We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.

We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.
Studio album by Jason Mraz
Released May 12, 2008
Recorded 2007–2008 at:
Kensaltown Recording Studios
(London, England)
Little Big Sound Studio
(Nashville, TN, USA)
Casa Nova Studio
(Oceanside, CA)
Genre Pop rock[1]
Length 50:49
Label Atlantic
Producer Martin Terefe
Jason Mraz chronology
We Steal Things.
(2008)		 We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.
(2008)		 Beautiful Mess: Live on Earth
(2009)
Singles from We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.
  1. "I'm Yours"
    Released: February 12, 2008
  2. "Make It Mine"
    Released: August 8, 2008
  3. "Lucky"
    Released: January 13, 2009
Alternative cover
Limited edition cover

We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. is the third studio album by Jason Mraz, released on May 12, 2008.[2] The album peaked at number three in the Billboard 200, making it Mraz's highest-peaking album at the time. Mraz took the name of the album from a work by the artist David Shrigley.[3]

Background and production

Progress of the recording of the album has been documented on the YouTube series "Crazy Man's Ju-ju" which contain clips from San Diego and London, where most of the album was made. "I'm Yours" was the first single from the album and was made available on iTunes, Zune Marketplace and Amazon.com on February 12, 2008. The album features collaborations with James Morrison on the track "Details in the Fabric" and with Colbie Caillat[4] on the track "Lucky".

The album was preceded by three EPs released at monthly intervals for a limited time. We Sing. was released on March 18. We Dance. was released on April 15. The third installment, We Steal Things., was released as part of a digital bundle through iTunes, JasonMraz.com and AtlanticRecords.com on the release of the album on May 13, 2008.[5] Up to March 17, 2010, the album had sold 1,491,736 copies in the U.S. and was certified Platinum by the RIAA.

On November 18, 2008, the album was re-released with the name We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. Limited Edition. The re-released album is a three disc set that includes the original 12-track CD, the second disc includes the three EPs all on one disc, and the third DVD includes an unreleased full-band concert Live at the Highline Ballroom in New York, a 30-minute documentary titled "Here We Are" and a preview to Mraz's "a thousand things." Polaroid book. The packaging also includes a 20-page CD booklet with full lyrics and additional artwork.

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Make It Mine"  Jason Mraz3:08
2."I'm Yours"  Jason Mraz4:02
3."Lucky" (with Colbie Caillat)Jason Mraz, Colbie Caillat, Timothy Fagan3:09
4."Butterfly"  Jason Mraz5:00
5."Live High"  Jason Mraz4:12
6."Love for a Child"  Jason Mraz, Martin Terefe, Sacha Skarbek4:05
7."Details in the Fabric" (feat. James Morrison)Jason Mraz, Dan Wilson5:45
8."Coyotes"  Jason Mraz3:38
9."Only Human"  Jason Mraz, Sacha Skarbek4:02
10."The Dynamo of Volition"  Jason Mraz3:36
11."If It Kills Me"  Jason Mraz, Martin Terefe, Sacha Skarbek4:33
12."A Beautiful Mess"  Jason Mraz, Mona Tavakoli, Chaska Potter, Mai Bloomfield, Becky Gebhardt5:37

The Latin American and Spanish re-release of the album includes a Spanish version of the song "Lucky" which was recorded by Mraz and the Mexican singer Ximena Sariñana.[6]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[7]
Billboard(positive)[8]
Blender[9]
Dot Music[10]
Entertainment Weekly(B+)[11]
PopMatters(7/10)[12]
Slant[13]
Sputnikmusic[14]
The Big Issue[15]
The Boston Globe(positive)[16]

The album, overall, gained mixed to positive reviews. Commenting on the album's "pleasantly lightweight jams", "beachy guitars", "R&B horns" and "playful scat singing", Entertainment Weekly gave the album a B+.[17] In an overall positive review, Billboard said, "Mraz emerges even bolder than before on an album loaded with strings, horns, formidable grooves and a dozen songs dripping with mantra-like positivity."[18]

Allmusic said, "The nice thing about the soulful shimmer of We Sing is that it's so slick that it's easy to ignore the gibberish spilling out of Mraz's mouth and just enjoy the sunny, easy sound."[19]

PopMatters wrote that "The album sounds great, and Mraz knows what he is up to. Less clear, I think, is whether the razzle-dazzle wordsmith who loves his Eminem records is ready to truly enter the marketplace as a serious vocalist and a sober songwriter", giving the album a positive rating of seven out of ten overall.[20]

Giving the album two-and-a-half out of five stars, Blender concluded that whether "Pondering his parents divorce or describing intricate and delicate sex acts, Mraz's tasty tenor remains a modestly classy pleasure. But he's lost crucial cool."[21]

Even less flattering, Uncut magazine said that "Listening to [the album] is like being followed home by a puppy— initially cute and guilelessly affecting, but rapidly irritating".[22] Writing for The Big Issue in December 2008, Lianne Steinberg stated that "listening to this album is akin to being woken from a comfortable deep sleep by a circus clown with a water pistol full of warm urine", singling out the "terrible lyrics and hamfisted rhymes" for their "hilarity".[15]

Personnel

Additional personnel

  • Martin Terefe – bass guitar on tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12, piano on tracks 2 and 3, guitar on track 2, drums on tracks 6 and 11, choir vocals on track 8, production on all tracks
  • Karl Brazil – drums on tracks 1, 4, 5 and 10
  • Luke Potashnick – guitar on tracks 1, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10
  • Nikolas Torp Larsen – keyboards on tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, and 12, choir vocals on track 8
  • Carlos Sosa – tenor saxophone on tracks 1, 4, 5 and 9, baritone saxophone on tracks 1, 4 and 9, flute on track 4, horn arrangements
  • Fernie Castillo – trumpet on tracks 1, 4, 5, and 9, flugelhorn on track 4, horn arrangements
  • Raul "Ralo" Vallejo – trombone on tracks 1, 4, 5 and 9, horn arrangements
  • Noel "Toca" Rivera – backing vocals on tracks 1, 2 and 12
  • Abby Scwartz – backing vocals on tracks 1 and 2
  • Gianna Muir-Robinson – backing vocals on tracks 1 and 2
  • Lauren De Rose – backing vocals on tracks 1 and 2
  • Taylor-Tay – backing vocals on tracks 1 and 2
  • Kristoffer Sonne – drums on tracks 2, 3, 8, 9 and 12
  • Colbie Caillat – vocals on track 3
  • David Davidson – violin on tracks 3, 6, 7, 11 and 12, string arrangements
  • David Angell – violin on tracks 3, 6, 7, 11 and 12
  • Kristin Wilkinson – viola on tracks 3, 6, 7, 11 and 12
  • Keith Nichols – cello on tracks 3 and 12
  • Judy Renea Flenoid – choir vocals on track 5
  • Shardie Flenoid – choir vocals on track 5
  • Karen Mills – choir vocals on track 5
  • Betty Mills – choir vocals on track 5
  • Chirell Warren – choir vocals on track 5
  • Tanya Tolver – choir vocals on track 5
  • Tanya Murphy – choir vocals on track 5
  • Ida Rhem – choir vocals on track 5
  • Sia Thompson – choir vocals on track 5
  • Connie Corn – choir vocals on track 5
  • Sacha Skarbek – piano on track 6, keyboards on track 9
  • John Catchings – cello on tracks 6, 7 and 11
  • James Morrison – vocals on track 7
  • Bushwalla – voicemail message on track 7, backing vocals on track 12
  • Andreas Olssen – synthesizer on track 8, 808 on track 10, programming on all tracks
  • Aaron Leibowitz – saxophone on track 8
  • Justin Kirk – trombone on track 8
  • Ben Adamson – trumpet on track 8
  • Noah Terefe – choir vocals on track 8
  • Rita Ora – choir vocals on track 8
  • Kiera McGuinness – choir vocals on track 8
  • Olivia Ansah-Smith – choir vocals on track 8
  • Julia Morgan – choir vocals on track 8
  • Julia Cailleteau – choir vocals on track 8
  • Kiera Zekra – choir vocals on track 8
  • Teymor Gray – choir vocals on track 8
  • Joseph Alfille-Cook – choir vocals on track 8
  • Sofia Loopuit – choir vocals on track 8
  • Walid Massoud – choir vocals on track 8
  • Thomas Picard – choir vocals on track 8
  • Hanna Terefe – choir vocals on track 8
  • Tia Terefe – choir vocals on track 8
  • Pete Ibsen – choir vocals on track 8
  • Nick Whitecross – choir vocals on track 8
  • Jon Hall – choir vocals on track 8
  • Savanna Sparks – choir vocals on track 8
  • Rebecca Lacey – choir vocals on track 8
  • Zatac Sylwiz – choir vocals on track 8
  • Xoreal Harrison – choir vocals on track 8
  • Millet Oliver – choir vocals on track 8
  • Jane Tomes – backing vocals on track 12
  • Alexis Fedorowich – backing vocals on track 12
  • Tricia Huffman – backing vocals on track 12
  • Tony Maserati – mixing on all tracks
  • Szyyd Drullard – mixing assistance on all tracks
  • Adam Thompson – mixing assistance on all tracks
  • Chris Gehringer – mastering on all tracks
  • Bil Zelman – interior album photo

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2008) Peak
position
Argentina Albums Chart[23] 18
Australian Albums Chart[24] 3
Belgian Albums Charts (Wallonia)[25] 15
French Albums Chart[26] 6
Spanish Albums Charts[27] 9
U.S. Billboard 200[28] 3

Year-end charts

Chart (2008) Position
Austrian Albums Chart[29] 64
Chart (2009) Position
Swiss Albums Chart[30] 67

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
Australia (ARIA)[31] 2× Platinum 140,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[32] 2× Platinum 160,000^
France (SNEP)[33] 3× Platinum 300,000*
Germany (BVMI)[34] Gold 100,000^
Japan (RIAJ)[35] Gold 100,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[36] Gold 7,500^
Sweden (GLF)[37] Gold 20,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[38] Gold 15,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[39] Platinum 300,000^
United States (RIAA)[40] 3× Platinum 3,000,000^
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[41] Platinum 1,000,000*

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

  1. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "((( We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things )))". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved October 25, 2009.
  2. ↑ Jasonmraz.com – We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things Jason Mraz Official Store Pre-Order
  3. ↑ Blair, Tom (November 2008). San Diego Magazine. CurtCo/SDM LLC. p. 46.
  4. ↑ iTunesLive – iTunesLive London Sessions
  5. ↑ Via Atlantic Records – Jason Mraz releases/Tour talk!
  6. ↑ "Graba Ximena Sariñana video de la suerte". esmas. May 22, 2009. Retrieved May 28, 2009.
  7. ↑ "Allmusic review".
  8. ↑ "Billboard review".
  9. ↑ "Blender review".
  10. ↑ "Dot Music review".
  11. ↑ "Entertainment Weekly review". May 9, 2008.
  12. ↑ "PopMatters review".
  13. ↑ "Slant Magazine review".
  14. ↑ "Sputnikmusic review".
  15. 1 2 Steinberg, Lianne. "Review: JASON MRAZ – We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things (Atlantic Records)". The Big Issue in the North. The Big Life Company (753, December 23-January 4, 2009): 25.
  16. ↑ "The Boston Globe review". May 20, 2008.
  17. ↑ Wood, Mikael (May 9, 2008) "We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things". Entertainment Weekly. (Retrieved January 13, 2009)
  18. ↑ Graff, Gary (May 24, 2008), "News". Billboard. (Retrieved January 13, 2009)
  19. ↑ . All Music Guide. (Retrieved January 13, 2009)
  20. ↑ PopMatters Review.
  21. ↑ Christgau, Robert (June 2008), "Conservatory-trained one-hit marvel aims for another hit by emphasizing the obvious". Blender. :75 (Retrieved January 13, 2009)
  22. ↑ Byline unknown (July 2008), . Uncut. :104 (accessed January 13, 2009)
  23. ↑ "Representando a la Industria Argentina de la Música". CAPIF. Retrieved February 28, 2011.
  24. ↑ "ARIA Chart". Retrieved May 27, 2008.
  25. ↑ "Jason Mraz – We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things". ultratop.be. Retrieved February 28, 2011.
  26. ↑ "Tops : Britney et Seal conservent leurs places". Chartsinfrance.net. December 23, 2008. Retrieved February 28, 2011.
  27. ↑ (PDF) http://promusicae.es/listassemanales/albumes/historial/TOP%20100%20ALBUMES%2009_30.pdf. Retrieved August 15, 2009. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  28. ↑ Hasty, Katy (May 21, 2008). "Jason Mraz's Atlantic album 'We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things' enters at No. 3 with 73,000". Billboard. Retrieved May 22, 2008.
  29. ↑ http://austriancharts.at/year.asp?id=2008&cat=a
  30. ↑ "Swiss Year-End Charts 2009". Media Control. Hung Medien. Retrieved February 6, 2009.
  31. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2009 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association.
  32. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Jason Mraz – We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things". Music Canada.
  33. ↑ http://www.snepmusique.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Certifications_Albums_2013.pdf
  34. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Jason Mraz; 'We Sing. We Dance. We steal thin.')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  35. ↑ "Japanese album certifications – Jason Mraz – We Sing. We Dance. We stea" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Select 2015年11月 on the drop-down menu
  36. ↑ "New Zealand album certifications – Jason Mraz – We Sing. We Dance. We steal thin.". Recorded Music NZ.
  37. ↑ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 2008" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden.
  38. ↑ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Jason Mraz; 'We Sing. We Dance. We steal thin.')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
  39. ↑ "British album certifications – Jason Mraz – We Sing We Dance We Steal Things". British Phonographic Industry. Enter We Sing We Dance We Steal Things in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Platinum in the field By Award. Click Search
  40. ↑ "American album certifications – Jason Mraz – We Sing. We Dance. We steal thin.". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
  41. ↑ "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 2009". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.
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