I Believe in You is the forty-sixth solo studio album and first children's album by American country music singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released digitally on September 29, 2017, and physically on October 13, 2017, by Dolly Records and RCA Records. All proceeds from the album's sales will go to benefit Parton's Imagination Library.[1]
| I Believe in You | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 29, 2017 | |||
| Studio | Westpark Sound (Franklin) | |||
| Genre | Children's · Country | |||
| Length | 31:23 | |||
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| Producer |
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| Dolly Parton chronology | ||||
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| Singles from I Believe in You | ||||
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Background
editThe album was originally announced on July 5, 2014, with the release of the title track, "I Believe in You", as a free download on Parton's official website. The release stated, "All families who receive the gift of Imagination Library books were also presented with a free download of Parton's song, "I Believe in You", that she wrote for the Imagination Playhouse at Dollywood. Eleven additional songs will soon be made available for purchase, with 100 percent of sales supporting the longevity of the Dollywood Foundation."[2]
On October 18, 2016, Parton re-released her children's book, Coat of Many Colors, based on her hit song of the same name. This new version of the book featured new cover art and illustrations, as well as a free download of the song "Makin' Fun Ain't Funny".[3] This version of the song features different instrumentation than the version featured on the album.
On August 15, 2017, Parton formally announced the album's upcoming release at a press conference at her management's Nashville office in front of reporters and their children, saying "I love kids and I am so excited. It just seems like the right time [to release a children's album]. Since I'm getting so old, I'm getting back into my second childhood." She also revealed the album's cover and track listing, as well as singing three songs from the album and reading a story to the children.[4]
The album was made available for pre-order on September 15, 2017, along with the release of the album's title track, "I Believe in You".
Following the album's release, Parton released animated lyric videos for all thirteen of the album's tracks via her Vevo channel on November 17, 2017.
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [5] |
| Drowned in Sound |   [6] |
| Renown for Sound | [7] |
| The Spill Magazine | [8] |
The album has received mixed to positive reviews from critics. James Christopher Monger of AllMusic felt that Parton's "effusive personality and seemingly ageless voice lend themselves well to the [children's] genre", that her "natural charisma and easy demeanor help keep things from becoming too cloying", and "with all proceeds from the album going to her bookworm charity, it's awfully hard to find fault with any of it."[5] Elizabeth Andrews of The Spill Magazine judged Parton's first foray into children's music a successful one, and that the album "is a gift to share with parents, kids, the young at heart among us, and anyone needing a bit of a pick-me-up."[8] Drowned in Sound, however, criticized the production of the album, saying it was "as counterfeit as much of Parton's idealised America has been throughout the years, and sounds like it was made on a Casio keyboard for the most part"; nevertheless, "there's plenty for children to like about this album and it's hard to turn up the nose at the moral message which is at the core of the songs."
Commercial performance
editThe album debuted at number 11 on the Billboard Kid Albums chart,[9] and peaked at number 3 in its third week.[10] It also peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart in its third week, with 4,800 copies sold.[11] It has sold 25,500 copies in the United States as of April 2018.[12]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Dolly Parton
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Believe in You" | 2:00 |
| 2. | "Coat of Many Colors" | 2:56 |
| 3. | "Together Forever" | 2:26 |
| 4. | "I Am a Rainbow" | 1:58 |
| 5. | "I'm Here" | 2:27 |
| 6. | "A Friend Like You" | 1:52 |
| 7. | "Imagination" | 2:23 |
| 8. | "You Can Do It" | 1:53 |
| 9. | "Responsibility" | 1:54 |
| 10. | "You Gotta Be" | 1:54 |
| 11. | "Makin' Fun Ain't Funny" | 2:19 |
| 12. | "Chemo Hero" | 2:09 |
| 13. | "Brave Little Soldier" | 2:34 |
| 14. | "A Reading of Coat of Many Colors" (bonus track) | 2:45 |
| Total length: | 31:23 | |
Personnel
editAdapted from the album liner notes.
- Robert Behar – wardrobe
- Paul Brannon – guitars
- Dennis Carney – cheek kisses photo
- Sarah Chapman – original graphic design
- Paul T. Couch – executive producer
- Richard Dennison – keyboards, producer, background vocals
- Trey Fanjoy – cover photo
- Vickie Hampton – background vocals
- Tim Hayden – keyboards
- Tom Hoey – drums, percussion
- The Inner Child Chorus – background vocals
- Shelley Jennings – background vocals
- Melodie Kirkpatrick – background vocals
- Chris Latham – edit engineer
- Steve Mackey – bass
- John Mayfield – mastering
- Tom McBryde – producer
- Shane McConnell – background vocals
- Jennifer O'Brian – background vocals
- Danny O'Lannerghty – bass
- Dolly Parton – lead vocals, executive producer
- Tom Reeves – mixing, engineering, drums
- Cheryl Riddle – hair
- Tom Rutledge – producer, engineering, edit engineer, acoustic guitar, bass, MIDI guitars
- Nathan Smith – edit engineer
- Steve Summers – wardrobe
- Jacob Timmons – back cover photo, additional photography, original graphic design
- Kent Wells – electric guitars
Charts
edit| Chart (2017) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[13] | 80 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[14] | 90 |
| US Billboard 200[15] | 173 |
| US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[16] | 20 |
| US Kid Albums (Billboard)[10] | 3 |
Release history
edit| Country | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide | September 29, 2017 | Digital download |
|
| October 13, 2017 | CD |
References
edit- ^ "Dolly Parton Announces Her First Children's Album". Taste of Country.
- ^ "I Believe in You – Free Children's Music Download – Dolly Parton". dollyparton.com.
- ^ ""Makin' Fun Ain't Funny" By Dolly Parton". dollyparton.com.
- ^ staff, WKRN web (August 15, 2017). "Dolly Parton announces first-ever children's album to benefit Imagination Library". WKRN.com.
- ^ a b James Christopher Monger. "Dolly Parton: I Believe in You". AllMusic.
- ^ Otsa, Jamie (October 24, 2017). "Dolly Parton: I Believe in You". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on November 10, 2017. Retrieved November 9, 2017.
- ^ "Album Review: Dolly Parton – I Believe in You". Renown for Sound. November 7, 2017.
- ^ a b Andrews, Elizabeth (November 20, 2012). "Spill Album Review: Dolly Parton – I Believe in You". The Spill Magazine.
- ^ "Kid Albums – October 21, 2017". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 31, 2018. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
- ^ a b "Kid Albums – November 4, 2017". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 31, 2018. Retrieved November 9, 2017.
- ^ Bjorke, Matt (October 24, 2017). "TOP 10 Country Albums Sales Chart: October 24, 2017". Roughstock.
- ^ Bjorke, Matt (April 9, 2018). "Top 10 Country Album Sales Chart: April 9, 2018". Roughstock. Archived from the original on November 28, 2020. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
- ^ "ARIA Chart Watch #443". auspOp. October 21, 2017. Archived from the original on October 21, 2017. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
- ^ "Dolly Parton Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
- ^ "Dolly Parton Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 24, 2017.