Princess P is the debut album by American Idol contestant, Paris Bennett. It was released on May 8, 2007 through 306 Entertainment, owned by Paul Jones, her uncle, and TVT Records. Bennett worked with Jon Jon Traxx, Darren Lighty, and Rodney Jerkins on Princess P. The album name comes from the nickname used affectionately for her by Ryan Seacrest on American Idol. Bennett co-wrote the album with J. Isaac Moore.

Princess P
Studio album by
ReleasedMay 8, 2007
Label
  • 306 Entertainment
  • TVT
Producer
Paris Bennett chronology
Princess P
(2007)
A Royal Christmas
(2008)

Critical reception edit

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [1]
Entertainment WeeklyC+[2]
USA Today    [3]

Princess P garnered mixed reviews from music critics. A writer from AllMusic said that, "Like a lot of AmIdol artists, Bennett's music can seem light and fluffy, but it's that very quality that makes Princess P a pleasurable pop concoction."[1] Adam B. Vary of Entertainment Weekly wrote about the album saying, "Fans of Kewpie-sweet Paris Bennett from American Idol's fifth season may never get over what they hear on Princess P, her debut CD. "Imma give it to you straight no chaser," she bellows on "I'm So Hot," the hardest – and least winning – of the album's hard-edged, surprisingly competent (but not catchy) club tracks. Other than the hook-soaked "Get Bizzy" (co-written by her mother, Jamecia), what gives these sub-Ciara songs their kick is Paris' full-throated delivery. The less said about her rap with Kevin "Chicken Little" Covais, meanwhile, the better."[2] Elysa Gardner of USA Today noted how Bennett and her team of songwriters and producers tend to "cling to tried-and-true contemporary pop-R&B formulas." She concluded with, "Still, the album offers enough homespun charm to leave you rooting for the plucky upstart."[3] In a dual review with Elliott Yamin's self-titled debut, Vibe writer Sean Fennessey criticized the overly upbeat and pop-centric material that misuses Bennett's vocals to the point of anonymity, concluding that "Unlike the goofily sincere Yamin, she never seems to be herself."[4]

Track listing edit

# Title Composers Time
1. "All Hail the Princess (Intro)" Bennett, P./Jones, P./Moore, J. Isaac 01:23
2. "Ordinary Love" Bennett, P./Britt, Boo/Jones, P./Price, K./Moore, J. Isaac 03:28
3. "Dreamin'" Jones, P./Moore, J. Isaac 03:40
4. "Daddy" Jones, P./Moore, J. Isaac 03:27
5. "Let Me Rap" (Feat. Kevin Covais) Jones, P./Moore, J. Isaac 01:37
6. "My Boyfriend's Back" Feldman, Bob/Goldstein, Jerry/Gottehrer, Richard 03:02
7. "Can't Control Myself" Burks, E./Jones, P./Jones, T. 03:28
8. "Duet" Jones, P./Moore, J. Isaac 03:45
9. "I'm So Hot (Interlude)" Bennett, P./Hitchcock, C. III 00:23
10. "I'm So Hot" Bennett, P./Hitchcock, C. III 03:13
11. "Get Bizzy" Bennett, P./Calloway, R./Roane, C./Simmons, W. 03:23
12. "Caught Up" Jones, P./Jones, Tyrice 03:37
13. "B-Bye" Jones, P./Moore, J. Isaac 04:02
14. "Burnt Up" Jones, P./Moore, J. Isaac 03:56
15. "I Will" Jones, P./Moore, J. Isaac 03:48
16. "Best Friends" Bennett, J./Ferrell, E./Lighty, D./Wynn, J. 04:19
17. "Dancin' (iTunes bonus track)" Rodney Jerkins 04:00

Charts edit

Chart (2007) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[5] 133
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[6] 1
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[7] 15
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[8] 47

Singles edit

"Ordinary Love"
Single by Paris Bennett
from the album Princess P
ReleasedApril 23, 2007
GenreContemporary R&B
Length3:17
Songwriter(s)Keli Nicole Price, Jason Isaac Moore, Paris Bennett
Producer(s)Jon Jon Traxx
Paris Bennett singles chronology
"Ordinary Love"
(2007)
"I'm So Hot/TBA"
(2007)

"Ordinary Love" is the debut single from Paris Bennett, the American Idol fifth place finalist (May 3, 2006) with production Jon Jon Traxx and J. Isaac.

"Ordinary Love" failed to make it onto any charts.

Music video edit

The video to Ordinary Love was filmed on January 12, in Minneapolis and directed by Danny Kimura with Dustin Breeding of boy band B5 as the leading man and features her friends from high school. The director said "I sense Paris is hungry for this, and she's going to go for it today."

The video begins with closeups of Bennett and Breeding, with shots of Bennett singing in a red room, driving in a car with her friends, talking on the phone and dancing with friends. Then Bennett discovers Breeding flirting with another girl, breaks up with him and the song changes to I'm So Hot, in which Bennett and dancers are shown dancing in a studio. The video was officially premiered on Yahoo! Music on April 23, 2007.

External links edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Princess P - Paris Bennett". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 7, 2018. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
  2. ^ a b Vary, Adam B. (May 18, 2007). "Princess P". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
  3. ^ a b Gardner, Elysa (May 7, 2007). "This week's reviews: Bone Thugs, Valentino, Feist, Joe and assorted idols and Idols". USA Today. Gannett. Archived from the original on July 10, 2007. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
  4. ^ Fennessey, Sean (August 2007). "Paris Bennett 'Princess P'". Vibe. 15 (8). Vibe Media: 74. ISSN 1070-4701. Retrieved November 30, 2016.
  5. ^ "Paris Bennett Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
  6. ^ "Paris Bennett Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
  7. ^ "Paris Bennett Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
  8. ^ "Paris Bennett Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 1, 2016.