Ready Now
Studio album by
Truth Hurts
ReleasedJune 1, 2004
Length41:46
LabelPookie
Producer
Truth Hurts chronology
Truthfully Speaking
(2002)		 Ready Now
(2004)

Ready Now is the second studio album by American singer Truth Hurts. It was released by Pookie Entertainment on June 1, 2004 in the United States.[1] Hurts worked with Raphael Saadiq on the majority of the album.[2]

Background

Conceived after Hurts' departure from Aftermath Entertainment, she elaborated on the production of the album in 2011: "Ready Now was a new era in my career as an independent artist. I had the pleasure of working with Raphael Saadiq and put a lot of energy into this album. I truly learned a lot from past experiences in the industry dealing with my last album. Therefore, it was a new start, with a new identity, and new attitude."[3]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
Slant Magazine[5]

AllMusic editor Todd Kristel called Ready Now a "sultry sophomore album [that] is more concise than her hour-long debut. None of the songs seem like unnecessary filler, and even the seven-minute "U" doesn't overstay its welcome. She still relies on backup singers to complement the vocals, but her voice has gotten stronger; she displays greater emotional nuance (e.g., "Ready Now") and vocal nimbleness (e.g., "Can't Be Mad"), and the production of her voice has gotten less overblown [...] It's still a satisfying set of sexy, silky smooth music."[4]

Slant Magazine critic Sal Cinquemani described the album as "a decided departure from 2002's Truthfully Speaking and added: "Truth, Saadiq, and company have opted for neo-soul over high-tech hip-hop while retaining a forward-thinking sound." He felt that "Hurts oozes personality, and the racy, sexy, and mature Ready Now almost completely fills the promise of her debut."[5] Stefan Braidwood from PopMatters found that "although the album is not lacking in cohesion, its many points of reference form a whole that is both evocative of the (superior) originals, and less than the sum of its parts."[6]

Chart performance

Ready Now debuted and peaked at number 173 on the US Billboard 200.[7]

Track listing

Ready Now track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Knock Knock" (featuring Raphael Saadiq)
  • Kelvin Wooten
  • Saadiq
  • Saadiq
  • Wooten[A]
3:53
2."Ready Now"
  • Wooten
  • Saadiq[A]
3:55
3."Ride"
  • Watson
  • Alonzo Jackson
  • T. Jackson
  • Joseph Herns
  • A. Jackson
  • Herns[A]
3:04
4."Love U Better"
Battlecat4:45
5."Catch 22"
  • Watson
  • A. Jackson
  • T. Jackson
A. Jackson4:38
6."Phone Sex"
  • Watson
  • Saadiq
  • A. Jackson
  • T. Jackson
A. Jackson3:17
7."Whatchu Sayin'" (featuring Loon)
  • B. Wilson
  • Allen[A]
3:50
8."Lifetime (Interlude)"WatsonTruth Hurts0:53
9."Lifetime"
  • Brian Randolph
  • Lionel Holoman
  • Saadiq
Saadiq3:22
10."Can't Be Mad"
  • Watson
  • A. Jackson
  • T. Jackson
A. Jackson3:54
11."U"
  • Watson
  • B. Wilson
7:22

Notes

  • ^[A] denotes co-producer

Sample credits

Charts

Weekly chart performance for Ready Now
Chart (2004) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[7] 173
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[8] 46

References

  1. ↑ Cinquemani, Sal (14 May 2004). "Review: Truth Hurts, Ready Now". Slant. Retrieved 2019-12-18.
  2. ↑ "Truth Hurts - Ready Now". Discogs. Retrieved 2019-12-18.
  3. ↑ "Truth Hurts Picks Her 10 Favorite Songs She's Recorded (Exclusive)". February 8, 2011. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  4. 1 2 https://www.allmusic.com/album/r686537
  5. 1 2 Cinquemani, Sal (May 14, 2004). "Thuth Hurts: Ready Now". Slant Magazine. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  6. ↑ Braidwood, Stefan (May 31, 2004). "Truth Hurts: Ready Now". PopMatters. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  7. 1 2 "Truth Hurts Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Truth Hurts Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
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