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Black and White America

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Black and White America
Studio album by
Lenny Kravitz
ReleasedAugust 29, 2011
RecordedEleuthera Island, Bahamas
2009–2011
StudioGregory Town Sound, Studio Noir[1]
GenreFunk rock
Length66:20
LabelRoadrunner, Loud & Proud
ProducerLenny Kravitz
Lenny Kravitz chronology
It Is Time for a Love Revolution
(2008) 		Black and White America
(2011) 		Strut
(2014)
Singles from Black and White America
  1. "Come On Get It"
    Released: February 20, 2011
  2. "Stand"
    Released: June 3, 2011
  3. "Rock Star City Life"
    Released: July 7, 2011
  4. "Black and White America"
    Released: September 19, 2011
  5. "Push"
    Released: October 21, 2011
  6. "Superlove"
    Released: May 29, 2012

Black and White America is the ninth studio album by American rock musician Lenny Kravitz, released on August 30, 2011. The album also produced six singles released in 2011 and 2012.

Background

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On his official website, Kravitz stated, "I don't know what it's called yet, it felt like Negrophilia, and then... it felt like something else." On December 13, 2010 Kravitz announced that the new album was to be called Black and White America, and it would be his first album on Roadrunner Records/Atlantic Records under joint label Loud & Proud.[2]

Lenny Kravitz traveled to Bahamas on an intent to finishing an album called Negrophilia, but then he "got inspired to write a completely different album."[3] "I was channel-surfing in the Bahamas one night and came across this documentary," he recalled. "I don't remember what it was called, but it had all these people talking about President Obama— how they didn't approve of his being elected and wanted to take their country back, any way they could. I know that there's racism, but to hear people voice it in such a hateful way – I had to write a rebuttal."[3] Kravitz "dreamed up" one song, "Push", while waiting to shoot a scene in the 2009 movie Precious, in which he played a nurse. The album's title track came about while Kravitz was watching another, more disturbing film.[3]

Later, Kravitz stated that even when Black and White America was created during his intentions to make Negrophilia, rumours commenting that the former grown up from the latter were "wrong information on the Internet which I wish would go away.", finally saying that "this has nothing to do with Negrophilia."[4]

As stated in an interview with The San Francisco Chronicle, Kravitz said that "The simplicity works for me. Being there that long put me at a place of peace and allowed me to focus on my art. That was really incredible."[5] When asked by The Miami Herald about how Kravitz compared this new album with his past classics, he answered that "I can't compare any of my music. They all just stand for what they stand for; they're just individual pieces, you know what I mean? The only difference is they're new."[6]

Kravitz announced on his official Facebook page that "Come On Get It", used in an NBA commercial in late 2010, would be the album's first single. The second single, titled "Stand", was released on Facebook, for iTunes; a video was released on YouTube and on Vevo on June 6. "Push" was released as the third single.

Promotion

[edit]

Lenny Kravitz performed "Stand" on the Late Show with David Letterman.[7] On September 1, 2011, he performed "Rock Star City Life" on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.[8]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?6.2/10[9]
Metacritic68/100[10]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
American Songwriter[11]
Entertainment WeeklyB[12]
HitFixB[13]
musicOMH[14]
The New Zealand Herald4/5[15]
Paste6.5/10[16]
Rolling Stone[17]
Ultimate Guitar
Under the Gun Review8/10[18]

Upon its release, Black and White America received generally positive reviews.[19] At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 68, based on eight reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".[19] At AnyDecentMusic?, that collates critical reviews from more than 50 media sources, the album scored 6.2 points out of 10, based on 10 reviews.[9]

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic praised the album, saying "he (Kravitz) has come up with his best record in years, a shamelessly enjoyable piece of aural candy."[1] American Songwriter said, "Black and White America is a laudable musical statement, and a much needed reminder of how prodigious Kravitz is at melding together rock and funk."[20] Giving it a B rating, Mikael Wood of Entertainment Weekly described the album as "a melting pot of funk, soul, rock, and other made-in-the-USA genres, with songs about growing up biracial after civil rights (the '70s-inspired title track) and plenty of hopey-changey stuff (Stand, Push)."[12]

Rolling Stone writer Anthony Decurtis commented "Kravitz is most gripping at his most personal, but he doesn't sustain that intensity. Still, each of these 16 songs succeeds on its own terms, which is a vision for America beyond the black and white divide."[17] Remi of SoulBounce argued that "even as you play Lenny Bingo, marking off the familiar styles he dusts off over the course of the album, you'll find yourself weighing the 2011 editions pretty favorably against their progenitors."[21] Melinda Newman of HitFix said "Though everything Kravitz does here is deeply rooted in his stellar guitar work and the beat, it's his most experimental album in years". She added "Like Marvin Gaye or Al Green, Kravitz is able to blend both the sensual and the spiritual." and described the album "robust, full and uplifting."[13]

Ryan Reed of Paste Magazine added " Rumored to be the realization of his long-awaited "funk album," Black and White proves that half-accurate. Many moments rank high on the Kravitz funkiness chart, including the fantastic title track—which rides liquidy slap-bass and buzzing synth, fleshed out by interjections from glistening strings and horns... The "blacker" he gets, the better he gets".[16] Chris Coplan of Consequence of Sound mentioned "As the son of a Jewish father and a black mother, Lenny Kravitz has spent a lifetime towing the line between races and understanding the very essence of duality. Now, for his ninth studio album Black and White America, Kravitz is applying those lessons learned by offering up an effort that balances his older rock output with more diversified sounds and cameos from two of rap's biggest names, Drake and Jay-Z".[22]

Commercial performance

[edit]

The album was more commercially successful in the European market, where it charted in the top ten in various countries, including a No. 1 debut in Germany and Switzerland. According to Oricon, Black and White America debuted at No. 20 selling 6,000 copies in Japan.[23] The album debuted at No. 17 in the US, selling 20,145 copies.[24] It has sold 61,000 copies in US since its release.[25]

Track listing

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All lyrics written by Lenny Kravitz, except "Boongie Drop" co-written by Jay-Z, and "Sunflower" co-written by Drake; all music composed by Lenny Kravitz, except where noted.[26]

  1. "Black and White America" – 4:35 (Kravitz, Craig Ross)
  2. "Come On Get It" – 4:26 (Kravitz, Ross)
  3. "In the Black" – 3:24
  4. "Liquid Jesus" – 3:28
  5. "Rock Star City Life" – 3:24 (Kravitz, Ross)
  6. "Boongie Drop" (featuring Jay-Z and DJ Military) – 3:49
  7. "Stand" – 3:20
  8. "Superlove" – 3:29 (Kravitz, Ross)
  9. "Everything" – 3:38
  10. "I Can't Be Without You" – 4:48
  11. "Looking Back on Love" – 5:36
  12. "Life Ain't Ever Been Better Than It Is Now" – 4:17
  13. "The Faith of a Child" – 4:06
  14. "Sunflower" (featuring Drake) – 4:14 (Kravitz, Swizz Beatz)
  15. "Dream" – 5:11
  16. "Push" – 4:23
Japan tour edition disc 1
No.TitleLength
17."Love Casino"3:51
Japan tour edition disc 2
No.TitleLength
1."Dance Around the Fire"4:04
2."Leaders of Tomorrow"4:13
3."What Do You Want from Me"3:10
4."War"4:13
5."Black and White America" (acoustic)3:09
6."Everything" (acoustic)3:06
Target deluxe edition
No.TitleLength
17."Dance Around the Fire"4:03
18."Leaders of Tomorrow"4:12
19."What Do You Want From Me"3:09
20."War"4:12
21."Black and White America" (acoustic)3:08
22."Everything" (acoustic)3:06
iTunes deluxe edition
No.TitleLength
17."War" (bonus track)4:12
18."Black and White America" (acoustic)3:07
19."Stand" (video)4:54
20."Black and White America (Live at The Shack)" (video)3:02
DVD
No.TitleLength
1."Black and White America" (acoustic) 
2."Everything" (acoustic) 
3."Liquid Jesus" 
4."I Can't Be Without You" 
5."Dream" 
6."War" 

Personnel

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Band

  • Lenny Kravitz – vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, piano, synthesizer, bass guitar, drums
  • Craig Ross – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
  • Harold Todd – saxophone
  • Trombone Shorty – trombone
  • Michael Hunter – trumpet
  • George Laks – keyboard

Production

  • Sy Kravitz – cover photo
  • Mathieu Bitton – art direction, design, photography, handclaps

Charts and certifications

[edit]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Black and White America – Lenny Kravitz". AllMusic. Retrieved September 4, 2011.
  2. ^ "Lenny Kravitz to Team Up With Roadrunner/Atlantic to Release 9th Studio Album". Roadrunner Records. February 16, 2011. Archived from the original on February 19, 2011. Retrieved September 4, 2011.
  3. ^ a b c Gardner, Elysa (August 2, 2011). "For Lenny Kravitz, 'Black And White' is a mixed blessing". USA Today. Retrieved March 6, 2012.
  4. ^ Sterdan, Darryl (August 29, 2011). "Lenny Kravitz a one-man gang". LFPress. Retrieved March 6, 2012.
  5. ^ Vaziri, Aidin (February 12, 2012). "Lenny Kravitz at 47: 'My best work is ahead of me'". The San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved March 6, 2012.
  6. ^ Hamersly, Michael (February 24, 2012). "Lenny Kravitz Shatters Musical Stereotypes with a Wide-ranging Career". Hispanic Business. Retrieved March 6, 2012.
  7. ^ Sundermann, Eric (August 31, 2011). "Lenny Kravitz: 'Stand' on 'Letterman'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 20, 2011. Retrieved September 4, 2011.
  8. ^ Aitken, Peter C (September 2, 2011). "Lenny Kravitz performs 'Rock Star City Life' on 'Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'". Daily News. New York. Retrieved September 4, 2011.
  9. ^ a b "Lenny Kravitz: Black And White America". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  10. ^ "BLACK AND WHITE AMERICA by Lenny Kravitz". Metacritic. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
  11. ^ Allen, Eric (August 30, 2011). "Lenny Kravitz: Black and White America". American Songwriter. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
  12. ^ a b Wood, Mikael (August 29, 2011). "Music Review: Black and White America". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 25, 2014. Retrieved September 4, 2011.
  13. ^ a b Newman, Melinda (August 30, 2011). "Album Review: Lenny Kravitz 'Black And White America'". HitFix. Retrieved September 4, 2011.
  14. ^ Burgess, Andrew (August 22, 2011). "Lenny Kravitz – Black And White America (Roadrunner)". musicOMH. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
  15. ^ "Album Review: Lenny Kravitz, Black and White America". The New Zealand Herald. September 7, 2011. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
  16. ^ a b Reed, Ryan (August 30, 2011). "Lenny Kravitz: Black and White America". Paste Magazine. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
  17. ^ a b Decurtis, Anthony (August 30, 2011). "Black and White America by Lenny Kravitz". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 4, 2011.
  18. ^ "REVIEW: Lenny Kravitz: 'Black and White America'". Under the Gun Review. August 27, 2011. Archived from the original on January 11, 2014. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  19. ^ a b "Black and White America Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved September 4, 2011.
  20. ^ Allen, Eric (August 30, 2011). "Lenny Kravitz: Black and White America". American Songwriter. Retrieved August 31, 2011.
  21. ^ "Take A Trip To Lenny Kravitz's 'Black And White America'". SoulBounce. August 30, 2011. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
  22. ^ Coplan, Chris (June 30, 2011). "Lenny Kravitz announces Drake, Jay-Z-featuring Black and White America". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
  23. ^ "CDアルバム 週間ランキング-ORICON STYLE ランキング". Oricon.co.jp. September 12, 2011. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  24. ^ "News". HITS Daily Double. September 6, 2011. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  25. ^ "Further Dealings: Lenny Kravitz's Roxie Records + Kobalt Label Services | Billboard". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  26. ^ 28 Juin 2011. "Tracklist de Black and White America en exclusivité mondiale". Lennykravitzonline.fr. Retrieved January 16, 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  27. ^ "CAPIF – Representando a la Industria Argentina de la Música". Archived from the original on September 2, 2011. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  28. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Lenny Kravitz – Black and White America" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  29. ^ "Ultratop.be – Lenny Kravitz – Black and White America" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  30. ^ "Ultratop.be – Lenny Kravitz – Black and White America" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  31. ^ "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 34.Týden 2011 on the field besides the words "CZ – ALBUMS – TOP 100" to retrieve the correct chart. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  32. ^ "Danishcharts.dk – Lenny Kravitz – Black and White America". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  33. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Lenny Kravitz – Black and White America" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  34. ^ "Lenny Kravitz: Black and White America" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  35. ^ "Lescharts.com – Lenny Kravitz – Black and White America". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  36. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Lenny Kravitz – Black and White America" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  37. ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2011. 35. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  38. ^ "Italiancharts.com – Lenny Kravitz – Black and White America". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  39. ^ "ブラック・アンド・ホワイト・アメリカ" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on October 26, 2023. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  40. ^ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS – Official Retail Sales Chart". olis.onyx.pl. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  41. ^ a b ":: 가온차트와 함께하세요 ::". Gaonchart.co.kr. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  42. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Lenny Kravitz – Black and White America". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  43. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Lenny Kravitz – Black and White America". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  44. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Lenny Kravitz – Black and White America". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  45. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  46. ^ "Lenny Kravitz Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  47. ^ "Lenny Kravitz Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  48. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 2011". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  49. ^ "Top de l'année Top Albums 2011" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  50. ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  51. ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2011". hitparade.ch. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  52. ^ "Argentinian Certification" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 31, 2012. Retrieved June 13, 2012.
  53. ^ "Certifications Albums Or – année 2011" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP). Archived from the original on July 29, 2012. Retrieved March 13, 2012.
  54. ^ "ZPAV :: Gold CD". Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. October 19, 2011. Archived from the original on December 12, 2013. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
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