| Pennies in a Jar | |
|---|---|
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| Studio album by | |
| Released | July 12, 2011 |
| Recorded | 2009–2011 |
| Genre |
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| Length | 41:46 |
| Label | S-Curve Records |
| Producer | Sam Hollander, Dave Katz |
Pennies in a Jar is the debut album by American singer-songwriter Nikki Jean. It was released on July 12, 2011, by indie label S-Curve Records. The album contains twelve soul and pop songs reminiscent of 1970s and 1980s music.
Jean, who was best known for her feature appearances with rapper Lupe Fiasco, contacted producer Sam Hollander in 2008 to discuss a solo career. Jean had a passion for songwriting, and Hollander came up with the concept for the album: she would travel the United States and co-write each song with one iconic songwriter, including Carole King, Burt Bacharach and Bob Dylan. Pennies in a Jar was produced by Hollander and Dave Katz.
Jean spent two years writing the songs. The album was originally to be released by Columbia Records, but they dropped the project in October 2011 after finding the music was more mature than they anticipated, and S-Curve later picked it up. Despite receiving positive reviews, the songs failed to chart except in Japan, where the single "My Love" reached No. 8. In his autobiography, Hollander wrote that he had "under-thought the greatest idea ever and hung [Jean] out to dry in the process. [...] This was easily the biggest miss of my career".