Unexpected is the second studio album

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 American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 Hip-Hop and R&B recording artist Lumidee

Lumidee

Lumidee Cedeño is an American singer-songwriter and rapper. Cedeño was born in Spanish Harlem where she was raised by her grandparents...

, released by TVT Records

TVT Records

TVT Records was an independent US record label founded by Steve Gottlieb. Over the course of its 25 year history the label released some 25 Gold, Platinum and Multi-platinum releases. Its roster included Nine Inch Nails, Ja Rule, Lil Jon, Underworld, The KLF, Sevendust, Brian Jonestown Massacre and...

 on April 17, 2007 in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and on June 21, 2007 in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

. The album was produced primarily by J. Marty with contributions made by Scott Storch

Scott Storch

Scott Storch is an American record producer. He produces a variety of music, particularly hip hop, reggaeton, and R&B. His label, Storch Music Company responsible for signing Brooke Hogan and Nox...

, T.C. Love, Lenky

Steven "Lenky" Marsden

Steven "Lenky" Marsden is a Jamaican-born music producer and musician who specializes primarily in dancehall reggae music. He also arranges and remixes pop and hip hop songs. Marsden is the founder of the Jamaica-based label, 40/40 Records and was a former member of singjay Buju Banton's band.He is...

, Ron Browz

Ron Browz

Rondell Turner, better known by his stage name Ron Browz, is an American record producer and rapper. He has his own record label called Ether Boy Records.-Biography/career:...

, Wyclef Jean

Wyclef Jean

Wyclef Jean is a Haitian musician, record producer, and politician. At age nine, Jean moved to the United States with his family and has spent much of his life in the country...

, Jerry Duplessis

Jerry Duplessis

Jerry 'Wonder' Duplessis is a Grammy Award nominated Haitian-born musical composer and record producer. His first major success was as producer for The Fugees' 1996 album The Score. He also played the bass guitar with The Fugees, and band member Wyclef Jean is his cousin.-Early Life:Jerry 'Wonda'...

 and Red Spyda

Red Spyda

Andy "Red Spyda" Thelusma is an American Hip Hop producer who has worked on many songs for artists such as 50 Cent. He is also known for producing songs for D-Block, Mobb Deep, Amerie, D-12, and G-Unit. Other notable works by Red Spyda have included his contributions to the in-game soundtrack of...

.

Background

In an interview with Vibe Magazine, Lumidee spoke about signing with TVT Records stating, "TVT Records is the perfect way for me to come back and again I'm coming out of left field, just like with Never Leave You. Nobody ever thought of me coming back on a street credible label like TVT [...] Actually, nobody ever thought of me really even coming back, period."

In another interview, Lumidee said of the album, "This time around I got to do an album. The first time around the world heard my demo, that’s basically what it was. I had a really big song which landed me the deal and they wanted an album in two weeks. [...] This time you’re getting to hear my progress through the years and the different emotions I’ve been going through."

Content

The album was produced primarily by J. Marty, who produced eight out of the seventeen songs. Other contributors include Lenky

Steven "Lenky" Marsden

Steven "Lenky" Marsden is a Jamaican-born music producer and musician who specializes primarily in dancehall reggae music. He also arranges and remixes pop and hip hop songs. Marsden is the founder of the Jamaica-based label, 40/40 Records and was a former member of singjay Buju Banton's band.He is...

, who produced "Crazy

Crazy (Lumidee song)

"Crazy" is a song recorded by American recording artists Lumidee and Pitbull for Lumidee's second album, Unexpected . It was written by Lumidee, Pitbull and Steven "Lenky" Marsden and produced by the latter...

" featuring Miami rapper 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 Jerry Duplessis

Jerry Duplessis

Jerry 'Wonder' Duplessis is a Grammy Award nominated Haitian-born musical composer and record producer. His first major success was as producer for The Fugees' 1996 album The Score. He also played the bass guitar with The Fugees, and band member Wyclef Jean is his cousin.-Early Life:Jerry 'Wonda'...

, who produced the Kill Bill

Kill Bill

Kill Bill Volume 1 is a 2003 action thriller film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It is the first of two volumes that were theatrically released several months apart, the second volume being Kill Bill Volume 2....

-inspired track, "The Whistle Song" which features former Fugees member, Wyclef Jean

Wyclef Jean

Wyclef Jean is a Haitian musician, record producer, and politician. At age nine, Jean moved to the United States with his family and has spent much of his life in the country...

, who co-produced it. According to Lumidee, the idea to record a remake

Remake

A remake is a piece of media based primarily on an earlier work of the same medium.-Film:The term "remake" is generally used in reference to a movie which uses an earlier movie as the main source material, rather than in reference to a second, later movie based on the same source...

 of Patrick Swayze

Patrick Swayze

Patrick Wayne Swayze was an American actor, dancer and singer-songwriter. He was best known for his tough-guy roles, as romantic leading men in the hit films Dirty Dancing and Ghost, and as Orry Main in the North and South television miniseries. He was named by People magazine as its "Sexiest...

's 1987 song "She's Like The Wind" was inspired by her European label when she recommended a collaboration with fellow New York recording artist Tony Sunshine

Tony Sunshine

Tony Sunshine is an American R&B singer of Puerto Rican descent, famous for singing on a large amount of Terror Squad's songs. He sang on tracks such as Cuban Link's Still Telling Lies, Fat Joe's All I Need and Big Pun's 100%. He released his own single on Jive Records titled: "Oh My God"...

. She described the album as having "many flavors", including "rap, R&B, Caribbean music, all the sounds that influence me." She also said, "Everything I'm doing is for the world. I’m not just trying to cater to one audience..." Another track, characterized as a "self-described in-your-face song" entitled, "He Told Me" is a reggae and hip-hop flavored song that "once again boasts Lumidee’s ability to effortlessly flow from rapping to singing, all under one title." Blues & Soul

Blues & Soul

Blues & Soul is a British music magazine covering black music. Genres covered include soul, R&B, jazz, hip hop, reggae and world music. It was first published in 1966 and is known for first using the term Northern Soul....

Magazine describes "Stuck On You" as an "emotionally-pleasing" song that is "backed with a beautiful Spanish guitar". A track titled "Did You Imagine" samples Manu Chao

Manu Chao

Manu Chao , is a French singer of Spanish roots . He sings in French, Spanish, English, Italian, Galician, Arabic and Portuguese and occasionally in other languages...

's "Me Gustas Tú

Me Gustas Tú

"Me Gustas Tú" is the second single from Manu Chao's second solo album, Próxima Estación: Esperanza. It has proved to be one of the artist's most popular songs worldwide. Its lyrics show a simple but catchy structure, and it is primarily sung in Spanish but on the chorus French is also spoken...

" and is a reggaeton-flavored song that explores her Latin roots. Unexpected was named because, as she explained, "It's unexpected to some people that I'm still doing music."

Commercial performance

Following its release, the album debuted at number forty-four on the U.S. Billboard 200, with about 16,000 copies sold in its first week. On May 5, 2007, Unexpected debuted at number two on the U.S. Billboard

Billboard (magazine)

Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...

Independent Albums

Independent Albums

The Billboard Independent Albums is a chart of the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays in the United States, compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is used to list artists who are not signed to major labels...

 chart, remaining on the chart for five weeks.

Critical reception

Andy Kellman of Allmusic said, "There's much more nuance to her voice, whether she's singing or rapping. She's tougher, more womanly." He then ended on a mixed note, "As uneven and occasionally puzzling as a 17-track pop album gets, this is nonetheless a marked improvement over the debut." Blues & Soul Magazine

Blues & Soul

Blues & Soul is a British music magazine covering black music. Genres covered include soul, R&B, jazz, hip hop, reggae and world music. It was first published in 1966 and is known for first using the term Northern Soul....

gave the album a positive review, commending the quality of the production and called it a "great deal more promise than her debut LP." 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...

gave the album a B rating and said that the album is "Nothing for the ages, but pleasantly of the moment".

Singles

On April 3, 2007, "She's Like The Wind" was released as the first single from the album in the United States and Europe. It managed to peak at number forty-three on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and in Denmark, it reached the top ten.

The second single, "Crazy

Crazy (Lumidee song)

"Crazy" is a song recorded by American recording artists Lumidee and Pitbull for Lumidee's second album, Unexpected . It was written by Lumidee, Pitbull and Steven "Lenky" Marsden and produced by the latter...

" was released on May 22, 2007, in the U.S. and Europe but charted only on the European charts, including Germany, France, Belgium, Austria, and the UK.

"Feel Like Makin' Love

Feel Like Makin' Love (Roberta Flack song)

"Feel Like Makin' Love" was covered by American R&B and neo soul musician D'Angelo for his second studio album Voodoo . It was released April 8, 2000, on Virgin Records as the album's fifth and last single. His cover version features a quiet storm sound and heavy use of multi-tracking for vocals....

" was the third and final single from the album released in mid-November 2007. It performed less well than its predecessors, only landing on the Ultratip chart in Flanders.

Track listing

Personnel

• Wolfgang Boss: Executive Producer
  Executive producer
  An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
  
  , A&R
  A&R
  Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
  
  
• James Eichelberger: A&R
• Jonathan P. Fine: A&R
• Darrell Branch: Producer
• Eddie Perez: Producer
• J. Stars: Producer
• Jerry Duplessis
  Jerry Duplessis
  Jerry 'Wonder' Duplessis is a Grammy Award nominated Haitian-born musical composer and record producer. His first major success was as producer for The Fugees' 1996 album The Score. He also played the bass guitar with The Fugees, and band member Wyclef Jean is his cousin.-Early Life:Jerry 'Wonda'...
  
  : Producer
• NIV: Arranger
  Arranger
  In investment banking, an arranger is a provider of funds in the syndication of a debt. They are entitled to syndicate the loan or bond issue, and may be referred to as the "lead underwriter". This is because this entity bears the risk of being able to sell the underlying securities/debt or the...
  
  , Producer
• Red Spyda: Producer
• Ron Browz: Producer
• Scott Storch
  Scott Storch
  Scott Storch is an American record producer. He produces a variety of music, particularly hip hop, reggaeton, and R&B. His label, Storch Music Company responsible for signing Brooke Hogan and Nox...
  
  : Producer
• Steve Morales: Producer
• Steven "Lenky" Marsden
  Steven "Lenky" Marsden
  Steven "Lenky" Marsden is a Jamaican-born music producer and musician who specializes primarily in dancehall reggae music. He also arranges and remixes pop and hip hop songs. Marsden is the founder of the Jamaica-based label, 40/40 Records and was a former member of singjay Buju Banton's band.He is...
  
  : Producer
• T.C. Love: Producer
• Wyclef Jean
  Wyclef Jean
  Wyclef Jean is a Haitian musician, record producer, and politician. At age nine, Jean moved to the United States with his family and has spent much of his life in the country...
  
  : Producer
• Lumidee: Vocals
• Stephanie Fink: Background Vocals
• Rob Raio: Background Vocals
• Courtney Harrell: Background Vocals
• Alonzo Vargas: Engineer
  Engineer
  An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
  
  
• David Kutch: Mastering
• James Deering: Engineer
• Jarred Elioseff: Keyboards
  Keyboard instrument
  A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
  
  

• J. Mizzle: Keyboards
• Jesus Bobe: Engineer
• John Lardiari: Guitar
  Guitar
  The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
  
  
• Josh Modney: Violin
• Judy Hyman: Violin
  Violin
  The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
  
  
• Julian Vasquez: Engineer
• Keith "Lil Wonda" Duplessis: Guitar
• Logic: Keyboards
• Max Buckholtz: Viola
  Viola
  The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
  
  
• Mike DeSalvo: Mixing
  Audio mixing (recorded music)
  In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
  
  
• Mintman: Guitar
• Pablo O. Bilbraup: Percussion
• Rich Keller: Bass
  Bass guitar
  The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
  
  , Guitar, Mandolin
  Mandolin
  A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
  
  , Mixing
• Samuel Jusino Jr.: Guitar, Engineer
• Sean Harkness: Guitar
• Sedeck Jean: Keyboards
• Stephen L. Joseph: Engineer
• Walter White: Horn
  Horn (instrument)
  The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player ....
  
  , Horn Arrangements, String Arrangements
• Wilner Alexandre: Engineer
• Elliott Thomas: Piano
  Piano
  The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
  
  
• Diego Morales: Engineer

Charts

Charts (2007)	Peak position
Belgian (Flanders) Albums Chart Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995...	65
U.S. Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Top Independent Albums	2
U.S. Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... 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...	14
U.S. 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...	44

Release history

Country	Date	Label	Edition
United States	April 17, 2007	TVT TVT Records TVT Records was an independent US record label founded by Steve Gottlieb. Over the course of its 25 year history the label released some 25 Gold, Platinum and Multi-platinum releases. Its roster included Nine Inch Nails, Ja Rule, Lil Jon, Underworld, The KLF, Sevendust, Brian Jonestown Massacre and...	Standard edition
France
Japan
Germany	April 20, 2007
United Kingdom	June 21, 2007
Canada	October 7, 2009	EMI Music Canada