Director (Avant Album)

''Director'' is the fourth studio album by American R&B singer Avant. It was released by Geffen Records on April 25, 2006 in the United States. The album marked Avant's first project to include a diverse roster of collaborators, breaking away from the formular on previous album which saw musician Steve "Stone" Huff contributing most material. Production on ''Director'' comes courtesy of the likes of Bryan Michael Cox, Jermaine Dupri, Ron Fair, Rodney Jerkins, Tricky Stewart, and The Underdogs.

The album received a mixed reception from critics, many of whom praised Avant's vocal performances and the album's cohesive sound but found the material too generic. Upon its release, ''Director'' debuted at number four on the US ''Billboard'' 200 with career-high opening sales of 123,000 copies. It also debuted at number one on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, becoming Avant's first album to do so. Three singles were released in support of the album, including lead single " You Know What" and follow-up "4 Minutes" which became a top ten hit on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

Promotion

''Director'' was preceded by the released of its lead single " You Know What" featuring rapper Lil Wayne. Produced by Jermaine Dupri and co-written by Manuel Seal, it reached number 58 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. "4 Minutes," a downtempo song which describes a man's desperate attempt to mend a broken relationship, was released as the album's second single. Co-written by Keri Hilson and Patrick "J. Que" Smith and produced by The Underdogs and Antonio Dixon, it peaked at number 52 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and reached number nine on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, becoming his first top ten hit since 2003's "Read Your Mind."

"Lie About Us," a duet with Pussycat Dolls lead singer Nicole Scherzinger that chronicles a man's promise to his mistress and come clean about the relationship, was issued as the album's third and final single. A leftover from Scherzinger's shelved solo debut album, ''Her Name is Nicole'', it was written by Beau Dozier and Bruce Boniface and was inspired by the time Dozier had a secret affair with English singer Joss Stone while being in a relationship. While it failed to chart in the United States, it marked Avant's charts debut in the United Kingdom where it reached number 76 on the UK Singles Chart and peaked at number nine on the UK R&B Singles chart.

Critical reception

AllMusic editor Andy Kellman rated the album three and a half stars out of five. He found that "although a number of collaborators and guests are rolled in to add some edge, the material isn't much more flashy than it is on Avant's past albums. More importantly, Avant's new and somewhat surprising help looks a little desperate on paper but is hardly that on record. Those who loved Avant in the past for his slick, romantic, slow-to-midtempo songs (with the occasional dash of raunch) will find plenty to enjoy here."

Quentin B. Huff from ''PopMatters'' found that while some songs on ''Director'' "do tend to sound alike," the "diversity on this album is as much a product of technology as eclectic workmanship. These days, artists lay vocals and mix their songs on their tour buses. As always, the challenge is to stem the learning curve that accompanies new tools. Here, what holds the project together is the vision behind it, integrating the patchwork into a seamless final product. For that, Avant's effort stands alone, without comparison."

About.com critic Mark Edward Nero wrote that with ''Director'' Avant "gives his fans more of the smooth, seductive, romantic songs they've come to expect from him. Rarely do albums that use a variety of producers have a cohesive feel to them, but there's one thing that keeps ''Director'' from sounding like a mish-mash of tracks that were lumped together: Avant's strong voice." He concluded: "Although he's re-telling some old stories, Avant's sophisticated, modern-day approach to the topics is worth listening to." Gail Mitchell from ''Billboard'' felt that despite "choice nuggets" such as "first time collaborations with A-listers Rodney Jerkins and Jermaine Dupri" and "Avant's soothing tenor, the album doesn't break much ground."

Chart performance

''Director'' debuted and peaked at number four on the US ''Billboard'' 200 in the week of May 13, 2006. With first week sales of 123,000 units, this marked Avant's biggest-selling opening week yet. The album also debuted at number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chat, becoming his first album to do so. By October 2008, ''Director'' had sold 434,000 units, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Track listing

Notes
* denotes co-producer
Sample credits
*"This Is Your Night" contains interpolations from the composition "Where Did We Go Wrong", written by Sam Dees and Jeffrey Osborne.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References

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2006 albums
Avant albums
Albums produced by Bryan-Michael Cox
Albums produced by Jermaine Dupri
Albums produced by the Underdogs (production team)