Being Somebody
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''Being Somebody'' is the second studio album by English-Irish pop vocal group
Liberty X Liberty X (originally called Liberty) are a British girl group consisting of Michelle Heaton, Jessica Taylor and Kelli Young. The group's best-known line-up also included Tony Lundon and Kevin Simm. The group was formed by the five finalists of ...
. It was released on 3 November 2003 via
V2 Records V2 Records (or V2 Music and V2 Benelux; V2 being an abbreviation for Virgin 2) is a record label that was purchased by Universal Music Group in 2007, sold to PIAS in 2013 and partially acquired by Universal in 2022 (as part of larger PIAS 49% ...
. The album was released a year-and-a-half after their debut release, '' Thinking It Over''. The album peaked at number 12 on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
, selling around 75,000 copies in its first week of release.


Background

The band returned to the studio shortly after the release of their debut effort, '' Thinking It Over'', and began by recording a collaboration with producer
Richard X Richard Philips, better known by his stage name Richard X, is a British songwriter and music producer. Gaining attention as a pioneer of the bootleg craze, Richard X has earned success as a producer and remixer. He has helmed hit singles for art ...
– a mash-up of classic tracks "
Being Boiled "Being Boiled" is a song by the British synth-pop band the Human League. Composed by Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh with lyrics by Philip Oakey, it is regarded as a seminal work in early synth-pop. "Being Boiled" was one of the first mainstre ...
" and "
Ain't Nobody "Ain't Nobody" is a song by American funk band Rufus and American singer Chaka Khan. It was released on November 4, 1983, by Warner Bros., as one of four studio tracks included on their live album, ''Stompin' at the Savoy'' (1983). "Ain't Nobod ...
", entitled "Being Nobody". As well as being released to promote the band's new album, it also served as the lead single from ''
Richard X Presents His X-Factor Vol. 1 ''Richard X Presents His X-Factor Vol. 1'' is the debut compilation album by British pop producer Richard X. The album features 15 tracks all produced by Richard X, most of which feature guest vocals. Track listing # "Start" (Richard X) # "Bein ...
''. For their second studio effort, the band teamed up with producers
Lucas Secon Lucas Secon (born 3 November 1970), known mononymously as Lucas, is a Danish record producer, songwriter and rapper. He has written and produced for artists including the Pussycat Dolls, Alesso, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Kylie Minogu ...
and Mike Peden, as well as allowing band member Tony Lundon to produce three tracks, one of which he solely wrote. "
Being Nobody "Ain't Nobody" is a song by American funk band Rufus and American singer Chaka Khan. It was released on November 4, 1983, by Warner Bros., as one of four studio tracks included on their live album, ''Stompin' at the Savoy'' (1983). "Ain't Nobod ...
" was released as the album's lead single on 24 March 2003. " Jumpin", a track produced and co-written by Secon, was released as the album's second single over six months later, on 12 October 2003. The album was released in Japan a week later on 18 October. The Japanese edition of the album features an alternative, white picture cover, and includes three additional tracks – " Just a Little", as the track remained previously unreleased in Japan, brand new Japanese exclusive track "Willing to Try" and the music video for "Jumpin'". "
Everybody Cries "Everybody Cries" is the third and final single to be released from English-Irish pop-group Liberty X's second studio album, ''Being Somebody''. The single was released on 12 January 2004, peaking at number 13 on the UK Singles Chart and number ...
" was released as the album's third single on 12 January 2004. In the midst of ''Being Somebody''s promotion, the band released a cover of "
Fresh Fresh may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films and television * ''Fresh'' (1994 film), a crime film * ''Fresh'' (2009 film), a documentary film on sustainable agriculture * ''Fresh'' (2022 film), a thriller film *''Fresh with the Aust ...
" in collaboration with
Kool & The Gang Kool & the Gang is an American Rhythm and blues, R&B, soul music, soul, and funk band formed in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1964. Its founding members include brothers Robert "Kool" Bell and Ronald Bell (musician), Ronald Bell (also known as " ...
, which released the song originally. The song was recorded for their compilation album, '' The Hits: Reloaded''. It was later released as a single on 14 April 2004, exclusively in France, Germany and Spain. "I'll Be Remembering" was planned as the equivalent single release to Fresh in the United Kingdom, however, by this time, the band's record contract with
V2 Records V2 Records (or V2 Music and V2 Benelux; V2 being an abbreviation for Virgin 2) is a record label that was purchased by Universal Music Group in 2007, sold to PIAS in 2013 and partially acquired by Universal in 2022 (as part of larger PIAS 49% ...
had been terminated, and the single's release was cancelled, leaving "Fresh" as an internationally exclusive single. The Japanese version of ''Being Somebody'' also uses an alternative version of the track "Whatcha Doin' Tonight", which also carries a slightly different title, "(Tell Me) What You're Doing Tonight". This version was originally recorded during the recording sessions for '' Thinking It Over''. Four songs that failed to make the final cut of ''Being Somebody'', "Bump & Grind", "Get Away", "Press Rewind" and "Wilder", were leaked to YouTube in April 2010. These tracks were also reportedly being considered for inclusion on the band's third V2 project, before they were dropped from the label. Several additional tracks from the album sessions were also released as B-sides: "Enemy", "Sunshine", "It Helps" and "Shake It".


Critical reception

Simon Evans, writing for ''
musicOMH ''MusicOMH'' (stylized as ''musicOMH'') is a London-based online music magazine which publishes independent reviews, features and interviews from across all genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B. History ''MusicOMH'' was founded an ...
'', felt that ''Being Somebody'' "proves there's still plenty of gas in the tank" for the band. He noted that while it kicks "off with a rather cheesy and unnecessary intro, the album moves straight into high gear with the monster hit singles, "Jumpin'" and "Being Nobody", and rarely lets the pace flag throughout the remaining 13 tracks," resulting "in some of the most memorable pop tunes you are ever likely to hear." Dave Simpson from ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' remarked that the album displays "increasingly slick R&B." He added that "it's no coincidence that ''Being Somebody''s big hitters are penned by the seasoned pros and the endless tales of lurve provide few glimpses into the ordinary people at the heart of the phenomenon. Still, the girls' vocal performances are integral, and the band's
Tony Lundon Anthony William James Lundon (born 13 April 1979) is an Irish singer, producer and director, formerly a TV presenter with RTE (2007-2009), a vocalist and songwriter with chart act Liberty X (2001-2007), and lead dancer with Lord of the Dance (19 ...
is playing an increasingly major writing role: his untypical "Watcha Doin' Tonite" hardly pines for lives they've now clearly left behind."
Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
editor Jon O'Brien found that "while half of the album is bursting with ideas, the other half seems stuck in a rut as several samey, watered-down R&B tracks start to merge into one another and the likes of "Jumpin'", a live favorite on their 2003 tour, gets lost amidst "everything but the kitchen sink" over-production. ''Being Somebody'' will certainly establish their credentials as songwriters, having penned ten of the tracks here, but they certainly need reining in a little for album number three if they're going to fulfill their early potential." Similarly, Denise Boyd from
BBC Music BBC Music is the arm of the BBC responsible for the music played across its services. The current director of music is Lorna Clarke. Officially it is a part of the BBC's Radio operational division; however, its remit also includes music used i ...
wrote that ''Being Somebody'' "feels something of a mish-mash. Liberty X are still not clear on what direction they are heading and this uncertainty weakens the album. The quintets strength lies in their R&B influenced up-tempo tracks and soulful ballads. This is the area they should concentrate on ..With this, Liberty X has broken the mould of the manufactured pop group. They have answered their critics and have shown once and for all that they truly deserve the title ''Popstars''."


Track listing

;Notes * denotes co-producer


Charts


Certifications


Release history


References

{{Authority control Liberty X albums 2003 albums V2 Records albums Albums produced by Richard X Albums produced by Mike Peden