New World Order
Studio album by
Curtis Mayfield
ReleasedOctober 1, 1996
RecordedFebruary–June 1996
GenreFunk, soul
Length63:01
LabelWarner Bros.
ProducerCurtis Mayfield, Brian Fleming, Carlos Glover, Narada Michael Walden, James Fischer, Erik "E-Smooth" Hicks, Organized Noize, Daryl Simmons, Arnold Hennings
Curtis Mayfield chronology
Take It to the Streets
(1990) 		New World Order
(1996)

New World Order is R&B/soul singer-songwriter Curtis Mayfield’s final studio album.[1] The album got to No. 24 on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 44 on the UK Albums chart.[2][3]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
The Independent(favourable)[6]
Muzik10/10[7]
The New York Times(favourable)[8]
Rolling Stone[5]
Vibe(favourable)[9]

New World Order was the only Curtis Mayfield album written, recorded and released after a life-changing accident in August 1990 left him paralyzed from the neck down. Mayfield continued to compose and sing, and his vocals were recorded, usually line-by-line, while he was lying on his back.[10]

AllMusic described the album as "a touching, moving comeback".[4] Rolling Stone called the LP "a triumphant return".[5]

New World Order was Grammy nominated for "Best R&B Album".[11] Both the album's title track and the song "Back to Living Again" were also Grammy nominated for "Best Male R&B Vocal Performance".[11]

Singles

"New World Order" got to No. 14 on the Billboard Adult R&B Songs chart.[12] "No One Knows About a Good Thing (You Don't Have to Cry)" also rose to No. 21 on the Billboard Adult R&B Songs chart.[13]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."New World Order"5:36
2."Ms. Martha"4:21
3."Back to Living Again"5:11
4."No One Knows About a Good Thing (You Don't Have to Cry)"5:19
5."Just a Little Bit of Love" (featuring Blaise Mayfield and Lisa Coates)5:27
6."We People Who are Darker than Blue" (featuring Roger Troutman)5:02
7."I Believe in You" (duet with Sandra St. Victor)4:58
8."Here But I'm Gone"5:18
9."It Was Love That We Needed"4:14
10."The Got Dang Song"5:17
11."The Girl I Find Stays On My Mind"3:58
12."Let's Not Forget"3:42
13."Oh So Beautiful" (featuring Erik "E Smooth" Hicks)4:38

Personnel

Charts

References

  1. ^ Curtis Mayfield: New World Order. Warner Bros. Records. September 1996.
  2. ^ "Curtis Mayfield: New World Order (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". billboard.com. Billboard.
  3. ^ "Curtis Mayfield". officialcharts.com. Official Charts.
  4. ^ a b "Curtis Mayfield: New World Order". allmusic.com. AllMusic.
  5. ^ a b Coleman, Mark (November 14, 1996). "Curtis Mayfield: New World Order". rollingstone.com. Rolling Stone.
  6. ^ Gill, Andy (January 31, 1997). "Pop Albums: Curtis Mayfield – New World Order". independent.co.uk. The Independent. Archived from the original on 2022-06-18.
  7. ^ Jones, Bob (April 1997). "Curtis Mayfield: New World Order" (PDF). Muzik. No. 23. p. 120. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 April 2022. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  8. ^ Pareles, Jon (September 29, 1996). "New Releases". The New York Times.
  9. ^ Light, Alan (November 1996). "Curtis Mayfield: New World Order". Vibe.
  10. ^ "Music World Mourns Death of Curtis Mayfield". Jet. Vol. 97, no. 6. Johnson Publishing Company. January 17, 2000. pp. 55–59. Retrieved November 27, 2011.
  11. ^ a b "Curtis Mayfield". grammy.com.
  12. ^ "Curtis Mayfield: New World Order (Adult R&B Songs)". billboard.com. Billboard.
  13. ^ "No One Knows About A Good Thing (You Don't Have To Cry)". billboard.com. Billboard.
  14. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Curtis Mayfield – New World Order". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  15. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  16. ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  17. ^ "Curtis Mayfield Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  18. ^ "Curtis Mayfield Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  19. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1997". Billboard. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
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