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| Because I Love It | 
 enlarge | Artist: Amerie
Label: Columbia Europe
Category: Music
Buy New: $21.98
New (3) Used (2) from $21.98
Avg. Customer Rating:  33 reviews
Sales Rank: 198548
Format: Import
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
UPC: 886970852128
EAN: 0886970852128
ASIN: B000OI1JDA
Release Date: January 15, 2008
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Tracks:
| • | Forecast Intro | | • | Hate 2 Love U | | • | Some Like It | | • | Make Me Believe | | • | Take Control | | • | Gotta Work | | • | Crush | | • | Crazy Wonderful | | • | That's What U R | | • | When Loving U Was Easy | | • | Paint Me Over | | • | Somebody Up There | | • | All Roads | | • | 1 Thing | | • | Losing U | | • | Take Control |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Album Description
International pressing of the 2007 album from the R&B star includes two bonus tracks: '1 Thing' and 'Losing U'. As a whole, Because I Love It, Amerie's third album, unapologetically falls into no particular box. There are many elements ('70s soul, '80s New Wave, Hip Hop, live instrumentation), yet the sound is remarkably consistent throughout and makes complete sense. Although the musical inspiration is broad, the arrangement of the material is signature Amerie: strong, aggressive vocals, beautiful melodies, and lush harmonies. Sony/BMG. 2007.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 28 more reviews...
 Wow! I love it. May 27, 2007
10 out of 11 found this review helpful
I have loved Amerie since she came out. I loved her first two albums. So when I heard that she was working on a third one, I was so excited. That was about a year ago. The amazing, innovative "Some Like It" was intended to be the first single. In an unfortunate twist of events, Amerie decided to not release it because other females were beginning to talk in their songs also, and she didn't want to be seen as just a follower again. (First off, I think that was a bad decision. The song could've had a huge impact and is nothing like anything out there. Plus, the whole reputation of being a copy-cat is a mistake. Amerie actually recorded "1 Thing" before "Crazy In Love" even came to frution. But I digress...)
So she releases "Take Control" instead. Catchy song? Yes, but it's just too much like her other works. So that single came and went without any airplay or success and us fans are left wondering what's going to happen next. A few months later, the inspirational "Gotta Work" leaks onto the internet and there is hope. I wait and wait and finally there is news of the new album... but not in the US. It figures. This kind of stuff always happens. I see that this album is coming out everywhere else in the world, except for the United States, in May. I get worried. Based on previous tendencies of the American recording industry, I begin to think that this may never see the light of day in my country. And if it ever does (it's supposed to come out in July) the track list will be extremely altered. So I decided that as soon as this came out, I would buy the import. I am so glad I did.
I love this album from start to finish. It is energetic, fun... wonderful. The first half of the album is mostly composed of Amerie's usual fare: blasting horn-infused track layered with bursts of harmonies. They are all catchy in their own right and I never skip them. But the second half shows why the working title of this album was 'None Of The Above.' The whole album doesn't fit into one category. Amerie completely flips things around and challenges herself, broadening her horizons. She dabbles in pop-rock balladry with successful product. It's unlike anything she's done before. Yet, she still keeps it personal and soulful. It feels genuine; it's still 'Amerie.' I am now convinced that she can pull off almost any genre.
Because I Love It will please all. Not only does it have the upbeat, energetic pieces she is known for, but she also branches out into 80's, pop, rock... wow. I listen to the whole thing straight through. This is her best to date. Great job, Amerie! Here's to hoping it's released in the US!
Because I Love It June 4, 2007
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the reviews of this album because I, too am a huge Amerie fan and highly anticipated getting this, her third offering. I grew up in a family that truly loved & exposed me to many different genres of music especially the funksters like Rick James, Lakeside, Confunshun, Prince, The Isley Brothers, The Brothers Johnson, and on and on and on. These artists' music featured horns, drums, guitars, harps, strings - you name the instrument and they probably had them on a track.
This is what I love about Amerie's music and this album in particular - as we all know by now, her single '1 Thing' was "pushed back" by the label so that another artist could steal the thunder of stepping out first with the go-go beats but this didn't stop Amerie from gaining widespread exposure with the track; unfortunately not enough people supported her 2nd album to make it the breakthrough "hit" that she so richly deserves. I've said this before in other reviews but it is really a shame that artists like Amerie, Kelis, Joi and even Mya, Ashanti, etc take true risks with their music yet are ignored by the masses while the same christened few trot out recycled music that receives undeserved accolades.
I honestly haven't stopped listening to this disc since I got it last week - the lead off single, 'TAKE CONTROL' mesmerized me and I was really puzzled as to why it did't take off in the US - it's got a great beat, musical production and Amerie sounds as sassy as usual but it just didn't capture attention.
BILI shows that Amerie is in this game to win it - she co-wrote all of the songs and showed a lot of versatility with her sound - not just relying on the sound that she & Rich Harrison devised - on these tracks, listeners will hear a variety of styles from '80's technopop & soul/r&b, to go-go to ballad pop/r&b. I hate to pick favorite tracks because they're all THAT good but the ones I keep pressing the "repeat" button on are: TAKE CONTROL, FORECAST, HATE 2 LOVE U, CRUSH, THAT'S WHAT U ARE, SOMEBODY UP THERE & PAINT ME OVER.
I'd recommend that fans get the imports because we really don't know how the label will mess around with this disc when (or even if) it's released in the states. To those who aren't 100% fans, I'd recommend this disc because of the variety of musical genres Amerie crossed yet still managed to create a cohesive fun album!
 "Because I Love It" - We Love You, Amerie! 4.5 Stars! May 20, 2007
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
Without a doubt, R&B singer / songwriter / actress Amerie is one of the most underrated individuals in R&B. Despite 2 hit singles (the jazzy ballad "Why Don't We Fall In Love" and the irresistible summer classic "1 Thing") and 2 Gold albums (the critically underwhelming "All I Have" & the brilliant "Touch"), she seems to have remained relatively low-key when she should've met at least three quarters of Beyonce's success after the underrated Crunk'n'B single "Touch" came out. Well, thankfully, she's back with that sweet, smooth, soulful voice of hers and her growing songwriting skills on "Because I Love It", easily her best effort yet.
While there's not exactly anything on the level of "1 Thing" (which is featured here as a bonus track), there's definitely plenty of A-plus material on the album. As a matter of fact, a handful of songs are reminiscent of that same song and it's producer, Rich Harrison (who, for better or worse, doesn't appear anywhere on the album) - once the horn-driven "Forecast (Intro)", in which she soulfully declares "The rain keeps on falling" and "I know the sun will come out!" (amongst other things), concludes, R&B / Soul / Funk gem "Hate2LoveU" arrives with a smooth horn intro, right before getting down to business. Structurally, "Hate2LoveU" is as close as Amerie gets to "1 Thing" - hard-hitting drums roll beneath stabs of horn bursts and well-placed keyboard sweeps, providing a killer groove for Amerie to, in flamboyant "1 Thing" fashion, let loose her vocals as she professes contradictory emotions (you know, love, addiction, etc. - think Letoya's "Torn" as a funky club banger).
The song sounds great, but she has, surprisingly, got plenty of far better material on display here. Lead single "Take Control" shows Amerie letting her vocals loose once again over an infectious Tom Ze (?) guitar loop sample, professing more feelings of love with unbound exhilaration while Cee-Lo, of Gnarls Barkley & Goodie Mob, provides background vocals; "Some Like It", an 80's-influenced R&B / Hip-Pop number, is far less accessible in comparison to "Take Control", but her combination of smooth, harmonious vocals and swaggering talk-rap over the beat, which seems to contrast between smooth and hard textures, makes the song much better, interesting and more memorable; the similarly sexually assertive "Make Me Believe", with its hard-hitting drums and unavoidable strings, and the OTHER "1 Thing"-reminiscent R&B / Funk / Soul number, "Gotta Work", a typical "I've-got-to-make-it" club number, also manage to please with little effort.
As surprisingly versatile as Amerie's vocals are - honestly, the qualities of her vocals make her sound more accustomed to mushy Jazz ballads than most of the Funk-driven numbers she provides- ballads still seem to be her forte. "Crush" is another 80's-influenced R&B / Soul / Pop number, but it's far more subtle in comparison, driven by smooth synths and piano keys as Amerie delivers her sometimes-weird lyrics ('I wished I could taste your love/ lick it off of your fingertips') with enough beauty, smoothness, feeling and restraint to suit the song's obvious theme. Lipstick "inspiration" and references aside, the carelessly lilting ballad "Crazy Wonderful" follows a similar route in sound and quality, while the sensual "That's What You Are", with its smooth synths and piano keys, takes a more Contemporary R&B-leaning approach.
However, the best ballad (and actual song) on the album is the Aaliyah-reminiscent "Paint Me Over" - it's as vulnerable as Amerie's ever seems to have been, soulfully singing about letting go of a relationship from a boyfriend who has become increasingly expectant of her ("I'm still the girl that you met / You called me perfect then / But now you're changing / I'm not good enough anymore"). Bink!, the dude behind Amerie's underrated duet with Carl Thomas on "Can We Go" (from "Touch"), lays down another sound-bed of organic instrumentation -flutes, piano, drums and horns are all beautifully arranged- for Amerie to bare her bruised soul over, and it's nothing short of ace. The quicker he gets onto the A-List of producers, the better.
Speaking of production, Amerie even gets co-production credits on the following - "Hate2LoveU", "Some Like It", "Make Me Believe", "Take Control" and "Paint Me Over". Then there's still the the fact that she co-wrote most (if not all) of the tracks, and although she's nowhere near as scathing as Amy Winehouse, she good at it and she keeps it tasteful. So, why does an album only get 4.5 stars? Here's your answer - "All Roads". With Amerie's over-melismatic, strained vocals, it's a disastrous ending to an otherwise great album (if you exclude bonus tracks "1 Thing" and the Middle Eastern-tinged Crunk'n'B of "Losing U"). The lyrically ambiguous "Somebody Up There" threatens to be nearly as unimpressive, but Amerie thankfully shows control over Bryan Michael Cox's less-than-brilliant production (he should've given the beat from Omarion's "Just Can't Let You Go" [from "21"] to Amerie). "When Loving You Was Easy", with Amerie's emotional vocals, sweet harmonies and producer C-Note's string-driven production, is easily another great track, but the unexpectedly Rock-tinged bridge is something everyone could've gone without.
So on the whole, there are very few flaws to this otherwise great record. I'm hoping this record will propel her to the superstar status she deserves. She's come a long way from her days as a one-dimensional industry (or Rich Harrison) product or an unfairly tagged Beyonce-wannabe, and "Because I Love It" is solid proof. 4.5 stars!
5 Best Tracks (IMO) (In No Order):
"Paint Me Over"
"Some Like It"
"Take Control"
"Crush"
"That's What You Are"
 I DO NOT LIKE THIS ALBUM!!! February 27, 2008
4 out of 7 found this review helpful
I held out for months to buy this album hoping the price would be reduced. No go on that. All that waiting only to find out that i DO NOT LIKE IT! Soon after listening, I caught an attitude. I was mad that I purchased this. I enjoyed her other albums immensely. I cannot say that i like every song on this album. Some will make the Ipod. I can appreciate the 'ol school feel of the music, but I think it was overkill. I don't know, I just wasn't happy with this one.
Because I Love It?I do! May 21, 2007
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
Amerie has a very distinctive voice and style.Her voice is beautiful.She took a direction of the 80's and I very much like.Some song kind of bored me, but overall I think it is a wonderful album to add to your collection.
01. Forecast Intro 5.5/10
02. Hate to love you 8/10
03. Some like it 9.5/10
04. Make me believe 7/10
05. Take Control 5/10
06. Crush 7/10
07. Crazy Wonderful 8/10
08. That's what u are 7.5/10
09. When lovin' u was easy 9/10
10. After everything 6/10
11. Paint me over 10/10
12. Somebody up there 8/10
13. All roads 8/10
14. 1 Thing (Bonus) 10/10
15. Losin' You (Bonus) 5/10
Overall - 8/10
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