Soulstar (album) explained

Soulstar
Type:	studio
Artist:	Musiq
Cover:	Soulstar.jpg
Alt:	An image of Musiq standing between loudspeakers stacked on top of each other, sporting a white t-shirt, jeans, hat and black headphones.
Recorded:	2002–2003
Studio:	Home Cookin' Studios (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Length:	70:26
Label:	Def Soul
Producer:	88-Keys Carvin & Ivan MAD Junius Bervine Da Gutta Fam
Prev Title:	Juslisen
Prev Year:	2002
Next Title:	Luvanmusiq
Next Year:	2007

Soulstar is the third studio album by American singer Musiq Soulchild. It was released on December 9, 2003. It debuted on the Billboard 200 at number thirteen, spending 23 weeks on the chart and exiting on May 29, 2004; on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart where it peaked at number three, it spent 37 weeks, falling off on September 9, 2004.

This would be Musiq's final album for Def Jam's Def Soul subsidiary, before he transitioned to Atlantic in a de facto trade for his next album Luvanmusiq (2007).^[1]

The vinyl release of Soulstar has a different track listing from the CD. The songs "Whereareyougoing" and "Leaveamessage" do not appear on the vinyl version of the album.^[2]

Critical reception

Soulstar garnered positive reviews from music critics. AllMusic editor Andy Kellman said that despite the length of the record, he praised Musiq's growing musicianship to craft modern R&B tracks that don't carry gimmicks or personas that give his performances on them "a sense of intimacy that many of his contemporaries lack." He concluded by calling it "one of the finest contemporary R&B releases of 2003, with both style and substance in good supply." Raymond Fiore from Entertainment Weekly said of Musiq being able to transcend his "humble-pie persona" amongst the other neo soul artists throughout the album: "But while the former ”Soulchild” is maddeningly predictable, the grooves on Soulstar prove surprisingly rewarding. Just when you think Musiq’s songs remain the same, he unleashes a series of harmonically lush chords that elevate him way above average." Steve Jones of USA Today said, "Although he often wears his Wonder-Hathaway influences on his sleeve, his ever-improving songwriting and vocal phrasings set him apart. Love themes predominate, but his songs often paint detailed scenarios and are anything but simple." In a mixed review for the New York Times, Jon Pareles praised Musiq's lyricism for being reminiscent of '70s Stevie Wonder but was off-put by Ivan Barias' production causing said lyrics in the tracks to "ramble until they begin to sound like recitatives." He later called Soulstar "an album of dense, fascinating textures and articulate lyrics that ends up pleasant but prosy."^[3]

Track listing

Samples

• "Soulstar" contains a sample of "I Found Love (When I Found You)", as performed by The Spinners
• "Youloveme" contains a sample of "Soft Touch", as performed by Henry Mancini
• "Babymother" contains a sample of "Shadows", as performed by Tom Scott
• "Romancipation" contains a sample of "The Jam", as performed by Graham Central Station
• "Givemorelove" contains a sample of "Getaway Day", as performed by Tom Scott

Personnel

• 88-Keys – producer
• AAries – vocals, backing vocals
• Andre – voices, performer
• Ivan "Orthodox" Barias – arranger, composer, engineer, executive producer, instrumentation, multi instruments, producer, programming, tracking
• Junius Bervine – composer, instrumentation, multi instruments, producer
• Algebra Blessett – telephone voice, voices
• Jeff Bradshaw – trombone
• Matt Cappy – trumpet
• Chad – telephone voice, voices
• Charnee – telephone voice, voices
• Bootsy Collins – telephone voice, voices
• Troy Corbin – backing vocals
• Andre Dandridge – engineer, telephone voice, tracking
• Maurice "DJ Aktive" "The Scratchologist" Deloach – scratching
• Dox – performer, telephone voice, voices
• Vikter Duplaix – percussion, producer
• Erickache – performer, telephone voice, voices
• Roger Erickson – photography
• Chris Gehringer – mastering
• Serban Ghenea – mixing
• Theodore Gilbert – bass
• Larry Graham – composer
• Cee Lo Green – vocal arrangement, vocals, backing vocals, composer
• Akisia Grigsby – art direction, design
• Nicole Guiland – backing vocals
• Gutta Fam – producer, vocal arrangement
• Carvin "Ransum" Haggins – composer, engineer, executive producer, performer, producer, telephone voice, tracking, vocal arrangement, vocal producer, backing vocals, voices
• John Hanes – digital editing
• Heather – performer, telephone voice, voices
• Heiku – producer
• Timothy Hicks – backing vocals
• Jerome Hipps – executive producer
• Mick Jagger – composer
• Terese Joseph – recording director

• Kindred the Family Soul – vocals, backing vocals
• Kenny Lattimore – backing vocals
• John Lawson – drums
• Kevin Liles – executive producer
• M.A.D. – composer, producer
• Henry Mancini – composer
• Michael McArthur – executive producer
• Moms – performer, telephone voice, voices
• Muriyd – performer, telephone voice, voices
• Musiq (Soulchild) – composer, producer, vocal arrangement, vocal producer, vocals, backing vocals
• UE Nastasi – mastering
• Olezski – Fender Rhodes
• Bilal Oliver – composer, telephone voice, vocal arrangement, vocal producer, vocals, backing vocals, voices
• Ben "Benanas" O'Neill – guitar
• Ora – performer, telephone voice, voices
• Pops – performer, telephone voice, voices
• Keith Richards – composer
• Carol Riddick – vocals, backing vocals
• John Roberts – drums, percussion
• Tim Roberts – assistant
• Dawn Robinson – backing vocals
• Franky "Vegas" Romano – composer, arranger, bass, guitar, performer, sitar, telephone voice, voices
• Tom Scott – composer
• James "Jayshawn" Smith – backing vocals
• Johnnie "Smurf" Smith – arranger, instrumentation, keyboards, organ, producer
• Frank "Mumbles" Sullen – engineer, tracking
• Rick Tate Jr. – saxophone
• Torrie – performer, telephone voice, voices
• Thaddeus T. Tribbett – bass
• April Williams – backing vocals
• Levar "Lil' Tone" Wilson – backing vocals

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Chart (2003)! scope="col"

Peak position
Canadian R&B Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)^[4]	29

Year-end charts

Chart (2004)!scope="col"

Position
US Billboard 200^[5]	114
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)^[6]	21

Notes and References

1. Web site: Acevedo. Kai. Musiq Soulchild on new album, working with Rapsody, getting traded for Fabolous. Revolt. September 28, 2017. May 13, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230513030055/https://www.revolt.tv/article/2017-09-28/32389/musiq-soulchild-on-new-album-working-with-rapsody-getting-traded-for-fabolous/. May 13, 2023. live.
2. Web site: Musiq - Soulstar (Vinyl, LP, Album). discogs. December 6, 2015.
3. News: Pareles . Jon . Critic's Choice/New CD's – Seducing With Words and Wiles . . December 22, 2003 . July 27, 2011.
4. Web site: R&B : Top 50. Jam!. December 18, 2003. January 29, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20031223120222/http://www.canoe.com/JamMusicCharts/RANDB.html. December 23, 2003. dead.
5. Year-End Charts: Billboard 200 Albums - 2004. Billboard. December 17, 2018. subscription. https://web.archive.org/web/20180612161938/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2004/top-billboard-200-albums. June 12, 2018. live.
6. Year-End Charts: R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – 2004. Billboard. December 19, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20150719031416/http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2004/top-r-b-hip-hop-albums. July 19, 2015. dead.