Against All Odds is the second studio album by English hip hop group N-Dubz. It was released in Ireland on 13 November 2009 and was released on 16 November 2009 in the UK.[1]
| Against All Odds | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 13 November 2009 | |||
| Recorded | 2008–2009 | |||
| Length | 44:23 | |||
| Label | All Around the World | |||
| Producer |
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| N-Dubz chronology | ||||
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| Singles from 'Against All Odds' | ||||
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Background edit
Following the release of Uncle B (2008), Tulisa told the Daily Star: "We have just taken a quick break. We're having fun since our return to the studio, and the album is sounding good." She revealed that the group have adopted unusual work patterns while making the new record: "We normally work till 5am - I come alive at midnight, like a vampire."[2] She added that the group had recorded a song called "Shoulda Put Something On", a track about teenage pregnancy, for the album. "It is about a young couple arguing whether to keep their unplanned baby. It's not something any of us have been through personally. But everyone knows someone who has. The three of us wrote down our different perspectives and we based the song around that. It's our favourite track on the album."[3] The group were rumoured to be recording a song with Kylie Minogue for the album, after she expressed praise for their debut album Uncle B,[4] however, Tulisa denied the rumours.[5] The group announced that the album would be released on November 16, 2009, before revealing the album title. When covering for Semtex on BBC Radio 1Xtra, Fazer and Tulisa stated that their former manager, Dappy's father (Byron Contostavlos), wanted Against All Odds to be the title of their debut album, but after his death, they changed it to Uncle B in memory of him and so Against All Odds was the title for their second album. They also confirm this in the album booklet. The album includes six different collaborations, including an updated version of the Tinchy Stryder's single "Number 1". Stryder's first verse was kept, but new verses by Tulisa and Fazer were recorded. The album was mixed at The Chairworks in Castleford Yorkshire by Kelvin Avon. The album has sold over 200,000 copies.
Critical reception edit
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [6] |
| BBC | positive[7] |
| Entertainment.ie | [8] |
| The Guardian | [9] |
| Digital Spy | [10] |
| The Times | [11] |
The album had received mixed to positive reviews from critics. Entertainment.ie gave the album one star out of five. The review stated, "The problem is that their brand of music is such lowest-common-denominator stuff that it manages to offend even those that it's aimed at through its sheer awfulness. With a debut album ('Uncle B') that went platinum in less than a year, all the trio needed to do was write a quick follow-up to cash in on their popularity, and they’ve done exactly that. There's little creativity involved in these grimy tunes, smothered in layers of synthesized vocals and rapid-fire raps".[8] The Guardian gave it a mainly positive review, although they felt the album was "hardly exploding with originality, and the various references to Facebook, their beef with Swag Blanket and how many records they've sold do grate".[9] It finished by saying that "N-Dubz are bound to be inescapable in 2010 – most probably because they will be being blasted out of a mobile phone on the bus".[9] Digital Spy gave the album a solid 4/5 review, stating "The Camden crew's impressive second album positions them at the forefront of British pop music".[10]
Track listing edit
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Against All Odds" (Intro) | Dappy, Tulisa, Fazer | 0:59 | |
| 2. | "I Need You" | Dappy, Tulisa, Fazer | 3:20 | |
| 3. | "Playing with Fire" (featuring Mr Hudson) | 3:47 | ||
| 4. | "Say It's Over" | 3:44 | ||
| 5. | "Na Na" (featuring Wiley) |
|
| 3:31 |
| 6. | "Shoulda Put Something On" | Dappy, Tulisa, Fazer | 3:35 | |
| 7. | "Duku Man (Skit)" (featuring Fearless) |
| 2:24 | |
| 8. | "I Don't Wanna Go To Sleep" | Dappy, Tulisa, Fazer | 3:20 | |
| 9. | "Suck Yourself" (featuring Chipmunk) |
|
| 4:24 |
| 10. | "No One Knows" | 3:23 | ||
| 11. | "Number 1(N-Dubz Verion)" (featuring Tinchy Stryder) | Fraser T Smith | 3:33 | |
| 12. | "Comfortable" | Tulisa | 4:08 | |
| 13. | "Let Me Be" (featuring Nivo) | Evangelis Klemis | 3:39 | |
| 14. | "Against All Odds" (Outro) | Dappy, Tulisa, Fazer | 0:49 |
Album booklet edit
The group confirmed in an interview that the booklet will include several features along with the album[12] If a buyer logs on the "3D" page of the N-Dubz website and faces the back of the album booklet to their webcam, the trio will appear standing on the booklet and perform "I Need You".[13] The group call the booklet a "N-Dubz magazine", which includes the following:[14]
- Introduction
- N-Dubz Glossary
- Exclusive Interviews
- Tour Must Haves
- We Love Our Adidas
- N-Dubz Look
- Behind The Scenes ("I Need You" and "Playing With Fire")
- Thank You's
- Family Tree
- Private Picture Gallery
- Credits
- Lyrics
Personnel edit
Credits for Against All Odds adapted from AllMusic.[15]
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Charts edit
Certifications edit
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[22] | Platinum | 300,000^ |
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^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References edit
- ^ Release date Archived 13 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
- ^ Music - News - N-Dubz 'working hard on new album' - Digital Spy
- ^ Music - News - N-Dubz pen teenage pregnancy song - Digital Spy
- ^ Music - News - Kylie 'to collaborate with N-Dubz' - Digital Spy
- ^ N Dubz set the record straight on working with Kylie Minogue on YouTube
- ^ Jon O'Brien. Against All Odds at AllMusic. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
- ^ BBC - Music - Review of N-Dubz - Against All Odds
- ^ a b "N-Dubz: Against All Odds Review". Entertainment.ie. Retrieved 26 November 2009.
- ^ a b c Dean, Will (13 November 2009). "N-Dubz: Against All Odds CD Review". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 20 November 2009. Retrieved 26 November 2009.
- ^ a b Digital Spy review
- ^ Paphides, Pete (13 November 2009). "NDubz Against All Odds". The Times. London.
- ^ Special features interview on YouTube.
- ^ Someone demonstrating how to use the 3D feature on YouTube
- ^ ""N-Dubz magazine" within the booklet". Archived from the original on 30 July 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2009.
- ^ Against All Odds credits AllMusic. Retrieved on 30 November 2010.
- ^ "Against All Odds". Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
- ^ "Top 75 Artist Album, Week Ending 19 November 2009". GfK Chart-Track. Archived from the original on 5 September 2017. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
- ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
- ^ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2009". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
- ^ "British album certifications – N-Dubz – Against All Odds". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 16 January 2022.