Braveheart (Ashanti album)
| Company type | Independent record label |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founder | Ashanti |
| Parent | eOne Music (distribution) |
Braveheart represents the sixth studio effort by American vocalist Ashanti, launched on March 4, 2014, under her independent imprint Written Entertainment. This release marked her first full-length project in six years following 2008’s The Declaration and came after her exit from Murder Inc Records.
The track "Never Should Have" was featured in the finale of season 7 of Army Wives, a series in which Ashanti also appeared. To promote the album, she unveiled the single "I Got It" featuring Rick Ross on November 26, 2013. Other notable collaborators on the project include French Montana, Jeremih, and Beenie Man. Critics lauded Braveheart for advancing the modern R&B genre and its empowering lyrical themes, though some pointed out recurring romantic tropes and a scarcity of particularly memorable tracks. From a commercial standpoint, the album entered the U.S. Billboard 200 at number ten, marking Ashanti’s fifth straight top-ten entry and her inaugural chart-topping placement on the Independent Albums list. It also secured positions within the top thirty of the UK R&B Albums Chart and top forty of the UK Indie Albums Chart. Musically, the album fuses R&B with elements of electro, trap, and urban pop.
Background
Ashanti’s fourth studio album, The Declaration, was released on June 3, 2008, featuring singles such as "The Way That I Love You", "Body on Me" (with Akon & Nelly), and "Good Good". These singles reflected her lowest chart performances to date, achieving moderate rankings on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts. Debuting at number six with first-week sales of 86,000 units, The Declaration fell short compared to her 2004 album Concrete Rose, which opened with 254,000 copies sold. Importantly, this was Ashanti’s first album not to receive platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
In May 2009, Irv Gotti, head of Murder Inc., announced Ashanti’s departure from the label due to differing creative visions despite their past commercial achievements.
On December 15, 2011, Ashanti introduced "The Woman You Love" featuring rapper Busta Rhymes as a lead single for her forthcoming project. The song garnered favorable early feedback and reached number five on BET's 106 & Park countdown. Although it attained modest placements on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, it was ultimately omitted from the final album lineup. A version without Busta Rhymes was later released in February 2012.
Production
Recording sessions for a new album commenced in February 2010, with Ashanti confirming in December that new material would be released in 2011. By July 2011, she revealed plans to independently release her fifth studio album through her own label, Written Entertainment. Global distribution was arranged via eOne Music; their president Alan Grunblatt commended Ashanti’s business acumen. She stressed the significance of retaining ownership rights and viewed this approach as a strategic move to broaden her international reach.
During an appearance on 106 & Park, Ashanti disclosed collaborations with R. Kelly and Keyshia Cole for the album. She worked on tracks including "That's What We Do" with R. Kelly, "Perfect So Far" with Rico Love, and "Woman to Woman" alongside Keyshia Cole. In total, Ashanti recorded sixty songs for this project, illustrating a substantial commitment to content creation.
Title and artwork
During an interview with Power 99 FM in Los Angeles, Ashanti revealed that her album title was inspired by the Oscar-winning movie Braveheart. She used the film as a metaphor: major record labels resemble heavily armored European soldiers equipped with powerful machinery and signed artists, whereas independent labels are akin to the rugged Scots wielding homemade weapons—less formidable but courageous and driven in their pursuit of success. The album cover, unveiled on March 22, 2012, portrays Ashanti as a "warrior princess" striking a commanding stance, utilizing a still from the "The Woman You Love" music video. Later, on April 13, 2013, she collaborated with photographer Robert Ector in Atlanta to create new visuals, which she shared on her official Instagram account in January 2014.
Sound and influence
Ashanti reiterated the Braveheart analogy to explain her album’s title, underscoring the disparity between the extensive resources of major labels and the grassroots efforts typical of indie labels. She emphasized the courage and dedication necessary to thrive within a competitive industry marked by such imbalances.
Songs and lyrics
The album begins with Ashanti delivering a monologue stating, "Many doubted me, but that fuels my hunger and sparks my passion... I am Braveheart." The track "She Can't," produced by Mansur, is a sultry mid-tempo song featuring an erratic beat. Another Mansur production, "Never Should Have," showcases Ashanti contemplating a past relationship over a rhythm inspired by marching bands. The guitar-driven song "Perfect So Far" was co-written by Rico Love.
Promotion and release
To support the album, Ashanti performed "The Woman You Love" live on Good Morning America in February 2012 and later on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in April 2012. In June 2013, she delivered a live rendition of "Never Should Have" on the show Marie. Additionally, tracks such as "Never Should Have," "She Can't," and "I Got It" (featuring Future) were featured on DJ Ty Boogie's mixtape Str8 RnB pt. 6, which Ashanti hosted.
Initially set for release on July 30, 2013, BraveHeart faced postponements due to clearance complications and legal matters; Ashanti acknowledged the financial challenges of operating independently. The album’s launch was rescheduled for early 2014 and was preceded by the single "I Got It" featuring Rick Ross. After an initial release date of February 18 was pushed back, the album officially became available on March 4, 2014.
Singles
Ashanti digitally released the single "Never Should Have" on March 25, 2013; its accompanying music video, directed by Sanji, was filmed that same month. The song impacted US Rhythmic and Urban radio formats beginning April 29, 2013. Following the delay of the album’s release from July 30, 2013, Ashanti promoted two exclusive remixes of this track to radio outlets. Although it did not enter US charts, "Never Should Have" earned her a Soul Train Music Award in 2013 for Best Independent R&B/Soul Performance.
The subsequent single from the album, "I Got It," featuring Rick Ross, was made available on iTunes on November 26, 2013, and sent to US urban contemporary radio stations on January 28, 2014. While "First Real Love" was initially planned as the next video release, Ashanti opted in April 2014 to promote "Early in the Morning," featuring French Montana, as the follow-up single after its strong showing on the US iTunes R&B Chart.
In July 2014, Ashanti announced that future official singles from Braveheart would be determined through fan voting.
Critical response
BraveHeart was met with predominantly favorable critiques. Jon Reyes from HipHopDX gave it a rating of three stars out of five, acknowledging the album’s progression in sound and overall unity despite moments of excessive ambition. Andy Kellman at AllMusic awarded four stars, emphasizing that the prolonged creation process did not disrupt Ashanti’s steady artistic vision. Elysa Gardner of USA Today rated the album two and a half stars out of four, remarking on Ashanti’s expressive vocal style that both embraces and subverts typical romantic themes.
Commercial performance
Upon release, the album entered the Billboard 200 chart at position number 10, moving 28,000 units in its initial week within the United States.
Track listing
Notes
- Indicates a co-producer or vocal producer as noted.
- "Runaway" incorporates interpolations from "Put It on the Line" and "I Shot Ya," credited to James Brown and additional songwriters.
- Production and songwriting details are derived from official album liner notes and publishing rights organizations.
Weekly charts
Template:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chart| Chart (2014–15) | Highest position |
|---|
Year-end charts
| Chart (2014) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) | 69 |
Release history
| Country | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | March 4, 2014 |
| |
| United Kingdom | Digital download | eOne Music | |
| March 24, 2014 | CD | ||
| Japan | March 26, 2014 | CD | Victor |
| United States | January 7, 2022 | Vinyl |
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