A Different Me

A Different Me is the third studio album by American singer Keyshia Cole. It was released by Geffen Records in association with Imani Entertainment and Interscope Records on December 16, 2008 in the United States.^[3] Cole reteamed with producers Toxic, Ron Fair and The Runners to work on A Different Me, but also worked with a variety of additional collaborators on new material, including Polow da Don, The Outsyders, Kwamé, Carvin & Ivan, Tank, Theron Feemster, and Poke & Tone.^[4] Guest appearances include Amina, Nas, Monica and 2Pac.^[5]

A Different Me
Studio album by Keyshia Cole
Released	December 16, 2008
Genre	Pop^[1] R&B^[2]
Length	53:48
Label	Imani Geffen Interscope
Producer	Keyshia Cole (exec.) Manny Halley (exec.) Ron Fair (exec.) Polow da Don The Runners the Outsyders Kwamé Orthodox & Ransom Carvin & Ivan Toxic Tank Jason T. Miller Theron "Neffu" Feemster Reo The ARE Poke & Tone Spandor
Keyshia Cole chronology
Just like You (2007) A Different Me (2008) Calling All Hearts (2010)
Singles from A Different Me
"Playa Cardz Right" Released: October 28, 2008 "You Complete Me" Released: January 20, 2009 "Trust" Released: May 5, 2009

The album received generally positive reviews from critics who complimented it for its free-spirited and adventurous nature. A Different Me debuted and peaked at number two on the US Billboard 200, selling 322,000 copies in its first week of release. It was eventually certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and became the third highest-selling R&B/Hip-Hop album of 2009.^[6] A Different Me spawned the singles "Playa Cardz Right", "You Complete Me", and "Trust," all of which entered the top ten of the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.

Conception

A Different Me focuses less on heartache and more on maturity of her vocals and lyrics.^[7] Cole explained that, "The first two albums were more…painful. It's a different me this time: a young woman who's still growing and finding myself, exploring life through different routes musically and in other areas. I wrote more about other people's situations than my own. I'm moving forward."^[4] On the songwriting process, Cole stated, "When I hear something, I hear it—it doesn't take me three, four, five times to hear a song and say, 'OK, let's write.' If I don't write to it right off the bat, it's not working."^[4] All the songs on the album were written or co-written by Cole.^[5] Guest appearances include Amina, Nas, Monica and 2Pac.^[5] Along with the album, Cole was developing a movie based on her life. A screenwriter has develop the script with Cole in 2009.^[4]

Release and promotion

Before the album was released, BET released the third and final season of her reality show, Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is which showed her in the process of finishing the album and writing a movie. Guests during the season include Ron Fair, Polow Da Don, Monica, and Shirley Murdock. Cole also embarked on the I Am Music Tour in late 2008 and A Different Me Tour in the summer of 2009. She was featured in magazines Billboard, WordUp and VIBE from winter of 2008 to spring of 2009.

The album was released on December 16, 2008. Earlier that week, Cole made an appearance on BET's 106 and Park being interviewed and introducing the video to lead single "Playa Cardz Right" featuring Tupac Shakur. The song was released on October 21, 2008 and originally appeared on Tupac's album Pac's Life, but was rearranged by Cole and producers Ron Fair and Carvin & Ivan. It peaked at number nine on Billboard's US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.^[4] Second single "You Complete Me" featured on Cole's Myspace page in December and officially released on January 20, 2009. It peaked at number seven on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.

Third single "Trust" was originally recorded as a solo by Cole and released as an iTunes bonus track to her previous project, Just like You. The song was rerecorded featuring vocals from R&B singer and friend, Monica. It peaked at number five on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, becoming the most successful single of the album. "No Other" was to be the fourth and final single of the album. Although the single was never officially released, it did receive radio airplay and a music video.^[8]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	67/100^[9]
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	^[10]
The Boston Globe	(favorable)^[11]
Daily News	^[12]
Entertainment Weekly	B^[13]
The Hollywood Reporter	(favorable)^[14]
New York Times	(mixed)^[15]
Rolling Stone	^[16]
Slant	^[17]
Spin	^[2]
USA Today	^[18]

A Different Me received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 67 based on 6 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews."^[9] Album of the Year collected 5 reviews and calculated an average of 71 out of 100.^[19]

Allmusic editor Andy Kellman called the album "Cole's most free-spirited and adventurous album to date," going on to say that there are "at least seven songs here that rate as highly as the best from the first two albums."^[10] Jim Farber of Daily News noted that "Cole's assertions of sweetness and light hardly prove as seamless, or simple, as her songs declare". He declared that "her makeover feels less like a day at the spa than a night at the shrink," going on to say that "instead of seeming harrowing or dark", the album's result is "soulful and fulfilling".^[12] Ken Capobiano from The Boston Globe said, "On her first two records, good grooves and great singing were matched by her healthy arrogance and fire. Here she's reining in some of the 'tude, and, along with her star producers, showing a sweeter and supremely sexy side [...] Cole emphatically dares to be different—and pretty great."^[20]

Entertainment Weekly's Mikael Wood wrote that "on A Different Me, this Oakland-born belter turns her focus from heartbreak to happiness only a few years after Blige promised she was done with drama. Fortunately, Cole still sounds plenty intense singing about finding a guy who completes her; in her experience-ravaged vocals you can hear relief, but also the knowledge that stability has a way of attracting trouble."^[13] USA Today writer Steve Jones found that Cole "is in a sexier, more playful mood on her third album. Her songs still wring the emotion, but there is much less pain than on previous works [...] It seems the still-evolving singer just keeps getting better."^[18] Similarly, Barry Walters from Spin remarked that "despite her third full-length’s title, Cole doesn’t mess with the formula established on her previous platinum albums, and that’s a blessing. Matching street beats to stringed-up balladry, she narrows the gap between classic and contemporary soul with lived-in love songs that sidestep filler [...] Cole maintains an assured autobiographical voice. Accentuating joy over pain to reflect her ascent from troubled beginnings, this is the rare upbeat R&B disc that still feels real."^[2] On the contrary, Jon Caramanica of The New York Times noted that Cole "let go of her doubt," going on to say that "it's missed."^[15]

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, selling 322,000 copies in its first week, giving Cole her best week sales.^[21] In its second week, A Different Me fell to number seven, selling further 127,000 copies.^[22] In its third and fourth week, it remained at number seven, selling 54,000 and 37,000 copies, respectively.^[23][24] In its fifth week, the album fell to number nine, selling 31,000 copies.^[25] In its sixth week, the album climbed to number six, selling 31,000 copies.^[26] In its seventh week, A Different Me fell to number eight, selling 31,000 copies.^[27] In its eighth week, the album fell to number ten. The album sold over 1,000,000 copies in the US and has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).^[28]

Track listing

Credits adapted from the liner notes of A Different Me.^[29]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"A Different Me" (Intro)	Keyshia Cole Ramon Owen	Reo	1:47
2.	"Make Me Over"	Cole Ester Dean Polow da Don Ike Turner Tina Turner	Polow da Don Ron Fair	3:05
3.	"Please Don't Stop"	Cole Andrew Harr Jermaine Jackson Fair	The Runners Fair	4:04
4.	"Erotic"	Cole Theron Feemster Fair	Feemster Fair^[A]	4:10
5.	"You Complete Me"	Cole Feemster	Feemster Fair^[A]	3:51
6.	"No Other" (featuring Amina Harris)	Cole Kwamé James Poyser Josh "Guido" Rivera Harris	Kwamé Fair^[A]	3:34
7.	"Oh-Oh, Yeah-Yea" (featuring Nas)	Cole Nasir Jones Nikesha Briscoe Rafael Akinyemi	The Outsyders	3:58
8.	"Playa Cardz Right" (featuring 2Pac)	Cole Tupac Shakur Johnny Jackson Carvin Haggins Ivan Barias Yafeu Fula Tyruss Himes Maurice Harding	Carvin & Ivan Fair	4:51
9.	"Brand New"	Cole D'ana Lewis David Foreman, Jr.	Fair^[A]	4:16
10.	"Trust" (with Monica)	Cole Frederick Taylor	Toxic Donald Alford Fair	4:13
11.	"Thought You Should Know"	Cole Lonny Bereal Thai Jones	Tank Fair	4:18
12.	"This Is Us"	Evan Bogart Victoria Hort Jason T. Miller	Miller Fair	3:16
13.	"Where This Love Could End Up"	Cole Jean-Claude Oliver Samuel Barnes Russell Gonzalez	Poke & Tone The ARE	2:55
14.	"Beautiful Music"	Cole Oliver Barnes Alexander Mosely	Poke & Tone Spanador	3:59
15.	"A Different Me" (Outro)	Cole Owen	Reo	1:31

iTunes Store bonus tracks

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
16.	"Playa Cardz Right" (No Rap Version)	Cole Shakur J. Jackson Haggins Barias Fula Himes Harding	Carvin & Ivan Fair	3:57
17.	"I Love You (Part 3)" (featuring Lil Wayne)	Isaac Hayes Mary J. Blige Sean Combs	Carvin & Ivan Fair	4:23

Notes and sample credits

• ^{^[A]} denotes additional producer
• "Make Me Over" contains an interpolation of "Tina's Wish" as written by Ike & Tina Turner.

Personnel

"Toxic" Donald Alford – music producer (Track 10) Ivan "Orthodox" Barias – record producer (Track 8), all other instruments (8) Keyshia Cole – executive producer, vocal arrangement (Tracks 1-4, 6-7, 9-12, 14-15), A&R, vocal producer 1-4, 6-7, 9-12, 14-15) Claudio Cueni – 2Pac original vocal recording engineer (Track 8) Esther Dean – vocal arrangement, vocal producer (Track 2) Bojan Dugich – recording engineer (Track 13-14) Mike "Angry" Eleopoulos – recording engineer (All Tracks) Eric Eylands – audio mixing assistant (Track 10) Ron Fair – organ (Track 2), harmonica (5-6, 8-12, 14), horn conductor (2, 7, 13), producer (2-6, 8-11, 14), vibraphone (5, 8-9, 11), executive producer, vocal arrangement (1-4, 6, 9-12, 14-15), horn arrangements (2, 7, 13), string arrangements (3-6, 8-14), vocal producer (1-4, 6, 9-12, 14-15), string conductor (3-6, 8-14) Ron Feemster – drums (Track 5), additional keyboards (5), music producer (4-5), additional instruments (4-5) Bernie Grundman – mastering Josh Gudwin – recording engineer (Track 2) Carvin "Ransum" Haggins – record producer (Track 8) Manny Halley – executive producer, A&R, management Tal Herzberg – recording engineer (Track 2), Pro-Tools music editing (Tracks 1-5, 7-12, 14-15) Dan Higgins – flute (Track 14) Nate Hill – assistant recording engineer (Track 2) Buffy Hubelbank – production coordination (All Tracks) Chris James – recording engineer (Track 4) Johnny "J" – original 2Pac vocal recording producer (Track 8) Ryan Kennedy – assistant recording engineer (Tracks 2-3, 9, 11)

Kid Named Cus – recording engineer (Track 6) Jonathan Merritt – audio mixing assistant (All Tracks) Jason T. Miller – producer (Track 12), guitar, synths Peter Mokran – audio mixing (Tracks 2-3, 6, 8, 10-12) James Murray – recording engineer (Track 5) Vek Neal – illustrations Outsyders – music producer, recording engineer (Track 7) Carlos Oyanedel – audio mixing assistant (Tracks 1, 4, 15) Dave Pensado – audio mixing (Tracks 5, 9, 13) Jason Perry – drums (Track 2) Poke & Tone – music producer (Tracks 13-14) Polow da Don – music producer (Track 2) James Poyser – additional music producer (Track 6) David "DQ" Quinones – recording engineer (Track 12) David "Davix" Foreman;- vocal production (Track 9) Josh "Guido" Rivera – guitar (Track 6) Mike Ruiz – photography The Runners – music producer, recording engineer (Track 3) Allen Sides – string recording engineer (Tracks 5-6, 8, 10, 14) Johnnie "Smurf" Smith – keyboards (Track 8) Phil Tan – audio mixing (Tracks 1, 4, 15) Tank – music producer (Track 11) Eric Weaver – audio mixing assistant (Tracks 2-3, 6, 8, 11) Frank Wolf – string recording engineer (Track 3, 9, 11-13) Andrew Wuepper – audio mixing assistant (Tracks 7, 9)

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2008–09) Peak position Japanese Albums (Oricon)^[30] 62 US Billboard 200^[31] 2 US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard)^[32] 1 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)^[33] 1

Year-end charts Chart (2009) Position US Billboard 200^[34] 20 US Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums (Billboard)^[35] 3

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)^[36]	Platinum	1,000,000^^
^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

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2. Walters, Barry (January 16, 2009). "Keyshia Cole, 'A Different Me' (Imani/Geffen)". Spin. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
3. . KeyshiaCole.com. Archived from the original on June 29, 2007. Retrieved November 7, 2008.
4. Mitchell, Gail (November 7, 2008). "Keyshia Cole Shows A New Side Of 'Me'". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. Retrieved November 7, 2008.
5. "Keyshia Cole Set to Release 3rd CD – 'A Different Me'". MarketWatch. November 12, 2008. Retrieved November 15, 2008.
6. "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Archived from the original on May 27, 2019. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
7. "BET Keeps it all in the Family with the Return of 'Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is' and the New Original Series 'Brothers To Brutha'". MarketWatch. November 6, 2008. Retrieved November 7, 2008.
8. Keyshia Cole teases fans with new single and tour. http://www.behance.net/gallery/Keyshia-Cole-No-Other/4546693
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12. Farber, Jim (December 21, 2008). "A Keyshia Cole front". Daily News. Mortimer Zuckerman. from the original on December 29, 2013. Retrieved December 29, 2008.
13. Wood, Mikael (December 10, 2008). "A Different Me". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
14. Hollywood Reporter Review
15. Caramanica, Jon (December 14, 2008). "Critics' Choice – New CDs". The New York Times. from the original on May 27, 2019. Retrieved December 29, 2008.
16. Freshee, Nicole (January 22, 2009). . Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 29, 2009. Retrieved January 29, 2009.
17. Slant Review December 19, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
18. Jones, Steve (December 15, 2008). . USA Today. Archived from the original on September 2, 2020. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
19. "A Different Me". Album of the Year. United States. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
20. Capobianco, Ken (December 15, 2008). "Keyshia Cole, A Different Me". The Boston Globe. The New York Times Company. from the original on May 27, 2019. Retrieved December 29, 2008.
21. Cohen, Jonathan (December 24, 2008). "Taylor Swift Trumps Big Debuts To Stay No. 1". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. from the original on June 12, 2013. Retrieved December 24, 2008.
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25. Hasty, Katie (January 21, 2009). "Swift Makes It Lucky Seven Atop Billboard 200". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. from the original on September 15, 2014. Retrieved January 21, 2009.
26. Hasty, Katie (January 28, 2009). "Taylor Swift Album Starts Eighth Week at No. 1". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. from the original on April 25, 2013. Retrieved January 28, 2009.
27. Hasty, Katie (February 2, 2009). "Springsteen Has 'Dream' Debut Atop Album Chart". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. from the original on April 23, 2019. Retrieved February 2, 2009.
28. "No. 1 or not, Keyshia Cole is still growing". Yahoo! Music. Yahoo!. December 21, 2010. Archived from the original on February 9, 2013. Retrieved July 12, 2012.
29. Cole, Keyshia. "A Different Me" Liner Notes. Geffen, 2009.
30. 別の私|キーシャ・コール [A Different Me | Keyshia Cole] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
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32. "Keyshia Cole Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
33. "Keyshia Cole Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
34. "Billboard 200 – Year-End 2009". Billboard. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
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