{{Short description|1985 studio album by Stevie Wonder}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}} {{Infobox album | name = In Square Circle | type = studio | artist = Stevie Wonder | cover = Stevie Wonder In Square Circle CD cover.JPG | alt = | released = September 13, 1985 | recorded = 1984–1985 | studio = Wonderland (Los Angeles, California) | genre = {{hlist|R&B|soul}} | length = 46:00 (LP) <br>49:22 (CD) | label = Tamla | producer = Stevie Wonder | prev_title = The Woman in Red | prev_year = 1984 | next_title = Characters | next_year = 1987 | misc = {{Singles | name = In Square Circle | type = studio | single1 = Part-Time Lover | single1date = August 24, 1985 | single2 = Go Home | single2date = October 1985 | single3 = Overjoyed | single3date = Late 1985 | single4 = Land of La La | single4date = April 1986 | single5 = Stranger on the Shore of Love | single5date = July 1986 }} }} {{Music ratings |rev1 = AllMusic |rev1score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name=Allmusic>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/in-square-circle-mw0000196381|title=Stevie Wonder: In Square Circle|author=Wynn, Ron|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=December 15, 2024}}</ref> |rev2 = Robert Christgau |rev2score = B+<ref name=VillageVoice>{{cite web|author=Christgau, Robert|url= http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?id=1328&name=Stevie+Wonder|title=Stevie Wonder|publisher=Village Voice|access-date=2010-05-08}}</ref> |rev3 = ''Rolling Stone'' |rev3score = (favorable)<ref name=RollingStone>{{Cite magazine|url = https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/in-square-circle-19851024|title = In Square Circle|magazine = Rolling Stone|author=Pareles, Jon|date = 24 October 1985|access-date = 1 September 2017|archive-date = 22 June 2018|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180622165500/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/in-square-circle-19851024|url-status = dead}}</ref> |rev4 = ''The Rolling Stone Album Guide'' |rev4score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name="rollingstone.com">{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/stevie-wonder/albumguide |title=Stevie Wonder: Album Guide | Rolling Stone Music |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=2017-09-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130406160501/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/stevie-wonder/albumguide |archive-date=2013-04-06 |url-status=dead }}</ref> }}<!-- Automatically generated by DASHBot-->
'''''In Square Circle''''' is the twentieth studio album by American singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder, released in September 1985 on Tamla Records.<ref name=Album>{{cite book|title=Stevie Wonder - In Square Circle|date=September 13, 1985|publisher=Tamla Records}}</ref> ''In Square Circle'' spent 12 weeks at number one on the US Billboard Top R&B Albums chart. The album also made the top five on the US Billboard 200 and peaked at No. 5 on the UK Pop Albums chart.
==Singles== In Square Circle features hit singles "Part-Time Lover" (No. 1), "Go Home" (No. 10), "Overjoyed" (No. 24), and "Land of La La" (No. 86).
==Critical reception== Jon Pareles of Rolling Stone claimed "Wonder seems immune to the current epidemic of posturing self-importance, and with his unforced optimism and his no-sweat audio perfectionism, he makes your ears happy, again and again. On ''In Square Circle'', he's as irresistible as ever."<ref name=RollingStone />
With a B+ Robert Christgau of the Village Voice found "Compare this to the others in your head and you'll be hard-pressed to specify what's missing, but slap on ''Talking Book'' or ''Hotter Than July'' and you'll hear how cushy it is—polyrhythmic pop rather than polyrhythmic rock. Stevie's effervescence is so indomitable that it's a pleasure even so, but nothing rises far enough out of the stew".<ref name=VillageVoice />
Ron Wynn of AllMusic, gave a 3 out of 5 stars rating saying, "Although it went platinum, nothing stands as better evidence of how cyclical the pop experience is than the response to ''In Square Circle''. Wonder actually wrote some superb songs, and several, like 'Overjoyed' and 'I Love You Too Much', were superior to the hit single 'Part-Time Lover'. But that one zoomed to the top spot and became the album's definitive tune in the minds of many."<ref name=Allmusic />
RJ Smith of ''Spin'' called the album, "a pleasant muttering packaged as a Major Statement. Where's the energy and comedy of the man who turns into a mercurial mimic on stage? The lights are on, but nobody's home."<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine= Spin|title=Spins|author=Smith, RJ|date=December 1985|issue=8|page=29}}</ref>
Stephen Holden of the New York Times declared "Chock full of surging chromatic melodies, powerful dance rhythms and churning synthesized instrumentation, ''In Square Circle'' is classic Stevie Wonder in the way it combines extremes of primitivism and lofty spiritual and artistic aspiration. Like all of Mr. Wonder's best records, ''In Square Circle'' is an allegorical pop mural whose panels each suggest a different symbolic tableau. Musically, the album is more concise and less experimental than the sprawling two-disk sets, ''Songs in the Key of Life'' and the ''Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants.'' His latest songs are also more consistently melodic and danceable than those on his 1980 album, ''Hotter Than July.''"<ref name=NYT>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/09/15/arts/stevie-wonder-the-pop-is-vintage.html|title=STEVIE WONDER – THE POP IS VINTAGE|author=Holden, Stephen|date=September 15, 1985|publisher=New York Times|access-date=December 15, 2024}}</ref>
Wonder also won a Grammy for the album, in the category of Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.<ref name=Grammy>{{cite web|url=https://www.grammy.com/artists/stevie-wonder/8257|title=Stevie Wonder|publisher=The Recording Academy|access-date=December 15, 2024}}</ref>
==Track listing== {{Track listing |all_writing=Stevie Wonder<ref name=Album /> |headline = Side one |title1= Part-Time Lover |length1= 4:09 |title2= I Love You Too Much |length2= 5:30 |title3= Whereabouts |length3= 4:17 |title4= Stranger on the Shore of Love |length4= 5:01 |title5= Never in Your Sun |length5= 4:07 }}
{{Track listing |headline = Side two |title1= Spiritual Walkers |length1= 5:12 |title2= Land of La La |length2= 5:14 |title3= Go Home |length3= 5:18 |title4= Overjoyed |length4= 3:43 |title5= It's Wrong (Apartheid) |length5= 3:29{{efn|6:52 on CD and Streaming editions}} }}
'''Notes''' {{notelist}}
==Personnel== {{div col}}
'''Musicians'''
'''"Part-Time Lover"''' * Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, synthesizers, drums * Luther Vandross – lead vocal, background vocal * Syreeta Wright – background vocal * Philip Bailey – background vocal * Keith John – background vocal * Melody McCully, Billy Durham, Peter Byrne, Renee Hardaway, Darryl Phinnessee – background vocal '''"I Love You Too Much"''' * Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, background vocal, synthesizers, drums, percussion '''"Whereabouts"''' * Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, synthesizers, drums, percussion * Keith John – background vocal * Darryl Phinnessee – background vocal * Deniece Williams – background vocal * Howard Smith – background vocal '''"Stranger on the Shore of Love"''' * Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, background vocal, synthesizers, drums, harpsichord, accordion '''"Never in Your Sun"''' * Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, background vocal, synthesizers, drums, percussion, harmonica '''"Spiritual Walkers"''' * Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, Yamaha CS-80 synthesizer, drums, percussion * Edwin Birdsong – Yamaha CS-80 synthesizer * Larry Gittens – trumpet * Bob Malach – saxophone * Janice Moore, Cheta Akins, Carolyn Garrett, Ruthell Holmes, Kay Gibbs, Valencia Cox – background vocal '''"Land of La La"''' * Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, background vocal, synthesizers, electric piano, percussion, drums * Ben Bridges – guitar * Rick Zunigar – guitar * Renee Hardaway – background vocal '''"Go Home"''' * Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, background vocal, synthesizers, drums, vocoder * Bob Malach – saxophone * Larry Gittens – trumpet '''"Overjoyed"''' * Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, background vocal, acoustic piano, environmental percussion (incl.: crickets, bird sounds, ocean, pebbles in pond, stone dropped, crushing leaves), Yamaha CS-80 synthesizer * Earl Klugh – guitar * Paul Riser – string arrangement '''"It's Wrong (Apartheid)"''' * Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, synthesizers, drums, percussion, kora * Musa Dludla, Thandeka Ngono-Raasch, Linda Bottoman-Tshabalala, Muntu Myuyana, Lorraine Mahlangu-Richards, Fana Kekana, Tsepo Mokone – background vocal
'''Technical personnel''' * Stevie Wonder – producer, performer, writer, composer * Bob Bralove, Brad Buxer, Abdoulaye Soumare – synthesizer programming * Gary Olazabal – synthesizer programming, recording engineer, associate producer, audio mixing * Bobby Holland – photography (album cover/booklet), concept designer (album cover) * Renee Hardaway – concept designer (album cover) * Johnny Lee – art direction (album cover)<ref name=Album /> {{div col end}}
== Notable performances == "Go Home" was performed during the 1986 Grammy Awards ceremony as part of a synthesizer jam with Thomas Dolby, Herbie Hancock, and Howard Jones.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4p7VIE9jQk YouTube: "Synthesizer Showdown at the 1985 Grammys"]</ref> It was also performed, along with "Overjoyed," on the May 7, 1983, episode of ''Saturday Night Live'', which Wonder hosted.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://snl.jt.org/ep.php-i=198305070.html|title=May 7, 1983|website=The SNL Archives|access-date=3 May 2015}}</ref>
==Charts== {{col-begin}} {{col-2}}
===Weekly charts=== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |+ Weekly chart performance for ''In Square Circle'' ! scope="col"| Chart (1985–1986) ! scope="col"| Position |- !scope="row"|Australian Kent Music Report<ref name="auchart">{{Cite book|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, NSW|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6}}</ref> |8 |- !scope="row"|Austrian Albums Chart<ref>{{cite web|title=austriancharts.at Stevie Wonder – ''In Square Circle''|work=Hung Medien|language=de|format=ASP|url=http://austriancharts.at/showitem.asp?interpret=Stevie+Wonder&titel=In+Square+Circle&cat=a|access-date=2014-04-27}}</ref> |12 |- !scope="row"|Canadian ''RPM'' Albums Chart<ref>[http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.9304&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=53gtrvbfj0gk7r9b4sd40dtvu0 Library and Archives Canada.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201224821/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.9304&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=53gtrvbfj0gk7r9b4sd40dtvu0 |date=2014-02-01 }} Retrieved 2014-04-27</ref> |7 |- !scope="row"|Dutch Albums Chart<ref>{{cite web|title=dutchcharts.nl Stevie Wonder – ''In Square Circle''|work=dutchcharts.nl|publisher=MegaCharts|url=http://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Stevie+Wonder&titel=In+Square+Circle&cat=a|format=ASP|access-date=2014-04-27}}</ref> |16 |- !scope="row"|Japanese Oricon Albums Chart<ref name="Jachart">{{cite book|title=Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970-2005|publisher=Oricon Entertainment|location=Roppongi, Tokyo|year=2006|isbn=4-87131-077-9}}</ref> |3 |- !scope="row"|New Zealand Albums Chart<ref>{{cite web|title=charts.nz Stevie Wonder – ''In Square Circle''|work=Hung Medien|publisher=Recording Industry Association of New Zealand|url=https://charts.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=Stevie+Wonder&titel=In+Square+Circle&cat=a|format=ASP|access-date=2014-04-27}}</ref> |7 |- !scope="row"|Norwegian VG-lista Albums Chart<ref>{{cite web|title=norwegiancharts.com Stevie Wonder – ''In Square Circle''|work=Hung Medien|publisher=VG-lista|format=ASP|url=http://norwegiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Stevie+Wonder&titel=In+Square+Circle&cat=a|access-date=2014-04-27}}</ref> |3 |- !scope="row"|Swedish Albums Chart<ref name="sechart">{{cite web|title=swedishcharts.com Stevie Wonder – ''In Square Circle''|format=ASP|url=http://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Stevie+Wonder&titel=In+Square+Circle&cat=a|language=sv|access-date=2014-04-27}}</ref> |2 |- !scope="row"|Swiss Albums Chart<ref>{{cite web|title= Stevie Wonder – ''In Square Circle'' – hitparade.ch|url=http://hitparade.ch/showitem.asp?interpret=Stevie+Wonder&titel=In+Square+Circle&cat=a|language=de|work=Hung Medien|format=ASP|publisher=Swiss Music Charts|access-date=2014-04-27}}</ref> |4 |- {{album chart|UK2|5|date=19850922|rowheader=true|access-date=May 14, 2021}} |- {{album chart|Billboard200|5|artist=Stevie Wonder|rowheader=true|access-date=May 14, 2021}} |- !scope="row"|West German Media Control Albums Chart<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/album-details-301| title=Stevie Wonder – ''In Square Circle''|language=de| publisher=Media Control|access-date=2024-12-15}}</ref> |8 |} {{col-2}}
===Year-end charts=== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |+ 1985 year-end chart performance for ''In Square Circle'' ! scope="col"| Chart (1985) ! scope="col"| Position |- !scope="row"|Canadian Albums Chart<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.0618&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=mhe12pta2k83e08udtq66ot062|title=RPM Top 100 Albums of 1985|magazine=RPM|access-date=February 20, 2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120723221952/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.0618&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=mhe12pta2k83e08udtq66ot062|archive-date=July 23, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> |29 |- !scope="row"|French Albums Chart<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.infodisc.fr/B-CD_1985.php |title=Les Albums (CD) de 1985 par InfoDisc |language=fr |format=PHP |publisher=infodisc.fr |access-date=February 20, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121027131313/http://www.infodisc.fr/B-CD_1985.php |archive-date=October 27, 2012 }}</ref> |21 |} {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |+ 1986 year-end chart performance for ''In Square Circle'' ! scope="col"| Chart (1986) ! scope="col"| Position |- !scope="row"|Canadian Albums Chart<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.8824&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=c6btf3r8hs459qqt5ln3o3dcv5|title=RPM Top 100 Albums of 1986|magazine=RPM|access-date=February 20, 2013}}</ref> |91 |- !scope="row"|Japanese Albums Chart<ref>{{cite web|url=http://entamedata.web.fc2.com/music/music_a1986.html|script-title=ja:年間アルバムヒットチャート 1986年（昭和61年）|trans-title=Japanese Year-End Albums Chart 1986|publisher=Oricon|language=ja|access-date=2014-04-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102183739/http://entamedata.web.fc2.com/music/music_a1986.html|archive-date=2013-11-02|url-status=dead}}</ref> |19 |- !scope="row"|US ''Billboard'' 200<ref>{{cite web |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121209212901/http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/yearendcharts/1986/the-billboard-200 |url=http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/yearendcharts/1986/the-billboard-200 |title=Billboard.BIZ – Year-end Charts – Billboard 200 – 1986 |publisher=billboard.biz |archive-date=2012-12-09 |access-date=2014-04-27 |url-status=dead }}</ref> |18 |} {{col-end}}
==Certifications== {{certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for ''In Square Circle''}} {{certification Table Entry|title=In Square Circle|artist=Stevie Wonder|relyear=1985|type=album|region=Canada|award=Platinum|number=2|access-date=2013-09-26}} {{certification Table Entry|title=In Square Circle|artist=Stevie Wonder|type=album|relyear=1985|certyear=1988|region=France|award=Gold|source=infodisc}} {{certification Table Entry|title=In Square Circle|artist=Stevie Wonder|relyear=1985|type=album|region=Hong Kong|award=Gold|certyear=1988|access-date=November 30, 2019}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Japan (Oricon Charts)|nocert=yes|salesamount=596,000|salesref=<ref name="Jachart"/>}} {{certification Table Entry|title=In Square Circle|artist=Stevie Wonder|relyear=1985|type=album|id=1986-02-07|source=newchart|access-date=2024-11-20|region=New Zealand|award=Gold}} {{certification Table Entry|title=In Square Circle|artist=Stevie Wonder|type=album|relyear=1986|certyear=1986|region=Spain|award=Platinum|certref=<ref name="Spanish certifications 1979-1990">{{cite book|url=http://www.mediafire.com/view/x263f6daopkswo8|title=Solo Exitos 1959-2002 Ano A Ano: Certificados 1979-1990|year=2005|publisher=Iberautor Promociones Culturales|isbn=8480486392}}</ref>}} {{certification Table Entry|title=In Square Circle|artist=Stevie Wonder|relyear=1985|type=album|region=United Kingdom|award=Gold|access-date=2013-09-26|id=3288-3788-2}} {{certification Table Entry|title=In Square Circle|artist=Stevie Wonder|relyear=1985|type=album|region=United States|award=Platinum|number=2|access-date=2013-09-26}} {{Certification Table Bottom}}
== See also == *List of Billboard number-one R&B albums of 1985 *List of Billboard number-one R&B albums of 1986
==References== {{Reflist}} {{Stevie Wonder}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Stevie Wonder albums Category:1985 albums Category:Motown albums Category:Albums produced by Stevie Wonder Category:Tamla Records albums