Maxwell (musician): Difference between revisions

Maxwell
Maxwell
	Maxwell in 2024
Background information
Birth name	Gerald Maxwell Rivera
Also known as	Musze; Muze; X'Mosque; Mennard;
Born	May 23, 1973 (age 51); Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Genres	R&B; neo soul; progressive soul;
Occupations	Singer; songwriter; record producer;
Instruments	Vocals; piano; keyboards; guitar;
Years active	1990–present
Labels	Columbia; BMG;
Website	musze.com

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Gerald Maxwell Rivera^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6] (born May 23, 1973), known mononymously as Maxwell, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He rose to prominence following the release of his debut studio album Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite (1996), which received widespread acclaim and spawned the hit singles "Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder)" and "Sumthin' Sumthin'".^[7] Through the album and its follow ups, Maxwell has been credited—alongside Lauryn Hill, D'Angelo, and Erykah Badu—with popularizing neo soul for mainstream audiences in the late 1990s.^[8]

His second and third albums, Embrya (1998) and Now (2001), both received platinum certifications by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA);^[9] the latter became his first to debut atop the Billboard 200 chart. His 1999 single, "Fortunate" was released for the R. Kelly-produced soundtrack to the film Life, and yielded his furthest commercial success as it peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100. After an eight year hiatus, Rivera returned with the release of his fourth album BLACKsummers'night (2009), which became his second to peak atop the Billboard 200 and won two Grammy Awards—Best R&B Album and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance—from six nominations; its single, "Pretty Wings" was nominated for Song of the Year. His fifth album, blackSUMMERS'night (2016), was supported by the single "Lake by the Ocean" and met with continued acclaim.

Maxwell has won three Grammy Awards, six Soul Train Music Awards and two NAACP Image Awards. He was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and Congressional Black Caucus in 2019 for "his innovative contributions to the music industry as a singer, songwriter, and producer".^[10]

Early life

Maxwell was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of a Haitian mother and a Puerto Rican father. His mother grew up in a devout Baptist household in Haiti.^[11]^[12]^[13] Maxwell's father died in a plane crash around 1976 or 1977 when Maxwell was three years old.^[14] Maxwell grew up in the Brooklyn neighborhood of East New York.^[15]

Career

1990–1994: Beginnings

After receiving a low-cost Casio keyboard from a friend, Maxwell began composing music at age 17.^[14]^[16] Already a fan of what he described as "jheri curl soul", which was the trademark of early 1980s R&B acts such as Patrice Rushen, S.O.S. Band and Rose Royce, Maxwell began to teach himself to play a variety of instruments.^[16] According to him, the R&B of the early 1980s contained "the perfect combination of computerized instrumentation with a live feel", and that the genre's dynamics later became lost due to the influence of hip hop on R&B.^[17] Despite facing ridicule from classmates for being shy and awkward, he progressed and continued to develop his musical abilities, and he also adopted the look of a more bohemian style outwardly in his clothing, growing long sideburns and letting his hair grow out wildly and combed in an extreme style, or sometimes putting his hair in long thin braids.^[14]

Initially influenced by early-1980s urban R&B, Maxwell progressed rapidly, and by 1991 he was performing on the New York City club scene. Maxwell was able to gain access to a 24-track recording studio and started to record songs for a demo tape, which he circulated among his friends.^[17] The demo engendered interest, and his official debut concert performance at Manhattan nightclub Nell's drew a crowd.^[17] During the next two years, Maxwell wrote and recorded over three hundred songs and played frequently at small venues throughout New York City.^[16] Maxwell's performances continued to draw interest and increase the buzz about him, and he was called "the next Prince" by a writer from Vibe magazine who attended one of his shows.^[17] After earning a considerable reputation, Maxwell signed a recording contract with Columbia Records in 1994. He adopted his middle name as a moniker out of respect for his family's privacy.^[14]

1994–1997: Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite

Maxwell began working with songwriter Leon Ware and noted guitarist Wah Wah Watson to record his debut Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite in the mid 1990s. Recording sessions for the album took place in 1994 and 1995 at Electric Lady Studios, RPM Studios, Sorcerer Studios and Chung King Studios in New York City, and at CRC recording studios in Chicago, Illinois.^[16]^[18] After production for the album was completed in 1995,^[16] the finished product was presented to Columbia Records in Spring of that same year.^[19] However, it was shelved for nearly a year,^[20] due to issues with Columbia's management, the label's extensive reorganization and record executives' doubts of the album's commercial potential.^[14]^[16]

"Sumthin' Sumthin'"

The song was co-written by Leon Ware and is about a man's affection for a woman.

Problems playing this file? See media help.

Initially, the album was slow to obtain commercial interest.^[19] On April 20, 1996, the album made its chart debut at number 38 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.^[21] From August to October 1996, Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite experienced chart growth on both the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Billboard 200,^[21] peaking at number eight on the former and at number 36 on the latter.^[22] It spent seventy-eight weeks on the Billboard 200 chart.^[23] It became a Top 30 hit in the United Kingdom.^[24] The album was later ranked as one of the year's top-10 best albums by Time, Rolling Stone and USA Today.^[25] and was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album at the 39th Grammy Awards,^[18] losing the award to The Tony Rich Project's Words.^[26]

The album spawned four singles. The first single released, "...Til the Cops Come Knockin'", debuted on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks at number 87 in May 1996. Peaking at number 79, the single spent 12 weeks on the chart.^[27] The second single, "Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder)", debuted on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks in August 1996 at number 11, eventually peaking number eight.^[28] It spent eighteen weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 36 on September 28, 1996.^[29] The third single, "Sumthin' Sumthin'", peaked at number 22 on the Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales.^[30] The album's fourth single, "Suitelady (The Proposal Jam)", entered the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay component chart in May 1997, peaking at number 64.^[31] (Maxwell contributed the song "Segurança (Security)" to the AIDS-benefit album Red Hot + Rio, produced by the Red Hot Organization.)

Maxwell released a series of EPs featuring different versions of his songs from Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite, including "...Til the Cops Come Knockin'", "Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder)", "Whenever Wherever Whatever" and "Sumthin' Sumthin'". These EPs were re-released in 2019.^[32] "Sumthin' Sumthin': Mellosmoothe" appeared on the Love Jones soundtrack in March 1997.

Despite Maxwell's having released only one album, the music video television channel MTV saw his burgeoning popularity and asked him to tape an episode of the concert series MTV Unplugged in New York City. The show was taped live on June 15, 1997, and he performed his own songs as well as covers of songs by Kate Bush ("This Woman's Work") and Nine Inch Nails ("Closer").^[33] (Maxwell clashed with his label about the release of a full album of his session, resulting in the release of only an extended play, or EP instead,^[34] containing seven songs.) The MTV Unplugged performance of "...Til the Cops Come Knockin" was included as a bonus track on the international release. The episode of MTV Unplugged first aired on the network on July 22, 1997.^[35]

1998–2002: Embrya and Now

Maxwell's second studio album, Embrya, was released on June 30, 1998, and upon its release it was panned by contemporary music critics.^[36] The album received mixed criticism for its more "indulgent sound."^[14] With its internal focus and esoteric grooves, the album served as a departure for Maxwell, who did not regret risking his reputation with urban listeners for a more challenging record.^[36] The album experienced a critical backlash similar to that of other artists' work that broke their previous releases' successful formulas in favor of more compelling projects, now being termed "neo-soul."^[37] In 1999, it won the Soul Train Music Award for Best Male Soul/R&B Album.^[38] In a retrospective review for Allmusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote that Maxwell "overstuffs his songs with ideas that lead nowhere" and called Embrya "a bit of a sophomore stumble, albeit one with promising moments." Arion Berger, writing in The Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004), found the songs monotonous and called the album "unfocused and pretentious ... full of overwrought, underwritten songs with obscure, fancy titles revolving around a sort of sexual gnosticism."^[39] Critics have since reappraised Embrya as a groundbreaking forerunner to later trends in Alternative R&B, and Columbia Records reissued the album in 2018 on its 20th anniversary.^[3]

Despite the negative press, the album sold more than one million copies and garnered Maxwell a new alternative fanbase, but confounded the traditional urban consumers.^[36] On May 26, 1999, the album was officially certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).^[40] Embrya was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album, losing to fellow neo-soul artist Erykah Badu's Baduizm (1997).^[41] Later in the year he released "Fortunate", a single written by R. Kelly and featured on the soundtrack for the 1999 film Life. The single peaked at number one on Billboard magazine's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles and Tracks chart. To date, the song is Maxwell's most successful single and was Billboard's number-one R&B single of 1999.

Maxwell's third studio album, Now, was released by Columbia Records on August 14, 2001, in the United States. Following the lukewarm radio success of his previous album, Maxwell stated he felt more comfortable with his artistic direction in the creation of this album, which does not exhibit his previous work's conceptual style.^[42] The album sold over 296,000 units in the U.S. in the first week, according to SoundScan, to earn him his first-ever number one album. The album was later certified platinum by the RIAA. "Lifetime" was the second single from the album. It was a top five hit on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop songs chart and peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.^[43] The third single off the album, "This Woman's Work", a live staple of Maxwell's,^[44] charted at number 58 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at number 16 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.^[45]^[46] Once again, despite some criticism towards Maxwell's songwriting,^[47]^[48]^[49] La Weekly stated "Now is a disappointment in the wake of 1996's Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite and its 1998 follow-up, Embrya."^[47] Now received generally positive reviews from music critics, based on an aggregate score of 78/100 from Metacritic.^[50] The album was Maxwell's last release before he took a lengthy hiatus from performing.

2003–2010: BLACKsummers'night

Recording sessions for a new album took place during 2007 to 2009 at Chung King Studios, Bowery Digital, and Platinum Sound Recording Studios in New York City.^[51] The album was produced entirely by Maxwell and musician Hod David.^[51] The album was to serve as the first part of his scheduled trilogy of albums.^[52]

During this time, and after seven years of not performing, he appeared as a surprise musical guest on the 2008 BET Awards, where he performed the song "Simply Beautiful" in a tribute to soul singer Al Green, shocking fans and the audience alike with his ability to still perform well, but also with his new look, his trademark afro and pork-chop sideburns gone, replaced with a more relaxed and subdued look.^[53]^[54]^[55]

The album BLACKsummers'night was released on July 7, 2009 and received universal acclaim from music critics. Commercially the album was a success, debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart in July 2009, with first-week sales of 316,000 copies,^[56] serving as Maxwell's highest first-week sales.^[57]

The album produced four singles. The lead single "Pretty Wings" debuted at number one on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart,^[58] ultimately spending 47 weeks on the chart.^[59] It also spent 18 weeks and peaked at number 33 on the Hot 100 and at number 12 on its Radio Songs component chart.^[60]^[61] The second single, "Bad Habits", peaked at number four on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, spending 46 weeks on the chart.^[59] It peaked at number 71 on the Hot 100,^[60] at number 38 on the Radio Songs chart,^[61] and at number 16 on the Hot Dance Club Songs chart.^[62] The third single "Cold" spent one week at number 62 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.^[59] The album's fourth single "Fistful of Tears" spent 24 weeks on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, peaking at number 11.^[59] It charted at number 94 on the Hot 100 and at number 63 on the Radio Songs chart.^[60]^[61] Maxwell received six nominations for the 2010 Grammy Awards, winning "Best R&B Album" for BLACKsummers'night and "Best Male R&B Vocal Performance" for "Pretty Wings."^[63] "Pretty Wings" was nominated for the "Song of the Year" which was written by Maxwell under his publishing moniker Musze.

2011–2017: blackSUMMERS'night

On April 17, 2012, Maxwell announced that he and his eleven-piece band would embark on a six-day tour, MaxwellTwoNight -M2N tour 2012 – two nights in three cities, scheduled for the cities of Los Angeles, California – Staples Center (July 20 and July 21); Atlanta, Georgia – Philips Arena (July 27 and July 28); and Newark, New Jersey – the Prudential Center (August 3 and August 4). Maxwell was to perform his discography in its entirety. The first day of the tour Maxwell was to perform songs from his first album Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite and second album Embrya. The second day of the tour Maxwell was to perform from his third and fourth albums Now and BLACKsummer'snight, respectively. Maxwell was to debut never-performed songs from his BLACKsummer'snight trilogy. lt was also announced that proceeds from the M2N tour merchandise would support the "Obama-Biden 2012" re-election campaign.^[64] However, the tour was canceled due to vocal hemorrhaging.^[65]

After two years of occasionally performing and planning, he disclosed during an interview with Rolling Stone magazine in May 2014 that he had been working on his fifth studio album for "the past three years" and has been recording in Miami.^[66] On December 18, 2014, Maxwell announced on the social media site Twitter the second installment of his trilogy blackSUMMERS'night would be arriving sometime in winter 2015.^[67]

On April 7, 2016, Maxwell released his first solo single in 6 years titled "Lake by the Ocean", and also revealed his long-awaited fifth album blackSUMMERS'night.^[68] He performed it on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on May 5, 2016. It was his first television performance in seven years.^[69]

The full-length album was released on July 1, 2016 and charted at number three on the Billboard 200 while garnering widespread acclaim from critics.

2018–present: Night

In October 2018, Maxwell released the single "Shame", which he said was a preview of his upcoming album Night, the final installment of his album trilogy.^[70] In April 2019 as he was re-issuing his earlier EPs in digital format, Maxwell said that he was scheduling a string of performances for mid-2019.^[32] Maxwell had a consecutive four-night concert run at the Kennedy Center, supported by the National Symphony Orchestra, in September 2019.^[71] Maxwell closed out the Hollywood Bowl’s Summer Season with a 3-night run in September 2023.

Legacy

Along with fellow musicians D'Angelo and Erykah Badu, Maxwell has been credited with helping to shape the "neo soul" movement that rose to prominence during the late 1990s.^[14]^[7] Along with D'Angelo's Brown Sugar (1995) and Badu's Baduizm (1997),^[7] Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite has been recognized by writers for beginning neo soul's popularity and helping the genre obtain commercial visibility.^[72]^[73] However, in contrast to D'Angelo, Maxwell was more conventional in his approach on his debut album.^[74] He inspired Canadian singer The Weeknd.

In commenting on the "new soul revival" in music, Maxwell told Entertainment Weekly in 1997 that "everything out there musically was inspired or influenced by something from the past. It's not about creating some super-fresh new thing. If it doesn't lend itself to your history, how is it going to extend to your future? That's what's really brilliant about looking into children's eyes—you can see their parents in them."^[17] The Washington Post called him "the Marvin Gaye of the '90s".^[75] Its columnist wrote that Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite "heralded the arrival of a top-of-the-class graduate of the old school of soul, one who could sing about romantic aspiration and tribulation with heart-wrenching emotion. It was as if the aesthetic that Gaye ascribed to — 'music that has feeling, hope and meaning – all the things people are looking for' — had been rediscovered after a long, hedonistic interlude."^[75]

Maxwell's role in writing and producing the album exhibited a level of artistic control by an R&B artist that was uncommon in the recording industry at the time.^[16] On his emergence with Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite, writer Carol Brennan cited him, along with the Fugees, D'Angelo and Tony Rich, as neo soul musicians that "exhibited the identifying characteristics of this new breed of R&B artists: lyrics that give voice to intense personal expression, creative control over the music, and an unexpectedly successful debut."^[16]

Discography

Studio albums

Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite (1996)
Embrya (1998)
Now (2001)
BLACKsummers'night (2009)
blackSUMMERS'night (2016)

Tours

Headlining

Urban Hang Suite Tour (1997)^[76]
Now Tour (2001–2002)
Maxwell Live (2008)
BLACKsummers'night Tour (2009)
Summer Soulstice (2014)^[77]
Summers' 2016 (2016)^[78]
The Night Tour (2022)^[79]^[80]^[81]
The Serenade Tour (2024)

Co-headlining

Sony Music Black College Tour with George Clinton, the Fugees, Groove Theory and UBU (1996)^[82]
Maxwell & Jill Scott: The Tour with Jill Scott (2010)
Annual Summer Jam with Fantasia Barrino (2016)
King and Queen of Hearts World Tour with Mary J. Blige (2016)
50 Intimate Night (2018)

Cancelled tours

MaxwellTwoNight (2012)^[83]

Awards and nominations

American Music Award


Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2009	Maxwell	Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist	Nominated

BET Awards


Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2001	Maxwell	Best Male R&B Artist	Nominated
2002	Maxwell	Best Male R&B Artist	Nominated
2010	Maxwell	Best Male R&B Artist	Nominated
2010	Maxwell	Centric Award	Nominated

Grammy Award


Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
1997	Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite	Best R&B Album	Nominated
1998	"Whenever Wherever Whatever"	Best Male Pop Vocal Performance	Nominated
1999	"Matrimony: Maybe You"	Best Male R&B Vocal Performance	Nominated
1999	Embrya	Best R&B Album	Nominated
2000	"Fortunate"	Best Male R&B Vocal Performance	Nominated
2002	"Lifetime"	Best Male R&B Vocal Performance	Nominated
2010	"Pretty Wings"	Song of the Year	Nominated
		Best Male R&B Vocal Performance	Won
		Best R&B Song	Nominated
	"Love You"	Best Male Pop Vocal Performance	Nominated
	"Phoenix Rise"	Best Pop Instrumental Performance	Nominated
	BLACKsummers'night	Best R&B Album	Won
2017	"Lake by the Ocean"	Best R&B Song	Won

MTV Video Music Award


Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2002	"This Woman's Work"	Breakthrough Video	Nominated

NAACP Image Awards


Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
1997	Maxwell	Outstanding New Artist	Nominated
2010	Maxwell	Outstanding Male Artist	Won
	"Pretty Wings"	Outstanding Music Video	Nominated
	"Pretty Wings"	Outstanding Song	Nominated
	"Bad Habits"	Outstanding Song	Nominated
	BLACKsummers'night	Outstanding Album	Nominated
2011	"Fistful of Tears"	Outstanding Music Video	Nominated
2011	"Fistful of Tears"	Outstanding Song	Nominated
2014	"Fire We Make"	Outstanding Duo or Group	Nominated
		Outstanding Music Video	Nominated
		Outstanding Song	Nominated
2017	Maxwell	Outstanding Male Artist	Won
2017	"Lake by the Ocean"	Outstanding Traditional Song	Nominated
2018	"Gods"	Outstanding Music Video	Nominated

Soul Train Music Awards


Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
1997	Maxwell	Best New Artist	Won
	"Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder)"	Best R&B/Soul Single – Male	Won
	Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite	Best R&B/Soul Album – Male	Won
1998	MTV Unplugged	Best R&B/Soul Album – Male	Nominated
1999	Embrya	Best R&B/Soul Album – Male	Nominated
2000	"Fortunate"	Best R&B/Soul Single – Male	Won
2003	"This Woman's Work"	Best R&B/Soul Single – Male	Nominated
2009	Maxwell	Best R&B/Soul Male Artist	Won
	"Pretty Wings"	Best Song of the Year	Nominated
	"Pretty Wings"	The Ashford & Simpson Songwriter's Award	Nominated
	BLACKsummers'night	Best Album of the Year	Nominated
2013	"Fire We Make"	The Ashford & Simpson Songwriter's Award	Nominated
2013	"Fire We Make"	Best Collaboration	Nominated
2016	Maxwell	Best R&B/Soul Male Artist	Won

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^ Harvilla, Rob. Maxwell Returns. So Do the Giant Panties. The Village Voice. Retrieved on 2009-03-31.
^ Hahn (2003), p. 227.
^ ^a ^b Harrington, Richard. "Maxwell Has a Gaye Old Time". Washington Post: July 15, 1997.
^ Faison, Datu (July 26, 1997). "Summer Sumthin'". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 30. Billboard Music Group. p. 25. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
^ Pelly, Jenn (April 21, 2014). "Maxwell Announces Summer Tour". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
^ Slingerland, Calum (April 11, 2016). "Maxwell Maps Out "SUMMERS' 2016" Tour". Exclaim!. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
^ "Maxwell shares new single "OFF," announces 2022 tour dates". The Fader. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
^ "Maxwell Announces 'blacksummers'NIGHT' With 'OFF' & 2022 Tour With Joe & Anthony Hamilton". SoulBounce. November 16, 2021. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
^ Abraham, Mya (November 16, 2021). "Maxwell Announces New Album And 25-City Tour Dates". VIBE.com. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
^ Reynolds, J.R. (February 3, 1996). "The R&B Business has a single problem; Record companies celebrate Black History". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 5. Billboard Music Group. p. 31. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
^ "Maxwell cancels MaxwellTwoNight tour because of health issues". CBS News. CBS. June 25, 2012. Retrieved November 5, 2016.

External links

Official website
Maxwell at AllMusic

[1] Huey, Steve (n.d.). "Maxwell: Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved January 23, 2021.

[2] Lindsey, Craig D. (February 12, 2013). "Five Lesser-Known Soul Men Worth Your Attention". The Village Voice. Retrieved January 23, 2021.

[Ani-3] Ani, Ivie (October 24, 2018). "Maxwell Talks Social Media, Making Politically Charged Music & What the Legacy of Embrya is 20 Years Later" (interview). Okayplayer. Retrieved January 1, 2019.

[4] Kwanteng-Clark, Danielle. "Good God: Maxwell And That Voice Popped Up At A Brooklyn Church For Easter". essence.com. Essence Communications, Inc. Retrieved January 1, 2019.

[5] "Singer Maxwell talks tour, album and a baby, maybe". miamiherald.com. Miami Herald. Retrieved January 1, 2019.

[6] "Maxwell – Artist". grammy.com. Recording Academy. Retrieved January 1, 2019.

[Shapiro-7] Shapiro (2006), p. 104–105.

[8] Howard, Jacinta (April 5, 2016). "Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite turns 20". theboombox. Retrieved May 18, 2016.

[9] "RIAA – Searchable Database". riaa.com. Retrieved October 13, 2020.

[10] Callahan, Yesha. "Maxwell Brought To Tears While Accepting Achievement Award From Congressional Black Caucus". essence.com. Essence Communications, Inc. Retrieved October 14, 2020.

[11] San Miguel, Celia (September 2009). "A Woman's Worth". Giant. p. 80.

[12] Reid, Shaheem. (September 29, 2009) "Maxwell Dazzles the Ladies at Madison Square Garden – Singer's Hometown Gig Features Common, Chrisette Michele as Opening Acts". MTV. Retrieved September 1, 2013.

[13] On the Cover: Maxwell – Let Me Love You (Giant Magazine) Archived August 24, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. Thelatestmaxwellnews.com. Retrieved March 2, 2012.

[Huey-14] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Huey, Steve. After the time of his father passing, Maxwell moved to Willingboro, NJ. He spent his time there, along with family and friends.Maxwell: Biography. AllMusic. Retrieved February 6, 2013.

[15] Dombal, Ryan (June 7, 2016). "Maxwell: Hostage of Love". Pitchfork. Condé Nast. Retrieved October 17, 2020.

[Brennan-16] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Brennan (2002), pp. 132–133.

[Adams-17] Adams (1998), pp. 172–173.

[note-18] Product Page: Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite. Muze. Retrieved on 2009-03-30.

[Williams-19] Williams, Jean A. "Maxwell Finds His Groove^{[dead link‍]}". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: July 23, 1997.

[Harrington-20] Harrington, Richard. "Maxwell's House of Soul; Romantic Debut Is Quite a Concept". The Washington Post: 7. October 16, 1996.

[billboard-21] 0&N=36#pos25 Albums Charts: Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite^{[dead link‍]}. Billboard. Retrieved on 2009-04-04.

[albums-22] Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite: Billboard Albums. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2009-04-04.

[23] The Billboard Hot 200: Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite – Oct 05 1996. Billboard. Retrieved on 2009-04-04.

[Easlea-24] Easlea, Daryl. Review: Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite. BBC Music. Retrieved on 2009-07-09.

[George-25] George, Michael. Maxwell: African American singer. American Visions. Retrieved on 2009-04-04.

[26] Product Page: Words. Muze. Retrieved on 2009-04-04.

[27] Singles Charts: ...Til The Cops Come Knockin'. Billboard. Retrieved on 2009-04-04.

[28] Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs: Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder) – Aug 17 1996. Billboard. Retrieved on 2009-04-04.

[29] The Billboard Hot 100: Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder) – Sep 28 1996. Billboard. Retrieved on 2009-04-04.

[singles-30] Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite: Billboard Singles. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2009-04-04.

[31] 0 Singles Charts: Suitelady (The Proposal Jam)^{[dead link‍]}. Billboard. Retrieved on 2009-04-04.

[Vanderhoof-32] Vanderhoof, Erin (April 19, 2019). "Maxwell Goes Back to the Future". Vanities. Retrieved May 14, 2019.

[33] "Maxwell Unplugged". tv.com.

[34] {[dead link‍]} Maxwell Unplugged CD Archived October 13, 2008, at the Wayback Machine entertainment.circuitcity.com.

[35] Maxwell's Unplugged CD mtv.com

[Hinds-36] Seyfu Hinds, Sewlyn (April 2001). "Inner Vision". Vibe. New York: 104–10. Retrieved May 5, 2013.

[Neal-37] Neal (2003), p. 117.

[38] 14th Annual Soul Train Award Winners allyourtv.com/awards/ March 6, 2000

[39] Berger, Arion; et al. (November 2, 2004). Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 521. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.

[RIAA-40] "American album certifications – Maxwell – Embrya". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. Archived from the original on July 17, 2013. Retrieved July 16, 2013.

[links-41] Erykah Badu sweeps Soul Train Awards rollingstone.com March 3, 1998

[Jones-42] Jones, Steve. "Maxwell Says He's Ready 'Now' to 'Get to Know Ya'". USA Today: D.08. August 20, 2001.

[43] www.billboard.com-maxwell-songs

[Leroy-44] Leroy, Dan. Review: Now^{[permanent dead link‍]}. Yahoo! Music. Retrieved on 2009-09-25.

[45] "The Billboard Hot 100 – Maxwell – This Woman's Work – Chart Listing For The Week of June 29 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2009.

[46] "The Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Maxwell – This Woman's Work –Chart Listing For The Week Of jul 06 2002". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2009.

[Lewis-47] Lewis, Miles Marshall. Review: Now. LA Weekly. Retrieved on 2009-09-25.

[Cinquemani-48] Cinquemani, Sal. Review: Now Archived February 22, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. Slant Magazine. Retrieved on 2009-09-25.

[Coleman-49] Coleman, Nick. Review: Now^{[dead link‍]}. The Independent. Retrieved on 2009-09-25.

[Meta-50] Now (2001): Reviews Archived March 14, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Metacritic. Retrieved on 2009-09-25.

[credits-51] Per liner notes from BLACKsummers'night album

[Capobianco-52] Capobianco, Ken. Review: BLACKsummers'night. The Boston Globe. Retrieved on 2009-07-19.

[53] Muziek | Myspace Music. Imeem.com. Retrieved March 2, 2012.

[54] "Video Maxwell's tribute to Al Green, BET Awards 2008 van That Marcus – Myspace Video"^{[permanent dead link‍]}. Vids.myspace.com. Retrieved March 2, 2012.

[55] "Maxwell Shocks, Awes and Delights at BET Awards" Archived September 12, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Soulbounce.Com. Retrieved March 2, 2012.

[Sisario-56] Sisario, Ben. ‘Blacksummers’night’ Takes Maxwell to No. 1. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2009-09-13.

[57] Caulfield, Keith. Maxwell Tops Billboard 200. Billboard. Retrieved on 2010-05-02.

[58] R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Week of September 05, 2009. Billboard. Retrieved on 2010-05-02.

[R&BSongs-59] Chart History – Maxwell: R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Billboard. Retrieved on 2010-05-02.

[Hot100-60] Chart History – Maxwell: Hot 100. Billboard. Retrieved on 2010-05-02.

[Radio-61] Chart History – Maxwell: Radio Songs. Billboard. Retrieved on 2010-05-02.

[62] Chart History – Maxwell: Dance/Club Play Songs. Billboard. Retrieved on 2010-05-02.

[63] 2010 Grammy Award Nominations. Grammy.com/nominees. Retrieved December 20, 2009.

[64] "Maxwell Announces 6-Day Tour; Will Perform All Albums". Billboard. Retrieved April 17, 2012.

[65] "Maxwell Cancels Tour Due to Vocal Hemorrhaging". Rolling Stone. June 23, 2013. Retrieved August 31, 2012.

[66] "Maxwell Returns to the Road to Prep 'Cyborg-y' New Album". Rolling Stone. May 30, 2014. Retrieved April 11, 2016.

[67] MAXWELL [@_MAXWELL_] (December 18, 2014). "'BLACK_S. U. M. M. E. R. S'_NIGHT' #WINTER2015" (Tweet) – via Twitter.

[68] "Maxwell Teases New LP With Suave Ballad 'Lake by the Ocean'". Rolling Stone. April 8, 2016. Retrieved April 11, 2016.

[69] "Maxwell Performs 'Lake by the Ocean'". YouTube. Retrieved May 5, 2016.^{[dead YouTube link]}

[70] "Maxwell Announces New Album NIGHT, Drops New Song "Shame": Listen". Pitchfork. October 5, 2018. Retrieved June 3, 2019.

[71] Ferguson, Eve M. [1]. Washington Examiner. Retrieved on 2020-10-14.

[Nelson-72] Nelson, Trevor. Radio 1 Listeners Top 50 Albums of 1993-2003 Archived July 17, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. TrevorNelson. Retrieved on 2009-03-30.

[Harvilla-73] Harvilla, Rob. Maxwell Returns. So Do the Giant Panties. The Village Voice. Retrieved on 2009-03-31.

[Hahn-74] Hahn (2003), p. 227.

[Harrington2-75] Harrington, Richard. "Maxwell Has a Gaye Old Time". Washington Post: July 15, 1997.

[76] Faison, Datu (July 26, 1997). "Summer Sumthin'". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 30. Billboard Music Group. p. 25. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved November 5, 2016.

[77] Pelly, Jenn (April 21, 2014). "Maxwell Announces Summer Tour". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 5, 2016.

[78] Slingerland, Calum (April 11, 2016). "Maxwell Maps Out "SUMMERS' 2016" Tour". Exclaim!. Retrieved November 5, 2016.

[79] "Maxwell shares new single "OFF," announces 2022 tour dates". The Fader. Retrieved March 4, 2022.

[80] "Maxwell Announces 'blacksummers'NIGHT' With 'OFF' & 2022 Tour With Joe & Anthony Hamilton". SoulBounce. November 16, 2021. Retrieved March 4, 2022.

[81] Abraham, Mya (November 16, 2021). "Maxwell Announces New Album And 25-City Tour Dates". VIBE.com. Retrieved March 4, 2022.

[82] Reynolds, J.R. (February 3, 1996). "The R&B Business has a single problem; Record companies celebrate Black History". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 5. Billboard Music Group. p. 31. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved July 28, 2016.

[83] "Maxwell cancels MaxwellTwoNight tour because of health issues". CBS News. CBS. June 25, 2012. Retrieved November 5, 2016.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{short description|American R&B singer}}
+{{short description|American R&B singer (born 1973)}}
 {{Use American English|date=September 2022}}
 {{use mdy dates|date=September 2022}}
@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 | image            = Maxwell2024.png
 | alt              =
-| caption          = Maxwell in 2024.
+| caption          = Maxwell in 2024
 | background       = solo_singer
 | birth_name       = Gerald Maxwell Rivera
@@ Line 16: / Line 16: @@
 }}
 | birth_date       = {{birth-date and age|May 23, 1973}}
-| birth_place      = [[Brooklyn]], [[New York City|New York]], U.S.
+| birth_place      = [[Brooklyn]], New York, U.S.
 | genre            = {{flat list |
 *[[Contemporary R&B|R&B]]
@@ Line 38: / Line 38: @@
 }}
-'''Gerald Maxwell Rivera'''<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ani |first1=Ivie |title=Maxwell Talks Social Media, Making Politically Charged Music & What the Legacy of ''Embrya'' is 20 Years Later [Interview] |url=https://www.okayplayer.com/music/maxwell-interview-okayplayer.html |website=okayplayer.com |date=October 24, 2018 |publisher=Okayplayer |access-date=2019-01-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Kwanteng-Clark |first1=Danielle |title=Good God: Maxwell And That Voice Popped Up At A Brooklyn Church For Easter |url=https://www.essence.com/celebrity/maxwell-easter-sunday-brooklyn-church/ |website=essence.com |publisher=Essence Communications, Inc. |access-date=2019-01-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Singer Maxwell talks tour, album and a baby, maybe |url=https://www.miamiherald.com/entertainment/celebrities/article1966738.html |website=miamiherald.com |publisher=Miami Herald |access-date=2019-01-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Maxwell - Artist |url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/maxwell |website=grammy.com |publisher=Recording Academy |access-date=2019-01-01}}</ref> (born May 23, 1973), known [[mononym]]ously as '''Maxwell''', is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to prominence following the release of his debut studio album ''[[Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite]]'' (1996), which received widespread acclaim and spawned the hit singles "[[Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder)]]" and "[[Sumthin' Sumthin']]".<ref name="Shapiro" /> Through the album and its follow ups, Maxwell has been cited—along with [[Lauryn Hill]], [[D'Angelo]], and [[Erykah Badu]]—for ushering in the [[neo soul]] movement and its sensibilities into mainstream [[popular music]] during the late 1990s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://theboombox.com/maxwells-legacy-should-be-celebrated-as-urban-hang-suite-turns-20/ |title=Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite turns 20 |last=Howard |first=Jacinta |date=April 5, 2016 |website=theboombox |access-date=May 18, 2016}}</ref>
+'''Gerald Maxwell Rivera'''<ref name=Ani>{{cite web |last=Ani |first=Ivie |title=Maxwell Talks Social Media, Making Politically Charged Music & What the Legacy of ''Embrya'' is 20 Years Later|type=interview|url=https://www.okayplayer.com/music/maxwell-interview-okayplayer.html|date=October 24, 2018|publisher=[[Okayplayer]]|access-date=2019-01-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Kwanteng-Clark |first1=Danielle |title=Good God: Maxwell And That Voice Popped Up At A Brooklyn Church For Easter |url=https://www.essence.com/celebrity/maxwell-easter-sunday-brooklyn-church/ |website=essence.com |publisher=Essence Communications, Inc. |access-date=2019-01-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Singer Maxwell talks tour, album and a baby, maybe |url=https://www.miamiherald.com/entertainment/celebrities/article1966738.html |website=miamiherald.com |publisher=Miami Herald |access-date=2019-01-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Maxwell – Artist |url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/maxwell |website=grammy.com |publisher=Recording Academy |access-date=2019-01-01}}</ref> (born May 23, 1973), known [[mononym]]ously as '''Maxwell''', is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He rose to prominence following the release of his debut studio album ''[[Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite]]'' (1996), which received widespread acclaim and spawned the hit singles "[[Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder)]]" and "[[Sumthin' Sumthin']]".<ref name="Shapiro" /> Through the album and its follow ups, Maxwell has been credited—alongside [[Lauryn Hill]], [[D'Angelo]], and [[Erykah Badu]]—with popularizing [[neo soul]] for mainstream audiences in the late 1990s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://theboombox.com/maxwells-legacy-should-be-celebrated-as-urban-hang-suite-turns-20/ |title=Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite turns 20 |last=Howard |first=Jacinta |date=April 5, 2016 |website=theboombox |access-date=May 18, 2016}}</ref>
-He followed up with his second and third albums ''[[Embrya]]'' (1998) and ''[[Now (Maxwell album)|Now]]'' (2001), both of which received [[RIAA certification|platinum]] certification by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] (RIAA);<ref>{{cite web |title=RIAA – Searchable Database |url=https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?content_selector=gold-platinum-searchable-database |access-date=October 13, 2020 |publisher=riaa.com}}</ref> the latter became his first to debut atop the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] chart. His 1999 single, "[[Fortunate (song)|Fortunate]]" was released for the [[R. Kelly]]-produced [[Life (soundtrack)|soundtrack]] to the film ''[[Life (1999 film)|Life]]'', and saw his furthest commercial success as it peaked at number four on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]]. After an eight year hiatus, Rivera returned with the release of his fourth album ''[[BLACKsummers'night]]'' (2009), which became his second to peak atop the ''Billboard'' 200 and won two [[Grammy Award]]s—[[Grammy Award for Best R&B Album|Best R&B Album]] and [[Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance|Best Male R&B Vocal Performance]]—from six nominations; its single, "[[Pretty Wings]]" was nominated for [[Grammy Award for Song of the Year|Song of the Year]]. His fifth album, ''[[blackSUMMERS'night]]'' (2016) was supported by the single "[[Lake by the Ocean]]" and met with continued success.
+His second and third albums, ''[[Embrya]]'' (1998) and ''[[Now (Maxwell album)|Now]]'' (2001), both received [[RIAA certification|platinum]] certifications by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] (RIAA);<ref>{{cite web |title=RIAA – Searchable Database |url=https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?content_selector=gold-platinum-searchable-database |access-date=October 13, 2020 |publisher=riaa.com}}</ref> the latter became his first to debut atop the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] chart. His 1999 single, "[[Fortunate (song)|Fortunate]]" was released for the [[R. Kelly]]-produced [[Life (soundtrack)|soundtrack]] to the film ''[[Life (1999 film)|Life]]'', and yielded his furthest commercial success as it peaked at number four on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]]. After an eight year hiatus, Rivera returned with the release of his fourth album ''[[BLACKsummers'night]]'' (2009), which became his second to peak atop the ''Billboard'' 200 and won two [[Grammy Award]]s—[[Grammy Award for Best R&B Album|Best R&B Album]] and [[Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance|Best Male R&B Vocal Performance]]—from six nominations; its single, "[[Pretty Wings]]" was nominated for [[Grammy Award for Song of the Year|Song of the Year]]. His fifth album, ''[[blackSUMMERS'night]]'' (2016), was supported by the single "[[Lake by the Ocean]]" and met with continued acclaim.
 Maxwell has won three Grammy Awards, six [[Soul Train Music Awards]] and two [[NAACP Image Awards]]. He was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award by the [[Congressional Black Caucus Foundation]] and [[Congressional Black Caucus]] in 2019 for "his innovative contributions to the music industry as a singer, songwriter, and producer".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Callahan |first1=Yesha |title=Maxwell Brought To Tears While Accepting Achievement Award From Congressional Black Caucus |url=https://www.essence.com/news/maxwell-congressional-black-caucus/ |website=essence.com |publisher=Essence Communications, Inc. |access-date=2020-10-14}}</ref>
 ==Early life==
-Maxwell was born in [[Brooklyn]], [[New York (state)|New York]], the son of a [[Haitian people|Haitian]] mother and a [[Puerto Rican people|Puerto Rican]] father. His mother grew up in a devout [[Baptist]] household in [[Haiti]].<ref>San Miguel, Celia (September 2009). "A Woman's Worth".  ''[[Giant (magazine)|Giant]]''. p. 80.</ref><ref>Reid, Shaheem. (September 29, 2009) [https://web.archive.org/web/20091002082253/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1622567/20090929/maxwell.jhtml "Maxwell Dazzles the Ladies at Madison Square Garden{{spaced ndash}} Singer's Hometown Gig Features Common, Chrisette Michele as Opening Acts"]. [[MTV]]. Retrieved September 1, 2013.</ref><ref>[http://www.thelatestmaxwellnews.com/2009/08/17/maxwell-let-me-love-you-giant-magazine/ On the Cover: Maxwell – Let Me Love You (Giant Magazine)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090824143454/http://www.thelatestmaxwellnews.com/2009/08/17/maxwell-let-me-love-you-giant-magazine/ |date=August 24, 2009 }}. Thelatestmaxwellnews.com. Retrieved March 2, 2012.</ref>  Maxwell's father died in a plane crash when Maxwell was three years old.<ref name="Huey">Huey, Steve. After the time of his father passing, Maxwell moved to Willingboro, NJ. He spent his time there, along with family and friends.[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p173891|pure_url=yes}} Maxwell: Biography]. [[AllMusic]]. Retrieved February 6, 2013.</ref>  Maxwell grew up in the Brooklyn neighborhood of [[East New York, Brooklyn|East New York]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/interview/9901-maxwell-hostage-of-love/ |title=Maxwell: Hostage of Love |last1=Dombal |first1=Ryan |date=June 7, 2016 |website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |publisher=[[Condé Nast]] |access-date=October 17, 2020}}</ref>
+Maxwell was born in [[Brooklyn]], New York, the son of a [[Haitian people|Haitian]] mother and a [[Puerto Rican people|Puerto Rican]] father. His mother grew up in a devout [[Baptist]] household in [[Haiti]].<ref>San Miguel, Celia (September 2009). "A Woman's Worth". ''[[Giant (magazine)|Giant]]''. p. 80.</ref><ref>Reid, Shaheem. (September 29, 2009) [https://web.archive.org/web/20091002082253/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1622567/20090929/maxwell.jhtml "Maxwell Dazzles the Ladies at Madison Square Garden{{spaced ndash}} Singer's Hometown Gig Features Common, Chrisette Michele as Opening Acts"]. [[MTV]]. Retrieved September 1, 2013.</ref><ref>[http://www.thelatestmaxwellnews.com/2009/08/17/maxwell-let-me-love-you-giant-magazine/ On the Cover: Maxwell – Let Me Love You (Giant Magazine)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090824143454/http://www.thelatestmaxwellnews.com/2009/08/17/maxwell-let-me-love-you-giant-magazine/ |date=August 24, 2009 }}. Thelatestmaxwellnews.com. Retrieved March 2, 2012.</ref> Maxwell's father died in a plane crash around 1976 or 1977 when Maxwell was three years old.<ref name="Huey">Huey, Steve. After the time of his father passing, Maxwell moved to Willingboro, NJ. He spent his time there, along with family and friends.[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p173891|pure_url=yes}} Maxwell: Biography]. [[AllMusic]]. Retrieved February 6, 2013.</ref>  Maxwell grew up in the Brooklyn neighborhood of [[East New York, Brooklyn|East New York]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/interview/9901-maxwell-hostage-of-love/ |title=Maxwell: Hostage of Love |last1=Dombal |first1=Ryan |date=June 7, 2016 |website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |publisher=[[Condé Nast]] |access-date=October 17, 2020}}</ref>
 ==Career==
 ===1990–1994: Beginnings===
-After receiving a low-cost [[Casio keyboard]] from a friend, Maxwell  began composing music at age 17.<ref name="Huey"/><ref name="Brennan">Brennan (2002), pp.&nbsp;132–133.</ref> Already a fan of what he described as "[[jheri curl]] [[Soul music|soul]]", which was the trademark of early 1980s [[contemporary R&B|R&B]] acts such as [[Patrice Rushen]], [[The SOS Band|S.O.S. Band]] and [[Rose Royce]], Maxwell began to teach himself to play a variety of instruments.<ref name="Brennan"/> According to him, the R&B of the early 1980s contained "the perfect combination of computerized instrumentation with a live feel", and that the genre's dynamics later became lost due to the influence of [[Hip hop music|hip hop]] on R&B.<ref name="Adams">Adams (1998), pp. 172–173.</ref> Despite facing ridicule from classmates for being shy and awkward, he progressed and continued to develop his musical abilities, and he also adopted the look of a more [[bohemian style]] outwardly in his clothing, growing long sideburns and letting his hair grow out wildly and combed in an extreme style, or sometimes putting his hair in long thin braids.<ref name="Huey"/>
+After receiving a low-cost [[Casio keyboard]] from a friend, Maxwell began composing music at age 17.<ref name="Huey"/><ref name="Brennan">Brennan (2002), pp.&nbsp;132–133.</ref> Already a fan of what he described as "[[jheri curl]] [[Soul music|soul]]", which was the trademark of early 1980s [[contemporary R&B|R&B]] acts such as [[Patrice Rushen]], [[The SOS Band|S.O.S. Band]] and [[Rose Royce]], Maxwell began to teach himself to play a variety of instruments.<ref name="Brennan"/> According to him, the R&B of the early 1980s contained "the perfect combination of computerized instrumentation with a live feel", and that the genre's dynamics later became lost due to the influence of [[Hip hop music|hip hop]] on R&B.<ref name="Adams">Adams (1998), pp. 172–173.</ref> Despite facing ridicule from classmates for being shy and awkward, he progressed and continued to develop his musical abilities, and he also adopted the look of a more [[bohemian style]] outwardly in his clothing, growing long sideburns and letting his hair grow out wildly and combed in an extreme style, or sometimes putting his hair in long thin braids.<ref name="Huey"/>
-Initially influenced by early-1980s urban R&B, Maxwell progressed rapidly, and by 1991 he was performing on the New York City club scene.  Maxwell was able to gain access to a [[Multitrack recording|24-track]] recording studio and started to record songs for a [[demo tape]], which he circulated among his friends.<ref name="Adams"/>  The demo engendered interest, and his official debut concert performance at Manhattan nightclub [[Nell's]] drew a crowd.<ref name="Adams"/> During the next two years, Maxwell wrote and recorded over three hundred songs and played frequently at small venues throughout New York City.<ref name="Brennan"/> Maxwell's performances continued to draw interest and increase the buzz about him, and he was called "the next [[Prince (musician)|Prince]]" by a writer from ''[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]]'' magazine who attended one of his shows.<ref name="Adams"/> After earning a considerable reputation, Maxwell signed a recording contract with [[Columbia Records]] in 1994. He adopted his middle name as a [[moniker]] out of respect for his family's privacy.<ref name="Huey"/>
+Initially influenced by early-1980s urban R&B, Maxwell progressed rapidly, and by 1991 he was performing on the New York City club scene. Maxwell was able to gain access to a [[Multitrack recording|24-track]] recording studio and started to record songs for a [[demo tape]], which he circulated among his friends.<ref name="Adams"/> The demo engendered interest, and his official debut concert performance at Manhattan nightclub [[Nell's]] drew a crowd.<ref name="Adams"/> During the next two years, Maxwell wrote and recorded over three hundred songs and played frequently at small venues throughout New York City.<ref name="Brennan"/> Maxwell's performances continued to draw interest and increase the buzz about him, and he was called "the next [[Prince (musician)|Prince]]" by a writer from ''[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]]'' magazine who attended one of his shows.<ref name="Adams"/> After earning a considerable reputation, Maxwell signed a recording contract with [[Columbia Records]] in 1994. He adopted his middle name as a [[moniker]] out of respect for his family's privacy.<ref name="Huey"/>
 ===1994–1997: ''Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite''===
 Maxwell began working with songwriter [[Leon Ware]] and noted guitarist [[Wah Wah Watson]] to record his debut ''[[Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite]]'' in the mid 1990s. Recording sessions for the album took place in 1994 and 1995 at [[Electric Lady Studios]], RPM Studios, Sorcerer Studios and [[Chung King Studios]] in New York City, and at [[Chicago Recording Company|CRC]] recording studios in Chicago, Illinois.<ref name="Brennan"/><ref name=note>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080808222107/http://www.tower.com/maxwells-urban-hang-suite-maxwell-cd/wapi/106694214 Product Page: ''Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite'']. [[Muze]]. Retrieved on 2009-03-30.</ref>
 After production for the album was completed in 1995,<ref name="Brennan"/> the finished product was presented to Columbia Records in Spring of that same year.<ref name="Williams">Williams, Jean A. "[http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-6555942.html Maxwell Finds His Groove]{{dead link|date=February 2019|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}". ''[[The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]]'': July 23, 1997.</ref> However, it was shelved for nearly a year,<ref name="Harrington">Harrington, Richard. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20121025060355/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-812622.html Maxwell's House of Soul; Romantic Debut Is Quite a Concept]". ''[[The Washington Post]]'': 7. October 16, 1996.</ref> due to issues with Columbia's management, the label's extensive reorganization and record executives' doubts of the album's commercial potential.<ref name="Huey"/><ref name="Brennan"/>
-{{Listen|pos = right
+{{Listen|type=music
  |filename     = Sumthin' Sumthin'.ogg
  |title        = "Sumthin' Sumthin'"
  |description  = The song was co-written by [[Leon Ware]] and is about a man's affection for a woman.
 }}
-Initially, the album was slow to obtain commercial interest.<ref name="Williams"/> On April 20, 1996, the album made its chart debut at number 38 on the [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums]] chart.<ref name="billboard">[http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/searchResult.jsp?exp=y&Ne=4&inert=25&Ntt=Urban+Hang+Suite+Maxwell&Ntk=Keyword&an=bbcom&nor=10&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Ns=FORMATTED_DATE 0&N=36#pos25 Albums Charts: Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite]{{dead link|date=July 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}. ''Billboard''. Retrieved on 2009-04-04.</ref> From August to October 1996, ''Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite'' experienced chart growth on both the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]],<ref name="billboard"/> peaking at number eight on the former and at number 36 on the latter.<ref name=albums>[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r232749|pure_url=yes}} Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite: Billboard Albums]. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2009-04-04.</ref> It spent seventy-eight weeks on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart.<ref>[http://www.billboard.com/charts/1996-10-05/billboard-200 The Billboard Hot 200: Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite - Oct 05 1996]. ''Billboard''. Retrieved on 2009-04-04.</ref> It became a Top 30 hit in the United Kingdom.<ref name="Easlea">Easlea, Daryl. [https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/4fhj Review: ''Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite'']. [[BBC Online|BBC Music]]. Retrieved on 2009-07-09.</ref>
+Initially, the album was slow to obtain commercial interest.<ref name="Williams"/> On April 20, 1996, the album made its chart debut at number 38 on the [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums]] chart.<ref name="billboard">[http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/searchResult.jsp?exp=y&Ne=4&inert=25&Ntt=Urban+Hang+Suite+Maxwell&Ntk=Keyword&an=bbcom&nor=10&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Ns=FORMATTED_DATE 0&N=36#pos25 Albums Charts: Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite]{{dead link|date=July 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}. ''Billboard''. Retrieved on 2009-04-04.</ref> From August to October 1996, ''Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite'' experienced chart growth on both the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]],<ref name="billboard"/> peaking at number eight on the former and at number 36 on the latter.<ref name=albums>[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r232749|pure_url=yes}} Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite: Billboard Albums]. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2009-04-04.</ref> It spent seventy-eight weeks on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart.<ref>[http://www.billboard.com/charts/1996-10-05/billboard-200 The Billboard Hot 200: Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite – Oct 05 1996]. ''Billboard''. Retrieved on 2009-04-04.</ref> It became a Top 30 hit in the United Kingdom.<ref name="Easlea">Easlea, Daryl. [https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/4fhj Review: ''Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite'']. [[BBC Online|BBC Music]]. Retrieved on 2009-07-09.</ref>
 The album was later ranked as one of the year's top-10 best albums by ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', ''Rolling Stone'' and ''[[USA Today]]''.<ref name="George">George, Michael. [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1546/is_n2_v12/ai_19404322/?tag=untagged Maxwell: African American singer]. ''American Visions''. Retrieved on 2009-04-04.</ref> and was also nominated for a [[Grammy Award for Best R&B Album]] at the [[Grammy Awards of 1997|39th Grammy Awards]],<ref name=note/> losing the award to The Tony Rich Project's ''[[Words (Tony Rich album)|Words]].''<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080914184436/http://www.tower.com/words-tony-rich-project-cd/wapi/105947400 Product Page: ''Words'']. Muze. Retrieved on 2009-04-04.</ref>
-The album spawned four singles. The first single released, "...Til the Cops Come Knockin'", debuted on the [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks]] at number 87 in May 1996. Peaking at number 79, the single  spent 12 weeks on the chart.<ref>[http://www.billboard.com/charts/1996-05-11/r-b-hip-hop-songs Singles Charts: ...Til The Cops Come Knockin']. ''Billboard''. Retrieved on 2009-04-04.</ref> The second single, "[[Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder)]]", debuted on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks in August 1996 at number 11, eventually peaking number eight.<ref>[http://www.billboard.com/charts/1996-08-17/r-b-hip-hop-songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs: Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder) - Aug 17 1996]. ''Billboard''. Retrieved on 2009-04-04.</ref> It spent eighteen weeks on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]], peaking at number 36 on September 28, 1996.<ref>[http://www.billboard.com/charts/1996-09-28/hot-100 The Billboard Hot 100: Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder) - Sep 28 1996]. ''Billboard''. Retrieved on 2009-04-04.</ref>
+The album spawned four singles. The first single released, "...Til the Cops Come Knockin'", debuted on the [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks]] at number 87 in May 1996. Peaking at number 79, the single spent 12 weeks on the chart.<ref>[http://www.billboard.com/charts/1996-05-11/r-b-hip-hop-songs Singles Charts: ...Til The Cops Come Knockin']. ''Billboard''. Retrieved on 2009-04-04.</ref> The second single, "[[Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder)]]", debuted on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks in August 1996 at number 11, eventually peaking number eight.<ref>[http://www.billboard.com/charts/1996-08-17/r-b-hip-hop-songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs: Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder) – Aug 17 1996]. ''Billboard''. Retrieved on 2009-04-04.</ref> It spent eighteen weeks on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]], peaking at number 36 on September 28, 1996.<ref>[http://www.billboard.com/charts/1996-09-28/hot-100 The Billboard Hot 100: Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder) – Sep 28 1996]. ''Billboard''. Retrieved on 2009-04-04.</ref> The third single, "[[Sumthin' Sumthin']]", peaked at number 22 on the Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales.<ref name=singles>[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r232749|pure_url=yes}} Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite: Billboard Singles]. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2009-04-04.</ref> The album's fourth single, "Suitelady (The Proposal Jam)", entered the [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay]] component chart in May 1997, peaking at number 64.<ref>[http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/searchResult.jsp?exp=y&Ntt=maxwell+suitelady&Ntk=Keyword&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&nor=10&an=bbcom&N=37&Ns=FORMATTED_DATE 0 Singles Charts: Suitelady (The Proposal Jam)]{{dead link|date=July 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}. ''Billboard''. Retrieved on 2009-04-04.</ref> (Maxwell contributed the song "Segurança (Security)" to the AIDS-benefit album ''[[Red Hot + Rio]]'', produced by the [[Red Hot Organization]].)
-The third single, "[[Sumthin' Sumthin']]", peaked at number 22 on the Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales.<ref name=singles>[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r232749|pure_url=yes}} Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite: Billboard Singles]. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2009-04-04.</ref> The album's fourth single, "Suitelady (The Proposal Jam)", entered the [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay]] component chart in May 1997, peaking at number 64.<ref>[http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/searchResult.jsp?exp=y&Ntt=maxwell+suitelady&Ntk=Keyword&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&nor=10&an=bbcom&N=37&Ns=FORMATTED_DATE 0 Singles Charts: Suitelady (The Proposal Jam)]{{dead link|date=July 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}. ''Billboard''. Retrieved on 2009-04-04.</ref> (Maxwell contributed the song "Segurança (Security)" to the AIDS-benefit album ''[[Red Hot + Rio]]'', produced by the [[Red Hot Organization]].)
-Maxwell released a series of [[Extended play|EPs]] featuring different versions of his songs from ''Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite'', including "...Til the Cops Come Knockin'", "Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder)", "Whenever Wherever Whatever" and "Sumthin' Sumthin'".  These EPs were re-released in 2019.<ref name="Vanderhoof">{{Cite web|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2019/04/maxwell-urban-hang-suite-eps-interview|title=Maxwell Goes Back to the Future|last=Vanderhoof|first=Erin|website=Vanities|date=April 19, 2019 |language=en|access-date=2019-05-14}}</ref>  "Sumthin' Sumthin': Mellosmoothe" appeared on the ''[[Love Jones (film)|Love Jones]]'' [[Love Jones (soundtrack)|soundtrack]] in March 1997.
+Maxwell released a series of [[Extended play|EPs]] featuring different versions of his songs from ''Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite'', including "...Til the Cops Come Knockin'", "Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder)", "Whenever Wherever Whatever" and "Sumthin' Sumthin'". These EPs were re-released in 2019.<ref name="Vanderhoof">{{Cite web|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2019/04/maxwell-urban-hang-suite-eps-interview|title=Maxwell Goes Back to the Future|last=Vanderhoof|first=Erin|website=Vanities|date=April 19, 2019 |language=en|access-date=2019-05-14}}</ref> "Sumthin' Sumthin': Mellosmoothe" appeared on the ''[[Love Jones (film)|Love Jones]]'' [[Love Jones (soundtrack)|soundtrack]] in March 1997.
-Despite Maxwell's having released only one album, the music video television channel [[MTV]] saw his burgeoning popularity and asked him to tape an episode of the concert series ''[[MTV Unplugged]]'' in [[New York City]]. The show was taped live on June 15, 1997, and he performed his own songs as well as covers of songs by [[Kate Bush]] ("[[This Woman's Work (song)|This Woman's Work]]") and [[Nine Inch Nails]] ("[[Closer (Nine Inch Nails song)|Closer]]").<ref>[https://archive.today/20120914003944/http://www.tv.com/mtv-unplugged/maxwell/episode/188122/summary.html?tag=ep_list;title;0 "Maxwell Unplugged"]. tv.com.</ref> (Maxwell clashed with his label about the release of a full album of his session, resulting in the release of only an extended play, or EP instead,<ref>{{dead link|date=August 2013}} [http://entertainment.circuitcity.com/Music/Album.aspx?p_id=P+++173891&a_id=R+++278335&PersonID=P%20%20%20173891&prodid=SNY68515.2 Maxwell Unplugged CD] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081013145118/http://entertainment.circuitcity.com/Music/Album.aspx?p_id=P+++173891&a_id=R+++278335&PersonID=P%20%20%20173891&prodid=SNY68515.2 |date=October 13, 2008 }} entertainment.circuitcity.com.</ref> containing seven songs.) The ''MTV Unplugged'' performance of "...Til the Cops Come Knockin" was included as a bonus track on the international release. The episode of ''MTV Unplugged'' first aired on the network on July 22, 1997.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20030711122715/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1426733/19970627/bush_kate.jhtml Maxwell's Unplugged CD] ''mtv.com''</ref>
+Despite Maxwell's having released only one album, the music video television channel [[MTV]] saw his burgeoning popularity and asked him to tape an episode of the concert series ''[[MTV Unplugged]]'' in New York City. The show was taped live on June 15, 1997, and he performed his own songs as well as covers of songs by [[Kate Bush]] ("[[This Woman's Work (song)|This Woman's Work]]") and [[Nine Inch Nails]] ("[[Closer (Nine Inch Nails song)|Closer]]").<ref>[https://archive.today/20120914003944/http://www.tv.com/mtv-unplugged/maxwell/episode/188122/summary.html?tag=ep_list;title;0 "Maxwell Unplugged"]. tv.com.</ref> (Maxwell clashed with his label about the release of a full album of his session, resulting in the release of only an extended play, or EP instead,<ref>{{dead link|date=August 2013}} [http://entertainment.circuitcity.com/Music/Album.aspx?p_id=P+++173891&a_id=R+++278335&PersonID=P%20%20%20173891&prodid=SNY68515.2 Maxwell Unplugged CD] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081013145118/http://entertainment.circuitcity.com/Music/Album.aspx?p_id=P+++173891&a_id=R+++278335&PersonID=P%20%20%20173891&prodid=SNY68515.2 |date=October 13, 2008 }} entertainment.circuitcity.com.</ref> containing seven songs.) The ''MTV Unplugged'' performance of "...Til the Cops Come Knockin" was included as a bonus track on the international release. The episode of ''MTV Unplugged'' first aired on the network on July 22, 1997.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20030711122715/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1426733/19970627/bush_kate.jhtml Maxwell's Unplugged CD] ''mtv.com''</ref>
 ===1998–2002: ''Embrya'' and ''Now''===
-[[File: Maxwell (musician).jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|Maxwell in 1998.]]
+[[File: Maxwell (musician).jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|Maxwell in 1998]]
-Maxwell's second studio album, ''[[Embrya]]'', was released on June 30, 1998, and upon its release it was panned by contemporary [[music journalism|music critics]].<ref name="Hinds">{{cite journal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fyYEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA108|access-date=May 5, 2013|title=Inner Vision|journal=[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]]|location=New York|pages=104–10|date=April 2001|first=Sewlyn|last=Seyfu Hinds}}</ref> The album received mixed criticism for its more "indulgent sound."<ref name="Huey"/> With its internal focus and esoteric grooves, the album served as a departure for Maxwell, who did not regret risking his reputation with urban listeners for a more challenging record.<ref name="Hinds"/> The album experienced a critical backlash similar to that of other artists' work that broke their previous releases' successful formulas in favor of more compelling projects, now being termed "[[neo-soul]]."<ref name="Neal">Neal (2003), p. 117.</ref> In 1999, it won the [[Soul Train Music Award]] for Best Male Soul/R&B Album.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20000917150200/http://www.allyourtv.com/awards/awardssoultrain14th.html 14th Annual Soul Train Award Winners] ''allyourtv.com/awards/''  March 6, 2000</ref> In a retrospective review for [[Allmusic]], [[Stephen Thomas Erlewine]] wrote that Maxwell "overstuffs his songs with ideas that lead nowhere" and called ''Embrya'' "a bit of a sophomore stumble, albeit one with promising moments." Arion Berger, writing in ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide]]'' (2004), found the songs monotonous and called the album "unfocused and pretentious ... full of overwrought, underwritten songs with obscure, fancy titles revolving around a sort of sexual [[gnosticism]]."<ref>{{cite book |last=Berger|first=Arion|editor1-first=Nathan|editor1-last=Brackett|editor1-link=Nathan Brackett|editor2-first=Christian|editor2-last=Hoard|title=[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide|The New Rolling Stone Album Guide]]|publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]]|edition=4th|date=November 2, 2004|isbn=0-7432-0169-8|display-authors=etal |page=521}}</ref>  Critics have since reappraised ''Embrya'' as a groundbreaking forerunner to later trends in [[Alternative R&B]], and Columbia Records reissued the album in 2018 on its 20th anniversary.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.okayplayer.com/music/maxwell-interview-okayplayer.html |title=Maxwell Talks Social Media, Making Politically Charged Music & What The Legacy Of 'Embrya' Is 20 Years Later  |last1=Ani |first1=Ivie |date=June 2018 |website=[[Okayplayer]] |access-date=October 17, 2020}}</ref>
+Maxwell's second studio album, ''[[Embrya]]'', was released on June 30, 1998, and upon its release it was panned by contemporary [[music journalism|music critics]].<ref name="Hinds">{{cite journal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fyYEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA108|access-date=May 5, 2013|title=Inner Vision|journal=[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]]|location=New York|pages=104–10|date=April 2001|first=Sewlyn|last=Seyfu Hinds}}</ref> The album received mixed criticism for its more "indulgent sound."<ref name="Huey"/> With its internal focus and esoteric grooves, the album served as a departure for Maxwell, who did not regret risking his reputation with urban listeners for a more challenging record.<ref name="Hinds"/> The album experienced a critical backlash similar to that of other artists' work that broke their previous releases' successful formulas in favor of more compelling projects, now being termed "[[neo-soul]]."<ref name="Neal">Neal (2003), p. 117.</ref> In 1999, it won the [[Soul Train Music Award]] for Best Male Soul/R&B Album.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20000917150200/http://www.allyourtv.com/awards/awardssoultrain14th.html 14th Annual Soul Train Award Winners] ''allyourtv.com/awards/'' March 6, 2000</ref> In a retrospective review for [[Allmusic]], [[Stephen Thomas Erlewine]] wrote that Maxwell "overstuffs his songs with ideas that lead nowhere" and called ''Embrya'' "a bit of a sophomore stumble, albeit one with promising moments." Arion Berger, writing in ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide]]'' (2004), found the songs monotonous and called the album "unfocused and pretentious ... full of overwrought, underwritten songs with obscure, fancy titles revolving around a sort of sexual [[gnosticism]]."<ref>{{cite book |last=Berger|first=Arion|editor1-first=Nathan|editor1-last=Brackett|editor1-link=Nathan Brackett|editor2-first=Christian|editor2-last=Hoard|title=[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide|The New Rolling Stone Album Guide]]|publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]]|edition=4th|date=November 2, 2004|isbn=0-7432-0169-8|display-authors=etal |page=521}}</ref> Critics have since reappraised ''Embrya'' as a groundbreaking forerunner to later trends in [[Alternative R&B]], and Columbia Records reissued the album in 2018 on its 20th anniversary.<ref name=Ani />
+Despite the negative press, the album sold more than one million copies and garnered Maxwell a new [[alternative culture|alternative]] fanbase, but confounded the traditional urban consumers.<ref name="Hinds"/> On May 26, 1999, the album was officially certified [[RIAA certification|platinum]] by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] (RIAA).<ref name="RIAA">{{cite web|url=https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?artist=%22Embrya%22 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130717084702/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?artist=%22Embrya%22 |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 17, 2013 |title=American album certifications – Maxwell – Embrya |publisher=[[Recording Industry Association of America]] |access-date=July 16, 2013 |at=''If necessary, click ''Advanced'', then click ''Format'', then select ''Album'', then click ''SEARCH }}</ref> ''Embrya'' was nominated for a [[Grammy Award for Best R&B Album]], losing to fellow neo-soul artist [[Erykah Badu|Erykah Badu's]] ''[[Baduizm]]'' (1997).<ref name="links">[https://web.archive.org/web/20071001215721/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/erykahbadu/articles/story/5919702/badu_sweeps_soul_train_awards Erykah Badu sweeps Soul Train Awards] ''rollingstone.com'' March 3, 1998</ref> Later in the year he released "[[Fortunate (song)|Fortunate]]", a single written by [[R. Kelly]] and featured on the [[Life (soundtrack)|soundtrack]] for the 1999 [[film]] ''[[Life (1999 film)|Life]]''. The single peaked at number one on [[Billboard magazine|''Billboard'' magazine's]] [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles and Tracks]] chart. To date, the song is Maxwell's most successful single and was ''Billboard's'' number-one R&B single of 1999.
-Despite the negative press, the album sold more than one million copies and garnered Maxwell a new [[alternative culture|alternative]] fanbase, but confounded the traditional urban consumers.<ref name="Hinds"/>
-On May 26, 1999, the album was officially certified [[RIAA certification|platinum]] by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] (RIAA).<ref name="RIAA">{{cite web|url=https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?artist=%22Embrya%22 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130717084702/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?artist=%22Embrya%22 |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 17, 2013 |title=American album certifications – Maxwell – Embrya |publisher=[[Recording Industry Association of America]] |access-date=July 16, 2013 |at=''If necessary, click ''Advanced'', then click ''Format'', then select ''Album'', then click ''SEARCH }}</ref> ''Embrya'' was nominated for a [[Grammy Award for Best R&B Album]], losing to fellow neo-soul artist [[Erykah Badu|Erykah Badu's]] ''[[Baduizm]]'' (1997).<ref name="links">[https://web.archive.org/web/20071001215721/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/erykahbadu/articles/story/5919702/badu_sweeps_soul_train_awards Erykah Badu sweeps Soul Train Awards] ''rollingstone.com''  March 3, 1998</ref>
-Later in the year he released "[[Fortunate (song)|Fortunate]]", a single written by [[R. Kelly]] and featured on the [[Life (soundtrack)|soundtrack]] for the 1999 [[film]] ''[[Life (1999 film)|Life]]''. The single peaked at number one on [[Billboard magazine|''Billboard'' magazine's]] [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles and Tracks]] chart. To date, the song is Maxwell's most successful single and was ''Billboard's'' number-one R&B single of 1999.
-Maxwell's third studio album, ''[[Now (Maxwell album)|Now]]'', was released by [[Columbia Records]] on August 14, 2001, in the United States. Following the lukewarm radio success of his previous album, Maxwell stated he felt more comfortable with his artistic direction in the creation of this album, which does not exhibit his previous work's conceptual style.<ref name="Jones">Jones, Steve. "[https://archive.today/20130131135429/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/USAToday/access/78247313.html?dids=78247313:78247313&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Aug+20,+2001&author=Steve+Jones&pub=USA+TODAY&desc=Maxwell+says+he's+ready+'Now'+to+'Get+to+Know+Ya'&pqatl=google Maxwell Says He's Ready 'Now' to 'Get to Know Ya']". ''[[USA Today]]'': D.08. August 20, 2001.</ref> The album sold over 296,000 units in the U.S. in the first week, according to SoundScan, to earn him his first-ever number one album. The album was later certified platinum by the RIAA. "[[Lifetime (Maxwell song)|Lifetime]]" was the second single from the album. It was a top five hit on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop songs chart and peaked at No. 22 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart.<ref>[{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=maxwell|chart=all}} www.billboard.com-maxwell-songs]</ref> The third single off the album, "[[This Woman's Work#Maxwell's versions|This Woman's Work]]", a live staple of Maxwell's,<ref name="Leroy">Leroy, Dan. [http://ca.music.yahoo.com/read/review/12029202 Review: ''Now'']{{Dead link|date=May 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}. [[Yahoo! Music]]. Retrieved on 2009-09-25.</ref> charted at number 58 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] and at number 16 on the [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs]] chart.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/2002-06-29/hot-100 |title=The Billboard Hot 100 - Maxwell - This Woman's Work - Chart Listing For The Week Of jun 29 2002 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=15 February 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/2002-07-06/r-b-hip-hop-songs |title=The Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs - Maxwell - This Woman's Work - Chart Listing For The Week Of jul 06 2002 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=15 February 2009}}</ref> Once again, despite some criticism towards Maxwell's songwriting,<ref name="Lewis">Lewis, Miles Marshall. [http://www.laweekly.com/2001-09-20/music/now-s-the-time/ Review: ''Now'']. ''[[LA Weekly]]''. Retrieved on 2009-09-25.</ref><ref name="Cinquemani">Cinquemani, Sal. [http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/music_review.asp?ID=126 Review: ''Now''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222142848/http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/music_review.asp?ID=126 |date=February 22, 2014 }}. [[Slant Magazine]]. Retrieved on 2009-09-25.</ref><ref name="Coleman">Coleman, Nick. [https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-maxwell-670723.html Review: ''Now'']{{dead link|date=August 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}. ''[[The Independent]]''. Retrieved on 2009-09-25.</ref> La Weekly stated "''Now'' is a disappointment in the wake of 1996's Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite and its 1998 follow-up, Embrya."<ref name="Lewis"/>  ''Now'' received generally positive reviews from music critics, based on an aggregate score of 78/100 from [[Metacritic]].<ref name="Meta">[http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/maxwell/now ''Now'' (2001): Reviews] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100314073558/http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/maxwell/now |date=March 14, 2010 }}. [[Metacritic]]. Retrieved on 2009-09-25.</ref>
+Maxwell's third studio album, ''[[Now (Maxwell album)|Now]]'', was released by [[Columbia Records]] on August 14, 2001, in the United States. Following the lukewarm radio success of his previous album, Maxwell stated he felt more comfortable with his artistic direction in the creation of this album, which does not exhibit his previous work's conceptual style.<ref name="Jones">Jones, Steve. "[https://archive.today/20130131135429/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/USAToday/access/78247313.html?dids=78247313:78247313&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Aug+20,+2001&author=Steve+Jones&pub=USA+TODAY&desc=Maxwell+says+he's+ready+'Now'+to+'Get+to+Know+Ya'&pqatl=google Maxwell Says He's Ready 'Now' to 'Get to Know Ya']". ''[[USA Today]]'': D.08. August 20, 2001.</ref> The album sold over 296,000 units in the U.S. in the first week, according to SoundScan, to earn him his first-ever number one album. The album was later certified platinum by the RIAA. "[[Lifetime (Maxwell song)|Lifetime]]" was the second single from the album. It was a top five hit on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop songs chart and peaked at No. 22 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart.<ref>[{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=maxwell|chart=all}} www.billboard.com-maxwell-songs]</ref> The third single off the album, "[[This Woman's Work#Maxwell's versions|This Woman's Work]]", a live staple of Maxwell's,<ref name="Leroy">Leroy, Dan. [http://ca.music.yahoo.com/read/review/12029202 Review: ''Now'']{{Dead link|date=May 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}. [[Yahoo! Music]]. Retrieved on 2009-09-25.</ref> charted at number 58 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] and at number 16 on the [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs]] chart.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/2002-06-29/hot-100 |title=The Billboard Hot 100 – Maxwell – This Woman's Work – Chart Listing For The Week of June 29 2002 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=15 February 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/2002-07-06/r-b-hip-hop-songs |title=The Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Maxwell – This Woman's Work –Chart Listing For The Week Of jul 06 2002 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=15 February 2009}}</ref> Once again, despite some criticism towards Maxwell's songwriting,<ref name="Lewis">Lewis, Miles Marshall. [http://www.laweekly.com/2001-09-20/music/now-s-the-time/ Review: ''Now'']. ''[[LA Weekly]]''. Retrieved on 2009-09-25.</ref><ref name="Cinquemani">Cinquemani, Sal. [http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/music_review.asp?ID=126 Review: ''Now''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222142848/http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/music_review.asp?ID=126 |date=February 22, 2014 }}. [[Slant Magazine]]. Retrieved on 2009-09-25.</ref><ref name="Coleman">Coleman, Nick. [https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-maxwell-670723.html Review: ''Now'']{{dead link|date=August 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}. ''[[The Independent]]''. Retrieved on 2009-09-25.</ref> La Weekly stated "''Now'' is a disappointment in the wake of 1996's Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite and its 1998 follow-up, Embrya."<ref name="Lewis"/> ''Now'' received generally positive reviews from music critics, based on an aggregate score of 78/100 from [[Metacritic]].<ref name="Meta">[http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/maxwell/now ''Now'' (2001): Reviews] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100314073558/http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/maxwell/now |date=March 14, 2010 }}. [[Metacritic]]. Retrieved on 2009-09-25.</ref> The album was Maxwell's last release before he took a lengthy [[wiktionary:hiatus|hiatus]] from performing.
-The album was Maxwell's last release before he took a lengthy [[wiktionary:hiatus|hiatus]] from performing.
 ===2003–2010: ''BLACKsummers'night''===
 [[File:Maxwell in toronto.jpg|thumb|Maxwell performing in 2008]]
-Recording sessions for a new album took place during 2007 to 2009 at [[Chung King Studios]], Bowery Digital, and Platinum Sound Recording Studios in [[New York City]].<ref name=credits>Per liner notes from ''BLACKsummers'night'' album</ref> The album was produced entirely by Maxwell and musician Hod David.<ref name=credits/> The album was to serve as the first part of his scheduled trilogy of albums.<ref name="Capobianco">Capobianco, Ken. [http://www.boston.com/ae/music/cd_reviews/articles/2009/07/06/mood_setting_rb_from_maxwell Review: ''BLACKsummers'night'']. ''[[The Boston Globe]]''. Retrieved on 2009-07-19.</ref>
+Recording sessions for a new album took place during 2007 to 2009 at [[Chung King Studios]], Bowery Digital, and Platinum Sound Recording Studios in New York City.<ref name=credits>Per liner notes from ''BLACKsummers'night'' album</ref> The album was produced entirely by Maxwell and musician Hod David.<ref name=credits/> The album was to serve as the first part of his scheduled trilogy of albums.<ref name="Capobianco">Capobianco, Ken. [http://www.boston.com/ae/music/cd_reviews/articles/2009/07/06/mood_setting_rb_from_maxwell Review: ''BLACKsummers'night'']. ''[[The Boston Globe]]''. Retrieved on 2009-07-19.</ref>
-During this time, and after seven years of not performing, he appeared as a surprise musical guest on the [[BET Awards|2008 BET Awards]], where he performed the song "[[Simply Beautiful]]" in a tribute to soul singer [[Al Green]], shocking fans and the audience alike with his ability to still perform well, but also with his new look, his trademark afro and pork-chop sideburns gone, replaced with a more relaxed and subdued look.<ref>[http://www.imeem.com/24summerbreeze/video/d_9c0nAD/2008_bet_awards_maxwell_simply_beautiful_music_video Muziek | Myspace Music]. Imeem.com. Retrieved  March 2, 2012.</ref><ref>[http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=37720501 "Video Maxwell's tribute to Al Green, BET Awards 2008 van That Marcus – Myspace Video"]{{dead link|date=June 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}. Vids.myspace.com. Retrieved  March 2, 2012.</ref><ref>[http://www.soulbounce.com/soul/2008/06/maxwell_shocks_awes_and_delights_at_bet_awards.php "Maxwell Shocks, Awes and Delights at BET Awards"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130912013610/http://www.soulbounce.com/soul/2008/06/maxwell_shocks_awes_and_delights_at_bet_awards.php |date=September 12, 2013 }}. Soulbounce.Com. Retrieved March 2, 2012.</ref>
+During this time, and after seven years of not performing, he appeared as a surprise musical guest on the [[BET Awards|2008 BET Awards]], where he performed the song "[[Simply Beautiful]]" in a tribute to soul singer [[Al Green]], shocking fans and the audience alike with his ability to still perform well, but also with his new look, his trademark afro and pork-chop sideburns gone, replaced with a more relaxed and subdued look.<ref>[http://www.imeem.com/24summerbreeze/video/d_9c0nAD/2008_bet_awards_maxwell_simply_beautiful_music_video Muziek | Myspace Music]. Imeem.com. Retrieved March 2, 2012.</ref><ref>[http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=37720501 "Video Maxwell's tribute to Al Green, BET Awards 2008 van That Marcus – Myspace Video"]{{dead link|date=June 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}. Vids.myspace.com. Retrieved March 2, 2012.</ref><ref>[http://www.soulbounce.com/soul/2008/06/maxwell_shocks_awes_and_delights_at_bet_awards.php "Maxwell Shocks, Awes and Delights at BET Awards"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130912013610/http://www.soulbounce.com/soul/2008/06/maxwell_shocks_awes_and_delights_at_bet_awards.php |date=September 12, 2013 }}. Soulbounce.Com. Retrieved March 2, 2012.</ref>
-The album ''[[BLACKsummers'night]]'' was released on July 7, 2009 and received universal acclaim from music critics. Commercially the album was a success, debuting at number one on the US [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] chart in July 2009, with first-week sales of 316,000 copies,<ref name="Sisario">Sisario, Ben. [https://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/16/arts/music/16arts-BLACKSUMMERS_BRF.html ‘Blacksummers’night’ Takes Maxwell to No. 1]. ''[[The New York Times]]''. Retrieved on 2009-09-13.</ref> serving as Maxwell's highest first-week sales.<ref>Caulfield, Keith. [http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/268078/maxwell-tops-billboard-200 Maxwell Tops Billboard 200]. ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]''. Retrieved on 2010-05-02.</ref>
+The album ''[[BLACKsummers'night]]'' was released on July 7, 2009 and received universal acclaim from music critics. Commercially the album was a success, debuting at number one on the US [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] chart in July 2009, with first-week sales of 316,000 copies,<ref name="Sisario">[[Ben Sisario|Sisario, Ben]]. [https://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/16/arts/music/16arts-BLACKSUMMERS_BRF.html ‘Blacksummers’night’ Takes Maxwell to No. 1]. ''[[The New York Times]]''. Retrieved on 2009-09-13.</ref> serving as Maxwell's highest first-week sales.<ref>Caulfield, Keith. [http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/268078/maxwell-tops-billboard-200 Maxwell Tops Billboard 200]. ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]''. Retrieved on 2010-05-02.</ref>
-The album produced four singles. The lead single "[[Pretty Wings]]" debuted at number one on the US ''[[Billboard charts|Billboard]]'' [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs]] chart,<ref>[http://www.billboard.com/charts/2009-09-05/r-b-hip-hop-songs R&B/Hip-Hop Songs - Week of September 05, 2009]. ''Billboard''. Retrieved on 2010-05-02.</ref> ultimately spending 47 weeks on the chart.<ref name="R&BSongs">[{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=maxwell|chart=R&B/Hip-Hop Songs}} Chart History - Maxwell: R&B/Hip-Hop Songs]. ''Billboard''. Retrieved on 2010-05-02.</ref> It also spent 18 weeks and peaked at number 33 on the [[Hot 100]] and at number 12 on its [[Hot 100 Airplay (Radio Songs)|Radio Songs]] component chart.<ref name="Hot100">[{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=maxwell|chart=all}} Chart History - Maxwell: Hot 100]. ''Billboard''. Retrieved on 2010-05-02.</ref><ref name="Radio">[{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=maxwell|chart=Radio Songs}} Chart History - Maxwell: Radio Songs]. ''Billboard''. Retrieved on 2010-05-02.</ref> The second single, "[[Bad Habits (Maxwell song)|Bad Habits]]", peaked at number four on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, spending 46 weeks on the chart.<ref name="R&BSongs"/> It peaked at number 71 on the Hot 100,<ref name="Hot100"/> at number 38 on the Radio Songs chart,<ref name="Radio"/> and at number 16 on the [[Hot Dance Club Songs]] chart.<ref>[{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=maxwell|chart=Dance/Club Play Songs}} Chart History - Maxwell: Dance/Club Play Songs]. ''Billboard''. Retrieved on 2010-05-02.</ref> The third single "[[Cold (Maxwell song)|Cold]]" spent one week at number 62 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.<ref name="R&BSongs"/> The album's fourth single "[[Fistful of Tears]]" spent 24 weeks on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, peaking at number 11.<ref name="R&BSongs"/> It charted at number 94 on the Hot 100 and at number 63 on the Radio Songs chart.<ref name="Hot100"/><ref name="Radio"/> Maxwell received six nominations for the 2010 [[Grammy Awards]], winning "Best R&B Album" for ''BLACKsummers'night'' and "Best Male R&B Vocal Performance" for "Pretty Wings."<ref>2010 Grammy Award Nominations. Grammy.com/nominees. Retrieved December 20, 2009.</ref> "Pretty Wings" was nominated for the "Song of the Year" which was written by Maxwell under his publishing moniker Musze.
+The album produced four singles. The lead single "[[Pretty Wings]]" debuted at number one on the US ''[[Billboard charts|Billboard]]'' [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs]] chart,<ref>[http://www.billboard.com/charts/2009-09-05/r-b-hip-hop-songs R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Week of September 05, 2009]. ''Billboard''. Retrieved on 2010-05-02.</ref> ultimately spending 47 weeks on the chart.<ref name="R&BSongs">[{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=maxwell|chart=R&B/Hip-Hop Songs}} Chart History – Maxwell: R&B/Hip-Hop Songs]. ''Billboard''. Retrieved on 2010-05-02.</ref> It also spent 18 weeks and peaked at number 33 on the [[Hot 100]] and at number 12 on its [[Hot 100 Airplay (Radio Songs)|Radio Songs]] component chart.<ref name="Hot100">[{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=maxwell|chart=all}} Chart History – Maxwell: Hot 100]. ''Billboard''. Retrieved on 2010-05-02.</ref><ref name="Radio">[{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=maxwell|chart=Radio Songs}} Chart History – Maxwell: Radio Songs]. ''Billboard''. Retrieved on 2010-05-02.</ref> The second single, "[[Bad Habits (Maxwell song)|Bad Habits]]", peaked at number four on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, spending 46 weeks on the chart.<ref name="R&BSongs"/> It peaked at number 71 on the Hot 100,<ref name="Hot100"/> at number 38 on the Radio Songs chart,<ref name="Radio"/> and at number 16 on the [[Hot Dance Club Songs]] chart.<ref>[{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=maxwell|chart=Dance/Club Play Songs}} Chart History – Maxwell: Dance/Club Play Songs]. ''Billboard''. Retrieved on 2010-05-02.</ref> The third single "[[Cold (Maxwell song)|Cold]]" spent one week at number 62 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.<ref name="R&BSongs"/> The album's fourth single "[[Fistful of Tears]]" spent 24 weeks on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, peaking at number 11.<ref name="R&BSongs"/> It charted at number 94 on the Hot 100 and at number 63 on the Radio Songs chart.<ref name="Hot100"/><ref name="Radio"/> Maxwell received six nominations for the 2010 [[Grammy Awards]], winning "Best R&B Album" for ''BLACKsummers'night'' and "Best Male R&B Vocal Performance" for "Pretty Wings."<ref>2010 Grammy Award Nominations. Grammy.com/nominees. Retrieved December 20, 2009.</ref> "Pretty Wings" was nominated for the "Song of the Year" which was written by Maxwell under his publishing moniker Musze.
 ===2011–2017: ''blackSUMMERS'night''===
-On April 17, 2012, Maxwell announced that he and his eleven-piece band would embark on a six-day tour, MaxwellTwoNight -M2N tour 2012 – two nights in three cities, scheduled for the cities of Los Angeles, California – Staples Center (July 20 and July 21); Atlanta, Georgia – Philips Arena (July 27 and July 28); and Newark, New Jersey{{spaced ndash}} the Prudential Center (August 3 and August 4). Maxwell was to perform his discography in its entirety. The first day of the tour Maxwell was to perform songs from his first album ''Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite'' and second album ''Embrya''. The second day of the tour Maxwell was to perform from his third and fourth albums ''Now'' and ''BLACKsummer'snight'', respectively. Maxwell was to debut never-performed songs from his BLACKsummer'snight trilogy. lt was also announced that proceeds from the M2N tour merchandise would support the "Obama-Biden 2012" re-election campaign.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/494062/maxwell-announces-6-day-tour-will-perform-all-albums |title=Maxwell Announces 6-Day Tour; Will Perform All Albums |website=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=April 17, 2012}}</ref> However, the tour was canceled due to vocal hemorrhaging.<ref>[https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/maxwell-cancels-tour-due-to-vocal-hemorrhaging-20120623 "Maxwell Cancels Tour Due to Vocal Hemorrhaging"]. ''[[Rolling Stone]]''.  June 23, 2013.  Retrieved August 31, 2012.</ref>
+On April 17, 2012, Maxwell announced that he and his eleven-piece band would embark on a six-day tour, MaxwellTwoNight -M2N tour 2012 – two nights in three cities, scheduled for the cities of Los Angeles, California – Staples Center (July 20 and July 21); Atlanta, Georgia – Philips Arena (July 27 and July 28); and Newark, New Jersey{{spaced ndash}} the Prudential Center (August 3 and August 4). Maxwell was to perform his discography in its entirety. The first day of the tour Maxwell was to perform songs from his first album ''Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite'' and second album ''Embrya''. The second day of the tour Maxwell was to perform from his third and fourth albums ''Now'' and ''BLACKsummer'snight'', respectively. Maxwell was to debut never-performed songs from his BLACKsummer'snight trilogy. lt was also announced that proceeds from the M2N tour merchandise would support the "Obama-Biden 2012" re-election campaign.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/494062/maxwell-announces-6-day-tour-will-perform-all-albums |title=Maxwell Announces 6-Day Tour; Will Perform All Albums |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=April 17, 2012}}</ref> However, the tour was canceled due to vocal hemorrhaging.<ref>[https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/maxwell-cancels-tour-due-to-vocal-hemorrhaging-20120623 "Maxwell Cancels Tour Due to Vocal Hemorrhaging"]. ''[[Rolling Stone]]''. June 23, 2013. Retrieved August 31, 2012.</ref>
 After two years of occasionally performing and planning, he disclosed during an interview with [[Rolling Stone]] magazine in May 2014 that he had been working on his fifth studio album for "the past three years" and has been recording in Miami.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/maxwell-returns-to-the-road-to-prep-cyborg-y-new-album-20140530|title=Maxwell Returns to the Road to Prep 'Cyborg-y' New Album|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=May 30, 2014|access-date=April 11, 2016}}</ref> On December 18, 2014, Maxwell announced on the [[social media]] site [[Twitter]] the second installment of his trilogy ''[[blackSUMMERS'night]]'' would be arriving sometime in winter 2015.<ref>{{cite tweet|user=_MAXWELL_|author=MAXWELL|number=545656579107078144|date=18 December 2014|title='BLACK_S. U. M. M. E. R. S'_NIGHT' #WINTER2015}}</ref>
@@ Line 103: / Line 99: @@
 ===2018–present: ''Night''===
-In October 2018, Maxwell released the single "Shame", which he said was a preview of his upcoming album ''Night'', the final installment of his album trilogy.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/maxwell-announces-new-album-night-drops-new-song-shame-listen/|title=Maxwell Announces New Album NIGHT, Drops New Song "Shame": Listen|website=Pitchfork| date=October 5, 2018 |language=en|access-date=2019-06-03}}</ref> In April 2019 as he was re-issuing his earlier EPs in digital format, Maxwell said that he was scheduling a string of performances for mid-2019.<ref name="Vanderhoof" />  Maxwell had a consecutive four-night concert run at the [[John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts|Kennedy Center]], supported by the [[National Symphony Orchestra]], in September 2019.<ref>Ferguson, Eve M. [https://www.washingtoninformer.com/maxwell-coming-to-kennedy-center-this-month/]. ''[[Washington Examiner]]''. Retrieved on 2020-10-14.</ref> Maxwell closed out the Hollywood Bowl’s Summer Season with a 3-night run in September 2023.
+In October 2018, Maxwell released the single "Shame", which he said was a preview of his upcoming album ''Night'', the final installment of his album trilogy.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/maxwell-announces-new-album-night-drops-new-song-shame-listen/|title=Maxwell Announces New Album NIGHT, Drops New Song "Shame": Listen|website=Pitchfork| date=October 5, 2018 |language=en|access-date=2019-06-03}}</ref> In April 2019 as he was re-issuing his earlier EPs in digital format, Maxwell said that he was scheduling a string of performances for mid-2019.<ref name="Vanderhoof" /> Maxwell had a consecutive four-night concert run at the [[John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts|Kennedy Center]], supported by the [[National Symphony Orchestra]], in September 2019.<ref>Ferguson, Eve M. [https://www.washingtoninformer.com/maxwell-coming-to-kennedy-center-this-month/]. ''[[Washington Examiner]]''. Retrieved on 2020-10-14.</ref> Maxwell closed out the Hollywood Bowl’s Summer Season with a 3-night run in September 2023.
 ==Legacy==
-Along with fellow musicians [[D'Angelo]] and [[Erykah Badu]], Maxwell has been credited with helping to shape the "[[neo soul]]" movement that rose to prominence during the late 1990s.<ref name="Huey"/><ref name="Shapiro">Shapiro (2006), p. 104–105.</ref> Along with D'Angelo's ''[[Brown Sugar (D'Angelo album)|Brown Sugar]]'' (1995) and Badu's ''[[Baduizm]]'' (1997),<ref name="Shapiro"/> ''Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite'' has been recognized by writers for beginning neo soul's popularity and helping the genre obtain commercial visibility.<ref name="Nelson">Nelson, Trevor. [http://www.trevornelson.com/nonflash/top50.asp Radio 1 Listeners Top 50 Albums of 1993-2003] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717100310/http://www.trevornelson.com/nonflash/top50.asp |date=July 17, 2011 }}. TrevorNelson. Retrieved on 2009-03-30.</ref><ref name="Harvilla">Harvilla, Rob. [http://www.villagevoice.com/2008-10-15/music/maxwell-returns-so-do-the-giant-panties/ Maxwell Returns. So Do the Giant Panties]. ''The Village Voice''. Retrieved on 2009-03-31.</ref> However, in contrast to D'Angelo, Maxwell was more conventional in his approach on his debut album.<ref name="Hahn">Hahn (2003), p. 227.</ref>
+Along with fellow musicians [[D'Angelo]] and [[Erykah Badu]], Maxwell has been credited with helping to shape the "[[neo soul]]" movement that rose to prominence during the late 1990s.<ref name="Huey"/><ref name="Shapiro">Shapiro (2006), p. 104–105.</ref> Along with D'Angelo's ''[[Brown Sugar (D'Angelo album)|Brown Sugar]]'' (1995) and Badu's ''[[Baduizm]]'' (1997),<ref name="Shapiro"/> ''Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite'' has been recognized by writers for beginning neo soul's popularity and helping the genre obtain commercial visibility.<ref name="Nelson">Nelson, Trevor. [http://www.trevornelson.com/nonflash/top50.asp Radio 1 Listeners Top 50 Albums of 1993-2003] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717100310/http://www.trevornelson.com/nonflash/top50.asp |date=July 17, 2011 }}. TrevorNelson. Retrieved on 2009-03-30.</ref><ref name="Harvilla">Harvilla, Rob. [http://www.villagevoice.com/2008-10-15/music/maxwell-returns-so-do-the-giant-panties/ Maxwell Returns. So Do the Giant Panties]. ''The Village Voice''. Retrieved on 2009-03-31.</ref> However, in contrast to D'Angelo, Maxwell was more conventional in his approach on his debut album.<ref name="Hahn">Hahn (2003), p. 227.</ref> He inspired Canadian singer [[The Weeknd]].
 In commenting on the "new soul revival" in music, Maxwell told ''Entertainment Weekly'' in 1997 that "everything out there musically was inspired or influenced by something from the past. It's not about creating some super-fresh new thing. If it doesn't lend itself to your history, how is it going to extend to your future? That's what's really brilliant about looking into children's eyes—you can see their parents in them."<ref name="Adams"/> ''[[The Washington Post]]'' called him "the Marvin Gaye of the '90s".<ref name="Harrington2"/> Its columnist wrote that ''Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite'' "heralded the arrival of a top-of-the-class graduate of the old school of soul, one who could sing about romantic aspiration and tribulation with heart-wrenching emotion. It was as if the aesthetic that Gaye ascribed to — 'music that has feeling, hope and meaning – all the things people are looking for' — had been rediscovered after a long, hedonistic interlude."<ref name="Harrington2">Harrington, Richard. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20121025072114/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-742919.html Maxwell Has a Gaye Old Time]". ''Washington Post'': July 15, 1997.</ref>
-Maxwell's role in writing and producing the album exhibited a level of artistic control by an R&B artist that was uncommon in the recording industry at the time.<ref name="Brennan"/> On his emergence with ''Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite'', writer Carol Brennan cited him, along with the [[Fugees]], D'Angelo and [[Tony Rich]], as neo soul musicians that "exhibited the identifying characteristics of this new breed of R&B artists: lyrics that give voice to intense personal expression, creative control over the music, and a unexpectedly successful debut."<ref name="Brennan"/>
+Maxwell's role in writing and producing the album exhibited a level of artistic control by an R&B artist that was uncommon in the recording industry at the time.<ref name="Brennan"/> On his emergence with ''Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite'', writer Carol Brennan cited him, along with the [[Fugees]], D'Angelo and [[Tony Rich]], as neo soul musicians that "exhibited the identifying characteristics of this new breed of R&B artists: lyrics that give voice to intense personal expression, creative control over the music, and an unexpectedly successful debut."<ref name="Brennan"/>
 == Discography ==
@@ Line 130: / Line 126: @@
 * Summers' 2016 (2016)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://exclaim.ca/music/article/maxwell_maps_out_summers_2016_tour |title=Maxwell Maps Out "SUMMERS' 2016" Tour |last1=Slingerland |first1=Calum |date=April 11, 2016 |website=[[Exclaim!]] |access-date=November 5, 2016}}</ref>
 * The Night Tour (2022)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Maxwell shares new single "OFF," announces 2022 tour dates |url=https://www.thefader.com/2021/11/16/maxwell-new-single-off-2022-tour-dates |access-date=2022-03-04 |website=The Fader |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-11-16 |title=Maxwell Announces 'blacksummers'NIGHT' With 'OFF' & 2022 Tour With Joe & Anthony Hamilton |url=https://soulbounce.com/2021/11/maxwell-off-blacksummersnight-night-tour/ |access-date=2022-03-04 |website=SoulBounce |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Abraham |first=Mya |date=2021-11-16 |title=Maxwell Announces New Album And 25-City Tour Dates |url=https://www.vibe.com/music/music-news/maxwell-new-album-tour-1234636865/ |access-date=2022-03-04 |website=VIBE.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
+* The Serenade Tour (2024)
 '''Co-headlining'''
@@ Line 139: / Line 136: @@
 '''Cancelled tours'''
-*MaxwellTwoNight (2012)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/maxwell-cancels-maxwelltwonight-tour-because-of-health-issues/
+*MaxwellTwoNight (2012)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/maxwell-cancels-maxwelltwonight-tour-because-of-health-issues/|title=Maxwell cancels MaxwellTwoNight tour because of health issues |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=June 25, 2012 |website=[[CBS News]] |publisher=[[CBS]] |access-date=November 5, 2016}}</ref>
-|title=Maxwell cancels MaxwellTwoNight tour because of health issues |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=June 25, 2012 |website=[[CBS News]] |publisher=[[CBS]] |access-date=November 5, 2016}}</ref>
 == Awards and nominations ==
@@ Line 284: / Line 280: @@
 [[Category:American funk keyboardists]]
 [[Category:American funk singers]]
-[[Category:American hip hop singers]]
+[[Category:American hip-hop singers]]
 [[Category:American male guitarists]]
 [[Category:American male singer-songwriters]]
@@ Line 308: / Line 304: @@
 [[Category:Writers from Brooklyn]]
 [[Category:20th-century American composers]]
-[[Category:21st-century American composers]]
 [[Category:20th-century American guitarists]]
 [[Category:21st-century American guitarists]]

v t e Maxwell
Studio albums	Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite (1996) Embrya (1998) Now (2001) BLACKsummers'night (2009) blackSUMMERS'night (2016)
Other albums	MTV Unplugged
Solo singles	"Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder)" "Sumthin' Sumthin' "Luxury: Cococure" "Matrimony: Maybe You" "Fortunate" "Let's Not Play the Game" "Get to Know Ya" "Lifetime" "This Woman's Work" "Pretty Wings" "Smile" "Bad Habits" "Cold" "Fistful of Tears" "Lake by the Ocean"
Tours	Now Tour (2001–02) Maxwell 08 Tour (2008) BLACKsummers'night Tour (2009) Maxwell & Jill Scott: The Tour (2010) King and Queen of Hearts World Tour (2016)
Related articles	Discography

v t e Grammy Award for Best R&B Album
1990s	II – Boyz II Men (1994) CrazySexyCool – TLC (1995) Words – Tony Rich (1996) Baduizm – Erykah Badu (1997) The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill – Lauryn Hill (1998) FanMail – TLC (1999)
2000s	Voodoo – D'Angelo (2000) Songs in A Minor – Alicia Keys (2001) Voyage to India – India Arie (2002) Dance with My Father – Luther Vandross (2003) The Diary of Alicia Keys – Alicia Keys (2004) Get Lifted – John Legend (2005) The Breakthrough – Mary J. Blige (2006) Funk This – Chaka Khan (2007) Jennifer Hudson – Jennifer Hudson (2008) BLACKsummers'night – Maxwell (2009)
2010s	Wake Up! – John Legend and The Roots (2010) F.A.M.E. – Chris Brown (2011) Black Radio – Robert Glasper (2012) Girl on Fire – Alicia Keys (2013) Love, Marriage & Divorce – Toni Braxton and Babyface (2014) Black Messiah – D'Angelo & The Vanguard (2015) Lalah Hathaway Live – Lalah Hathaway (2016) 24K Magic – Bruno Mars (2017) H.E.R. – H.E.R. (2018) Ventura – Anderson .Paak (2019)
2020s	Bigger Love – John Legend (2020) Heaux Tales – Jazmine Sullivan (2021) Black Radio III – Robert Glasper (2022) Jaguar II – Victoria Monét (2023)

v t e NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Male Artist
1970s	Larry Graham (1979)
1980s	Lionel Richie (1982) Michael Jackson (1987) Lou Rawls (1988) Luther Vandross (1989)
1990s	Luther Vandross (1991) Stevie Wonder (1992) Luther Vandross (1993) Luther Vandross (1995) Babyface (1996) Babyface (1997) Luther Vandross (1998) Brian McKnight (1999)
2000s	R. Kelly (2000) Luther Vandross (2001) LL Cool J (2002) Luther Vandross (2003) Usher (2004) Jamie Foxx (2005) Prince (2006) Chris Brown (2007) Jamie Foxx (2008) Maxwell (2009)
2010s	Usher (2010) CeeLo Green (2011) Usher (2012) John Legend (2013) Pharrell Williams (2014) Pharrell Williams (2015) Maxwell (2016) Bruno Mars (2017) Bruno Mars (2018) Bruno Mars (2019)
2020s	Drake (2020) Anthony Hamilton (2021) Chris Brown (2022) Usher (2023)

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Artists	MusicBrainz Grammy Awards
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