Shock Value is the second solo studio album by record producer Timbaland. The album was released in the UK on April 2, 2007, and released in the US one day later. It is Timbaland's first release on his own imprint, the Interscope Records-distributed Mosley Music Group. Shock Value features a long list of guest artists, among them Fall Out Boy, Justin Timberlake, the Hives, Keri Hilson, Nelly Furtado, Missy Elliott, 50 Cent, Tony Yayo, Dr. Dre, OneRepublic, Elton John, Magoo and Nicole Scherzinger.
| Shock Value | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 2, 2007[1] | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 66:57 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer |
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| Timbaland chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Shock Value | ||||
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Background and release
"Release" is featured in the EA Sports game Madden NFL 08[2] and "The Way I Are" is also on the soundtrack of NBA Live 08. On April 16, the unreleased song "Laugh at 'Em" was leaked to the internet. It was originally supposed to be on the album but was not completed in time. It features Jay-Z and Justin Timberlake. The song is now known as the "Give It to Me" remix. Another unreleased track called "I See U", featuring Attitude and D.O.E., was also leaked to the internet.
An instrumental version of the album was released on the iTunes Store on July 31, 2007.
The album was supposed to be supported by a Shock Value 2008 Tour. The tour was to begin in Australia and continue to New Zealand, but was postponed and then canceled because the expected amount that Showtime Touring was to pay Timbaland was unavailable, and the star refused to perform. There had also been many scheduling conflicts with Europe. The tour was canceled one day before it was to begin.[3]
Critical reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 54/100[4] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [5] |
| The A.V. Club | B−[6] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B[7] |
| The Guardian | [8] |
| Los Angeles Times | [9] |
| Pitchfork Media | 4.1/10[10] |
| PopMatters |   [1] |
| Rolling Stone | [11] |
| Slant Magazine | [12] |
| Stylus Magazine | C+[13] |
Shock Value received generally mixed reviews from music critics.[4] At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received a weighted mean score of 54, based on 24 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[4]
Chart performance
The album debuted at No. 5 on the US Billboard 200, with 138,000 copies sold.[14] It debuted at No. 10 in the UK and on the week of July 22 climbed to No. 5.[15] The album has since reached No. 2 in the UK and No. 13 in France.[16]
The album was certified Platinum in Canada (100,000 units) by the CRIA in August 2007.[17] On the Australian ARIA Albums Chart, Shock Value was certified 3× Platinum with sales of 210,000+ copies. It reached the top of the album chart on the week beginning December 31, 2007.
In BBC Radio 1's end of year chart for 2007, Shock Value was the ninth bestselling album in the UK.[18]
On July 3, 2008, Shock Value had sold 2,234,971 in the United States, and 3,500,000 copies worldwide.
Singles
- "Give It to Me" was released as the first single on March 15, 2007. It peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, scoring Timbaland his first US No.1. Meanwhile, it also scored Timbaland his first UK No.1. It features additional vocals from Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake.
- "The Way I Are" was released as the second single on June 15, 2007. It peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart to score Timbaland his second UK No.1. It features additional vocals from Keri Hilson and a rap verse from D.O.E.
- "Apologize" was released as the third single on August 12, 2007. It is a remix of OneRepublic's "Apologize" and features the same vocals from the original. It peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, while it peaked No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart. On the Billboard Hot 100 Songs of the Decade,[19] "Apologize" came 10th, making it his most successful song ever.
- "Scream" was released as the fourth single and final single on December 7, 2007. It failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 but did peak at No. 12 on the UK Singles Chart. It features additional vocals from Keri Hilson and Nicole Scherzinger.
Other songs
- "Throw It on Me" was released as promotional single on August 5, 2007 only in Australia. It features main vocals from The Hives. It peaked at No. 96 on the Billboard Hot 100. A music video for the song was released in late 2007.
- Bounce was released as a promotional single in the US on February 8, 2008, after it was featured in the soundtrack for Step Up 2: The Streets. It features a chorus from Justin Timberlake and features rap verses from Dr. Dre and Missy Elliott. It peaked at No. 93 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song uses an uncredited sample of the song "Dirty Talk" by Klein + M.B.O.[12][20]
One Life to Live appearances
Two songs from the album were performed on an episode of the ABC soap opera One Life to Live on October 9, 2007. Timbaland performed "The Way I Are" with Keri Hilson, D.O.E., and Sebastian. OneRepublic appeared in the same episode and performed "Apologize".
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Oh Timbaland" |
| Timbaland | 3:31 |
| 2. | "Give It to Me" (featuring Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake) |
| 3:54 | |
| 3. | "Release" (featuring Justin Timberlake) |
| Timbaland | 3:25 |
| 4. | "The Way I Are" (featuring Keri Hilson and D.O.E.) |
|
| 2:59 |
| 5. | "Bounce" (featuring Dr. Dre, Missy Elliott and Justin Timberlake) |
| Timbaland | 4:04 |
| 6. | "Come and Get Me" (featuring 50 Cent and Tony Yayo) |
|
| 3:30 |
| 7. | "Kill Yourself" (featuring Sebastian and Attitude) |
| Timbaland | 4:06 |
| 8. | "Boardmeeting" (featuring Magoo) |
|
| 2:29 |
| 9. | "Fantasy" (featuring Money) |
|
| 4:11 |
| 10. | "Scream" (featuring Keri Hilson and Nicole Scherzinger) |
|
| 5:41 |
| 11. | "Miscommunication" (featuring Keri Hilson and Sebastian) |
| Danja | 3:18 |
| 12. | "Bombay" (featuring Amar and Jim Beanz) |
| Timbaland | 2:55 |
| 13. | "Throw It on Me" (featuring The Hives) |
| Timbaland | 2:11 |
| 14. | "Time" (featuring She Wants Revenge) |
| Timbaland | 3:57 |
| 15. | "One and Only" (featuring Fall Out Boy) |
|
| 4:16 |
| 16. | "Apologize" (featuring OneRepublic) |
|
| 3:04 |
| 17. | "2 Man Show" (featuring Elton John) |
|
| 4:25 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18. | "Hello" (featuring Keri Hilson and Attitude) |
| Timbaland | 4:36 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19. | "Come Around" (featuring M.I.A.) |
|
| 3:20 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19. | "The Way I Are" (French version featuring Tyssem) |
|
| 3:23 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Give It to Me" (Laugh at Em Remix featuring Jay-Z and Justin Timberlake) |
| Timbaland | 3:20 |
| 2. | "The Way I Are" (Timbaland vs Nephew) |
| Carsten Heller | 3:49 |
| 3. | "The Way I Are" (OneRepublic Remix) |
| Ryan Tedder[a] | 3:33 |
| 4. | "The Way I Are" (Jatin's Desi Remix) |
| 3:30 | |
| 5. | "Come Around" (featuring M.I.A.) |
| Timbaland | 3:57 |
| 6. | "Give It to Me" (music video) | 3:59 | ||
| 7. | "The Way I Are" (music video) | 3:33 | ||
| 8. | "Throw It on Me" (music video) | 2:47 |
Notes
- ^[a] signifies a co-producer
- ^[b] signifies a vocal producer
- "Oh Timbaland" contains samples "Sinner Man" by Nina Simone.
- "Kill Yourself" contains dialogue samples from the 2002 Resident Evil film.
- "Boardmeeting" contains interpolations from "Get Down on It" by Kool & the Gang and replayed elements from "The Breaks" by Kurtis Blow.
Personnel
- K. Alexander Jr. – chorus (17)
- Marcella "Ms. Lago" Araica – programming (10), backing vocals (8), engineer (3, 5, 8, 10), mixing (4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12)
- James Barton – mixing assistant (10)
- Jim Beanz – vocals (12), backing vocals (3, 6), vocal producer (3, 12)
- Stevie Blacke – strings (17)
- Adam Bravin – bass (14)
- Míguel Bustamante – assistant engineer (6, 11, 12)
- Kelvin Chu – A&R
- Ciara Cleary - Assistant
- D. Davis – chorus (17)
- Justin Dreyfuss – marketing coordinator
- Andrew Flad – marketing
- Rick Frazier – project coordinator
- Keisha Gamble – project coordinator (9)
- Mark Gray – engineer (8), assistant engineer (1, 6, 7, 13)
- Matty Green – assistant engineer (2, 3, 17)
- Johan Gustafsson – engineer (13)
- Barry Hankerson – executive producer
- Jerome Harmon – bass (8), strings (8, 16), keyboards (5, 16, 18)
- A. Helaire – chorus (17)
- Keri Hilson – backing vocals (3)
- Bob Horn – mixing (9)
- Andrew Hurley – drums (15)
- Monique Idlett-Mosley – publicity, marketing
- S. Jackson – chorus (17)
- Jermaine "Tank" Jennings – steel guitar (1)
- Elton John – piano (17)
- Tiffany Johnson – project manager
- Gary Jordan – project coordinator (9)
- Hannon Lane – drums, keyboards, producer (15)
- N. Lollis – chorus (17)
- Ari Mihelson – photography
- E. Millsap – chorus (17)
- Walter Milsap – choir conductor (17)
- Julian Peploe – package design
- Kevin Rudolf – guitar (3, 10)
- Manny Smith – A&R
- Marcus Spence – A&R
- Johnkenun Spivery – organ (1)
- Patrick Stump – guitar (15)
- Ron Taylor – digital editing (1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 14, 18)
- Ryan Tedder – producer (16)
- Timbaland – synthesizer (1, 8), drums (1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 10, 14, 17), guitar (13, 14), keyboards (3), producer (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18), executive producer, musician (5, 6, 12, 13, 18)
- Andrew Van Meter – production coordination
- Justin Warfield – guitar (14)
- Dan Warner – bass (3, 14), guitar (3, 10, 13, 14)
- Albert Watson – photography
- E. Watson – chorus (17)
- D. Williams – chorus (17)
- Craig Longmiles – writer (3)
Charts
Year-end charts
| Chart (2007) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[46] | 10 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[47] | 47 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[48] | 28 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[49] | 81 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[50] | 58 |
| French Albums (SNEP)[51] | 59 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[52] | 22 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[53] | 36 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[54] | 15 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[18] | 9 |
| US Billboard 200[55] | 55 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[56] | 42 |
| Chart (2008) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[57] | 34 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[58] | 46 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[59] | 91 |
| French Albums (SNEP)[60] | 189 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[61] | 35 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[62] | 38 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[63] | 83 |
| US Billboard 200[64] | 136 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[65] | 69 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[66] | 3× Platinum | 210,000^ |
| Austria (IFPI Austria)[67] | Gold | 10,000* |
| Belgium (BEA)[68] | Gold | 25,000* |
| Canada (Music Canada)[69] | 3× Platinum | 300,000‡ |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[70] | 2× Platinum | 40,000‡ |
| France (SNEP)[71] | Gold | 75,000* |
| Germany (BVMI)[72] | Platinum | 200,000^ |
| Hungary (MAHASZ)[73] | Gold | 3,000^ |
| Ireland (IRMA)[74] | 3× Platinum | 45,000^ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[75] | 2× Platinum | 30,000^ |
| Norway (IFPI Norway)[76] | Gold | 20,000* |
| Poland (ZPAV)[77] | 2× Platinum | 40,000* |
| Russia (NFPF)[78] | 3× Platinum | 60,000* |
| Singapore (RIAS)[79] | Gold | 5,000* |
| Sweden (GLF)[80] | Gold | 20,000^ |
| Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[81] | Platinum | 30,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[82] | 2× Platinum | 600,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[83] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
| Summaries | ||
| Europe (IFPI)[84] | Platinum | 1,000,000* |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Region | Date |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | February 4, 2007 |
| France | |
| Germany | |
| Japan | March 30, 2007 |
| Italy | |
| United States | April 3, 2007 |
| Canada | |
| Brazil | September 5, 2007 |
| Spain | November 6, 2007 |
Shock Value 2008 Tour
| Tour by Timbaland | |
| Associated album | Timbaland Presents: Shock Value |
|---|---|
| Start date | August 15, 2008 |
| End date | August 23, 2008 |
| Legs | 1 (cancelled) |
| No. of shows | 5 in Australia (cancelled) 1 in New Zealand (cancelled) |
| Timbaland concert chronology | |
The Shock Value 2008 Tour was supposed to be Timbaland's concert tour to support his album, Timbaland Presents: Shock Value. Dates in Australia and New Zealand were announced. However, the tour was canceled one day before it was going to begin due to scheduling conflicts in Europe.
Tour dates (all canceled)
| Date | City | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| August 15, 2008 | Sydney, Australia | Entertainment Centre |
| August 16, 2008 | Brisbane, Australia | River Stage |
| August 17, 2008 | Adelaide, Australia | Entertainment Centre |
| August 20, 2008 | Perth, Australia | Challenge Stadium |
| August 22, 2008 | Melbourne, Australia | Rod Laver Arena |
| August 23, 2008 | Auckland, New Zealand | Vector Arena |