Lazarus (Travie McCoy album)
| Lazarus | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Travie McCoy | ||
| Released | June 8, 2010 | |
| Recorded | 2008–2010 | |
| Genre | ||
| Length | 35:13 | |
| Label | ||
| Producer | Pete Wentz (exec.) | |
| Singles from Lazarus | ||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| Spin |  |
| BLARE Magazine | |
| USA Today | |
| Rolling Stone | |
| DJBooth.net | |
| The Independent | |
Lazarus is the debut studio album by Gym Class Heroes lead singer Travie McCoy, released on June 8, 2010. McCoy announced his plans to pursue a solo career in early 2010, although he insisted that Gym Class Heroes had not broken up. After creating demos of melancholy and low-tempo songs, McCoy decided to abandon his early material and start over, as he claimed the songs were "too personal". He began to write more uptempo "party anthems" with lyrical themes of overcoming grief. Musically, McCoy draws from various influences on the record, including hip-hop, reggae, and rock. The album contains collaborations from Bruno Mars, Cee Lo Green, and T-Pain, among others.
Upon its release, Lazarus debuted at number 25 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart with sales of 15,000 copies. The lead single from the album was "Billionaire", which peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100. The songs "Need You" and "We'll Be Alright" have also been released as singles. Critical response to the album has been mixed to positive, with most critics praising the album's upbeat songs yet criticizing the overabundance of featured collaborations. Gregory Heaney of AllMusic opined that "Even though every track on the album isn’t a keeper, it has some solid additions to any summer playlist and will definitely please fans of Gym Class Heroes." The album has sold more than 74,000 copies as of April 2012.
In early 2010, Gym Class Heroes vocalist Travie McCoy announced that he would be pursuing a solo career. He denied rumors that Gym Class Heroes had broken up, asserting that "Since the inception of Gym Class in 1997, every member has had another musical outlet, if not three or four. This is just another one of those." McCoy began writing new material while Gym Class was on the road promoting The Quilt (2008). He had originally prepared to record an introspective album of "sad and somber" acoustic songs reflective of his state of mind following his breakup with Katy Perry and his addiction to painkillers. However, he decided to scrap his early material and start over, calling it "too personal" and saying "I didn't want that to be my first look as a solo artist," comparing the album to Kanye West's 808s & Heartbreak (2008). He relocated to Miami, Florida, to record new material and recover from his addiction, which helped him to create a more upbeat album because he "want[ed] to do something positive." McCoy decided to officially call himself "Travie" on the album instead of Travis; he explained that he has been called Travie by friends and family for "as long as [he] can remember." He believes that the new name allows listeners to the become "that much closer" to him and to "feel much more comfortable with calling [him] Travie and being part of the family."
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