Sylvia Ratonel (album)
| Sylvia Ratonel | |
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| Studio album by Sylvia Ratonel | |
| Released | October 27, 2010 |
| Recorded | March - October 2010 |
| Genre | Pop, R&B, jazz, dance |
| Label | Universal |
| Producer | Don Richmond |
| Singles from Sylvia Ratonel | |
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Spin or Bin Music |   |
| The Urban Wire | |
Sylvia Ratonel is the first eponymous studio album by Singaporean singer Sylvia Ratonel. It was released in Singapore on 27 October 2010. The musical direction of the album departed from the usual ballad and acoustic genres Sylvia specialized in during Singapore Idol.Singapore Idol winner Sezairi Sezali and local rapper ShiGGa Shay appear on the album as featured artists.
Upon its release, the album received mixed reviews from online music critics, who doubted Sylvia's songwriting ability and the lack of production of the album, but praised Sylvia's vocal performance. The album has produced four singles, including the 987FM Top 5 hit "It's Raining".
Apart from a cover of an 1980s song "Manic Monday" and a Malay-language track "Mari Bersamaku", the album consists of completely original tracks co-written by Sylvia and producer Don Richmond. The album features several pop ballads and upbeat R&B tracks. "A Woman And A Man", the duet between Sylvia and Sezairi that was originally found in Sezairi's debut album, was remixed and included in the track list for Sylvia Ratonel as well.
A few songs on the album are personal recounts of Sylvia's life. "Foolish This Way" expresses the emotional experiences of past relationships and was described by her as "very slow, very heartfelt, a tearjerker". "Loving You", the first song she co-wrote with Richmond, was inspired by good life experiences. It was reported that "Come Runaway With Me" was written as an English adaptation to the Malay track "Mari Bersamaku" due to her love for the latter.
Sylvia Ratonel was promoted by means of an album launch party exclusive only to people who purchased the album CD. Sylvia performed songs from the album during the event, which was held in The Boiler Room at St James Power Station on November 26, 2010.
The album has seen the release of four singles. All of them were released only on radio format as Singapore's music industry generally does not practice CD sales and digital downloads for local singles. It began with the lead single "Fly" in May 2010, a jazz-pop song produced and written by Don Richmond. The single was described as "uplifting and empowering" and "about what a Maybelline girl should be." "Fly" was also featured in a Maybelline New York advertisement to represent "The Power In You" campaign, where Sylvia acts as the spokesperson for Singapore. The song received positive reviews, with many listeners noting that Sylvia's vocal performance in the song was indifferent from international standards. Sylvia performed the song during the Maybelline New York Launch at Cathay Cineleisure Orchard on May 28, 2010. "Fly" narrowly missed the Top 5, peaking at #6 on the Top 20 Chart of 987FM, a pop radio station in Singapore that appeals to younger audiences. However, the song ranked at #73 at the radio's year-end chart.
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