The Block is the sixth studio album by New Kids on the Block. The album was released on September 2, 2008, along with a deluxe edition that included four bonus tracks. It sold 95,000 copies in its first week of release and debuted at number one on the U.S. Top Pop Albums chart and at number two on the Billboard 200. Several artists collaborated on the album, such as Ne-Yo, Lady Gaga, The Pussycat Dolls, Akon, Teddy Riley and New Edition.

The Block
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 2, 2008 (2008-09-02)
Recorded2007–08
Genre
Length60:43 (deluxe edition)
LabelInterscope
Producer
New Kids on the Block chronology
Face the Music
(1994)
The Block
(2008)
10
(2013)
Singles from The Block
  1. "Summertime"
    Released: May 13, 2008
  2. "Single"
    Released: August 12, 2008
  3. "Dirty Dancing"
    Released: December 19, 2008
  4. "2 in the Morning"
    Released: February 23, 2009

The first official single from the album is "Summertime" and the song was released on May 13, 2008.[1] The second official single titled "Single" featuring Ne-Yo was released on August 12, 2008. The third single "Dirty Dancing" was released on December 19. The single was the album's most successful single in Europe and Canada, peaking at number 31 and reaching the number-one position on the CHUM Chart in Toronto on February 21, 2009 after twelve weeks on the chart. The album's fourth single, "2 in the Morning", was officially released February 23, 2009 in the United States and the United Kingdom.

It is the group's first studio album in fourteen years since Face the Music.

Release and reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic51/100[2]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [3]
The A.V. ClubC+[4]
Digital Spy     [5]
Entertainment WeeklyC−[6]
Los Angeles Times    [7]
The Observer     [8]
PopMatters          [9]
Slant Magazine     [10]
Virgin Media     [11]
Yahoo! Music UK          [12]

The Block was released on September 2, 2008 and debuted at number one on the Billboard Pop Album Chart and at number two on the Billboard 200, selling 95,000 copies in its first week of release.[13] As of April 2013, the album had sold 332,000 copies in the United States.[14] On the Canadian Albums Chart, the album debuted at number one, becoming their first and only number-one album there. It sold 9,000 copies in its first week.[15] The Block has been certified gold in Canada.[16]

In honor of the album's 15th anniversary, the album was re-released as The Block Revisited. In addition to the main album, it compiles the bonus tracks from all previously released editions of the album as well as new remixes and a previously unreleased song, "Coming Home".

Track listing

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The Block track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Click Click Click"Aliaune Thiam, Hakim Abdoulsamad, Nasri Atweh, Donnie WahlbergAliaune "Akon" Thiam, Hakim Abdoulsamad, Nasri Atweh, Adam Messinger3:44
2."Single" (with Ne-Yo)Jamal Jones, Shaffer SmithPolow da Don, Ne-Yo (co.)3:55
3."Big Girl Now" (featuring Lady Gaga)RedOne, Lady Gaga, Wahlberg, Jordan KnightRedOne3:28
4."Summertime"Wahlberg, Abdulsamad, AtwehHakim Abdoulsamad3:22
5."2 in the Morning"Emanuel Kiriakou, Kasia Livingston, Wahlberg, Zukhan BeyEmanuel Kiriakou3:25
6."Grown Man" (featuring The Pussycat Dolls and Teddy Riley)Dejanee Riley, Adida Kavarro, Richard Stanard, Tyler Thurmond, Don CovayTeddy Riley, Adida Kavarro (co.)3:00
7."Dirty Dancing"RedOne, Wahlberg, Joaquin BynumRedOne3:37
8."Sexify My Love"RedOne, Wahlberg, AtwehRedOne3:31
9."Twisted"Timothy Mosley, Jerome Harmon, James Fauntleroy IITimbaland, Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon3:09
10."Full Service" (featuring New Edition)RedOne, Wahlberg, Lady GagaRedOne3:56
11."Lights, Camera, Action"Jones, Brian Kennedy, Cornell Haynes, Jasper Cameron, Lloyd PolitePolow da Don3:05
12."Put It on My Tab" (featuring Akon)RedOne, Wahlberg, Atweh, ThiamRedOne3:55
13."Stare at You"Atweh, Wahlberg, Adam Messinger, KnightNasri Atweh, Donnie Wahlberg, Adam Messinger3:33
iTunes Store bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
14."Close to You"Atweh, Messinger, Joey McIntyre, Wahlberg3:34
15."Summertime" (RedOne remix featuring Jadakiss) (pre-order only bonus track)Wahlberg, Abdulsamad, Atweh3:33
US deluxe edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
14."One Song"Aaron Pearce, Atweh, WahlbergAaron "AP" Pearce, Nasri (co.), Adam Messinger (co.)3:42
15."Don't Cry"Fernando Garibay, LivingstonFernando Garibay4:12
16."Officially Over"Attozio Towns, Richardo ThomasRick Rock3:59
17."Looking Like Danger"RedOne, Claude KellyRedOne3:08
UK bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
14."Close to You"Atweh, Messinger, McIntyre, Wahlberg3:34
15."One Song"Pearce, Atweh, Wahlberg3:42
Brazilian bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
14."Close to You"Atweh, Messinger, McIntyre, Wahlberg3:34

Re-recordings

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  • "Lights, Camera, Action" was re-recorded with the Pussycat Dolls performing the primary vocals and is included on the deluxe edition of their Doll Domination album.
  • "Lights, Camera, Action' was also re-recorded for Lloyd's mixtape Lessons in Love 2.0.
  • The demo for "Single" appears as the third track on Ne-Yo's album Year of the Gentleman
  • "Click Click Click" was originally a song written, produced, and recorded by Nasri.

Charts

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Certifications

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Certifications for The Block
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[28] Gold 40,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ Finan, Eileen; Jordan, Julie (January 26, 2008). "New Kids On The Block Stage Comeback". People. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  2. ^ "The Block Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  3. ^ Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "The Block - New Kids on the Block : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  4. ^ Battaglia, Andy (September 15, 2008). "New Kids On The Block: The Block". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on January 3, 2010. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  5. ^ Levine, Nick (September 8, 2008). "New Kids On The Block: 'The Block'". Digital Spy. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  6. ^ Fonseca, Nicholas (August 29, 2008). "The Block Review". Entertainment Weekly. No. #1008 (published September 5, 2008). Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  7. ^ Wood, Mikael; Lewis, Randy; Weiss, Jeff (September 2, 2008). "They're hangin' tough". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  8. ^ Boden, Sarah (September 14, 2008). "Pop review: New Kids on the Block, The Block". The Observer. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  9. ^ Joseph, Mike (October 16, 2008). "New Kids on the Block: The Block". PopMatters. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  10. ^ Cinquemani, Sal (August 28, 2008). "New Kids on the Block: The Block". Slant Magazine. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  11. ^ Dee, Johnny. "New Kids On The Block: The Block review". Virgin Media. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  12. ^ Gennoe, Dan (September 16, 2008). "New Kids On The Block - The Block". Yahoo! Music. Archived from the original on June 13, 2011. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  13. ^ Hasty, Katie (10 September 2008). "Young Jeezy Nets Second Album Chart-Topper". Billboard. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
  14. ^ Lipshutz, Jason (2 April 2013). "New Kids on the Block's Knight: Band Has 'Gone Back Home On This Album'". Billboard. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
  15. ^ Williams, John. "New Kids return to No. 1". Canoe Inc. Archived from the original on June 28, 2013. Retrieved 14 April 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  16. ^ "Gold and Platinum". Cria.ca. 2012-01-01. Retrieved 2012-01-16.
  17. ^ "Argentina - Albums February 08 - 14, 2009". CAPIF. Archived from the original on January 8, 2014. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  18. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 201.
  19. ^ "Austriancharts.at – New Kids on The Block – The Block" (in German). Hung Medien.
  20. ^ "Ed Sheeran Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
  21. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – New Kids on the Block – The Block" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts.
  22. ^ "ニュー・キッズ・オン・ザ・ブロックのアルバム売上ランキング".
  23. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
  24. ^ "Swisscharts.com – New Kids on The Block – The Block". Hung Medien.
  25. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
  26. ^ "Ed Sheeran Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
  27. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2008". Billboard. 2 January 2013. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
  28. ^ "Canadian album certifications – New Kids on the Block – The Block". Music Canada. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
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