...Something to Be

...Something to Be is the debut solo album from the Matchbox Twenty lead singer Rob Thomas. The album was released on April 5, 2005, and it debuted at No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 albums chart, knocking out Mariah Carey's The Emancipation of Mimi. This marked the first time that a male artist from a rock or pop group has debuted at number one with his first solo album since Billboard introduced the chart 50 years ago.

...Something to Be
Studio album (DualDisc) by Rob Thomas
Released	April 5, 2005 (2005-04-05)
Recorded	2004–2005
Genre	Pop rock alternative rock
Length	50:05
Label	Atlantic, WEA
Producer	Matt Serletic
Rob Thomas chronology
...Something to Be (2005) Cradlesong (2009)
Singles from ...Something to Be
"Lonely No More" Released: February 8, 2005 "This Is How a Heart Breaks" Released: June 13, 2005 "Ever the Same" Released: November 7, 2005 "...Something to Be" Released: March 14, 2006 "Streetcorner Symphony" Released: October 16, 2006

The album spawned the US top ten hit "Lonely No More". It also features John Mayer's guitar on the single "Streetcorner Symphony".[1] The album was released in the DualDisc format, the first major album to be released that way. The album itself is certified Double Platinum by the RIAA in the US[2] and consists of several types of sounds, including dance, pop, Latin, rock, and country, although it can be generally classified as closer to pop than to the rock music of Matchbox Twenty's third studio album, More Than You Think You Are. The album was supported by his 2005–2006 Something to Be Tour.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	57/100[3]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[4]
Entertainment Weekly	B[5]
Paste	favorable[6]
Rolling Stone	[7]
Stylus	C[8]

Reception for ...Something to Be was mixed. David Browne of Entertainment Weekly said Rob Thomas "sounds less like his usual tortured self and more like a boy-band veteran who still knows a thing or two about a grabby hook" and noting that the single "Streetcorner Symphony" sounds like "the world's greatest Black Crowes parody — until you realize Thomas is completely serious". Browne also commented that the album "doesn't always snap and crackle the way that single ("Lonely No More") does".[5]

Lindsay Whitfield of Soul Shine Magazine also gave the album and some of its songs a positive review (four stars), saying the album is "one of the finest, most unique albums of 2006 so far" and Thomas belts out "musical perfection to the road trip worthy".[9] Thomas Inskeep of Stylus Magazine gave the album a negative review (although the "C" rating reflects a more mixed attitude), calling it "mediocre" and explaining that the large part of the problem was that "Rob's a fairly generic songwriter". Inskeep continued by saying he is "one of the most processed-cheese-and-Wonder-bread guys around" and Thomas had "hopelessly clichéd lines" on the song "Ever the Same".[10]

Kevin Forest Moreau of Paste gave the album a positive review, saying his debut solo album "certainly sounds different from the adult-alternative diet-rock of Matchbox Twenty-at least half the time". Moreau complimented the "punchy horns and a few electronic flourishes" for being on songs such as "Streetcorner Symphony". However, he criticized the "ponderous poetics...and platitudes" for being mistaken as depth.[6] Paul Lingas of avrev.com called the album "a mixed bag with some surprisingly good offerings and some duds that sadly aren’t surprising" (giving the performance a 5.5 and the sound 6.5), complimenting some of the songs but also calling them "background music". He noted that Thomas "does not have a good singing voice". Although he also called his voice very distinctive and strong, he said "too often it is not suited to the surrounding music". Lingas finished by saying that Thomas' voice is not always well blended with the other sounds and that the mixing is "poor" and producing decisions are "sometimes odd".[11]

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"This Is How a Heart Breaks"	3:50
2.	"Lonely No More"	3:47
3.	"Ever the Same"	4:16
4.	"I Am an Illusion"	4:53
5.	"When the Heartache Ends"	2:51
6.	"...Something to Be"	4:31
7.	"All That I Am"	4:28
8.	"Problem Girl"	3:55
9.	"Fallin' to Pieces"	4:11
10.	"My, My, My"	4:18
11.	"Streetcorner Symphony"	4:09
12.	"Now Comes the Night"	4:55

iTunes deluxe version[12]

No.	Title	Length
13.	"Not Just a Woman"	3:03
14.	"You Know Me"	3:48
15.	"This Is How a Heart Breaks" (Pull's Defibrillator Mix)	6:32
16.	"Lonely No More" (Clear Channel "Stripped" Mix)	3:44
17.	"Lonely No More" (music video)	3:45
18.	"Ever the Same" (music video)	4:04

Australian edition bonus tracks

No.	Title	Length
13.	"Not Just a Woman"	3:03
14.	"You Know Me"	3:48
15.	"Lonely No More" (Clear Channel Stripped Version)	3:44
16.	"This Is How a Heart Breaks" (Pull's Defibrillator Mix)	6:32

Japan edition bonus track

No.	Title	Length
13.	"Fallen"	4:36

Target bonus CD: ...Something More

No.	Title	Length
1.	"...Something to Be" (downtown version)
2.	"When the Heartache Ends" (piano version)
3.	"Not Just a Woman"
4.	"You Know Me"
5.	"Dear Joan"
6.	"Lonely No More" (Jason Nevins Rock Da Club Mix)
7.	"Lonely No More" (Francois L. Club Mix)

Personnel

Harley Allen – background vocals Matt Beck – background vocals Mike Campbell – guitar, soloist Cassidy – background vocals Kyle Cook – guitar Jill Dell'Abate – horn contractor Mike Elizondo – bass guitar Anika Ellis – background vocals Pat Enright – background vocals Brandon Fields – saxophone Gordon Gottlieb – bells, marimba Gary Grant – trumpet

Greater Anointing – background vocals Jonathon Haas – bells, marimba Benjamin Herman – bells, marimba Jerry Hey – trumpet, horn arrangements Gerald Hayward – drums Hasan Isakkut – kanun Kevin Kadish – guitar Frank London – shofar John Mayer – guitar and background vocals on "Streetcorner Symphony" Wendy Melvoin – guitar John O'Brien – programming

Joe Passaro – bells, marimba Heitor Teixeira Pereora – guitar Eric Poland – bells, marimba Robert Randolph – lap steel guitar Matt Serletic – keyboards, background vocals Shari Sutcliffe – horn contractor Rob Thomas – piano, lead vocals Jeff Trott – guitar Dan Tyminski – background vocals Dan Willis – dudok Reginald Young – trombone

Charts

Chart (2005)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[13]	1
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[14]	19
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[15]	2
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[16]	16
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[17]	64
French Albums (SNEP)[18]	115
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[19]	10
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[20]	14
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[21]	13
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[22]	70
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[23]	19
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[24]	19
UK Albums (OCC)[25]	11
US Billboard 200[26]	1

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[27]	3× Platinum	210,000^^
Canada (Music Canada)[28]	Platinum	100,000^^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[29]	Gold	7,500^^
United Kingdom (BPI)[30]	Silver	60,000^^
United States (RIAA)[2]	2× Platinum	2,000,000^^
^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

1. Hiatt, Brian (2005). "Rob Thomas Goes It Alone". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 2, 2007. Retrieved March 8, 2007.
2. "American album certifications – Rob Thomas – Something to Be". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 11, 2019. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
3. "Something To Be by Rob Thomas". Retrieved October 3, 2016.
4. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "...Something to BeReview". AllMusic. Retrieved May 12, 2011.
5. Browne, David (April 18, 2005). "...Something to Be Review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved May 12, 2011.
6. "...Something to Be Review". Paste. Archived from the original on June 17, 2011. Retrieved May 12, 2011.
7. "...Something to BeReview". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 10, 2007.
8. "...Something to Be Review". Stylus. Retrieved May 12, 2011.
9. Whitfield, Lindsay. "Rob Thomas, Something to Be". soulshine.ca. Retrieved March 24, 2013.
10. Inskeep, Thomas (April 22, 2005). "Rob Thomas - ...Something to Be - Review". stylusmagazine.com. Retrieved March 24, 2013.
11. Lingas, Paul (April 19, 2005). "Rob Thomas - Something To Be". avrev.com. Retrieved March 24, 2013.
12. https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/something-to-be-deluxe/id313223152
13. "Australiancharts.com – Rob Thomas – ...Something to Be". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
14. "Austriancharts.at – Rob Thomas – ...Something to Be" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
15. "Rob Thomas Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
16. "Danishcharts.dk – Rob Thomas – ...Something to Be". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
17. "Dutchcharts.nl – Rob Thomas – ...Something to Be" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
18. "Lescharts.com – Rob Thomas – ...Something to Be". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
19. "Offiziellecharts.de – Rob Thomas – ...Something to Be" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
20. "Charts.nz – Rob Thomas – ...Something to Be". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
21. "Norwegiancharts.com – Rob Thomas – ...Something to Be". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
22. "Spanishcharts.com – Rob Thomas – ...Something to Be". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
23. "Swedishcharts.com – Rob Thomas – ...Something to Be". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
24. "Swisscharts.com – Rob Thomas – ...Something to Be". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
25. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
26. "Rob Thomas Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
27. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2006 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association.
28. "Canadian album certifications – Rob Thomas – Something to Be". Music Canada.
29. "New Zealand album certifications – Rob Thomas – Something to Be". Recorded Music NZ.
30. "British album certifications – Rob Thomas – Something to Be". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type Something to Be in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.