The Next Generation (album)

Untitled

The Next Generation is the seventh studio album by international pop music project, Sweetbox. Released in 2009 after 3 years in the making, it is the first album to have Jamie Pineda as front woman after Jade Villalon departed for her solo career. It is also the first album to have Derek Bramble as the producer after Geo left.

The new sound that came with a new singer now featured more powerful R&B-influenced ballads and few dance tunes co-wrote by Jamie and various writers from all around the globe including Lindy Robbins, Georgie Dennis and Derek Bramble.

The album sticks to the element Sweetbox is known for -- the mixing of classical music with pop.

• We Can Work It Out samples Vivaldi's Four Seasons.
• Crash Landed samples Bach's Toccata & Fuge in D minor
• Magic samples Beethoven's Symphony No. 9.

In addition, Jamie's version of the worldwide hit, Everything's Gonna Be Alright that Sweetbox is known for still features Air on the G string from Suite No. 3 by Johann Sebastian Bach but now includes Derek Bramble on the track singing as well with re-worded lyrics.

The album was well received in Japan and had incredible success in Korea. In Japan the album hit #4 on the Oricon International Charts and in Korea it hit several charts including a 4 week stay on Bugs and 5 other #1's on Soribada, Mnet, Daum, Naver and SKT NATE RT.

Making of the Album

In late 2007 after being signed to the project, Jamie Pineda got right to work on writing for her first studio album. Pineda traveled all around the globe while writing with co-writers for the album to places such as Stockholm, Frankfurt and Nashville, just to name a few. Her co-writers included top hit makers Guy Roche, Lindy Robbins and Toby Gad. For nearly 8 months she traveled while writing for the album and in June 2008 started working with the new producer of the project, songwriter/producer Derek Bramble. From June 2008 to October 2008, the two worked on the albums production. Pineda recalls in a November 2009 interview that she and Bramble were both such perfectionists that sometimes they would get into small arguments but overall the production went great.

Music

The albums lyrics are focused on primarly on love and joy. The Next Generation is mostly a pop album but has a strong R&B influence on such tracks as "Love Forgets" and "These Dayz".

To go along with the album, Jamie and Derek recorded a new version of the song that made Sweetbox famous, Everything's Gonna Be Alright. The new version included re-worded lyrics and also featured Derek Bramble singing on the track.

"We Can Work It Out", the albums lead single became the biggest hit from the album, reaching #27 on Japan's Billboard Hot 100 and reaching several top 10 radio charts. Amongst other successes, the single was #4 on iTunes Pop Charts in Japan. In Korea, the song was even more successful hitting #1 on 6 major charts including Bugs and Mnet, while also reaching top 10 positions on other charts like Cyworld, Soribada and Melon. "Crash Landed", the next single off of the album was released in Japan only and did not chart as well as We Can Work It Out but still received a large amount of radio play. The third overall single, "Everything is Nothing", a mid-tempo dance track was released in Korea as the second single. Before the song was even released as a single in Korea, it reached several top 10 chart positions including Daum and Bugs. Although it had no release in Japan, the song reached #7 on iTunes Pop charts. The song is also featured in the Korean version of Audition Online.

Album information

To go along with the lead single "We Can Work It Out", a Yasutaka Nakata remix of Everything's Gonna Be Alright received airplay in Japan.

Because the previous singer of the project Jade Villalon was with the project so long and was releasing an album around the same time as Pineda, fans pitted the two against one another.

In May 2009, Jamie went to Japan to promote the album. She performed at various shows including Warner Japan's FRESHNESS event and a promotional appearance and performance at J-Wave's HAPPINESS program.

Reception

Critical

The album received mixed reviews. While Jamie had gained new fans as the new face of Sweetbox, some fans were critical of the change. Some listeners blamed not Pineda, but the songs for not liking the album. Standout tracks to most fans included the lead single, "We Can Work It Out" and the pop ballad "With a Love Like You".

Commercial

While the album did not surpass sells of previous Sweetbox albums, the album in no way did bad on the charts. The album was well received in Japan and had incredible success in Korea. In Japan the album hit #4 on the Oricon International Charts and in Korea it hit several charts including a 4 week stay on Bugs and 5 other #1's on Soribada, Mnet, Daum, Naver and SKT NATE RT.

Singles

• "We Can Work It Out" was the first single from the album, released in April 2009 in Japan and November 2009 in Korea. It became the biggest charting single from the album, finding itself on several top 5 radio postions in Japan and reaching #4 on Japan's iTunes Pop Charts.
• "Crash Landed" was the second single to be released in Japan in July 2009. The single didn't chart as well as We Can Work It Out but received quite a bit of airplay on radio.
• "Everything is Nothing" was the third overall single, released in February 2010 in Korea as the second single. The song charted well in Korea, even before it was released as a single. Despite not being released as a single in Japan, Everything is Nothing was #7 on iTunes Pop Charts.

Track listing

Japan Tracklisting

1. "We Can Work It Out" (Georgie Dennis, Tom Barnes, Gavin Jones, Ben Kohn, Peter Kelleher & Jamie Pineda) – 3:50
2. "You Don't Know What You're Sorry For" (Carl Bjorsell, Carl Falk, Edward Steve Lous & Charlie Mason) – 3:48
3. "In a Heartbeat" (Edward Steve Louis, Steve Lee, Bob Bradley, Sarah Lundback & Andrew Thomas) – 3:49
4. "With a Love Like You" (Carl Bjorsell, Edward Steve Louis & Sebastian Thott) – 4:32
5. "Everything is Nothing" (Hanne Sorvaag, Harry Sommerdahl & Jade McRae) – 3:40
6. "Crash Landed" (Georgie Dennis, Tom Barnes, Gavin Jones, Ben Kohn, Peter Kelleher & Jamie Pineda) – 2:59
7. "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" (Heiko Schmidt, Roberto Rosan & Albertina Harris) – 3:01
8. "Blue Angel" (Deborah French, Grant Black, Andrew Murray, Christian Ballard & Jamie Pineda) – 3:11
9. "Magic" (Alice Gernandt & Gustav Efraimson) – 3:26
10. "Everybody Come Out In The Sunshine" (Steve Lee, Jukka Immonen & Jamie Pineda) – 3:48
11. "These Dayz" (Reed Vertelney & Lindy Robbins) – 3:53
12. "More Than You'll Ever Know" (Ashley Gorley, Chris Farren & Jamie Pineda) – 3:57
13. "When Will It Be Me" (Lindy Robbins, Derek Bramble & Yasmeen Sulieman) – 3:58
14. "Coming Home to You" (Carl Bjorsell, Edward Steve Louis & Didrik Thott) – 4:20
15. "Love Forgets" (Liz Vidal, Guy Roche & Jamie Pineda) – 4:03
16. "Everything's Gonna Be Alright (Yasutaka Nakata (capsule) REMIX)" (Heiko Schmidt, Roberto Rosan & Albertina Harris) – 4:05

Korean Tracklisting

1. "We Can Work It Out" (Georgie Dennis, Tom Barnes, Gavin Jones, Ben Kohn, Peter Kelleher & Jamie Pineda) – 3:50
2. "Everything is Nothing" (Hanne Sorvaag, Harry Sommerdahl & Jade McRae) – 3:40
3. "Magic" (Alice Gernandt & Gustav Efraimson) – 3:26
4. "Crash Landed" (Georgie Dennis, Tom Barnes, Gavin Jones, Ben Kohn, Peter Kelleher & Jamie Pineda) – 2:59
5. "Rockstar" (Carla Carter, Lars Halvor Jensen, Martin Michael) – 3:39
6. "Love Forgets" (Liz Vidal, Guy Roche & Jamie Pineda) – 4:03
7. "More Than You'll Ever Know" (Ashley Gorley, Chris Farren & Jamie Pineda) – 3:57
8. "Everybody Come Out In The Sunshine" (Steve Lee, Jukka Immonen & Jamie Pineda) – 3:48
9. "When Will It Be Me" (Lindy Robbins, Derek Bramble & Yasmeen Sulieman) – 3:58
10. "You Don't Know What You Are Sorry For" (Carl Bjorsell, Carl Falk, Edward Steve Lous & Charlie Mason) – 3:48
11. "In a Heartbeat" (Edward Steve Louis, Steve Lee, Bob Bradley, Sarah Lundback & Andrew Thomas) – 3:49
12. "With a Love Like You" (Carl Bjorsell, Edward Steve Louis & Sebastian Thott) – 4:32
13. "Blue Angel" (Deborah French, Grant Black, Andrew Murray, Christian Ballard & Jamie Pineda) – 3:11
14. "Coming Home to You" (Carl Bjorsell, Edward Steve Louis & Didrik Thott) – 4:20
15. "These Dayz" (Reed Vertelney & Lindy Robbins) – 3:53
16. "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" (Heiko Schmidt, Roberto Rosan & Albertina Harris) – 3:01

• The song "Rockstar" was the only song not produced by Derek Bramble. It was instead produced by George "Chico" Bennett & Richard "Vission" Gonzales.

• A "European Import" version was released digitally through digital music programs and websites like Amie Street and iTunes that featured a wedding mix for "We Can Work It Out" and also had the song "Rockstar" on it. The Japanese re-release featured the song "Rockstar" as well.

Release History

Japan, 06/10/2009, Warner Music Japan
iTunes Worldwide, 07/13/2009, Sweetbox Self-Released
European Import, 11/13/2009, Paramusic Corporation
Korea, 11/17/2009, Sony Music Entertainment Korea
Japan Re-Release, 11/24/2009, Sweetbox Self-Released

Musicians

• Jamie Pineda - Vocals
• G'Harah Degeddingseze - Programming & Keys
• Alex Alessandroni - AC Pianos
• Brett Farkas - Guitars
• Mike Herring - Guitars
• Derek Bramble - Bass, Guitars, Keys, Percussions, Vocals
• Amanda Wheeler - Background vocals
• Sutan Brittan - Background vocals
• Steve Lu - String Arrangements
• L.A. Strings - String Arrangements
• Grace Lee - Vocals

Production

• Producers: Derek Bramble on all tracks except "Rockstar" which was produced by George "Chico" Bennett & Richard "Vission" Gonzales.
• Executive Producer: Heiko Schmidt
• Production Coordinator: Michael Anderson
• Engineers: Rob Chiarelli