First Time is the first and only solo extended play by English singer Liam Payne. Primarily produced by Di Genius, Burns, Jason Gill, Steve Fitzmaurice, Cutfather, MdL and Sly, it was released on 24 August 2018 by Capitol Records. Its title track, which features a guest appearance from American hip hop recording artist French Montana, was released on the same day as its lead single.[2]
First Time | ||||
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EP by | ||||
Released | 24 August 2018 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 12:33 | |||
Label | Capitol | |||
Producer |
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Liam Payne chronology | ||||
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Singles from First Time | ||||
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Background
editIn May 2017, Payne revealed that he had begun working on his first studio album.[3] He was working with Ed Sheeran with an expected release date in January 2018,[4] before it was pushed to 14 September 2018.[5] However, on 16 August 2018, Payne announced that he was delaying the release of his debut studio album and decided to put out an EP instead.[6] He also announced the release date of the EP.[6] He posted a message on his social media, saying:
"As you may know, the last few months have seen some big changes for me ...I looked at some of the songs on my album which were done a while ago and they felt from another age. I'm determined for my debut album to truly represent me.
I'm now back in the studio working hard to finalise the final few new songs on the record - I'm genuinely excited about the music I'm writing and recording and I can't wait for it to be ready for you all.
In the meantime, this EP is a collection of songs that I'm really proud of and want you all to hear... tell me what you think. As always, thanks for your support - it means the world to me."[6]
The EP contains four tracks, "Home with You", "Depend On It", "Slow" and the EP's lead single, "First Time".[7]
Critical reception
editFirst Time was met with positive reviews from music critics. Chloe Gilke of Uproxx stated that the opening track "First Time", was Payne's "best iteration of club pop to date," feeling that "it could be a cut off Drake's Scorpion.[8] She also described "Depend On It" as a "lovely and heartbreaking ballad." However, she was critical on "Home with You" calling it "a bit of a snooze."[8] Patrick Hosken of MTV noted that the EP "is primarily a showcase for Payne's voice."[1]
Chart performance
editFirst Time was not eligible for the album charts in the UK and the songs from the EP failed to chart on the UK Singles Chart.[9] However, the lead single peaked at number 68 on the UK Singles Downloads Chart.[10] The EP peaked at number 12 on the US Digital Albums chart and number two on the US Heatseekers Albums chart.[11][12]
Track listing
editNo. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "First Time" (with French Montana) |
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| 3:12 |
2. | "Home with You" |
| Gill | 3:01 |
3. | "Depend On It" |
| Steve Fitzmaurice | 2:51 |
4. | "Slow" |
|
| 3:29 |
Total length: | 12:33 |
Personnel
editCredits adapted from Tidal.[13]
- Liam Payne – vocals (all tracks)
- French Montana – vocals (track 1)
- Di Genius – production (track 1)
- Burns – production (track 1)
- Randy Merrill – master engineering (all tracks)
- Oak Felder – engineering (track 1)
- Jacob Richards – mixing assistance (track 1)
- David Nakaji – mixing assistance (track 1)
- Rashawn Mclean – mixing assistance (track 1)
- Jaycen Joshua – mixing (track 1)
- Jason Gill – production (track 2), bass guitar (track 2), drums (track 2), record engineering (track 2), synthesizer programming (track 2)
- Phil Tan – mixing (track 2, 4)
- Benjamin Rice – record engineering (track 2)
- Brandon Skeie – additional vocals (track 2)
- Steve Fitzmaurice – production (track 3), record engineering (track 3)
- Darren Heelis – bass guitar (track 3), mixing (track 3)
- Jules Gulon – mixing assistance (track 3)
- Will Purton – record engineering assistance (track 3)
- Reuben James – piano (track 3)
- Ben "Bengineer" Chang – vocal production (track 3)
- Cutfather – production (track 4)
- MdL – production (track 4)
- Sly – production (track 4)
- Bill Zimmerman – engineering (track 4)
Charts
editChart (2018) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Digital Albums (Billboard)[11] | 12 |
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[12] | 2 |
US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[14] | 40 |
Release history
editRegion | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
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Various | 24 August 2018 | Capitol | [15] |
References
edit- ^ a b Patrick Hosken (24 August 2018). "Liam Payne Finally Dropped His Solo EP And It's All About Sex, Of Course". MTV. Archived from the original on 26 March 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ Nied, Mike (17 August 2018). "Liam Payne Announces Debut EP 'First Time' & The French Montana-Assisted Lead Single". Idolator. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
- ^ Nicole Mastrogiannis (19 May 2017). "Liam Payne Talks 'Strip That Down' & Teases 'Eclectic' Upcoming Solo Album". WFLZ-FM. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ "Liam Payne reveals solo album release date and what we can expect". Hits Radio. 20 October 2017. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ Weatherby, Taylor (15 May 2018). "Liam Payne Reveals September Album Release Date, Hints at One Direction Reunion: Watch". Billboard. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ a b c "Liam Payne Announces Debut EP 'First Time'". Billboard. 17 August 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
- ^ "Liam Payne Announces He Will Release a Brand New EP, First Time, on August 24". Universal Music Canada. 17 August 2018. Archived from the original on 26 June 2022. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ a b Chloe Gilke (29 August 2018). "Liam Payne's First Solo EP Proves How Much He Has To Give, Even If He's Moving Slow". Uproxx. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ "Liam Payne's new single has tanked". NME. 31 August 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ "Official Singles Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ a b "Liam Payne Chart History: Digital Albums". Billboard. Archived from the original on 18 October 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ a b "Liam Payne Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
- ^ "First Time - EP / Liam Payne TIDAL". Tidal. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
- ^ "Liam Payne Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
- ^ "Liam Payne's Debut Solo EP 'First Time' Has Arrived: Stream It Now". Billboard. 24 August 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2024.