Where I Wanna Be (Donell Jones album)

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Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Rolling Stone	[2]

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AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine rated the album four out of five stars. He found that "on the surface of things, Jones may sound similar to a lot of his peers, but there's a greater sense of musical sophistication in his music. There are light touches of jazz, suave electric pianos, and an easy seductiveness to the entire production [...] For much of the album, Jones hits the right tone – balancing mood, song, and performance quite alluringly. It gets him and the listener where they wanna be."^[1] Rolling Stone's K. Leander Williams wrote that "Jones' vision of R&B; is more temperate than jiggy; he's a loveman who'd rather cajole his would-be paramours than steamroll them. However, once you get past the swirling acoustic guitar that graces the best tracks on Jones' second effort, Where I Wanna Be, you can glimpse some of the frustrations that trouble even a cool young smoothie."^[2]

Vibe editor Joanne Eustache found that while Where I Wanna Be "has its share of downfalls, Jones' latest project gets mucho props overall for being sincere and tasteful in an R&B; era filled with pretentiousness and lewdness. While he has a while to go before he reaches the status of R&B; lovemeisters D'Angelo, Eric Benet and Brian McKnight, albums like Where I Wanna Be contribute to the campaign of reinstating the old-school R&B; standard of originality. And while its sleepy melodies don't make it the ideal joint to pump on a cross-country car ride, it is ideal for setting the tone at a cozy gathering."^[3] In a retrospective review for BBC Music, Daryl Easlea wrote: "Jones' Where I Wanna Be is a perfect snapshot of US RnB/nu-soul at the turn of the 21st century. It is immaculately produced and delivered with great accomplishment. There is little room for spontaneity or error; it is highly polished soul at its super shiniest."^[4]

Where I Wanna Be debuted and peaked at number 35 on the US Billboard 200, with first week sales of 39,000 units.^[5] It also marked Jones' first top ten album on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.^[5] The album was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on February 8, 2000, and Platinum on May 24, 2000.^[6] By June 2002, Where I Wanna Be had sold 1.2 million copies in the US.^[5]