Me 4 U
Me 4 U is the debut studio album by Jamaican singer Omi. It was released on 16 October 2015 through Ultra Music and Columbia Records.[2] Three singles were released from the album: "Cheerleader" (remixed by Felix Jaehn), "Hula Hoop" and "Drop in the Ocean" (featuring Swedish DJ AronChupa).
Me 4 U | |
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Studio album by | |
Released | 16 October 2015 |
Recorded | 2011–2015 |
Studio |
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Genre | |
Length | 45:58 |
Label | |
Producer |
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Singles from Me 4 U | |
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The first single "Cheerleader" became a massive global success in 2015, reached number one in 20 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, France, and Germany.
Background and release
The first single "Cheerleader" was eight years in the making. Omi stated in an interview with Billboard, "I woke up humming the melody one morning when I was 21. It was like a little Jamaican nursery rhyme, like 'one, two, buckle my shoe,' that kind of thing – 'ring game' is what we'd call it. The rest of the song just fell into place like a jigsaw puzzle." He also stated "People are expecting 15 [versions of] 'Cheerleader,' but it's going to be pretty diverse, with a few features and songs written from different perspectives."[3]
Critical reception
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [4] |
Rolling Stone | [5] |
Slant Magazine | [6] |
The album received mixed reviews from critics. David Jeffries of AllMusic stated, "Omi delivers this all in a wonderful voice, falling somewhere between roots star Tarrus Riley and Kevin Lyttle when it comes to Island authenticity, the singer turns to the same great guest Nicki Minaj chooses, dancehall singer Busy Signal, who kicks 'Color of My Lips' up a notch or two. 'Fireworks' is a sexy soca number that R. Kelly could cover, while the title cut is a warm and powerful duet with Sarah West, although she doesn't get a feature credit on the album like Busy, Erik Hassle, and AronChupa do, even though she certainly deserves one. For a rushed-to-market, crossover album capitalizing on a global hit, the pleasing Me 4 U is much more well-built, well-paced, and well-rounded than expected."[4]
Annie Licata of Rolling Stone stated the best tracks on Me 4 U "are built for good times and warm weather, complete with steel drum beats and odes to the singer's island home ('The streets, they salute me/I'm home again,' he sings on the upbeat, heartfelt 'Promised Land'). 'Color of My Lips', which features a winning guest verse from Busy Signal, and 'Hula Hoop' match the catchy melodies and silky vocals heard on 'Cheerleader.' A few other highlights further the vibe of naive crushes and summertime fun. But Omi's attempts at darker love songs mostly fall flat. 'Standing on All Threes' is a woeful, surface-deep guitar jam. The title track leans heavily on a pallid R&B beat, and while Omi's vocals hit their notes, the song never catches fire. Most of his newfound fans would have a better time making a playlist with 'Cheerleader' 14 times in a row."[5]
Commercial performance
Me 4 U debuted at number 51 on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 9,000 equivalent copies (3,000 in pure album sales).[7]
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Cheerleader" (Felix Jaehn Remix Radio Edit) |
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| 3:01 |
2. | "Babylon" |
| 3:23 | |
3. | "Drop in the Ocean" (featuring AronChupa) |
| AronChupa | 2:57 |
4. | "These Are the Days" (Luca Schreiner Remix) |
| Luca Schreiner | 3:08 |
5. | "Hula Hoop" |
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| 3:26 |
6. | "Standing on All Threes" |
| C. Dillon | 3:17 |
7. | "Promised Land" |
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| 2:58 |
8. | "Color of My Lips" (featuring Busy Signal) |
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| 3:10 |
9. | "Stir It" |
| Remi | 3:40 |
10. | "Fireworks" |
| C. Dillon | 3:15 |
11. | "Midnight Serenade" (featuring Erik Hassle) |
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| 3:27 |
12. | "Hitchhiker" | Mac | 3:25 | |
13. | "Me 4 U" (featuring Sarah West) |
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| 3:10 |
14. | "Sing It Out Loud" (Freddy Verano Remix) |
|
| 3:41 |
Total length: | 45:58 |
Credits and personnel
Production
- Omi – vocals, background vocals
- Daniel Ledinsky – composer, engineer, producer
- Ammar Malik – composer, vocals, vocals (background)
- Andreas Moe – composer
- Patrick Moxey – executive producer
- Whitney Phillips – composer
- Ash Pournouri – composer
- Dann Pursey – engineer
- Salaam Remi – additional production, composer, executive producer, producer
- Omar Pasley – composer, producer, vocals
- Carl Austin Rosen – composer
- John Ryan – composer, producer
- Nico Santos – composer
- Konstantin Scherer – composer, producer
- Luca Schreiner – producer
- Oscar Scivier – composer
- Merrick Shaw – engineer
- V*incent Stein – composer, producer
- Xavier Stephenson – engineer, vocal engineer
- Wim Treuner – composer
- Jenson Vaughan – composer, vocals
- Miles Walker – mastering, mixing
- Dan Warner – guitar
- Steve Mac – composer, keyboards, producer, vocals
- Emily Warren – composer
- Sarah West – composer, vocals
- Karl Wolf – composer
- Matthias Zürkler – composer
Charts
Chart (2015) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA)[8] | 37 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[9] | 163 |
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[10] | 18 |
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[11] | 25 |
French Albums (SNEP)[12] | 62 |
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[13] | 21 |
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[14] | 9 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[15] | 89 |
US Billboard 200[16] | 51 |
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Denmark (IFPI Denmark)[17] | Gold | 10,000 |
United States (RIAA)[18] | Gold | 500,000 |
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Release history
Region | Date | Label | Format |
---|---|---|---|
Australia | 16 October 2015 | ||
Brazil | |||
United Kingdom | |||
United States |
References
- "OMI "Drop In The Ocean (feat. AronChupa)" | (Radio Date: 17/03/2016)". Radiodate.it. 2016-03-17. Retrieved 2016-07-07.
- "Me 4 U – Omi". iTunes US. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
- Ray Rogers (2015-07-23). "OMI: 5 Things You Didn't Know About the 'Cheerleader' Singer". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-07-07.
- David Jeffries (2015-10-16). "Me 4 U - OMI | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
- Licata, Annie (2015-10-15). "Omi Me 4 U Album Review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
- "OMI: Me 4 U | Album Review". Slant Magazine. 2015-10-13. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
- "Billboard 200 Chart Moves: Kidz Bop's 44th Hit Album, Adele's '21' Rises". Billboard. October 30, 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
- "Australiancharts.com – Omi – Me 4 U". Hung Medien.
- "Ultratop.be – Omi – Me 4 U" (in French). Hung Medien.
- "Omi Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard.
- "Danishcharts.dk – Omi – Me 4 U". Hung Medien.
- "Lescharts.com – Omi – Me 4 U". Hung Medien.
- "Norwegiancharts.com – Omi – Me 4 U". Hung Medien.
- "Swedishcharts.com – Omi – Me 4 U". Hung Medien.
- "Swisscharts.com – Omi – Me 4 U". Hung Medien.
- "Omi Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
- "Danish album certifications – Omi – Me 4 U". IFPI Denmark. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
- "American album certifications – Omi – Me 4 U". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 6, 2017. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.