{{Infobox album | name = Cupid Stories | type = studio | artist = Bracket | cover = Cupid Stories.jpg | alt = | released = {{start date|df=yes|2011|09|26}} | recorded = | studio = | genre = | length = 54:53 | label = Ape Planet | producer = *Fliptyce *Masterkraft *Dekumzy *Mecca E *Phyno | prev_title = Least Expected | prev_year = 2009 | next_title = Alive | next_year = 2015 | misc = {{Singles | name = Cupid Stories | type = studio | single1 = Remember (Yori Yori Remix) | single1date = 10 June 2010 | single2 = Muah Muah | single2date = 20 March 2011 | single3 = Me & You | single3date = 30 May 2011 | single4 = Girl | single4date = 23 September 2011 }} }}
'''''Cupid Stories''''' is the third studio album by Nigerian contemporary highlife music duo Bracket. It was released on 26 September 2011 through Ape Planet and features guest appearances from Wizkid, M.I, 2Face Idibia, Banky W. and Flavour. Production was handled by Fliptyce, Masterkraft, Dekumzy, Mecca E and Phyno.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bracket pockets N15m on new album|url=https://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/10/bracket-pockets-n15m-on-new-album/|location=Lagos, Nigeria|date=8 October 2011|access-date=16 January 2025|newspaper=Vanguard}}</ref> ''Cupid Stories'' was preceded by the singles "Remember (Yori Yori Remix)", "Muah Muah", "Me & You", and "Girl". It serves as a follow-up to ''Least Expected'' (2009).
== Background == Bracket originally announced the release of ''Cupid Stories'' for 5 September 2011, but it was eventually pushed back to the 26th. Explaining the album's title, ''Cupid Stories'', Vast, a member of Bracket, revealed it was chosen because the album contains "many melodious love songs in it".<ref>{{cite news|title=Bracket drops new album …refutes fight with P-Square|url=https://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/08/bracket-drops-new-album-refutes-fight-with-p-square/|location=Lagos, Nigeria|date=19 August 2011|access-date=16 January 2025|newspaper=Vanguard}}</ref>
== Singles == The first single "Remember (Yori Yori Remix)" features 2Face Idibia and was released on 10 June 2010. Produced by Dekumzy,<ref>{{cite web|author=Ovie Ofugara|title=Bracket ft 2face Idibia - Yori Yori (Remix)|url=https://notjustok.com/article/world-premiere-bracket-ft-2face-idibia-yori-yori-remix/|website=NotJustOk|date=10 June 2010|access-date=16 January 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100615235840/https://notjustok.com/2010/06/10/world-premiere-bracket-ft-2face-idibia-yori-yori-remix/|archive-date=15 June 2010|url-status=live}}</ref> it was originally titled "Remember" and not "Remember (Yori Yori Remix)." A leaked version of the track was mistakenly titled "Yori Yori Remix".<ref>{{cite news|author=Mukosolu Nzom|title=Our pain, our gains, our story – Bracket|url=https://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/11/our-pain-our-gains-our-story-bracket/|location=Lagos, Nigeria|date=3 November 2012|access-date=16 January 2025|newspaper=Vanguard}}</ref> The album's second single "Muah Muah" was released on 20 March 2011, produced by Dekumzy.<ref>{{cite web|author=Oye Akideinde|title=360Premiere: Bracket – Muah Muah|url=http://www.360nobs.com/2011/03/360premiere-bracket-muah-muah/|website=360nobs|date=20 March 2011|access-date=16 January 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320131014mp_/http://www.360nobs.com/2011/03/360premiere-bracket-muah-muah/|archive-date=20 March 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> The third single off the album "Me & You" was released on 29 May 2011, also produced by Dekumzy.<ref>{{cite news|author=Osagie Alonge|title=NETPod: Bracket Bounce Back With 'Me & U'|url=https://thenet.ng/netpod-bracket-bounce-back-with-me-u/|location=Lagos, Nigeria|date=30 May 2011|access-date=16 January 2025|newspaper=The NET}}</ref> The fourth and final single "Girl" featuring Wizkid was released on 23 September 2011, which was produced by Masterkraft.<ref>{{cite web|author=Demola Ogundele|title=World Premiere: Bracket ft. WizKid - Girl|url=https://notjustok.com/article/world-premiere-bracket-ft-wizkid-girl/|website=NotJustOk|date=23 September 2011|access-date=16 January 2025}}</ref> The song was nominated for Best Collabo of the Year at the 2012 Nigeria Entertainment Awards.<ref>{{cite web|title=2012 NIGERIAN ENTERTAINMENT AWARDS NOMINEES ANNOUNCED AT THE NOMINATION GALA EVENT IN LAGOS|url=http://www.360nobs.com/2012/06/2012-nigerian-entertainment-awards-nominees-announced-at-the-nomination-gala-event-in-lagos/|website=360nobs|date=3 June 2012|access-date=16 January 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120605041856/http://www.360nobs.com/2012/06/2012-nigerian-entertainment-awards-nominees-announced-at-the-nomination-gala-event-in-lagos/|archive-date=5 June 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>
== Critical reception == {{Music ratings | rev1 = ''Nigerian Entertainment Today'' | rev1score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}<ref name="Bracket.4"/> }} ''Cupid Stories'' received generally negative reviews from critics. Ayomide Tayo of ''Nigerian Entertainment Today'' described the album as unimaginative and one-dimensional, criticizing its repetitive rhythms, weak lyrics, and lackluster production. While praising collaborations like "Girl" with Wizkid and "Champion" with Banky W., he concluded that "''Cupid Stories'' is a book of forgettable love tales" and rated it 2.5 out of 5.<ref name="Bracket.4">{{cite news|author=Ayomide Tayo|title=Bracket – Cupid Stories [ALBUM REVIEW]|url=https://thenet.ng/bracket-cupid-stories-album-review/|location=Lagos, Nigeria|date=28 October 2011|access-date=16 January 2025|newspaper=The NET}}</ref> Wilfred Okiche of ''YNaija'' described ''Cupid Stories'' as a love-themed album with moments of charm but weighed down by inconsistent quality. While praising tracks like "Beautiful Baby" featuring Flavour and "Remember" with 2Face Idibia, he noted the album's weaker songs and concluded, "We will be making room on our playlists for the better melodious tunes on this set while wishing the guys Godspeed in perfecting their sound, but we will not wait around forever."<ref>{{cite web|author=Wilfred Okiche|title=Review: Bracket's Cupid Stories|url=https://ynaija.com/review-brackets-cupid-stories/|website=YNaija|date=22 October 2011|access-date=16 January 2025}}</ref> A writer for ''Jaguda'' who goes by the name Aribaba did a track-by-track review on the album and gave it a 6.5/10.<ref>{{cite web|author=Aribaba|title=Album Review: Bracket – Cupid Stories|url=http://www.jaguda.com/2011/10/12/album-review-bracket-cupid-stories/|website=Jaguda|date=12 October 2011|access-date=29 June 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111014060901/http://www.jaguda.com/2011/10/12/album-review-bracket-cupid-stories/|archive-date=14 October 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>
== Track listing == {{Track listing | headline = ''Cupid Stories'' track listing | extra_column = Producer(s) | total_length = 54:53
| title1 = Looking At You | writer1 = {{flatlist| * Nwachukwu Ozioko * Obumneme Ali }} | extra1 = Mecca E | length1 = 4:12
| title2 = Stagger | note2 = featuring M.I | writer2 = {{flatlist| * Ozioko * Ali * Jude Abaga }} | extra2 = Phyno | length2 = 3:46
| title3 = Me & You | writer3 = {{flatlist| * Ozioko * Ali }} | extra3 = Dekumzy | length3 = 3:16
| title4 = Girl | note4 = featuring Wizkid | writer4 = {{flatlist| * Ozioko * Ali * Ayodeji Balogun }} | extra4 = Masterkraft | length4 = 4:54
| title5 = Tell Me Something | writer5 = {{flatlist| * Ozioko * Ali }} | extra5 = Dekumzy | length5 = 3:17
| title6 = Champion | note6 = featuring Banky W. | writer6 = {{flatlist| * Ozioko * Ali * Olubankole Wellington }} | extra6 = Masterkraft | length6 = 3:26
| title7 = Bro. Wale | writer7 = {{flatlist| * Ozioko * Ali }} | extra7 = Dekumzy | length7 = 3:24
| title8 = Beautiful Baby | note8 = featuring Flavour | writer8 = {{flatlist| * Ozioko * Ali * Chinedu Okoli }} | extra8 = Dekumzy | length8 = 3:46
| title9 = Iheoma | writer9 = {{flatlist| * Ozioko * Ali }} | extra9 = Phyno | length9 = 4:31
| title10 = Muah Muah | writer10 = {{flatlist| * Ozioko * Ali }} | extra10 = Dekumzy | length10 = 3:24
| title11 = Time | writer11 = {{flatlist| * Ozioko * Ali }} | extra11 = Fliptyce | length11 = 4:17
| title12 = Desire | writer12 = {{flatlist| * Ozioko * Ali }} | extra12 = Dekumzy | length12 = 4:10
| title13 = Remember (Yori Yori Remix) | note13 = featuring 2Face Idibia | writer13 = {{flatlist| * Ozioko * Ali * Innocent Idibia }} | extra13 = Dekumzy | length13 = 4:02
| title14 = My God | writer14 = {{flatlist| * Ozioko * Ali }} | extra14 = Dekumzy | length14 = 4:28 }}
== Personnel == * Dekumzy — production (tracks 3, 5, 7–8, 10, 12–14) * Mecca E — production (track 1) * Phyno — production (tracks 2, 9) * Masterkraft — production (tracks 4, 6) * Fliptyce — production (track 11) * Zeeno Foster - mixing, mastering (tracks, 1–3, 5, 7–14) * Dr. Drexx — mixing, mastering (tracks 4, 6)
== Release history == {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" |+Release history and formats for ''Cupid Stories'' ! scope="col"| Region ! scope="col"| Date ! scope="col"| Format ! scope="col"| Label |- ! scope="row"| Various | 26 September 2011 | {{hlist|CD|digital download}} | Ape Planet |}
== References == {{reflist}}
Category:2011 albums Category:Igbo-language albums Category:Highlife albums by Nigerian artists Category:Albums produced by Masterkraft (producer) Category:Albums produced by Fliptyce Category:Albums produced by Phyno