Cross (Justice album)
Cross (stylized as †; titled Justice on digital platforms[1]) is the debut studio album by French electronic music duo Justice, first released on 11 June 2007 through Ed Banger Records and Because Music. Recorded during 2005 and 2006 in Paris, Cross was composed as an "opera-disco" album. It features many samples and "microsamples" throughout, with about 400 albums being used as sampled material. These include samples from Prince, Britney Spears and Madonna.[2] The song "D.A.N.C.E." is a tribute to Michael Jackson. French musician Mehdi Pinson appears on "DVNO", and vocalist Uffie appears on "Tthhee Ppaarrttyy". The album was supported by the singles "Waters of Nazareth", "D.A.N.C.E.", "DVNO",[3] "Phantom Pt. II",[4] and "Tthhee Ppaarrttyy". A controversial music video was also released for "Stress".
Cross
Cross received critical acclaim and was a commercial success, reaching number 11 on the French albums chart and number one on the UK and US dance album charts. The album was nominated for Best Electronic/Dance Album and "D.A.N.C.E." was nominated for Best Dance Recording and Best Video at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards. Cross was later certified gold in the UK on 9 December 2011, for passing shipments of 100,000 copies.[5] As of 2011, sales in the United States have exceeded 134,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.[6] In 2012 it was awarded a diamond certification from the Independent Music Companies Association which indicated sales of at least 200,000 copies throughout Europe.[7]
Release and promotion[edit]
Cross was first released on 11 June 2007[11] through Ed Banger Records and Because Music globally as well as Downtown and Vice Records in the United States.[12] Two songs were released as singles before the album's release. "Waters of Nazareth" was the first single released by the group in 2005 and featured "Let There Be Light" as its B-side. "D.A.N.C.E." was the second single from the album released on 23 April 2007. The single also featured the song "Phantom", which was also released on the Ed Rec Vol. 2 compilation album prior to the release of this album.[13] "DVNO" and "Phantom Pt. II" released after and before the album's release, respectively. [14][15][16]
The song "D.A.N.C.E." is about and dedicated to Michael Jackson.[13] A music video for the track "Stress", directed by Romain Gavras, was released on 1 May 2008 through the website of rapper Kanye West.[17] It was subject to heavy criticism upon release and received a ban from French television due to its violent content.[17][18]
Legacy[edit]
In October 2020, EDM artist Zedd stated "if there was ever one album I would recommend combining production and musicality; it would be Justice's Cross. I still feel it sounds better than most electronic made today."[37] In 2022, a 15th anniversary reissue of the album was released along with six bonus and formerly unreleased tracks. The D.A.N.C.E. EP was released alongside it, featuring all remixes of the titular song.[38]