Olivia (Olivia album)

Clive Davis (pictured in 2007) signed Olivia as the first artist to his record label J.

Olivia recorded a demo tape at Tallest Tree Records, a recording studio where she had a production deal.[1] It was produced by songwriter Joshua Thompson who was introduced to Olivia by producer Warren Wilson.[2][3] After she held a showcase at the China Club, a New York venue, which was attended by Timbaland and Jay-Z,[1] Thompson's manager arranged for her to meet with Arista executives, including its vice president Keith Naftaly.[1][3] Olivia then auditioned for Clive Davis in August 2000 with a performance of the gospel hymn "His Eye Is on the Sparrow".[4][5] The audition took place in Davis' living room, and he played her demo for J executives who responded with applause.[3][6] The same day, Davis offered Olivia a record deal with J which she signed after they shared "a little prayer".[3] Davis said that Olivia had "absolutely knocked [him] out". He described her as having "flavor, style, and attitude".[7]

After obtaining the record contract, Olivia ended her deal with Tallest Tree Records.[1] At age 17, she was the first artist attached to the record label, earning her the nickname "the First Lady of J".[6][8] Olivia was recorded in various recording studios, including Right Track Studios, in Newport News, West Orange, and Los Angeles.[9] Olivia has co-writing credits on six of the album's twelve songs.[4] She also worked in a suite in New York's Waldorf Astoria Hotel where J was headquartered.[7] In a 2001 Billboard article, she said Davis encouraged her to "explore every part of [herself] on this album".[3] She described it as containing "variety" and having "a whole bunch of elements" that reflects her make up,[3][6] though she said that she wanted it to be cohesive.[6] She explained: "You won't get lost, though, because each track coincides with the other."[6]

In a 2001 Vibe article, Olivia referred to her musical style as "R&B with a strong hip hop flava".[10] Growing up, Olivia had tried rapping under the nickname "O-Lovely" with her brother and friends.[4][6] J executive Ron Gillyard described her as a singer, songwriter, and a rapper, as well as "the real deal".[3] Olivia said that she had little experience with the album's more explicit content.[7] During a 2011 interview, she said since her time at J, she always wanted to be "a voice for the women" through her music.[11]

Olivia is a R&B album consisting of twelve tracks.[6][9] Critics had varying opinions on its influences.[6][12][13] According to MTV News' Shaheem Reid, the album features "R&B with elements of jazz and hip-hop".[6] Billboard's Richard B. Henderson referred to the songs as "a mixture of rap, R&B, and pop".[13] The Morning Call's Len Righi wrote the compositions were "sweet instrumental R&B" similar to those for Alicia Keys.[12] Olivia focuses on songs about infidelity and seduction,[9] leading some commentators to notice a split in its tone.[7][12] Righi characterized the first ten songs as "dreary complaints" with "a mercenary attitude" before transitioning into music that was "girlish and even gooey".[12] Vibe's Dimitri Ehrlich wrote Olivia delivered "an X-rated MC's attitude to the romantic tales of an R&B diva". About these two concepts, Olivia said she had a "sweet side" when singing and a "hard side" while rapping.[7]

In the opening track "Bizounce", Olivia encourages women to leave unhealthy relationships with lyrics such as: "I can't take this shit no more / Picture frame broken daddy 'cause I can't trust you / I'm ridin' high now / So nigga fuck you."[4][6] Throughout the song, Olivia dismisses her partner by singing "Nigga, fuck you".[7] Henderson noted the instrumental was "synthed-up",[13] and AllMusic's Jon Azpiri said there was a strong contrast between its "seductive music and brutally frank lyrics".[9] For the second song, "Are U Capable", Olivia raps and sings about whether or not a partner could sexually satisfy her.[6][12][13] The lyrics include: "Can you kiss below the border while I run the camcorder".[7] The third track, "You Got the Damn Thing", is an uptempo track with "pop nuances",[6][13] followed by "Silly Bitch in Love", a ballad, where Olivia blames herself for her partner's mistreatment.[12] It features the lines: "You had other bitches in my car / ...nigga, you ain't knowing you was fucking with a star".[7] Music critics identified "When 2 Souls Touch", "It's On Again", and "Lower 2 My Heart" as representing Olivia's sensuality.[9][12][13]

"Bizounce" was released as the album's lead single in 2001 supported by a music video directed by Marcus Raboy.[14] It reached number fifteen on the Billboard Hot 100 and number four on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart;[15][16] it was Olivia's highest-charting single until her 2005 collaboration with 50 Cent on "Candy Shop" topped the Billboard Hot 100.[17] The single peaked at number sixteen on the Canadian Singles Chart.[18] "Bizounce" received a positive response from critics. A Billboard reviewer praised Olivia as "ha[ving] the mouth of a bad girl and the voice of an angel" and the potential to be "a bona fide R&B singer".[14] SongQuarters' Paulina Bozek wrote that the song established her reputation as a "powerful R&B/rap debutante".[19] Mulvey of NME commended the single as giving a "steely boot to a crap lover" in the style of TLC, Kelis, and Eve.[20] Prior to the release and success of "Candy Shop", Fred Bronson of Billboard viewed Olivia as a one-hit wonder with "Bizounce" as her only previous success.[21]

Prior to the album's release, she performed "Bizounce" on Soul Train, BET, MTV's hip-hop video block Sucker Free (known at the time as DFX), and The Source Sound Lab.[3] On February 15, 2001, she embarked on a promotional tour, leading up to the release date on May 15, 2001.[3][22] The album was originally scheduled for March 2001 and May 10, 2001.[2][10] Explicit and clean versions of the album were issued on cassette and CD; a bonus track ("Under New Conditions") was included on the Japanese edition.[22]

In the United States, Olivia debuted at number 55 on the Billboard 200 chart for the week of June 2, 2001.[23] The next week, it fell to number 103[24] and continued falling until it dropped off the chart for the week of July 14.[25] The album debuted at number 22 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart for the week of June 2 before falling from the top 25 the following week.[26][27]

Despite reports "You Got the Damn Thing" would be the second single,[6] "Are U Capable" was released instead.[28] It was promoted through a Marcus Raboy-directed music video.[29] Billboard's Rashaun Hall felt it "may be the song that sets her career ablaze".[28] A remix of "You Got the Damn Thing" was released separately and treated as the album's third and final single.[30] In 2014, Olivia said she wanted "It's On Again" to be a single, and described it as one of her favorite songs from the album; she said it "makes me feel like I'm on a deserted island, just me and my boo with cherry blossoms blowing in the wind".[1]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[9]
Entertainment Weekly	B−[31]
Q	[32]

The album received a mixed response from critics. A Honey reviewer praised Olivia as a "real voice" in hip hop soul,[33] and a CMJ contributor commended the album as "unique and ground-breaking".[34] A Q magazine reviewer wrote that Olivia was "well-versed in the not always noble art of the R&B ballad" and the music had "a list of saucy demands that would make Lil' Kim blush".[32] In a The Source review, a contributor found Olivia to be the "most memorable when she's in woman-scorned mode" and likened her to "a thugged-out Aaliyah and pissed-off Mýa".[35] In his review of the album, Henderson praised Olivia as having an "impressive combination of beauty and bravado", writing that she "makes recording a debut album seem easy".[13] Ehrlich praised Olivia's vocals, describing them as "soulful, throaty purrs and staccato rhymes".[7]

Azpiri praised the album, saying "her softer tracks show some versatility", but felt Olivia's best work came "when she is venting her spleen rather than revealing her soul".[9] Entertainment Weekly's Mark Bautz praised the album's production and mix of R&B and hip hop but criticized it as "lack[ing] the overall energy and excitement of its best songs". He dismissed some songs as "veer[ing] from Deborah Cox-lite to R-rated Lil' Kim".[31] Righi wrote that Olivia and Aaliyah were examples of how "the right attitude, hip-hop production and clothing -- not to mention a body to die for" were considered more important than "the plaintive human voice in the throes of transcendent ecstasy or bottomless hurt" in contemporary R&B. She panned Olivia as lacking substance, and wrote: "But without being able to see the hand gesturing that is an integral part of modern R&B, Olivia's music loses a lot."[12]

Olivia (pictured in 2007) felt J executives, particularly Clive Davis, were too controlling over her career.

Following the release of her album, Olivia was removed from J; she attributed this decision to "the politics of the industry" and "not actually taking [her] career into [her] own hands".[8] Olivia viewed the recording process for the album as a learning experience for future music ventures. She said record executives took away her control over the creation of the album given her youth and inexperience.[8] Despite saying she had a good working relationship with Davis in promotional interviews,[3] she later described him as "extremely controlling".[4]

Olivia claimed she was forced to be the bad girl while label mate Alicia Keys was promoted as the good girl.[4] Looking back on the album, she regretted not building a more cohesive set of songs and felt there was a lack of a clear direction. She had disagreed with releasing "Bizounce" as the lead single, saying she was uncertain how it would introduce her to audiences.[1] In an official statement, J Records' representatives pointed to Olivia's credits as a co-writer for a majority of the album as proof of her involvement with the project and maintained: "Clive doesn't categorize artists as good or bad girls".[4]

After being dropped by J, Olivia met with Interscope Geffen A&M Records chairman Jimmy Iovine and obtained a record deal with G-Unit. The label's founder 50 Cent said he enjoyed Olivia's previous work and blamed J Records for sabotaging her career.[4] While working with the label, Olivia became known as "the First Lady of G-Unit" and was featured on "Candy Shop", "So Amazing", and "Best Friend". Despite the songs' successes, she left G-Unit due to internal conflicts. She wanted to be taken seriously as a solo artist instead of being seen as "the person that kept doing the hooks".[36] In a 2010 interview with HipHopDX, she said that 50 Cent marketed her as a rapper instead of an R&B singer.[36] After leaving G-Unit, Olivia continued to release music, and in 2011, she starred in the reality television show Love & Hip Hop: New York.[5]

Notes

• ^{^[a]} denotes a co-producer

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Olivia, J, BMG Rights Management:[37]

• Olivia at Discogs