I Missed Us

I Missed Us is the fifth studio album by American R&B group SWV. It was released by Mass Appeal Entertainment and eOne Music on April 17, 2012. The album marked the trio's first studio album since their disbandment in 1997. Cainon Lamb worked with them on the majority of the record, while additional production was helmed by Carvin & Ivan, Michael "Big Mike" Clemons, and Bryan-Michael Cox. I Missed Us was preceded by three singles, including lead single "Co-Sign." It also includes their remake of the Patti LaBelle classic, "If Only You Knew" which earned SWV a Grammy Award nomination in the Best Traditional R&B Performance category.

I Missed Us
Studio album by SWV
Released	April 17, 2012
Studio	Various Audio Vision Studios (Miami, Florida) The Hampton Studio and Wyatt Studio (New Jersey) Southside Studios and The Black Room (Atlanta, Georgia) Freedom Studios (Virginia Beach, Virginia)
Genre	R&B[1]
Length	48:58
Label	Mass Appeal eOne
Producer	Carvin & Ivan Michael "Big Mike" Clemons Bryan-Michael Cox Cainon Lamb Ray Ray
SWV chronology
S.O.U.L. (2011) I Missed Us (2012) Still (2016)
Singles from I Missed Us
"Co-Sign" Released: December 15, 2011 "Love Unconditionally" Released: May 8, 2012 "All About You" Released: February 25, 2014

Background

I Missed Us is SWV's first album release in over a decade, following 1997's A Special Christmas and their disbandment the following year "amid plenty of dissension, to pursue individual projects and focus on their families". Michael J. Feeney of NY Daily News wrote the "road to recording “I Missed Us” wasn’t easy". Whilst discussing the break-up, group member Leanne Lyons said; “there were times we weren’t speaking” because "we allowed people to tear us apart". In addition to this, she explained; "we tried to do our own thing individually, then we realized we’re much stronger together" and that they "had to go through a transition of maturity".[2]

After a failed reunion for a comeback album, the group reunited for a few performances, notably the 2008 BET Awards before commencing work on the album in 2011. Clemons said "it felt really good to be recording with my sisters again" and that "the title of the album, ‘I Missed Us’ says it all. We missed the fans, but we also really missed each other”. Lyons said, "we wanted to bring love back. We wanted to take people through the process of love,”. She described the album as having a “youthful feel, but very damn grown.”[2]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
About.com	[3]
AllMusic	[1]
Entertainment Weekly	(B+)[4]
Gawker	(positive)[5]
New York Times	(positive)[6]
Spin	[7]
USA Today	[8]

Allmusic editor Andy Kellman called I Missed Us "one of the best comeback albums of the last decade" and wrote that the album "doesn't sound like the work of a group that went 15 years without releasing a studio album [...] Lamb wrote and produced the album's first nine songs; he seems to have approached the women as if they don't have a history and have no expectations beyond delivering a high-quality 2012 R&B album [...] In fact, the only aspect that resembles the past is the women's voices [...] The four songs with other collaborators almost seem like bonus tracks, given the strength of the 34-minute Lamb portion, but they don't sound all that out of place."[1] Entertainment Weekly's Mikael Wood felt that the "R&B hitmakers’ first album in 15 years probably won’t return them to the top of the charts [...] but ’90s-style cuts ”All About You” and the Chaka Khan-sampling ”Do Ya” still get us weak in the knees."[4]

Commercial performance

I Missed Us debuted at number twenty-five on the US Billboard 200 and number six on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart with first week sales of 14,000 units.[9] As of 2013, it has sold 61,000 units.[10]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Co-Sign"	Cainon Lamb Taurian Osborn	Lamb	3:43
2.	"All About You"	Lamb Tami L. August Osborn	Lamb	3:41
3.	"Show Off" (featuring A.X.)	Lamb Osborn Raymond Gordon Alexander Gardner	Lamb	3:45
4.	"Everything I Love"	Lamb Gordon	Lamb Ray Ray	3:33
5.	"Do Ya" (featuring Brianna Perry)	Lamb Shonie Sharell Osumanu Brianna Perry	Lamb	3:30
6.	"The Best Years"	Lamb Anthony Randolp Atozzio Towns	Lamb	4:56
7.	"I Missed Us"	Lamb Osborn	Lamb	3:34
8.	"Better Than I"	Lamb Osborn Randolph Zorenzo Smith Nehemie Celestin	Lamb	3:36
9.	"Keep You Home"	Lamb Osborn	Lamb	3:36
10.	"Time to Go"	Bryan-Michael Cox Kevin Ross	Cox	2:44
11.	"Use Me"	Cox Ross	Cox	3:07
12.	"Love Unconditionally"	Carvin "Ransum" Haggins Jean Baylor Ivan "Orthodox" Barias Leonard Stephens	Carvin & Ivan	3:58
13.	"If Only You Knew"	Cynthia Biggs Kenneth Gamble Dexter Wansel	Michael "Big Mike" Clemons	5:10
Total length:				48:53

Target deluxe edition[11]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
14.	"They'll Never Be"	Robert DeBarge	Clemons	4:23
15.	"Free You"	Lamb Osborn Gordon	Lamb Ray Ray	4:07
16.	"Co-Sign (Remix)" (featuring Lambo)	Lamb Osborn	Lamb	4:29
Total length:				1:01:52

Personnel

• Drums and programming: Cainon Lamb, Bryan-Michael Cox, Ivan "Orthodox" Barias, Michael "Big Mike" Clemons
• Keyboards: Cainon Lamb, Bryan-Michael Cox, Ivan "Orthodox" Barias, Raymond Gorden, Taurian "TJ" Osborn, Arthur "Buddy" Strong, Leonard Stephens, Anthony Randolph
• Bass: Tadarius McCombs, Taurian "TJ" Osborn, Nathan Clemons
• Guitar: Anthony Randolph, Kendall Gilder
• Background vocals: SWV, Kevin Ross, Jean Baylor, Allen Irvin
• Recording engineer: Andrew Thielk, Miguel Castro, Richard Reale, Sam Thomas, Bryan-Michael Cox, Carvin Haggins, Ivan Barias, Loren Barton
• Mixing: James Zaner, Marcus "DL" Siskind, Jason Goldstein, Ken Lewis, Sam Thomas, Bryan-Michael Cox, Loren Barton
• Mastering: Tony Dawsey
• Photography: Derek Blanks
• Art direction & design: Sean Marlowe

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2012) Peak position US Billboard 200[12] 25 US Independent Albums (Billboard)[13] 5 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[14] 6

Year-end charts Chart (2012) Position US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[15] 90

References

1. Kellman, Andy. "I Missed Us - SWV: Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards: Allmusic". Allmusic. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
2. J. Feeney, Michael (April 16, 2012). "The '90s trio SWV aims to bring back the love and R&B with new album 'I Missed Us'". NY Daily News. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
3. Edward Nero, Mark. "SWV - I Missed Us". About.com. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
4. Wood, Mikael (Apr 13, 2012). "Albums: April 13, 2012". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
5. Juzwiak, Rich (Apr 17, 2012). "Michelle Williams: Heart to Yours". Gawker. Archived from the original on 22 May 2012. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
6. Caramnica, Jon (April 16, 2012). "Future, SWV and Kat Edmonson Release New Albums". New York Times. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
7. Walters, Barry (April 18, 2012). "SWV, 'I Missed Us' (eOne)". Spin. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
8. Jones, Steve (April 17, 2012). "Listen Up: Eric Hutchinson, SWV, Neon Trees, Jason Mraz". USA Today. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
9. "I Missed Us - SWV". Billboard.com. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
10. Caulfield, Keith (April 27, 2012). "Chart Juice: Future Is Here, SWV Returns". Billboard.com. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
11. https://www.discogs.com/SWV-I-Missed-Us/release/3953115
12. "SWV Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
13. "SWV Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
14. "SWV Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
15. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2012". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.