Sparkle (Sparkle album)

Sparkle is the 1998 debut album by American singer Sparkle. It was released on May 19, 1998, through Rockland Records and was entirely produced by her former mentor R. Kelly. The album was a success in large part to the Sparkle–R. Kelly duet lead single "Be Careful", which peaked at number three on the US Rhythmic Top 40 and topped the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart. The album itself peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold by the RIAA on December 7, 2000.

Sparkle
Studio album by
Sparkle
ReleasedMay 19, 1998 (1998-05-19)
StudioChicago Recording Company (Chicago)
GenreSoul[1]
Length62:37
Label
ProducerR. Kelly
Sparkle chronology
Sparkle
(1998)		 Told You So
(2000)
Singles from Sparkle
  1. "Be Careful"
    Released: March 23, 1998
  2. "Time to Move On"
    Released: 1998
  3. "Lovin' You"
    Released: 1998
  4. "What About"
    Released: 1998
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]

Further singles "Time to Move On" and "Lovin' You" were also released as singles, but did not make any Billboard charts.

Critical reception

Entertainment Weekly gave the album a grade of B+, writing: "Unlike her wannabe-diva peers, this R. Kelly protegee remembers what the 'B' in R&B stands for....R. Kelly surrounds her with blaxploitation-vintage wah-wah guitars, haunting strings, and blue-collar blues; the resulting soul digs far deeper than Kelly's usual bump'n' grind".[2]

Track listing

All track written, produced and arranged by R. Kelly.

Sparkle track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Good Life" (featuring Cam'ron and Nature)3:46
2."Time to Move On"4:03
3."Lean on Me"4:22
4."I'm Gone"5:14
5."Turn Away"4:43
6."What About"4:47
7."Be Careful" (featuring R. Kelly)5:17
8."Nothing Can Compare"4:09
9."Quiet Place (Prelude)"1:39
10."Lovin' You"4:08
11."Straight Up"4:46
12."Vegas" (featuring Strings)4:08
13."No Greater (Prelude)"3:04
14."Play On"5:07
15."Plenty of Good Lovin'"3:24
Total length:62:37

Samples

  • "Time to Move On" samples from "Intimate Friends" by Eddie Kendricks.
  • "Lovin' You" is a cover of "Loving You" by Minnie Riperton.
  • "Good Life" samples from "Good Times" by Chic.

Credits
  • Jason Bacher – assistant engineer
  • Percy Bady – keyboards
  • Rick Behrens – assistant engineer, engineer, mixing assistant
  • Chris Brickley – assistant engineer, engineer, mixing assistant, programming
  • Cam'ron – rap vocals
  • Lafayette Carthon, Jr. – keyboards
  • Trey Fratt – assistant engineer
  • Stephen George – engineer, mixing, programming
  • Keith Henderson – guitar
  • Cynthia Jernigan – backing vocals
  • Mark Johnson – mixing assistant
  • R. Kelly – arranger, executive producer, mixing, producer, vocals
  • Jeff Lane – mixing assistant
  • Ron Lowe – assistant engineer, engineer, mixing assistant
  • Mr. Lee – mixing, programming
  • Peter Mokran – head engineer, mixing, programmer
  • Nature – rap vocals
  • Joshua Shapera – engineer
  • Sparkle – vocals
  • Martin Stebbing – engineer, programming
  • Ed Tinley – assistant engineer
  • Poke & Tone – mixing
  • Jeff Vereb – assistant engineer, mixing assistant

Charts

Certifications
Certifications for Sparkle
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[7] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Sparkle – Sparkle | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  2. Entertainment Weekly June 19, 1998, p. 74
  3. "Sparkle Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  4. "Sparkle Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  5. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1998". Billboard. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  6. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1998". Billboard. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  7. "American album certifications – Sparkle – Sparkle". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
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