The Songstress

For the film, see The Songstress (film).
The Songstress
Cover of the original 1983 release
Studio album by
Anita Baker
ReleasedMay 31, 1983
November 12, 1991 (reissue)
StudioKendun Recorders (Burbank, California)
Genre
Length42:00
Label
Producer
Anita Baker chronology
The Songstress
(1983) 		Rapture
(1986)
Singles from The Songstress
  1. "Angel"
    Released: 1983
  2. "You're the Best Thing Yet"
    Released: 1983
  3. "No More Tears"
    Released: 1983
  4. "Feel the Need"
    Released: 1984
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic [1]
BBC(positive) [2]
Christgau's Record GuideB+[3]

The Songstress is the debut solo studio album by the American R&B/soul singer Anita Baker. It was originally released in 1983 by Beverly Glen Music, and was Baker's only album for that label prior to signing with Elektra Records with whom she had a string of hit albums. The Songstress was not a commercial success upon its initial release, though the album met with moderate success on the R&B charts. It did have a 1984 compact disc release and was one of the first independently released compact Discs. Notorious drug trafficker "Freeway" Rick Ross helped provide the money for the album.[4]

Baker became a major international success after signing with Elektra Records (a division of Warner Music Group) in 1986, and Elektra acquired the rights to The Songstress and re-released it with a new cover in 1991. Between 1992-2007, the album sold 307,000 copies in the US according to SoundScan figures.

  1. ^ Henderson, Alex. The Songstress > review at AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-04-11.
  2. ^ O'Donnell, David (December 11, 2008). "The Songstress > review". BBC. Retrieved 2013-04-13.
  3. ^ Christgau, Robert (1990). "B". Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s. Pantheon Books. ISBN 0-679-73015-X. Retrieved August 16, 2020 – via robertchristgau.com.
  4. ^ ""Freeway" Rick Ross: Reality Check". 7 February 2011.