''Surprise'' is the debut album by American singer-songwriter
Crystal Waters released on June 25, 1991, by
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. It had significant success as an independent operation in the 1940s and 1950s. Smash Records and Fontana Records were sub labels of Mercury. Mercury Records released ...
. It includes the hit singles "
Makin' Happy", "Surprise" and the top ten hit "
Gypsy Woman (She's Homeless)", which peaked at number 8 on the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100, and number 2 on the
UK Singles Chart.
Although the album stalled at number 197 on the US
''Billboard'' 200, it performed better in both the club/dance and
urban music markets, peaking at number 65 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. It also peaked at number 23 on the
Top Heatseekers chart.
Critical reception
Jennifer Bowles from ''
Chicago Sun-Times'' wrote that Waters' debut album "sports a wide variety of characters, including a fashion-conscious homeless woman who sings "La da dee, la da da''" and battered wives who love their abusive husbands." She added, "The
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
influence on the album, most notably the song '
Twisted', can be traced to Waters' childhood." Peter Watrous from ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' noted that "the tension between Ms. Waters's eccentric, melodic songwriting and the streamlined, dance-floor production makes for quirky, modern music."
Track listing
Chart positions
Album
Singles
References
{{Authority control
1991 debut albums
Crystal Waters albums
Mercury Records albums