So Blu

So Blu is the debut album by American recording artist Blu Cantrell. It was released by Arista Records on July 31, 2001 in the United States. The album was primarily produced by Tricky Stewart, who oversaw the majority of the recording sessions, with additional production from Dallas Austin, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Jason Rome, Don Vito, and Olliewood & Scrilla. Cantrell herself was actively involved in the creative process, serving as a co-writer on half of the tracks in the album's final tracklist.

The album was praised for Cantrell's powerful vocals and fresh take on contemporary R&B, though critics noted some conventional material and signs of a developing musical identity. It debuted at number eight on the US Billboard 200, selling 89,000 copies in its first week, and was certified gold in both the US and Canada, with domestic sales of over 600,000 copies. So Blu's lead single "Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!)" became a top five hit in Australia, New Zealand and the United States.

Background

In the late 1990s, Cantrell built early industry experience as a professional backing vocalist.^[1] In 1999, she became a member of the girl group 8th Avenue, mentored by producer Teddy Riley. Although the group recorded multiple songs, their momentum came to a halt after Riley's departure from Blackstreet, and with their material shelved, 8th Avenue soon disbanded.^[1] Following this setback, Cantrell was introduced to producer Tricky Stewart, while staying in Atlanta. Although Stewart initially considered her for his girl group 321, a productive studio session convinced him that Cantrell was better suited for a solo career. He began developing her as an individual artist, and she moved in with Stewart while working closely on her music.^[2]

Stewart soon arranged a meeting with Arista Records executive Antonio "L.A." Reid.^[1] After Cantrell performed a song she had written and sang it for Reid and his team, she was immediately offered a recording contract. A competitive bidding war among several labels followed, but Reid’s offer prevailed, leading Cantrell to sign with Arista Records and officially launch her solo career.^[1] Apart from Stweart, Reid arranged for her to co-wrote with other musicians on material for her debut album So Blu, including Dallas Austin, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and Big Jim Wright.^[2] Largely self-taught, Cantrell developed melodies organically and added lyrics as needed, without relying on prewritten material.^[1]

Critical reception

AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine called the album "a wonderfully fresh recasting of contemporary soul and R&B mores." He found that the material was "conventional, but it still sounds vibrant, thanks not just to Cantrell's impassioned vocals, but how the songs and productions are wrapped in contemporary mores but delivered as if they were classic. This is a record that maintains its momentum from beginning to end."^[3] James Salmon, writing for Yahoo! Music UK, felt that while "the album is good on the whole, it has to be said that "Hit 'Em Up Style" is one of the clear standouts. The remainder of the album sees the 25 year-old fit snugly into the traditional diva mould of the tragi-heroine who has loved and lost and, to put it bluntly, been shat on by from a great height by various members of the opposite sex."^[4]

Entertainment Weekly's Cheo Tyehimba wrote: "Bluesy but modern, Cantrell belts it out with the immediacy and energy of a hard-bop trumpet player. Although at times her flashy vocal stylings obscure the songs' emotional depth, this woman has a story to tell."^[5] People found that "most of the best songs on So Blu are torchy, gut-wrenching ballads [...] On these tracks the Providence-born chanteuse, whose mother was a jazz singer, really shines." The magazine found that Cantrell lacked "the vision of Jill Scott, Mary J. Blige or Erykah Badu, [but] the 25-year-old newcomer is clearly still searching for her musical identity on routine R&B numbers ]...] But at least the jazzy, introspective title tune seems to be so Cantrell."^[6] Robert Christgau described the album as "higher-res than Res, more songful than Mary" and cited "Swingin'" and "The One" as highlights.^[7] USA Today critic Steve Jones noted that So Blu showed that Cantrell "has got soul as well as the blues," with songs marked by heartbreak and revenge, while her "throaty, emotional vocals" allow her to "swing, seduce and carry a torch," making her a strong new signing.^[8]

Commercial performance

So Blu debuted and peaked at number eight on the US Billboard 200 in the week ending August 18, 2001,^[9] with first week sales of 89,000 units.^[10] On August 31, 2001, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the album gold for shipments in excess of 500,000 copies.^[11] By January 2003, So Blu had sold 603,000 copies.^[12] The album was also certified gold by the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA) in 2001,^[13] having sold more than 50,000 copies in Canada.^[14]

Track listing

Notes

• denotes co-producer

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Release history

References

1. ^ "Interview: Blu Cantrell – Real Knowledge, Real Emotion, Real Talent Straight To Your Ear & Heart". YouKnowIGotSoul.com. September 19, 2012. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
2. ^ "Hot Product". Billboard.com. July 30, 2001. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
3. ^ [ Allmusic review]
4. ^ Salmon, James (November 27, 2001). "So Blu". Yahoo! Music UK. Archived from the original on November 2, 2005. Retrieved February 4, 2026.
5. ^ Tyehimba, Cheo (August 10, 2001). "Blu Cantrell, So Blu". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
6. ^ "Picks and Pans Review: So Blu". People. August 13, 2001. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
7. ^ Christgau, Robert. "CG: Blu Cantrell". Robertchristgau.com. Retrieved 2017-12-04.
8. ^ Jones, Steve (July 30, 2001). "Music: R&B/Rap". USA Today. Archived August 3, 2001 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 23, 2026.
9. ^ Billboard200
10. ^ "THE CHARTS". Entertainment Weekly. August 17, 2001. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
11. ^ RIAA
12. ^ "Blu Cantrell Is Back With 'Breathe'". Billboard. January 17, 2003. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
13. ^ "Gold & Platinum Certification – September 2001". Canadian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 2010-10-19. Retrieved 2010-08-17.
14. ^ Collins, Hattie (2003-09-27). "Breathless confessions". The Guardian. Retrieved 2017-12-04.
15. ^ "ARIA Top 100 Albums - Week Commencing 8th October 2001". The ARIA Report. ' (606). October 8, 2001. Archived from the original on February 20, 2002. Retrieved April 19, 2023. – via National Library of Australia.
16. ^ "ARIA Urban Chart - Week Commencing 5th November 2001". The ARIA Report. ' (610). November 5, 2001. Archived from the original on February 22, 2008. Retrieved April 19, 2023. – via National Library of Australia.
17. ^ "Albums : Top 100". Jam!. August 31, 2001. Archived December 10, 2004 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
18. ^ "Top 200 Albums of 2001 (based on sales)". Jam!. Archived November 6, 2003 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
19. ^ "Canada's Top 200 R&B; albums of 2001". Jam!. January 8, 2002. Archived November 22, 2002 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
20. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2001". Billboard. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
21. ^ "R&B/Hip-Hop Albums: Year End 2001". Billboard. Retrieved July 18, 2020.