We Are (Jon Batiste album)
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, the album won Album of the Year at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards; it earned Batiste nine nominations in total, with five wins.[6]
| 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] |
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
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
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
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
Musicians
- Jon Batiste – bass (vocal), composer, Fender jazz bass, keyboards, mellotron, moog bass, piano, producer, strings, theremin, vocals
- 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
- 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
Charts
Weekly charts
| 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
| Chart (2021) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Jazz and Blues Albums (ARIA)[35] | 28 |
References
- 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.
- "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.
- "Jon Batiste Shares 'Cry' Single". JamBase.
- "I Need You – Jon Batiste | Credits". AllMusic.
- "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.
- "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.
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