Babywoman
| Babywoman | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Studio album by | |
| Released | 3 October 1994 |
| Recorded | 1994 |
| Studio |
|
| Genre | R&B |
| Length | 49:34 |
| Label | Epic |
| Producer |
|
| Singles from Babywoman | |
| |
Babywoman is the debut studio album by the English model Naomi Campbell. It was released on 3 October 1994 through Epic Records.
Campbell collaborated with a number of producers and songwriters, including Gavin Friday, Tim Simenon, Youth, Justin Strauss, Bruce Roberts and P.M. Dawn. Musically, Babywoman is an R&B album that additionally fuses different genres, such as house, trip hop and country.[citation needed] The album cover was photographed by Ellen von Unwerth.
Upon its release, the album received generally mixed reviews from music critics and was a commercial failure in the United Kingdom, where it did not chart. However, the album was a success in Japan and sold over one million copies worldwide.[citation needed] Two singles were released from the album: "Love & Tears", which reached number 40 on the UK Singles Chart, and "I Want to Live".
Background
[edit]The album was titled after a nickname that designer Rifat Ozbek had for Campbell.[1]
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Music Week | [3] |
| NME | 5/10[4] |
Alan Jones from Music Week wrote, "A more accomplished singer than anyone dared anticipate, Campbell has produced a bit of a curate's egg of a debut album, making an ill-advised stab at updating T Rex's 'Ride a White Swan', a too similar cover of Zoe's 'Sunshine on a Rainy Day' and an inspired rescue of an obscure Donna Summer ballad ('All Through the Night') alongside some pleasing, if vocally slight, pop/dance fare."[3] Emma Forrest from NME said, "Naomi Campbell's debut singing effort is stubbornly not as bad as it should be. Her voice is an inoffensive, ineffectual whining alto, but that's not a problem."[4]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Love & Tears" | Gavin Friday, Tim Simenon | 4:20 |
| 2. | "I Want to Live" | Gavin Friday, Maurice Seezer | 3:55 |
| 3. | "Ride a White Swan" | Marc Bolan | 3:32 |
| 4. | "Life of Leisure" | Jill Cunniff, Gabrielle Glaser | 4:54 |
| 5. | "Babywoman" | Gavin Friday, Tim Simenon | 5:39 |
| 6. | "Looks Swank (Spooky)" | Justin Strauss | 4:28 |
| 7. | "Picnic in the Rain" | Bruce Roberts | 4:32 |
| 8. | "When I Think About Love" | P.M. Dawn | 4:42 |
| 9. | "All Through the Night" | Donna Summer, Bruce Roberts | 5:20 |
| 10. | "Sunshine on a Rainy Day" | Zoë Pollock, Martin Glover | 5:45 |
| 11. | "I Want to Live (Reprise)" | Gavin Friday, Maurice Seezer | 2:27 |
| Total length: | 49:34 | ||
Singles
[edit]"Love and Tears" is the only song from the album to have a video. The video was directed by Anton Corbijn. The single reached number 40 in the UK and the top 10 in Italy.
Charts
[edit]| Chart (1994) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[5] | 21 |
| France (SNEP)[6] | 36 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[7] | 40 |
References
[edit]- ^ Criales-Unzueta, José (18 August 2023). "Justice for Babywoman, Naomi Campbell's First and Only Album". Vogue. Archived from the original on 20 July 2025. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
- ^ "Babywoman – Naomi Campbell". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
- ^ a b Jones, Alan (8 October 1994). "Market Preview: Mainstream – Albums" (PDF). Music Week. p. 19. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
- ^ a b Forrest, Emma (15 October 1994). "Long Play". NME. p. 52. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
- ^ "Naomi Campbell – Love and Tears" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
- ^ "Naomi Campbell – Love and Tears" (in French). Le classement de singles. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart on 24/9/1994 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
