Chapter 1: Love, Pain & Forgiveness

Chapter 1: Love, Pain & Forgiveness is the second studio album by American singer Syleena Johnson. It was released on May 15, 2001, through Jive Records. Her debut with the label, Johnson worked with Bob Power on the majority of the album, while additional production was provided by Joel Kipnis, Larry "Rock" Campbell, Timmy Allen, and R. Kelly. Upon its release, Chapter 1 debuted and peaked at number 101 on the US Billboard 200 and entered the top 20 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

Chapter 1: Love, Pain & Forgiveness
Studio album by
Syleena Johnson
ReleasedMay 15, 2001 (2001-05-15)
Recorded1999-2001
Genre
Length58:04
LabelJive
Producer
Syleena Johnson chronology
Love Hangover
(1998)		 Chapter 1: Love, Pain & Forgiveness
(2001)		 Chapter 2: The Voice
(2002)

Background and recording

Chapter 1: Love, Pain & Forgiveness is Syleena Johnson's major-label debut[1] following her demo album Love Hangover, released in 2000 with the independent label Twinight Records.[1][2] In 1997 Johnson had attended a charity event hosted by R. Kelly, and soon after she got in contact with Jive Records scout Wayne Williams.[2][3] Johnson sent a demo tape to the record company and in 1998 she signed with Jive, starting writing for Chapter 1 soon after.[4] The album had a first release date of July 2000, which was repeatedly delayed because of Jive's indecision on what song to release as single.[2]

Release and promotion

The album's lead single "I Am Your Woman" was released on February 12;[3] written, produced and arranged by R. Kelly,[5] its music video was one of BET's most-played clips for the weeks of March 25, May 6, May 13 and June 10, 2001.[6][7][8][9] The album's second single "Hit On Me" addresses the theme of domestic violence;[10] with this song, Johnson associated herself with the National Domestic Violence Hotline, by displaying the organization's phone number in the song's music video[11] and visiting women's shelters.[10] It was the first partnership between the organization and a recording artist.[11]

In June 2001, Chapter 1: Love, Pain & Forgiveness reached number one at Billboard's Heatseeker Album Chart for new recording artists.[12] Also on that date, the album peaked at number 101 on the US Billboard 200, spending a total of 9 weeks on the chart.[13] On the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, the album reached its peak position at number 16, and was on the chart for a total of twenty-one weeks.[14]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[15]
NME[16]
Vibe[17]

Chapter 1: Love, Pain & Forgiveness received positive reviews from critics. Jon Azpiri of AllMusic praised the album's musical direction and production, describing the album as a "remarkably polished effort".[15] Mark Anthony Neal of PopMatters said that the album "is a very personal narrative, largely conceived as Johnson recovered from a very damaging romantic relationship" and described it as a reminiscent of Sunshine Anderson's debut. He later added, "Syleena Johnson's debut is a refreshing tribute to a time when soul music was molasses thick (Alaga style) and suffocatingly personal."[18] Diana Evans of NME gave a positive reception towards the album's production and musical style saying the album charts the "changing emotions of a woman surviving, sometimes not, within a difficult relationship."[16] Billboard statedː "With a seasoned sound that belies her 24 years, Syleena Johnson comes by her chops naturally: Dad is '70s R&B/blues singer Syl Johnson." They also described Johnson's vocals as "bluesy" and "gut-wrenched", comparing them to Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle, Betty Wright, and Millie Jackson.[19] Writing for Entertainment Weekly, Soren Baker wrote: "This Chicago singer belts out soulful tales of woe with equal parts bitterness and indomitability on her powerful debut album."[20] In Billboard's review of the album, Johnson was compared favourably to her R&B contemporaries,[19] with People magazine setting Johnson "apart from all of today’s overproduced, ultra-glossy Destiny’s Child wannabes".[21]

Aftermath

Despite the critical acclaim of Chapter 1: Love, Pain & Forgiveness, Jonhson admitted her disappointment in the album's sales figures,[22] with the album experiencing a lack of commercial success.[23] In January 2019, following the release of the documentary Surviving R. Kelly, Johnson revisited the song "I Am Your Woman" and its lyrics, claiming that she could "no longer perform the track".[24][25]

Track listing
No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."The Beginning (Intro)"Bob Power0:45
2."I Am Your Woman"R. Kelly4:27
3."You Said" (featuring Liberty City)Power4:10
4."Baby I'm So Confused"
  • Larry "Rock" Campbell
  • Timmy Allen
4:49
5."Meanwhile... (Interlude)"Power0:44
6."Everybody Wants Something"Power4:38
7."You Got Me Spinnin'"
  • JK
  • David Flemming
4:26
8."Hit On Me"Power4:26
9."And Then... (Interlude)"Power1:08
10."He's Gonna Do You In" (featuring Buddy Guy)Power4:35
11."You Ain't Right"Power4:43
12."Ain't No Love"Power4:48
13."One Day"Power4:59
14."I'd Rather Be Wrong"Power4:41
15."All Of Me"Power3:46
16."The End (Outro)"Power1:03

Charts
Chart (2001) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[26] 101
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[27] 16
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[28] 1

Release history
Region Date Label Ref.
United States May 15, 2001
[29]
France May 16, 2001 Sony [30][31]
Japan May 21, 2001 [32]
Italy May 30, 2001 [33]
Australia June 7, 2001 [34]
United Kingdom July 16, 2001 Jive [35]
Germany March 17, 2002 [36]

References
  1. Schumacher-Rasmussen, Eric (May 8, 2001). "Syleena Johnson Digs Deep for Love, Pain & Forgiveness". MTV News. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  2. Margasak, Peter (June 7, 2001). "A Soul Baby Grows Up". Chicago Reader. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
  3. Lorez, Jeff (March 17, 2001). "After Much Delay, 'Chapter 1' Is Due". Billboard. Vol. 113 no. 11. pp. 30–31 – via Google Books.
  4. Kuner, David. "Syleena Johnson Biography". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 23, 2002.
  5. Taylor, Chuck (March 3, 2001). "Singles: R&B - I Am Your Woman". Billboard. Vol. 113 no. 9. p. 19 – via Google Books.
  6. "Video Monitor". Billboard. Vol. 113 no. 14. April 7, 2001. p. 103 – via Google Books.
  7. "Video Monitor". Billboard. Vol. 113 no. 20. May 19, 2001. p. 81 – via Google Books.
  8. "Video Monitor". Billboard. Vol. 113 no. 21. May 26, 2001. p. 67 – via Google Books.
  9. "Video Monitor". Billboard. Vol. 113 no. 25. June 23, 2001. p. 96 – via Google Books.
  10. "Syleena Johnson Makes Music Debut With Tough-Love Songs". Jet. Vol. 100 no. 9. August 13, 2001. p. 16 – via Google Books.
  11. Warren, Ellen; Armour, Terry (July 30, 2001). "Domestic violence hotline connects with local singer". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  12. "Billboard's Heatseekers Album Chart". Billboard. Vol. 113 no. 22. June 2, 2001. p. 31 – via Google Books.
  13. "Chapter 1: Love, Pain & Forgiveness Chart History [Billboard 200]". Billboard. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  14. "Chapter 1: Love, Pain & Forgiveness Chart History [Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums]". Billboard. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  15. Azpiri, Jon. "Chapter 1: Love, Pain & Forgiveness - Syleena Johnson". AllMusic. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
  16. Evans, Diana (September 12, 2005). "Syleena Johnson : Chapter 1: Love, Pain And Forgiveness". NME. Archived from the original on October 17, 2008. Retrieved April 23, 2009.
  17. Seymour, Craig (June 2001). "Vibe Review - Chapter 1: Love, Pain & Forgiveness". Vibe. Vol. 9 no. 6. p. 156 – via Google Books.
  18. Neal, Mark Anthony (May 14, 2001). "Syleena Johnson: Chapter 1: Love, Pain, & Forgiveness". PopMatters. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
  19. Mitchell, Gail (May 19, 2001). "Chapter 1: Love, Pain & Forgiveness". Billboard. Vol. 113 no. 20. p. 18 – via Google Books.
  20. Baker, Soren (June 1, 2001). "Chapter 1: Love, Pain & Forgiveness (Syleena Johnson)". EW.com.
  21. "Picks and Pans Review: Chapter 1". People. May 21, 2001. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
  22. Lorez, Jeff (November 23, 2002). "Jive's Johnson Pens New 'Chapter'". Billboard. Vol. 114 no. 47. p. 23 – via Google Books.
  23. Mitchell, Gail (November 30, 2002). "Chapter 2: The Voice". Billboard. Vol. 114 no. 48. p. 20 – via Google Books.
  24. Fekadu, Mesfin (January 31, 2019). "Syleena Johnson takes sobering look at R. Kelly-penned song". Associated Press. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
  25. Fekadu, Mesfin (January 31, 2019). "Dilemma of having an R. Kelly-penned hit: Sing or sink it?". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on January 31, 2019. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
  26. "Syleena Johnson Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 3, 2011.
  27. "Syleena Johnson Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 3, 2011.
  28. "Syleena Johnson Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 3, 2011.
  29. "Chapter 1: Love, Pain & Forgiveness: Syleena Johnson". Amazon (US). Retrieved May 3, 2018.
  30. "Syleena Johnson - Chapter 1: Love, Pain & Forgiveness". www.chartsinfrance.net. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
  31. "Album Chapter 1: Love, Pain and Forgiveness, Syleena Johnson | Qobuz: download and streaming in high quality". Qobuz. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
  32. "愛、痛み、許し" [Love, Pain & Forgiveness] (in Japanese). Sony Music Entertainment Japan. Retrieved August 1, 2015.
  33. "Syleena Johnson - Chapter 1ː Love, Pain & Forgiveness" (in Italian). Internet Bookshop Italia. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  34. "Chaoter 1ː Love, Pain & Forgiveness (Enhanced Cd) – Syleena Johnson". JB Hi-Fi. Retrieved January 14, 2013.
  35. "Syleena Johnsonː Chapter 1: Love, Pain & Forgiveness". Retrieved January 14, 2013.
  36. "Chapter 1 Love Pain And Forgiveness, Syleena Johnson - Shop Online for Music in Germany". www.fishpond.de. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
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