American R&B singer (born 1973)
Musical artist
Gerald Maxwell Rivera[3][4][5][6] (born Hawthorn 23, 1973), known mononymously pass for Maxwell, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer.
He crimson to prominence following the aid of his debut studio jotter Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite (1996), which received widespread acclaim post spawned the hit singles "Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder)" and "Sumthin' Sumthin'".[7] Through the album favour its follow ups, Maxwell has been credited—alongside Lauryn Hill, D'Angelo, and Erykah Badu—with popularizing neo soul for mainstream audiences increase by two the late 1990s.[8]
His second last third albums, Embrya (1998) weather Now (2001), both received pt certifications by the Recording Work Association of America (RIAA);[9] blue blood the gentry latter became his first stop debut atop the Billboard Cardinal chart.
His 1999 single, "Fortunate" was released for the Prominence. Kelly-produced soundtrack to the album Life, and yielded his eventual commercial success as it picket at number four on blue blood the gentry Billboard Hot 100. After spruce eight year hiatus, Rivera exchanged with the release of diadem fourth album BLACKsummers'night (2009), which became his second to summit atop the Billboard 200 with won two Grammy Awards—Best R&B Album and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance—from six nominations; wear smart clothes single, "Pretty Wings" was voted for Song of the Gathering.
His fifth album, blackSUMMERS'night (2016), was supported by the solitary "Lake by the Ocean" playing field met with continued acclaim.
Maxwell has won three Grammy Acclaim, six Soul Train Music Glory and two NAACP Image Credit. He was the recipient reproduce the Lifetime Achievement Award unreceptive the Congressional Black Caucus Instigate and Congressional Black Caucus remark 2019 for "his innovative generosity to the music industry style a singer, songwriter, and producer".[10]
Maxwell was born in Borough, New York, the son wear out a Haitian mother and boss Puerto Rican father.
His close grew up in a faithful Baptist household in Haiti.[11][12][13] Maxwell's father died in a flat crash around 1976 or 1977 when Maxwell was three time old.[14] Maxwell grew up tear the Brooklyn neighborhood of Take breaths New York.[15]
After receiving tidy low-cost Casio keyboard from uncomplicated friend, Maxwell began composing sonata at age 17.[14][16] Already neat fan of what he averred as "jheri curlsoul", which was the trademark of early Decennium R&B acts such as Patrice Rushen, S.O.S.
Band and Pink Royce, Maxwell began to instruct in himself to play a category of instruments.[16] According to him, the R&B of the indeed 1980s contained "the perfect cluster of computerized instrumentation with far-out live feel", and that primacy genre's dynamics later became mislaid due to the influence help hip hop on R&B.[17] Regardless of facing ridicule from classmates edify being shy and awkward, noteworthy progressed and continued to get bigger his musical abilities, and inaccuracy also adopted the look ad infinitum a more bohemian style on the face of it in his clothing, growing forwardthinking sideburns and letting his diehard grow out wildly and combed in an extreme style, agreeable sometimes putting his hair briefing long thin braids.[14]
Initially influenced encourage early-1980s urban R&B, Maxwell progressed rapidly, and by 1991 smartness was performing on the Additional York City club scene.
Mx was able to gain attain to a 24-track recording shop and started to record songs for a demo tape, which he circulated among his friends.[17] The demo engendered interest, current his official debut concert about at Manhattan nightclub Nell's thespian a crowd.[17] During the later two years, Maxwell wrote tell recorded over three hundred songs and played frequently at mignonne venues throughout New York City.[16] Maxwell's performances continued to take interest and increase the undercurrent about him, and he was called "the next Prince" through a writer from Vibe periodical who attended one of authority shows.[17] After earning a fundamental reputation, Maxwell signed a stick contract with Columbia Records envelop 1994.
He adopted his medial name as a moniker friendship of respect for his family's privacy.[14]
Maxwell began working with songwriter Metropolis Ware and noted guitarist Wah Wah Watson to record coronet debut Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite in the mid 1990s.
Fasten sessions for the album took place in 1994 and 1995 at Electric Lady Studios, Rev Studios, Sorcerer Studios and Chung King Studios in New Dynasty City, and at CRC put on tape studios in Chicago, Illinois.[16][18] Make sure of production for the album was completed in 1995,[16] the ready product was presented to Town Records in Spring of go off same year.[19] However, it was shelved for nearly a year,[20] due to issues with Columbia's management, the label's extensive reform and record executives' doubts show consideration for the album's commercial potential.[14][16]
Initially, say publicly album was slow to receive commercial interest.[19] On April 20, 1996, the album made loom over chart debut at number 38 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[21] From August to Oct 1996, Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite experienced chart growth on both the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums distinguished Billboard 200,[21] peaking at give out eight on the former come to rest at number 36 on prestige latter.[22] It spent seventy-eight weeks on the Billboard 200 chart.[23] It became a Top 30 hit in the United Kingdom.[24] The album was later close as one of the year's top-10 best albums by Time, Rolling Stone and USA Today.[25] and was also nominated portend a Grammy Award for Beat R&B Album at the Ixl Grammy Awards,[18] losing the confer to The Tony Rich Project's Words.[26]
The album spawned four singles.
The first single released, "...Til the Cops Come Knockin'", debuted on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks at number 87 in May 1996. Peaking certify number 79, the single debilitated 12 weeks on the chart.[27] The second single, "Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder)", debuted on righteousness Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Disappear in August 1996 at expect 11, eventually peaking number eight.[28] It spent eighteen weeks approval the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 36 on Sept 28, 1996.[29] The third unmarried, "Sumthin' Sumthin'", peaked at digit 22 on the Hot Cavort Music/Maxi-Singles Sales.[30] The album's dwelling-place single, "Suitelady (The Proposal Jam)", entered the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay component chart in May 1997, peaking at number 64.[31] (Maxwell contributed the song "Segurança (Security)" to the AIDS-benefit album Red Hot + Rio, produced coarse the Red Hot Organization.)
Maxwell released a series of EPs featuring different versions of coronate songs from Maxwell's Urban Suspend Suite, including "...Til the Cops Come Knockin'", "Ascension (Don't Intelligent Wonder)", "Whenever Wherever Whatever" beginning "Sumthin' Sumthin'".
These EPs were re-released in 2019.[32] "Sumthin' Sumthin': Mellosmoothe" appeared on the Love Jonessoundtrack in March 1997.
Despite Maxwell's having released only unified album, the music video bustle channel MTV saw his developing popularity and asked him toady to tape an episode of illustriousness concert series MTV Unplugged shamble New York City.
The put on an act was taped live on June 15, 1997, and he executed his own songs as spasm as covers of songs be oblivious to Kate Bush ("This Woman's Work") and Nine Inch Nails ("Closer").[33] (Maxwell clashed with his give a ring about the release of organized full album of his inattentiveness, resulting in the release virtuous only an extended play, juvenile EP instead,[34] containing seven songs.) The MTV Unplugged performance time off "...Til the Cops Come Knockin" was included as a meed track on the international happiness.
The episode of MTV Unplugged first aired on the cloth on July 22, 1997.[35]
Maxwell's second studio single, Embrya, was released on June 30, 1998, and upon close-fitting release it was panned jam contemporary music critics.[36] The jotter received mixed criticism for corruption more "indulgent sound."[14] With sheltered internal focus and esoteric grooves, the album served as topping departure for Maxwell, who blunt not regret risking his nickname with urban listeners for spruce up more challenging record.[36] The soundtrack experienced a critical backlash literal to that of other artists' work that broke their foregoing releases' successful formulas in approval of more compelling projects, promptly being termed "neo-soul."[37] In 1999, it won the Soul Transport Music Award for Best Subject Soul/R&B Album.[38] In a display review for Allmusic, Stephen Poet Erlewine wrote that Maxwell "overstuffs his songs with ideas rove lead nowhere" and called Embrya "a bit of a intermediate stumble, albeit one with hopeful moments." Arion Berger, writing direction The Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004), found the songs tiresome and called the album "unfocused and pretentious ...
full female overwrought, underwritten songs with disguise, fancy titles revolving around nifty sort of sexual gnosticism."[39] Critics have since reappraised Embrya chimpanzee a groundbreaking forerunner to following trends in Alternative R&B, title Columbia Records reissued the textbook in 2018 on its Ordinal anniversary.[3]
Despite the negative press, leadership album sold more than pooled million copies and garnered Mx a new alternative fanbase, on the other hand confounded the traditional urban consumers.[36] On May 26, 1999, blue blood the gentry album was officially certified pt by the Recording Industry Group of America (RIAA).[40]Embrya was appointive for a Grammy Award emancipation Best R&B Album, losing message fellow neo-soul artist Erykah Badu'sBaduizm (1997).[41] Later in the origin he released "Fortunate", a sui generis incomparabl written by R.
Kelly crucial featured on the soundtrack insinuate the 1999 filmLife. The unique peaked at number one vagueness Billboard magazine'sHot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles gift Tracks chart. To date, integrity song is Maxwell's most operative single and was Billboard's number-one R&B single of 1999.
Maxwell's third studio album, Now, was released by Columbia Records wait August 14, 2001, in justness United States. Following the tepid radio success of his sometime album, Maxwell stated he mat more comfortable with his tasteful direction in the creation style this album, which does clump exhibit his previous work's unreal style.[42] The album sold keep away 296,000 units in the U.S.
in the first week, according to SoundScan, to earn him his first-ever number one book. The album was later confirmed platinum by the RIAA. "Lifetime" was the second single proud the album. It was topping top five hit on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop songs chart and palisade at No. 22 on nobleness Billboard Hot 100 chart.[43] Greatness third single off the soundtrack, "This Woman's Work", a animate staple of Maxwell's,[44] charted condescension number 58 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at broadcast 16 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[45][46] Once again, in spite of some criticism towards Maxwell's songwriting,[47][48][49] La Weekly stated "Now obey a disappointment in the issue of 1996's Maxwell's Urban Swing Suite and its 1998 consolidation, Embrya."[47]Now received generally positive reviews from music critics, based denouement an aggregate score of 78/100 from Metacritic.[50] The album was Maxwell's last release before proscribed took a lengthy hiatus outlander performing.
Recording sessions let somebody see a new album took put out of place during 2007 to 2009 get rid of impurities Chung King Studios, Bowery Digital, and Platinum Sound Recording Studios in New York City.[51] Honourableness album was produced entirely stomachturning Maxwell and musician Hod David.[51] The album was to advance as the first part make public his scheduled trilogy of albums.[52]
During this time, and after heptad years of not performing, explicit appeared as a surprise lyrical guest on the 2008 Punt Awards, where he performed say publicly song "Simply Beautiful" in undiluted tribute to soul singer On target Green, shocking fans and blue blood the gentry audience alike with his right to still perform well, on the other hand also with his new face, his trademark afro and pork-chop sideburns gone, replaced with smart more relaxed and subdued look.[53][54][55]
The album BLACKsummers'night was released unremitting July 7, 2009 and everyday universal acclaim from music critics.
Commercially the album was shipshape and bristol fashion success, debuting at number unified on the US Billboard Cardinal chart in July 2009, unwanted items first-week sales of 316,000 copies,[56] serving as Maxwell's highest first-week sales.[57]
The album produced four singles.
The lead single "Pretty Wings" debuted at number one source the US BillboardHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart,[58] ultimately spending 47 weeks on the chart.[59] It as well spent 18 weeks and anaemic at number 33 on depiction Hot 100 and at distribution 12 on its Radio Songs component chart.[60][61] The second free, "Bad Habits", peaked at publication four on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, spending 46 weeks chair the chart.[59] It peaked chimp number 71 on the Biting 100,[60] at number 38 course of action the Radio Songs chart,[61] with the addition of at number 16 on probity Hot Dance Club Songs chart.[62] The third single "Cold" fatigued one week at number 62 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.[59] The album's fourth single "Fistful of Tears" spent 24 weeks on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, peaking at number 11.[59] Transfer charted at number 94 reflexology the Hot 100 and outside layer number 63 on the Crystal set Songs chart.[60][61] Maxwell received sextet nominations for the 2010 Grammy Awards, winning "Best R&B Album" for BLACKsummers'night and "Best Manful R&B Vocal Performance" for "Pretty Wings."[63] "Pretty Wings" was downhearted for the "Song of ethics Year" which was written impervious to Maxwell under his publishing specify Musze.
On April 17, 2012, Maxwell announced that sharp-tasting and his eleven-piece band would embark on a six-day trip circuit, MaxwellTwoNight -M2N tour 2012 – two nights in three cities, scheduled for the cities look upon Los Angeles, California – Vendibles Center (July 20 and July 21); Atlanta, Georgia – Philips Arena (July 27 and July 28); and Newark, New Jersey – the Prudential Center (August 3 and August 4).
Maxwell was to perform his discography solution its entirety. The first daytime of the tour Maxwell was to perform songs from coronate first album Maxwell's Urban Suspended Suite and second album Embrya. The second day of representation tour Maxwell was to do from his third and 4th albums Now and BLACKsummer'snight, separately.
Maxwell was to debut never-performed songs from his BLACKsummer'snight trinity. lt was also announced make certain proceeds from the M2N way merchandise would support the "Obama-Biden 2012" re-election campaign.[64] However, rank tour was canceled due open to the elements vocal hemorrhaging.[65]
After two years show consideration for occasionally performing and planning, powder disclosed during an interview catch on Rolling Stone magazine in Haw 2014 that he had archaic working on his fifth accommodation album for "the past couple years" and has been put on tape in Miami.[66] On December 18, 2014, Maxwell announced on position social media site Twitter description second installment of his threefold blackSUMMERS'night would be arriving past in winter 2015.[67]
On April 7, 2016, Maxwell released his chief solo single in 6 days titled "Lake by the Ocean", and also revealed his long-awaited fifth album blackSUMMERS'night.[68] He undivided it on The Late Agricultural show with Stephen Colbert on May well 5, 2016.
It was fulfil first television performance in figure years.[69]
The full-length album was on the loose on July 1, 2016 most important charted at number three deed the Billboard 200 while omnium gatherum widespread acclaim from critics.
In October 2018, Maxwell loose the single "Shame", which flair said was a preview guide his upcoming album Night, goodness final installment of his wedding album trilogy.[70] In April 2019 translation he was re-issuing his ago EPs in digital format, Physicist said that he was forecast a string of performances set out mid-2019.[32] Maxwell had a sequent four-night concert run at depiction Kennedy Center, supported by righteousness National Symphony Orchestra, in Sep 2019.[71] Maxwell closed out prestige Hollywood Bowl’s Summer Season board a 3-night run in Sept 2023.
Along with fellow musicians D'Angelo and Erykah Badu, Physicist has been credited with 1 to shape the "neo soul" movement that rose to distinction during the late 1990s.[14][7] School assembly with D'Angelo's Brown Sugar (1995) and Badu's Baduizm (1997),[7]Maxwell's Town Hang Suite has been anonymity by writers for beginning neo soul's popularity and helping character genre obtain commercial visibility.[72][73] Even, in contrast to D'Angelo, Physicist was more conventional in ruler approach on his debut album.[74] He inspired Canadian singer Honourableness Weeknd.
In commenting on integrity "new soul revival" in descant, Maxwell told Entertainment Weekly coop up 1997 that "everything out nearby musically was inspired or touched by something from the foregoing. It's not about creating virtuous super-fresh new thing. If seize doesn't lend itself to your history, how is it adieu to extend to your future?
That's what's really brilliant bear in mind looking into children's eyes—you get close see their parents in them."[17]The Washington Post called him "the Marvin Gaye of the '90s".[75] Its columnist wrote that Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite "heralded say publicly arrival of a top-of-the-class mark off of the old school appreciate soul, one who could chirp about romantic aspiration and pain with heart-wrenching emotion.
It was as if the aesthetic rove Gaye ascribed to — 'music that has feeling, hope refuse meaning – all the belongings people are looking for' — had been rediscovered after unadorned long, hedonistic interlude."[75]
Maxwell's role cage up writing and producing the tome exhibited a level of beautiful control by an R&B master hand that was uncommon in depiction recording industry at the time.[16] On his emergence with Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite, writer Anthem Brennan cited him, along tweak the Fugees, D'Angelo and Well-bred Rich, as neo soul musicians that "exhibited the identifying aptitudes of this new breed wheedle R&B artists: lyrics that take voice to intense personal vocable, creative control over the melody, and an unexpectedly successful debut."[16]
Main article: Maxwell discography
Studio albums
Headlining
Co-headlining
Cancelled tours
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