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Oxnard (album)

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Oxnard is the third studio album by American rapper Anderson .Paak. It was released on November 16, 2018, by 12Tone Music, Aftermath Entertainment, and OBE. The album features guest appearances from Kadhja Bonet, Norelle, Kendrick Lamar, Sonyae Elise, Dr. Dre, Cocoa Sarai, Pusha T, Snoop Dogg, The Last Artful, Dodgr, J. Cole, Q-Tip, and BJ the Chicago Kid.

Oxnard
Studio album by
Anderson .Paak
ReleasedNovember 16, 2018 (2018-11-16)
Studio
Genre
Length56:19
Label
Producer
Anderson .Paak chronology
Malibu
(2016) 		Oxnard
(2018) 		Ventura
(2019)
Singles from Oxnard
  1. "Tints"
    Released: October 4, 2018
  2. "Who R U?"
    Released: November 9, 2018

Oxnard was supported by two singles: "Tints" and "Who R U?" The album received generally positive reviews from critics, and debuted at number 11 on the US Billboard 200.

Background and release

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Oxnard is Paak's first album released on Aftermath Entertainment and 12Tone Music,[4] and the last of his "beach series", following 2014's Venice and 2016's Malibu. The album features contributions from Dr. Dre, who was heavily involved in the making of the album and served as an executive producer. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Paak stated, "This is the album I dreamed of making in high school, when I was listening to Jay-Z's The Blueprint, The Game's The Documentary, and Kanye West's The College Dropout."[5][6]

Promotion

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The lead single from the album, "Tints" featuring Kendrick Lamar, was released on October 4, after premiering on Zane Lowe's Beats 1 show.[7] On October 10, Paak announced that the album would be released on November 16 and revealed the album cover.[8] On October 26, the music video for "Tints" was released exclusively on Apple Music, as well as a pre-order of the album, revealing its track listing.[9] On November 9, Paak released "Who R U?" as the second single from the album.[10]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.0/10[11]
Metacritic73/100[12]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [13]
ConsequenceB[14]
Exclaim!7/10[15]
The Guardian     [3]
The Line of Best Fit7/10[16]
NME     [2]
The Observer     [17]
Pitchfork7.0/10[1]
Rolling Stone     [18]
XXL4/5[19]

Oxnard was met with generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 73, based on 18 reviews.[12] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 7.0 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[11]

Andy Kellman of AllMusic said, "Although Paak is still an R&B artist more so than a hip-hop one, he continues to be a stylistic outlier. Rather than pander, testify, or even seduce, he tends to express the blues when he sings".[13] El Hunt of NME stated, "In contrast to previous albums, this wasn't made while sofa-surfing to make ends meet. As Anderson .Paak puts it, he was eating calamari and lobster instead – "every day is Christmas!" he declares dryly on "Mansa Musa". Post-mainstream breakthrough, Oxnard is a deft dissection of the fallout, just as free-ranging and hopeful as you'd imagine".[2] Kitty Empire of The Observer claimed, "Wealth is a recurrent theme, but musicality remains to the fore. Although .Paak can do trap-influenced beats, he's just as happy marshalling psychedelic guitars and gospel uplift on resonant tracks such as "Brother's Keeper", which also features a blistering verse from Pusha T. The west coast feelgood factor turns a touch obvious when Snoop Dogg arrives for "Anywhere", but there remains a restlessness to .Paak's work.."[17] Magazine publication XXL said, "It may not be quite the full-marks classic he'd hoped, but Oxnard is an intriguing next step for the 2016 XXL Freshman that demands repeat listening and hints that he may have a Blueprint in him yet".[19] Kitty Richardson of The Line of Best Fit stated, "A still-formidable effort, but perhaps not the homecoming .Paak would have produced if he'd decided to go his own way".[16]

Amongst the more mixed reviews, Rachel Aroesti concluded for The Guardian that "This meeting of joy and aggression is what defines Oxnard, and the effect is not always pleasant – it makes .Paak's trademark grooves difficult to luxuriate in – but it is still a compelling mode, and one that rehomes his old-school tastes firmly in the present".[3] Mosi Reeves from Rolling Stone suggested "Some of the album's best tracks like "6 Summers" – where Paak cheekily turns a bizarre fantasy about a supposed Trump love child into a party chant – sway and churn with no clear direction. Meanwhile, Dre's engineering role proves a mixed blessing. While the good doctor applies his mixing skills with the loving touch of a man polishing a Chevy Chevelle, resulting in the aural equivalent of a Hollywood blockbuster lathered in Dolby-quality boom, much of what made Paak's early work so fantastic is forgotten. There's none of the grungy Blaxploitation soul that fueled Yes Lawd!, his 2016 NxWorries project with L.A. beat loop expert Knxwledge, even though it was that group's 2015 "Suede" single that reportedly inspired Dre to sign Paak in the first place".[18]

Year-end lists

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Select year-end rankings of Oxnard
Publication List Rank Ref.
ABC News 50 Best Albums of 2018
7
[20]
Complex The Best Albums of 2018
44
[21]
GQ (Russia) The Best Music Albums of 2018
3
[22]
NME Best Albums of the Year 2018
90
[23]

Track listing

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Oxnard track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."The Chase" (featuring Kadhja Bonet)
3:23
2."Headlow" (featuring Norelle)
  • Anderson
  • Jose Rios
  • Bonet
  • Michael Redict
  • Ron Avant
  • Rios
  • King Michael Coy
  • Avant
4:10
3."Tints" (featuring Kendrick Lamar)
  • Keith
  • .Paak
4:28
4."Who R U?"
2:48
5."6 Summers"
  • Anderson
  • Jason Pounds
  • Henderson
  • Tia Myrie
  • .Paak
  • Mell
  • Pounds[a]
4:42
6."Saviers Road"
9th Wonder2:24
7."Smile / Petty" (featuring Sonyae Elise)
  • Anderson
  • Keifer Shackleford
  • Matthew Merisola
  • Callum and Kiefer
  • King Michael Coy
4:42
8."Mansa Musa" (featuring Dr. Dre and Cocoa Sarai)
  • Brissett
  • Young
  • Anderson
  • Abernathy Jr.
  • Eric Mercer
  • Henderson
  • Jordan
  • Myrie
  • Yannick Koffi
2:53
9."Brother's Keeper" (featuring Pusha T)
  • .Paak
  • Jairus "J.Mo" Mozee
  • Dem Jointz[a]
4:14
10."Anywhere" (featuring Snoop Dogg and The Last Artful, Dodgr)
Pounds3:46
11."Trippy" (featuring J. Cole)
Dave5:23
12."Cheers" (featuring Q-Tip)
5:34
Total length:48:27
Bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
13."Sweet Chick" (featuring BJ the Chicago Kid)
Mell3:57
14."Left to Right"
  • Pounds
  • Mell
  • Dr. Dre
3:55
Total length:56:19

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies a co-producer
  • ^[b] signifies an additional producer
  • "The Chase" features skit vocals by Sinoi Mataali and Jhair Lazo
  • "Headlow" features additional vocals by Kadhja Bonet, background vocals by Nicolas Hakim, and skit vocals by Jhair Lazo, Jason Pounds, and Fredwreck
  • "Tints" features additional vocals by Teddy Ray, J.LBS, and Tayla Parx, and skit vocals by Jason Pounds, Jhair Lazo, and Teddy Ray
  • "Who R U?" features additional vocals by Cocoa Sarai and Dr. Dre
  • "6 Summers" features additional vocals by Jason Johnson, KRS-One, Kadhja Bonet, and Cocoa Sarai
  • "Saviers Road" features additional vocals by Cocoa Sarai
  • "Smile / Petty" features background vocals by Eliza, Ruby Velle, and Sir
  • "Mansa Musa" features additional vocals by Rich Harrison, Dem Jointz, Sly Pyper, Blakk Soul, and Thurz
  • "Brother's Keeper" features background vocals by Kadhja Bonet and Cocoa Sarai
  • "Anywhere" features additional vocals by Cocoa Sarai
  • "Trippy" features additional vocals by Kadhja Bonet
  • "Cheers" features additional vocals by Cocoa Sarai and Sly Pyper
  • "Sweet Chick" features additional vocals by Cocoa Sarai
  • "Left to Right" features additional vocals by Foota Hype and Busta Rhymes, and background vocals by Cocoa Sarai

Personnel

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Credits adapted from Tidal.[24]

  • Anderson .Paak – vocals (all tracks), drums (1, 3, 9)
  • Ron Avant – vocoder (10)
  • Kadhja Bonet – strings (1–2, 9)
  • Mike Bozzi – masterer (3, 14)
  • Stephen Bruner[a] – bass (14)
  • Curt Chambers – bass (11)
  • Dr. Dre – executive producer, mixer (all tracks)
  • Fredwreck – additional guitar (1), percussion (1, 5), additional piano (5), sounds (14)
  • Quentin Gilkey – mixing engineer (all tracks)
  • Jeff Gitelman – guitar (3)
  • Kelsey Gonzales – bass (2, 5), guitar (5, 14)
  • Eric Gonzalez – engineer (3–5, 10, 13)
  • Eric Griggs – additional piano, bass (12)
  • Om'Mas Keith – engineer (3)
  • Johnny Kosich – engineer (3)
  • Jhair Lazo – engineer (1–11, 13–14), sounds (13)
  • Rob Lewis – piano (3)
  • Vic Luevanos – engineer (8, 12–13)
  • Danny McKinnon – additional guitar (3)
  • Vicky Nguyen – piano (5, 13–14)
  • Marcus Paul – trumpet (14)
  • Pomo – drums, engineer, synthesizer (3)
  • Sly Pyper – saxophone (12)
  • The Regiment – horn (1)
  • Jose Rios – guitar (3, 7)
  • Lola A. Romero – assistant engineer (1–2), engineer (3–13)
  • Matt Schaeffer – engineer (3)
  • Julio Ulloa – engineer (7, 9–11)

Charts

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Chart performance for Oxnard
Chart (2018) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[25] 20
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[26] 25
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[27] 135
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[28] 17
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[29] 31
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[30] 21
French Albums (SNEP)[31] 117
Irish Albums (IRMA)[32] 36
Japan Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[33] 76
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[34] 23
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[35] 37
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[36] 46
UK Albums (OCC)[37] 42
US Billboard 200[38] 11
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[39] 6

Notes

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  1. ^ Bruner's first name is misspelled as "Steven" in the album's credits.

References

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  1. ^ a b c MacAdams, Torii (November 16, 2018). "Anderson .Paak: Oxnard Album Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c Hunt, El (November 15, 2018). "Anderson .Paak – 'Oxnard' review". NME. Archived from the original on November 15, 2018. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
  3. ^ a b c Aroesti, Rachel (November 16, 2018). "Anderson .Paak: Oxnard review – knotty rapper weaves grit and glee". The Guardian. Archived from the original on November 17, 2018. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
  4. ^ "Anderson .Paak – Oxnard / Aftermath/12 Tone Music, LLC from Piccadilly Records". Piccadilly Records. Archived from the original on November 11, 2018. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
  5. ^ Schatz, Lake (September 4, 2018). "Anderson .Paak details new album, Oxnard, featuring Dr. Dre and Madlib". Consequence. Archived from the original on October 11, 2018. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
  6. ^ Klinkenberg, Brendan (September 4, 2018). "Anderson .Paak Wants to Take Hip-Hop Higher". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 11, 2018. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
  7. ^ Alston, Trey; Strauss, Matthew (October 4, 2018). "Anderson .Paak and Kendrick Share New Song "Tints"". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on October 5, 2018. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
  8. ^ Khal (October 10, 2018). "Anderson .Paak Announces 'Oxnard' Release Date". Complex. Archived from the original on October 11, 2018. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
  9. ^ Maicki, Salvatore (October 26, 2018). "Anderson .Paak and Kendrick Lamar link up for "Tints" video". The Fader. Archived from the original on October 26, 2018. Retrieved October 26, 2018.
  10. ^ Hazim, Hafeezah (November 9, 2018). "Listen to Anderson .Paak's new track "Who R U?"". The Fader. Archived from the original on November 9, 2018. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
  11. ^ a b "Oxnard by Anderson .Paak reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Archived from the original on April 24, 2019. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
  12. ^ a b "Reviews for Oxnard by Anderson Paak". Metacritic. Archived from the original on November 18, 2018. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
  13. ^ a b Kellman, Andy. "Oxnard – Anderson .Paak". AllMusic. Archived from the original on December 10, 2018. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
  14. ^ Graves, Wren (November 20, 2018). "Anderson .Paak – Oxnard". Consequence. Archived from the original on April 20, 2019. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
  15. ^ Harmony, A. (November 26, 2018). "Anderson .Paak Oxnard". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on April 20, 2019. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
  16. ^ a b Richardson, Kitty (November 19, 2018). "Anderson .Paak – Oxnard". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on April 24, 2019. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
  17. ^ a b Empire, Kitty (November 18, 2018). "Anderson .Paak: Oxnard review – the only way is up for restless rapper". The Observer. Archived from the original on November 18, 2018. Retrieved November 18, 2018.
  18. ^ a b Reeves, Mosi (November 26, 2018). "Review: Anderson.Paak's Vivacious 'Oxnard' Strives to Be a Cali-Hip-Hop Epic". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 10, 2018. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
  19. ^ a b XXL Staff (November 19, 2018). "Anderson .Paak Achieves His Ambitions With 'Oxnard' Album". XXL. Archived from the original on April 24, 2019. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
  20. ^ "50 best albums of 2018, including those from Kacey Musgraves, Ariana Grande and Paul McCartney". ABC News. December 24, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  21. ^ "The Best Albums of 2018". Complex. December 5, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  22. ^ "The Best Music Albums of 2018". GQ (Russia) (in Russian). November 28, 2018. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
  23. ^ "Best albums of the year 2018". NME. December 17, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  24. ^ "Oxnard / Anderson .Paak". Tidal. Archived from the original on November 21, 2018. Retrieved November 21, 2018.
  25. ^ "ARIA Australian Top 50 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. November 26, 2018. Archived from the original on January 5, 2017. Retrieved November 24, 2018.
  26. ^ "Ultratop.be – Anderson .Paak – Oxnard" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 24, 2018.
  27. ^ "Ultratop.be – Anderson .Paak – Oxnard" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 24, 2018.
  28. ^ "Anderson Paak 2 Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  29. ^ "Hitlisten.NU – Album Top-40 Uge 47, 2018". Hitlisten. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  30. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Anderson .Paak – Oxnard" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 24, 2018.
  31. ^ "Le Top de la semaine : Top Albums Fusionnes – SNEP (Week 47, 2018)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Archived from the original on 2018-11-24. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
  32. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Anderson .Paak". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 24, 2018.
  33. ^ "Hymn on Billboard Japan Hot Albums". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  34. ^ "Charts.nz – Anderson .Paak – Oxnard". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 23, 2018.
  35. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Anderson .Paak – Oxnard". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 24, 2018.
  36. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Anderson .Paak – Oxnard". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  37. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 24, 2018.
  38. ^ "Anderson Paak 2 Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  39. ^ "Anderson Paak 2 Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
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