Friendshipbracelet (Lou-Rah Album)

Friendshipbracelet is the fourth studio album created by Canadian singer-songwriter/ producer, Lou-Rah. The album was written and produced with many collaborators and Lou-Rah all welcomed them into the studio. Lou-Rah's album name was to solidify the audience and listeners from her to say, "Are we still friends!? Cuz' I made a friendshipbracelet for you and me, I quitted the things you and I weren't satisfied." This was said to make everyone regain her friendship with the world and God, after quitting her drugs in 2003 and drinking in 1999. Her performance at the CMa's in 2003 got her her first favourite album of the year.

Lou-Rag was much interested to do R&B/Hip-Hop music, unlike her last one featuring low amounts (1-3) of Hip-Hop/R&B. Techno and Euro techno was suppose to be implied to the album, but Lou-Rah wanted to focus anew direction into her music. However, Lou-Rah was much interested into working with Mariah Carey after her album 'Charmbracelet' which Friendshipbracelet was inspired by, but not the Hip-Hop/R&B. Soon, Lou-Rah was willing to work with others who had not experience R&B but Hip-Hop or vice-versa.

The album was a critical success in the world and featured 2 number ones. Critics preferred Friendshipbracelet over Charmbracelet, because of the R&B style/Hip-Hop style. Notifying to worth it, Lou-Rah was not impressed with what the critics said which in rebuke, Lou-Rah said, "I think both albums are good, but it's not worthy to choose which style is better. Me and Carey have ZERO feud to each of our music, questionably favourable to both of them."

The album did reach number one on the charts in Canada but three in the USA. The album sold x1 Diamond in Canada, x9 Platinum in the USA, x 2 Diamond in Europe (entirely), x2 Million in Japan. It was the best critical success in Canada since Celine Dion's album, 'Let's Talk About Love' which was highest #1 in Canada in '97.

Background
During her Big Dream Tour, Lou-Rah decided to make another album for 2003. At the time of her 34th show in London, Loh-Rah wanted to write and produce all her musc and songs on the album. Lou-Rah wrote a total of 88 songs but only 21 were through by main producers.

Lou-Rah was also very much loving Carey's 2002 album, Charmbracelet, which later inspired her to do Friendshipbracelet as the title.

Development & Recording
Lou-Rah decided to write the album songs between show dates at her stay-in at her hotel in the place. The album was writing began during May 20th, 2002, however no album title was made. Lou-Rah was suggested to say online " Which title should be my next album?" Fans suggested numorus titles, however Lou-Rah thought she was not to specific on her album title. Lou-Rah then said to public speakers to people that she wanted an album to speak out for the world and God. It was all about to be friends again to the audience and to regain peoples relationship to them aswell. With giving the present of a friendship bracelet."I really want the songs, lyrics and title to speak out to say that I am done with drinking alcohol and drugs for my voice, brain, people, family and God. So the title really should speak out, which I requested wrongly, I will think myself a title for me since I'm the one to say sorry to."

However, at the end of 2002, Lou-Rah was reported to have 30 songs written for the album and six title names were reportedly could be in use. The title names were; ''"Brace Ur Selves","Fixed Hearted", "I'm Done", "Bracelets 4 U","Friendshipbracelet",& "Trilogy/ Beginning". ''Lou-Rah bought Carey's album "Charmbracelet" in which she enjoyed very much, however, Lou-Rah did say that she wanted to incorporate R&B and Hip-Hop in her last album, "What's Your Dream?" but could not. She then would take in control of the album and wrote numorous sngs and compostions on her voice recorder which would feature a type, Pop, Hip-Hop or R&B.

Lou-Rah would finally choose "Friendshipbracelet" and create a bracelet full of the memories she will have, as said by Clev marine. She would then write 60 songs at the time of March 2003, however, she would release her song 'Key to My Heart' on May later, giving the signal that she is currently recording songs.

After later, 88 songs were written for the album and only 21 went through, however, with its success and the platinum surpassing, Lou-Rah was able to included 18 mores songs in the album with the editited versions.

Music and Lyrics
This was Lou-Rah's make up to the public embarrasment in 1999 of the CMa's for having the worlds worst live performance, and the public gain for drinking alcohol and using drugs. Lou-Rah wanted to feature a more R&B and Hip-Hop, adult contemporary type of music in the album, after the producers rejection in her last album in 2001, What's Your Dream? The album lived positivity for her voice for being soothing, however whispering in creation parts of the songs or songs all the way in regular. The album had the lead song, Friendshipbracelet, which turns out to be a mix success and failure through composition. The back up lead single, Key to My Heart, turns out to be highly successful in the albums career.

Lou-Rah began to record in minty mid 2003, after her tour and mid 2002 in some parts of the tour. The song Key to My Heart features a pop-latin R&B sound in which remains consistant through out the song, later, near the end of the song, it tuns out to be a Hip-Hop composite, which later goes through the Rocky Main Hop Remix (the main remix of the song). Critics mainly panned this amazing and beautiful, plus complimenting her voice she never had, even Lou-Rah said in an interview, " When I sang this song, I could hear myself, at the end, when I heard it. I was surprised with the voice, but I thought this was tuned by a cell, in which I sang acapella of this song, I was sooo amazed, because I gave up alcohol and drugs. See when quitting terrible stuff is good?"

The song, GIRLFRIeND was considered an intimate evening music for the sound, of sampling Mariah Carey's X-Girlfriend and Destiny Child's Survivor. Rolling Stones panned this as her voice "soothing, Hip-Hop and R&B-ish with the amazing compliment sound. Critics saw and considered, Sun Star as a jazz and 1960s style tempo, plus saying Lou-Rah's voice for being the only time whispering was aloud.

Love of A Heart was considered and compared to Mariah Carey's My All and I Only Wanted with the latin R&B sound, stating that they sound vaguely similar. Playing A Block (Once U Have It!) was critical to the sounds success, however most critics felt disappointed that it wasn't made as a released single. Feline Record was thought as a theory for Lou-Rah and Michelle to base this song to Beyonce, after the rudeness and backlash she did to both of them. Even though felines definition is based off of beauty and cats, the song does say" But she is no Feline Record/She is just another record."

Singles
Released six singles from the album; Key To My Heart, GIRLFRIeND, Child ft. Drake, Ear-PLUG, Friendshipbracelet, A Marriage Ring ft. Jagged Edges. The lead single, Friendshipbracelet was released on January 3rd, 2004. It received positive to mixed reviews on it's composition, but was positive to her voice and lyrical suggestion, but not on the composition, saying it was to lounge and elevator music. The song place 16 on the Canadian RMP charts and 24 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Outside the North Americas, in which it turns out to place higher than CRMP and USBH100, in which it placed from 2-10. Switzerland made the song placed number 1, the only song that has the highest peek, It was made Lou-Rah's fourth number one in Swiss charts. The music video, was released as a cheerful bright headache-ish video. Critics mostly said that the music video gave them headaches and over 1 000 teens from the ages of 13-20 were rushed to the hospital. Lou-Rah decided to take the video down from music stations on Tv and You-Tube further on. Instead it was released in an outside type video on a lot and a restaurant.

Key To My Heart was released on May 11th, 2003. After the failing lead single of Friendshipbracelet, Key to My Heart was released as it's backup lead single. In fact this was the only single that received much publicity than the album to itself. It mainly was positive by its critical mass success and influents on voice. It only charted 12 in Canada and 4 in the US. Outside, it was 14 in the UK, 2 in Europe, 78 in Japan and 23 in Australia.

GIRLFRIeND was released on July 20th, 2003. The song was praised as amazing and intimate evening sound. With the sample of Mariah's X-Girlfriend from Rainbow in 1999 and Destiny's Child's Survivor from their album Survivor in 2001. Girlfriend was a song dedicated to her past boyfriend and to her drugs and alcohol. The song placed number one as her fourth number one in Canada RMP charts and place number two in the US charts. However it was made only an asian, american charting, which Euro critics was disappointed that the song was only released in Asia and America. However Lou-Rah did say she wanted Europe to play the song even though it was not released as a single in Europe.

Child ft. Drake and A Marriage Ring ft. Jagged Edges were the only two songs having the main song with a bother artist from the album. Child would be released on October 3rd, 2003. It was manly positive from all of the critics, stating that it was a downtown kind of R&B, Hip-Hop pitch mix at night time. The music video was mainly a new technology plus an every teenage boy and girls life. Child placed as Lou-Rah's fifth number one in Canada RMP charts and third number one in the US Billboard Hot 100. It also placed in ALL of the worlds R&B and Hip-Hop charts as the lowest in 12 and highest which was 1. A Marriage Ring would release on July 20th, 2003.It featured a placement remix on Jagged Edge "Let's Get Married' plus an extra cha cha mix of the Chilly Cha Cha by Jessica Jay. Critics made the song a good cha cha song plus a dance line was made in the music video, which critics and many people praised. The song charted number five in Canada's RMP charts and number eight in the USA Billboard Hot 100. Outside the NA's, the songs lowest placement was 56 and the highest which was number 1 in Belgium of both parts.

Ear-PLUG was the single released with Frienshipbraclelet/on November 4th, 2003. It was critically successful but wasn't known too well. It was praised by critics amazing again and wonderful to its adult contemporary in the media. Sadly, this was the only song to be placed in the Philippines as number 97. Other songs, placed was, Playing Block (Once U Have It!) was placed as number 1 in the US R&B/Hip-Hop charts and number 4 in the Canadian R&B/Hip-Hop Charts.

Critical Reception
Upon it's debut release, critics gave Friendshipbraceletwas given up most of a positive to mixed rating on the album. The album was mainly compared to Mariah Carey's Charmbracelet. ET Weekly gave the album an "-A" for parsing her voice and saying, " Her voice is absolutely and composition is amazing too," Larry, the reviewer, criticized for a few songs and lyrical composition, "I didn't make quite sense to me [referring to lyrics] and at least a few compositions have a very taint feeling in them too. Which makes the automatic of an A but not an A+ for it, more like -A." Evina Martin from Allmusic, gave the album a five out of five stars on the album, she criticized mainly nothing, but for the fact that her voice is wonderful. She wrote, "Her voice is an absolute phenomena to the audience, the composition and lyrics are more like a twenty year listen to at certain points, however, there is mainly nothing I have to say mixed or even negative, which the album receives a 5/5." Ian Migs from Calgary Sun said that there was nothing so negative, but says a few compositions at time in the days are overwhelming and nerve racking. He wrote, "If anything, every song must be listened at a specific point in the day, like the evening or morning, etc. However some compositions listened at the INCORRECT time, sounds very overwhelming or nerve racking. However, this album must receive a 5/5 stars for its great use of voice and mixture of R&B and Hip-Hop.'

Barry White from NME criticized mainly the composition in general for the headaches that can be made, "Her albums lyrics and voice is pretty good, however there is much worst composition that I would suggest an okay to terrible review from me and the party I have. . .But seriously, the composition is terrible at times." GLAM Music's Mary T. said, "I thought she used a computer cell and auto tune or synth to her voice, but amazingly her acapella skills on TV is just proving she has the GLAM to stop drinking and taking drugs or smoking, thankful she stopped, and this is how GLAM your voice can get with quitting them!" Angola Lind of New York called, "the composition to be accurate at specific time points in the day," and said, "that it should be played at downtown on specific times of the day."

Commercial Performance
Friendshipbracelet was suppose to release on July 20th, 2003, however she backfired that date and put it to November 6th, 2003 for her immaculate of the composition and lyrics. It was released through RCACanadas Music Incorporation and later released on November 6th, 2003. The gaining of her release, it debuted to number one on Canada's RMP Music and number one on the US Billboard charts for ten weeks in Canada and seven weeks in USA. Within the first week, it sold at least 453 000 copies in Canada, 289 000 copies in the USA, and at least 1 million copies outside of Canada and USA. The album stayed to be charted for twenty weeks in Canada and twelve weeks in USA, after five weeks, the RCAA as x6 Platinum and x2 Platinum by the RIAA. After six months the album made a dramatic increase of RCCA's from x2 Platinum to x1 Diamond and x9 Platinum in the USA, it was also certified x2 Diamond in Europe (entirely) and x2 Million in Japan.

As of February 2014, it was estimated of the sales on the album were sold 15.89 Million sold, the twentieth highest album to be sold.

Promotion
To see the tour click the, Friendshipbracelet World Tour.

With the upmost success, Lou-Rah decided to tour again in the world at mid 2004-mid 2005. The promotion of the album was successful, however, Lou-Rah thought it wasn't enough to say sorry to her fans, as some critics said that they believed a voice chip was used. This later promoted the tour for her in mid 2004.

Extra Bonus
The Extra Bonus appears on every copy of each of the album.

- - In Friendship (Part Two)
More to come, DO NOT EDIT!