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Anthony Hamilton intended to stock his first self-released album with material in support of the fight for racial equality and in honor of Black lives taken by racist actions. As he was writing and recording, he opted to ease up somewhat to cover a broader range of emotions. Love Is the New Black is not without songs that convey a message. "Mercy" is a sorrowful but tough ballad in which Hamilton, seemingly consumed with grief, sings with his chest like never before. In the following low-slung "Safe," his voice switches from dispirited to determined, from "It's gettin' gutter 'round here/I lost my brother 'round here" to "Justice, we gon' get it back/Our families, we gon' get 'em back." Those two songs lead the way to the finale, where Hamilton assures his mother like a visiting absent son taking a short break from hustling for survival. The Trouble Man theme seeps into some of the preceding love songs, such as the shaming "Threw It All Away," a weary if elegant ballad that integrates a sample from Tom Brock's Barry White-produced "I Love You More and More." Elsewhere, the sweeter "Coming Home" could pass for a cover of a mid-'70s Isley Brothers classic, all the way down to the fiery guitar solo, and "I Thought We Were in Love," another powerful pleader, got its sway from Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes' "I Miss You." Speaking of soul classics, Hamilton and Jennifer Hudson pair up for a reading of "Superstar" modeled after -- and distinct from -- the Luther Vandross version. Hamilton also delivers one of the hottest-blooded slow jams with "White Hennessy," and dips back into hip-hop soul with the testimonial "Real Love" -- an original, not a Mary J. Blige cover -- produced to neck-swinging effect by 9th Wonder. The contributions of Rick Ross and Lil Jon are unnecessary, but the same most definitely cannot be said about Jermaine Dupri, a factor as co-songwriter and co-producer on most of the highlights. Dupri hadn't worked on a Hamilton album since the breakthrough So So Def recording Comin' from Where I'm From. So, in a way, Love Is the New Black is both a full-circle moment and a fresh start for the newly independent singer.
© Andy Kellman /TiVo
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Ramon Montgomery, Composer - Anthony Hamilton, Composer, MainArtist - PHIL TAN, Engineer - Kelvin Wooten, Composer - Cardiak, Producer - Joe Bozzi, Engineer - Bill Zimmerman, Engineer - Carl E. McCormick, Composer - Ira Parker, Engineer - Regina Mckoy, Backing Vocals - Wu10, Producer
© 2021 My Music Box, LLC under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC ℗ 2021 My Music Box, LLC under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC
Manuel Seal, Composer, Producer - Ramon Montgomery, Composer - Anthony Hamilton, Composer, MainArtist - PHIL TAN, Engineer - JERMAINE DUPRI, Composer, Producer - Robert Relf, Composer - Tom Brock, Composer - Joe Bozzi, Engineer - Billy Odum, Guitar - Andrew Robertson, Engineer - Marq Jefferson, Bass - Bill Zimmerman, Engineer
© 2021 My Music Box, LLC under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC ℗ 2021 My Music Box, LLC under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC
Patrick Douthit, Composer - Ramon Montgomery, Composer - Anthony Hamilton, Composer, MainArtist - PHIL TAN, Engineer - James Poyser, Composer, Keyboards - Ahmad Jamal, Composer - Rick Ross, FeaturedArtist - 9th Wonder, Producer, Engineer - Joe Bozzi, Engineer - William Leonard Roberts II, Composer - Bill Zimmerman, Engineer - Ira Parker, Arranger, Drum Programmer - Wu10, Drum Programmer
© 2021 My Music Box, LLC under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC ℗ 2021 My Music Box, LLC under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC
Ramon Montgomery, Composer, VocalArranger - Anthony Hamilton, Composer, MainArtist - PHIL TAN, Engineer - Lil Jon, FeaturedArtist - Joe Bozzi, Engineer - Bink!, Producer - Bill Zimmerman, Engineer - Jonathan H. Smith, Composer - Ira Parker, Engineer - J. Pomier, Guitar - JK "CoWBoy JaCk" King, Backing Vocals, Background Vocals - James "J.Vito" Tillman, Backing Vocals - Roosevelt Harrell lll, Composer
© 2021 My Music Box, LLC under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC ℗ 2021 My Music Box, LLC under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC
Ramon Montgomery, Composer - Anthony Hamilton, Composer, MainArtist - PHIL TAN, Engineer - 9th Wonder, Engineer - Joe Bozzi, Engineer - Eric G, Producer - Bill Zimmerman, Engineer - The Tones, Background Vocals - Eric Gabouer, Composer - Mayfield Small, Composer
© 2021 My Music Box, LLC under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC ℗ 2021 My Music Box, LLC under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC
Manuel Seal, Composer, Producer - Ramon Montgomery, Composer - Anthony Hamilton, Composer, MainArtist - PHIL TAN, Engineer - JERMAINE DUPRI, Composer, Producer - Joe Bozzi, Engineer - Billy Odum, Guitar - Andrew Robertson, Engineer - William "Billy" Odum, Composer - Bill Zimmerman, Engineer
© 2021 My Music Box, LLC under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC ℗ 2021 My Music Box, LLC under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC
Manuel Seal, Composer, Producer - Ramon Montgomery, Composer - Anthony Hamilton, Composer, MainArtist - PHIL TAN, Engineer - JERMAINE DUPRI, Composer, Producer - Joe Bozzi, MasteringEngineer - Billy Odum, Composer, Guitar - Andrew Robertson, Engineer - Bill Zimmerman, Engineer
© 2021 My Music Box, LLC under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC ℗ 2021 My Music Box, LLC under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC
Manuel Seal, Composer, Producer - Ramon Montgomery, Composer - Anthony Hamilton, Composer, MainArtist - Kenny Gamble, Composer - LEON HUFF, Composer - PHIL TAN, Engineer - JERMAINE DUPRI, Composer, Producer - Joe Bozzi, Engineer - Billy Odum, Guitar - Andrew Robertson, Engineer - Marq Jefferson, Bass - Bill Zimmerman, Engineer
© 2021 My Music Box, LLC under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC ℗ 2021 My Music Box, LLC under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC
Bonnie Bramlett, Composer - Ramon Montgomery, VocalArranger - Anthony Hamilton, MainArtist - Leon Russell, Composer - PHIL TAN, Engineer - Delaney Bramlett, Composer - Cardiak, Producer - Jennifer Hudson, MainArtist - Joe Bozzi, Engineer - Eric Essix, Additional Guitar - Kim Scott, Flute - Bill Zimmerman, Engineer - Ira Parker, Engineer - Wu10, Producer
© 2021 My Music Box, LLC under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC ℗ 2021 My Music Box, LLC under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC
Ramon Montgomery, Composer - Anthony Hamilton, Composer, MainArtist - PHIL TAN, Engineer - Joe Bozzi, Engineer - Bill Zimmerman, Engineer - J. Manifest, Producer - Ira Parker, Engineer - James Jerard Wiggins, Composer - Regina Mckoy, Backing Vocals, Vocal Recording Engineer - Devonta Williams, Composer - Adeline Retmar, Vocal Recording Engineer - Symphony Williams, Producer
© 2021 My Music Box, LLC under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC ℗ 2021 My Music Box, LLC under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC
Robert Holmes, Composer - Craig Brockman, Piano, Strings - Ramon Montgomery, Composer - Anthony Hamilton, Composer, MainArtist - PHIL TAN, Engineer - Joe Bozzi, Engineer - Bink!, Producer - Roger Hatcher, Composer - Bill Zimmerman, Engineer - Ira Parker, Engineer - JK "CoWBoy JaCk" King, Backing Vocals - Roosevelt Harrell lll, Composer - T.O Crivens, Jr., Guitar
© 2021 My Music Box, LLC under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC ℗ 2021 My Music Box, LLC under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC
Ramon Montgomery, Composer - Anthony Hamilton, Composer, MainArtist - Brody Brown, Producer - PHIL TAN, Engineer - Charles Hamilton, Composer, Producer - Christopher Brown, Composer - Larrance Dopson, Composer, Producer - Joe Bozzi, Engineer - Roosevelt Harrell III, Composer - Bink!, Producer - Bill Zimmerman, Engineer - Ira Parker, Engineer - JK "CoWBoy JaCk" King, Backing Vocals - Charles Vincent Hamilton, Composer - Nathan “Slade” Smith, VocalEngineer
© 2021 My Music Box, LLC under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC ℗ 2020 My Music Box, LLC under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC
Ramon Montgomery, Composer - Anthony Hamilton, Composer, MainArtist - PHIL TAN, Engineer - Joe Bozzi, Engineer - Russell T Jones, Composer - Clifford M. Smith, Composer - Gary E Grice, Composer - Bill Zimmerman, Engineer - J. Manifest, Producer - Ira Parker, Engineer - Robert F Diggs, Composer - James Jerard Wiggins, Composer - Devonta Williams, Composer - Symphony Williams, Producer
© 2021 My Music Box, LLC under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC ℗ 2021 My Music Box, LLC under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC
Ramon Montgomery, Composer - Anthony Hamilton, Composer, MainArtist - PHIL TAN, Engineer - Mook, Producer - Joe Bozzi, Engineer - Bill Zimmerman, Engineer - Ira Parker, Engineer - Drumdummie, Producer - Brayon Nelson, Composer - Tevin Revell, Composer
© 2021 My Music Box, LLC under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC ℗ 2021 My Music Box, LLC under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC
Album review
Anthony Hamilton intended to stock his first self-released album with material in support of the fight for racial equality and in honor of Black lives taken by racist actions. As he was writing and recording, he opted to ease up somewhat to cover a broader range of emotions. Love Is the New Black is not without songs that convey a message. "Mercy" is a sorrowful but tough ballad in which Hamilton, seemingly consumed with grief, sings with his chest like never before. In the following low-slung "Safe," his voice switches from dispirited to determined, from "It's gettin' gutter 'round here/I lost my brother 'round here" to "Justice, we gon' get it back/Our families, we gon' get 'em back." Those two songs lead the way to the finale, where Hamilton assures his mother like a visiting absent son taking a short break from hustling for survival. The Trouble Man theme seeps into some of the preceding love songs, such as the shaming "Threw It All Away," a weary if elegant ballad that integrates a sample from Tom Brock's Barry White-produced "I Love You More and More." Elsewhere, the sweeter "Coming Home" could pass for a cover of a mid-'70s Isley Brothers classic, all the way down to the fiery guitar solo, and "I Thought We Were in Love," another powerful pleader, got its sway from Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes' "I Miss You." Speaking of soul classics, Hamilton and Jennifer Hudson pair up for a reading of "Superstar" modeled after -- and distinct from -- the Luther Vandross version. Hamilton also delivers one of the hottest-blooded slow jams with "White Hennessy," and dips back into hip-hop soul with the testimonial "Real Love" -- an original, not a Mary J. Blige cover -- produced to neck-swinging effect by 9th Wonder. The contributions of Rick Ross and Lil Jon are unnecessary, but the same most definitely cannot be said about Jermaine Dupri, a factor as co-songwriter and co-producer on most of the highlights. Dupri hadn't worked on a Hamilton album since the breakthrough So So Def recording Comin' from Where I'm From. So, in a way, Love Is the New Black is both a full-circle moment and a fresh start for the newly independent singer.
© Andy Kellman /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 14 track(s)
- Total length: 00:52:38
- Main artists: Anthony Hamilton
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: BMG Rights Management (US) LLC
- Genre: Soul/Funk/R&B Soul
© 2021 My Music Box, LLC under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC ℗ 2021 My Music Box, LLC under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC
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