Jana Kramer is the debut studio album by American actress and country music artist Jana Kramer. It was released on June 5, 2012 via Elektra Records.[1] The album was produced by Scott Hendricks.[2] Its first single, "Why Ya Wanna," was released in January 2012. It also includes the previously released digital singles "Whiskey" and "What I Love About Your Love" and "I Won't Give Up" as a digital bonus track.[3]

Jana Kramer
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 5, 2012 (2012-06-05)
GenreCountry
Length37:32
LabelElektra Nashville
ProducerScott Hendricks
Jana Kramer chronology
Jana Kramer
(2012)
Thirty One
(2015)
Singles from Jana Kramer
  1. "Why Ya Wanna"
    Released: January 16, 2012
  2. "Whiskey"
    Released: November 5, 2012
  3. "I Hope It Rains"
    Released: May 20, 2013

Background

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In 2002, Kramer made her acting debut in the low budget independent horror film Dead/Undead. The following year Kramer guest appeared on All My Children which was marked as Kramer's television debut. Kramer has since continued to appear in a number of television shows such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice and CSI: NY. She has also had small supporting roles in films such as Click, Prom Night and Spring Breakdown. After a long career of acting, in February 2011 Kramer signed a recording contract with Elektra Records. The following month Kramer began work on her debut album. Country music producer Scott Hendricks produced the majority of the record.

Singles

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On January 16, 2012, Kramer released her official debut single, "Why Ya Wanna". Kramer premiered the official music video directed by Kristin Barlowe on February 6, 2012. The song peaked at number 50 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 3 on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, as well as number 100 on Billboard's Canadian Hot 100.[4] "Whiskey" was released as the album's second single on November 5, 2012.

Promotional songs

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She premiered her promo track, "I Won't Give Up", which premiered in the One Tree Hill episode "Holding Out for a Hero", was released the following day exclusively on iTunes and Amazon. The song reached number 75 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. In April 2011 Kramer released another promo track titled, "Whiskey" which she also performed on One Tree Hill. The song reached number 99 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart on digital sales alone.[5]

Reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Roughstock     [6]
Taste of Country     [7]

Critical

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Giving it four-and-a-half stars out of five, Roughstock writer Matt Bjorke said that Kramer "adds a potent vocal and burgeoning songwriting talent on top of her model looks".[6] Taste of Country writer Billy Dukes gave it four stars, saying that "It’s clear Kramer had an idea of who she was as a singer before stepping into the recording studio."[7] James Christopher Monger of Allmusic thought that the album "does a nice job blending the contemporary twang of artists like Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift with the traditionalist spirit of classic country and folk crooners like Patsy Cline and James Taylor."[8]

Commercial

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The album debuted at No. 5 on the Top Country Albums and No. 19 on Billboard 200 upon its release in the US, selling 16,000 copies for the week.[9][10] The album has sold 185,000 copies in the US as of September 2015.[11]

Track listing

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No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Good Time Comin' On"3:25
2."I Hope It Rains"3:07
3."Why Ya Wanna"3:41
4."Goodbye California"
3:58
5."Whiskey"
  • Gravitt
  • Sam Mizell
3:36
6."Over You by Now"3:59
7."One of the Boys"2:49
8."What I Love About Your Love"
2:58
9."When You're Lonely"
  • Lynn Hutton
  • Tammi Kidd
3:31
10."King of Apology"
2:50
11."Good as You Were Bad"
  • Hutton
  • Ashley Ray
3:37
Digital bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
12."I Won't Give Up"
  • Kramer
  • Kye Fleming
  • Jess Leary
3:18

Personnel

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Charts

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Singles

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Year Single Peak chart positions
US Country US Country Airplay US CAN Country
[16]
CAN
2012 "Why Ya Wanna" 3 3 50 100
"Whiskey" 27 25 94 47 88
2013 "I Hope It Rains" 42
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

References

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  1. ^ "Jana Kramer, Love and Theft Albums Due June 5". Country Music Television. April 5, 2012. Archived from the original on January 19, 2013. Retrieved May 15, 2012.
  2. ^ Conaway, Alanna (April 8, 2012). "Jana Kramer to Release Self-Titled Debut Album on June 5". Taste of Country. Retrieved May 15, 2012.
  3. ^ Bjorke, Matt (April 18, 2012). "EXCLUSIVE: Jana Kramer - "Jana Kramer" Tracklist and Cover Art Revealed". Roughstock. Archived from the original on May 10, 2012. Retrieved May 15, 2012.
  4. ^ "Jana Kramer Chart History". Billboard Magazine. Retrieved 2012-10-09.
  5. ^ Jana Kramer Signs Record Deal, Will Debut Single On "One Tree Hill"
  6. ^ a b Bjorke, Matt (2 June 2012). "Jana Kramer review". Roughstock. Archived from the original on 4 June 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
  7. ^ a b Dukes, Billy (5 June 2012). "Jana Kramer album review". Taste of Country. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  8. ^ "Jana Kramer". Allmusic.
  9. ^ "Jana Kramer's Self-Titled Album Debuts at No. 5 on Country Album Chart & No. 2 Among Digital Country Album Sales". Reuters. June 15, 2012.[dead link]
  10. ^ Bjorke, Matt (June 13, 2012). "Chart News for June 13, 2012: Alan Jackson Isn't Thirty Miles West of #1". Roughstock.
  11. ^ "Upcoming Releases". Hits Daily Double. Archived from the original on September 15, 2015. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  12. ^ "Jana Kramer Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  13. ^ "Jana Kramer Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  14. ^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 2012". Billboard. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  15. ^ "Country Albums: Year End 2013". Billboard.
  16. ^ "Jana Kramer Album & Song Chart History - Canada Country". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved November 20, 2013.