I Refuse to Be Lonely
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| I Refuse to Be Lonely | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 21, 1995 | |||
| Recorded | 1994–95 | |||
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| Phyllis Hyman chronology | ||||
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| Singles from I Refuse to Be Lonely | ||||
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I Refuse to Be Lonely is the ninth studio album by American soul singer-songwriter Phyllis Hyman. It was released posthumously on November 21, 1995 by Philadelphia International Records and Zoo Entertainment, five months after the singer's suicide on June 30, 1995.[2]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Cash Box | (favorable)[3] |
| MSN Music Guide | [4] |
| USA Today | [5] |
"Never has an artist produced an entire album that reflects so hauntingly on her life and hints so broadly of her imminent demise as does Phyllis Hyman's "I Refuse To Be Lonely"," wrote Jonathan Takiff in the Chicago Tribune. "Begun at the end of 1993 and completed just days before her death by suicide on June 30, 1995, this goose-bump evoking, emotional roller coaster of a soul-pop ballad album comes off thematically as a life and death struggle, and artistically as one heck of a swan song."[6]
"She was passionate about not singing anything superficial," said song collaborator Gordon Chambers. "In retrospect, a lot of what we wrote were her parting words. It's almost chilling to hear `Why Not Me?' because it really is her testimony."[7]
"Creatively as well as emotionally, "I Refuse To Be Lonely" serves as an ultimate career capper," writes Takiff. "Goaded by producers Nick Martinelli and Kenny Gamble, the set offers this jazz-inflected singer's best-ever vocal performances and strongest creative input, including five songwriting credits and unbilled assists on a lot of others."[8]
Commercial performance
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Refuse to Be Lonely" |
|
| 4:02 |
| 2. | "Waiting for the Last Tear to Fall" |
| Martinelli | 4:13 |
| 3. | "This Too Shall Pass" |
| Martinelli | 5:29 |
| 4. | "I’m Truly Yours" |
|
| 5:42 |
| 5. | "I’m Calling You" |
| Wansel | 6:02 |
| 6. | "Back to Paradise" |
| Martinelli | 4:52 |
| 7. | "It's Not About You (It's About Me)" | Hall | 5:17 | |
| 8. | "It Takes Two" |
| Martinelli | 4:15 |
| 9. | "Why Not Me" |
| Eastmond | 4:43 |
| 10. | "Give Me One Good Reason to Stay" |
| 5:15 | |
| Total length: | 49:20 | |||
