Chapter II (Ashanti album)

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Chapter II
Ashanti - Chapter II.jpg
Studio album by
Ashanti
ReleasedJuly 1, 2003
Recorded2002-2003
StudioCrackhouse Studios
(New York City)
SoundCastle Studios
(Los Angeles)
GenreR&B[1]
Length65:16
Label
  • Murder Inc.
  • Island Def Jam
Producer
Ashanti chronology
7 Series Sampler
(2003) 		Chapter II
(2003) 		Ashanti's Christmas
(2003)
Singles from Chapter II
  1. "Rock Wit U (Awww Baby)"
    Released: May 13, 2003
  2. "Rain on Me"
    Released: August 9, 2003
  3. "Breakup 2 Makeup"
    Released: January 16, 2004

Chapter II is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Ashanti. It was released by Murder Inc. and Island Def Jam on July 1, 2003 in the United States. Ashanti reteamed with Murder Inc. head Irv Gotti and producer Chink Santana to work on the album. Chapter II features a guest appearance by rapper Ja Rule, Chink Santana, and Gunnz. Critical reception towards the album was generally mixed, with critics commending the album's autobiographical lyrics, and its fun yet light nature, while other critics felt Chapter II lacked creativity and personality and relied too heavily on the formula of her debut album (2002).

Upon its release, the album debut at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart with first-week sales of 326,000 units. It also reached the top ten in Canada, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Chapter II was eventually certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America in August 2003 and gained gold status in Japan and the United Kingdom. At the 46th Annual Grammy Awards, it earned Ashanti three nominations for Best Contemporary R&B Album, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, and Best R&B Song. Chapter II spawned three singles, including the Billboard Hot 100 number two song "Rock wit U (Awww Baby)", the R&B ballad "Rain on Me" and "Breakup 2 Makeup (Remix)".

Promotion[]

Murder Inc. selected "Rock wit U (Awww Baby)," which they considered a continuation from her debut single "Foolish" (2002), to be released as the album's first single from Chapter 2.[2] Issued on May 13, 2003, the song became a commercial success stateside and Ashanti's third solo top ten hit. It peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100, while reaching number four on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Internationally, it was a moderate success, reaching the top five in Canada and Japan, the top ten in the United Kingdom, top twenty in Australia, and the top forty in Ireland, New Zealand, and Switzerland.[2]

The album's second single "Rain on Me", was released on August 19, 2003. It peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Elsewhere, it reached the top twenty in Belgium and the United Kingdom.[3] In 2004, "Rain on Me" earned Ashanti a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.[3] On January 16, 2004, a remix version of "Breakup 2 Makeup" featuring labelmate Black Child was released as a single.[4] It served as the lead single from Ashanti's remix compilation album Collectables by Ashanti, released in 2005, reaching number 76 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.[4]

Critical reception[]

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic51/100[5]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic3/5 stars[1]
Blender2/5 stars[6]
Entertainment WeeklyB−[7]
Mojo3/5 stars[8]
PopMatters6/10 stars[9]
Q1.5/5 stars[5]
Rolling Stone2/5 stars[10]
Slant Magazine2/5 stars[11]
The Village VoiceC[12]

Chapter II received mixed reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 51, based on 11 reviews, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[5] The New York Times writer Kelefa Sanneh remarked that Chapter II "isn't perfect, but once you edit out the skits (which are, without exception, excruciating), you're left with an album that's graceful, beguiling and above all, light, in the best sense of the word."[13] People magazine noted that "the singer's sophomore CD, though, proves wrong those who thought she would be a one-hit-album wonder. Chapter II, which continues the same hip-hop soul theme as her self-titled debut, is the equivalent of a good beach read: It's easy, breezy listening that doesn't require much brainpower."[14]

Billboard wrote that Chapter II "doesn't stray too far from its predecessor" and complimented the autobiographical songs on the album.[15] Ernest Hardy from Rolling Stone found that the "album is filled with the same beat-driven, slickly produced midtempo tracks and ballads that made up her debut [and] the disc's best moments have a decidedly old-school feel to them [...] Still, dullard schoolgirl insights into love and heartache dominate the album; add some boring between-song skits about 'haters,' and Chapter II wears thin long before its halfway mark."[10] While he complimented Ashanti for her writing credits on the album, Entertainment Weekly journalist Tom Sinclair felt that "Chapter II is too mired in tired R&B conventions to achieve true magnificence."[7]

Allmusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine found that "the songs have about as much personality as Ashanti's voice, but that actually is a point in its favor, since it keeps everything on an even keel and makes Gotti and Santana's stylish production the star. They are the secret ingredients that make Chapter II good romantic mood music for the summer."[1] Alexa Camp from Slant Magazine wrote that "the album's got some great tunes, but they’d be better suited for someone like Mary J. Blige, whom Shany & Co. bite off."[11] Robert Christgau gave Chapter II a "C" rating in his review for The Village Voice, calling it a "pathologically modest follow-up."[12] PopMatters from Maurice Bottomley assured that "Chapter 2 is not going to feature as any scribe's R&B album of the year."[9]

Commercial performance[]

In the United States, Chapter II debuted at number one the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 326,000 units sold.[16] In addition, it reached the top position on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart.[16] While it became Ashanti's second chart topper on both charts, it was a considerable decline from her previous effort Ashanti, which had opened to sales of 502,000 units in 2002.[16] The album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on August 14, 2003, and remained on the Billboard 200 for 30 consecutive weeks.[17] Chapter II has sold 1.5 million copies in the United States alone, according to Nielsen SoundScan.[18] Billboard ranked the album 54th on its Billboard 200 and 27th on its Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums year end listings in 2003, respectively.[19][20]

Elsewhere, Chapter II reached the top five of the Canadian and UK Singles Chart.[21] It was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), indicating sales in excess of 100,000 copies,[22] and also went gold in Japan.[23] In Switzerland, it reached the top ten, debuting and peaking at number nine on the Swiss Albums Chart, making it Ashanti's highest-charting album to date.[24] Chapter II also entered the top 20 in Australia and Germany.[25][26] The album sold 3 million copies worldwide to date.[27]

Track listing[]

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Chapter II.[28]

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Intro (Medley)"
1:18
2."Shany's World" (featuring Chink Santana)
  • Douglas
  • Parker
  • Lorenzo
3:05
3."Rock wit U (Awww Baby)"
  • Douglas
  • Parker
  • Lorenzo
3:29
4."What Are They Gonna Say Now" (Skit) 0:31
5."Breakup 2 Makeup"
  • Douglas
  • Parker
  • Lorenzo
3:41
6."I Found Lovin'"
  • Johnny Flippin
  • Michael L. Walker
4:15
7."Rain on Me"
4:57
8."Then Ya Gone" (featuring Chink Santana)
4:59
9."Living My Life"
  • Douglas
  • Parker
  • Lorenzo
3:46
10."Black Child" (Skit)
1:28
11."Feel So Good"
  • Douglas
  • Parker
  • Lorenzo
  • Austin Johnson
  • Smead Hudman
4:31
12."Carry On"
  • Douglas
  • Parker
  • Lorenzo
3:15
13."The Sugar Shack" (Skit) 1:10
14."The Story of 2"
4:33
15."Ohhh Ahhh"
  • Douglas
  • Parker
  • Lorenzo
4:36
16."Shany Shia" (Skit) 1:11
17."Sweet Baby" (featuring Ja Rule)
4:08
18."U Say, I Say" (featuring Gunnz)
  • Douglas
  • Parker
  • Lorenzo
4:09
19."I Don't Mind"
  • Douglas
  • Parker
  • Lorenzo
5:04
20."Outro" (featuring Chink Santana)
  • Douglas
  • Parker
  • Lorenzo
0:58
Japan, and United Kingdom bonus track
No.TitleLength
21."I Know"4:42
Japan bonus track
No.TitleLength
22."I'm Not Scared"4:10

Samples[28]

Personnel[]

Charts[]

Certifications[]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Japan (RIAJ)[23] Gold 100,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[22] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[17] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c Allmusic review
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b Reid, Shaheem (May 12, 2003). "With No One To Say 'Awww Baby' To, Ashanti Turns To Her Friends". MTV.com. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b Taylor, Chuck (August 30, 2003). "Billboard Picks". Billboard. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b Wiederhorn, Jon (February 20, 2003). "Ashanti Promises New Sound, New Flavor On Next LP". MTV.com. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c Critic Reviews at Metacritic
  6. ^ Blender review[dead link]
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b Sinclair, Tom (July 11, 2003). "Chapter II". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  8. ^ Mojo review
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b Bottomley, Maurice (September 18, 2003). "Ashanti: Chapter 2". PopMatters. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b Hardy, Ernest. "Rolling Stone review". Archived from the original on 2008-05-21. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b Camp, Alexa (June 27, 2003). "Review: Ashanti, Chapter II". Slant Magazine. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  12. ^ Jump up to: a b Christgau, Robert (December 2, 2003). "Consumer Guide: Turkey Shoot 2003". The Village Voice. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  13. ^ Sanneh, Sanneh (July 6, 2003). "The Solo Beyoncé: She's No Ashanti". The New York Times. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  14. ^ "Picks and Pans Review: Chapter II". People. August 4, 2003. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  15. ^ "Billboard Pics: Essentials". Billboard. July 12, 2003. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  16. ^ Jump up to: a b c Dansby, Andrew. "Ashanti "II" is Number One". Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  17. ^ Jump up to: a b "American album certifications – Ashanti – Chapter II". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2017-04-22.
  18. ^ Lynch, Jason (January 10, 2005). "Ashanti: Take Two". People. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  19. ^ Jump up to: a b "Billboard.BIZ". Billboard.BIZ. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
  20. ^ Jump up to: a b "Billboard.BIZ". Billboard.BIZ. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
  21. ^ Jump up to: a b "Ashanti | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
  22. ^ Jump up to: a b "British album certifications – Ashanti – Chapter II". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 2017-04-22.Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Chapter II in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  23. ^ Jump up to: a b "Japanese album certifications – Ashanti – Chapter II" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved 2017-06-12.
  24. ^ Jump up to: a b "Swisscharts.com – Ashanti – Chapter II". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
  25. ^ Jump up to: a b "Australiancharts.com – Ashanti – Chapter II". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
  26. ^ Jump up to: a b "Offiziellecharts.de – Ashanti – Chapter II" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
  27. ^ http://contactmusic.com/ashanti
  28. ^ Jump up to: a b Chapter II (Media notes). Ashanti. Murder Inc., Island Def Jam. 2003.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  29. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Ashanti – Chapter II" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
  30. ^ "Ashanti Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
  31. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Ashanti – Chapter II" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
  32. ^ "Lescharts.com – Ashanti – Chapter II". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
  33. ^ "Charts.nz – Ashanti – Chapter II". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
  34. ^ "Ashanti Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
  35. ^ "Ashanti Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
  36. ^ "2003 UK Albums Chart" (PDF). ChartsPlus. Retrieved September 9, 2020.

External links[]

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