# Write Me Back

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2012 studio album by R. Kelly

Write Me Back Studio album by R. Kelly Released June 25, 2012 Recorded July–November 2011 Studio Sylvester Stone The Chocolate Factory (Chicago) Milkboy (Philadelphia) Length 46:20 Label RCA Producer R. Kelly Warryn Campbell Big Makk J. LBS R. Kelly chronology Love Letter (2010) Write Me Back (2012) Black Panties (2013) Alternate cover Deluxe edition cover Singles from Write Me Back "Share My Love" Released: February 1, 2012 "Feelin' Single" Released: May 29, 2012 "When a Man Lies" Released: October 15, 2012

***Write Me Back*** is the eleventh [studio album](/source/Studio_album) by American [R&B](/source/Contemporary_R%26B) singer, songwriter, and producer [R. Kelly](/source/R._Kelly). Released on June 25, 2012, by [RCA Records](/source/RCA_Records), it was written and produced primarily by Kelly as the follow-up to his 2010 album *[Love Letter](/source/Love_Letter_(R._Kelly_album))*, with recording taking place at Sylvester Stone Studios, The Chocolate Factory (both in Chicago), and [MilkBoy The Studio](/source/Milkboy) (in Philadelphia). Expanding on *Love Letter*'s traditional R&B mode, the album incorporates musical influences from [Philadelphia soul](/source/Philadelphia_soul) and [Chicago stepping](/source/Chicago_stepping) in songs about love, its redemptive power, and its complications.

Debuting at number five on the [*Billboard* 200](/source/Billboard_200), *Write Me Back* registered sales of 68,000 copies in its first week and went on to chart for 16 more weeks, eventually reaching more than 141,000 copies sold in the US. It was promoted with the release of three singles, including "[Share My Love](/source/Share_My_Love_(R._Kelly_song))" and "[Feelin' Single](/source/Feelin'_Single)". Critically, *Write Me Back* was generally well received, earning praise for its musical arrangements and Kelly's vocal stylings in particular.

## Background

At the end of his supporting tour for *Love Letter*,[1] Kelly underwent emergency throat surgery in July 2011 to drain an [abscess](/source/Abscess) on one of his tonsils.[2] He recovered, and in August, announced that his next album will be called *Black Panties*, a sexually charged album in the same vein of his 1993 debut album, *[12 Play](/source/12_Play)*.[3] However, he deviated from that plan in January 2012 by announcing *Write Me Back* as his next album.[3] He recorded the album at Sylvester Stone Studios and The Chocolate Factory in Chicago, and at MilkBoy The Studio in Philadelphia.[4]

## Music and lyrics

[Love Park](/source/Love_Park) in Philadelphia; the album was recorded partly in the city and draws on [its era of soul music](/source/Philadelphia_soul) alongside themes of love.

*Write Me Back* expands on its predecessor's traditional R&B aesthetic with 1970s influences,[5][6] particularly [Philadelphia soul](/source/Philadelphia_soul) and elements of [Chicago stepping](/source/Chicago_stepping).[7][8][9] Its title is a reference to that album's title.[10] The music is also characterized by uptempo drum programming and smooth keyboard [lines](/source/Melody).[11] Nitush Abebe of *[New York](/source/New_York_(magazine))* observes "frictionless glide and delicacy, all the strings and horns caressing around the margins, of late-seventies Philly soul greats and [Quincy Jones](/source/Quincy_Jones) productions."[12] The album's primary subject matter is love, with exhortations about its redemptive power and its complications.[12] Abebe writes of this theme, "There's love as inspiration and redemption, love as strangled by manipulative men or undercommitted women, love as universal party, love as rotted from the inside by apathy or envy."[12]

"Share My Love" is an uptempo song with Philadelphia soul-styled strings.[3][13] It has a pop-R&B style similar to that of [Michael Jackson](/source/Michael_Jackson)'s 1979 album *[Off the Wall](/source/Off_the_Wall_(album))*.[14] The song has a theme of romance and [tongue-in-cheek](/source/Tongue-in-cheek) lyrics: "Populate / Let's get together / Populate".[3] "Green Light" has a [quiet storm](/source/Quiet_storm) style and low-[key](/source/Key_(music)) mood.[15] It is about a man wanting to please a woman who has a negligent boyfriend.[12] "Feelin' Single" is about the "liminal sense of having checked out of a relationship and started looking around for escape routes."[12] Kelly sings in a high [register](/source/Register_(music)) on the song, which [Greg Kot](/source/Greg_Kot) views "evok[es] the boyish innocence of a Michael Jackson over a stepping dance [groove](/source/Groove_(music)) accented with finger snaps."[16]

["Feelin' Single"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:R._Kelly_-_Feelin%27_Single.ogg)

The song is a [kiss-off](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/kiss-off) by the narrator to his increasingly uninterested lover.[17] Its [chord progression](/source/Chord_progression) is [sampled](/source/Sampling_(music)) from [Bill Withers](/source/Bill_Withers)' 1977 song "[Lovely Day](/source/Lovely_Day_(song))".[11]

*Problems playing this file? See [media help](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Media).*

"Believe in Me" is told from the perspective of a lover about to leave his woman for a prison term and asks for patience and support.[12][14] [Miles Marshall Lewis](/source/Miles_Marshall_Lewis) views that the song "embod[ies] elements of the (oft-downtrodden) blue-collar [African-American experience](/source/The_African-American_experience)."[14] "Lady Sunday" is a dance-oriented, orchestrated song with musical similarities to early 1970s [Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes](/source/Harold_Melvin_and_the_Blue_Notes).[16] "Believe That It's So" features [disco](/source/Disco) strings, assertive brass, and a narrative that celebrates love's ability to help people overcome adversity before celebrating celebration in general, as Kelly sings about becoming drunk and needing to draw on love to overcome his impending hangover.[17] Deviating from the album's 1970s influence, "All Rounds on Me" has [rockabilly](/source/Rockabilly) elements and an alternating [blues](/source/Blues) arrangement.[14]

## Marketing and sales

*Write Me Back* was marketed with the release of two singles. The lead single, "Share My Love", was released on February 1, 2012, and became a number-one hit on [urban adult](/source/Urban_adult_contemporary) radio.[3][10] It peaked at number 13 on the US *[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))* [Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs](/source/Hot_R%26B%2FHip-Hop_Songs), on which it has charted for 20 weeks.[18] It also charted at number 72 on the [Japan Hot 100](/source/Japan_Hot_100).[18] The second single, "Feelin' Single", was released as a [digital download](/source/Music_download) on May 29.[10] It reached number 43 on the *Billboard* Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.[19] The album was released by [RCA Records](/source/RCA_Records) on June 25 in the United Kingdom and on June 26 in the United States.[5][20] It is his first album for RCA, after [RCA Music Group](/source/RCA_Music_Group) shut down Kelly's former label Jive Records.[21] The album's deluxe edition included four additional songs.[22]

On June 27, 2012, Kelly became ill from complications related to his 2011 throat surgery.[23] Consequently, his promotional appearances on *[Late Night with Jimmy Fallon](/source/Late_Night_with_Jimmy_Fallon)* and *[Today](/source/Today_(NBC_program))* were cancelled.[23] Although his status for subsequent promotional efforts was uncertain,[23] Kelly performed at [Reggae Sumfest](/source/Reggae_Sumfest) on July 20,[24] and performed on *Late Night with Jimmy Fallon* after rescheduling for July 23.[25] "When a Man Lies" later impacted urban adult radio as the album's third and final single on October 15.[26]

In the United Kingdom, *Write Me Back* debuted at number 80 on the [UK Albums Chart](/source/UK_Albums_Chart) in the week of July 7, 2012.[27] In the United States, *Write Me Back* debuted at number 5 on the US [*Billboard* 200](/source/Billboard_200), selling 68,000 copies in its first week.[28] It was Kelly's lowest first-week sales since *12 Play* in 1993.[28] The album sold 24,600 copies in its second week on the chart, falling 14 spots to number 19. Pop[29] It ultimately charted for 17 weeks on the US *Billboard* 200.[30] As reported on August 15, 2012, the album had sold 500,000 copies in the United States.[31]

## Critical reception

Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating Allmusic [6] Chicago Tribune [16] Entertainment Weekly A−[32] The Independent [7] Los Angeles Times [33] NME 6/10[8] Pitchfork 6.5/10[15] Rolling Stone [34] Slant Magazine [11] Spin 7/10[14]

*Write Me Back* was met with generally positive reviews. At [Metacritic](/source/Metacritic), which assigns a [normalized](/source/Standard_score) rating out of 100 to reviews from professional critics, the album received an [average](/source/Weighted_mean) score of 73, based on 18 reviews.[35] August Brown of the *[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times)* dubbed it "the best grown-man dance record of the year" and stated, "the songwriting is, per usual at this point in his career, nimble and nicely matured. But the arrangements are the centerpiece here."[33] [Jody Rosen](/source/Jody_Rosen) of *[Rolling Stone](/source/Rolling_Stone)* called its music "virtuoso [pastiche](/source/Pastiche) – but Kelly's Seventies are freakier than your dad's."[34] [Maura Johnston](/source/Maura_Johnston) of *[The Village Voice](/source/The_Village_Voice)* viewed "Clipped Wings" as its strongest track and compared the album to *Love Letter*, stating "it's slightly less drenched in retro tropes, but it's no less of an enjoyable listen."[17] [Miles Marshall Lewis](/source/Miles_Marshall_Lewis) of *[Spin](/source/Spin_(magazine))* felt that "the result distills the melodies and lyrical flair fans love without the [NC-17](/source/NC-17) lines that often make Kelly [NSFW](/source/NSFW)."[14]

Andy Gill of *[The Independent](/source/The_Independent)* found Kelly "even more at home" musically than on *Love Letter* and stated, "for all his production skills, he remains first and foremost a vocal stylist of considerable ability".[7] [Thomas Conner](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thomas_Conner_(journalist)&action=edit&redlink=1) [[de](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Conner)] of the *[Chicago Sun-Times](/source/Chicago_Sun-Times)* complimented Kelly's "superb voice" and noted the Philadelphia soul influence as "a much more natural fit for Kelly's considerable vocal gifts and lusty one-track mind."[36] [Allmusic](/source/Allmusic)'s Andy Kellman complimented the music's "warmth and joy" and stated, "It's apparent that he can be retro and urbane as instinctively as he can be cutting edge and filthy."[6] Nitsuh Abebe of *[New York](/source/New_York_(magazine))* commended Kelly for "nailing each voice and narrative" and stated, "He comes at every idea like an impassioned pro, and whether that idea is making people melt, grind, or titter in disbelief, it’s usually his ardor that’s having that effect."[12]

In a mixed review, Jon Caramanica of *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)* dubbed the album Kelly's "least ambitious" and found it "tepid" by his standards, "which is to say, completely technically accomplished, but lacking the snakelike vocal slither and moist subject matter that mark him at his most virtuosic."[9] *[Slant Magazine](/source/Slant_Magazine)*'s Eric Henderson panned its music as "[this-porridge-is-just-right](/source/The_Story_of_the_Three_Bears#Literary_elements) uptempo mush" and questioned its genuineness, writing that "even if the songs sound like the height of artifice ... there's little doubt [Kelly] believes in his own hollow offerings."[11] [Pitchfork Media](/source/Pitchfork_Media)'s Jess Harvell observed "a fine line between breezy and half-assed" in the songwriting and criticized its "cut-rate production choices" behind "Kelly's engaged vocal performances."[15] [Greg Kot](/source/Greg_Kot) of the *[Chicago Tribune](/source/Chicago_Tribune)* called it "a less-consistently strong sequel" and stated, "Listeners may find themselves toggling between questioning Kelly’s sincerity and admiring his facility as a producer and singer."[16] *[Spin](/source/Spin_(magazine))* ranked *Write Me Back* number 37 on their list of 2012's best albums.[37]

## Track listing

Write Me Back track listing No. Title Writer(s) Producer(s) Length 1. "Love Is" Robert Kelly R. Kelly 3:30 2. "Feelin' Single" R. Kelly R. Kelly, Bigg Makk 3:29 3. "Lady Sunday" R. Kelly R. Kelly 3:37 4. "When a Man Lies" R. Kelly R. Kelly 3:36 5. "Clipped Wings" Kelly, Campbell R. Kelly, Warryn Campbell 3:18 6. "Believe That It's So" R. Kelly R. Kelly 6:09 7. "Fool for You" R. Kelly R. Kelly 3:37 8. "All Rounds on Me" Kelly, Mays R. Kelly, Bigg Makk 4:13 9. "Believe in Me" R. Kelly R. Kelly, J. LBS 3:55 10. "Green Light" R. Kelly R. Kelly 3:52 11. "Party Jumpin'" R. Kelly R. Kelly 3:17 12. "Share My Love" R. Kelly R. Kelly 3:43

Deluxe edition bonus tracks No. Title Writer(s) Producer(s) Length 13. "Beautiful in the Mirror" R. Kelly R. Kelly 3:30 14. "You Are My World" R. Kelly R. Kelly 3:20 15. "Fallin' from the Sky" R. Kelly, Daniel Coriglie, Mario Bakovic, Dennis-manuel Peters R. Kelly 3:56 16. "One Step Closer" R. Kelly R. Kelly 6:00

## Personnel

Credits are taken from the album's liner notes.[38]

Akua Auset – make-up Davis Barnett – viola Bigg Makk – bass, composer, guitar, keyboards, producer, programming Warryn Campbell – composer, producer Ann Carli – consultant Jeff Chestek – horn engineer, string engineer Eliza Cho – violin Cody Cichowski – assistant James Cooper – celli Carl Cox Jr. – tenor saxophone DJ Wayne Williams – A&R Rodney East – keyboards Ghislaine Fleischmann – violin Meghan Foley – art direction Yvonne Gage – choir / chorus Abel Garibaldi – engineer, programming Donna E. Gay – choir / chorus Serban Ghenea – mixing Larry Gold – conductor, horn arrangements, string arrangements John Hanes – engineer Pastor Chris Harris – choir / chorus Mike Harvey – choir / chorus John Haynes – Pro Tools Jonathan Kim – viola Olga Konopelsky – violin J. LBS – producer Donnie Lyle – bass, guitar, musical director Paul Mabin – choir / chorus Luigi Mazzochi – violin Ian Mereness – engineer, programming Jesús Morales – celli Jeffrey Morrow – choir / chorus Lauren Pilot Morrow – choir / chorus Chiquita Oden – grooming Herb Powers Jr. – mastering R. Kelly – arranger, composer, horn arrangements, keyboards, mixing, producer, string arrangements, vocals Robin Robinson – choir / chorus April Roomet – stylist Carlos Rubio – violin Phil Seaford – assistant engineer StarrBie – background vocals Randee St. Nicholas – photography Gregory Teperman – violin Jarred Antonacci – trombone[39] Steve Tirpak – trombone Cheryl Wilson – choir / chorus Daniel Wright – trumpet

## Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for Write Me Back Chart (2012) Peak position Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[40] 151 Canadian R&B Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)[41] 18 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[42] 32 French Albums (SNEP)[43] 120 South African Albums (RiSA) (RiSA)[44] 6 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[45] 54 UK Albums (OCC)[46] 80 UK R&B Albums (OCC)[47] 11 US Billboard 200[30] 5 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[48] 2 Year-end charts 2012 year-end chart performance for Write Me Back Chart (2012) Position US Billboard 200[49] 151 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[49] 33 2013 year-end chart performance for Write Me Back Chart (2013) Position US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[50] 78

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1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-bb_30-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-bb_30-1) "[R. Kelly Chart History (*Billboard* 200)](https://www.billboard.com/artist/R.-Kelly/chart-history/TLP)". *[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))*. Retrieved February 7, 2024.

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1. **[^](#cite_ref-Anderson_32-0)** Anderson, Kyle (June 29, 2012). ["Write Me Back Review"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120628010700/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20605745,00.html). *[Entertainment Weekly](/source/Entertainment_Weekly)*. No. 1213. New York. Archived from [the original](http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20605745,00.html) on June 28, 2012. Retrieved June 25, 2012.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Brown_33-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Brown_33-1) Brown, August (June 26, 2012). ["Album review: R. Kelly's 'Write Me Back'"](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ph-album-review-r-kellys-write-me-back-20120625,0,7299077.story). *Los Angeles Times*. Retrieved June 26, 2012.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Rosen_34-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Rosen_34-1) [Rosen, Jody](/source/Jody_Rosen) (June 26, 2012). ["Write Me Back"](https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/write-me-back-20120626). *[Rolling Stone](/source/Rolling_Stone)*. Retrieved June 26, 2012.

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1. **[^](#cite_ref-38)** *Write Me Back* (CD liner). [R. Kelly](/source/R._Kelly). [RCA Records](/source/RCA_Records). 2012. 88691948162.{{[cite AV media notes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_AV_media_notes)}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_others_in_cite_AV_media_(notes)))

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1. **[^](#cite_ref-ac_BillboardRandBHipHop_R._Kelly_48-0)** "[R. Kelly Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)](https://www.billboard.com/artist/R.-Kelly/chart-history/BLP)". *[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))*. Retrieved February 7, 2024.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-bb2012_49-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-bb2012_49-1) ["R&B/Hip-Hop Albums - 2012 Year End Charts: 31 - 40"](http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2012/top-r-b-hip-hop-albums?begin=31&order=position). *Billboard*. Retrieved December 15, 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-50)** [R&B/Hip-Hop Albums : Feb 25, 2016 | Billboard Chart Archive](http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2013/top-r-b-hip-hop-albums?page=7)

## External links

- [Official website](http://www.r-kelly.com/)

v t e R. Kelly Discography Production discography Videography Awards and nominations Sexual abuse cases Studio albums 12 Play R. Kelly R. TP-2.com Chocolate Factory Happy People/U Saved Me TP.3 Reloaded Double Up Untitled Love Letter Write Me Back Black Panties The Buffet 12 Nights of Christmas Collaboration albums Born into the 90's The Best of Both Worlds Unfinished Business Mixtape The Demo Tape Compilation albums The R. in R&B Collection, Vol. 1 My Diary Remix City, Volume 1 Playlist: The Very Best of R. Kelly Tours Love Letter Tour The Buffet Tour Trapped in the Closet Chapter 1 List of Trapped in the Closet Chapters "Trapped in the Closet" (South Park) "Trapped in the Drive-Thru" Bibliography Soulacoaster: The Diary of Me Related articles Songs Unreleased songs Aaliyah Andrea Kelly Mute R. Kelly Public Announcement Rockland Records Shaggy defense Surviving R. Kelly

Authority control databases MusicBrainz release group

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Write Me Back](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Write_Me_Back) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Write_Me_Back?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.