We Are (Jon Batiste album)
We Are | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | March 19, 2021 | |||
Recorded | 2019–2020 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 38:01 | |||
Label | Verve | |||
Producer |
| |||
Jon Batiste chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from We Are | ||||
|
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Albumism | [1] |
AllMusic | [2] |
Rolling Stone | [3] |
The Spill Magazine | [4] |
We Are (stylized in all caps) is the sixth studio album by Jon Batiste. It was released on Verve Records on March 19, 2021.[5] In April 2022, We Are won Album of the Year at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards; it earned Batiste nine nominations in total, with five wins.[6]
Following the 64th Annual Grammy Awards, We Are reached its peak at number 25 on the US Billboard 200 with 18,000 album equivalent units.[7]
Background
[edit]Batiste began working on the album in late 2019, making it in his dressing room over six days in September and finishing it by mid-2020. While largely written and recorded prior to the events of 2020, the album's lyrical and thematic content reflects such events as the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and his involvement in 2020, leading Black Lives Matter protests in New York after the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.[5][8]
On June 12, 2020, he released the single "We Are", featuring the band from his New Orleans alma mater, the St. Augustine High School Marching 100.[9]
As part of Record Store Day 2020, Batiste released a limited edition EP titled We Are: Roots & Traditions.[10]
The album also features Mavis Staples, Zadie Smith, PJ Morton, and Trombone Shorty.[11][5]
Speaking to Atwood Magazine, Batiste described We Are as "a representation of genreless music that's just about the story" and "a culmination of my life to this point".[5]
Batiste released a deluxe edition of the album on October 15, 2021.[12]
Awards and nominations
[edit]Grammy Awards
Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2022 | Album of the Year | We Are | Won | [13] |
Best R&B Album | Nominated | |||
Record of the Year | "Freedom" | Nominated | ||
Best Music Video | Won | |||
Best Traditional R&B Performance | "I Need You" | Nominated | ||
Best American Roots Performance | "Cry" | Won | ||
Best American Roots Song | Won | |||
Best Contemporary Classical Composition | Batiste: Movement 11' | Nominated |
Track listing
[edit]All tracks are written by Jon Batiste, except where noted
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "We Are" (featuring St. Augustine High School Marching 100, David Gauthier, Gospel Soul Children, Craig Adams, Braedon Gautier, Brennan Gautier, Autumn Rowe) |
| 4:24 |
2. | "Tell the Truth" | 3:21 | |
3. | "Cry" |
| 3:57 |
4. | "I Need You" |
| 2:37 |
5. | "Whatchutalkinbout" | 2:21 | |
6. | "Boy Hood" (featuring PJ Morton, Trombone Shorty) |
| 4:26 |
7. | "Movement 11'" | 2:01 | |
8. | "Adulthood" (featuring Hot 8 Brass Band) | 3:41 | |
9. | "Mavis" | Mavis Staples | 0:20 |
10. | "Freedom" |
| 2:58 |
11. | "Show Me the Way" (featuring Zadie Smith) | 3:40 | |
12. | "Sing" |
| 3:07 |
13. | "Until" | 1:03 | |
Total length: | 37:56 |
All tracks are written by Jon Batiste, except where noted
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "I Need You" |
| 2:35 |
2. | "Freedom" |
| 2:57 |
3. | "Cry" |
| 3:55 |
4. | "Boy Hood" (featuring PJ Morton, Trombone Shorty) |
| 4:25 |
5. | "Sing" (featuring Tori Kelly) |
| 3:11 |
6. | "We Are" (featuring St. Augustine High School Marching 100, David Gauthier, Gospel Soul Children, Craig Adams, Braedon Gautier, Brennan Gautier, Autumn Rowe) |
| 4:24 |
7. | "Tell the Truth" | 3:22 | |
8. | "Adulthood" (featuring BJ the Chicago Kid) | 3:43 | |
9. | "Whatchutalkinbout" | 2:19 | |
10. | "Mavis" | Staples | |
11. | "Freedom" (Big Freedia Remix) |
| 2:52 |
12. | "Tell the Truth" (Uptown Remix - featuring Big Chief Romeo Bougere of the Mardi Gras Indian Show, Michael Batiste) | 3:15 | |
13. | "Movement 11'" | 2:01 | |
14. | "Work It Out" | 3:04 | |
15. | "Adulthood" (featuring Hot 8 Brass Band) | 3:42 | |
16. | "Show Me the Way" (featuring Zadie Smith) | 3:40 | |
17. | "Sing" |
| 3:09 |
18. | "We Are" (Montmartre Remix - featuring Abi Bernadoth) | 3:19 | |
19. | "Until" | 1:04 | |
Total length: | 57:27 |
Personnel
[edit]Musicians
[edit]- Jon Batiste – vocals, piano, upright piano, Fender Rhodes electric piano, Wurlitzer electric piano, keyboards, organ, barrel organ, clavinet, Mellotron, 8 bit synth, Kawai synth, synth strings, guitar, alto saxophone, bass, Moog bass, synth bass, drums, drum machine, drum programming, cowbell, tambourine, bongos, theremin, producer, arranger, composer
- Craig Adams – conductor, organ
- David Gauthier – vocals
- Braedon Gautier – vocals
- Brennan Gautier – vocals
- Gospel Soul Children – vocals
- Tori Kelly – vocals
- David Pimentel – drums, producer, recording
- Autumn Rowe – composer, vocals
- Nate Smith – drums
- St. Augustine High School Marching 100 – brass band
- Cory Wong – guitar
- Sam Yahel – organ
- Mavis Staples – spoken word
- Zadie Smith – vocals
- PJ Morton – vocals
- Trombone Shorty – trombone
- Robert Randolph – pedal steel guitar[14]
- Steve Jordan – drums[14]
- Steve McEwan – acoustic guitar, composer[14]
- Endea Owens – double bass[15]
- Jahaan Sweet – composer
- Michelle Ross – violinist
- Louis Cato – guitar[16]
- Joe Saylor – tambourine[16]
- Emily King – vocals[17]
- Roberta Freeman – vocals[18]
- Carol Hatchett – vocals[19]
- Zach Cooper – composer
- Vic Dimotsis – composer
- Eric Frederic – composer
- Sunny Levine – composer
- Hot 8 Brass Band – brass band
- Nick Waterhouse - producer, guitar[20]
Technical
[edit]- Russell Elevado – recording
- Misha Kachkachishvili – recording
- Kizzo – composer, producer, recording
- Emerson Mancini – mastering engineer
- Manny Marroquin – mixing
- Marc Whitmore – recording, mixing
- Alex Williams – recording
- Karla Cordova – album art
- Suleika Jaouad – photography
- Quincy Jones – liner notes
- Ricky Reed – mixing
- Ryan Lynn – co executive producer
- Ken Oriole - recording
- John Muller – engineer
- Gavin Paddock - engineer, mix engineer[20]
- David Andersen - second engineer[20]
Charts
[edit]Weekly charts
[edit]Chart (2021–2022) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Jazz and Blues Albums (ARIA)[21] | 1 |
Australian Hitseekers Albums (ARIA)[22] | 5 |
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[23] | 35 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[24] | 191 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[25] | 175 |
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[26] | 81 |
French Albums (SNEP)[27] | 61 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[28] | 66 |
Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[29] | 92 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[30] | 39 |
UK Album Downloads (OCC)[31] | 25 |
US Billboard 200[32] | 25 |
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[33] | 14 |
Chart (2020) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Top Contemporary Jazz Albums (Billboard)[34] | 9 |
Year-end charts
[edit]Chart (2021) | Position |
---|---|
Australian Jazz and Blues Albums (ARIA)[35] | 28 |
References
[edit]- ^ Corcoran, Patrick (March 25, 2021). "Jon Batiste Delivers Infectious Slice of Uplifting Soul with We Are". Albumism. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
- ^ Collar, Matt. "We Are - Jon Batiste". AllMusic. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
- ^ "Rolling Stone - April 2021". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
- ^ Harris, Gerrod. "Spill Album Review: Jon Batiste - We Are". The Spill Magazine. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Interview: Jon Batiste Dives into His Inspiring, Genreless New Album We Are'". Atwood Magazine. March 19, 2021. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
- ^ "Jon Batiste". Grammy.com. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
- ^ Caulfield, Keith (April 12, 2022). "Jon Batiste, Silk Sonic, Billie Eilish & More See Sales Bumps After 2022 Grammys". Billboard. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
- ^ Hughes, Hilary (March 19, 2021). "Jon Batiste riffs on the moment with We Are". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
- ^ Smith, Sophie (June 12, 2020). "Hear Jon Batiste's Anthemic New Single, 'We Are'". U Discover Music. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
- ^ Micucci, Matt (November 4, 2020). "5 Record Store Day Releases You Need to Know: Black Friday 2020". Jazziz. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
- ^ Ginsberg, Gab (March 12, 2021). "Jon Batiste on New Album 'We Are,' Grammys and Oscars Prospects: It's 'Beyond My Wildest Dreams'". Billboard. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
- ^ "WE ARE DELUXE CD". JonBatisteStore. October 11, 2021. Retrieved November 25, 2021.
- ^ "Jon Batiste". Grammy. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
- ^ a b c "Jon Batiste Shares 'Cry' Single". JamBase.
- ^ "I Need You – Jon Batiste | Credits". AllMusic.
- ^ a b "Show Me the Way – Jon Batiste, Zadie Smith | Credits". AllMusic.
- ^ "Cry – Jon Batiste | Credits". AllMusic.
- ^ "Roberta Freeman | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
- ^ "Carol Hatchett | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
- ^ a b c "Album WE ARE (The Deluxe Edition), Jon Batiste | Qobuz: Download and streaming in high quality".
- ^ "ARIA Jazz and Blues Album Chart 11 April 2022" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. April 11, 2022. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
- ^ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 11 April 2022". The ARIA Report. No. 1675. Australian Recording Industry Association. April 11, 2022. p. 23.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Jon Batiste – We Are" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Jon Batiste – We Are" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Jon Batiste – We Are" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 12, 2021.
- ^ "Jon Batiste Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
- ^ "Lescharts.com – Jon Batiste – We Are". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Jon Batiste – We Are" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
- ^ "Billboard Japan Hot Albums: 2022/04/13 公開". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved April 13, 2022.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Jon Batiste – We Are". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
- ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
- ^ "Jon Batiste Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
- ^ "Jon Batiste Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
- ^ "Jon Batiste Chart History (Top Contemporary Jazz Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Jazz and Blues Albums 2021". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved January 15, 2021.