Gemini (Brian McKnight album)

Gemini is the eighth studio album by American singer Brian McKnight. It was released by Motown Records on February 8, 2005 in the United States. The album's title is a reference to the singer's astrological sign, Gemini. Upon release, Gemini received mixed reviews from music critics. The album debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200 album chart, becoming 's highest-charting album to date. Gemini was preceded by two singles "Everytime You Go Away" and "What We Do Here". Both songs charted in the Top 40 of Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, the latter which stayed there for two weeks. Gemini marked McKnight's last album on Motown Records. The album, by McKnight ended his run under the labels Mercury and Motown over the course of fifteen years.

Gemini
Studio album by
Brian McKnight
ReleasedFebruary 8, 2005
Recorded2004
GenreR&B
Length53:39
LabelMotown
Producer
  • Bruce Carbone (exec.)
  • Silas White (exec.)
  • Brandon Barnes
  • Nikki Holliwood
  • Karma Productions
  • Brian McKnight
  • Poke & Tone
  • Sandy "Sanman" Ruiz
Brian McKnight chronology
U-Turn
(2003)		 Gemini
(2005)		 Ten
(2006)

Composition

"Everytime You Go Away" is a smooth ballad that has his signature Quiet Storm sound but has a guitar riff which is foreign to the McKnight style.

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
Peoplemixed[2]
PopMatters[3]
Slant[4]
SoulTracksmixed[5]

In his review for Allmusic, David Jeffries wrote: "Bring your lover and your playful side because Gemini is an aptly named loose and free bedroom winner from Brian McKnight [...] That's where the concessions to music of the moment stop, and while they're not at all unnecessary, the album really succeeds when McKnight wears all his singer, composer, musician, and producer hats at once and brews up something between Prince's self-titled release and a Sweetback album."[1] Chris Rizik from SoulTracks found that "Gemini is a fairly typical McKnight album that his many (primarily female) fans will adore. As with his other CDs, there are a handful of excellent, well performed numbers [...] However, the lyrical mixed messages and groupie pandering leave me cold and prevent the album from reaching the level warranted by its solid musical foundation."[5]

Sal Cinquemani from Slant felt that Gemini, the singer’s seventh album, begins on a high note, the intro showcasing McKnight’s old school Motown harmonies, but the rest of the disc resurrects previous trends, matching the singer’s aural NyQuil (his trademark honey-dipped vocals) with the mildest of R&B formulas and hooks that barely register."[4] PopMatters critics Jalylah Burrell wrote that "with Gemini, McKnight manages to escape the lure of his trend-conscious alter ego, another of the 30-plus entertainers who feel a need to justify their presence in a youth-obsessed market. Instead the album witnesses the musician just playing his fated position. Not all-star caliber but well enough for his faithful fans."[3] People called Gemini "another dependable effort, [that] shows that McKnight is clearly not in the same league as Prince, Marvin or Luther. And now the veteran singer is also being passed by such youngbloods as Van Hunt and John Legend. Even so, his sophisticated soul can still be as smooth as satin sheets."[2]

Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Stay With Him (Intro)"Brian McKnightKnight2:46
2."What We Do Here"McKnightMcKnight3:41
3."Everytime You Go Away"McKnightMcKnight4:42
4."Grown Man Business"
Poke & Tone3:35
5."Everything I Do"McKnightMcKnight6:39
6."Here with You"
McKnight4:23
7."All Over Now"
  • McKnight
  • Curry
McKnight3:31
8."She" (featuring Talib Kweli)
  • Karma Productions
  • Sandy "Sanman" Ruiz
3:43
9."Stay"McKnightMcKnight3:57
10."Come Back"
  • McKnight
  • Barnes
  • Claude Vernell
McKnight4:11
11."Watcha Gonna Do?" (featuring Akon, Juvenile and Skip)
Nikki Holliwood4:08
12."Your Song"McKnightMcKnight3:35
13."Me & You"McKnightMcKnight5:08

Samples

Charts

References
  1. Gemini at AllMusic. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
  2. "Picks and Pans Review: Lee Ann Womack". People. February 21, 2005. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
  3. Burrell, Jalylah. "Brian McKnight: Gemini". PopMatters. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
  4. Cinquemani, Sal (January 25, 2005). "Review: Brian McKnight, Gemini". Slant. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  5. Rizik, Chris. "Review". SoulTracks. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
  6. "Dutchcharts.nl – Brian McKnight – Gemini" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  7. "Lescharts.com – Brian McKnight – Gemini". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  8. "Brian McKnight Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  9. "Brian McKnight Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  10. "R&B/Hip-Hop Albums: Best of 2005". Billboard. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
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