21 (Omarion album)

21 is the second studio album by American R&B singer Omarion. It was released on December 26, 2006, by Epic Records and Sony Urban Music. The album was produced by Timbaland, The Neptunes, Eric Hudson and Bryan-Michael Cox and saw Omarion co-write every song on the album.[1] The album's title was inspired from when Omarion turned 21 years old months before the album's release.

21
Studio album by
Omarion
ReleasedDecember 26, 2006 (2006-12-26)
Recorded2005–06
Studio
Genre
Length45:15
Label
Producer
Omarion chronology
O
(2005)		 21
(2006)		 Face Off
(2007)
Singles from 21
  1. "Entourage"
    Released: July 3, 2006
  2. "Ice Box"
    Released: October 31, 2006

21 received mildly positive reviews from critics, who saw it as an improvement over his debut record O (2005). The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, selling 119,000 copies in its first week of sales, making it his second album to debut at that position, although selling 60,000 less than his debut effort. It has sold over 390,000 copies in the United States up to November 2008.[2] The album spawned two singles: "Entourage" and "Ice Box". Exclusively at Walmart, 21 was packaged with a bonus DVD titled BET Presents Omarion (2006). The DVD features BET and performance highlights, and music videos from Omarion's solo career.[3]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
About.com[4]
AllMusic[5]
DJBooth[6]
Entertainment WeeklyB[7]
Stylus MagazineB+[8]

21 received mildly positive reviews from music critics. Andy Kellman of AllMusic gave it an "Album Pick" title, praising the production throughout and Omarion for putting more input as a songwriter and performer, saying that he "truly surpassed his status as the former member of a boy band."[5] DJ Z of DJBooth commented on the lyricism feeling mature and the production showing more sophistication, saying that "Omarion's second album is a welcome addition to his musical catalog and should appeal to both his fan base and a more adult crowd."[6] Thomas Inskeep of Stylus Magazine also praised the album for its production and having a good ratio of solid-to-great songs. Putting it alongside Ciara's The Evolution for "best straight-up R&B album" he said that "the pair leave plenty of encouragement about the future of the genre."[8]

Damien Scott of Vibe gave a mixed review, saying that Omarion lacked range in his performance and that he's "never fully in charge."[9] Mark Edward Nero of About.com was also mixed towards the album, praising the first two singles but found the other tracks above-average at best, in terms of production and vocal quality that "range from average ("Obsession," Made For TV,") to fair ("Midnight," "Beg For It")." He concluded with: "Although O's taken a step forward in establishing himself as an adult solo artist, he still hasn't completely arrived yet. But at only 21 years of age, he's still got plenty of room to grow."[4]

Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Entourage"
Hudson4:58
2."Ice Box" (featuring Timbaland)
5:15
3."Electric"
  • Granberry
  • Hudson
  • Merritt
Hudson3:25
4."Made for TV"
4:46
5."Just Can't Let You Go"
  • Cox
  • Shropshire
3:03
6."Obsession"Pharrell WilliamsThe Neptunes4:13
7."Midnight"
  • Eric Dawkins
  • Dixon
  • Grandberry
  • Harvey Mason, Jr.
  • Steve Russell
  • Damon Thomas
  • Dawkins
  • The Underdogs
3:58
8."Just That Sexy"
  • Dawkins
  • Dixon
  • Grandberry
  • Mason, Jr.
  • Russell
  • Thomas
  • Dawkins
  • The Underdogs
3:48
9."Beg for It"
  • Spivery
  • Logan
  • Timbaland
2:56
10."Do It"
  • Dawkins
  • Dixon
  • Grandberry
  • Mason, Jr.
  • Russell
  • Thomas
  • Dawkins
  • The Underdogs
3:54
11."Been With a Star"
  • Grandberry
  • Hudson
  • Merritt
Hudson3:18
12."What Are We Doing?"
  • Grandberry
  • Rufus Moore
Rufus Blaq3:53
Notes

Personnel

Adapted from the 21 liner notes.[10]

Charts

See also

References
  1. Reid, Shaheem (June 20, 2006). "Boy To Man: Omarion Grows Up On The 'Personal' 21". MTV. Retrieved September 23, 2006.
  2. Grein, Paul (November 21, 2008). "Chart Watch Extra: What A Turkey! The 25 Worst-Selling #1 Albums". Yahoo! Music. Archived from the original on September 26, 2009. Retrieved November 23, 2008.
  3. "Omarion BET Presents Bonus DVD". Walmart.
  4. Nero, Mark Edward. "Review: Omarion – "21"". About.com. Archived from the original on July 6, 2007. Retrieved May 11, 2015.
  5. Kellman, Andy. "21 – Omarion". AllMusic. Retrieved June 21, 2011.
  6. DJ Z (December 21, 2006). "Omarion – 21". DJBooth. Archived from the original on June 3, 2009. Retrieved June 21, 2011.
  7. Vozick-Levinson, Simon (January 22, 2007). "21 (2006) Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 21, 2011.
  8. Inskeep, Thomas (April 13, 2007). "Omarion – 21 – Review – Stylus Magazine". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved June 21, 2011.
  9. Scott, Damien (November 2006). "Omarion '21'". Vibe. Vibe Media. 14 (11): 164. ISSN 1070-4701. Retrieved June 21, 2011.
  10. 21 (booklet). Omarion. Epic. Sony Urban Music. 2006. 82876 81068 2.CS1 maint: others (link)
  11. "Omarion Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
  12. "Omarion Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard.
  13. "Year-End Charts: Billboard 200 Albums – 2007". Billboard. Retrieved May 7, 2015.
  14. "Year-End Charts: R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – 2007". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 19, 2015. Retrieved May 7, 2015.
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