J.E. Heartbreak

The album spawned four singles, three of which made the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. While lead single "Keys to the Range" became the group's first single not to chart on the latter chart, second single "He Can't Love U" (first appeared on the soundtrack to the 1999 LL Cool J film In Too Deep) reached number 15 on the Hot 100, becoming the group's first Top 20 single, while reaching number 3 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks. "Let's Get Married" was the third single released from the album. It reached number 11 on the Hot 100 and was the group's first single to reach number 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart. The final single, "Promise", also topped the chart.

More information Review scores, Source ...

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[3]
Entertainment Weekly	B[4]
PopMatters	6.9/10[5]
USA Today	[6]

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Vibe editor Joanne Eustache found that "Jagged Edge avoids the sophomore jinx and returns with a solid performance with their new release, J.E. Heartbreak. Group members Wingo, Case, Brasco and Quick — led by founder, producer and label-owner Jermaine Dupri — stick to the formula that slowly but surely brought them gold sales with last year's debut A Jagged Era."^[7] AllMusic editor William Ruhlmann felt that J.E. Heartbreak "the group's slavish obeisance to current R&B conventions continued to be its aesthetic stumbling block. As producer/writer Jermaine Dupri's answer to Boyz II Men, Jagged Edge turned out another set full of slow jams indistinguishable from what was already all over urban radio."^[3]

PopMatters Mark Anthony Neal found that "Jagged Edge does little to distinguish themselves from the host of wannabes who currently vie for whatever mantle of success New Edition could even hold claim to. Largely produced by Jermaine Dupri and newcomer Bryan-Michael Cox, J.E. Heartbreak, the follow-up to the groups gold selling debut A Jagged Era is as polished as most contemporary R&B; production."^[5] Entertainment Weekly' Matt Diehl wrote: "Producer Jermaine Dupri's surprisingly innovative grooves give these soul slicksters an edge over their boys-to-men brethren."^[4] Steve Jones from USA Today noted that JE Heartbreak blends "silky ballads" with "street-tempered beats," while emphasizing that the group’s strength remains in romance, though the album "really doesn't break any new ground" in its mix of love songs and danceable tracks.^[6]

J.E. Heartbreak was the week's major debut, landing at number eight on the US Billboard 200 and number one on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, with more than 86,000 copies sold.^[8] The album marked the band's first top ten set.^[9] J.E. Heartbreak was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on February 14, 2000 and reached 2× Platinum status on February 6, 2001.^[10]

Samples

• "Did She Say" contains excerpts from "Off the Books" as performed by the Beatnuts.
• "Girl Is Mine" contains excerpts From "Spacewalk" as written by Kit Walker.
• "Can I Get With You" contains excerpts from "Much Too Much" as written by Marcus Miller.