The Reason
Studio album by
Lemar
Released24 November 2008
Length37:57
LabelEpic
Producer
Lemar chronology
The Truth About Love
(2006)		 The Reason
(2008)		 Invincible
(2012)
Singles from The Reason
  1. "If She Knew"
    Released: 10 November 2008
  2. "Weight of the World"
    Released: 2 March 2009

The Reason is the fourth studio album by English singer Lemar. It was released by Epic Records on 24 November 2008 in the United Kingdom. His debut with the label, the album saw Lemar working with a wider range of US songwriters and producers, including Claude Kelly, Jim Beanz, Jim Jonsin, and Salaam Remi. The Reason contains the singles, "If She Knew" and "Weight of the World."

Background

Speaking to the UK R&B writer Pete Lewis of Blues & Soul in November 2008, Lemar explained the thinking behind titling his fourth album The Reason: "I called the album The Reason because I wanted it to remind me of the reason why I became a musician in the first place. You know, I think the reason I became a recording artist was because the music I was listening to at the time was inspirational, exciting; it wasn't obvious [...] And that's what I wanted THIS album to be. I wanted to bring out a collection of songs that for me was inspiring, was thought-provoking, was current, and that hopefully came with an exciting, eclectic mix of styles."[1]

Promotion

Singles

"If She Knew" was released for download at midnight on 6 November 2008. From two full days of download sales, the single debuted on the UK Singles Chart at number 61. The following Monday two physical formats were released additionally and the song climbed to its peak of number 14. The third week it fell to number 19 and the fourth to number 21. The second single, "Weight of the World", was released on 2 March 2009. Although it was not released as a single, "Mayday" was later included on Lemar's The Hits album, released on 1 March 2010.

The Reason Tour 2009

Dates

Date City Country Venue
16 March 2009CarlisleEnglandCarlisle Sands Centre
17 March 2009LiverpoolPhilharmonic Hall
19 October 2009ReadingThe Hexagon
20 March 2009MargateWinter Gardens
21 March 2009BournemouthBournemouth International Centre
23 March 2009BrentwoodBrentwood Leisure Centre
24 March 2009IpswichRegent Theatre
25 March 2009PrestonPreston Guildhall
27 March 2009BirminghamO2 Academy
28 March 2009BrightonThe Brighton Centre
29 March 2009OxfordNew Theatre
31 March 2009PlymouthPlymouth Pavilions
1 April 2009SwindonOasis Leisure Centre
4 April 2009CardiffWalesCardiff International Arena
5 April 2009PortsmouthEnglandPortsmouth Guildhall
6 April 2009CambridgeCorn Exchange
8 April 2009Southend-on-SeaSouthend Cliffs Pavilion
9 April 2009LondonRoyal Albert Hall
10 April 2009NottinghamNottingham Royal Centre
12 April 2009NewcastleNewcastle City Hall
13 April 2009SheffieldSheffield City Hall
14 April 2009HarrogateHarrogate International Centre
16 April 2009GlasgowScotlandClyde Auditorium
17 April 2009ManchesterEnglandManchester Apollo
Notes
  • The concert in Reading was cancelled.
  • Concerts after 27 March were supported by British boy band JLS.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
The Observer[3]
The Times[4]

95.8 Capital FM called The Reason a "consistent effort" which "leans slightly closer towards a more US-style R&B sound than on some of his previous material."[5] Orange critic Chris Long found that "for the most part, The Reason is as solid a pop-soul album as you'll find and, while it does struggle to hit greatness, there is nothing across it that dips below decent [...] While [it] does suffer from over-polished production that lessens its emotional blows and occasionally strays toward the edge of sterility, it still manages to deliver a clutch of songs."[6] Peter Robinson from The Observer called the album an "enjoyably addictive listen" that is at "best when [Lemar] grasps the electronic R&B coat tails of US stars like Ne-Yo and Chris Brown."[3]

AllMusic editor Jon O'Brien noted that "it's undoubtedly a more concerted effort to halt the worrying career slide [...] But rather than panicking and overloading its ten tracks with processed beats and Hi-NRG trance riffs, The Reason wisely plays it more subtle, bridging the gap between his old-fashioned previous output and a more modern electro-focused sound [...] While [its] lack of originality still leaves Lemar searching for a full body of work that lives up to the standards of his vocal talents, its blend of old school and new school is a marked improvement on his previous vintage soulman routine."[2] Similarly, Priya Elan from The Times wrote: "Lemar proves that he is good enough to compete with his US counterparts (Chris Brown, Ne Yo) [...] There is a problem with the faster songs – too many of them drift by and lack the hooks of the more epic numbers. But that is a minor gripe – all in all The Reason shows Lemar to be one of the best British R&B artists."[4]

Chart performance

The Reason entered the UK Albums Chart at number 41 on the week closing 30 November 2008.[7] This marked Lemar's lowest-charting entry by then.[7]

Track listing

The Reason track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."The Reason"
  • Lemar Obika
  • Radio
  • Troy Johnson
  • Lemar
  • Radio
3:30
2."Weight of the World"
  • Jonsin
  • Biancaniello
  • Watters
4:18
3."Little Miss Heartbreaker"
Beanz3:55
4."If She Knew"
4:07
5."Trust Me"
Remi4:17
6."Over You"
  • Obika
  • Daniel Lemma
  • Mattias Wollo
3:46
7."Mayday"ObikaLemar3:35
8."Wait Forever"
  • Kelly
  • Schack
  • Karlin
  • Kelly
  • Soulshock & Karlin
3:31
9."Not What You Say"
  • Lemar
  • Scott
  • Splash
3:16
10."Black Tide"
  • Obika
  • Lemma
  • Wollo
  • Lemar
  • Lemma
  • Wollo
3:36
iTunes edition bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
11."Won't Walk Away"3:42
12."Fall Over"4:06
13."Diamonds"3:47

Charts

Weekly chart performance for The Reason
Chart (2003) Peak
position
UK Albums (OCC)[7] 41

References

  1. ↑ "Lemar: GRADUATING WITH HONOURS". Blues & Soul. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  2. 1 2 O'Brtien, Jon. "Lemar – The Reason". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  3. 1 2 Robinson, Peter (8 November 2009). "Urban review: Lemar, The Reason". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  4. 1 2 Elan, Priya (22 November 2009). "Lemar: The Reason". The Times. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  5. ↑ Long, Chris (23 November 2008). "Lemar - The Reason". 95.8 Capital FM. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  6. ↑ Long, Chris. "Albums & Tracks: Lemar, The Reason". Orange. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  7. 1 2 3 "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
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