Thursday, 04 November 2021

One Love (New Edition album)

One Love is the seventh studio album by American R&B/pop group New Edition, released by Bad Boy/Universal Records in 2004.

Overview

The making of the album

By 2002, New Edition were performing as the quintet of Ralph Tresvant, Ricky Bell, Ronnie DeVoe, Michael Bivins and Johnny Gill, but they hadn't recorded a new studio album since 1996's Home Again. After having successfully fought to get out of their long term contract with MCA Records (in which they eventually won back all their masters from the albums they recorded for that label), the re-energized group signed with Bad Boy Records the same year. It, however, took nearly two years for the album to be released, as the group struggled with Sean Combs, Bad Boy CEO, over creative control. The album, titled One Love, was finally released in November 2004.

Release and reaction

Early buzz and hype over the new album led to One Love debuting at number twelve on the Billboard 200 and number five on the Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The group, however, wasn't pleased when "Hot 2Nite" (which they felt didn't cater to their maturing audience) was chosen as the album's first single. The song peaked at an underwhelming number thirty five on Billboard's R&B singles chart, and number eighty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100. The underwhelming public reception of the album and its first single led to there being no more being released, while label promotion for the album also stalled. Angered over Bad Boy's poor promotion of the album, the group asked to be let go of their contract. The request was granted in November 2005. Despite One Love's failure to live up to commercial expectations, it was certified gold. After the stint with Bad Boy, the group soldiered on and kept on touring throughout 2005-2007. After this album, original member Bobby Brown officially returned to the group making the group a sextet again.