Coming Home (Lionel Richie album)
Album by Lionel Richie
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Coming Home is the eighth studio album by American singer Lionel Richie. It was released by The Island Def Jam Music Group on September 12, 2006 in the United States. A breakaway from his previous albums and their adult contemporary sounds, Richie and executive producer Antonio "L.A." Reid recruited a number of sought-after producers and songwriters from the contemporary R&B and hip-hop genres to work with him on the album, including Dallas Austin, Jerry Duplessis, Jermaine Dupri, Sean Garrett, Wyclef Jean, Rodney Jerkins, and Norwegian duo Stargate.
| Coming Home | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 12, 2006 | |||
| Genre | R&B[1] | |||
| Length | 50:35 | |||
| Label | Island Def Jam | |||
| Producers |
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| Lionel Richie chronology | ||||
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The album earned a generally mixed reception from music critics, who either complimented or dismissed Richie's decision to update his sound. In the United States, Coming Home debuted at number six on the US Billboard 200, becoming his biggest hit album since 1986's Dancing on the Ceiling, while selling up to 449,000 copies. Elsewhere, it reprised the chart success of Renaissance (2000) and Just for You (2004), entering the top ten in Germany and Switzerland and going gold in the United Kingdom. Coming Home produced several singles, including "I Call It Love" and "Why."
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [1] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B−[2] |
| Okayplayer | [3] |
| People | [4] |
| PopMatters | 3/10[5] |
| USA Today | [6] |
People praised Coming Home as a welcome return to R&B, highlighting his successful blend of contemporary production and classic romantic balladry. the magazine singled out "What You Are," " I Call It Love," and "I Love You" while noting weaker uptempo tracks.[4] Steve Jones of USA Today gave Coming Home a two-and-a-half-star rating, noting that the album revisited the smooth style of his Commodores and solo hits. He praised tracks such as "I Call It Love" and "What You Are" while finding the overall set largely predictable.[6] Michael Endelman of Entertainment Weekly gave Coming Home a B− rating, praising Richie's collaboration with younger producers for successfully updating his quiet-storm sound. He highlighted Richie's "silky voice" on tracks such as "All Around the World" and "I Call It Love," while noting the album retained his signature soft-pop ballads.[2]
AllMusic editor Andy Kellman found the album uneven, criticizing its attempts to sound contemporary while praising tracks that remained closer to Richie's established style. He concluded that while some songs lacked distinction, much of the album would satisfy longtime fans.[1] Kel Munger of Sacramento News & Review criticized Coming Home as an unsuccessful comeback attempt, arguing that the album lacked the creativity and emotional impact of his earlier work. She felt the contemporary production failed to recapture the appeal of his classic ballads.[7] Similarly, Okayplayer criticized the album for attempting to chase contemporary R&B trends at the expense of his established style, arguing that most of the album's modern production choices felt awkward and dated.[3] Christian John Wikane of PopMatters dismissed Coming Home for prioritizing contemporary production trends over Richi'’s established artistic identity. He argued that the album often made Richie feel like a guest on his own record, though he praised "Reason to Believe" for allowing the singer's strengths to shine through.[5]
Chart performance
In the United States, Coming Home debuted and peaked at number six on the Billboard 200.[8] It sold over 75,000 copies in its first week and marked Richie's first top 10 album debut of his career.[9] In February 2007, the album was certified gold for the shipment of 500,000 units, and in May 2012 it surpassed the 449,000 mark.[10]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Call It Love" |
| Stargate | 3:18 |
| 2. | "Sweet Vacation" |
|
| 3:54 |
| 3. | "Why" |
| 4:00 | |
| 4. | "What You Are" |
| 4:12 | |
| 5. | "Up All Night" |
|
| 3:35 |
| 6. | "I'm Coming Home" |
|
| 4:18 |
| 7. | "All Around the World" |
|
| 3:33 |
| 8. | "Out of My Head" | Richie |
| 3:13 |
| 9. | "Reason to Believe" |
| Austin | 4:46 |
| 10. | "Stand Down" |
| Austin | 4:01 |
| 11. | "I Love You" | Richie |
| 4:11 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12. | "I Apologize" |
|
| 3:37 |
| 13. | "I'm Missing Her" | Richie |
| 3:57 |
Notes
- ^[a] signifies an assistant producer
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications and sales
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[24] | Gold | 100,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[25] | Gold | 500,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||