| 3 Words | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 23 October 2009 (2009-10-23) | |||
| Recorded | April–August 2009 | |||
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| Length | 43:55 | |||
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| Producer | ||||
| Cheryl Cole chronology | ||||
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| Singles from 3 Words | ||||
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3 Words is the debutstudio album by English singerCheryl Cole released on 23 October 2009 byFascination Records. Cole's first solo performance was on American rapperwill.i.am's "Heartbreaker" (2008), on which she sang additional vocals. Following this, it was announced that Cole's bandGirls Aloud would take a break from releasing material, having enjoyed five successful albums and twenty consecutive top-ten singles. In April 2009, Cole started working on solo material inLos Angeles andLondon, mainly collaborating with will.i.am, who served as executive producer of the album.
The album was released to commercial and critical success. The album debuted at number one on theUK Albums Chart, selling 125,271 copies in its first week. The album also made appearances on the Irish, Australian and Swiss charts. In the UK the album was certified three times Platinum by theBritish Phonographic Industry and has since sold 1,000,000 copies in the country alone.[1]
Upon its release,3 Words received positive reviews from music critics, who commended its production, lyrics and themes. The album spawned three singles—"Fight for This Love",the title song and "Parachute"—with the lead single becoming the fastest-selling single of 2009 in the UK and peaking at number one in Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Hungary and the UK.3 Words is Cole's most successful album to date.
Cole's first foray into a solo music career occurred in 2007 when she featured onwill.i.am's "Heartbreaker". After havingstreet dancing lessons during the filming of theITV2 seriesPassions of Girls Aloud, Cole was picked to appear in the song's video. She was later asked to sing the female vocals on the UK release of the track.[2] Cole's version is featured on her album as it was not featured on will.i.am's albumSongs About Girls.
It was confirmed on 27 April 2009 viaMTV UK that Cole would be working on solo material. Cole reunited withwill.i.am, and also worked withSyience,Taio Cruz, andWayne Wilkins. Cruz was asked to write two songs for Cole, the first of which, "Break Your Heart", was written specially for Cole but Polydor label boss Ferdy Unger-Hamilton felt the song was too similar to "Heartbreaker", the track Cole did with will.i.am.[3] Cruz reclaimed the song and released it as the lead single from his second album,Rokstarr. The song went on to reach number 1 on theUK Singles Chart and on the USBillboard Hot 100.[4] The other song, "Stand Up", did make the album.[4]The album begins with its title track, a duet with will.i.am and Cole's favourite song on the album.[5] She said the song was "totally different from anything I've done [with Girls Aloud] or liked before" and took its inspiration from Cole's newly acquired love for dance music on the charts, especiallyDavid Guetta andKelly Rowland's "When Love Takes Over".[5] "Parachute", written by singer-songwriterIngrid Michaelson andMarshall Altman with production fromSyience, was described by Cole as "left-of-field" and "unique".[6] She cited "you are your own worst enemy, you'll never win the fight" as her favourite lyric from the album.[6] Cole also noted that it was a contender for the album'slead single.[6] "Heaven", another will.i.am production, was the first song to be co-written and recorded by Cole for3 Words and for that reason holds "a special meaning" to her.[7] It contains a sample of "Is You" by D.I.M., written by Andreas Meid.[8]
Cole revealed that the lead single, "Fight for This Love", came to her in demo form with a male vocalist. Cole said she "knew instantly it was a single", having "connected with the song so well".[9] "Rain on Me", co-written by prolific American songwritersSam Watters andLouis Biancaniello, was one of the last songs to be recorded for3 Words.[10] Cole recorded the song in Los Angeles and said the process was "emotional" as the album's recording was coming to an end.[10] "Make Me Cry" was the first song that Cole recorded with will.i.am in Los Angeles.[11] Cole wrote verses around will.i.am's hook, which was inspired by his girlfriend.[11] Cole said that she listened to the demo of "Happy Hour", initially titled "Sweet and Sour", on repeat because she enjoyed the song so much.[12] She further noted that the song, produced bySoulshock & Karlin, had a "60s sound" and was "one of those tracks that you either really love or you don't get it."[12] It interpolates elements of Renaldo Domino's "Nevermore", written by Richard Pegue.[8]
"Stand Up" was written and produced byTaio Cruz andFraser T Smith. Smith claims that during one day he and Cruz wrote the rejected "Break Your Heart" in the morning and "Stand Up" in the afternoon.[3]Cruz described the song as an "absolute club banger".[4][13] The song features an uncredited rap by Cruz, which was originally not present.[14] Cole said it was "one of those instant tracks that make you feel good".[14] "Stand Up" references the "bop bop" sung melody fromDuran Duran's "Planet Earth". "Don't Talk About This Love" was written by songwriter/producerChris Braide andNikola Bedingfield, the younger sister of singersDaniel andNatasha Bedingfield. It was originally recorded by Nikola Bedingfield as the title track forher debut EP. Cole's A&R at Polydor had remembered the track and suggested she record it with Braide at his studio. Cole was attracted to the song for its lyrics and vibe, saying it "felt right".[15] In an interview withHitQuarters Braide said, "[It's a] very emotional song. She said to me, 'I really relate to this.' And I don't know if it had something to do with her personal situation at the time, but ..."[16] "Boy Like You", featuring and produced by will.i.am, samplesFleetwood Mac's 1987 single "Little Lies", which initially attracted Cole to the song.[8][17] Cheryl wanted to take the Fleetwood Mac sample and create something current and modern with it.[17] The album also features the clean single version of will.i.am's "Heartbreaker", for which Cole provides the female vocals.
Thematically3 Words revolves around the complexities of relationships and love, with Cole singing about finding, winning, embracing and losing love.[18] The album's lyrics follow an autobiographical subtext in which most of the songs deal with her overcoming her tribulations. Andy Gill ofThe Independent described the album's lyrics as showing that the "path to romantic fulfillment is pock-marked with treachery, uncertainty and secrecy".[19] Lyrics on some of the songs have a "deeper undertow of paranoia" such as "Parachute", "Make Me Cry" and "Don't Talk About This Love", which Gill described as being "a fear that others are bent on destroying her relationship, so 'the less they know, the less they judge'."[19]
3 Words is adance-pop andR&B album that explores a variety of genres including modern pop with elements of '90s throwback music.[20][21] The album's production is characterised as being "restrained" in its arrangements with heavy beats built over "light piano-style motifs and acoustic guitar elements", according to Mike Diver of the BBC.[18]
When asked about the album's title Cole revealed she had already contemplated an album title which contained the phrase3 Words before the title track was recorded.[22] The cover shows the singer bare-shouldered, looking over her shoulder in a veiled and be-flowered headpiece, the album's title tattooed on her skin.[23] Knight said, "although she is photographed all the time by the paparazzi, she is not in front of the camera for a shoot in the same way as professional models are – she is less used to the process." He continued, "Cheryl was great to work with, though [...] – it is just a different kind of shoot with a model who is experienced."[24]
Cole performed the lead single on theX Factor live results show for the first time.[25] The show, which also featured the first UK performance byWhitney Houston in six years, drew a record audience of 14.8 million, making it the most watched episode in the show's history at that time.[26] Cole also taped a performance for UK teen channelT4, which aired 15 November 2009.[27] Cole appeared atChildren in Need Rocks theRoyal Albert Hall on 12 November 2009 to perform "Fight for This Love" in a white version of herX Factor performance outfit[28] and later returning to performSnow Patrol's single "Set the Fire to the Third Bar" withGary Lightbody.[29]
In DecemberITV1 aired a one-off television special titledCheryl Cole's Night In, presented byHolly Willoughby. Then on 16 February, Cole appeared at the2010 BRIT Awards for a performance which began with Cole being "catapulted" on stage with her dancers.[30]
Cole performed "3 Words" for the first time with will.i.am during her one-off special forITV,Cheryl Cole's Night In. In January 2010, Cole flew to Germany to perform "3 Words" at the German award ceremony DLD Starnight, which took place at theHaus der Kunst inMunich.[citation needed] She also performed the song as part of a four-song set atBBC Radio 1'sBig Weekend[31] as well as performing at theDe Grisogono jewellery dinner party at the Eden Rock Hotel inCap d'Antibes during theCannes Film Festival.[32]
Cole debuted "Parachute" during the television specialCheryl Cole's Night In, which was broadcast on 12 December 2009 on ITV1. Cole was due to perform the track onFriday Night with Jonathan Ross on Friday 12 March 2010 and on the BBC Radio 1'sLive Lounge, however, she pulled out after contractingbronchitis. "Parachute" was performed live onSport Relief on 19 March 2010. On 23 March 2010, Cole rescheduled her performance of the Live Lounge, where she performed "Parachute", as well as a cover ofOwl City's "Fireflies".
The first single from the album, "Fight for This Love", was written by Andre Merritt, Steve Kipner and Wayne Wilkins, and produced by Steve Kipner and Wayne Wilkins. According to Cole, it was released as the lead single because she "connected with the song so well".[33] Following a performance onThe X Factor live results show, "Fight for This Love" became the fourth best-selling single of 2009 in the UK.[34] It charted at number one on both theIrish andUK Singles Chart.[35] In 2010, "Fight for This Love" went to number one in Denmark, Norway and Hungary.[36]The single was later certified platinum in the UK. Cole's second single "3 Words", which features will.i.am, was certified silver and went to number four in the UK and seven in Ireland.[37] In 2010, the single was released in Australia, peaking at number five and being certified platinum.[38] The third single, "Parachute", charted in the top five in both the UK and Ireland. The single was certified gold in the UK.[39]A number of songs appeared in the lower regions of the chart following the album's release.[40]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 62/100[41] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [42] |
| Attitude | [43] |
| Daily Telegraph | [44] |
| Digital Spy | [45] |
| The Guardian | [21] |
| The Independent | [19] |
| musicOMH | [46] |
| Nu.nl | [47] |
| The Times | [48] |
3 Words received generally favourable reviews from contemporary pop music critics, earning a rating of 62 out of 100 onMetacritic based on 6 reviews.[41]The Guardian gave the album three stars out of five but felt it was "ultimately too tentative and slight to be more than a footnote in Cheryl's unstoppable celebrity story".[21] Tom Ewing argues, "Parts of this album never pass beyond conservative pleasantries. But the shift in sound was still necessary."[21] The review further described3 Words as "a low-key, shadowy kind of pop record, whose best songs rarely take immediate hold".[21] Gay magazineAttitude agreed, stating that although guarded "introduces us to Cheryl as an individual – the girl behind the gloss. Very hip, very now, and ultimately very Cheryl."[43] Irish fortnightlyHot Press said "the People's Princess pleases with Her catchy generic pop".[49]BBC Music gave the album a mixed review, but noted it "does exceed pessimistic predictions".[18]
The album was criticised in comparison to Cole's work with Girls Aloud.Digital Spy said the album was "not a bad record, but nor is it a modern pop classic to rival the best Girls Aloud albums [...] it's a collection of cool, contemporary pop-R&B tunes that takes a few plays to reveal its charms."[45]The Daily Telegraph described the album as a "selection of sexy but underwhelming R'n'B pop", noting that there was "not a hint of the bubbly personality that has won overX Factor viewers" or "the electro-guitar fusion that put Girls Aloud on top".[44]Financial Times also called it a "dismayingly boring solo album, [...] swapping Girls Aloud's sparkly pop for thin R&B-flavoured songs with dreary beats and characterless singing."[50] Pete Paphides ofThe Times agreed that Cheryl's personality is "absent from mid-paced fillers" and exclaimed that "even when3 Words gives you something to admire, the emotional temperature rarely nudges above frosty."[48]The Independent further stated the album was "utterly bereft of imagination and risk, with tried and tested R&B producers [...] doing what they do as dispassionately as possible."[19] Pierre Oitmann of Dutch news siteNu.nl pointed out "the album is mostly being characterised by strong A&R management; i.e. thoroughly sought together songs and consistent production values", before concluding "Cheryl's role is reduced almost entirely to 'hot chick' on the cover."[51]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "3 Words" (featuringwill.i.am) |
| will.i.am | 4:33 |
| 2. | "Parachute" | Syience | 3:40 | |
| 3. | "Heaven" (featuring will.i.am) |
| will.i.am | 4:37 |
| 4. | "Fight for This Love" |
|
| 3:43 |
| 5. | "Rain on Me" |
|
| 3:50 |
| 6. | "Make Me Cry" |
| will.i.am | 4:35 |
| 7. | "Happy Hour" | Soulshock and Karlin | 4:06 | |
| 8. | "Stand Up" |
| 3:24 | |
| 9. | "Don't Talk About This Love" | Syience | 3:45 | |
| 10. | "Boy Like You" (featuring will.i.am) |
| will.i.am | 4:27 |
| 11. | "Heartbreaker" (will.i.am featuring Cheryl Cole) | Adams | will.i.am | 3:15 |
| Total length: | 43:49 | |||
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Fight for This Love" (music video) |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12. | "3 Words" (album track-by-track) | 10:10 | ||
| 13. | "Fight for This Love" (Moto Blanco Club Mix) |
|
| 7:28 |
| Total length: | 61:27 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Fight for This Love" (Sunship Old Skool UK Garage Remix) |
|
| 5:01 |
| Total length: | 48:50 | |||
Sample credits
A digitalEP featuring the threeB-sides to the three singles from the3 Words album, titled3 Words – The B-Sides EP, was released online on 18 April 2010 fromFascination Records.[55]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Didn't I" |
| Klaus D | 3:47 |
| 2. | "Boys" |
| Smith | 3:41 |
| 3. | "Just Let Me Go" |
| Syience | 3:04 |
The album debuted at number one in the UK with sales of 125,271.[56] It then retained the number 1 position for another week.[57] On 6 November 2009 theBritish Phonographic Industry (BPI) certified the album platinum.[58] It has since gone 3× Platinum,[58] with sales of over 1,000,000 copies.[59]
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Ireland (IRMA)[80] | 2× Platinum | 30,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[81] | 3× Platinum | 900,000^ |
| Summaries | ||
| Europe (IFPI)[82] | Platinum | 1,000,000* |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Region | Release date | Format | Label | Catalogue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland[83] | 23 October 2009 | CD,digital download | Polydor | 2721459 |
| United Kingdom | 26 October 2009 | Fascination | 2721459[84] | |
| Italy[85] | 12 February 2010 | CD, digital download | Universal Music | 060252732483 |
| Netherlands | 0602527324838 | |||
| Switzerland[86] | ||||
| Portugal[87] | 15 February 2010 | |||
| Russia[88] | ||||
| Mexico[89] | 16 March 2010 | 602527324838 | ||
| Brazil[90][91] | ||||
| Germany[92][93] | 19 March 2010 | 0602527214597 | ||
| France[94] | 22 March 2010 | |||
| Australia[95] | 9 April 2010 | 0602527324838 | ||
| Denmark[96] | 17 May 2010 | Digital download | 0602527214597 | |
| United States[97] | 10 July 2015 | Digital download |
a mediocre dance-pop album
Cheryl Cole released in Switzerland on 12 February 2010
