LeToya (album)

Untitled

LeToya is the debut studio album by American singer LeToya Luckett, released by Capitol Records on July 25, 2006 (see 2006 in music) in the United States. The album spawned three singles: "Torn", "She Don't" and "Obvious". Besides the officially released singles, LeToya's debut album also includes the promo singles, "U Got What I Need" and "All Eyes On Me". LeToya co-wrote 10 out of the 14 tracks. As the first album of LeToya, recording and release followed the cease of Destiny's Child.

The album garnered mostly positive reception from music critics, debuting at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200, making it the singer's first album released to do so. It was certified Platinum in December 2006.

History

Production

LeToya had "bottled up so many things, so many emotions, so many ideas" accumuleted in many years away from the music world (as her claims on the Intro song "too much to tell ya"), with such things like her dismissal from Destiny's Child, the deception with the shortly-formed Anjel and subsequent search for a new record deal has apparently made her a stronger person. Finally with a record deal, LeToya entered in studios, recording songs produced by many important CEO's names, like Dave Young, Scott Storch, Jermaine Dupri, Bryan Michael Cox, Diddy, Just Blaze, Johnta Austin, Jonathan "JR." Rotem, Mike City. Finally about two years making plans to the release the album came out, surprisingly becoming a number one album through the USA.

Chart performance

LeToya debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 with first week sales of 165,000 copies and at number one on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, becoming the second Destiny's Child member to reach that position on SoundScan Mainstream Chart as a solo artist. To date, the album has sold over 529,000 copies according to Nielsen Soundscan , and has been certified platinum for shipments of 1 million copies.

The first single from the album was "You Got What I Need", with non commercial purpose, but "All Eyes on Me", the second single, is claimed as her "original" first single, as this is the first track that showcased her as a solo artist. "Torn", the first official single from the album which was released in March 2006 and soon became a hit having a high airplay, just missing out the top thirty on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 charts at number thirty one, nevertheless still becoming a top 40 hit. "Torn" became a hit on the U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, peaking at number two. It also entered the top twenty on the Rhythmic Top 40 and Adult R&B charts. In same year, the song was finally released worldwide, namely the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Australia and became a moderate worldwide hit. Torn had one of its biggest successes on BET's 106 & Park. It reached number one in eleven days and stayed there for twenty-five days straight. It remained on the countdown for sixty-five days.

Track listing

1. "Intro" (G. Luckett, B. Pitre) – 0:56
2. "U Got What I Need" (L. Luckett, B. White, J. Smith, D. Young) – 3:44
   • Contains a sample of Barry White's "Walking In The Rain (With The One I Love).
3. "So Special" (T. Bishop, L. Luckett, T. Savage, D. Young) – 3:30
4. "Torn" (T. Bell, T. Bishop, L. Epstein, L. Luckett, D. Young) – 4:22
   • Contains a sample of The Stylistics's 1971 classic "You Are Everything".
5. "What Love Can Do" (K. Hilson, P. Medor, D. Nesmith, P. Smith) – 3:47
6. "She Don't" (Y. Davis, W. Millsap, C. Nelson, Lil Walt, ) – 3:39
   • Contains a sample of The Spinners's "We Belong Together" and samples from The Jackson 5's "Never Can Say Goodbye".
7. "Tear Da Club Up" (H-Town Version) (featuring Bun B & Jazze Pha) (P. Alexander, B. Freeman, L. Luckett, K. Shelton, D. Young) – 3:49
8. "All Eyes on Me" (featuring Paul Wall) (L. Luckett, J. Rotem, P. Slayton, D. Young) – 3:34
   • Contains a sample of Sweet Charity's "Hey, Big Spender".
9. "Hey Fella" (featuring Slim Thug) (H. Lang Jr., S. Thomas, D. Young) – 3:53
10. "Gangsta Grillz" (featuring Mike Jones & Killa Kyleon) (T. Allen, S. Graham, M. Jones, L. Luckett, K. Riley, K. Shelton) – 3:50
11. "Obvious" (Bryan Michael Cox, L. Luckett, D. Young) – 3:55
    • Contains interpolations from Break Hard, Dude by AC/DC and samples Romeo's "Maybe.
12. "I'm Good" (L. Luckett, M. Riddick, Scott Storch, R. Waller) – 3:24
13. "This Song" (B. Cox, Jermaine Dupri, J. Austin) – 3:16
    • Contains interpolatins from Curtis Mayfield's "Eddie, You Should Know Better"
14. "Outro" (G. Curtis, G. Luckeet, L. Luckett, B. Pitre) – 1:37
    • Contains an interpolation from Just A Prayer by Yolanda Adams and sample of Michael Jackson's 1982 "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)".
15. "Torn (So So Def Remix)" (featuring Mike Jones & Rick Ross) (T. Bell, T. Bishop, L. Epstein, L. Luckett, D. Young) – 4:35
16. " No More (iTunes Bonus Track) - 4:06

Credits

• Executive producers: Letoya Luckett, Carl "Mister C" Cole, Terry Ross, Executive Producer
• Mixing: Manny Marroquin, Dave Russell, Kevin "KD" Davis and Jean-Marie Horvat, Jermaine Dupri, Phil Tan
• A&R/Album Producers: Scott Storch, Jazze Pha, Dave Young, Just Blaze, Walter Milsap, Bryan-Michael Cox, Candice Childress, J. R. Rotem, Terry Allen, Teddy Bishop, Jermaine Dupri, Tha Corna Boys, Steve Prudholme
• Engineering: Phil Tan, Danny Cheng, Walter Milsap, Terrence Cash, David Ashton, Ryan West, Tadd Mingo, Pierre Medor, Sam Thomas, Leslie Brathwaite, John Horesco IV, Tadd Mingo
• Management: Terry Ross, Pamela Luckett
• Marketing: Jermaine Dupri
• A & R operation: Steve Prudholme, Josh Houghkirk, Jermaine Dupri
• A & R administration: Jermaine Dupri
• Art directions: Eric Roinestad
• Design: Eric Roinestad
• Photography: Dusan Reljin
• Featuring vocals from: Bun B, Jazze Pha, Paul Wall, Slim Thug, Mike Jones, Killa Kyleon, Rick Ross

Release history

Rgion	Date
Japan	July 4, 2006
United States	July 25, 2006
Australia	September 16, 2006
Canada	August 15, 2006
United Kingdom	October 02, 2006
Puerto Rico	December 24, 2006

Leftover tracks

• "Somethin' 4 Ya" (produced by Nisan) [iTunes limited time purchase]
• "When I Get Around Him" (produced by Teddy Bishop)
• "Nothing For Me" (produced by Mike City)
• "Tear Da Club Up (Original Mix)" (produced by Jazze Pha)
• "Keep It So Real" (featuring and produced by and Jazze Pha)
• "The Truth"

Charts

Chart (2006)	Provider	Peak position
Canadian Albums Chart	CRIA/Nielsen SoundScan	66
Japanese Oricon Albums Chart	Oricon	37
UK Albums Chart	BPI/The Official UK Charts Company	57
U.S. Billboard 200	RIAA	1
U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums		1