My Garden

My Garden is the debut studio album by American recording artist Kat Dahlia. It was released on January 13, 2015, by Epic Records, distributed by Vested in Culture. The album was supported by two singles; "Gangsta" and "Crazy", as well as the iTunes' "instant gratification" tracks; "Mirror" and "Clocks".

My Garden
Studio album by
Kat Dahlia
ReleasedJanuary 13, 2015 (2015-01-13)[1]
Recorded2011–14
Genre
Length42:44
Label
  • Epic
  • Vested in Culture
Producer
Kat Dahlia chronology
Seeds
(2013)		 My Garden
(2015)
Singles from My Garden
  1. "Gangsta"
    Released: March 1, 2013
  2. "Crazy"
    Released: February 18, 2014
  3. "I Think I'm in Love"
    Released: February 12, 2015

In January 2014, Complex listed My Garden, as the forty-sixth most anticipated album of 2014.[2] After several delays, from being scheduled to be released in February 2014, to being rescheduled to September 2014, in October 2014, Epic Records settled in January 2015.

Background

At the age of 18, after saving money from jobs as a waitress, Dahlia decided to leave Miami and moved to New York City a month later, "on a whim."[3] Shortly thereafter, Dahlia became involved in what she describes as a "toxic relationship," which she would later come to regard as a source of inspiration and "writer's gold."[4] After self-financing an extended play (EP) and a music video, Dahlia was discovered by Vested in Culture (VIC) Vice President of A&R, Amanda Berkowitz. Berkowitz quickly brought Dahlia to the attention of veteran record executive Sylvia Rhone.[5] In 2012, describing Dahlia as "more than just a pop artist," Sylvia Rhone signed Dahlia to her newly launched label, VIC, a joint venture with Epic Records. Dahlia's debut album is set be VIC's inaugural release.[6][7][8]

Recording and production

In April 2013, it was announced Kat Dahlia was scheduled to collaborate with English music producer Naughty Boy, for her upcoming debut album, My Garden.[9] In July 2013, Dahlia revealed she was working with fellow American rapper and singer-songwriter Missy Elliott, on her debut album My Garden.[10] In addition to Elliott, Dahlia revealed further collaborations with American record producers Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley, Salaam Remi and Christopher "Tricky" Stewart.[10]

During a May 2013 interview with Interview magazine, Dahlia expressed wanting to work with Detroit-based rapper Eminem, Fugees singer Lauryn Hill and American pop singer Madonna.[11] In a May 2013 interview with Fuse, Dahlia spoke on her collaborations with Timbaland, Snoop Dogg and Meleni "Polly A." Smith, the latter of which contributed to Dahlia's song "Money Party".[12]

In a June 2013 interview, Dahlia revealed she co-wrote song with some friends, such as Tawanna "Frankie Storm" Dabney, who wrote "Don't Stop the Music" for Barbadian singer Rihanna.[13] During the same interview, when asked about her dream collaborations, Dahlia stated: "I'd love to work with B.B. King. I would love to work with Robert Plant and Kendrick Lamar who is a great writer. Eminem is an amazing writer, Ellie Goulding, Emeli Sande, I like writers. I like people that have a message in their music. Damian Marley,..".[13] In July 2013, Vested in Culture founder Sylvia Rhone, announced via her official Twitter account that Dahlia had entered recording sessions with Timbaland and Missy Elliott.[14] Rhone spoke highly of the sessions, adding that it "felt like good 'ol days" and cited it as "magic".[14]

Release and promotion

In May 2013, Dahlia stated that she wanted to release the " Synematic " –produced "Fireman", as a follow-up to her debut single, "Gangsta".[11][15] On July 25, 2013, Kat Dahlia performed an acoustic version of her song "Mirrors", for Perez Hilton's Perez TV.[16] On August 8, 2013, a song titled "Clocks". was released by Epic subsidiary label Vested in Culture, exclusively via VEVO.[17] The following month, Dahlia performed a live acoustic rendition of "Clocks", as part of Billboard's Tastemaker Sessions.[18] On August 22, 2013, an album teaser of My Garden, was released.[19]

In September 2013, Dahlia announced she would be releasing an extended play (EP) titled Seeds.[20] In support of Seeds, Dahlia set out on a nine-date concert tour along the east coast. Beginning on October 8, in New York City, at Webster Hall and end on October 20, at Culture Room in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.[20] On November 21, 2013, Dahlia released the EP for free via digital download.[21] The project includes six songs, including "Happy and I Know It" and "The High", which Dahlia released music videos for.[22]

The album was at one point scheduled to be released in February 2014, and more recently moved to September 2014 by Epic Records.[1] On October 25, 2014, it was revealed the album would finally be released on January 13, 2015.[23] On November 19, 2014, Vested in Culture released "Money Party", featuring Polly A., as a single via iTunes.[24]

Singles

On December 13, 2012, Sylvia Rhone, founder of Vested in Culture (VIC), premiered a song titled "Gangsta", by her newly signed artist, Kat Dahlia.[25] On March 1, 2013, "Gangsta" was officially released via digital distribution, by Vested in Culture and Epic Records, as Dahlia's commercial debut single. The digital download also featured the songs "Mirror" and "Money Party", the latter of which features fellow American singer, Polly A..[26] The music video for "Gangsta", directed by Samantha Lecca, was released on March 5.[27][28] In May 2013, Dahlia released a Spanish-language version of "Gangsta".[29]

On December 17, 2013, Dahlia released the album's second single, titled "Crazy", on her official website.[30] On February 20, 2014, Dahlia premiered the music video for "Crazy", during an appearance on BET's 106 & Park.[31] On July 28, 2014 Vested in Culture released a remix of "Crazy", featuring new production and vocals from Puerto Rican reggaeton producer and singer, Jose "Gocho" Torres.[32][33]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[34]
Billboard[35]
Exclaim!5/10[36]

My Garden received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 63, which indicates "generally favorable reviews", based on four reviews.[37] Andy Kellman of Allmusic wrote, "'Gangsta,' a tough ballad about self-reliance with a twist on 50 Cent's "Wanksta," was released in early 2013 as her debut single and topped out at number 40 on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop chart. It made for an ideal introduction to her as an autonomous individual and throaty vocalist, but her progress stalled. Two years of delays preceded the release of her first album. Regardless of the time taken for preparation, My Garden is an assertive, fully formed debut."[34] Writing for Exclaim!, Ryan B. Patrick described Dahlia's sound as "a bit dated" and the release "a tad obligatory" after the delay, further explaining that "though the album aims high, it runs out of steam landing in the realm of just okay."[36] Meaghan Garvey of Billboard, gave the album three out of five stars, saying "she sings, writes and raps; she has a bit of Rihanna's swagger and the gravelly vocals of 1990s grunge. If that sounds like a lot to balance, well, sometimes it is. But if nothing else, on Dahlia's debut, My Garden, she transcends the sum of her seemingly disparate influences, proving herself to be a relatively distinct artist, even if her risks don't always pay off."[35] Judy Cantor-Navas of Billboard praised the song "Tumbao", which adopts the chorus of Celia Cruz's "La Negra Tiene Tumbao".[38]

Track listing
Standard edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."My Garden"
J. Dens3:57
2."Gangsta"
  • Huguet
  • DeSantis
J. Dens4:05
3."Crazy"
  • Kirby Dockery
  • Glass John
Glass John3:31
4."Saturday Sunday"
  • Huguet
  • Tawanna "Frankie Storm" Dabney
  • Andrew "Broadway" Williams
  • Curtis Troy Austin
Young Boyz3:20
5."I Think I'm In Love"
  • Jon Levine
  • Huguet
  • DeSantis
Levine3:22
6."Tumbao"
Redwine3:50
7."Mirror"
  • Huguet
  • Meleni Smith
  • Dabney
  • Williams
  • Jared Blake Scharff
  • Danny King
  • Williams
  • Scharff
4:17
8."Lava"
Salaam Remi4:13
9."Walk on Water"
Manny Marroquin5:29
10."Clocks"
  • Remi
  • Huguet
  • Smith
Salaam Remi3:04
11."Just Another Dude"
  • Huguet
  • Javier Garcia
  • Dave Julca
  • Johnny Julca
Julca Brothers3:36
Best Buy bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
12."Pleasin"
  • Huguet
  • Smith
  • DeSantis
J. Dens3:38

Personnel

Credits for My Garden adapted from Allmusic.[39]

Charts
Chart (2015) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[40] 54
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References
  1. "10 New Artists You Need to Know: June 2014". Rolling Stone. Jann S. Wenner. 18 June 2014. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
  2. Yuscavage, Chris (6 January 2014). "46. Kat Dahlia, My Garden - The Most Anticipated Albums of 2014". Complex. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  3. "Kat Dahlia Interview With Vibe TV". March 13, 2013. Huffington Post. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  4. Gonzales, Nicole (February 28, 2013). "New Artist Kat Dahlia". Latin Recap. Archived from the original on 23 March 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  5. "Kat Dahlia's Gangsta Video". Broadway World. March 5, 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  6. Mitchell, Gail (February 5, 2013). "Sylvia Rhone Talks Vested In Culture". Billboard. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  7. Vena, Jocelyn (January 31, 2013). "Kat Dahlia Is Prepping 'Swaggy' Follow-Up To 'Gangsta'". MTV. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
  8. "Sylvia Rhone Announces Joint Venture". The Hollywood Reporter. January 30, 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  9. http://hamadamania.com/2013/04/10/kat-dahlia-to-work-with-shahid-naughty-boy-khan-for-debut-album/
  10. "Kat Dahlia works with Missy Elliot for debut album 'My Garden'". hamadamania.com. 19 July 2013. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  11. Holmlund, Marcus. "Exclusive Song Premiere and Interview: 'Fireman,' Kat Dahlia". Interview Magazine. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  12. James, Nicole (21 May 2013). "Miami Rapper Kat Dahlia Chats Working With Snoop Lion and Timbaland". Fuse.tv. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  13. Pajer, Nicole (25 June 2013). "Q&A with Rising Latin Star Kat Dahlia". Living Out Loud LA. lol-la.com. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  14. "Twitter / IamSylviaRhone: In with @KatDahlia and the ..." Twitter. 19 July 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  15. "New Music: Kat Dahlia - 'Fireman'". Rap-Up. Rap-Up.com. 20 May 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  16. http://perezhilton.com/2013-07-25-exclusive-kat-dahlia-mirror-performance-video-watch-here#.VGxszcnF9pM
  17. "Kat Dahlia - Clocks (Audio)". VEVO. YouTube. 8 October 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  18. "Kat Dahlia - "Clocks" LIVE Billboard Tastemakers Performance". Billboard. Billboard.com. 3 October 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  19. "Kat Dahlia - My Garden Album Teaser". VEVO. YouTube. 22 August 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  20. Breezy, Elle (20 September 2013). "Kat Dahlia Readies New 'Seeds' EP, East Coast Tour (Tracklist & Dates)". Singersroom.com. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  21. "Kat Dahlia To Release 5 Song EP "Seeds"". Epic.com. Archived from the original on 2013-09-21.
  22. http://www.rap-up.com/2013/11/21/new-mixtape-kat-dahlia-seeds/
  23. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-12-22. Retrieved 2014-11-18.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  24. https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/money-party-feat.-polly-a./id943257292
  25. http://www.rap-up.com/2012/12/13/new-music-kat-dahlia-gangsta/
  26. "iTunes - Music - Gangsta - Single by Kat Dahlia". iTunes. Apple.com. 1 March 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  27. http://www.rap-up.com/2013/03/05/video-kat-dahlia-gangsta/
  28. "Kat Dahlia - Gangsta". VEVO. YouTube. 5 March 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  29. https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/gangsta-en-espanol-single/id647386394
  30. "New Music: Kat Dahlia - 'Crazy'". Rap-Up. Rap-Up.com. 17 December 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  31. "Tune In: Kat Dahlia on 106 & Park Tomorrow". The Official Epic Records Site. EpicRecords.com. 19 February 2014. Archived from the original on 15 March 2014. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  32. https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/crazy-remix-feat.-gocho-single/id903445182
  33. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URqsEsdNWLA&list=UU61hM6HVvVf12lUkJ0qu0Pg
  34. Kellman, Andy. "My Garden - Kat Dahlia - Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards - AllMusic". AllMusic. All Media Network, LLC. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
  35. Garvey, Meaghan (January 15, 2015). "Album Review: Singer-Rapper Kat Dahlia's Debut 'My Garden' Transcends Sum of Her Disparate Influences". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
  36. Patrick, Ryan B. (January 13, 2015). "Kat Dahlia - My Garden". Exclaim!. Retrieved January 19, 2015.
  37. "Reviews for My Garden by Kat Dahlia - Metacritic". Metacritic.com. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
  38. http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/latin-notas/6443672/kat-dahlia-channels-celia-cruz-flys-cuban-flag-on-tumbao
  39. My Garden (Media notes). Epic Records.
  40. "Kat Dahlia Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
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