Star (702 Album)
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''Star'' is the third
studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...
from American R&B group 702. It was originally scheduled to be released on November 19, 2002 by
Motown Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...
, but was later delayed to March 25, 2003. In the United States. The album peaked at number forty-five on the US ''Billboard'' 200 and produced the singles “Star” and " I Still Love You".


Critical reception

Andy Kellman of
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 ...
rated the album two and a half stars out of five and gave the work a rather dismissive review, stating that "it continues in the group's tradition of being able to deliver a couple of solid singles surrounded by middling to fair album tracks." ''
PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...
'' thought the album was dated and "trapped in a time warp" and that "It wants to be pre-
Mary J. Blige Mary Jane Blige ( ; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, actress, and entrepreneur. Often referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Qu ...
hip-hop and R&B with some notable exceptions". Overall, they praised both
Mario Winans Mario Mendell Winans ( Brown; born August 29, 1974) is an American R&B singer, songwriter, and record producer from South Carolina. An extended member of the Winans musical family, he is best known for his 2004 single " I Don't Wanna Know" (f ...
and
the Neptunes The Neptunes were an American record production duo composed of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, formed in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in 1992. Williams often provided backing vocals and music video appearances on the duo's productions, while H ...
contributions to the album, and felt they managed "to create some haphazard hits here, lack of creativity aside". Sal Cinquemani from ''
Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yor ...
'' was mixed in his review. Cinquemani praised the albums first half of material, while disapproving of the second half calling it "a bit less successful". Nonetheless, he declared, "702 comes closest to capturing the buttery warm harmonies of
Diana Ross Diana Ross (born Diane Ernestine Earle Ross March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. Known as the "Queen of Motown Records", she was the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown#Major divisions, Motown's most suc ...
and
the Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959 as the Primettes. A premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful Amer ...
Destiny’s Child be damned. Star exists to prove that surprises can indeed be pleasant". '' Vibe'' editor Craig Seymour called the album "a sassy throwback" and added: "''Star'' might have been garbage, given that the group recently reformed after a three-year recording hiatus utit manages to be a rare, pleasant surprise in today’s R&B world. Blame much of the set’s success on the beats, which are as tight and lean as a Kenyan runner."


Chart performance

The album peaked at forty-five on the US ''Billboard'' 200 and reached the twenty-second spot on the
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip-hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Luminate. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated January 30, ...
chart.Linkin Park’s ‘Meteora’ Crashes Chart At No. 1
Billboard. Retrieved on April 7, 2024
The album sold 21,000 copies in its first week.


Track listing

Notes * denotes co-producer


Personnel

Information taken from
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 ...
. *a&r – Nina Freeman, Kedar Massenburg, Shante Paige, Marsha Reid *arranging – Ted Bishop *art direction – Chris Kornmann *assistant – Vincent Alexander, Mike Butler, Vadim Chislov, Stephen Glicken, Dion Peters, Alexis Seton, Rich Tapper, Javier Valverde, Jeff Vereb, Artese Williams *composing – R. Bell, G. Brown, J.J. Jackson, L. Jackson, P.J. Jackson, E. Jordan, S.K. Russell, Mario Winans *creative direction – Sandy Brummels *design – Chris Kornmann *drums – Pharrell Williams *engineering – Wayne Allison, Ted Bishop, Ben Briggs, Dru Castro, Andrew Coleman, Larry Ferguson, Eliud "Lou" Ortiz, Hernán Santiago, Mike Tocci, Darren Venbitti *executive production – Kedar Massenburg, Shante Paige, Todd Russaw *guitar – Greg Charley *instrumentation – Charles Farrar *keyboards – Ted Bishop, Dave Hunter, Tevin Thomas *mastering – Chris Gehringer *mixing – Ben Arrindell, Kevin "KD" Davis, Duro, Larry Ferguson, Rich Keller, Phil Tan *photography – Albert Sanchez *production – Ted Bishop, Mike City, Charles Farrar, Mario Winans *programming – Ted Bishop, Charles Farrar, Pharrell Williams *rapping – Clipse *vocals – 702, Pharrell Williams


Charts


References


External links

* {{Authority control 2003 albums 702 (group) albums Albums produced by the Neptunes Motown albums