Coloured is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Priscilla Renea, released on June 22, 2018 through Thirty Tigers.[4][5] The first two singles, "Gentle Hands" and "Heavenly", were released on April 6, 2018 with accompanying music videos. "Family Tree" was released on May 10, 2018 as the third official single from Coloured.[6]

Coloured
Standard edition cover artwork
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 22, 2018 (2018-06-22)
Recorded2015–2017
Studio
  • Boots Ottestad home studio
  • Compound Studios
  • Speakeasy Sound
  • Sony Tree Studios (live band)
  • Windmark Recording Studio
[1]
Genre
Length36:49
LabelThirty Tigers
ProducerPriscilla Renea, Per Kristian Ottestad, Honorable C.N.O.T.E., Curtis Wilson, Supa Dups, Raysean Hairston, Jesse "Corparal" Wilson[3]
Priscilla Renea chronology
Jukebox
(2009)
Coloured
(2018)
Public Displays of Affection: The Album
(2022)
Singles from Coloured
  1. "Gentle Hands"
    Released: April 6, 2018
  2. "Heavenly"
    Released: April 6, 2018
  3. "Family Tree"
    Released: May 10, 2018

Background and recording

edit

After nearly a decade focused on songwriting, Coloured marked Priscilla Renea's return to the public as an artist. Since releasing her debut album (Jukebox) in 2009, Renea had become an award-winning songwriter, with credits on "Timber" for Pitbull and Ke$ha, "Somethin' Bad" for Miranda Lambert,[6] "California King Bed" for Rihanna, "Worth It" for Fifth Harmony, and "Don't Mind" for Mary J. Blige.[5]

Renea's decision to title the album Coloured was called provocative by some, due to the racial stigma of the term "colored" in American history. In interviews, she explains that by spelling it with a "u", the word "our" appears in the middle as her statement of inclusivity.[1]

As early as 2015, Renea spoke in interviews about her working on her forthcoming album. Renea continued songwriting, but no official music was released until "Kiss Me" in February 2017 and "Do Wut" in January 2018.

Coloured was written and recorded between Nashville and Los Angeles in 2016.[2][3]

Composition and themes

edit

Renea spent several months writing and recording the core records of Coloured at songwriter and "Heavenly" co-writer Brett James' converted barn recording studio.[3] The 10-song collection brings together hip-hop producers (Honorable C.N.O.T.E, Curtis "Sauce" Wilson, Theron Feemster, Brett James) with Nashville songwriters (Ashley Gorley, Kevin Kadish).[2] Coloured is a mix of classic R&B, dark-edged Country and Urban Soul songs that were inspired by incidents in Priscilla's childhood in rural Florida, relationships, and racial trauma. Guitar, piano, and violin can be heard throughout the record.[6]

Release and promotion

edit

On April 2, 2018, Renea revealed on Instagram that her second studio album would be released in Summer 2018. The following week Paper Magazine[5] premiered two music videos for singles on her forthcoming album. Renea promoted the album with a special show at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.[7]

Singles

edit

On April 6, 2018, Renea released "Gentle Hands" and "Heavenly", the first two singles from Coloured. Music videos for both singles premiered online via Paper Magazine.[5] The third single from Coloured was released on May 10, 2018.[6] "Family Tree" is an autobiographical track written by Renea about her distressed teenage years, and overcoming challenges within her family.

Track listing

edit
No.TitleLyricsProducer(s)Length
1."Family Tree"Priscilla Renea, Per Kristian "Boots" Ottestad, Ben Burgess, Erick Walls[6]Per Kristian "Boots" Ottestad3:55
2."Jonjo"Priscilla Renea, Per Kristian "Boots" Ottestad, Lindsey Bachelder, Carlton Mays (Honorable C.N.O.T.E.)Per Kristian "Boots" Ottestad, Honorable C.N.O.T.E.2:40
3."Gentle Hands[5]"Priscilla Renea, Curtis "Sauce" Wilson, Kevin Kadish, Emily Shackelton, Carlton Mays (Honorable C.N.O.T.E.)Curtis Wilson, Honorable C.N.O.T.E.3:20
4."Heavenly"Priscilla Renea, Brett James, James T. Slater, Theron FeemsterTheron Feemster3:22
5."You Shaped Box"Priscilla Renea, Marti Frederiksen, Danny Myrick, Erick WallsPriscilla Renea2:48
6."If I Ever Loved You"Priscilla Renea, Ashley GorleyPriscilla Renea4:42
7."Different Color"Priscilla Renea, Frank Romano, Dwayne (Supa Dups), Raysean HairstonSupa Dups3:04
8."Denim"Priscilla Renea, Jesse Wilson, Curtis "Sauce" Wilson, Raysean HairstonJesse Williams (Produced by Jesse "Corparal" Wilson for The Art of Winning, LLC), Curtis Wilson3:24
9."Let's Build A House"Priscilla Renea, Ashley Gorley, Theron "Neff-U" FeemsterPriscilla Renea, Theron Feemster4:17
10."Land of the Free"Priscilla Renea, Raysean Hairston, Donovan Bennett, Joel Augustin, Theron "Neff-U" Feemster, Erick WallsRaysean Hairston, Theron Feemster5:07
Total length:36:49

Personnel

edit

Performance credits

  • Priscilla Renea – vocals[6]
  • Erick Walls – bass, guitar
  • Bianca McClure – violin
  • Theron Feemster – piano
  • Matt Bubel – drums
  • Mark Prentice – bass
  • Russ Pahl – acoustic guitar, steel guitar
  • Adam Shoenfeld – electric guitar
  • Jeffery Roach – piano
  • Frank Romano – steel guitar

Technical credits

  • Boots Ottestad – engineer
  • Sauce – engineer
  • Brandon Wood – engineer
  • Kyle Mann – engineer
  • Priscilla Renea – engineer

References

edit
  1. ^ a b Songwriter Priscilla Renea Talks Cardi B, Country Soul and Being 'Coloured' at Tidal; by Paley Martin; Published May 7, 2018; retrieved May 21, 2018
  2. ^ a b c 10 New Country Artists You Need to Know: April 2018 at Rolling Stone; by Chris Parton, David Menconi, Joseph Hudak, Marissa R. Moss, Brittney McKenna, Jeff Gage; Published April 19, 2018; retrieved May 21, 2018
  3. ^ a b c TIDAL RISING ARTIST OF THE WEEK: PRISCILLA RENEA at Tidal; by Paley Martin; Published May 7, 2018; retrieved May 21, 2018
  4. ^ "Hit Songwriter Priscilla Renea on New Album 'Coloured,' Race in America". Rolling Stone. June 22, 2018. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
  5. ^ a b c d e Priscilla Renea Is the Brain Behind Your Favorite Bangers at Paper Magazine; by Vrinda Jagota; Published April 6, 2018; retrieved May 14, 2018
  6. ^ a b c d e f Priscilla Renea Erases Country's Boundaries with New Song 'Family Tree' at Taste of Country; by Sterling Whitaker; Published May 10, 2018; retrieved May 21, 2018
  7. ^ "Songwriter Session: Priscilla Renea | July 28, 2018". Archived from the original on August 17, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2018.