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Just a Fool

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"Just a Fool"
Song

"Just a Fool" is a song and the final single by American recording artists Christina Aguilera and Blake Shelton, taken from the former's seventh studio album Lotus (2012). Upon the album's release, the song went to reach the top 15 of the iTunes Store, leading her record label RCA Records to announce it as the second single from the album. It was sent to mainstream radio in the United States on December 4, 2012. "Just a Fool" was written by Steve Robson, Claude Kelly and Wayne Hector and was produced by Robson. It is a country pop ballad with elements of soft rock and soul. Lyrically, it talks about the pain of a break-up.

"Just a Fool" received mostly positive reviews from music critics, who complimented the duo's chemistry and its sound. It has reached number 71 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 37 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart. Aguilera and Shelton performed the song on The Voice, on November 19, 2012, and on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, on December 7, 2012.

Background

After the release of Aguilera's sixth studio album, Bionic (2010), which failed to generated sales,[1] she divorced from her husband Jordan Bratman, made her acting debut in a film called Burlesque and recorded its accompanying soundtrack.[2] The singer then became a coach on NBC's singing contest show The Voice[2] and appeared as a guest vocalist on Maroon 5's single "Moves Like Jagger" (2011), which spent four weeks atop the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.[3] Following these events, Aguilera announced that she wanted to record her seventh album, stating that she wanted high quality and "personal" songs to record.[3] She revealed that the album would be a "culmination of everything I've experienced up until this point ... I've been through a lot since the release of my last album, being on (The Voice), having had a divorce ... This is all sort of a free rebirth for me."[4] She continued to say that "I'm embracing many different things, but it's all feel-good, super-expressive [and] super-vulnerable."[4] She further expressed that the album would be about "self-expression and freedom" because of the personal struggles she had overcome during the last couple of years.[5]

Speaking about her new material on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 2012, Aguilera revealed that the album was taking a while to record because "I don't like to just get songs from producers. I like them to come from a personal place ... I'm very excited. It's fun, exciting, introspective, it's going to be great".[6] "Just a Fool" was written by Steve Robson, Claude Kelly, Wayne Hector, and it was produced by Robson, Kelly and Aguilera.[7] Aguilera's vocals were recorded at The Red Lip's Room in Beverly Hills, California, while Shelton's vocals were recorded at Luminous Sound in Dallas, Texas.[7]

Development

American recording artist, colleague from The Voice and Aguilera's friend Blake Shelton is featured on the track.

Shelton and Aguilera both are coaches on the NBC's American reality talent show The Voice and became good friends during production. In an interview, Aguilera said: "He's my big brother, I'm the closest to him of all the guys. Blake is just a rockstar; he's great. He's so playful, so fun and down to earth. He's got a lot of heart."[8][9] The whole idea for the duet between Christina and Blake came into being when Christina started a performance with a snippet of his song "Hillbilly Bone".[10] Blake tweeted he was speechless, and Christina tweeted back: "Now we need to team up for a country duet Blake!! I'm down!!".[11] Aguilera spoke in an interview with Rolling Stone about teaming up with her colleagues:

"I'm one that likes to collaborate. I love feeding off the creative energy, and it only makes me better," she said. "I'm on a continual path both personally and professionally. All-around, it's my goal to better myself as a person and an artist, and the show is one of those contributing factors and the guys are great friends at this point. It's fun collaborating with them at this point."[12]

Aguilera continued, saying he is "so playful and so fun, he’s got a lot of heart." She also revealed that he "busted his [butt]" to "make the time" to record the song with her.[13] Only on October 16, 2012, it was announced that the duet was called "Just a Fool" and that it will be included on the album.[14] "Just a Fool" is also the first Aguilera song in the country music genre.[15] It was announced on November 16, 2012 to be sent to radio in the United States on December 4 as the second single from Lotus.[16][17]

Composition and critical reception

"Just a Fool" (2012)
A 25 second sample of "Just a Fool" featuring Aguilera and Shelton singing the chorus over a country pop production.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"Just a Fool" was written by Steve Robson, Claude Kelly, Wayne Hector, while production was handled by Robson.[7] It is a country pop ballad[18] about the pain of a break-up.[19] It starts with a simple guitar riff and a toe-tapping mid-tempo drum beat as Christina takes the first verse singing about sitting alone in a bar late at night, "Another shot of whisky please bartender, keep it coming till I don't remember", while Blake sings the second in his raspy country tones and the two unite for the chorus.[19] "I had my heart set on you/ Nothing else hurts like you do," they sing.[18]

"Just a Fool" received mostly positive reviews from music critics. In a track-by-track review, Robert Copsey of Digital Spy wrote that the song "looks obligatory on paper but fortunately isn't so bad in reality. Like most country songs, it's packed with melancholy and includes a sing-songy chorus. Truth be told, we suspect there's a good reason why this has been saved for the back-end of the album."[18] Chris Younie of 4Music praised the song, writing that "It's mature, sophisticated and unlike anything else we've heard on the album. If you want variety, you got it."[19] Andrew Hammp of Billboard was also positive, writing that "Aguilera's giant, bloody stab at country soul with Blake Shelton sounds like, rattling the speakers and all the whiskey off the bar with an epic chorus that only increases in volume as the song progresses. In case you forgot that Aguilera was a singer with a capital S, this song is one last helpful reminder."[20] In an extremely positive review, Glenn Gamboa of Newsday wrote that Aguilera and Shelton "empty their broken hearts in a magnificently sung breakup song that should stand next to 'Beautiful' as her career signature."[21] Mike Wass of Idolator compared the Cee Lo Green and Blake Shelton collaborations, writing that "Just a Fool is a gorgeous country ballad. It’s something of a shock that the latter is vastly better."[22] Jon Caramanica of New York Times described it as a "surprisingly warm duet,"[23] while Molly Lambert of Grantland named it "a monster-ballad."[24]

Sarah Godfrey of The Washington Post called it "a straightforward country-pop piece tacked onto the end of the album,[25] " while Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic named it "a slow, bluesy closer."[26] Christina Garibaldi of MTV News wrote that "Shelton brings his smooth vocals and country flare to the heartbreaking ballad, which blends nicely with Aguilera's booming sound as they sing about the pain of a breakup."[13] Melinda Newman of HitFix analyzed that "Aguilera sounds like former collaborator Linda Perry on the 'yeah, yeah, yeah' portions and she over sings, but Shelton rises to the occasion and plays the perfect partner. Could a country hit be in her near future?," she asked.[27] Michael Galluci of Pop Crush praised "Aguilera’s throaty rasp", writing that "it sounds great."[28] Jim Farber of New York Daily News was mixed, writing that "He sings with measured resolve while she nearly suffocates him. It’s certainly a powerful approach, but it comes at the cost of communicating genuine soul."[29] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine was negative, calling it "an out-of-place country-pop duet with Blake Shelton, who feels like a cheap cash-in."[30]

Chart performance

"Just a Fool" debuted at number 92 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming the second charting pairing Aguilera and a fellow judge on The Voice (the first being on Adam Levine's Maroon 5 song "Moves like Jagger").[31] The song jumped to number 71, in its second week.[32] The song also debuted at number 28 on the Adult Pop Songs chart, on the week of December 29, 2012.[33] It has sold over 400,000 copies in United States.[34] The song also charted several places elsewhere, peaking at number 37 on the Canadian Hot 100 and number 45 on the Slovak Singles Chart.[35][36]

Live performances and cover versions

On November 19, 2012, Aguilera and Shelton performed "Just a Fool" on The Voice. Wearing semi-casual outfits, they arrived at opposite sides of the stage before coming together centerstage on the shared second chorus. Aguilera kept her signature belting to a minimum, before the two celebrated the end of their performance with a hug.[37] After the performance, Aguilera tweeted to Shelton on twitter that the performance was "great".[38] Caila Ball from Idolator commented, "It was a refreshingly stripped down performance from Xtina – who uncharacteristically took the stage in jeans. Blake, on the other hand, looked a little awkward up there without a guitar and a stool."[39] On December 7, 2012, Aguilera and Shelton performed "Just a Fool" on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, which boosted the song's performance on iTunes.[40] Sam Lansky of Idolator commented that "It featured typically dramatic vocals and a lot of spectacular runs, which sounded great."[40]

On American Idol season 12, Paul Jolley has performed the track on the semi-finals round.[41]

Credits and personnel

Recording
  • Recorded at Northen Sky Music.
  • Vocals recorded at: The Red Lips Room, Beverly Hills, CA (Christina's vocals); Luminous Sound, Dallas, TX (Blake's vocals).
Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Lotus, RCA Records.[7]

Charts

Chart (2012–13) Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[35] 37
Slovakia (IFPI)[36] 45
US Billboard Hot 100[42] 71
US Adult Pop Songs (Billboard)[33] 27
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[43] 23

Release history

Country Release date Format Label Ref.
United States December 4, 2012 (2012-12-04) Contemporary hit radio RCA Records [44]
February 18, 2013 (2013-02-18) Adult contemporary radio [45]

References

  1. ^ Bain, Becky (August 23, 2012). "Christina Aguilera's Demo Of New Single 'Your Body' Surfaces: Listen". Idolator. Buzz Media. Retrieved September 14, 2012. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  2. ^ a b Hampp, Andrew (September 21, 2012). "Christina Aguilera: Billboard Cover Story". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved September 23, 2012.
  3. ^ a b Schneider, Marc (April 11, 2012). "Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Hit the Studio". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
  4. ^ a b Elber, Lynn (August 28, 2012). "Christina Aguilera: New album is a 'rebirth'". Yahoo! Music. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
  5. ^ Kennedy, Gerrick D. (September 13, 2012). "Christina Aguilera readies new album 'Lotus'". Los Angeles Times. Eddy Hartenstein. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
  6. ^ "Christina Aguilera: 'New album is quality over quantity'". Digital Spy. Hearst Corporation. May 27, 2012. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
  7. ^ a b c d Lotus (Media notes). RCA Records. 2012. p. iTunes Digital Booklet. {{cite AV media notes}}: |format= requires |url= (help); Unknown parameter |artist= ignored (|others= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ Staff Writer, RTT (2012-11-10). "Christina Aguilera And Blake Shelton Duet 'Just A Fool' Released". RTT News. Retrieved 2012-11-21.
  9. ^ DiFalco, Gina (2012-11-08). "Christina Aguilera debuts 'Just a Fool,' a duet with 'The Voice' co-star Blake Shelton (Video)". The Celebrity Cafe. Retrieved 2012-11-21.
  10. ^ "Christina Aguilera Wants To Team Up For A Country Duet With Blake Shelton". Country Music Rocks. April 18, 2012. Retrieved November 21, 2012.
  11. ^ Schmitt, Brad (October 18, 2012). "Blake and Christina Aguilera Really Do Cut a Duet". Country Weekly. Retrieved November 21, 2012.
  12. ^ Baltin, Steven (August 14, 2012). "Christina Aguilera on Pairing With Billie Joe Armstrong on 'The Voice'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 21, 2012.
  13. ^ a b Garibaldi, Christina (November 6, 2012). "Christina Aguilera Previews Five Songs From Lotus, Her 'Labor Of Love'". MTV News. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
  14. ^ "Blake Shelton Among Guest Artists On Christina Aguilera's "Lotus"". CBS. October 16, 2012. Retrieved November 21, 2012.
  15. ^ "Christina Aguilera goes country with 'The Voice' co-star Blake Shelton". Toronto Sun. October 21, 2012. Retrieved November 21, 2012.
  16. ^ LEM (2012-12-17). "Xtina's Second 'Lotus' Single Is 'Just A Fool'". MartianTV. Retrieved 2012-11-21.
  17. ^ "Top 40/Mainstream Spotlight Trax". All Access. All Access Music Group. Retrieved 2012-11-21.
  18. ^ a b c Copsey, Robert (November 2, 2012). "Christina Aguilera's new album 'Lotus': First listen". Digital Spy. Retrieved November 2, 2012.
  19. ^ a b c Younie, Chris (November 2, 2012). "News: Review: Christina Aguilera - Lotus". 4Music. Retrieved November 2, 2012.
  20. ^ Hampp, Andrew (November 12, 2012). "Christina Aguilera, 'Lotus': Track-By-Track Review". Billboard. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
  21. ^ Gamboa, Glenn (November 9, 2012). "Christina Aguilera's 'Lotus' review: nice comeback". Newsday. Retrieved November 12, 2012.
  22. ^ Wass, Mike (November 13, 2012). "Christina Aguilera's 'Lotus': Album Review". Idolator. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
  23. ^ Caramanica, Jon; Pareles, Jon; Ratliff, Ben (November 13, 2012). "Albums by Christina Aguilera, Soundgarden and Brian Eno". The New York Times. p. 34. Retrieved November 17, 2012.
  24. ^ Lambert, Molly (November 13, 2012). "Lotus and the Glorious Return of Christina Aguilera". Grantland. Retrieved December 18, 2012.
  25. ^ Godfrey, Sarah (November 12, 2012). "Album review: 'Lotus,' by Christina Aguilera". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 12, 2012.
  26. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (November 13, 2012). "Lotus - Christina Aguilera : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved November 14, 2012.
  27. ^ Newman, Melinda (November 12, 2012). "Album Review: Christina Aguilera blooms on 'Lotus'". HitFix. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
  28. ^ Galluci, Michael (November 7, 2012). "CHRISTINA AGUILERA, 'LOTUS' – ALBUM REVIEW". Pop Crush. Retrieved November 21, 2012.
  29. ^ Farber, Jim (November 13, 2012). "Album review: Christina Aguilera's 'Lotus'". New York Daily News. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
  30. ^ Cinquemani, Sal (November 4, 2012). "Christina Aguilera: Lotus". Slant Magazine. Retrieved November 17, 2012.
  31. ^ Grein, Paul (November 21, 2012). "Week Ending Nov. 18, 2012. Songs: Rihanna Ties Madonna". Yahoo! Music. Retrieved November 21, 2012.
  32. ^ Grein, Paul (November 28, 2012). "Week Ending Nov. 25, 2012. Songs: Phillip Phillips Is "Home"". Yahoo! Music. Retrieved November 29, 2012.
  33. ^ a b "Chart Highlights: Phillip Phillips Makes History On Adult Pop Songs". Billboard. December 17, 2012. Retrieved December 22, 2012.
  34. ^ Mansfield, Brian (March 13, 2013). "Angie Miller boosts Colton Dixon sale". USA Today. Retrieved April 29, 2013.
  35. ^ a b "Christina Aguilera Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard.
  36. ^ a b "Hitparáda − Radio Top 100 Oficiálna". IFPI. Retrieved 2012-12-11.
  37. ^ Benjamin, Jeff (2012-11-20). "Christina Aguilera, Blake Shelton Unveil 'Just A Fool' on 'The Voice'". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 2012-11-21.
  38. ^ "Christina Aguilera & Blake Shelton: 'Just A Fool' Performance on 'The Voice'!". I4U News. 2012-11-20. Retrieved 2012-11-21.
  39. ^ Ball, Ball (2012-11-20). "The Voice: Christina Aguilera & Blake Shelton Perform "Just A Fool"". Idolator. Retrieved 2012-11-21.
  40. ^ a b Lansky, Sam (December 7, 2012). "Christina Aguilera Performs "Just A Fool" On Ellen, Talks Hillary Clinton Chemistry: Watch". Idolator. Retrieved December 22, 2012.
  41. ^ Whitaker, Sterling (March 6, 2013). "Paul Jolley Sings Christina Aguilera and Blake Shelton's 'Just a Fool' on 'American Idol'". TasteofCountry. Retrieved April 29, 2013.
  42. ^ "Christina Aguilera Album & Song Chart History | Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved November 29, 2012.
  43. ^ "Chart Highlights: Phoenix Returns, Brings 'Entertainment' To Rock Radio". Billboard. February 25, 2013. Retrieved April 29, 2013.
  44. ^ "Mainstream radio release". Friday Morning Quarterback. Retrieved January 14, 2013.
  45. ^ "Adult Contemporary radio release". All Access Music Group. Retrieved February 13, 2013.
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