Raymond vs. Raymond
Encyclopedia
Raymond v. Raymond is the sixth studio album by American R&B
recording artist Usher
, released March 26, 2010. Production for the album took place during 2008 to 2010 and was handled by several producers, including Jermaine Dupri
, The Runners
, Ester Dean
, Polow da Don
, RedOne
, Jim Jonsin
, Danja, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Bangladesh
, and Tricky Stewart.
The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200
chart, selling 329,000 copies in its first week. It sold over one million copies in the United States and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA). The album also produced five singles that achieved chart success, including US hits "Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)
", "Lil Freak
", "There Goes My Baby
", and international hits "OMG
" and "More
". Upon its release, Raymond v. Raymond received mixed reviews from most music critics, who were ambivalent towards its songwriting and themes. The album earned Usher several awards, including Grammy Award
s for Best Contemporary R&B Album
and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance
. Usher promoted the album with a supporting international tour, OMG Tour
, in 2011.
(2008), which featured more mature, adult-oriented themes, but was less successful with fans and sales than his previous work. Usher, whose private life has been highly documented after filing a divorce from wife Tameka Foster, told People Magazine that the album will be, "racy, risky and edgy, and sometimes about personal experiences." The album was originally under the title of "Monster". The album was promoted as a self-confessional, much in the way his 2004 blockbuster album dealt with his high-profile break-up with Chilli
of TLC
. Usher
stated that the album's name was inspired by the 1979 divorce film Kramer vs. Kramer
. Recorded during 2008 to 2010, the album was produced by Jermaine Dupri
, The Runners
, Ester Dean
, Polow da Don
, RedOne
, Jim Jonsin
, Danja, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Bangladesh
, and Tricky Stewart. Raymond v. Raymond was produced in Atlanta and the Studio at the Palms studios in Las Vegas
. It reflects the contrasting themes Usher
explores, he elaborates by explaining;
that the album will not be released on December 21, 2009 as scheduled: "The release of Usher's next album, Raymond v. Raymond, has been delayed because we believe that the album is so strong that we want to give it the opportunity to have the proper setup before coming out". The album was ultimately released on March 30, 2010, and released on April 26, 2010 in the United Kingdom.
Usher announced on July 8, 2010, follow-up and re-release albums to Raymond v. Raymond called Versus, and a deluxe edition of Raymond v. Raymond. Versus, called "the last chapter of Raymond v. Raymond" by Usher, will have 8 new tracks, including lead single "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love
" featuring Pitbull
, and the second single "Hot Tottie
", produced by Polow Da Don. It will be released on August 24, 2010, as will the deluxe version of Raymond v. Raymond, which will include the new tracks.
" was released as the first US single on December 8, 2009. The single peaked at number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100
chart and number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
chart. It will be released as the fourth international single (after "More" from the international deluxe edition) on March 20, 2011. For the album's second US single, "Lil Freak
", Usher and featured artist Nicki Minaj
shot a music video for the song on March 9, 2010 in Los Angeles with director TAJ
. The single reached number eight on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The album's third US single and the first international single, "OMG
", featuring will.i.am
, reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. It also reached number one in Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Australia. The song became his ninth number-one hit in the US, making him the first 2010s artist to collect number-one singles in three consecutive decades, and only the fourth artist of all-time to achieve the feat. Usher also became the third artist ever to have at least one Hot 100 number-one hit from five consecutive studio albums. The single stayed at number one on the chart for four weeks, including three consecutive. It finished at the top of the year-end Billboard charts. It was also named the fifth best-selling song of 2010, selling 3.8 million units.
"There Goes My Baby
", which was released as the second promotional single prior to the album's release, was released to airplay as the album's fourth single in the United States on June 15, 2010. It reached number twenty-five on the Billboard Hot 100, and number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, becoming Usher's eleventh number-one hit on the latter. The song earned Usher a Grammy Award
for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance
, at the 53rd Grammy Awards
in 2011. It was the fourth time Usher has been nominated for and won a Best R&B Vocal Performance award. The first three for his singles, "U Remind Me
", U Don't Have to Call
, and for his duet "My Boo
" featuring Alicia Keys
. The last award he won for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. While winning the first two as a solo male artist.
Released as the third promo single prior to the album's release, "More
" was released, as the album's fifth and final US single and second international single, on December 6, 2010. The single version (dubbed as "More (Single Mix)") differs considerably from its album counterpart, as it is more electro-pop infused, and contains additions of figurative bells and whistles. The track was re-produced by long-time collaborator, RedOne
. "More" peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100. The single reached number one in Canada. It also reached the top-ten in Australia, Belgium, and Norway, and the top-twenty in Denmark, France, New Zealand, and Sweden.
(and revealed it was solo). Due to demand, many additional stops in Europe and Australasia were added. It is Usher's first arena tour effort since his 2004 tour, The Truth Tour. To introduce the tour, Usher stated,
chart with first-week sales of 329,107 copies, becoming Usher's third consecutive US number-one album. Its first week sales also serve as the third-largest one-week sales of 2010 in the US. According to Billboard, the album's first-week sales had been supported by his appearances on the television shows American Idol
and The Ellen DeGeneres Show
, both of which featured his performing the single "OMG
". The album sold over 92,000 copies in the US in its second week of release. It sold over 64,000 copies in its third week of release. It then sold 52,000 copies in its fourth week of release. In its fifth week of release it sold 48,000 copies. In its sixth week of release sales increased with 51,000 copies sold. On June 17, 2010, the album was certified platinum by the RIAA. To date the album has sold over 1.3 million copies in the United States, and over 2 million worldwide. It was named one of the ten best selling albums of 2010. The album sold more than 7 million tracks and ring tones combined, and held the No. 1 spot on Billboards R&B chart for seven consecutive weeks.
The album debuted at number four in Canada, and has been certified platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association
(CRIA), for shipments of 80,000 copies. Raymond v. Raymond debuted at number two in the United Kingdom. The album reached number-two in Australia and the album has been certified platinum by the Australian Record Industry Association (ARIA). It also entered within the top-ten of charts in several other countries.
, which assigns a normalized
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an average
score of 57, based on 16 reviews, which indicates "generally mixed or average reviews". Allmusic writer Andy Kellman gave it two-and-a-half out of five stars and expressed a mixed response towards its lyrical quality, writing "Many of the songs on the album have to be taken on their own, stripped of context; otherwise, determining what applies to Usher’s real and fantasy lives can be problematic". Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone
wrote that it "yields mixed results". Entertainment Weekly
s Leah Greenblatt perceived that it "doesn't offer much real revelation. Its main aim is more standard issue: Sleek, grown-and-sexy R&B tuned to seduction, not divorce court". Steve Jones of USA Today
viewed its sexually-themed material as "rehashed and inauthentic, seldom accentuating the singer's charismatic personal or vocal strengths". The Guardian
writer Caroline Sullivan called it a "so-so record". Tyler Fisher of Sputnikmusic
viewed it as thematically inconsistent and called it "a predictably unfocused album".
In contrast, Toronto Star
writer Ashante Infantry gave the album three-and-a-half out of four stars and called it "a sizzling mix of dancefloor bangers and grinding ballads that put the attention back on his warm, elastic tenor and off his personal life". Newsday
s Glenn Gamboa gave the album a B rating and noted "how well his voice has matured". Los Angeles Times
writer Mikael Wood interpreted its title as "one seemingly directed toward Usher fans disappointed by the change in direction his wedding inspired". Sarah Godfrey of The Washington Post
found its personal-themed songs "tedious", but complimented Usher "when he appears to be getting his bearings back as a single man and heartthrob". Giving it a four out of five rating, Andrew Rennie of NOW
wrote, "his sixth album proves that his ability to make grown-up hits is stronger than ever." Billboards Gail Mitchell called it "a more cohesive collection" than Here I Stand, "centered on the different sides that comprise the artist". New York Daily News
writer Jim Farber found it an improvement over his previous album, but criticized Usher for "milking his old role as a cad too cute to stay angry with for long".
Camilla Pia of NME
gave the album a six out of 10 rating and perceived "quite a bit of forgettable bravado babble". Chicago Tribune
writer Greg Kot
viewed that its "songs about 'So Many Girls' and the burden of being a 'Pro Lover' on the prowl" inversely affect the mature-themed songs, writing "It’s the kind of lacerating perspective that adulthood brings, but Usher’s too busy chasing his past to fully embrace it". The Boston Globe
s James Reed stated "Usher puts emotional material to little use". Despite commending Usher for his singing, Matthew Cole of Slant Magazine
called it "consistently uninspired, with each song showcasing an incredibly gifted performer grown wearyingly complacent". Tyler Lewis of PopMatters
called Raymond v. Raymond a "cynically commercial and desperate album" and viewed it as a "pale imitation" of Usher's Confessions. Chicago Sun-Times
writer Jim DeRogatis
gave it one out of four stars and wrote that Usher "revels more than ever in hollow player posing and empty sexual braggadocio, and delivers the sleepiest and least inspired album of his career". The Village Voice
s Rich Juzwiak called its confessional nature "wan" and compared its songs negatively to "pick-up lines: Their immediate success varies, but none are particularly memorable".
for the most Soul Train Music Award nominations. He won two of the awards for Best Male R&B/Soul Artist and won the coveted album of the year award. At the 53rd Grammy Awards
in 2011, the album won both its nominations for Best Contemporary R&B Album
and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. Due to the great commercial performance of the album, Usher won a NRJ Music Award for International Male Artist of the Year.
Following the high commercial success of the album's singles, Usher was ranked the third top US Billboard Hot 100
artist of 2010. He was also named the top R&B/Hip Hop Artist of the year. As well as the sixth top overall artist of 2010, and the ninth top Pop artist. Following that success, Usher won three Billboard Music Awards in 2011, receiving honors as Top R&B Artist, Top R&B Album for Raymond v. Raymond, and Top R&B Song for "OMG".
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
recording artist Usher
Usher (entertainer)
Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
, released March 26, 2010. Production for the album took place during 2008 to 2010 and was handled by several producers, including Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri Mauldin , known as Jermaine Dupri or JD, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper.- Early life and career :...
, The Runners
The Runners
The Runners is a hip hop production duo from Orlando, Florida, consisting of Andrew "Dru Brett" Harr and Jermaine "Mayne Zayne" Jackson. They came together to form the team in 2000, but they have known each other since they were in kindergarten. They are best known for producing the hit singles "Go...
, Ester Dean
Ester Dean
Ester Renay Dean is an American singer and songwriter, and record producer signed to Zone 4 Records/Interscope Records. She is most notable for her dual appearance on Rio: Music From The Motion Picture and her 2009 US hit single "Drop It Low", which featured singer Chris Brown...
, Polow da Don
Polow Da Don
Polow-Freache Jamal Fincher Jones , better known by known by professional name Polow da Don or Awesome Jones, is an American record producer, songwriter, rapper, and singer. His cousin is Atlanta singer Monica. He has produced for a variety of artists including Usher, Nelly, Christina Aguilera, T.I...
, RedOne
RedOne
Nadir Khayat , known by the stage name RedOne, is a Moroccan producer and songwriter. Renowned for co-producing hit singles such as "Just Dance", "Poker Face", "LoveGame", "Bad Romance", "Alejandro" and "Judas", he is attributed by some as the key to Lady Gaga's success...
, 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...
, Danja, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Bangladesh
Bangladesh (producer)
Shondrae Crawford, better known as Bangladesh or Mr. Bangladesh, is a Grammy Award winning American record producer and disc jockey and rapper, who was born and raised in Des Moines, Iowa, and now lives in Atlanta, Georgia.- Life and career :...
, and Tricky Stewart.
The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart, selling 329,000 copies in its first week. It sold over one million copies in the United States and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA). The album also produced five singles that achieved chart success, including US hits "Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)
Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)
"Hey Daddy " is a song by American R&B singer, Usher. The song is the first single in the United States from Usher's sixth studio album Raymond v. Raymond, following the buzz single "Papers". The song was written by longtime Usher collaborator Rico Love, Usher, Plies and The Runners and it was also...
", "Lil Freak
Lil Freak
"Lil Freak" is a song by American recording artist Usher, taken from his sixth studio album, Raymond v. Raymond. Featuring guest vocals by Trinidadian recording artist Nicki Minaj, the song was written by her, Usher, Ester Dean, Blac Elvis and Polow da Don, the latter two producing the track...
", "There Goes My Baby
There Goes My Baby (Usher song)
"There Goes My Baby" is a song by American recording artist Usher. It was written by James Scheffer, Frank Romano, Danny Morris, and Rico Love, with the latter producing the song with Jim Jonsin. The song was first released as the second promo single for his sixth studio album, Raymond v...
", and international hits "OMG
OMG (song)
"OMG" is a song by American recording artist Usher. The song features will.i.am, who also wrote and produced the song. It uses the auto-tune effect in several lines, as well as Jock Jams-esque sports arena chanting. It was released on March 22, 2010 as the first worldwide single off his sixth...
" and "More
More (Usher song)
"More" is a song by American recording artist Usher taken from the deluxe edition of his Raymond v. Raymond album. It was written by Charles Hinshaw, Usher and RedOne, with the latter also producing the song. It was first released on March 16, 2010 through the US iTunes store as the third...
". Upon its release, Raymond v. Raymond received mixed reviews from most music critics, who were ambivalent towards its songwriting and themes. The album earned Usher several awards, including Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s for Best Contemporary R&B Album
Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album
The Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality works on albums in the contemporary R&B music genre...
and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance
Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance was awarded between 1968 and 2011. The award has had several minor name changes:*In 1968 it was awarded as Best R&B Solo Vocal Performance, Male...
. Usher promoted the album with a supporting international tour, OMG Tour
OMG Tour
The OMG Tour is the fifth concert tour by American recording artist Usher. Visiting North America, Europe and Australia, the tour accompanies his sixth studio album, Raymond v. Raymond, as well as his first extended play, Versus.-Background:...
, in 2011.
Background
The album is the follow-up to Usher's fifth album Here I StandHere I Stand (Usher album)
Here I Stand is the fifth studio album by American R&B recording artist Usher, released on May 13, 2008 by LaFace Records. Inspired by love for his new wife—Tameka Foster—and son, Usher recorded many ballads for the album. Prior to the album's recording, Usher split with his...
(2008), which featured more mature, adult-oriented themes, but was less successful with fans and sales than his previous work. Usher, whose private life has been highly documented after filing a divorce from wife Tameka Foster, told People Magazine that the album will be, "racy, risky and edgy, and sometimes about personal experiences." The album was originally under the title of "Monster". The album was promoted as a self-confessional, much in the way his 2004 blockbuster album dealt with his high-profile break-up with Chilli
Rozonda Thomas
Rozonda Ocelean Thomas , best known by her stage name Chilli, is a four-time Grammy Award–winning American R&B singer and actress who rose to fame as one third of the successful R&B/Hip-Hop/Pop girl group TLC.-Early life:...
of TLC
TLC (band)
TLC is an American musical trio whose repertoire spanned R&B, hip-hop, soul, funk, and new jack swing. Originally consisting of singer Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, rapper-singer Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes and singer Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas it found success in the 1990s while also enduring a series of spats...
. Usher
Usher (entertainer)
Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
stated that the album's name was inspired by the 1979 divorce film Kramer vs. Kramer
Kramer vs. Kramer
Kramer vs. Kramer is a 1979 American drama film adapted by Robert Benton from the novel by Avery Corman, and directed by Benton. The film tells the story of a married couple's divorce and its impact on everyone involved, including the couple's young son...
. Recorded during 2008 to 2010, the album was produced by Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri Mauldin , known as Jermaine Dupri or JD, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper.- Early life and career :...
, The Runners
The Runners
The Runners is a hip hop production duo from Orlando, Florida, consisting of Andrew "Dru Brett" Harr and Jermaine "Mayne Zayne" Jackson. They came together to form the team in 2000, but they have known each other since they were in kindergarten. They are best known for producing the hit singles "Go...
, Ester Dean
Ester Dean
Ester Renay Dean is an American singer and songwriter, and record producer signed to Zone 4 Records/Interscope Records. She is most notable for her dual appearance on Rio: Music From The Motion Picture and her 2009 US hit single "Drop It Low", which featured singer Chris Brown...
, Polow da Don
Polow Da Don
Polow-Freache Jamal Fincher Jones , better known by known by professional name Polow da Don or Awesome Jones, is an American record producer, songwriter, rapper, and singer. His cousin is Atlanta singer Monica. He has produced for a variety of artists including Usher, Nelly, Christina Aguilera, T.I...
, RedOne
RedOne
Nadir Khayat , known by the stage name RedOne, is a Moroccan producer and songwriter. Renowned for co-producing hit singles such as "Just Dance", "Poker Face", "LoveGame", "Bad Romance", "Alejandro" and "Judas", he is attributed by some as the key to Lady Gaga's success...
, 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...
, Danja, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Bangladesh
Bangladesh (producer)
Shondrae Crawford, better known as Bangladesh or Mr. Bangladesh, is a Grammy Award winning American record producer and disc jockey and rapper, who was born and raised in Des Moines, Iowa, and now lives in Atlanta, Georgia.- Life and career :...
, and Tricky Stewart. Raymond v. Raymond was produced in Atlanta and the Studio at the Palms studios in Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
. It reflects the contrasting themes Usher
Usher (entertainer)
Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
explores, he elaborates by explaining;
"Conceptually, the recording process mirrored the album. This time I recorded the album in both Las Vegas (for the first time) and Atlanta. In Vegas, it's no-holds-barred, unlimited access. There are so many different places and experiences. Then I recorded in Atlanta – the city represents to me the reality of emotion and feelings. One city represents perception and the other reality."
Release and promotion
In November 2009, a representative of Usher told MTV NewsMTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
that the album will not be released on December 21, 2009 as scheduled: "The release of Usher's next album, Raymond v. Raymond, has been delayed because we believe that the album is so strong that we want to give it the opportunity to have the proper setup before coming out". The album was ultimately released on March 30, 2010, and released on April 26, 2010 in the United Kingdom.
Usher announced on July 8, 2010, follow-up and re-release albums to Raymond v. Raymond called Versus, and a deluxe edition of Raymond v. Raymond. Versus, called "the last chapter of Raymond v. Raymond" by Usher, will have 8 new tracks, including lead single "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love
DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love
"DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love" is a song by recording artist Usher and features guest vocals from American rapper Pitbull. It was written by Savan Kotecha, Pitbull, Shellback and Max Martin, with the latter two producing it. It is the first single from Usher's EP, Versus...
" featuring Pitbull
Pitbull (rapper)
Armando Christian Pérez , better known by his stage name Pitbull, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and record producer. His first recorded performance was from the Lil Jon album Kings of Crunk in 2002, after which he released his debut album in 2004 titled M.I.A.M.I. under TVT Records...
, and the second single "Hot Tottie
Hot Tottie
"Hot Tottie" is a song by recording artist Usher. It was written by Usher, Ester Dean, Jay-Z and Polow da Don, with the latter producing it. The song features guest vocals from rapper Jay-Z and background vocals by Ester Dean. It is the second single in the United States and Canada from his EP,...
", produced by Polow Da Don. It will be released on August 24, 2010, as will the deluxe version of Raymond v. Raymond, which will include the new tracks.
Singles
"Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)
"Hey Daddy " is a song by American R&B singer, Usher. The song is the first single in the United States from Usher's sixth studio album Raymond v. Raymond, following the buzz single "Papers". The song was written by longtime Usher collaborator Rico Love, Usher, Plies and The Runners and it was also...
" was released as the first US single on December 8, 2009. The single peaked at number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart and number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart. It will be released as the fourth international single (after "More" from the international deluxe edition) on March 20, 2011. For the album's second US single, "Lil Freak
Lil Freak
"Lil Freak" is a song by American recording artist Usher, taken from his sixth studio album, Raymond v. Raymond. Featuring guest vocals by Trinidadian recording artist Nicki Minaj, the song was written by her, Usher, Ester Dean, Blac Elvis and Polow da Don, the latter two producing the track...
", Usher and featured artist Nicki Minaj
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj , better known by her stage name Nicki Minaj; ), is a Trinidadian-born American recording artist...
shot a music video for the song on March 9, 2010 in Los Angeles with director TAJ
Taj
Taj is a Persian word that means crown.Taj may refer to:-Further disambiguations:*Taj Mahal , for places and things of that name*Taj al-Din , for people of that name, including Taj El-Din, etc....
. The single reached number eight on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The album's third US single and the first international single, "OMG
OMG (song)
"OMG" is a song by American recording artist Usher. The song features will.i.am, who also wrote and produced the song. It uses the auto-tune effect in several lines, as well as Jock Jams-esque sports arena chanting. It was released on March 22, 2010 as the first worldwide single off his sixth...
", featuring will.i.am
Will.i.am
William James Adams, Jr. , better known by his stage name will.i.am and occasionally by his other stage name Zuper Blahq, is an American rapper, musician, songwriter, singer, actor and producer...
, reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. It also reached number one in Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Australia. The song became his ninth number-one hit in the US, making him the first 2010s artist to collect number-one singles in three consecutive decades, and only the fourth artist of all-time to achieve the feat. Usher also became the third artist ever to have at least one Hot 100 number-one hit from five consecutive studio albums. The single stayed at number one on the chart for four weeks, including three consecutive. It finished at the top of the year-end Billboard charts. It was also named the fifth best-selling song of 2010, selling 3.8 million units.
"There Goes My Baby
There Goes My Baby (Usher song)
"There Goes My Baby" is a song by American recording artist Usher. It was written by James Scheffer, Frank Romano, Danny Morris, and Rico Love, with the latter producing the song with Jim Jonsin. The song was first released as the second promo single for his sixth studio album, Raymond v...
", which was released as the second promotional single prior to the album's release, was released to airplay as the album's fourth single in the United States on June 15, 2010. It reached number twenty-five on the Billboard Hot 100, and number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, becoming Usher's eleventh number-one hit on the latter. The song earned Usher a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance
Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance was awarded between 1968 and 2011. The award has had several minor name changes:*In 1968 it was awarded as Best R&B Solo Vocal Performance, Male...
, at the 53rd Grammy Awards
53rd Grammy Awards
The 53rd annual Grammy Awards were held on February 13, 2011, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. They were broadcast on CBS with a rating of 26.6 million viewers. Barbra Streisand was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year two nights prior to the telecast on February 11. Nominations were...
in 2011. It was the fourth time Usher has been nominated for and won a Best R&B Vocal Performance award. The first three for his singles, "U Remind Me
U Remind Me
"U Remind Me" is a 2001 single from Usher's 2001 album 8701. It was the first US single from the album...
", U Don't Have to Call
U Don't Have To Call
"U Don't Have to Call" is a 2001 single from Usher's 2001 album 8701. It was the third US single from the album and the fifth UK single, peaking at number 3 on the United States Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. In the UK, it was released as part of a double A-side with his collaboration with P....
, and for his duet "My Boo
My Boo (Usher and Alicia Keys song)
"My Boo" is a duet between American R&B singers Usher and Alicia Keys, written by Usher, Keys, Jermaine Dupri, Adonis Shropshire, and Manuel Seal, Jr. Set over a hip hop-style track, the song was produced by Dupri. It was included on the re-release of Usher's fourth studio album, Confessions...
" featuring Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
. The last award he won for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. While winning the first two as a solo male artist.
Released as the third promo single prior to the album's release, "More
More (Usher song)
"More" is a song by American recording artist Usher taken from the deluxe edition of his Raymond v. Raymond album. It was written by Charles Hinshaw, Usher and RedOne, with the latter also producing the song. It was first released on March 16, 2010 through the US iTunes store as the third...
" was released, as the album's fifth and final US single and second international single, on December 6, 2010. The single version (dubbed as "More (Single Mix)") differs considerably from its album counterpart, as it is more electro-pop infused, and contains additions of figurative bells and whistles. The track was re-produced by long-time collaborator, RedOne
RedOne
Nadir Khayat , known by the stage name RedOne, is a Moroccan producer and songwriter. Renowned for co-producing hit singles such as "Just Dance", "Poker Face", "LoveGame", "Bad Romance", "Alejandro" and "Judas", he is attributed by some as the key to Lady Gaga's success...
. "More" peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100. The single reached number one in Canada. It also reached the top-ten in Australia, Belgium, and Norway, and the top-twenty in Denmark, France, New Zealand, and Sweden.
Tour
While Usher was on promotional tour in Australia in an interview he confirmed that he will tour in 2011, countries so far confirmed for the tour are Australia. On September 8, 2010 Usher announced that he would embark on his OMG TourOMG Tour
The OMG Tour is the fifth concert tour by American recording artist Usher. Visiting North America, Europe and Australia, the tour accompanies his sixth studio album, Raymond v. Raymond, as well as his first extended play, Versus.-Background:...
(and revealed it was solo). Due to demand, many additional stops in Europe and Australasia were added. It is Usher's first arena tour effort since his 2004 tour, The Truth Tour. To introduce the tour, Usher stated,
"Live performance has always been my thing. It's my purpose to master and capture the moment every time I have you connected. For me, I wanted to make sure that it was state of the art. I wanted to make sure that, in comparison to the other shows that are going on around the world, you get the type of experience that leave you saying, 'OMG.' [...] The look of the tour, it's a little futuristic but enough to capture your attention and leave you saying, 'OMG.' That's the whole point. With an incredible record, I wanted to also leave a great impression.
Commercial performance
The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart with first-week sales of 329,107 copies, becoming Usher's third consecutive US number-one album. Its first week sales also serve as the third-largest one-week sales of 2010 in the US. According to Billboard, the album's first-week sales had been supported by his appearances on the television shows American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
and The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, often shortened to Ellen, is an American television talk show hosted by comedian/actress Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it is produced by Telepictures and airs in syndication, including stations owned by NBC Universal. For its first five seasons, the show...
, both of which featured his performing the single "OMG
OMG (song)
"OMG" is a song by American recording artist Usher. The song features will.i.am, who also wrote and produced the song. It uses the auto-tune effect in several lines, as well as Jock Jams-esque sports arena chanting. It was released on March 22, 2010 as the first worldwide single off his sixth...
". The album sold over 92,000 copies in the US in its second week of release. It sold over 64,000 copies in its third week of release. It then sold 52,000 copies in its fourth week of release. In its fifth week of release it sold 48,000 copies. In its sixth week of release sales increased with 51,000 copies sold. On June 17, 2010, the album was certified platinum by the RIAA. To date the album has sold over 1.3 million copies in the United States, and over 2 million worldwide. It was named one of the ten best selling albums of 2010. The album sold more than 7 million tracks and ring tones combined, and held the No. 1 spot on Billboards R&B chart for seven consecutive weeks.
The album debuted at number four in Canada, and has been certified platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association
Canadian Recording Industry Association
Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada...
(CRIA), for shipments of 80,000 copies. Raymond v. Raymond debuted at number two in the United Kingdom. The album reached number-two in Australia and the album has been certified platinum by the Australian Record Industry Association (ARIA). It also entered within the top-ten of charts in several other countries.
Critical response
Raymond v. Raymond received mixed reviews from most music critics. At MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a normalized
Standard score
In statistics, a standard score indicates how many standard deviations an observation or datum is above or below the mean. It is a dimensionless quantity derived by subtracting the population mean from an individual raw score and then dividing the difference by the population standard deviation...
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an average
Weighted mean
The weighted mean is similar to an arithmetic mean , where instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others...
score of 57, based on 16 reviews, which indicates "generally mixed or average reviews". Allmusic writer Andy Kellman gave it two-and-a-half out of five stars and expressed a mixed response towards its lyrical quality, writing "Many of the songs on the album have to be taken on their own, stripped of context; otherwise, determining what applies to Usher’s real and fantasy lives can be problematic". Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
wrote that it "yields mixed results". Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
s Leah Greenblatt perceived that it "doesn't offer much real revelation. Its main aim is more standard issue: Sleek, grown-and-sexy R&B tuned to seduction, not divorce court". Steve Jones of USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
viewed its sexually-themed material as "rehashed and inauthentic, seldom accentuating the singer's charismatic personal or vocal strengths". The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
writer Caroline Sullivan called it a "so-so record". Tyler Fisher of Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic, or simply Sputnik, is a music website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites...
viewed it as thematically inconsistent and called it "a predictably unfocused album".
In contrast, Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
writer Ashante Infantry gave the album three-and-a-half out of four stars and called it "a sizzling mix of dancefloor bangers and grinding ballads that put the attention back on his warm, elastic tenor and off his personal life". Newsday
Newsday
Newsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
s Glenn Gamboa gave the album a B rating and noted "how well his voice has matured". Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
writer Mikael Wood interpreted its title as "one seemingly directed toward Usher fans disappointed by the change in direction his wedding inspired". Sarah Godfrey of The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
found its personal-themed songs "tedious", but complimented Usher "when he appears to be getting his bearings back as a single man and heartthrob". Giving it a four out of five rating, Andrew Rennie of NOW
NOW (magazine)
Now is a free weekly newspaper in Toronto, Canada. It was first printed on September 10, 1981 by Michael Hollett and Alice Klein. Now is an alternative weekly mixing arts and entertainment news with political coverage....
wrote, "his sixth album proves that his ability to make grown-up hits is stronger than ever." Billboards Gail Mitchell called it "a more cohesive collection" than Here I Stand, "centered on the different sides that comprise the artist". New York Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
writer Jim Farber found it an improvement over his previous album, but criticized Usher for "milking his old role as a cad too cute to stay angry with for long".
Camilla Pia of 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...
gave the album a six out of 10 rating and perceived "quite a bit of forgettable bravado babble". Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
writer Greg Kot
Greg Kot
Greg Kot is an American writer and journalist. Since 1990, Kot has been the music critic at the Chicago Tribune, where he has covered popular music and reported on music-related social, political and business issues...
viewed that its "songs about 'So Many Girls' and the burden of being a 'Pro Lover' on the prowl" inversely affect the mature-themed songs, writing "It’s the kind of lacerating perspective that adulthood brings, but Usher’s too busy chasing his past to fully embrace it". The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
s James Reed stated "Usher puts emotional material to little use". Despite commending Usher for his singing, Matthew Cole of Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
called it "consistently uninspired, with each song showcasing an incredibly gifted performer grown wearyingly complacent". Tyler Lewis of PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
called Raymond v. Raymond a "cynically commercial and desperate album" and viewed it as a "pale imitation" of Usher's Confessions. Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
writer Jim DeRogatis
Jim DeRogatis
James "Jim" DeRogatis is an American music critic and co-host of Sound Opinions. DeRogatis has written articles for magazines such as Spin, Guitar World and Modern Drummer, and for fifteen years was the pop music critic for the Chicago Sun-Times.He joined Columbia College Chicago as a full-time...
gave it one out of four stars and wrote that Usher "revels more than ever in hollow player posing and empty sexual braggadocio, and delivers the sleepiest and least inspired album of his career". The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
s Rich Juzwiak called its confessional nature "wan" and compared its songs negatively to "pick-up lines: Their immediate success varies, but none are particularly memorable".
Accolades
The album earned Usher three American Music Award nominations. He won two of the awards for Favorite R&B album and Favorite Soul/R&B Artist Male. The album also earned him four Soul Train Music Award nominations; including, Best R&B/Soul Artist Male, Song of the Year, Album of the Year, and Best Dance Performance (for "OMG"). Usher tied Alicia KeysAlicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
for the most Soul Train Music Award nominations. He won two of the awards for Best Male R&B/Soul Artist and won the coveted album of the year award. At the 53rd Grammy Awards
53rd Grammy Awards
The 53rd annual Grammy Awards were held on February 13, 2011, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. They were broadcast on CBS with a rating of 26.6 million viewers. Barbra Streisand was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year two nights prior to the telecast on February 11. Nominations were...
in 2011, the album won both its nominations for Best Contemporary R&B Album
Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album
The Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality works on albums in the contemporary R&B music genre...
and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. Due to the great commercial performance of the album, Usher won a NRJ Music Award for International Male Artist of the Year.
Following the high commercial success of the album's singles, Usher was ranked the third top US Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
artist of 2010. He was also named the top R&B/Hip Hop Artist of the year. As well as the sixth top overall artist of 2010, and the ninth top Pop artist. Following that success, Usher won three Billboard Music Awards in 2011, receiving honors as Top R&B Artist, Top R&B Album for Raymond v. Raymond, and Top R&B Song for "OMG".
Track listing
Sample credits- "Get in My Car" samples Leon RussellLeon RussellClaude Russell Bridges , known professionally as Leon Russell, is an American musician and songwriter, who has recorded as a session musician, sideman, and maintained a solo career in music....
and Marc BennoMarc BennoMarc Benno is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Benno was a member of The Asylum Choir with Leon Russell in the late 1960s, and launched a solo career in the early 1970s, with his 1972 effort Ambush being the most commercially successful...
's song "Mr. Henri the Clown". - "Lil Freak" samples Stevie WonderStevie WonderStevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
's 1973 "Living for the CityLiving for the City"Living for the City" is a 1973 hit single by Stevie Wonder for the Tamla label, from his Innervisions album. Reaching #8 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart and #1 on the R&B chart, the record is driven by a slow bass synth groove that manages to exude a certain amount of tension, an appropriate...
". - "Making Love (Into the Night)" is a remake of Benny MardonesBenny MardonesBenny Mardones is an American pop singer and songwriter who is best known for his hit single "Into the Night", which hit the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart twice, in 1980 and again in 1989.-Career:...
1980 "Into The NightInto the Night (Benny Mardones song)"Into the Night" is a 1980 song by American pop singer-songwriter Benny Mardones, from his album Never Run, Never Hide, and re-released in 1989....
". - "She Don't Know" samples Ebo Taylor's 1977 "Heaven".
- "Mars vs. Venus" sampled Isao TomitaIsao Tomita, often known simply as Tomita, is a Japanese music composer, regarded as one of the pioneers of electronic music and space music, and as one of the most famous producers of analog synthesizer arrangements...
's 1974 "Snowflakes Are DancingSnowflakes are DancingSnowflakes Are Dancing is an electronic music album by Isao Tomita, recorded in 1974 and first released as a Quadradisc in April. The album consists entirely of Tomita's arrangements of Claude Debussy's "tone paintings", performed by Tomita on a Moog synthesizer...
".
Personnel
Credits for Raymond v. Raymond adapted from Allmusic.- Kory Aaron – assistant
- Marcella Araica – engineer
- Alex Barajas – assistant
- Tom Coyne – mastering
- Ian Cross – engineer, mixing, vocal engineer
- Aubry "Big Juice" Delaine – engineer
- Dylan "3-D" Dresdow – mixing
- Jermaine DupriJermaine DupriJermaine Dupri Mauldin , known as Jermaine Dupri or JD, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper.- Early life and career :...
– mixing - Joe Gallagher – assistant
- Conor Gilligan – assistant
- Matty Green – assistant
- Blake Harden – assistant
- Kemal Harris – stylist
- Patrick Hewlett – assistant
- Gordon Hogan – assistant
- Sam Holland – assistant
- John Horesco IV – engineer
- Bob Horn – mixing
- Jaycen Joshua – mixing
- Damien Lewis – assistant
- Giancarlo Lino – assistant
- Erik Madrid – assistant
- Michael Makowski – assistant
- Anthony Mandler – photography
- Rob Marks – engineer
- Frank Romano – guitar
- Matt Marrin – engineer, mixing
- Manny Marroquin – mixing
- Thurston McCrea – assistant
- Andrew Mezzi – assistant
- Brandon Middleton – assistant
- Vernon Mungo – engineer
- Brandon Parks – assistant
- Nicole Patterson – make-up
- Jonetta Patton – artist development
- Karl Peterson – assistant
- Mark Pitts – executive producer, A&R
- Shawn Porter – groomer
- Usher Raymond – executive producer
- Rob Skipworth – engineer
- Tim Sonnefeld – mixing
- Brian Stanley – mixing
- Mark "Spike" Stent – mixing
- Jay Stevenson – engineer
- Phil Tan – mixing
- Matt Taylor – art direction, design
- Miles Walker – engineer
- Jason Wilkie – assistant
- will.i.am – engineer
- Tre Williams – engineer
- James Wisner – engineer
Chart positions
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
2 |
| Australian Urban Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
1 |
| Austrian Albums Chart | 68 |
| Belgian Albums Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... (Flanders) |
43 |
| Belgian Albums Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... (Wallonia) |
67 |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
4 |
| Dutch Albums Chart MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
34 |
| French Albums Chart | 32 |
| German Albums Chart IFPI The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a not-for-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland... |
47 |
| Greek Albums Chart Greek Albums Chart International Federation of the Phonographic Industry Greece or IFPI Greece is the Greek branch of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and is the official charts provider and recording sales certification body for Greece. Currently two charts are compiled, one for sales of... |
4 |
| 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... |
17 |
| New Zealand Albums Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
8 |
| Polish Albums Chart Polish Music Charts The Polish Music Charts are two official album charts and seven singles charts in Poland, provided by ZPAV, the Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry . The first, the Top 100, is a monthly chart based on data received from the album companies... |
40 |
| Scottish Albums Chart | 8 |
| South African Albums Chart South Africa The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans... |
17 |
| Swiss Albums Chart | 20 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
2 |
| 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... |
2 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
1 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
1 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2010) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
18 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
6 |
Certifications
| Country | Provider | Certification |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | ARIA | Platinum |
| Canada | CRIA Cria A cria is the name for a baby camelid such as a llama, alpaca, vicuña, or guanaco. It comes from the Spanish word cría, meaning "baby". Its false cognate in English, crya , was coined by British sailors who explored Chile in the 18th century and were quick to describe the camelids onomatopoeically... |
Platinum |
| United States | RIAA | Platinum |
Chart procession and succession
Release history
| Region | Date | Deluxe Edition |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | March 26, 2010 | |
| United States | March 30, 2010 | August 24, 2010 |
| Canada | ||
| Brazil | April 15, 2010 | |
| Japan | April 21, 2010 | |
| United Kingdom | April 26, 2010 | September 20, 2010 |
External links
- Raymond v. Raymond at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
- Raymond v. Raymond at MetacriticMetacriticMetacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...