Simply Deep

Rowland launched her singing career with all-female R&B group Destiny's Child in the late 1990s. While recording their third studio album, Survivor, in late 2000, the band announced that members of the group would disband for a short period to produce solo albums in the coming years, which they hoped would boost interest in Destiny's Child.^[7] The idea of individual releases emanated from the group's manager, Mathew Knowles.^[8] With different types of music for each member to produce, the albums were not intended to compete on the charts as Destiny's Child's management strategically planned to stagger the release of each group member's album to maximize sales.^[9]

Michelle Williams became the first to release a debut solo album, Heart to Yours, in April 2002.^[9] Beyoncé Knowles debuted on the big screen, starring in the spy comedy film Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), and started recording her solo debut Dangerously in Love (2003).^[9] Meanwhile, Rowland collaborated with American rapper Nelly on the song "Dilemma" as a solo artist. The song originally appeared on his album Nellyville (2002), and while it was initially not expected to be released as a single,^[10] it received a positive response from DJs and listeners and was eventually promoted to single status.^[10] Issued to major success, "Dilemma" became a worldwide number-one hit that year, allowing Rowland's label Columbia Records to advance the release date of Simply Deep from 2003 to late 2002.^[9]

In order to capitalize on the success of "Dilemma," the ordering of Knowles and Rowland's albums was switched, leading to the postponement of Knowles's solo album Dangerously in Love to mid-2003 and the recording of Simply Deep being accelerated to summer 2002.^[11] Rowland who had previously signed on to star in Ronny Yu's slasher film Freddy vs. Jason and was expected to start filming in Vancouver in September 2002,^[12] was forced to complete the album within a month.^[4][13] The singer felt pressured by high expectations due to Destiny's Child and their huge success.^[14] She later revealed: "It was a challenge and I did that creatively and vocally. I was very nervous, but I came through with flying colors because of my family and, of course, Destiny's Child. There were days in the studio where I would run out, like, 'I'm frustrated! I don't wanna do this!' And they would calm me and tell me that everything was gonna be okay. I got through it because of them." Rowland eventually overcame her fears during the process as her newfound independence offered her an opportunity to branch out and try new things.^[15] In fact, she co-wrote three songs on the album and came up with the vocal arrangements for several tracks.^[16]

Columbia Records arranged for Rowland to record with a large group of previous collaborators, several of which had worked with Destiny's Child on their 2001 studio album Survivor, including producers Anthony Dent, Rob Fusari, Falonte Moore, Mark J. Feist, Jovonn Alexander, and Damon Elliott.^[17] In addition, she would work with Troy Johnson, Alonzo Jackson, Damon Sharpe, Billy Mann, Anders Barrén, and Jany Schella, and trio Steve Kipner, Dane Deviller, and Sean Hosein.^[17] Songwriter-producer Rich Harrison contributed "Can't Nobody," the first of many songs which he would produce for either Destiny's Child or the band's solo projects.^[17] Robert "Big Bert" Smith oversaw the production of "Love/Hate," a song co-written by his then-girlfriend, fellow singer Brandy.^[18] Solange Knowles, Beyoncé's younger sister, wrote and co-produced three songs on Simply Deep.^[19] Recording sessions for the album took place at several recording studios, including Studio 353, The Hit Factory and Sound-on-Sound Studio in New York City, Stankonia Recording Studio in Atlanta, Audio Vision Recording Studios in Miami Beach, and The Enterprise in Burbank, Henson Recording Studios and The Record Plant in Los Angeles, Heeba Jeeba Studios in Sherman Oaks and the Real FM Sound and Nature's Finest Studios in Hollywood.^[19]

Musically, Simply Deep marked a departure from Rowland's work with Destiny’s Child, venturing into alternative sounds.^[13] Rowland herself described the album as a "weird fusion [of] a little bit of Sade and a little bit of rock,"^[20] although she admitted that she felt the 'rock' label her record company used to promote it was somewhat inappropriate and misleading.^[21] According to her, the idea for her to "craft her own brand of Rock & R&B" came from her then-manager, Mathew Knowles, who recognized her interest in rock and alternative music.^[22] Rowland stated that she was enthusiastic about the idea, as she had not previously considered exploring such a combination of styles. In an Interview with Billboard, she commented: "He brought the idea to me and I was so excited because I never thought that I could do something like that."^[22]

While Williams and Knowles explored on gospel music and R&B songs, respectively, Rowland focused on recording alternative pop styles,^[1] with Simply Deep containing stinging electric guitars and gentle acoustic six-strings, atmospheric synths and turntable scratches,^[23] resulting in a sound characterized by rock and roll elements, confessional singer-songwriter sensibilities, sultry R&B, and an edgy undercurrent.^[23] Rowland's adoption of this style was a conscious effort to distinguish her solo work from the group's sound: "We wanted our solo albums to be different from Destiny's Child so that people wouldn’t compare them to the group’s work. The albums are an opportunity for people to get to know our personalities. In my case, I'm sure that most of my fans didn't realize how much I have always loved rock. In fact, when I first went into the studio and told the producers I wanted a mixture of Sade with really edgy rock, they looked at me like I was crazy! And honestly, about halfway through the recording process, even I was wondering if you could mix those influences together. But it all worked out wonderfully."^[23]

Simply Deep was released on October 28, 2002, in the United States and Canada through Columbia Records in collaboration with Music World Entertainment.^[24] The album saw its worldwide release on February 3, 2003.^[25] Although "Dilemma" was not technically a single from Simply Deep, it was recorded and released before Rowland began work on the album.^[11] The song received widespread critical acclaim, topped the charts in ten countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, and sold over 7.6 million copies worldwide.^[11] It became Rowland's first number-one single as a solo artist, her most successful single to date, and her biggest international hit.^[26]

Following the global success of "Dilemma," "Stole" was released as the album's official lead single in September 2002.^[27] The song reached the top 20 in most countries and peaked within the top five in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, where it remains Rowland's highest-charting solo single. Despite this, it was considered only a moderate success compared to "Dilemma."^[26] The album's second single, "Can't Nobody," performed less successfully, but reached the top-five in the United Kingdom and became a top-twenty hit in Australia, Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Scotland.^[28] Third and final single, "Train on a Track," achieved limited chart success, reaching the top 20 in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, but received additional exposure through its inclusion in the romantic comedy films Maid in Manhattan and The Seat Filler.^[29]

More information Review scores, Source ...

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[24]
Blender	[30]
The Guardian	[31]
Houston Chronicle	C−[32]
Los Angeles Times	[33]
MTV Asia	8/10[34]
Slant Magazine	[35]
The Times	[36]
Vibe	[2]
Yahoo! Music UK	6/10[37]

Close

Upon its release, Simply Deep received generally mixed to lukewarm reviews from most music critics.^[24] British morning newspaper The Independent gave the album a generally favorable review, writing that "on the whole the album sticks closely to the standard urban-diva formula, mixing garage twitchers with the usual billing and cooing on ballads such as "Haven't Told You". But it's all done with style and intelligence, whether she's luxuriating in the loneliness of "Everytime You Walk Out That Door" or evoking the momentum of the first flush of love in "Train on a Track"."^[38] Lisa Verrico of The Times stated "on first listen, Simply Deep does everything but live up to its title. It sounds like a shallow stroll through the poppier end of urban music [...] But give it another listen and [it] does grow on you if you’re looking for an easy-on-the-ear album. It is a pleasant listen."^[36] Joy Dunbar, writing for BBC Music, noted that while "the albums main weakness is that it tries to offer too much diversity and Kelly tries too hard to stand outside her former incarnation," it was a must-have for fans of R&B music, adding: "Simply Deep endeavours to demonstrate another side of Kelly Rowland, as a songwriter and an independent solo artist [...] The in frequent high points make this a must for your collection."^[39]

In her review for Simply Deep, Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian wrote, "Rowland is no longer a mere backing vocalist for Beyoncé Knowles. But while she undoubtedly has talent to burn, her first solo album is a mildly disappointing setting for it. A top-flight example of the American inclination toward lush but lightweight soul, it makes all the right R&B noises without engaging the emotions."^[31] She gave it three out of five stars.^[31] Sal Cinquemani of Slant dismissed the ballads on Simply Deep as "all gloppy-goo and no soul; but through it all Rowland manages to keep her cool. The album's best tracks, the light and breezy "Train on a Track" and "(Love Lives In) Strange Places," infuse the singer's lush harmonies with acoustic guitars and poetic wordplay."^[35] He especially criticized Solange Knowles' contribution to the album, noting her "icky [and] laughable lyrics" as the worst on Simply Deep which he rated two and a half out of five stars.^[35] Jon Caramanica of Entertainment Weekly commented that "Rowland, at times, seems like Destiny's adopted child, never receiving a full helping of Knowles-family adulation. Alas, her first solo project doesn't pull her out from Beyonce's shadow. She needs added star power: Her backup-singer instincts leave even the hottest songs here feeling somewhat chilly."^[40] Craig Seymour of Vibe was generally disappointed with the album, writing: "Rowland's solo album marks an attempt to further establish herself as a singular talent, but the effort is as misguided as the Nelly hookup was savvy [...] An abundance of cheesy folk/R&B numbers make Rowland come off like Brandy fronting as India.Arie."^[2] Rolling Stone's Christian Hoard found that the album's "tired character sketches and polite R&B hooks will make you long for the sass and spirit of her main outfit."^[41]

"Dilemma" was nominated for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration and Record of the Year at the 45th Grammy Awards (2003), winning the award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. During the 55th Anniversary of the Hot 100 issue of Billboard magazine, the song was ranked at number 75 on the all-time Hot 100 songs,^[42] while at the end of 2009 was named the eleventh most successful song from 2000 to 2009, on the Billboard Hot 100 Songs of the Decade.^[43] "Dilemma" was accredited internationally with sixteen certifications.

Simply Deep debuted and peaked at number twelve on the Billboard 200, the official albums chart in the United States, on November 9, 2002,^[44] selling 77,000 units in its first week of release.^[45] It was this week's fourth-highest-charting entry after Santana's Shaman, Foo Fighter's One by One and Rod Stewart's It Had to Be You: The Great American Songbook.^[44] Simultaneously, the album also charted on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums tally, reaching number three behind LL Cool J's 10 (2002) and Gerald Levert's The G Spot (2002).^[46] On December 5, 2002, Simply Deep was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments figures in excess of 500,000 copies.^[47] The album remains Rowland's best-selling album in the country to date. By August 2007, it had sold more than 600,000 copies domestically.^[48]

Released to even bigger success in international territories, in the United Kingdom, the album debuted at number-one on the UK Albums Chart on February 15, 2003, selling more than 100,000 copies in its first week.^[49] It received both a silver and a gold certification by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) the following week, and on April 11, 2003, was certified platinum for sales of 300,000 units.^[50] Simply Deep also reached number two on the Irish Albums Chart, elsewhere in Europe, the album managed to enter the top ten in Denmark and the top twenty in Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Switzerland.^[51] Across Oceania, it placed fifth and seventh on the Australian and the New Zealand Albums Chart, in the week of January 26, 2003,^[51][52] and was certified gold by both the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) and the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ).^[52] Worldwide, the album has sold over 2.5 million copies, making it Rowland's best-selling solo album to date.^[5]

Notes

• ^{^[a]} signifies a vocal producer
• ^{^[b]} signifies a co-producer
• ^{^[c]} signifies a remix producer

Sample credits

• "Dilemma" contains elements from "Love, Need and Want You" (1983) as written by Bunny Sigler and Kenneth Gamble.
• "Can't Nobody" contains elements from "Let's Get Small" (1982) as written by Robert "Syke Dyke" Reed and Tony Fisher.

Credits are taken from the album's liner notes.^[17]

Managerial and imagery

Performance credits

Instruments

Technical and production

• List of UK Albums Chart number ones of the 2000s