King of Hearts (Lloyd album)

King of Hearts
Studio album by Lloyd
Released	July 5, 2011
Recorded	2009-11 Doppler Studios (Atlanta, Georgia) No Excuses Studio (Santa Monica, California) Record Plant (Hollywood, California) Setai Recording Studios (Miami, Florida)
Genre	R&B
Length	55:54
Label	Zone 4, Interscope
Producer	Polow da Don (also exec.)
Lloyd chronology
Lessons in Love (2008) King of Hearts (2011)
Singles from King of Hearts
"Lay It Down" Released: August 31, 2010 "Cupid" Released: February 2011 "Dedication to My Ex (Miss That)" Released: August 9, 2011

King of Hearts is the fourth studio album by American R&B recording artist Lloyd, released July 5, 2011, on Zone 4. Production for the album took place at several recording studios and was handled primarily by producer and Zone 4-head Polow da Don. It is Lloyd's first release after leaving his former record label The Inc. Records in 2009.

The album debuted at number 10 on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 26,000 copies in its first week. Upon its release, King of Hearts received positive reviews from most music critics, who commended Lloyd's singing and Polow da Don's production, although some criticized its songwriting.

Background

After releasing three albums for The Inc. Records, Lloyd left the record label in 2009 due to creative differences.^[1] He subsequently released an eight-track EP, Like Me: The Young Goldie EP, as a free download on the Internet.^[2] In 2010, Lloyd was featured on the Young Money hit single "BedRock" and signed to Zone 4, the label of producer and longtime friend Polow da Don.^[1] He previously worked with Lloyd on the latter's 2008 album Lessons in Love.^[3]

Recording

Recording sessions for the album took place at Doppler Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, No Excuses Studio in Santa Monica, California, Record Plant in Hollywood, California, and Setai Recording Studios in Miami, Florida.^[4] Polow da Don served as the album's executive producer and produced or co-produced all of its songs, managing sessions with background singers and horn and string sections.^[1] In an interview for Billboard, he said of his role on the album, "I promised [Lloyd] my full dedication. So I stopped doing a lot of work with a lot of other artists. I usually have seven songs on the radio at the same time, but I shut down shop to focus on his album".^[1] Lloyd has said of the album's music, "We've created something in the likes of what Justin Timberlake and Timbaland were able to create [on 'FutureSex/LoveSounds'] and Usher and Jermaine Dupri were able to create [on 'Confessions']".^[1]

Release and promotion

The album was released by Zone 4, with distribution through Interscope Records.^[1] It was released on July 5, 2011, in the United Kingdom,^[5] and on July 6 in the United States. In promotion of the album, Lloyd will accompany rapper Lil Wayne on the second leg of his I Am Music II tour during the summer.^[1]

Singles

The album's lead single, "Lay It Down", was released on August 31, 2010.^[6] It reached number 64 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number seven on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.^[7] The second single "Cupid" was released in February and peaked at number 11 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.^[1][8] The album's third single was originally confirmed to be "Be the One", which features Trey Songz and Young Jeezy.^[1][9] A music video for the single was shot in Los Angeles in July 2011.^[10] However, "Dedication to My Ex (Miss That)", which features Andre 3000, will be released to rhythm/crossover radio as the third single on August 9, 2011.^[11]

Reception

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number 10 on the US Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 26,000 copies in the United States.^[12] It is Lloyd's third top-10 album in the US.^[12] As of July 20, 2011, King of Hearts has sold 35,600 copies in the US, according to Nielsen SoundScan.^[13]

Critical response

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[3]
The A.V. Club	(B+)[14]
The Boston Globe	(mixed)[15]
Los Angeles Times	[16]
The New York Times	(favorable)[17]
Pitchfork Media	(7.9/10)[18]
Rolling Stone	[19]
Slant Magazine	[20]
USA Today	[21]
The Village Voice	(favorable)[22]

King of Hearts received positive reviews from most music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 77, based on 12 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".^[23] Allmusic editor Andy Kellman called it "clearly the singer’s best album yet [...] his most unified set of songs", adding that "Lloyd has pretty much perfected the art of transcending the modern-R&B Lothario cliché".^[3] Maura Johnston of The Village Voice described the album as "utterly replayable" and commented that it "veers back and forth between unabashed romanticism [...], club-borne lust [...], and the brooding, yet unleashed love songs that helped him initially break onto the scene".^[22] The A.V. Club's Evan Rytlewski complimented Polow da Don's material for Lloyd and wrote that the album "doubles down on his amorous enthusiasm, pushing it to such delirious extremes that these songs feel risky and uncharted even as they play to his most obvious strengths".^[14] Glenn Gamboa of Newsday called it "ambitious" and commended Lloyd as "a bold thinker and a skillful singer".^[24] Pitchfork Media's David Drake praised "the chemistry of Lloyd with producer Polow da Don", writing that "his work is primarily devoted to underlining Lloyd's vocals for maximum impact."^[18] Drake commented that the album "takes a major step toward streamlining his sound, pushing Lloyd's voice to the center and making a bid for a higher level of recognition in the R&B world," and elaborated on its musical significance, stating:

A distinctive talent, Lloyd often let his vocals dance around the periphery of a song, giving his best tracks a spacey, removed quality. [...] Lloyd's knack for endearing romanticism is a vehicle for great music, and when the record falters, it feels like a misunderstanding of how his talent operates. [...] The heart of the record, though, are tracks like the euphoric headrush 'Jigsaw', where Lloyd's sense of rhythm lets his vocals dance confidently in the subdivisions of the groove, balancing sugary enthusiasm with deft physicality. Many of the album's best songs seem to inspire comparisons with dancing: There is a connection to the idea of dance as liberation here, as Lloyd's blushing sincerity builds up potential energy, the nimble performance acts as a release valve.^[18]

—David Drake

However, Ken Capobianco of The Boston Globe found its songwriting "weak" and stated, "Lloyd shows little nuance, and Polow Da Don doesn’t color in the tracks with enough interesting musical flourishes to mask some of the vocalist’s weaknesses".^[15] Slant Magazine's Matthew Cole criticized its "trendy production choices" and found its songs ill-suited for Lloyd, writing that he "fares best when he stays on the sillier, sexier side of things".^[20] Despite calling it a "strong-laced R&B vocal album", Mireya Fernandez of The Source perceived an "inability to definitively differentiate from the vast sea of other R&B singers".^[25] The Washington Post's Allison Stewart complimented "Dedication to My Ex (Miss That)", but stated, "it’s the first and only track on 'King of Hearts' to inspire any kind of strong reaction at all".^[26] Los Angeles Times writer Jeff Weiss commented that "Lloyd possesses a levitating croon and admirably fills out most of producer Polow Da Don’s synthetic boudoir songs", while noting "not a cliché left unemployed".^[16] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times viewed a lack of "focus" with the songs, but commended Polow da Don for "feeling the full range of [Lloyd's] lushness" in his production.^[17] Rolling Stone writer Jody Rosen commended its "salacious silliness" and compared Lloyd to recording artist R. Kelly.^[19] Steve Jones of USA Today stated, "it's Lloyd's energetic but smooth deliveries that create a diverse set of keepers".^[21]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Intro (MDMA)" (featuring Game)		1500 or Nothin'	1:15
2.	"Dedication to My Ex (Miss That)" (featuring André 3000 & Lil Wayne)	D. Smith, Polow A. Jones, Dwayne Carter Jr., Andre Benjamin	D. Smith, Polow da Don (co.)	3:56
3.	"Cupid" (featuring Awesome Jones!!!1)	Bei Maejor, Jones, Jason Perry, Curtis	Polow da Don, Greg Curtis (co.)	3:55
4.	"Luv Me Girl" (featuring Chris Brown & Veronica Vega)	Keithin "J Mizzle" Pittman, Jones, Chris Brown, B. Bramlett, L. Russell	Polow da Don, Mizzle Boy	4:05
5.	"Naked"	Bei Maejor, Jones, Curtis	Polow da Don, Greg Curtis (co.), Paul "Hollywood Hot Sauce" Dawson (co.)	5:07
6.	"Jigsaw"	Ryon Jermaine Lovett, Jones	Polow da Don	3:36
7.	"Bang!!!!" (featuring Titi Boi & Salo)	Timothy & Theron Thomas, Ken Fambro, Clifford Henson, Titi Boi, Salome, Jones	Ken "K-Fam" Fambro, Clifford "Wiz" Henson (co.), Polow da Don (co.)	3:40
8.	"Be the One" (featuring Trey Songz & Young Jeezy)	Tony Scales, Tremaine Aldon Neverson, Young Jeezy, Jones	Polow da Don	4:33
9.	"Shake It 4 Daddy"	Lloyd Polite Jr., Full Circle, Jones, W. Clarke, M. Wright, P. Wright	Polow da Don	3:57
10.	"Lay It Down"	Jones, Ester Dean, V. Bozeman	Polow da Don, Veronika "V." Bozeman (co.)	4:01
11.	"Angel"	D. Rockett, Jones	Dan Rockett, Polow da Don	2:59
12.	"This Is 4 My Baby"	Lovett, Jones	Polow da Don	5:13
13.	"You II"	Polite Jr., Full Circle, Jones	Polow da Don	4:57
14.	"World Cry" (featuring R. Kelly, Keri Hilson & K'naan)	David Mazoor, Jason Boyd, Jones, Robert S. Kelly, K'naan	King David "The Future", Polow da Don (co.), Jason "Pooh Bear" Boyd (co.)	4:41

Deluxe edition bonus tracks
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
15.	"Stay"	Dean, Jones	Polow da Don, Paul "Hollywood Hot Sauce" Dawson (co.)	4:23
16.	"Never Window Shopping"	Polite Jr., Sean McMillian, Dernst Emile II	D'Mile	3:45
17.	"King of Hearts"	Full Circle, Jones	Patrick "Guitar Boy" Hayes, Polow da Don (co.)	4:53

Notes

 • (co.) Co-producer
¹Alias for Polow da Don

Personnel

Credits for King of Hearts adapted from Allmusic.^[27]

Brian Allison – assistant, assistant engineer Marcella Araica – mixing Matt Benefield – assistant, assistant engineer André Benjamin – composer Joshua Berg – assistant Timothy Bloom – background vocals India Boodram – background vocals, vocal producer Jason "Pooh Bear" Boyd – composer, producer Veronika Bozeman – producer, vocal producer Chris Brown – composer Matt Champlin – assistant engineer Kelvin Chu – A&R W. Clarke – composer Corey Shoemaker – engineer Greg Curtis – composer, keyboards, producer Paul "Hot Sauce" Dawson – guitar, keyboards, producer DJ Mormile – A&R "Angry" Mike Eleopoulos – assistant, assistant engineer, engineer, mixing engineer Ken Fambro – composer, producer Cliff Feiman – production supervisor Iain Findlay – assistant Mike Fontana – assistant, assistant engineer Full Circle – composer Chris Galland – assistant Jesus Garnica – assistant B. Green – composer Daniel Gruber – guitar Patrick "Guitarboy" Hayes – guitar Clifford Henson – composer, producer Keri Hilson – arranger, background vocals Kesia Hollins – background vocals, vocal producer Jean-Marie Horvat – mixing Ghazi Hourani – assistant, assistant engineer Jaycen Joshua – mixing Polow A. Jones – composer, vocal producer

Josh Mosser – assistant, engineer, keyboards Robert S. Kelly – composer Martin Kierszenbaum – A&R King David – drums, keyboards, percussion, piano, producer K'naan – composer Henry "Noonie" Lee, Jr. – executive producer Lil Wayne – composer, narrator Ryon Jermain Lovett – composer Erik Madrid – mixing engineer David Manzoor – composer, keyboards Manny Marroquin – mixing Justine Massa – creative coordinator Justin Merrill – assistant engineer, engineer Jonathan Merritt – assistant engineer, engineer, mixing engineer Jazmyn Michel – background vocals, vocal producer Mizzle Boy – producer Brian Morton – assistant, engineer Tremaine Aldon Neverson – composer Jason "JP" Perry – bass, keyboards, strings Keithin "Mizzle Boy" Pittman – composer Lloyd Polite Jr. – composer, executive producer Polow da Don – executive producer, producer Tameka Raymond – stylist Dan Rockett – bass, guitar, piano, producer Will Sandels – engineer Tony Scales – composer Donnie Scantz – keyboards, mixing Zach Steele – assistant engineer Jeremy Stevenson – assistant, engineer, mixing Corey Stocker – engineer Theron Thomas – composer Timothy Thomas – composer Titi Boi – composer P. Wright – composer Young Jeezy – composer

Charts

Chart (2011)	Peak position
US Billboard 200[28]	10
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[29]	5

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i} Yuscavage, Chris (July 1, 2011). Lloyd Overcomes Label Drama To Become 'King of Hearts'. Billboard. Retrieved on 2011-07-07.
2. ^ Paine, Jake (December 15, 2009). FREE ALBUM DOWNLOAD: Like Me by Lloyd. HipHopDX. Retrieved on 2011-07-07.
3. ^ ^{a b c} Kellman, Andy (July 5, 2011). King of Hearts - Lloyd: Review. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2011-07-07.
4. ^ Lloyd - King Of Hearts CD Album. Muze. CD Universe. Retrieved on 2011-07-07.
5. ^ King of Hearts: Lloyd: Music. Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved on 2011-07-07.
6. ^ Lay It Down - Single by Lloyd. iTunes Store. Retrieved on 2011-07-07.
7. ^ Lay It Down [Edited Version] - Lloyd. Billboard. Retrieved on 2011-07-07.
8. ^ Lloyd Music News & Info. Billboard. Retrieved on 2011-07-07.
9. ^ NEW MUSIC: LLOYD FEAT. TREY SONGZ & YOUNG JEEZY – BE THE ONE (NEW SINGLE). ThisIsRnB. May 27, 2011. Retrieved on 2011-07-07.
10. ^ Janneti, Cola (June 29, 2011). Behind The Scenes: Lloyd “Be The One”. Singersroom Gossip. Retrieved on 2011-07-08.
11. ^ "Top 40 Rhythmic Future Releases". All Access Music Group. Mediabase. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/60T7KtM9b. Retrieved 26 July 2011. 
12. ^ ^{a b} Caulfield, Keith (July 13, 2011). Beyonce's '4' Stays Atop Billboard 200, Lloyd Snags Top Debut. Billboard. Retrieved on 2011-07-14.
13. ^ Langhorne, Cyrus (July 20, 2011). Beyonce Slips Up, Bad Meets Evil Falls From Top 10, Wiz Khalifa Strikes Gold, Cool Kids Rattle Up The Chart. SOHH. Retrieved on 2011-07-23.
14. ^ ^{a b} Rytlewski, Evan (July 5, 2011). Lloyd: King Of Hearts | Music|Music Review. The A.V. Club. Retrieved on 2011-07-07.
15. ^ ^{a b} Capobianco, Ken (July 5, 2011). Lloyd: "King of Hearts". The Boston Globe. Retrieved on 2011-07-07.
16. ^ ^{a b} Weiss, Jeff (July 5, 2011). Album review: Lloyd's 'King of Hearts'. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on 2011-07-07.
17. ^ ^{a b} Caramanica, Jon (July 4, 2011). New CDs by David Weiss and Lloyd - Review. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2011-07-07.
18. ^ ^{a b c} Drake, David (August 5, 2011). Album Reviews: Lloyd: King of Hearts. Pitchfork Media. Retrieved on 2011-08-19.
19. ^ ^{a b} Rosen, Jody (July 18, 2011). King of Hearts by Lloyd | Music Reviews. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2011-07-18.
20. ^ ^{a b} Cole, Matthew (July 24, 2011). Lloyd: King of Hearts | Music Review. Slant Magazine. Retrieved on 2011-07-26.
21. ^ ^{a b} Jones, Steve (July 4, 2011). Listen Up notables: Lloyd's 'King of Hearts'. USA Today. Retrieved on 2011-07-07.
22. ^ ^{a b} Johnston, Maura (July 6, 2011). Lloyd: Expletives Embraced. The Village Voice. Retrieved on 2011-07-07.
23. ^ King of Hearts Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic. Metacritic. Retrieved on 2011-07-07.
24. ^ Gamboa, Glenn (July 1, 2011). Drops: Lloyd's 'King of Hearts'. Newsday. Retrieved on 2011-07-09.
25. ^ Fernandez, Mireya (July 7, 2011). Lloyd - King Of Hearts [Album Review]. The Source. Retrieved on 2011-07-07.
26. ^ Stewart, Allison (July 5, 2011). Quick spins: Lloyd, Pure X, Old 97s - Click Track. The Washington Post. Retrieved on 2011-07-07.
27. ^ King of Hearts - Lloyd: Credits. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2011-07-07.
28. ^ "Lloyd Album & Song Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. http://www.billboard.com/artist/lloyd/chart-history/615692?f=305&g=Albums. Retrieved 26 July 2011. 
29. ^ "Lloyd Album & Song Chart History: R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. http://www.billboard.com/artist/lloyd/chart-history/615692?f=333&g=Albums. Retrieved 26 July 2011. 

External links

• Official website
• King of Hearts at Metacritic