Take You Higher

Take You Higher is the sophomore album by Canadian R&B singer Jackson Bradshaw. The album was released July 29, 2013 worldwide via Fusion Records. A follow-up to his Platinum debut album Something Special (2012) and with all songs being written by Bradshaw himself and his frequent songwriting partner Stephanie Kesh, the album featured a variety of urban-based producers contributing to the album such T-Minus, Noah "40" Shebib, and The Neptunes, along with others; Kesh produced five tracks on the album, though some had additional production, and Kesh's husband Shawn Middlesbrough and Bradshaw produced one song each. An R&B album, the record incorporated a more hip-hop influenced R&B and urban pop sound, being a departure of Bradshaw's usual urban adult contemporary style. Lyrically, as per Bradshaw's usual style, it focused on romance, love, lust, and sex.

Take You Higher debuted at #1 on the UK Albums Chart, selling 107,482 copies in its first week, becoming Bradshaw's first number one album in the UK. The album also reached #1 on the Scottish Albums Chart and in Ireland, while reaching the top ten on the album charts in The Netherlands, Italy, Australia, and New Zealand. The album received mostly positive reviews from critics and fans.

To date, the album has spawned two singles: "Don't Say Goodnight" and "In Touch". "Far Away", with a single version featuring L.E.X., will be released as the third single from the album. Jackson stated he plans on releasing more than three singles from this album, which is what he did (and nothing more) with his debut album Something Special.

Background, production, and recording
In June 2012, Bradshaw released his debut album Something Special after two years of delays and setbacks. The album featured Bradshaw's signature urban adult contemporary sound. However, shortly after the album's release, Bradshaw started listening to more hip-hop and contemporary R&B music, becoming immediately fascinated with how they sounded. Bradshaw then started to write songs as if they were structured and based around a hip-hop beat.

Bradshaw began production on the album in February 2013. The first song recorded for the album was a song that eventually did not make the final cut of the album. The earliest song recorded for the album that did make the final cut was "Magicians", which was produced by Bradshaw himself. The earliest song on the album ever is "In Touch" which was supposed to be Bradshaw's previous album Something Special but was accidentally left off. "In Touch" made Take You Higher and was remixed.

Bradshaw's frequent songwriting partner, Stephanie Kesh, produced five songs on the album. Three of them had additional production done by a variety well-regarded producers who mostly produced for hip-hop and urban artists, including T-Minus, who produced two songs on the album. Other well-known urban-based producers, such as The Neptunes, Noah "40" Shebib", and Nikhil S, worked on the rest of the album. Kesh's husband, Shawn Middlesbrough, produced the album's closing track "Take My Breath Away". Kesh remixed "In Touch" for Take You Higher to keep it "distinct and fresh" for the album.

Production of the album ended in late spring/early summer 2013. Bradshaw mostly recorded the album in London, England, though he also recorded it in parts of the United States mainly in Los Angeles, Houston, and Atlanta. Bradshaw and Kesh served as executive producers for the album.

Writing and compositon
Lyrically, the album mostly deals with romance, love, lust, and sex, though the track "Zero To None" can be described as "a random orgy of partying, reflection of life, youth, drinking, and lust". All of the songs on the album were written by Bradshaw and Kesh, with the exception of the lead track "Higher Love" which is a cover of the 1980s Steve Winwood track, which eventually inspired the album's title.

Sonically, it is a R&B album that incorporates and mostly revolves around hip-hop influenced R&B, hip-hop, and urban pop styles. Two songs on the album do not incorporate an urban sound with "Higher Love", the album's leading track, leaning more towards a mainstream adult contemporary sound, and "Take My Breath Away", the album's closing track, following a more guitar pop and adult contemporary style.

Stephanie Kesh produced five songs on the album but she felt she needed additional help producing some of the tracks providing she never worked on a "hip-hop sounding" song before. Most of the album was influenced by Bradshaw listening to some of the most popular rap, hip-hop, and R&B music in the United States at the time of the album's recording.

Titling and artwork
In June 2013, it was announced that the album would be titled Win You Over and would be released on July 22, 2013, two weeks after the release of the album's lead single, "Don't Say Goodnight". Two weeks before the initial release date, however and for reasons unknown, the album's title was changed to Take You Higher and it was pushed back a week to July 29, 2013.

The title Take You Higher is inspired by the album's opening track "Higher Love", which Bradshaw describes as one of his favorite songs of his childhood. The album's initial title Win You Over shares the same name as Bradshaw's exclusive 2012 Record Store Day vinyl EP.

The album cover of the album features three pictures of Bradshaw posing almost in the exact same pose (but with some variation each) side by side. The cover is mostly black and white with hints of red, with red being the dominant color throughout the rest of the album's packaging. The cover was made after Bradshaw did not know which picture to pick out of the three poses he made.

Release
Take You Higher was released on July 29, 2013 worldwide via Fusion Records. It includes ten tracks and was released on CD and digital download.

In the United States and Canada, on iTunes, the album includes two bonus track "Would You Go With Me?" and "Don't Say Goodnight". "Would You Go With Me?" was originally done by country artist Josh Turner while "Don't Say Goodnight" is a cover of a song done by soul group The Isley Brothers. The Isley Brothers' "Don't Say Goodnight" is unrelated to Bradshaw's song and 2013 single of the same name, in which both songs served as its b-sides.

The album was originally supposed to be released on July 22, 2013 under the title Win You Over. For reasons unknown, two weeks before the album's initial release date, the album's title was changed to Take You Higher and pushed back a week to July 29, 2013.

Singles

 * "Don't Say Goodnight" was released as the lead single from the album on July 8, 2013, though it released to streaming services in June in North America. "Don't Say Goodnight" would go to become Bradshaw's biggest hit internationally reaching #1 in various countries in Europe and also in home country of Canada. In the United States, the single has peaked at #1 for ten weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. In its first week at #1, it reached the summit on streaming and airplay alone with no aid from digital sales; when released eventually commercially, digital sales helped it stay at #1 for many weeks. The single reached #5 on the UK Singles Chart and has since sold more than 159,000 copies; it has been certified Silver by the URAPS in the UK.


 * "In Touch" was released as the second single from Take You Higher. In the UK, it was released as a double A side single with "Above Ground", another track of Bradshaw's. Outside of the UK, it was released separately. In the UK, the single, along with "Above Ground", peaked at #11 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Bradshaw's first single to miss the top ten since "Hard To Find".


 * "Far Away" will be the third single from the album and has a tentative release date of October 28, 2013. The single version features American rapper L.E.X.. The single has already peaked at #4 on the UK Pre-Release Chart.

Bradshaw stated that "Take My Breath Away" could be a potential single.

Critical reaction
Take You Higher received positive reviews from critics and fans, who praised Bradshaw's new direction in sound and vocal performance and the album's lyrics and production.

Many critics were surprised by but lauded Bradshaw's change in sound to hip-hop-inspired R&B from his signature urban adult contemporary sound, with many considering it a "rather noticeable departure" for Bradshaw. Bradshaw's vocal performance and styling on some songs drew attention and praise as well, with many stating that Bradshaw's "smooth vocals knows how to navigate through a hard hip-hop beat".

The songs "Zero To None" and "Take My Breath Away" drew attention and were labelled by many as "standout" tracks from the album mainly because many felt that the two songs were "very unique" and didn't fit in with the rest of the album but "in a good way".

Commercial performance
Take You Higher debuted and peaked at #1 on the UK Albums Chart in early August 2013, becoming Bradshaw's first number one album in the UK. It sold 107,482 copies in its first week, becoming his best opening sales number to date. The album's peak and first week sales outperformed that of his debut album Something Special (which charted at #11 on the UK Albums Chart on the same week Take You Higher reached #1). To date, the album has sold more than 393,000 copies and has been certified Silver by the Urapopstar Recording Association Phonographic Society (URAPS). The album also reached #1 on the Scottish Albums Chart and in Ireland.

The album also peaked at #4 in Australia, #5 in New Zealand, #3 in the Netherlands, and #7 in Italy. The album debuted at #2 in France.

In Canada, the album debuted and peaked at #1; it has since been certified Gold there by Music Canada.

In the United States, the album debuted and peaked at #1 on the Billboard 200, selling 177,000 copies in its first week of sales. To date, the album has sold over 500,000 copies in the US and has been certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.