Gemini (Brian McKnight album)

Following the relatively modest commercial performance of his U-Turn (2003), McKnight sought to explore a broader range of styles on his next project for Motown, Gemini.^[1] He described the album's material as an attempt to move away from being confined to a particular musical format and instead embrace the different sides of his artistic personality.^[1] While the album retained the romantic ballads that had defined much of his career, it also featured more uptempo and risqué material, along with influences from doo-wop and jazz.^[1] McKnight continued his interest in hip hop, collaborating with rappers and artists including Juvenile, Akon, and Talib Kweli.^[1] Gemini was initially planned as a double album, with one disc devoted to love songs and the other to jazz, a genre McKnight had long admired.^[1] However, following changes in Motown's leadership and the appointment of Sylvia Rhone as president, the label decided that releasing a double CD would not be cost-effective. The jazz material was consequently held back, leaving Gemini to combine elements of McKnight's R&B, pop, hip hop, and jazz influences on a single album.^[1]

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Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Blender	[3]
New York Post	[4]
PopMatters	[5]
Slant	[6]
Vibe	[7]

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Gemini received mixed reviews from music critics, who generally praised McKnight's vocals and willingness to broaden his sound but differed on the success of his stylistic experimentation. AllMusic's David Jeffries called Gemini a "loose and free bedroom winner" and praised the album when McKnight "wears all his singer, composer, musician, and producer hats at once," comparing its self-produced material to Prince's self-titled release and Sweetback.^[2] Chris Rizik from SoulTracks described the album as "a fairly typical McKnight album that his many (primarily female) fans will adore," praising its "handful of excellent, well performed numbers" while criticizing its "lyrical mixed messages and groupie pandering," which he felt prevented it from reaching the level of its musical foundation.^[8] Writing for The New York Post, Dan Aquilante awarded Gemini three and a half stars, praising its "smooth groove" and "raucous side," while noting that collaborations with Talib Kweli, Musiq, Juvenile, and Akon helped McKnight "break a straight-up R&B image" and establish a hip hop presence.^[4]

Other critics were more reserved. Sal Cinquemani of Slant praised the album's opening, which showcased McKnight's "old school Motown harmonies," but criticized the remainder of the record for relying on "the mildest of R&B formulas" and hooks that "barely register."^[6] PopMatters critics critic Jalylah Burrell was more favorable, arguing that McKnight "manages to escape the lure of his trend-conscious alter ego" and instead remains comfortable in his established musical identity, although she acknowledged that the album was "not all-star caliber but well enough for his faithful fans."^[5] People similarly characterized Gemini as "another dependable effort," praising McKnight's "sophisticated soul" while noting that he had been surpassed by both established legends and younger artists such as Van Hunt and John Legend.^[9] Gail Mitchell from Billboard concluded that "for the most part, McKnight succeeds in his quest to stretch beyond his love ballad persona," although she felt that his collaborations with rappers "still didn't feel like it fit."^[10]

Gemini debuted and peaked at number four on the US Billboard 200 in the week of February 26, 2005,^[11] selling 103,000 units in its first week of release.^[12] It also debuted at number two on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, giving McKnight his highest-charting album to date on both charts.^[13][11] The album also reached the top 100 in France and the Netherlands.^[14][15] Gemini was McKnight's final album released by Motown.

Samples

• "Grown Man Business" samples from "Can't Knock the Hustle" by Jay-Z and "Much Too Much" by Marcus Miller.
• "Here with You" samples from "Love You Inside Out" by Bee Gees.