Ready (Trey Songz album)
Ready is the third studio album by American R&B recording artist Trey Songz. It was released on August 31, 2009, by Troy Taylor's record label Songbook, distributed by Atlantic Records. The album serves as the sequel to Trey Day (2007). Production for the album took place from 2008 to 2009, which was contributed by Songz's longtime collaborator and his mentor Troy Taylor, along with Bryan-Michael Cox, StarGate and Los da Mystro, among others.
Ready
The album received generally positive reviews from critics, which positively compared Ready to the work of R. Kelly, but also was criticized for this album's inconsistency. The album debuted at number 3 on the US Billboard 200, selling 131,000 copies in its first week. The album was a certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), becoming Songz's first certified album. 4 years later, Ready was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
The album was supported by five singles, including the top ten Billboard Hot 100 hit "Say Aah", and the top five Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs hits "Neighbors Know My Name" and "I Invented Sex", the latter of which topped the chart. Songz promoted Ready in a number of live appearances, including co-heading the 106 & Live tour, sponsored by 106 & Park, and serving as a support act on Jay-Z's The Blueprint 3 Tour. Ready earned Songz a Grammy Award nomination for Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 52nd Grammy Awards; but lost to Beyoncé Knowles' I Am... Sasha Fierce.
Background and production[edit]
When Songz began recording for Ready; the purpose of the album was to crossover and increase his exposure on radio. The album's lead single, "I Need a Girl" was released to connect to mainstream radio. Songz said that "[it] was a very radio-geared record which would do great and play on radio heavily during whatever time. It wasn't a record I expected to last forever, or one I was even excited about singing, but it was a record I knew would do well." Speaking of the following singles, Songz thought that "I Invented Sex" would be a "career-defining record, and I knew 'Say Aah' would be a monster club record."[3][4]
Speaking on his collaborations with the producers, Songz said that on Ready, "we're breaking down every song, every hook, every chorus, every bridge, and we're making sure every song is the best song it could be. This album isn't just going to be a compilation of songs, but a classic body of work."[5] The album only contained three guest features with Drake, Gucci Mane and Soulja Boy Tell 'Em.[5] Songz wanted to keep the number of features very limited, and stated that "anybody else I add is going to be very special".[6] American rapper Fabolous was added as a guest feature on the track, titled "Say Aah".
Songz said that compared to his previous albums, "this album is very adult, very easygoing and very sexy [...] My first album was very adult-like, but in a different, more soulful, sample-driven kind of way, and my second one was more contemporary and trendy." To reflect his transition into adulthood and the changes in his music, Songz changed his appearance by cutting off his trademark braids.[5] Songz also began dressing in more sophisticated attire, trading in sneakers and T-shirts for vests, tailored pants, and "tasteful" shoes.[7] On the appearance change, Songz's mentor, producer, and the head of Songbook Entertainment, Troy Taylor said, "Trey's from the streets, he's a hood kid. He wasn't glamorous and (didn't have) the finer things in life growing up, [...] He didn't want to lose his street-ism, [...] As he grew into it I think he began to realize, 'Wait a minute, this ain't that bad after all,' and then he got the ladies' opinions."[7][8]
After Ready's success, Songz explained that the album was a result of his growth and new-found maturity.[9] Commenting about the success of his singles, Songz stated that "they're very strong records and they're not just radio records. They're records that embody the person I am as well as the artist I am. I think they're more definitive of who I am than any other album I've had. I've grown as an artist. I've been doing this for awhile [sic] now. As I've matured, I've learned how to exude that of which I want to be felt. I've learned what my fans want from me and things of that nature."[9]
Composition[edit]
Ready is an R&B album that contains influences of hip-hop and pop, with a bit of soul, as much of the work has been compared to vintage R. Kelly.[10][11] Concerning the album's lyrical content, Ken Capobianco of the Boston Globe said, "While many male modern R&B vocalists are moving to a more mature vibe, Trey Songz keeps the horndog-with-a-heart tradition alive with his third album."[1] Sean Fennessey of The Village Voice said, that Ready, featured Songz's "re-imagining the notion of flow—if not melody—just as his hero Kelly did 15 years ago."[12] Andrew Rennie of Now Magazine said the production had a 1980s soundtrack vibe.[13] According to Mark Edward Nero of About.com, "I Need A Girl" contains familiar qualities of Songz's breakout hit "Can't Help but Wait", also produced by Stargate.[14] The song is lyrically about finding and pleasing the right woman.[14] The song has also been described to be a mix of Usher and Justin Timberlake[15]
Melanie Bertoli of Billboard said that "Neighbors Know My Name" "employs a knocking bassline and drip-drop effect to provide the ideal erotic backdrop for Songz's dirty talk."[16] "Black Roses" is "set to quasi-electronica production, buoyed by a soulful vocal arrangement."[17] Tyler Lewis of PopMatters said "Be Where You Are" was reminiscent of Jordan Knight's "Give It to You", and called it Songz's purest pop song to date.[17] "Yo Side of the Bed", containing soul influences, has been called R&B-pop rock similar to some of Beyoncé's work on I Am... Sasha Fierce and Brandy on Human.[10][17] "LOL :-)" is lyrically about sexting, while featuring a "ringtone-ready" chorus, and heavy percussion.[18]
Promotion[edit]
Promoting the album, a major online campaign was launched, his blog site, SeeFurtherThanIAm.com, on which Songz streams live chats and behind-the-scenes videos.[5] He also released a track on his Twitter every Monday, some of which was from his mixtape Anticipation, which preceded the album's release.[5] Songz embarked on a promo tour on July 25, 2009, with stops in Chicago, Miami, Atlanta, Dallas and the Carolinas, where he attended radio events and listening sessions.[5] He also toured the House of Blues in September, as well as a college tour that fall.[5] In addition to co-headlining the 106 & Live! tour with Mario, also featuring Day26 and Sean Garrett, which toured from September 29, 2009 to October 31, 2009, Songz served as a supporting act in 2010 for Jay-Z's The Blueprint 3 Tour, along with Young Jeezy.[19]
In addition to the online and touring promotion, Songz made an appearance with his mother and younger-half brother, Forrest, to perform at AMBER Ready Back-to-School Safety Weekend at ABC Studios in Times Square on August 16, 2009.[20] He appeared on BET's 106 & Park on August 31, 2009, September 1, 2009 and September 2, 2009, performing a medley of "Successful", "I Need a Girl" and "LOL :-)" on the latter date.[21] He performed "I Need a Girl" on September 9, 2009, on The Wendy Williams Show.[22]
Commercial performance[edit]
Ready debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 131,000 copies in the United States.[36] Ready was the second-highest debut of the week, only behind Whitney Houston's comeback album, I Look To You (2009).[36] The album charted at number two on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts.[37] On February 16, 2010, the album was certified gold in sales, by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), following shipments in excess of 500,000 copies in the United States.[38] It is Songz's first RIAA-certified album.[35] On June 11, 2014, the album was certified platinum.