Face the Music
Studio album by
NKOTB
ReleasedJanuary 25, 1994 (1994-01-25)
Genre
Length66:43
LabelColumbia
Producer
NKOTB chronology
Step by Step
(1990) 		Face the Music
(1994) 		The Block
(2008)
Singles from Face the Music
  1. "If You Go Away"
    Released: December 14, 1991
  2. "Dirty Dawg"
    Released: December 21, 1993
  3. "Never Let You Go"
    Released: January 11, 1994
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
The Michigan Daily(favorable)[2]
Smash Hits[3]

Face the Music is the fifth studio album by American boyband New Kids on the Block, released on January 25, 1994. The album debuted at number 37 on the Billboard 200 in the United States, with first-week sales of 27,000 copies.[4] According to Nielsen SoundScan, the album had sold 138,000 copies in the US as of 2008.[5]

Background

In 1993, after about two years out of the limelight, the New Kids went back into the studio and began recording their fifth studio album, before splitting up a year later. By this point, due to a strong backlash and allegations of lip-synching, the group pushed for a more mature image and focused on recording songs that would appeal to their aging fans. In addition, they had outgrown the "New Kids" name: Joey McIntyre was 21, Jordan Knight was 23, Donnie Wahlberg and Danny Wood were 24, and Jonathan Knight was 25 years old.

Jordan Knight, Wahlberg, and Wood fought for creative input and control, as most of their material was previously rejected by producer Maurice Starr in favor of his own compositions. Having been long been dogged with an "uncool" stigma, the boys decided to sever their ties with Starr, who had been instrumental in their early success. At the request of Columbia Records, they shortened their name to the more mature-sounding NKOTB. Instead of the bubblegum and teen pop songs that established the New Kids in the music industry, Face the Music was built around a more up to date R&B and New jack swing sound.

The album also included the track "Keep on Smilin" the group previously recorded for the film Free Willy, and it was also one of their first recordings since undergoing the name change. "Dirty Dawg" did fairly well on the charts, but a Canadian station (MuchMusic) banned the music video due to its suggested violence and misogynistic themes. Although not a major commercial success, the critical reception was positive, and a cross-country tour was in the works. However, NKOTB quickly found that they could only get bookings at nightclubs and theatres, a far cry from the arenas and stadiums they had been accustomed to playing in while in their peak years. During the tour, Jonathan Knight dropped out of the band due to increased panic attacks and anxiety. Faced with the fact that their fanbase had grown up and moved on to grunge and gangsta rap,[6] the rest of the group decided to cease touring and NKOTB went on hiatus until 2008.

Singles

Track listing

Face the Music track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Intro: Face the Music"Donnie WahlbergWahlberg2:14
2."You Got the Flavor"Teddy Riley, Chauncey Hannibal, Antwone Dickey, Markell RileyT. Riley4:50
3."Dirty Dawg"Wahlberg, Larry Thomas, J.R. Jackson, Jordan Knight, John Johnson, Nice & SmoothWahlberg4:15
4."Girls"Riley, Leon Sylvers III, Dickey, M. Riley, Harry Ray, Albert Goodman, Virginia Dodson, Walter MorrisT. Riley, Sylvers4:28
5."If You Go Away"Walter Afanasieff, John Bettis, Trey LorenzAfanasieff5:30
6."Keep on Smilin'"Narada Michael Walden, Sylvester Jackson, Sally Jo DakotaWalden4:35
7."Never Let You Go"T. Riley, Sylvers, Dickey, M. RileyT. Riley, Sylvers5:34
8."Keepin' My Fingers Crossed"Richard Wolf, Knight, Wahlberg, James WirrickWolf4:18
9."Mrs. Right"Wahlberg, Larry Thomas, R. Jackson, Joe McIntyre, J. JohnsonWahlberg5:03
10."Since You Walked into My Life"Afanasieff, Knight, BettisAfanasieff6:24
11."Let's Play House"Jason Hess, Melissa Ritter, WahlbergWahlberg, Knight, Jason Hess, Tom Soars[a]4:58
12."I Can't Believe It's Over"Walden, Knight, DakotaWalden5:08
13."I'll Still Be Loving You"Walden, Dakota, Mike Mani, Monty SewardWalden, Mani[b], Seward[b]5:09
14."I'll Be Waitin'"Danny Wood, B. McClain, Brian Young, Dow Brain, Eric Barrier, William GriffinWood, Brad Young[c], Dow Brain[c]4:34
International edition bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
15."Dawgappella"Wahlberg, Thomas, J.R. Jackson, Knight, Johnson, Nice & SmoothWahlberg4:14

Sample credits

Notes

Personnel

Adapted from the album's liner notes.[7]

Charts

Chart performance for Face the Music
Chart (1994) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[8] 18
Canadian Albums (RPM)[9] 34
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[10] 72
European Albums Chart[11] 54
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[12] 10
French Albums (SNEP)[13] 21
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[14] 44
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[15] 11
Scottish Albums (OCC)[16] 56
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[17] 11
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[18] 46
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[19] 38
UK Albums (OCC)[20] 36
US Billboard 200[21] 37

References

  1. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Face the Music - New Kids on the Block". AllMusic. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  2. ^ Bowen, Eugene. "The Michigan Daily - April 19, 1994". Archived from the original on March 26, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.. The Michigan Daily.
  3. ^ Daniels, Leesa (January 19, 1994). "New Albums: Best New Album". Smash Hits. p. 53. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
  4. ^ Hasty, Katie (September 10, 2008). "Young Jeezy Nets Second Album Chart-Topper". Billboard. Retrieved April 14, 2013.
  5. ^ Harding, Cortney (June 8, 2008). "Reunited New Kids On The Block ignite passions". Reuters. Retrieved April 14, 2013.
  6. ^ "New Kids on the Block still have the right stuff".
  7. ^ Face the Music (liner notes). NKOTB. Columbia. 1994. CCK 52969.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. ^ "Australiancharts.com – New Kids on the Block – Face the Music". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  9. ^ "Top Albums/CDs - Volume 59, No. 6, February 28 1994". Archived from the original on December 30, 2013. Retrieved 2013-12-30.((cite web)): CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link). Collectionscanada.gc.ca.
  10. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – New Kids on the Block – Face the Music" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  11. ^ "Billboard". 1994-03-05.
  12. ^ Pennanen, Timo: Sisältää hitin - levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972. Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava, 2006. ISBN 9789511210535. page: 280
  13. ^ "Face the Music New Kids on the Block – France – search with artist name". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. January 23, 1994. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  14. ^ "Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline" (in German). Musicline.de. Phononet GmbH. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  15. ^ "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".
  16. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  17. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  18. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – New Kids on the Block – Face the Music". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  19. ^ "Swisscharts.com – New Kids on the Block – Face the Music". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  20. ^ "NKOTB | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  21. ^ "New Kids on the Block Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
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