Speak for Yourself

Speak for Yourself is the second solo album by British singer Imogen Heap, following her collaborative effort with Guy Sigsworth as Frou Frou. The album was released in the United States in 2005. It was written, produced, arranged, and funded by Heap, without the backing of a record label, and features guest appearances from Jeff Beck, who provides a guitar solo on "Goodnight and Go", and Heap's ex-boyfriend, Richie Mills, who argues with her on "The Moment I Said It".

For the American sports talk show, see Speak for Yourself (talk show).

Speak for Yourself
Studio album by
Imogen Heap
Released18 July 2005
Recorded2005
Genre
Length49:27
Label
ProducerImogen Heap
Imogen Heap chronology
iMegaphone
(1998)		 Speak for Yourself
(2005)		 Ellipse
(2009)
Singles from Speak for Yourself
  1. "Hide and Seek"
    Released: 19 May 2005
  2. "Goodnight and Go"
    Released: 26 April 2006
  3. "Headlock"
    Released: 2 October 2006

Development

Heap recorded Speak for Yourself between her 26th and 27th birthdays. While recording the album, Heap kept a graph on which she had the keys of songs on the X axis and the tempos of songs on the Y axis so as to prevent herself from repeating song structures. The album was primarily recorded in her flat in Bermondsey, London.[4] "I Am in Love with You" was written by Heap at age 19 while she was on tour with Rufus Wainwright, while "Clear the Area" was the first song on the album to be fully written.[5] The song "Daylight Robbery" was written for an advertising agency.[6]

The album's cover was created by Heap's boyfriend at the time, who had been editing a photo of her taken by a friend in Los Angeles, while the title was the first thing that she thought of after seeing it.[5] Speak for Yourself was released in the United States in 2005, and released in the UK through Imogen Heap's own label, Megaphonic Records, in a digipak created specifically by Heap,[7] before being licensed to White Rabbit Recordings in 2006 for the UK and international markets. It is licensed to RCA and Sony Legacy in the US, where the first run of 10,000 copies were copy protected and encased in the digipak (further editions are in a standard jewel case with a cardboard slipcase). As of August 2009, it has sold 431,000 copies in the US according to Nielsen SoundScan.[8] The album has also achieved gold status in Canada.[9] In the United Kingdom the album has sold 39,000 copies.[10] Songs Hide and Seek, Speeding Cars and Goodnight and Go have sold 647,000, 223,000 and 159,000 copies in United States.[10]

Speak for Yourself was re-released digitally in deluxe, standard, and Instrumental versions on 24 December 2012 by Sony BMG.[11]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
About.com[12]
AllMusic[3]
Drowned in Sound8/10[13]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[14]
Pitchfork6.4/10[15]
PopMatters6/10[16]

Accolades

NPR's Ned Wharton named Speak for Yourself one of the best albums of 2005.[17] Also for NPR, American radio presenter Nic Harcourt named "Have You Got It in You?" one of the best songs of 2005.[18]

"Hide and Seek" and "Goodnight and Go", the album's lead and second single respectively, were both featured in episodes of the US TV drama The O.C., as was "Speeding Cars". "The Moment I Said It" was used in the Criminal Minds episode called "Seven Seconds" and in the Ghost Whisperer episode called "The Gravesitter". "Can't Take It In" was featured in the film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. "Clear the Area" was sampled by rapper/lyricist Saint. "Hide and Seek" was also used as the soundtrack for an advert by Sky promoting the Series 5 Finale of a television series, Lost. In 2009, "Hide and Seek" was sampled as the hook in the lead single for Jason Derulo, titled "Whatcha Say". The track "The Moment I Said It" was used for a group routine on season 3 of the show, So You Think You Can Dance choreographed by Mia Michaels. Rapper XV also sampled the track "Speeding Cars" for the song "Textbook Stuff" which featured Kendrick Lamar. The song "Just for Now" was featured in the 2006 romantic comedy The Holiday and was later covered by Kelly Clarkson for her 2013 Christmas album, Wrapped in Red.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Imogen Heap.

Standard edition
No.TitleLength
1."Headlock"3:36
2."Goodnight and Go"3:52
3."Have You Got It in You?"4:10
4."Loose Ends"3:40
5."Hide and Seek"4:28
6."Clear the Area"4:14
7."Daylight Robbery"3:21
8."The Walk"5:14
9."Just for Now"3:00
10."I Am in Love with You"3:08
11."Closing In"4:48
12."The Moment I Said It"5:56
Total length:49:27
Japanese bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
13."Speeding Cars"3:32
14."Can't Take It In"4:43
Total length:57:42
Deluxe edition bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
13."Headlock" (instrumental)3:34
14."Goodnight and Go" (instrumental)3:54
15."Have You Got It in You?" (instrumental)4:08
16."Loose Ends" (instrumental)3:39
17."Cumulus" (B-side to "Hide and Seek")4:43
18."Clear the Area" (instrumental)4:13
19."Daylight Robbery" (instrumental)3:23
20."The Walk" (instrumental)5:15
21."Just for Now" (instrumental)2:54
22."I Am in Love with You" (instrumental)3:06
23."Closing In" (instrumental)4:48
24."The Moment I Said It" (instrumental)5:54
Total length:1:38:58

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[9] Gold 50,000^
United States (RIAA)[24] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.[25]

  • Imogen Heap – vocals, production, mixing, engineering, programming
  • Richie Mills – background vocals (tracks 1, 12), drums (tracks 3–4, 7, 11)
  • Mich Gerber – bass (tracks 1, 3)
  • Jeff Beck – guitar (track 2)

Release history
Region Date Version
United States 18 July 2005 Standard version
Canada 17 April 2006
Mexico
United Kingdom
Japan 21 March 2007
Various 24 December 2012 Deluxe version

References
  1. https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/4025-speak-for-yourself/
  2. https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/8222/Imogen-Heap-Speak-For-Yourself/
  3. AllMusic review
  4. Goggins, Joe (3 September 2014). "DiS meets Imogen Heap: "I wanted to live in the moment"". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  5. Seaver, Morley. "MorleyView: Imogen Heap interview - antiMusic.com". AntiMusic. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  6. Percy, Shane (24 May 2006). "Music: Imogen Heap". Daily Xtra. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  7. Roberts, Michael (7 December 2006). "Imogen Heap". Westword. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  8. Caulfield, Keith (2 September 2009). "Colbie Caillat's No. 1, Miley Crashes Party On Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  9. "Canadian album certifications – Imogen Heap – Speak for Yourself". Music Canada. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
  10. Sutherland, Mark (20 June 2009). "Greatest Synchs". Billboard. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  11. http://speakforyourself.imogenheap.com/
  12. About.com review
  13. Ridgway, Julian (18 July 2005). "Album Review: Imogen Heap – Speak For Yourself". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved 25 July 2005.
  14. "'Speak For Yourself' by Imogen Heap: EW Review". Entertainment Weekly.
  15. Pitchfork review
  16. PopMatters review
  17. Wharton, Ned (27 November 2005). "Cuing Up the Year's Best Music". NPR. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  18. Harcourt, Nic (31 December 2005). "Songs from a Year of 'Music Lust'". NPR. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  19. "Imogen Heap Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  20. "Imogen Heap Chart History (Top Dance/Electronic Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  21. "Imogen Heap Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  22. "Top Dance/Electronic Albums – Year-End 2006". Billboard. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  23. "Top Dance/Electronic Albums – Year-End 2007". Billboard. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  24. "American album certifications – Imogen Heap – Speak for Yourself". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 11 January 2016. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
  25. "Speak for Yourself / Imogen Heap". Tidal. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
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