2010, it was announced that the group had secured a five-album recording deal with Def Jam, and that they would be flying to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
to record their third studio album with American producers Dr. Luke
Dr. Luke
Lukasz Gottwald , better known as Dr. Luke, is an American songwriter, record producer, and remixer. Luke performed with the Saturday Night Live Band for ten seasons until 2007. He has co-written and co-produced a string of commercially successful songs...
and Jim Jonsin
Jim Jonsin
James Scheffer, better known by his professional name, Jim Jonsin, is an American Grammy award winning record producer, songwriter, record executive, and entrepreneur...
. The group recorded the album with American producers Salaam Remi
Salaam Remi
Salaam Remi Gibbs, better known as Salaam Remi, is a hip hop producer and keyboard player, known for his association with Nas, Amy Winehouse, and his reggae-tinged approach to production...
, Jean Baptiste Kouame
Jean Baptiste Kouame
Jean Baptiste Kouame, often referred to simply as Jean Baptiste, is a songwriter and record producer.-2009:*The Black Eyed Peas - The E.N.D.**"Boom Boom Pow" *Blake Lewis - Heartbreak on Vinyl**"Left My Baby for You"-2006:...
and Jim Jonsin on the album who are well-known for their work with the likes of Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse
Amy Jade Winehouse was an English singer-songwriter known for her powerful deep contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres including R&B, soul and jazz. Winehouse's 2003 debut album, Frank, was critically successful in the UK and was nominated for the Mercury Prize...
, The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
and Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
. The producers recording with the album issues with the group's British slang
British slang
British slang is English language slang used in the UK. Slang is informal language sometimes peculiar to a particular social class or group and its use in Britain dates back to before the 16th century...
on the tracks and as a result the group improved their vocabulary but put their creative foot down and in the end lost none of their roots on the album. Words like "Blood" and "You get me?" were removed from the final edit of the album, but the group's trademark phrase "Na, na, niii" remained as the group did not want to lose the respect they had earned from their British fans. The making of the album was released on DVD.
Singles
"We Dance OnWe Dance On
"We Dance On" is a song performed by British hip hop group N-Dubz, released as the group's eleventh overall single and the lead single from their third studio album, Love.Live.Life. The song was also the second single released from the soundtrack to the film StreetDance .-Background:The song...
" was released on May 20, 2010, as the album's lead single. It peaked at #5 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. The song was also included on the soundtrack to the film Streetdance 3D. "Best Behaviour
Best Behaviour
"Best Behaviour" is a song by British hip hop group N-Dubz. The song was produced by Dappy and Fazer and co-written by Tulisa, Mr Hudson, Tony Dixon, Fazer and Dappy. It was released on 17 October 2010 as the second single from N-Dubz's third studio album, Love.Live.Life. Musically, the song is a...
" was released on October 17, 2010 as the second single from the album. It peaked at 10 in both the UK and Scotland, and became a top 40 hit in Ireland. The song also appears on Skepta
Skepta
Joseph Junior Adenuga , better known as Skepta, is an English rapper from London. Originally from and born to Nigerian parents he moved to London aged three....
's album Doin' It Again
Doin' It Again
Reviews for Doin' It Again have been mixed. The Observer said "This third album is clearly a bid for international recognition, but the transition feels uncomfortable at times". The Guardian was more positive saying that Skepta had "a distinctive, authentic voice and a sharp sense of humour"...
. "Girls
Girls (N-Dubz song)
"Girls" is a song by British hip hop group N-Dubz. It is the third overall single taken from their third studio album, Love.Live.Life. The single was released as a digital download on December 12, 2010. The song was produced by Jim Jonsin and written by Tulisa, Dappy and Fazer, Jim Jonsin, Danny...
" was released as the album's third single on December 12, 2010. It peaked at 19 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. A fourth track from the album, "So Alive
So Alive (Skepta and N-Dubz song)
"So Alive" is a song by British MC Skepta and British trio, N-Dubz. It was released as an official single on 6 February 2011. It is the fourth single released Skepta's third album Doin' It Again and N-Dubz's third album Love.Live.Life...
" was released as single on February 6, 2011. The album's fifth and final single, "Morning Star
Morning Star (song)
"Morning Star" is a song by British hip hop group N-Dubz. It is the fifth and final single to be taken from their third studio album, Love.Live.Life. The song was released via digital download on 14 March 2011. The song was produced by Free School and written by Jean Baptiste, Ryan Buendia, Nick...
" was released on March 14.
Bonus Music Videos
Music Videos for "Took It All Away" and "Cold Shoulder" were recorded and released in promotion of the album. "Took It All Away" features clips from the video game Little Big Planet. "Cold Shoulder" features footage of the Love.Live.Life tour.Critical reception
The album has received mixed reviews from contemporary music critics. Gavin Martin of the Daily Mirror gave the album a three star rating, deeming it upbeat and boisterous. Martin felt that "[the album's] quality wavers but Transatlantic studio muscle and tracks like 'Toot It and Boot It' may see an advance on [N-Dubz's] U.S. ambitions." While David Smyth from the Evening StandardEvening Standard
The Evening Standard, now styled the London Evening Standard, is a free local daily newspaper, published Monday–Friday in tabloid format in London. It is the dominant regional evening paper for London and the surrounding area, with coverage of national and international news and City of London...
said that with the release of the album, "[N-Dubz are] in too much of a hurry to develop their frantic, hip-pop sound, though the finger-clicking R&B of 'Toot It and Boot It' and name-check for Lil' Wayne in 'Girls' show a definite Americanisation in their music." Smyth complimented how when the group keep things simple, like on "Love Sick", they show a great ear for a good tune. He, however, criticised how tracks on the album sound like three songs playing at once, "suitable [only] for a teenager's minimal attention span." Andy Gill of The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
deemed the album as "a fairly predictable fare," highlighting "So Alive" as its best track: "The best piece on here is 'So Alive,' blessed with bullient bonhomie which despite the lingering attitude, proves engagingly infectious." Fraser McAlpine from NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
said of the album: "What N-Dubz try to express as anthemic wisdom always seems to come out braggier and shoutier than they mean to." Killian Fox of The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
felt that for all the album's dynamism, it feels like a formula-driven move, and its insistence on having fun wears thin. While Fiona Sheperd of The Scotsman
The Scotsman
The Scotsman is a British newspaper, published in Edinburgh.As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 38,423, down from about 100,000 in the 1980s....
said that Love.Live.Life oscillates between processed mulch such as "Love Sick" and more successful grime crossover tracks like "So Alive". Sheperd further deemed the album as "still just kids' stuff."
Track listing
Additional Credits
- Management by Jonathan Shalit & Rich Castillo for ROAR Global, London.
- A&R'd by Rich Castillo assisted by Dean Ondrus Coulson for ROAR 2wo7even.
- A&R for IDJ - Max Gousse
- Design & Artwork by enjine.
Love.Live.Life tour
The Love.Live.Life tour commenced on 11 April 2011 in the Isle Of Wight. A DVD of the tour was released on 22 August 2011. The DVD was recorded during the concert at the O2 Arena on 30 April 2011.| Date | Country | City | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 11, 2011 | England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
Isle Of Wight | Ryde Arena |
| April 12, 2011 | Margate | Margate Winter Gardens | |
| April 13, 2011 | Grimsby | Grimsby Auditorium Grimsby Auditorium Grimsby Auditorium is a theatre situated on Cromwell Road, in Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire. With a seated audience capacity of 1,200 the Grimsby Auditorium is the largest professional theatre in Lincolnshire, and one of the larger theatres in the East of England... |
|
| April 14, 2011 | Doncaster | Doncaster Dome | |
| April 16, 2011 | Northern Ireland Northern Ireland Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west... |
Belfast | Waterfront Hall Waterfront Hall The Waterfront Hall is a multi-purpose facility, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, designed by local architects' firm Robinson McIlwaine. Practice partner Peter McGukin was the project architect.... |
| April 17, 2011 | Ireland Ireland Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth... |
Dublin | Olympia Theatre Olympia Theatre, Dublin The Olympia Theatre is a concert hall/theatre venue in Dublin, Ireland, located in Dame Street.-History:Built in 1879, it was originally called the "Star of Erin Music Hall". Two years later in 1881, it was renamed "Dan Lowrey's Music Hall" and was renamed again in 1889 to "Dan Lowrey's Palace of... |
| April 19, 2011 | England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
Nottingham | Nottingham Royal Centre |
| April 21, 2011 | Scotland Scotland Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the... |
Glasgow | SECC SECC SECC may refer to:* Social Entrepreneurship and Consulting Cell, SIBM Pune* Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre, an exhibition space in Glasgow, Scotland* Single Edge Contact Cartridge, a connector for microprocessors... |
| April 22, 2011 | England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
Newcastle | Metro Arena |
| April 23, 2011 | Bournemouth | Bournemouth BIC | |
| April 24, 2011 | Plymouth | Plymouth Pavillions | |
| April 26, 2011 | Brighton | Brighton Centre | |
| April 28, 2011 | Manchester | MEN Arena | |
| April 29, 2011 | Birmingham | LG Arena LG Arena LG Arena may stand for* LG KM900 , an LG Electronics multimedia phone* National Exhibition Centre , a multi-purpose arena in the UK... |
|
| April 30, 2011 | London | The O2 The O2 (London) The O2, visually typeset in branding as The O2, is a large entertainment district on the Greenwich peninsula in South East London, England, including an indoor arena, a music club, a Cineworld cinema, an exhibition space, piazzas, bars and restaurants... |
|
| May 6, 2011 | Bristol | O2 Academy Bristol | |
| May 7, 2011 | Leicester | O2 Academy Leicester O2 Academy Leicester The O2 Academy Leicester is a music venue Located in the English City of Leicester on the University of Leicester campus.O2 Academy Leicester is the second largest purpose built live music venue in the city with a 1,450 Capacity... |
|
| May 8, 2011 | Leeds | O2 Academy Leeds O2 Academy Leeds The O2 Academy Leeds is a music venue situated in Leeds intended as a larger music venue for the city. It is run by the Academy Music Group and follows in-line with their other music venues around the UK... |
|
| May 9, 2011 | Liverpool | O2 Academy Liverpool Rescheduled | |
| May 12, 2011 | Oxford | O2 Academy Oxford Rescheduled | |
| May 20, 2011 | England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
Oxford | O2 Academy Oxford |
| May 21, 2011 | England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
Liverpool | O2 Academy Liverpool |
Setlist
- Intro/Took It All Away
- Strong AgainStrong Again"Strong Again" is a song by English hip hop trio, N-Dubz. It is the sixth single from their debut album Uncle B and was produced by Kano and Fraser T Smith. The song was featured on the album advert before it was confirmed to be a single. This song features on the UK compilation album Now That's...
- Living For The Moment
- Playing With FirePlaying with Fire (N-Dubz song)"Playing with Fire" is a song by English hip-hop trio, N-Dubz featuring Mr Hudson. The song is the second single taken from N-Dubz' second album, Against All Odds. The meaning of the song is a girl realizing that her boyfriend is cheating on her and trying to get him to confess. It shows both the...
- I SwearI Swear (N-Dubz song)"I Swear" is the second overall single released by English hip hop trio, N-Dubz under their self-funded record label. It was released on September 12, 2006 as their first mainstream release. The maxi single is the only single by N-Dubz that is available on the US iTunes store...
- Girls
- Toot It And Boot It
- Meet Me Half Way/DownDownDown may refer to:* Relative direction, where down is the direction towards the centre of gravity of a celestial object.* Railroad directions, where down and up have locally significant meanings...
- My Name Is Tulisa
- Love Sick
- Scream My Name
- Love.Live.Life
- Morning Star
- Say It's OverSay It's Over"Say It's Over" is the third single from N-Dubz's second studio album Against All Odds, released on 25 April 2010. The song is based around grappling with the difficulties of ending a relationship. It reached #20 in the UK Singles Chart.-Music video:...
- Cold Shoulder
- So Alive
- Papa Can You Hear Me?Papa Can You Hear Me?"Papa Can You Hear Me?" is the sixth single by British Hip hop trio, N-Dubz. The song is dedicated to the group's former manager Byron Contostavlos, who died shortly before the band were signed to new label All Around the World...
- Defeat You/Love For My Slums/Better Not Waste My Time/OuchOuch (song)"Ouch" is a song performed, written and produced the by English hip hop group N-Dubz. It was released as the group's fourth overall single, first single with the record label All Around The World and the first official single for their debut Platinum-selling album, Uncle B.-Background:The single...
/Sex - Number 1
- Best Behaviour
Supporting Acts
- Starboy NathanStarboy NathanNathan Abraham Lauren Fagan-Gayle known commercially as Nathan and more recently Starboy Nathan is a British R&B singer, most famous for his Top 40 Singles "Come into My Room" and "Diamonds".-Early life:...
- Ny
- Professor GreenProfessor GreenProfessor Green , better known by his stage name Professor Green, is a British rapper. He was signed to The Beats, a record label run by Mike Skinner and Ted Mayhem, until 12 February 2008, as the label went under. He won the inaugural JumpOff MySpace £50,000 battle rap tournament in July 2008...
(from 21 April) - Fearless
- Encore
Charts
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Irish Albums Chart Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
33 |
| Scottish Albums Chart | 17 |
| UK Album Chart | 7 |
| UK R&B Chart UK R&B Chart The Official UK R&B Chart is a forty-position R&B/Hip-Hop chart compiled by The Official UK Charts Company. Although the chart does not receive any airplay, its compilation is viewed on BBC Radio 1's website and publications such as ChartsPlus and Music Week... |
3 |
Certifications
| Country | Provider | Certification |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | BPI British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... |
Gold |
Release history
| Region | Date | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Ireland | 28 November 2010 | All Around the World / Island Island Records Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group... |
| United Kingdom |