Gypsy Heart (Colbie Caillat album)

Gypsy Heart is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat. It was released on September 30, 2014 by Republic Records. It was produced by American record producer Babyface.[1] It features songwriting collaborations with past co-writer, Jason Reeves, as well as new co-writers and producers Max Martin, Julian Bunetta, and Johan Carlsson.[2] "Hold On" was released to digital retailers on November 19, 2013. The song was not included in the domestic version of the album for uncertain reasons and included only in international release. The US album's lead single, "Try", was released as the iTunes Store single of the week of June 9 to the 16.

Gypsy Heart
Studio album by
Colbie Caillat
ReleasedSeptember 30, 2014 (2014-09-30)
Recorded2013–14
Genre
Length44:44
LabelRepublic
Producer
Colbie Caillat chronology
Christmas in the Sand
(2012)		 Gypsy Heart
(2014)		 The Malibu Sessions
(2016)
Singles from Gypsy Heart
  1. "Hold On"
    Released: November 19, 2013
  2. "Try"
    Released: June 9, 2014

Background

Caillat wrote a full-length album in 2013, only to be told by her record company that she needed to find a new sound for her next album. She wrote over 60 songs for the album.[3] In November 2013, she released the song "Hold On" as the intended lead single for the then-upcoming album.[4] However, the song failed to connect with fans as well as hoped, and was ultimately left off the standard release of Gypsy Heart. To change the musical direction of the album, "Try" was selected instead to serve as the lead single for the Gypsy Heart (Side A) EP preceding the full album's release.[2] Caillat describes the single "Try" as a "venting experience" after being told what she could and couldn't do for her own music. "To be told that your work isn't good enough – to do better, to be more like those pop artists out there that dress sexy and use Auto-tune on their voices – to be compared to someone so different, it hurt," she told Billboard. On June 9, she released Gypsy Heart (Side A), which contains the first five songs of the album. She stated to Billboard that she had wanted to release only a few songs because she thought "12 songs [were] too much to listen to at once".[2]

Music and songs

Sonically, the EP is a musical departure from Caillat's previous releases, with a more produced sound. She stated in an interview with Fuse TV that working with new producers helped her "get out of [her] comfort zone". All of the songs on Gypsy Heart (Side A) are more produced than her usual releases, except for "Try". She describes the EP as "a fun new way to put out music", and as a blend of pop, folk, and R&B music. Of her collaboration with Babyface, Caillat says that "he just knows how to make the sound so crisp, and real, and current."[3]

Singles

"Hold On" was released to digital retailers on November 19, 2013. The song wasn't included in the domestic version of the album for uncertain reasons and included only in international release.[5] In United States the song was a non-album single.[4] "Try" was released as the album's second single worldwide and lead single in United States on the day of the release of the EP, and a lyric video was released the following day featuring fans, as well as female celebrities such as Hoda Kotb, Miranda Lambert, Sara Bareilles, Katharine McPhee and the members of Fifth Harmony without makeup.[6] The official video shows Caillat along with other women with makeup, which they remove later on in the video.

Other songs

"Just Like That" was released as promotional single on September 9.[7][8] On July 2, 2014, she released a lyric-video for "Live It Up". The official lyric-video for "Never Gonna Let You Down" was released on October 25. The "Blaze" lyric-video was released on November 3. On March 5, 2015, the official lyric-video for "If You Love Me, Let Me Go" was released on her Vevo account.

Promotion

Caillat embarked on the "Gypsy Heart Tour" to promote the album in the summer of 2014. The first stop was on July 17, 2014 in Saratoga, California.[9]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[10]
Renowned for Sound[11]
Digital Journal[12]
The Ithacan[13]

The album received generally positive reviews from critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic wrote that "she radiates good vibes so strongly, none of her calculated commercial considerations feels cold. And, as the sleekly modern Gypsy Heart proves, her charms are beguiling no matter her setting," giving the album 3.5 out of 5 stars and highlighted the tracks: "Live It Up", "Blaze", "Try", and "Bigger Love".[10] Serena Weiss from The Ithacan stated that "Gypsy Heart can best be described as charming, with its hints of varying style in each song," and said that "the California singer has rendered a delightful album that will consistently intrigue listeners," while giving the album 3 out of 4 stars.[13] Markos Papadatos from Digital Journal gave the album even more positive review, said that "Colbie Caillat delivers on her latest album Gypsy Heart. Her songwriting is warm and sincere, and her vocals are gentle and heartfelt," and awarded the album 4.5 out 5 stars.[12]

On a less positive note, Jamie Parmenter from Renowned for Sound gave a mixed review and said that "despite the often predictable big choruses in most of the songs, the tracks are well thought out and work in their own right, it's just there’s too much unoriginality," and called it a "safe album" in which "Colbie almost seems scared to try something new and different."[11]

Commercial performance

The album debuted at No. 17 on the Billboard 200 for chart dated October 18, 2014,[14] with 16,000 copies sold in the first week. The album has sold 91,000 copies in the United States as of October 2016.[15]

Track listing

Songwriting credits derived from iTunes track data.

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Live It Up"
  • Johan Carlsson
  • Mag
3:38
2."Blaze"
  • Johan Carlsson
  • Mag
3:07
3."If You Love Me Let Me Go"
  • Bunetta
  • Paro
3:41
4."Try"
  • Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds
  • Antonio Dixon
3:44
5."Never Gonna Let You Down"
  • Colbie Caillat
  • Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds
  • Brett James
  • Jason Reeves
  • Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds
  • Antonio Dixon
4:08
6."Land Called Far Away"
  • Colbie Caillat
  • Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds
  • Edmonds
  • Antonio Dixon
4:47
7."Nice Guys"
  • Colbie Caillat
  • Johan Carlsson
  • Ross Golan
3:18
8."Floodgates"
  • Colbie Caillat
  • Rune Westberg
  • Jason Reeves
  • Westberg
3:40
9."Just Like That"
  • Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds
  • Antonio Dixon
3:42
10."Break Free"
  • Braide
3:33
11."Never Getting Over You"
  • Hodges
3:28
12."Bigger Love"
Gad3:59
Total length:44:44
International edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
13."Hold On"
Tedder3:35
iTunes Store bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
13."Him Or You"
  • Colbie Caillat
  • Toby Gad
  • Jason Reeves
3:47
Target bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
13."I Wish You Were Here"
  • Colbie Caillat
  • Toby Gad
  • Jason Reeves
John Shanks3:15
14."Happier"
Ian MacGregor3:11
Total length:50:09
Gypsy Heart (Side A) — EP
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Live It Up"
  • Colbie Caillat
  • Johan Carlsson
  • Ross Golan
  • Johan Carlsson
  • Mag
3:38
2."Blaze"
  • Colbie Caillat
  • Hodges
  • Jason Reeves
  • Johan Carlsson
  • Mag
3:07
3."If You Love Me Let Me Go"
  • Colbie Caillat
  • Bunetta
  • Ryan
  • Scott
  • Bunetta
  • Paro
3:41
4."Try"
  • Colbie Caillat
  • Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds
  • Antonio Dixon
  • Jason Reeves
  • Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds
  • Antonio Dixon
3:44
5."Never Gonna Let You Down"
  • Colbie Caillat
  • Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds
  • James
  • Jason Reeves
  • Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds
  • Antonio Dixon
4:08

Charts

Album
Chart (2014) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[16] 154
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[17] 166
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[18] 62
US Billboard 200[19] 17
US Billboard 200[19]
Gypsy Heart (Side A)		 32
gollark: He means to run mergesort/quicksort over them.
gollark: This is textual conversation.
gollark: You're not talking to me, so I cannot in fact "listen".
gollark: Well, I haven't contextlessly pinged anyone since coltrans said!
gollark: no.

References
  1. "Exclusive: Colbie Caillat discusses 'Gypsy Heart', the story behind 'Try' & more « Live in the Vineyard". Liveinthevineyard.com. June 19, 2014. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  2. "Colbie Caillat's Surprise 'Gypsy Heart' EP: Singer Talks 'Try' Lyric Video & New Album". Billboard. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  3. "Colbie Caillat on Finding Inspiration From Babyface, Ryan Tedder – Interview – Fuse". Fuse.tv. June 17, 2014. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  4. Mansfield, Brian (November 18, 2013). "Premiere: Colbie Caillat's new single 'Hold On'". USA Today. Gannett Company. Retrieved November 27, 2013.
  5. "iTunes – Musik — "Gypsy Heart" von Colbie Caillat". iTunes Store (DE). Apple Inc. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
  6. "Colbie Caillat 'Try' Lyric Video [OFFICIAL". YouTube. June 10, 2014. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  7. "Amazon.com: Just Like That: Colbie Caillat: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.com. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
  8. "Today's Big New Releases + A Special Deal!". Republic Records. September 12, 2014. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
  9. "Gypsy Heart Tour". Colbie Caillat. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  10. Erlewine, Stephen (September 30, 2014). "Gypsy Heart – Colbie Caillat". AllMusic. Retrieved May 27, 2015.
  11. Parmenter, Jamie (October 15, 2014). "Album Review – Colbie Caillat". Renowned for Sound. Retrieved May 27, 2015.
  12. Papadatos, Markos (October 5, 2014). "Review: Colbie Caillat dazzles on new album 'Gypsy Heart'". Digital Journal. Retrieved May 27, 2015.
  13. Weiss, Serena (October 7, 2014). "Review: Colbie Caillat implements new sounds in 'Gypsy Heart'". The Ithacan. Retrieved May 27, 2015.
  14. "Billboard 200". Billboard. October 18, 2014.
  15. "Upcoming Releases". Hits Daily Double. HITS Digital Ventures. Archived from the original on October 5, 2016.
  16. "Ultratop.be – Colbie Caillat – Gypsy Heart" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
  17. "Ultratop.be – Colbie Caillat – Gypsy Heart" (in French). Hung Medien.
  18. "Swisscharts.com – Colbie Caillat – Gypsy Heart". Hung Medien.
  19. "Colbie Caillat Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.