Reception
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| The Observer |   [4] |
| Digital Spy | [5] |
| Daily Star |   [6] |
| The Independent | [7] |
Kitty Empire of The Observer gave Tribute a mixed review stating, "The latest in a long line of 60s revivers, John Newman, who has had two No 1 singles (Rudimental's Feel the Love, his own Love Me Again), lists all his inspirations on the title track of his debut. They should include Plan B. You could easily subtitle this record The Reincarnation of Strickland Banks, if tracks such as Out of My Head weren't quite so autobiographical. On superior cuts such as Cheating, meanwhile, this 23-year-old be-quiffed Yorkshireman looks like continuing his gilded strike rate. But where Plan B or Amy Winehouse, the doyenne of revival pop, always added an element of top spin to their tributes, Newman merely reinterprets well, rather than reinventing."[4]
Lewis Corner of Digital Spy gave the album a positive review stating, "It's all for you/ For what you have shown me/ And for what you do," John Newman sings on opening track 'Tribute' from his debut album of the same name. The soul singer is paying homage to a wide range of musical influences that have helped shape his sound, the list including everyone from Elvis Presley and Tina Turner to Jay Z and Adele. While his tastes are obviously eclectic, his first collection infuses these inspirations without compromising consistency. Let it be said that John Newman is neo-soul to the core - his distinctive vocal with a tinge of rasp giving him no option in the matter. That's not to say other influences don't play an important part throughout his music. 'Try' flirts with italo piano and jaunty strings which echoes '70s disco, while recent single 'Cheating' bounds around with tin-rattling break-beats from the shadows of '90s house. But while the musicality of the record dips its toe in and out of genres, the subject of love remains prominently at the forefront. Whether Newman is reflecting on the difficulties of the heart on 'Easy' or crooning for forgiveness on 'Love Me Again', Tribute thrives on a rollercoaster narrative of broken relationships, gutsy emotions and broody intent. What's more, the collection doesn't suffer from burn-out towards the finish. 'Running' is a pulsing mid-tempo with a strong whiff of Emeli Sandé to it, while 'Goodnight Goodbye' soars with a lofty chorus that is primed for an impressive live outing. The list of influences for John Newman's debut may be long, but rather than emulating his idols, he is in fact following in their footsteps - and Tribute gets him off to a very strong start."[5]
Andy Gill of The Independent gave the album a mixed review, stating, "Rudimental's "Feel the Love" proclaimed John Newman as a powerful new voice in UK R&B, an impression reinforced by his chart-topper "Love Me Again". But he's keen to demonstrate how much deeper his influences go, introducing this album with a litany of soul singers' names leading into "Tribute", his smoky timbre borne on exultant strings that also allude to a classic-soul era. It's impressive stuff, though as early as the third or fourth track, the formula of impassioned smouldering leading to hugely telegraphed refrains is getting a little predictable. Variety is furnished by the desolate plaint of "Out of My Head" and the gospelly backing vocals of "Running", also the source of the album's best line: "Trying to stop a river when it wants to rise."[7]
Commercial performance
On October 17, 2013 the album entered the Irish Albums Chart at number 8. On October 19, 2013 the album entered the Dutch Albums Chart at number 51. On October 20, 2013 the album entered the UK Albums Chart and Scottish Albums Chart at number one.[8] The album debuted at number 7 on the Australian Albums Chart. The album debuted at number 6 on the New Zealand Albums Chart. The album has also peaked to number 20 in Austria, number 33 in Belgium, number 18 in Denmark, number 37 in France, number 21 in Germany, number 6 in Hungary, number 28 in Italy, number 12 in Norway, number 30 in Spain and number 11 in Switzerland.
