The Game is the fourth studio album by American singer Chico DeBarge. It was released by Motown Records on October 26, 1999 in the United States. The album marked DeBarge's return to Motown Records since 1988 after Kedar Entertainment founder Kedar Massenburg was appointed as head of the label in late 1998. The Game peaked at number 41 on the US Billboard 200 and number 6 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[1]
| The Game | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 26, 1999 | |||
| Length | 56:48 | |||
| Label | Motown | |||
| Producer |
| |||
| Chico DeBarge chronology | ||||
| ||||
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [2] |
| Robert Christgau |  [3] |
AllMusic editor Jon Azpiri rated the album two and a half stars out of five. He found that "many of the tracks on The Game feel deeply autobiographical [...] Tracks like the self-explanatory "Sexual" are filled with the kind of growls and yelps of joy that you'd hear on a Marvin Gaye record. While Debarge falls well short of a master like Gaye, he is well on his way to becoming a distinct artist, a welcome relief from much of late-'90s R&B which seems to come off an assembly line."[2]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Game" |
| C. DeBarge | 4:49 |
| 2. | "Give You What You Want (Fa Sure)" |
| 4:40 | |
| 3. | "Listen to Your Man" (featuring Joe) |
|
| 5:16 |
| 4. | "Sorry" |
|
| 4:43 |
| 5. | "Everybody Knew But Me" |
|
| 5:54 |
| 6. | "Sexual" |
| C. DeBarge | 3:58 |
| 7. | "Till Tomorrow" | Marvin Gaye |
| 3:58 |
| 8. | "When Can I See You Again" | Brian McKnight | McKnight | 4:52 |
| 9. | "Talk About You" (featuring Bobby Brown) |
| C. DeBarge | 4:55 |
| 10. | "The Edge" |
| C. DeBarge | 3:22 |
| 11. | "Your Way" |
| C. DeBarge | 4:26 |
| 12. | "Heart, Mind & Soul" |
|
| 5:46 |
| Total length: | 56:48 | |||
Notes
- "Heart Mind & Soul" is a cover of the title track of the 1994 album from DeBarge's brother El DeBarge.
Personnel
editCredits adapted from the liner notes of The Game.[4]
|
|
Charts
edit| Chart (1999) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada (RPM Top 100)[5] | 30 |
| US Billboard 200[1] | 41 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[6] | 6 |
Release history
edit| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | October 26, 1999 | Motown | [2] |
References
edit- ^ a b "Chico DeBarge Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
- ^ a b c Allmusic review
- ^ "Robert Christgau: CG: Chico DeBarge". www.robertchristgau.com. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
- ^ The Game (liner notes). Chico DeBarge. Motown Records. 1999.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "RPM Top 100 Albums - November 1, 1999" (PDF).
- ^ "Chico DeBarge Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 11, 2022.