Who Knew?
Who Knew? is the second studio album by American R&B singer Keke Wyatt. It was released on February 23, 2010, by Shanachie Records.[1] The album was preceded by the release of the title track "Who Knew?" as the lead single, which failed to chart commercially. The album contains material from her previously shelved albums Emotional Rollercoaster (2005) and Ghetto Rose (2007).
Who Knew? | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | February 23, 2010 | |||
Recorded | 2004–2009 | |||
Genre | R&B | |||
Length | 43:00 | |||
Label | Shanachie | |||
Producer |
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Keke Wyatt chronology | ||||
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Singles from Who Knew? | ||||
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The album charted at number 35 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and number 30 on the Independent Albums chart.[2][3]
Critical response
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [4] |
PopMatters | [5] |
SoulinStereo | [6] |
Soulinstereo gave the album a 4 star rating out of 5, "The first thing you'll notice is that her voice has become even stronger during her absence. For those of you who says radio won't accept traditional R&B songs with strong vocals, I offer 'Never Do It Again,' where Keke apologizes to her man for her ghetto outburst. It wouldn't seem out of place on a playlist nestled between Alicia Keys and Melanie Fiona. Keke demonstrates her amazing range on "Peace on Earth." She's simply backed by an acoustic guitar, which gives her vocals ample opportunity to soar without studio gimmicks. 'Weakest' is one of those throwback slow jams that balances intensity and sexiness – never becoming overly crass or ridiculous (pay attention, Trey Songz)."[6]
PopMatters gave the album a six star rating out of 10, "Who Knew? comes after nine years of label changes, promotional singles, leaked songs, false starts, and personal problems that left fans of the songstress thinking that she'd never release a proper album again. Wyatt is clearly aware of this fact, as she has crafted an album that is designed to let everyone know that she is here to stay. Who Knew? is built around Wyatt's gospel-reared, wonderfully versatile voice, which, mostly, works out in fine, if uninspiring, fashion. Who Knew? proves that Wyatt is a terrific singer. But that doesn't necessarily mean this is a terrific album. It is not. But it is good enough to make Keke Wyatt a singer to watch."[5]
Commercial performance
In the United States, the album peaked at number thirty-five on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart spending a total of eight weeks on the chart and number thirty on the Independent Albums chart spending two weeks on the chart.[2][3]
Release, promotion and live performances
The music video for "Who Knew?" was released January 4, 2010 on YouTube.[7]
The title track "Who Knew?" was performed on Fox 5 Channel and Cafe Soul Live in St. Louis.[8][9] Keke performed at the venue Club Secrets on October 16, 2010, in the United States performing "Who Knew" and previous singles "My First Love", "If Only You Knew" and "Nothing in This World" with her brother Keever Wyatt.[10][11]
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Who Knew?" |
| 3:41 |
2. | "Never Do It Again" |
| 4:27 |
3. | "Without You" |
| 5:07 |
4. | "Daydreaming" |
| 3:57 |
5. | "So Confused" |
| 4:47 |
6. | "Weakest" |
| 5:03 |
7. | "Peace on Earth" |
| 4:24 |
8. | "Got Me One (Good Man)" |
| 4:15 |
9. | "Getting It" |
| 3:38 |
10. | "Never Give Up" |
| 3:41 |
Total length: | 43:00 |
Credits and personnel
Album credits taken from AllMusic.[12]
- Keke Wyatt – vocals, vocal arrangement, composer
- Antonio Dixon – composer
- A. Mobley – composer
- Damon Thomas – composer
- Durrell Babbs – composer, instrumentation, producer
- Eric Dawkins – composer
- Harvey Mason, Jr. – composer, mixing, producer
- Kevin Randolph – composer, instrumentation, producer
- Rachelle Ferrell – composer
- Steve Huff – arranger, composer
- Steven Russell – composer, instrumentation, producer
- Theodore "Range" Bowen – composer
- Loeíen Babajian – design
- Aaron Frisbee – engineer
- Aubry "Big Juice" Delaine – engineer, mixing
- Andrew Hey – engineer, mixing assistant
- Dabling Harward – engineer
- David Boyd – assistant engineer
- Deyon Dobson – engineer, mixing
- True Storee – arranger, engineer, producer
- The Underdogs – instrumentation, producer
- Bryant Siono – bass guitar
- Daniel Groover – acoustic guitar
- Kay Ta Matsuno – guitar
- Robert Vosgien – mastering
- Peter Mokran – mixing
- Gregory Douglas – executive producer
- Vickie Fulwider-Williams – executive producer
- Troy Oliver – producer
- Angela N. Golightly – production coordination
Charts
Chart (2010) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[2] | 35 |
US Billboard Independent Albums[3] | 30 |
Release history
Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Various | February 23, 2010 | Digital download | Shanachie | [1] |
United States | CD | [13] | ||
United Kingdom | [14] |
References
- Releases of Who Knew?:
- In the US: "Who Knew? by KeKe Wyatt". iTunes Store (US).
- In Australia: "Who Knew? by KeKe Wyatt". iTunes Store (Australia).
- In the UK: "Who Knew? by KeKe Wyatt". iTunes Store (UK).
- In Canada: "Who Knew? by KeKe Wyatt". iTunes Store (Canada).
- In Spain: "Who Knew? by KeKe Wyatt". iTunes Store (Spain).
- In New Zealand: "Who Knew? by KeKe Wyatt". iTunes Store (Canada).
- "KeKe Wyatt Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart History". Billboard. Billboard. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
- "KeKe Wyatt Billboard Independent Albums Chart History". Billboard. Billboard. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
- "Who Knew? - Keke Wyatt Songs, Reviews, Credits AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved November 14, 2016.
- Lewis, Tyler. "Keke Wyatt Who Knew?". Pop Matters. Retrieved November 14, 2016.
- Bowser, Edwin. "ALBUM REVIEW: KEKE WYATT, WHO KNEW?". SoulinStereo. Retrieved November 14, 2016.
- "Keke Wyatt - Who Knew". YouTube. YouTube. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
- "Who Knew Live @ Good Day ATL". YouTube. YouTube. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
- "KeKe Wyatt - "Who Knew" - Live In St. Louis". YouTube. YouTube. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
- "Keke Wyatt sings "Who Knew" Live at Club Secrets". YouTube. YouTube. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
- "Keke Wyatt at Club Secrets 10/16/10". YouTube. YouTube. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
- Kellman, Andy. "Who Knew? – Keke Wyatt Songs, Reviews, Credits AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
- "KEKE WYATT - Who Knew?". Amazon Store (US). Retrieved 14 November 2016.
- "Who Knew? KeKe Wyatt". Amazon Store (UK). Retrieved 14 November 2016.