Weekend is the third studio album of American singer Kenny Lattimore. It was released by Arista Records on October 9, 2001 in the United States. The album marked Lattimore's debut with the label, following his departure from Columbia Records. As part of this transition, he not only overhauled his management team but also brought in a host of new collaborators to help shape the project, including producers Battlecat, The Characters, Dre & Vidal, George Duke, Travon Potts, Raphael Saadiq, and Reed Vertelney.
The album received mixed reviews, with some critics praising its upbeat production and fresh collaborations, while others found it conventional and lacking depth. Weekend opened and peaked at number 63 on the US Billboard 200 and number 24 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, marking Lattimore's highest entry on the Billboard 200 yet. It was preceded by its same-titled lead single, a top 20 hit on the US Adult R&B Songs chart. "Don't Deserve" served as Weekends second single.
Background With his third studio album, Lattimore moved from Columbia Records to Arista Records. Following his collaborations with Sylvia Rhone and Clive Davis, he now worked with L.A. Reid, who encouraged him to record younger, hit-oriented material for his next project rather than progress further into the introspective soul territory of his previous release From the Soul of Man (1998). Reid and Lattimore enlisted a variety of new und upcoming producers to record with him, including duos The Characters and Dre & Vidal as well as Raphael Saadiq, Reed Vertelney and Battlecat. In a sharp contrast to previous releases, Lattimore also scaled back his contributions as a songwriter in favor of experimenting with younger talent, including Johnta Austin, who co-wrote "Can You Feel Me." In a September 2001 interview with Billboard, Lattimore elaborated: "I wanted to make a fun, straight-up R&B album. I have the party feel of a song like "Weekend," yet I still have tracks like "Can You Feel Me" that go back to my classic R&B roots."
Promotion Midtempo, old-school-influenced "Weekend," co-written by Troy Taylor and produced by The Characters, was issued by Arista Records as the album's first single on August 13, 2001. Interpolating the bassline of Blondie's classic "Rapture," it reached number 51 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, number 24 on the US R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and number twelve on the US Adult R&B Songs chart. Less successful follow-up "Don't Deserve," co-written by Shep Crawford, failed to chart on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart but peaked at number 25 on the Adult R&B Songs chart.
Critical reception
Billboard critic Chuck Taylor wrote that "with a feelgood rhythm that celebrates everybody's favorite part of the week and slick production by the Characters, "Weekend" may revive the Washington D.C., native's momentum on R&B and AC stations." Entertainment Weeklys Cheo Tyehimba noted that with Weekend, Lattimore "has added up-tempo beats and hip vocal arrangements and choruses to his smooth sound. The catchiest track, "Weekend," represents the feel of most of the album – a carefree, like-you're-in-love-and-you-just-got-paid reverie. Lattimore's still a class act, but collaborators [like] The Characters, Raphael Saadiq, and Battlecat help him find his funky, playful side, too."
USA Todays Steve Jones wrote that Weekend leaned toward "radio-friendly fare" with "cool ballads and easygoing midtempo songs," shining on tracks like "Who" and "Can You Feel Me," though the album was "just a little too relaxed" at times. Courtney Kemp from Amazon.com felt that Weekend was "more conventional than its predecessor, playing it safe with Babyface-style ballads and "Girl, I can treat you better than him" lyrics [...] it lives up to its name--relaxing, romantic, sweet, and over far too soon." AllMusic editor Liana Jonas found that Weekend "with its bland arrangements, cookie-cutter R&B sound, and lyrical vacuity, is a yawn. Hookin' up, the inability to breathe without "the one," and other hackneyed themes abound on this banal album. There isn't enough groove or vibrato, shirt-clutching vocals to keep listeners from growing bored, and fast. Find something else to do this weekend."
Commercial performance Weekend opened and peaked at number numer 63 on the US Billboard 200 and number 24 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Whlile it marked Lattimore's highest placing on the former chart, it was his first album to miss the top 20 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Lattimore later stated that the album ended up "not being as balanced" as previous project.
Track listing
Samples "Weekend" contains replayed elements from "Rapture", performed by Blondie.
Personnel Credits adapted from the liner notes of Weekend.
Performers and musicians
Christopher "Pops" Crawford – guitar Daniel Crawford – keyboards Shep Crawford – instruments Vidal Davis – drums George Duke – piano Terence Elliott – guitar LaMenga Ford – backing vocalist M.B. Gordy – percussion Reggie Hamilton – bass Andre Harris – electric piano Derrick Hodge – bass Kenny Lattimore – backing vocalist, lead vocalist Eritza Laues – backing vocalist Jerry Peters – organ Travon Potts – instruments Marc Nelson – backing vocalist Oliver Reed – keyboards Raphael Saadiq – drum programming, keyboards Shanice – backing vocalist, guest vocalist Troy Taylor – backing vocalist, instruments Reed Vertelney – keyboards, drums Phillip "Silky" White – backing vocalist
Technical
Johntá Austin – vocal producer Battlecat – producer The Characters – producer Shep Crawford – vocal arranger Dre & Vidal – producer Drop Squad – producer George Duke – producer Kenny Lattimore – vocal arranger Travon Potts – producer Raphael Saadiq – producer Jill Scott – vocal arranger Troy Taylor – vocal producer Joshua P. Thompson – producer Reed Vertelney – arranger, producer
Charts + Chart performance for Weekend Chart (2001) Peakposition
References
External links