| Late Nights: The Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | December 4, 2015 (2015-12-4) | |||
| Recorded | 2013–2015 | |||
| Studio | Various
| |||
| Genre | Electro-R&B[1] | |||
| Length | 57:47 | |||
| Label | Def Jam | |||
| Producer |
| |||
| Jeremih chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Late Nights | ||||
| ||||
Late Nights (released with the subtitleLate Nights: The Album) is the thirdstudio album by American singerJeremih. It was released on December 4, 2015, byDef Jam Recordings. The album serves as a sequel to his mixtapeLate Nights with Jeremih (2012) and the follow-up to his second studio albumAll About You (2010). Recording sessions took place during 2013 to 2015. The production on the album was handled by several producers, including:London on da Track, The Mekanics,Soundz,DJ Mustard,Needlz,Vinylz andFrank Dukes, among others. The album featuresguest appearances fromTy Dolla Sign,Jhené Aiko,Migos,Juicy J,YG,Twista,Future,Big Sean,J. Cole and Feather.Late Nights was supported by four singles; "Don't Tell 'Em", "Planez", "Oui" and "Pass Dat".
The album was originally intended to be calledThumpy Johnson, and was supposed to be released in 2013.[2] In August 2014,Jeremih announced that he was changing the title of the album toLate Nights: The Album, being a sequel to his 2012 mixtapeLate Nights with Jeremih. During an interview withXXL, he explained his decision to change the title:
"The last body of work I put out wasLate Nights," Jeremih said. "I still feel like how I was feeling when I recorded that. I was traveling, up late nights, recording all the time. It just felt like every record was catering to… I imagined if it was a big bed in the club, everybody would be in one big ass orgy off of all the songs. My first two albums I was making sad songs. I don’t feel like that no more. I was in a relationship then. I’m single as hell right now. You’re getting the best of my last single years".[3]
On August 4, 2014, Jeremih released a mixtape calledN.O.M.A. (Not On My Album), containing recorded songs not included onLate Nights. During an interview withBillboard, Jeremih explained how his personal issues were the reason for the delays of the album's release. He said:
"I blame myself". I had a video scheduled. I just didn't show up to it because of..." he started, choosing not to finish his thought. "I'm not going to point my finger at somebody else at this point". Jeremih then pointed to some personal troubles he was having with the mother of his child. "I stopped caring about being Jeremih over the last few months," he said. "A lot of people don't know I have a two-year-old son. His mom wasn't allowing me to see him, and it was messing with me. I was internally unbalanced. But I just got out of that trial and I won".
Jeremih also expressed some frustration with his label. "Def Jam is hesitating and not being on my side," he explained. "I see other artists and how they're supported. It's hard when I'm on a roster withRihanna,Rick Ross andKanye West".[4]
On May 15, 2015, in a separate interview withBillboard, producer and frequent Jeremih collaboratorMick Schultz confirmed that the originally released track listing and album cover had been changed and was no longer accurate.[5]
On November 21, 2015, the official album artwork, release date and track list was leaked by music streaming serviceDeezer.[6] The following day, snippets of the album were leaked to the internet.[7] With no announcement or promotion to confirm its release prior, the album was officially released to digital platforms and streaming services on December 4, 2015.[8][9]
Thelead single, "Don't Tell 'Em" featuringYG was released on June 6, 2014.[10] The single became his third top 10 hit and eventually went triple platinum. The second single, "Planez" featuringJ. Cole was released on January 22, 2015.[11] The single reached top 10 on urban and rhythmic radio and later went triple Platinum. "Oui" was released as the third single from the album on October 30, 2015.[12] The single reached number 19 on theBillboard Hot 100 becoming his fourth top 20 hit as lead artist. "Pass Dat" was released as a promotional single, along with the album's pre-order on December 1, 2015.[13] The track was sent tourban contemporary radio on April 12, 2016, as the fourth single.[14]
"Tonight Belongs to U!" featuringFlo Rida was released on April 21, 2015, but was scrapped from the final tracklist.[15] The first promotional single, "Royalty" featuringBig Sean andFuture was released October 29, 2015.[16] The second promotional single is "Peace Sign" featuringFabolous andRed Cafe was released November 18, 2015 but didn't appear on the album.[17] Jeremih expressed in an interview with German music journalist Malcolm Ohanwe, that he had plans to issue "Impatient" withTy Dolla Sign as a single.[18] Despite never being released, the track was certified Gold by theRIAA in 2017 and later double platinum in 2020.
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 7.4/10[19] |
| Metacritic | 78/100[20] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [21] |
| Consequence of Sound | B+[1] |
| HipHopDX | [22] |
| Pitchfork | 8.3/10[23] |
| PopMatters | 7/10[24] |
| Spin | 8/10[25] |
| Tiny Mix Tapes | [26] |
Late Nights was met with generally positive reviews frommusic critics. AtMetacritic, which assigns anormalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received anaverage score of 78, based on seven reviews.[20] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gaveLate Nights 7.4 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[19]
Meghan Garvey ofPitchfork said, "Late Nights, in its subtle seduction, feels all the more special in an era that increasingly rewards artists who shout the loudest. Jeremih makes you shut everything else out so that you can hear him whisper in your ear. It was worth the wait."[23] David Sackllah ofConsequence of Sound said, "Jeremih's vision is astounding, and the places in which he gets to indulge in adventurous risk-taking more than make up for the safe plays that surround them."[1] Brooklyn Russell ofTiny Mix Tapes said, Jeremih's a night owl, not a lark, and onLate Nights: The Album — his first in a lustrum — he retreats even further from the spotlight he seemed predestined for, carefully crafting an album that surprisingly finds tranquility in the 28-year-old's thrill-seeker ways."[26] Colin Joyce ofSpin said, "It's a haze, reflective of the real world consequences of living out the entirety of your life in the twilight hours. Or maybe it's just the head trauma, from the setbacks and knockdowns that threatened to abort this record before it had a chance to even enter the room. Either way, the beauty's in the blur."[25] Shirley Ju ofHipHopDX said, "Song after song limbers as you go through them and guest appearances from some of the game's hottest artists ensures that he doesn't feel years late. In truth, he doesn't need them, delivering apple-pie-like R&B like the retro futurist he's been trying to be.Late Nights is exactly what Jeremih needed to get his career moving."[22] Andy Kellman ofAllMusic said, "Despite the winding path that led to it,Late Nights is together, neither tentative nor overcooked. It's apparently truer to Jeremih's vision than his first two albums, though only the most attentive listening reveals an artist with more dimensions – or more vocal ability – than the one who sang "Birthday Sex" and "Down on Me."[21]
| Publication | Accolade | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pitchfork | The 50 Best Albums of 2015 | 2015 | 41[27] |
Late Nights debuted at number 42 on the USBillboard 200, selling 19,000album equivalent units, and 10,000 pure album copies in its first week.[28] Despite the album's initial soft debut, On March 15, 2016, the album was certifiedgold by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for combined sales andalbum-equivalent units of over 500,000 units in the United States.[29] Later on March 20, 2018, the album was certifiedplatinum.
Credits adapted from Jeremih's official website.[30]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Planez" (featuringJ. Cole) |
|
| 4:00 |
| 2. | "Pass Dat" |
| 2:53 | |
| 3. | "Impatient" (featuringTy Dolla Sign) | London on da Track | 4:05 | |
| 4. | "Oui" |
| 3:58 | |
| 5. | "Drank" |
| RetroFuture | 2:50 |
| 6. | "Giv No Fuks" (featuringMigos) |
| 4:51 | |
| 7. | "Feel Like Phil" |
| Hitmaka Bongo | 2:58 |
| 8. | "Royalty" (featuringBig Sean &Future) | 4:14 | ||
| 9. | "I Did" (featuring Feather) |
|
| 4:06 |
| 10. | "Actin' Up" |
| Bongo | 3:52 |
| 11. | "Remember Me" |
| Schultz | 2:55 |
| 12. | "Don't Tell 'Em" (featuringYG) |
| 4:26 | |
| 13. | "Woosah" (featuringJuicy J &Twista) |
| Soundz | 5:29 |
| 14. | "Worthy" (featuringJhené Aiko) |
|
| 3:33 |
| 15. | "Paradise" |
| Schultz | 3:37 |
| Total length: | 57:47 | |||
Notes
Sample credits
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[36] | Gold | 10,000‡ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[37] | 2× Platinum | 30,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[38] | Gold | 100,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[39] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | December 4, 2015 | Def Jam | [40] | |
| November 30, 2018 | Vinyl | [41] |
