Safe Haven (Ruth B. album)

Safe Haven
Studio album by Ruth B
Released May 5, 2017 (2017-05-05)
Recorded 2016-2017
Genre Pop rock, pop, R&B
Length 46:32
Label Columbia[1]
Producer Joel Little, Mike Elizondo, Ruth Berhe
Ruth B chronology
The Intro
(2015)The Intro2015		 Safe Haven
(2017)
Singles from Safe Haven
  1. "Lost Boy"
    Released: November 3, 2015
  2. "In My Dreams"
    Released: November 11, 2016[2]
  3. "Superficial Love"
    Released: February 24, 2017

Safe Haven is Canadian singer-songwriter Ruth B's debut album.[3][4] Released on May 5, 2017, when she was 21, the album garnered highly positive reviews and has been certified gold by Music Canada.[5] Two of the songs from her debut EP The Intro are included in the album, "Lost Boy" and "Superficial Love", though the production for "Superficial Love" is different than in the EP. The album was produced by Joel Little, Mike Elizondo and Ruth Berhe.

Background

In a 2017 interview, Ruth B. stated: "I have put the last couple years of my life into this album. My memories, stories, and friends all make appearances in the melodies and hooks. My greatest hope is that these songs will resonate with listeners and find homes in their hearts".[6] With producer Joel Little, she began recording the album in 2016 after the success of her debut EP. Little remarked that he became interested in working with Ruth B. after a friend sent him some of her songs. "She had this phenomenal catalogue," he said, and compared her vocal style favorably with Lorde's.[3] In addition to Joel Little, tracks on the album were produced by Mike Elizondo and Ruth Berhe.[7]

Release

On April 20, 2017, "If This is Love" was released as a promotional single to build buzz for the album, followed by a lyric video and a live performance of the song released on YouTube. The second promotional single for the album, "Dandelions", was released on April 27. The album was released in the CD, vinyl LP, and MP3 formats on May 5, 2017.[8]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Album of the Year[9]84/100
AllMusic[10]
Pure M[11]
Music Connection[12]8/10
CrypticRock[6]

Critical reception to the album was highly positive, with critics praising the Ruth B's vocals and songwriting, the album's production, and its cohesiveness as a whole. "The album is a strong debut from a young artist. Her voice is at the forefront of the album, but her songwriting really backs up her artistry," says Tosh Farrell of The Triangle, calling the album solid, refreshing, and cohesive in a positive review.[13] Jonathan Widran of Music Connection wrote that the album is a perfect showcase for her "soulful and dusky voice", and that the ballads and more uptempo songs are balanced perfectly.[12] Writing for CrypticRock, Jeannie Blue called the album "familiar, welcoming, and embracing", and expressed curiosity about how Ruth B.'s sound will develop, awarding the album 4 stars out of five.[6]

Track listing

All tracks written by Ruth Berhe.

Safe Haven[8][7]
No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."Mixed Signals"Joel Little4:15
2."Dandelions"Little3:54
3."Unrighteous"Little4:01
4."Superficial Love"Mike Elizondo3:39
5."If This is Love"Little3:50
6."Lost Boy"Ruth Berhe4:36
7."Young"Little3:45
8."If By Chance"Little5:04
9."World War 3"Little3:55
10."Safe Haven"Little3:24
11."In My Dreams"Little4:09
12."First Time"Little3:17
Total length:46:32

Charts

Chart (2017–2018) Peak
position
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[14] 17
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[15] 13

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/Sales
Canada (Music Canada)[16] Gold 40,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

  1. ↑ "Safe Haven". iTunes. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  2. ↑ "In My Dreams". Amazon. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  3. 1 2 Kohn, Daniel (August 31, 2016). "Inside Ruth B's Outspoken Debut". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Ruth B Discography". Discogs. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  5. ↑ "Ruth B Discography". Music Canada. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  6. 1 2 3 "Ruth B. – Safe Haven (Album Review)". Cryptic Rock. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  7. 1 2 B., Ruth. Safe Haven, liner notes, May 10, 2017
  8. 1 2 "Safe Haven". Amazon. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  9. ↑ "Safe Haven". Album of the Year. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Safe Haven". AllMusic. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  11. ↑ "Ruth B. – Safe Haven (Album Review)". Pure M. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  12. 1 2 "Music Album Review: Ruth B. – "Safe Haven"". Music Connection. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  13. ↑ "'Lost Boy' singer Ruth B. releases positive debut album 'Safe Haven'". The Triangle. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  14. ↑ "Ruth B Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  15. ↑ "Ruth B Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  16. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Ruth B. – Safe Haven". Music Canada. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
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