I Am (Chrisette Michele album)

Michele began working on the music that would make up I Am before she had a recording contract, and started promoting her work by visiting events for independent artists. During this time, she caught the attention of L.A. Reid, who later signed her to Island Def Jam, where she got support from producers such as Babyface, will.i.am, and John Legend.

The video for the album's lead single "If I Have My Way" premiered on VH1 Soul. The video for her second single "Best of Me" premiered on July 6, 2007, on Yahoo! Music, and was later added to VH1's video rotation. "Be OK", which features will.i.am, was released as the third single from the album, whose music video was on BET's 106 & Park on December 18, 2007. "Love Is You" was the fourth and final single and was released in 2008.

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Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
The A.V. Club	B[2]
Christgau's Consumer Guide	[3]
PopMatters	5/10[4]
USA Today	[5]

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I Am generally mixed reviews from music critics. Andy Kellman of AllMusic praised I Am for successfully blending vintage soul influences with contemporary R&B, highlighting Michele's distinctive vocals and versatility,^[1] while Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club similarly commended its mix of upbeat neo-soul and intimate ballads, noting that Michele's voice remained compelling over both energetic and stripped-back arrangements.^[2] Ebony described I Am as an "impressive debut," praising Michele's "captivating jazzy-soulful vocals" and calling it "a winning set of tunes" that showcased her talents as a singer, songwriter, and composer.^[6] Billboard editor Clover Hope also lauded the album's "classy" and understated approach, highlighting Michele's "warm, scratchy vocals" and vintage-inspired style, while suggesting it could have benefited from more upbeat material.^[7] Steve Jones of USA Today gave I Am a three-and-a-half-star rating, highlighting her "soul-drenched vocals," mature songwriting, and blend of jazz, swing, gospel, and adult contemporary influences, noting that the album established her as a notable R&B talent.

More critical reviews focused on the album's execution. Writing for The Village Voice, Amy Linden praised Michele's "tangy, jazzy voice" and "effortless womanly grace," but felt the album was often "pleasant" yet "sluggish" due to its overly earnest songwriting and lack of energy.^[8] Steven J. Horowitz of PopMatters likewise praised Michele's jazz-influenced vocals but criticized the conventional R&B production, arguing that I Am ultimately fell short of her artistic potential and was "a disappointing achievement rather than a remarkable debut."^[4] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times argued that I Am leaned too heavily on retro influences, writing that "unlike Winehouse, who was repurposing and updating, Ms. Michele was rehashing."^[9]

I Am debuted at number twenty-nine on the US Billboard 200 and number five on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, selling 26,000 copies in its first week.^[10] By late February 2009, the album had sold 419,000 units domestically.^[11]

Sample credits

• "Good Girl" contains a sample from "Move Over" performed by The Soul Children.
• "Be OK" contains a sample from "Could You Be Loved" performed by Bob Marley & the Wailers.
• "Let's Rock" contains a sample from "Here We Go" performed by Run D.M.C.