Tough Love (Jessie Ware album)

Tough Love
Studio album by Jessie Ware
Released 13 October 2014 (2014-10-13)
Genre
Length 40:21
Label
Producer
Jessie Ware chronology
Devotion
(2012)		 Tough Love
(2014)
Singles from Tough Love
  1. "Tough Love"
    Released: 23 June 2014
  2. "Say You Love Me"
    Released: 28 September 2014
  3. "You & I (Forever)"
    Released: 12 January 2015
  4. "Champagne Kisses"
    Released: 20 April 2015

Tough Love is the second studio album by English recording artist Jessie Ware.[1] It was released on 13 October 2014 in the United Kingdom and 24 October 2014 in the United States.[2] The album was supported by the singles "Tough Love", "Say You Love Me", "You & I (Forever)", and "Champagne Kisses".

Background

At the beginning of 2014, Ware returned to the studio to write her second album. Ed Sheeran confirmed in an interview with Daily Star that they had written a song together for the new album.[3] (The song, "Say You Love Me", was released on 13 August 2014.)[4] "Tough Love" is the first single to be taken from the new album, airing for the first time on BBC Radio 1 as "Hottest Record" during the Zane Lowe's show and slated for a UK release on 3 August 2014. "Tough Love" was compared to "Prince at his minimalist '80s best" by Pitchfork, who interviewed Ware prior to the release.[5] "Tough Love" is produced together with BenZel, the production duo composed of London post-bass producer Two Inch Punch and mega-producer Benny Blanco who Ware previously worked with on the single "If You Love Me"; Benzel are also executive producers of her new album. It has been confirmed that Kid Harpoon, Dave Okumu, Julio Bashmore, Miguel, James Ford, Nineteen85, Sam Smith and Ed Sheeran have also worked on the new album.[5]

Singles

"Tough Love", produced by BenZel, was released as the lead single from the album on 23 June 2014. The song peaked to number 34 on the UK Singles Chart, making it her first Top 40 single in the UK.[6]

"Say You Love Me" was released as the second single from the album on 28 September 2014 and became her second Top 40 hit, charting at number 22.[6]

"You & I (Forever)" was released as the third single from the album. The video for the song was released on 2 December 2014 and was directed by Adam Powell.[7] London-born producer Shift K3Y and Kidnap Kid remixed the track.[8]

On January 17, 2015, Ware confirmed on her Twitter account that the fourth single to be released from the album would be "Champagne Kisses".[9] Chris Sweeney directed the video, which was published on Ware's YouTube account on February 11, 2015.[10]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic74/100[11]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[12]
The A.V. ClubA-[13]
Consequence of SoundC[14]
Fact[15]
The Guardian[16]
NME7/10[17]
The Observer[18]
Pitchfork Media7.3/10[19]
Popmatters8/10[20]
Rolling Stone[21]
Slant Magazine[22]

Upon its release, Tough Love received generally positive reviews from music critics. According to Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to ratings and reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average of 74, indicating "generally favorable reviews", based on 26 critics.[11] At AllMusic, Andy Kellman rated the album three stars out of five, claiming that Tough Love has the same "high level of sophistication" as Ware's debut album Devotion, but with "less stimulating results".[12] David Brusie of The A.V. Club graded the album an A-, describing it as a "more than worthy" follow-up to Devotion, while highlighting Ware's strengths as a singer and songwriter. At The Guardian, Caroline Sullivan gave a positive review of the album, calling it "sensual and intriguing", while describing the album's content as a "boneless elegance" with "premium product".[16]

At PopMatters, Colin Fitzgerald rated Tough Love eight discs out of ten, noting that Ware has "gone the correct route", while highlighting the album's pop and R&B sounds of "Kind Of… Sometimes… Maybe" and the minimistical ballad "Keep on Lying".[20]

Track listing

Tough Love — Standard edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Tough Love"  
BenZel3:26
2."You & I (Forever)"  
BenZel3:58
3."Cruel"  
  • Okumu
  • Ford
3:52
4."Say You Love Me"  
BenZel4:17
5."Sweetest Song"  
Okumu3:27
6."Kind Of...Sometimes...Maybe"  
  • Ware
  • Blanco
  • Ash
  • Pimentel
BenZel3:34
7."Want Your Feeling"  
Ford4:21
8."Pieces"  
3:25
9."Keep on Lying"  
  • Ware
  • Dew
  • Matthew Walker
Julio Bashmore3:28
10."Champagne Kisses"  
  • Ware
  • Blanco
  • Ash
BenZel3:22
11."Desire"  
Nineteen853:11

Personnel

Credits for Tough Love adapted from AllMusic.[24]

  • Benjamin Ash - Composer, Vocals (Background)
  • Julio Bashmore - Producer
  • BenZel - Instrumentation, Producer, Programming
  • Benny Blanco - Composer
  • Daniel Butman - Violin
  • Jonny Byers - Cello
  • Gillon Cameron - Violin
  • Mitchum Chin - Composer, Guitar
  • Alex Cowper - Design
  • Daniel Daley - Composer
  • Calina de la Mare - Violin
  • Sam Dew - Vocals (Background)
  • Samuel Dew - Composer
  • Alison Dods - Violin
  • Mikky Ekko - Vocals (Background)
  • Blake Espy - Violin
  • Glenn Fischbach - Cello
  • James Ford - Composer, Engineer, Keyboards, Percussion, Producer, Synthesizer, Vocals (Background)
  • Larry Gold - String Arrangements
  • Vincent Greene - Viola
  • Brendon Harding - Engineer, Vocal Engineer
  • Emile Haynie - Producer
  • Sally Herbert - Violin
  • Lewis Hopkin - Mastering, Mastering Engineer
  • Tom Hull - Composer
  • Devonté Hynes - Additional Production, Composer, Guitar
  • Paul Jefferies - Bass, Composer, Drums, Guitar
  • Jonathan Kim - Viola
  • Rick Koster - Violin
  • Emma Kummrow - Violin
  • Oliver Langford - Viola
  • Jennifer Lee - Violin
  • Lesss - Mixing
  • Andrew Levin - Vocals (Background)
  • Benjamin Levin - Composer
  • Jeremy Levin - Vocals (Background)
  • Lexxx - Mixing
  • Vicky Matthews - Cello
  • Luigi Mazzocchi - Violin
  • Laura Melhuish - Violin
  • Miguel - Guitar, Vocals (Background)
  • Jimmy Napes - Composer
  • Nineteen85 - Producer
  • Dave Okumu - Bass, Composer, Drum Programming, Guitar, Keyboards, Producer, Programming, Synthesizer, Vocals (Background)
  • Phillip A. Peterson - Cello, String Arrangements
  • William Phillips - Composer
  • Tom Pigott-Smith - Violin
  • Miguel Pimentel - Composer
  • Kate Robinson - Violin
  • Sampha - Vocals (Background)
  • Chris Sclafani - Engineer, Guitar (Bass), Vocals (Background)
  • Ed Sheeran - Composer, Vocals (Background)
  • Julia Singleton - Violin
  • Bradford H. Smith - Assistant Engineer
  • Robert Spriggs - Viola
  • Mark "Spike" Stent - Mixing
  • Geoff Swan - Assembly, Assistant
  • Leo Taylor - Drums
  • Annemarieke Van Drimmelen - Photography
  • Matthew Walker - Composer
  • Jessie Ware - Composer, Primary Artist, Vocals
  • Lucy Wilkins - Violin
  • Aryn Wüthrich - Vocals (Background)

Release history

Region Date Label Format(s) Edition
United Kingdom 13 October 2014
  • Standard
  • Deluxe
United States 24 October 2014

Charts

Chart (2014-2015) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[25] 36
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[26] 29
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[27] 61
French Albums (SNEP)[28] 172
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[29] 71
Irish Albums (IRMA)[30] 14
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[31] 32
Polish Albums (ZPAV)[32] 6
Scottish Albums (OCC)[33] 11
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[34] 40
UK Albums (OCC)[35] 9
US Billboard 200[36] 50

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
Poland (ZPAV)[37] Gold 10,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[38] Silver 60,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone

References

  1. ↑ "Jessie Ware Announces Album Title, Tough Love, Shares Art". Pitchfork. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
  2. ↑ "Jessie Ware teams up with award-winning directors for 'Say You Love Me' video". NME.com.
  3. ↑ "Ed Sheeran working with Jessie Ware on her new album". http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/. Retrieved 26 May 2014. External link in |publisher= (help)
  4. ↑ "Jessie Ware - Say You Love Me (Official audio)". YouTube. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  5. 1 2 "Update: Jessie Ware". http://pitchfork.com/. Retrieved 16 June 2014. External link in |publisher= (help)
  6. 1 2 "Jessie Ware - The Official Charts artist archive". Official Charts Company. 1 November 2014. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  7. ↑ "Jessie Ware: You & I (Forever) - COS". Consequence of Sound. 2 December 2014. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
  8. ↑ "Kidnap Kid remixes 'You and I (Forever)'". Kidnap Kid, Soundcloud. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  9. ↑ ""Champagne Kisses" to be released as fourth single, video on the way". Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  10. ↑ ""Champagne Kisses" official video". Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  11. 1 2 "Tough Love – Jessie Ware". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
  12. 1 2 Kellman, Andy. "Tough Love – Jessie Ware". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
  13. ↑ Brusie, David (21 October 2014). "With her dreamy sophomore effort, Jessie Ware continues to impress". The A.V. Club. The Onion. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  14. ↑ Josephs, Brian (20 October 2014). "Jessie Ware – Tough Love". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  15. ↑ Hall, Josh (14 October 2014). "Jessie Ware - Tough Love". Fact. The Vinyl Factory. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  16. 1 2 Sullivan, Caroline (16 October 2014). "Jessie Ware: Tough Love review – sensual and intriguing". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  17. ↑ Renshaw, David (13 October 2014). "Jessie Ware – 'Tough Love'". NME. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  18. ↑ Empire, Kitty (5 October 2014). "Jessie Ware: Tough Love review – classy retro soul-pop". The Observer. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  19. ↑ Mapes, Jillian (20 October 2014). "Jessie Ware: Tough Love". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  20. 1 2 Fitzgerald, Colin (22 October 2014). "Jessie Ware: Tough Love". Popmatters. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  21. ↑ Mejia, Paula (21 October 2014). "U.K. R&B singer makes an album that's as real as it is romantic". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media, LLC. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  22. ↑ Cataldo, Jesse (4 October 2014). "Jessie Ware: Tough Love". Slant Magazine.
  23. ↑ "iTunes - Music - Tough Love (Deluxe Edition) by Jessie Ware". iTunes Store (United States). Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  24. ↑ "Tough Love (Credits)". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
  25. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Jessie Ware – Tough Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  26. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Jessie Ware – Tough Love" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  27. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Jessie Ware – Tough Love" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  28. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Jessie Ware – Tough Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  29. ↑ "Officialcharts.de – Jessie Ware – Tough Love". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  30. ↑ "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 42, 2014". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  31. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Jessie Ware – Tough Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  32. ↑ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLIS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  33. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  34. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Jessie Ware – Tough Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  35. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  36. ↑ "Jessie Ware – Chart history" Billboard 200 for Jessie Ware. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  37. ↑ "Polish album certifications – Jessie Warea – Tough Love" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry.
  38. ↑ "British album certifications – Jessie Ware – Tough Love". British Phonographic Industry. Enter Tough Love in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Silver in the field By Award. Click Search
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