''Twisted Angel'' is the fifth studio album by American

country pop Country pop (also known as pop country or urban cowboy) is a fusion genre of country music and pop music that was developed by members of the country genre out of a desire to reach a larger, mainstream audience. Country pop music blends genres ...

singer

LeAnn Rimes Margaret LeAnn Rimes Cibrian (born August 28, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She originally rose to success as a country music artist at age 13 with 1996's "Blue". She has since crossed over into pop, contemporary Chris ...

, released in the United States on October 1, 2002 by

Curb Records Curb Records (also known as Asylum-Curb and formerly known as MCG Curb) is an American record label started by Mike Curb, originally as Sidewalk Records in 1963. From 1969 to 1973, Curb merged with MGM Records where Curb served as President of M ...

. LeAnn performed the track "Love Is an Army" at the 2003 Country Music Awards. The track "You Made Me Find Myself" is a cover. It was originally performed and written by international recording artist

Tina Arena Filippina Lydia "Tina" Arena (born 1 November 1967) is an Australian singer-songwriter, musician, musical theatre actress and record producer. She is one of Australia's highest-selling artists and has sold over 10 million records worldwid ...

on her album '' Just Me''. The track "Review My Kisses" was covered by international recording artist

Lara Fabian Lara Sophie Katy Crokaert (born January 9, 1970), better known as Lara Fabian, is a Belgian-Canadian pop singer and songwriter. She has sold over 20 million records worldwide as of 2021Broadway World (2017)"Lara Fabian annule finalement sa tourn ...

on her '' A Wonderful Life'' album.

Background

After re-signing her contract with

, Rimes began work recording songs for ''Twisted Angel'' for three years. It is the first album she would do under her new management. It is also the first album that Rimes's father, Wilbur C. Rimes, did not produce - instead Rimes was the executive producer of the album herself.

Singles

Two singles were released from the album. " Life Goes On" was released as the lead single from the album on August 26, 2002. Holly George-Warren of ''Entertainment Weekly'' claimed the song would "probably go on to number one on the pop chart." The song peaked at number nine on the

Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quiet ...

chart, thirty-five on the

Pop Songs Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/ CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played on a panel of Top 40 radio stations in the Un ...

chart, twenty-eight on the

Adult Pop Songs The Adult Pop Airplay (formerly known as Adult Pop Songs and Adult Top 40) chart is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and ranks "the most popular adult top 40 as based on radio airplay detections measured by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems ...

and sixty on the

Country Songs Country song may refer to: *National anthem, known as a "country song" in some languages * "Country Song" (Jake Bugg song), a 2011 song by British singer songwriter Jake Bugg * "Country Song" (Pink Floyd song), an untitled song by Pink Floyd from th ...

chart in the US. The second single and final single, " Suddenly", was released internationally on February 18, 2003. The song peaked at forty-three on the Country song chart in the US.

Critical reception

The album was met with mixed reviews, as

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...

gave it a score of 51 out of 100. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the dat ...

gave a mixed review about the album. Though praising Rimes for her conversion to pop by stating that it "isn't a bad career move at all, since there's a void there with the absence of

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "Honorific nicknames in popular music, The Voice", she is Whitney Houston albums discography, one of the bestselling music artists ...

, the breakdown of

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the ...

, and Christina Aguilera's bizarre insistence to strip instead of sing", Erlewine noted that Rimes "may not be an audience for it: even though this is well done, it is so pop it will alienate her older fans, and she needs to win over an older audience that may not be taken with her newly sexualized image." He also stated that the song-writing in on the album was "a little uneven; often, it's very good workmanlike mainstream pop, but there are a couple of duds (namely, the irritating chorus on the "sassy" "Trouble With Goodbye"), and even the best material is melodic without being hooky or memorable." Erlewine's biggest problem was the production and attitude of the album which he stated is "kind of fall through the cracks in 2002, when teen pop is dead and mainstream pop is veering away from divas and toward quirkier, friendlier singers like Vanessa Carlton, Avril Lavigne, and Michelle Branch." Erlewine concluded with stating that even though Rimes didn't do a bad job trying to get into mainstream pop he did state that the album is a bit "dated" and stated that Rimes would be better off using a different production team than

Desmond Child John Charles Barrett (born October 28, 1953), known professionally as Desmond Child, is an American songwriter and producer. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2008. His hits as a songwriter include Kiss's " I Was Made for L ...

. Jon Caramanica of ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cult ...

'' on the other hand gave the album a C+, stating that Rimes "desperately wants to play with the bad girls" and concluded by writing "Someone unbreak her heart, please." Dave Gil de Rubio of Barnes & Noble.com stated that Rimes is "moving farther from her country music roots with a set of songs closer in spirit to junior divas Britney and Christina." Jon Caramanica of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its co ...

'' gave the album two out of five stars and stated, "Rimes, who got her start aping Patsy Cline, slaps her throaty drawl over hip-hop lite beats

Jessica Simpson Jessica Ann Simpson (born July 10, 1980) is an American singer, actress, entrepreneur and philanthropist. After performing in church choirs as a child, Simpson signed with Columbia Records in 1997, aged seventeen. Her debut studio album, ''Swee ...

wouldn't touch, and a succession of mushy love songs don't help. With golden pipes and white-bread good looks, she could succeed

Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...

as North America's ranking pop balladeer; in the meantime let's hope Nashville will take her back, and quick."

Track listing

Credits and personnel

Credits for ''Twisted Angel'' were adapted from liner notes. ;A thru K * Peter Amato – arrangement, keyboards, producer, programming, recording * Stephanie Bennett – harp *

Charlie Bisharat Charlie Bisharat is an American violinist known as a member of Shadowfax and for his work in film and with other New Age Jazz artists. He was born in Inglewood, CA in 1963 to parents who immigrated to the United States from Palestine in the 1950 ...

– violin * Gareth Bowser – assistant engineer * Chandler Bridges – additional engineering * Chris Brooke – recording * Denyse Buffum – viola * Eve Butler – violin * David Campbell –

French horn The French horn (since the 1930s known simply as the horn in professional music circles) is a brass instrument made of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. The double horn in F/B (technically a variety of German horn) is the horn most ...

, string quintet

arrangement In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orchestr ...

, timpani arrangement, conductor * Andreas Carlsson – background vocals * Sueann Carwell – background vocals * Rob Chairelli – mix, recording * Susan Chatman – violin *

– producer *

Steve Churchyard Steve Churchyard is an English record producer, recording engineer and mixer who began his career at Sir George Martin’s AIR Studios in London. He currently resides in the United States. He has been nominated for 15 Grammy awards. In 2008 he wo ...

– recording * Chris Clark – assistant engineer, assistant mix engineer * Jon Clarke –

alto flute The alto flute is an instrument in the Western concert flute family, the second-highest member below the standard C flute after the uncommon flûte d'amour. It is the third most common member of its family after the standard C flute and the ...

oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range. ...

* Peter Cobbin – mixing,

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a musica ...

, programming, recording * Brian Coleman – production manager *

Luis Conte Luis Conte (born 16 November 1954) is a Cuban percussionist best-known for his performances in the bands of artists including James Taylor, Madonna, Pat Metheny Group, Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, Phil Collins, Rod Stewart and Shakira. He bega ...

–

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...

* Larry Corbett – cello * Joel Derouin – violin * Brad Dutz –

timpani Timpani (; ) or kettledrums (also informally called timps) are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum categorised as a hemispherical drum, they consist of a membrane called a head stretched over a large bowl traditiona ...

* Gyan Evans – background vocals* * Charlie Everett – violin * DJ Mega Man – scratches * Phill Dukes – viola *

Steve Ferrone Steve Ferrone (born 25 April 1950) is an English drummer. He is known as a member of the rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers from 1994 to 2017, replacing original drummer Stan Lynch, and as part of the "classic lineup" of the Average Wh ...

– drums * Michelle Forbes – assistant mix engineer * Sherree Ford – background vocals * Matt Funes – viola *

Humberto Gatica Humberto Gatica is a Chilean-born American recording engineer, mixing engineer and record producer, best known for his work with Celine Dion, Chicago, Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand, Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban and Michael Bublé. Gatica's inter ...

– recording * Alex Gibson – assistant engineer * Conrad Golding – additional engineering, assistant engineer * Jules Gondar – recording * Matt Gruber – recording *

Bernie Grundman Bernie Grundman is an American audio engineer. He is most known for his mastering work and his studio, Bernie Grundman Mastering, which he opened in 1984 in Hollywood. The studio, which includes engineers Chris Bellman, Patricia Sullivan, and ...

– mastering * Dino Herrmann – additional engineering * Gerry Hilera – violin * Brian Humphrey – assistant engineer * Eric Jackson –

acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...

Corky James Corky James (born February 10, 1954) is a Los Angeles-based session guitarist and bassist who has appeared on a considerable number of music albums and motion picture soundtracks. His genres encompass rock, pop, country, singer-songwriter, and f ...

–

electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gu ...

* Suzi Katayama – orchestra manager * Zev Katz – acoustic bass * Peter Kent – violin * Pat Kiernan – violin *Note: Gary Evans appears courtesy of Deston Entertainment ;L thru Z *

Abe Laboriel Jr. Abraham Laboriel Jr. (born March 23, 1971) is an American session drummer. He is the son of Mexican bass guitarist Abraham Laboriel, nephew of Mexican rocker Johnny Laboriel, and brother of record producer, songwriter, and film composer Mateo ...

–

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair of matching drumsticks ...

Abraham Laboriel Abraham Laboriel López Sr. (born July 17, 1947) is a Mexican-American bassist who has played on over 4,000 recordings and soundtracks. ''Guitar Player'' magazine called him "the most widely used session bassist of our time". Laboriel is the f ...

–

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and s ...

Michael Landau Michael Christopher Landau (born June 1, 1958) is an American musician, audio engineer, and record producer. He is a session musician and guitarist who has played on many albums since the early 1980s with Boz Scaggs, Minoru Niihara, Joni Mitc ...

– electric guitar * Ana Landauer – violin * Greg Landon – assistant engineer * Matt Lavalla – recording, assistant engineer * Craig Lozowick – additional engineering * Darrin McCann –

viola ; german: Bratsche , alt=Viola shown from the front and the side , image=Bratsche.jpg , caption= , background=string , hornbostel_sachs=321.322-71 , hornbostel_sachs_desc=Composite chordophone sounded by a bow , range= , related= *Violin family ...

* Bill Malina – additional engineering * Nathan Malki – additional engineering * Manny Marroquin – mixing * Joe Meyer – French Horn * John Morrical – assistant engineer *

Robbie Nevil Robert S. Nevil (born October 2, 1958) is an American pop singer, songwriter, producer, and guitarist who had five ''Billboard'' top 40 hits including his songs " C'est la Vie" (#2, 1986), "Dominoes" (#14, 1987), and "Wot's It to Ya" (#10, 1987). ...

– electric guitar * Pete Novak – assistant mix engineer * Jeanette Olsson – background vocals * Simon Oswell – viola * Charlie Paakkari – assistant engineer * Gregg Paganni – arrangement,

keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

, producer, programming, recording * Sid Page – violin * Sara Parkins – violin * Nora Payne – background vocals * Bob Peterson – violin * Kazi Pitelka – viola * Tony Pleeth – cello * Michelle Richards – violin * Steve Richards – cello *

– lead vocals, background vocals, executive producer * Anatoly Rosinski –

violin The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...

* Alan Sanderson – assistant engineer * Jonathan Schwarts – acoustic bass * Mary Scully – bass guitar *

Leland Sklar Leland Bruce Sklar (born May 28, 1947) is an American bassist and session musician. Sklar rose to prominence as a member of James Taylor's backing band, which coaleced into a group in its own right, The Section. This group of musicians so frequ ...

– bass guitar * Dan Smith –

cello The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a Bow (music), bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), t ...

* Ed Stein – violin * Ruby Stein – cello * Michael Thompson – electric guitar * Rebeka Tuinei – assistant mix engineer * John Wittenberg – violin * Margaret Wooten – violin * Gavyn Writer – violin * Jennifer Young – assistant engineer

Charts

''Twisted Angel'' debuted at #12 on ''Billboard'' 200 with 61,398 copies sold in its 1st week, it fell by 47% with 32,619 copies sold in its 2nd week. and a 14% decrease in its 3rd with 28,176 copies sold.

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

External links

* {{Authority control 2002 albums Curb Records albums LeAnn Rimes albums Albums produced by Desmond Child Contemporary R&B albums by American artists