Learning from Falling
2002 studio album by Lamya
Learning from Falling is the debut studio album by British singer Lamya. It was released on 30 July 2002 through J Records. The singer worked with Nellee Hooper on most of the album, while Mark Ronson, David Kahne, duo Soulshock & Karlin, and others also contributed. Lamya co-wrote and co-produced on all of Learning from Falling's 13 tracks, with "Pink Moon," a Nick Drake cover, being the only exception.
The album earned largely positive reviews from music critics but was a commercial failure, reaching number 16 on the US Top Heatseekers chart only. A remix of the album's debut single "Empires (Bring Me Men)," produced by Sander Kleinenberg, became a number one hit on Billboard's Hot Dance/Club Play chart. Second single "Black Mona Lisa" was covered by British R&B singer Maria Lawson on her eponymous album.
01Critical reception
USA Today editor Steve Jones found that "At her best, Lamya is a genre-defying artist whose exotic rhythms, ethereal vocals and eccentric lyrics create a hypnotic mix [...] and while Lamya has songs that lean more toward traditional pop, she's most intriguing when, as on "Perfect Girl," she doesn't try to fit the mold. She succeeds by celebrating her quirks." Michael Paoletta, writing for Billboard, found that with Learning from Falling, Lamya "exudes a confidence that is not studied or learned, but simply is [...] Sensual, mysterious, and provocative, Learning From Falling shines brightly."
Exclaim! critic Michael Edwards felt that Lamya "might just seem like another talented R&B star in the making, but her debut album has more depth than your run of the mill disc, thanks to some real talent. Lamya possesses a voice that is reminiscent of Nelly Furtado and Nicolette, but with a little girl sound that will prove to be an acquired taste for some people. Despite that, there are enough radio-friendly moments present to propel her into the mainstream spotlight, for at least a few minutes anyway." John Bush from AllMusic wrote that "there are a few promising tracks here, but as soon as she (and, more importantly, her executive producers) begin focusing on what can make her sound unique instead of bankable, she'll be able to get some great, consistent work done."
02Commercial performance
Learning from Falling reached number 16 on the US Billboard Top Heatseekers chart.
03Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Empires (Bring Me Men)" |
|
| 5:07 |
| 2. | "East of Anywhere" |
|
| 3:57 |
| 3. | "Black Mona Lisa" |
|
| 4:22 |
| 4. | "Never Enough" |
|
| 4:13 |
| 5. | "Judas Kiss (Brutus Diss)" |
|
| 3:49 |
| 6. | "Full Frontal Fridays" |
|
| 4:19 |
| 7. | "I Get Cravings" |
|
| 4:56 |
| 8. | "Splitting Atoms" |
|
| 4:08 |
| 9. | "Never's Such a Long Time" |
|
| 4:27 |
| 10. | "The Woman Who" |
| 4:42 | |
| 11. | "The Perfect Girl" |
|
| 3:21 |
| 12. | "Pink Moon" | Nick Drake |
| 2:47 |
| 13. | "Black Mona Lisa" (single mix) |
|
| 4:10 |
| Total length: | 54:37 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14. | "Bed I Never Made" |
| 4:09 | |
| Total length: | 58:28 | |||
Notes
04Personnel
|
|
05Charts
| Chart (2002) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) | 16 |
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Learning from Falling”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- Lamya album cover.jpg by Unknown author, Fair use
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