Willennium is the second studio album by American rapper Will Smith. Recorded with a range of producers, including Poke & Tone and frequent collaborator DJ Jazzy Jeff, it was released on November 16, 1999, by Columbia Records. The album reached number 5 on the US Billboard 200 and was certified multi-platinum by the RIAA, making this Smith's second top ten album and second multi-platinum album following Big Willie Style in 1997. The album also reached the top ten on the UK Albums Chart, and was certified multi-platinum in that region and in other regions. "Wild Wild West", "Will 2K" and "Freakin' It" were released as singles.
Production for Willennium was handled by a number of producers who had previously worked on Big Willie Style, including executive producers DJ Jazzy Jeff and Poke & Tone, Keith Pelzer and Sauce, as well as a number of new contributors: Rob Fusari, Kay-Gee, "Little" Louie Vega, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins and more.[4]
The release of Willennium was preceded by the single "Wild Wild West" in May 1999, originally released on Wild Wild West: Music Inspired by the Motion Picture. The title track to the film of the same name was a commercial success, reaching the top ten on singles charts around the world,[6] and topping the US Billboard Hot 100 as Smith's second US number one.[7] "Will 2K" was released as the album's second single in November, and reached the top three in Australia and the United Kingdom.[8][9] The third and final single from Willennium, "Freakin' It", reached number 15 on the UK Singles Chart.[9]
Composition
Lyrics
On Willennium, Smith is said to celebrate his success on a number of songs, including album opener "I'm Comin'" and single "Freakin' It", in which he responds to criticism directed at lead single "Wild Wild West" by pointing out its performance on the singles charts.[1] Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club goes as far as to claim that on the album Smith "takes the offensive, lashing out against critics who've labeled him a soft sell-out", and points out that some of the lyrics level criticism against the gangsta rap genre.[10]
A review by the magazine NME categorised songs on the album into two categories: first, "partied-up, pumped-up, knock-out rap records", and second, "schmaltzy songs about brotherly love and stuff".[1] Cynthia Fuchs of the website PopMatters claims that Willennium is "an album about the future, specifically, Smith’s future cred on the hip-hop front", and points out the presence of lyrical themes such as money, politics, and relationships.[2]The Harvard Crimson's Carla Mastraccio notes the "clever satire of pop culture" in "Freakin' It", and the overall relatability of the simple lyrics on the album,[11] while Steve Jones of USA Today identifies themes of family and loyalty in the lyrics.[12]
Music
Writing for the website AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine described Willennium positively as "gaudy, giddy, infectiously silly, and proudly over-the-top", praising the album for featuring "bright, joyful party music that celebrates its big beats and big hooks".[3] Erlewine noted the use of samples from "Rock the Casbah" by English punk rock band The Clash in the single "Slap 2K" as "so mind-bogglingly unpredictable that it's hard not to smile".[3] In addition to upbeat songs, the album has also been described as featuring ballads (including "No More") and Latin pop sounds (on "La Fiesta").[2] Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club describes the album negatively as composed of "slick, soulless party jams, old-school nostalgia, chemistry-free duets ... and cheerful materialism".[10]
Media response to Willennium was generally positive. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic awarded the album four out of five stars, writing an extremely favorable review which praised the "joyful party music", lyrical and musical themes, and performances of the featured artists.[3] Erlewine noted that "Smith isn't quite as convincing when it comes to slow [songs]", but claimed that "the heart of the album lies in the up-tempo dance numbers, since they're what make Willennium irresistible".[3] A review published by NME was similarly positive, claiming that Willennium is evidence of Smith's dominance of the hip-hop genre at the time, and praising songs such as "I'm Comin'", "Freakin' It" and "Da Butta".[1] Carla Mastraccio of The Harvard Crimson praised the album's lyrics and labelled Willennium as an "energetic and artistically diverse album".[11] Steve Jones of USA Today awarded the album three out of four stars, praising its lyrics and featured artists.[12]
Writing for the website PopMatters, however, Cynthia Fuchs describes Willennium as "generic", commenting unfavorably on various lyrics, themes and performances.[2] Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club was similarly damning, claiming that Willennium is "more notable for its commercial calculation than its artistic worth", criticising many of the album's lyrical themes and dubbing it "commercially overachieving" and "generic".[10]Hot Press writer Stephen Robinson gave the album an unfavorable rating of four out of twelve.[15]
People provided a mixed review of Willennium; the reviewers praised the collaboration with DJ Jazzy Jeff on "Pump Me Up", and noted that Smith "sounds energized and once again in love with hip hop" on the track "So Fresh".[16] However, they described the single "Will 2K" as "utterly awful" and "gimmicky", and claim that Smith "is overwhelmed by the cluttered production" on the record.[16]Entertainment Weekly are similarly hesitant, complaining about elements including the samples and some lyrics, but ultimately praising Willennium as proof that Smith is "a lyrically fluid rapper with deep roots in hip-hop culture and a clearly defined artistic vision".[14]
Commercial performance
Willennium was a commercial success, the album debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 187,000 copies in its first week.[17] The album remained on the chart for a total of 26 weeks.[18] In December 1999, the album had been certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of over two million copies.[19] By February 2000, the album had sold a total of 4.3 million copies worldwide.[20]
In the United Kingdom, the album debuted at number 11 on November 27 on the UK Albums Chart, before peaking at number ten the following week and remained on the chart for 11 weeks; it later returned to the chart in March 2000 for another six-week run.[9] The album was certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry, indicating sales in the UK of over 300,000 units,[21] In other regions in which the album peaked in the top 20 include France at number 20,[22] Germany at number 20,[23] and Switzerland at number 16.[24]
"I'm Comin'" contains a sample of "Runnin' from the Law", written by Rochelle Runnells and performed by Stargard; and embodies portions of "Do You Wanna Get Funky with Me", written by Peter Brown and Robert Rans.
"Pump Me Up" contains a sample of "La Di Da Di", written by Richard Walters and Douglas Davis, and performed by MC Ricky D; a sample of "The R", written by Eric Barrier and William Griffin, and performed by Eric B. & Rakim; a sample of "Hip-Hop vs. Rap", written and performed by KRS-One; a sample of "Just Rhymin' with Biz", written by Antonio Hardy and Marlon Williams, and performed by Big Daddy Kane; a sample of "Nuthin'", written and performed by Doug E. Fresh; a sample of "Pump Me Up", written by Robert Reed, Tony Fisher, Taylor Reed and Emmett Nixon, and performed by Trouble Funk; and a sample of "Pee Wee's Dance", written by Vincent Davis and Joe Roper, Jr., and performed by Joe Ski Love.
^Lecocq, Richard; Allard, François (2018). "Off the Wall". Michael Jackson All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track. London, England: Cassell. ISBN9781788400572.
