Strictly Physical (album)

In December 2006, Mandy Capristo, Senna Gammour, and Bahar Kizil emerged as the winners of Popstars – Neue Engel braucht das Land, the fifth season of the German reality television talent competition Popstars, subsequently forming the girl group Monrose.^[1] Their debut single, titled "Shame," achieved immediate commercial success, debuting at number one across German-speaking Europe.^[2] It became the fastest-selling CD single of 2006 and, following the establishment of the official legal digital download charts in Germany in 2004, was recognized as the most-downloaded track in the country's chart history at the time.^[2] Temptation, the band's debut album, was released shortly thereafter and entered the album charts in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland at number one. The album received platinum certification from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) for exceeding 200,000 units sold within its first two weeks of release.^[3] Domestically, Temptation went on to sell over 600,000 copies, solidifying Monrose’s status as a prominent act in the German pop music scene.^[4]

In early 2007, the trio qualified for the German national pre-selection of the Eurovision Song Contest 2007, organized and broadcast by the ARD, with their second single "Even Heaven Cries".^[5] Although they were considered early favourites by the media,^[5] the band eventually finished second.^[6] Following this, the band announced their Venus Temptation Tour with twenty dates, beginning at the Hanover Capitol on 29 April 2007. Sponsored by Global Gillette, Monrose's debut concert tour was launched in support of their early commercial success. Despite the group's popularity and extensive media promotion, the tour was met with underwhelming public response. Intense media scrutiny followed as the tour struggled to attract large audiences; no concert on the schedule achieved a sold-out status. As a result of persistently low ticket sales, four scheduled performances were ultimately cancelled..^[7][8]

The album spawned three singles. Lead single "Hot Summer" became the band's second number-one hit in Austria, Germany and Switzerland and one of the biggest-selling songs of the year on German online music stores,^[9] also obtaining success in Scandinavia, Eastern Europe and the Benelux states.^[10] Its follow-up single "Strictly Physical" became Monrose's first top 10 entry on the Polish Top 50 since their debut release "Shame" (2006), while the ballad "What You Don't Know" became their fifth consecutive top 10 single in Germany, although it failed to reach the top 20 in Switzerland.

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
CDStarts	4.5/10[11]
Energy Zürich	[12]
laut.de	[13]
LetMeEntertainYou	[14]
Tiscali	[15]

Strictly Physical received a generally mixed reception from music critics. MusikWoche observed that the album distinguishes itself from its predecessor through notable artistic development and production quality aligned with international standards.^[16] The magazine ranked "Hot Summer", "Strictly Physical" and "What You Don't Know" among the best tracks on the album.^[16] Energy Zürich described the album as "groovy, feel-good songs that are universally danceable, blending elements of R&B and pop" and further wrote: "Tracks guaranteed to set any dance floor on fire. In that sense, lyrical depth takes a backseat. Catchy melodies, light-hearted lyrics, and three attractive young women who know how to market themselves define the second album of these talent show stars."^[12]

Julia Dörfler from laut.de called the album a "more mature and individual" but generally "well-snitched" output in comparison with the band's debut album. She praised Strictly Physical for its experimental production towards electro and contemporary R&B music.^[13] CDStarts critic Albert Ranner remarked that "right from the opener "Dangerous," an electro-house beat pulses through the speakers, setting the tone for an album largely driven by thumping dance rhythms. Aside from the obligatory ballads, the remaining tracks wrap themselves in club-ready beats—some distancing themselves entirely from R&B, while others maintain varying degrees of connection to the genre. The result is a collection of appealing, if mostly average, pop songs."^[11] Jochen Overbeck from Monsters & Critics concluded: "It fulfills all expectations and will likely perform well commercially, but it fails to establish any real artistic depth,"^[17] while LetMeEntertainYou deemed the album "strictly unnecessary" and added: "Unfortunately, a distinct style for the girls is still missing; as before, the sound is copied from currently trending US stars [...] Even in terms of vocals, the Monrose girls are unable to stand out."

While Strictly Physical did not replicate the commercial heights of Temptation, it nonetheless represented another significant success for Monrose. Demonstrating continued public interest and solid sales figures, it opened at number two on the German Albums Chart in the week of 5 October 2007 – second only to English singer James Blunt's All the Lost Souls (2007).^[18] Shipping more than 90.000 copies in its first week of release,^[19] this marked the highest chart position for a sophomore album by any band formed through the Popstars franchise, with the sole exception of No Angels' 2002 number-one studio album Now... Us!.^[18] Later that same year, Strictly Physical was certified Gold by the Bundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI) in recognition of shipment figures exceeding 100,000 units.^[20] The album also reached the top ten in Austria and Switzerland, peaking at number seven on the Austrian Albums Chart and number six on the Swiss Albums Chart.^[21][22] On 12 December 2017, it reached Gold status in Austria.^[23]

Notes

• ^{^[A]} denotes additional producer

Sample credits

• "Just like That" contains a sample of "You're Not Alone" (1996) as performed by Olive.^[24]

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Strictly Physical.^[24]

Performers and musicians

Technical