Miracle is the only studio album by American singer Puff Johnson. It was released by The Work Group on May 28, 1996, in the United States. Johnson worked with a broadranging cast of producers and songwriters on her debut, including Narada Michael Walden, Tim & Bob, Jermaine Dupri, Walter Afanasieff, Dan Shea, and Keith Thomas, and co-wrote seven of the set's twelve tracks. Their collaborations led to eclectic material on Miracle, which borrowed from an assortment of genres, combining contemporary R&B with pop, jazz, fusion and G-funk.[2]
| Miracle | |
|---|---|
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| Studio album by | |
| Released | May 28, 1996 |
| Length | 58:25[1] |
| Label | Work |
| Producer | |
| Singles from Miracle | |
| |
The album earned mixed to positive reviews from music critics, many of whom praised Johnson's vocal performances but found the material uneven. Upon release, it peaked at number seven on the Norwegian Albums Chart and entered the top thirty in the Netherlands. In the US, it reached number 61 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums only. Miracle spawned three singles, including the top five hit "Forever More" and follow-up "All Over Your Face" as well as "Over and Over" which had first appeared on the soundtrack of the American comedy film The First Wives Club (1996).
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Muzik |  [3] |
Deborah Gregory, writing for Vibe, found that "while Miracle doesn't quite live up to the loftiness of its title — due to the saccharine melodies and middle-of-the-road material — there's no doubt about [Johnson's] pipes. This 23-year-old angel can croon [...] The cuts that provide the freshest foil for Johnson's pitch-perfect voice are "All Over Your Face" and "True Meaning of Love." Both of these silky R&B grooves are better than the predictable pining of first single "Forever More."[4] Peter Miro from Cash Box called Miracle an "excellent debut [...] Johnson sparkles with freshness, innocence and clarity unheard of in an artist 22 years young. [She] mesmerizes with her narrative skill as she sings ballads that will charge hard up urban and crossover playlists [...] Johnson leaves a lot to be excited."[5] Billboard editor J.R. Reynolds wrote: "Youthful enthusiasm bubbles from the artist's spiritually laced vocals, splattering refreshing doses of optimism into the listener's consciousness."[6]
Commercial performance
editUpon release, Miracle peaked at number seven on the Norwegian Albums Chart and entered the top thirty in the Netherlands.[7][8] In the United States, the album reached number 61 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums only.[9] It also reached number 34 on the US Heatseekers Album chart.[10]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Forever More" |
| Walden | 5:06 |
| 2. | "Outside My Window" | 5:25 | ||
| 3. | "All Over Your Face" |
|
| 3:46 |
| 4. | "Yearning" |
| Tim & Bob | 5:11 |
| 5. | "Love Between Me & You" |
| Afanasieff | 4:49 |
| 6. | "Some Kind of Miracle" | Diane Warren | Afanasieff | 6:20 |
| 7. | "All Because of You" |
|
| 3:32 |
| 8. | "God Sent You" |
| Walden | 5:04 |
| 9. | "True Meaning of Love" |
| Thomas | 4:44 |
| 10. | "Come Closer" |
| Tim & Bob | 4:43 |
| 11. | "Please, Help Me, I'm Falling (In Love With You)" |
| Thomas | 3:42 |
| 12. | "Hold On to His Hand" | Minister K. Ward | Tim & Bob | 2:24 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "That's When You'll Know" |
| Soulshock & Karlin | 5:00 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Over and Over" |
| Thomas | 3:58 |
| 2. | "All That's On My Feet" |
| Soulshock & Karlin | 3:41 |
| 3. | "Baby Can You Feel It" |
| Smooth | 3:12 |
Notes
Samples
- "Outside My Window" contains a sample from "What's Going On" as performed by Marvin Gaye.
- "All Because of You" contains a sample of "Hip Hop vs. Rap" as performed by KRS-One.
Charts
edit| Chart (1996) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[11] | 51 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[8] | 28 |
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[7] | 7 |
| US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[10] | 34 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[9] | 61 |
References
edit- ^ "Miracle". Allmusic. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
- ^ "Work Group's Puff Johnson Creating A Romantic 'Miracle'". Billboard. April 20, 1996. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
- ^ Jones, Bob (November 1996). "Puff Johnson: Miracle" (PDF). Muzik. No. 18. p. 149. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 April 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
- ^ "Revolutions". Vibe. August 1, 1996. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
- ^ Miro, Peter (May 4, 1996). "Urban" (PDF). Cash Box. p. 7. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
- ^ Reynolds, J.R. (June 22, 1996). "Reviews & Previews: Albums" (PDF). Billboard. p. 85. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
- ^ a b "Norwegiancharts.com – Puff Johnson – Miracle". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
- ^ a b "Dutchcharts.nl – Puff Johnson – Miracle" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
- ^ a b "Puff Johnson Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
- ^ a b "Puff Johnson Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
- ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 147.