Bring Ya to the Brink

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Bring Ya to the Brink
Studio album by
Cyndi Lauper
ReleasedMay 27, 2008 (2008-05-27)
Recorded2008
GenreDance-pop
Length49:36
LabelEpic
Producer
Cyndi Lauper chronology
The Body Acoustic
(2005) 		Bring Ya to the Brink
(2008) 		True Colors: The Best of Cyndi Lauper
(2009)
Floor Remixes cover
Singles from Bring Ya to the Brink
  1. "Set Your Heart"
    Released: 2008 (Japan only)
  2. "Same Ol' Story"
    Released: May 6, 2008
  3. "Into the Nightlife"
    Released: September 22, 2008

Bring Ya to the Brink is American singer Cyndi Lauper's tenth studio album, released on May 14, 2008 in Japan, and 13 days later worldwide.[1][2] The album is a collection of dance-oriented songs and features collaborations with Basement Jaxx, Richard Morel, Max Martin and Kleerup, among others. Regarded as one of the singer's best works at the time it was released, the Songwriters Hall of Fame has regarded the album track "High and Mighty" as one of Lauper's key songs.[3] The album received a nomination for Best Dance/Electronica Album at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards.[4] The song "Set Your Heart" was released as a promotional single in Japan in early 2008, while "Same Ol' Story" was the first official single released on May 6, 2008. "Into the Nightlife" was released as the second single.[5]

The album is Lauper's last release to date of original material in addition to being her last for Epic Records, her label since her 1983 debut solo album She's So Unusual. The album debuted at #41 on the Billboard 200, with 12,000 copies sold.[6] A remix album, titled Floor Remixes, was released exclusively in Japan on February 18, 2009, in a CD-only edition and a limited edition that featured a CD and a DVD,[7] it reached the position of #102 on the Oricon charts.[8] To promote the remix album, a mashup of "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" and "Set Your Heart" was made by Richard Morel.

Background and music[edit]

Lauper visited England and Sweden during early 2007 where she wrote songs with dance artists such as The Scumfrog, Basement Jaxx, Digital Dog, Dragonette, Kleerup and Axwell.[9] She also wrote and produced four of the album's tracks with Washington DC DJ Richard Morel.[10] Art direction on the album was credited to Cyndi Lauper, Sheri Lee & Meghan Foley, with photography by Stefanie Schneider.[11][12] In interview with Brazilian newspaper Extra the singer revealed: "On this record, I worked with many producers who make dance music... Anyway, dance music is pop. And I make pop music. By the way, I always had dance songs on my records. I just decided to get into the dance community a little more this time, doing something more innovative."[13]

Bring Ya to the Brink is a dance-pop[14][15] record with influences spanning Eurodisco, soul, pop,[16] deep house, electro and nu-disco.[15]

Singles[edit]

"Set Your Heart" was released as a promo-only single in Japan, where it received considerable airplay. Peaking at No. 11 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 Singles.[17] The first single of the album was "Same Ol' Story", it was released worldwide on May 6, 2008.[18] It topped the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play and stayed on the chart for several weeks.[19][20] The second single of the album was "Into the Nightlife", it was released on August 8, 2008.[18] The music video for the song was partly filmed at Splash Bar in New York City on May 20, 2008.[21] Fans were invited to come be extras in the video.[21] It was a huge club hit in the U.S. topping the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play and peaking at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot Dance Airplay.[22] Dance radio station Energy 92.7FM in San Francisco announced that "Echo" would be the third single, but no release eventuated. The song itself was promoted in June 2012 by WWE when Lauper returned to the company for a special appearance. According to the Brazilian newspaper O Globo, the song thrilled and was one of the favorites from the audience at the concert the singer did in Brazil, in 2008.[23]

Tour and promotion[edit]

To support the album, Lauper toured the world in 2008. She embarked on the Bring Ya to the Brink World Tour in support of the album in countries outside of the United States: The show ventured to Australia in the spring of 2008 and Japan, Europe and South America in the fall of 2008. In the United States she toured in the summer with the True Colors 2008 tour to support the album there. The album listed at No. 7 on the Attitude Magazine's top ten albums of 2008[24] and also came in at No. 8 on Amazon's Best Pop albums of 2008.[25] "Echo" was featured in the Gossip Girl episode "Bonfire of the Vanity", in which Lauper had a cameo at Blair Waldorf's 18th birthday party celebration. "High and Mighty" was in an episode of Ugly Betty. Lauper performed "Into the Nightlife" live on The Graham Norton Show,[26] in series 4 episode 2, first broadcast on October 9, 2008.[27]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic69/100[28]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[29]
Billboard(favorable)[30]
Blender[31]
Entertainment WeeklyB[32]
The New York Times(mixed)[33]
NOW(favorable)[34]
The Observer(positive)[16]
PopMatters(7/10)[35]
Rolling Stone[36]
Slant Magazine[14]

The album received favorable reviews from music critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic gave the album three and a half stars out of five and pointed out that it is difficult to define the singer's career, because she changes her style constantly, sometimes sounding retro, sometimes modern, or mixing the two, like in Bring Ya to the Brink.[29] Chuck Taylor from Billboard gave a favorable review to the record and noted that while it exploits the artificiality of the dancefloor, its lyrics carry a strong message that won't always be noticed by the public.[30] Barry Walters from Blender gave the album three and a half stars out of five and said that with the social messages of the songs, Lauper has never sounded more relevant since her first album She's So Unusual.[31] Simon Vozick-Levinson from Entertainment Weekly magazine gave the album a B rating and praised the singer's finally returning to the dance floor world.[32] The New York Times gave a mixed review, describing the record as "a stubbornly fluorescent record, long on thudding downbeats and short on nuance or grace".[33] Evan Davies from Toronto's NOW newspaper gave the record three (NNN) out of five and wrote that while there are clear references to the work of artists like Daft Punk and Kylie Minogue, "Lauper’s personality, always her greatest asset, manages to come through on the bulk of Brink" and that although there are a few songs that just fill the record, it "is fun and catchy".[34] Liz Hoggard of The Observer praised the album and said "this is the album Madonna should have made instead of Hard Candy".[16] Caryn Ganz from Rolling Stone magazine gave it three stars out of five and wrote that the album never comes close to "a full serotonin burst" like Madonna's 2005 album Confessions on a Dance Floor, but "it brings Lauper's credit to once again innovate her repertoire."[36] Slant Magazine gave the album three and a half stars out of five and pointed out that although the album isn't mainstream enough to bring a triumphant comeback in Lauper's career, it recaptures the singer's artistic relevance and stands out as a superior alternative to Hard Candy, by Madonna.[14]

Commercial performance[edit]

Bring Ya to the Brink debuted at No. 41 with 12,000 sold, became the singer's first U.S. pop album since 1996's Sisters of Avalon.[37] By August 22, 2008 it has sold 33,000 in the U.S. according to Nielsen SoundScan.[38]

Track listing[edit]

Bring Ya to the Brink – Standard edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."High and Mighty"
4:43
2."Into the Nightlife"
  • Lauper
  • Åström
  • Bobäck
4:00
3."Rocking Chair"
3:39
4."Echo"
  • Lauper
  • Åström
  • Bobäck
  • William Wittman
  • Lauper
  • Åström
  • Bobäck
3:55
5."Lyfe"
  • Lauper
  • Roger Fife
  • Melissa Greene
  • Sammy Merendino
  • Lauper
  • DJ Emz
3:38
6."Same Ol' Story"
  • Lauper
  • Morel
5:54
7."Raging Storm"
  • Lauper
  • Morel
  • Lauper
  • Morel
5:23
8."Lay Me Down"
  • Lauper
  • Kleerup
3:28
9."Give It Up"
3:23
10."Set Your Heart"
  • Lauper
  • Morel
3:42
11."Grab a Hold"
3:27
12."Rain on Me"
4:24
Bring Ya to the Brink –Japanese and special editions[39][40]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
13."Got Candy"
  • Lauper
  • Morel
  • Lauper
  • Morel
3:53
14."Can't Breathe"
  • Lauper
  • Phan
  • Kronlund
  • Lauper
  • Wittman
3:58
Bring Ya to the Brink – Floor Remixes
No.TitleLength
1."Girls Just Wanna Have Fun/Set Your Heart" 
2."Into the Nightlife" (Freedombunch Remix) 
3."Same Ol' Story" (Pink Noise Remix) 
4."Time After Time" (Freedombunch Remix) 
5."Set Your Heart" (Freedombunch Remix) 
6."High and Mighty" (Tom Novy Remix) 
7."Into the Nightlife" (Johnny Pinkfinger vs Mihell Remix) 
8."Same Ol' Story" (Extended Mix) 
9."Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" (X Set Your Heart Mashup) 
10."True Colors" (Ukawanimation! Remix) 
11."DVD : Girls Just Wanna Set Your Heart" 
12."DVD : Set Your Heart" (Freedombunch Remix) 
13."DVD : Set Your Heart" (Freedombunch Remix - Tomovie Version) 
14."DVD : Set Your Heart" (Freedombunch Remix - Usagi TANAKA (SCORT+) Version) 
15."DVD : Director Interview" 

Personnel[edit]

  • Cyndi Lauper – vocals, production[41]
  • Martina Sorbara – backing vocals (track 11)
  • Axwell – all instruments and drum programming except as listed below
  • Knox Chandler – guitars (tracks 6, 7, 10, 11)
  • Richard Morel – guitars, keyboards (tracks 6, 7, 10)
  • Stephen Gaboury – keyboards (tracks 5, 11)
  • Dan Kurtz – keyboards (track 11)
  • Roger Fife – synthesizers (track 5)
  • William Wittman – guitar, electric bass, synth bass (track 11)
  • Dave Finnell – trumpet (tracks 6, 7, 10)
  • Craig Considine – trombone (tracks 6, 7, 10)
  • Sammy Merendino – drums (track 5)
Sample credits

Accolades[edit]

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2009 "Bring Ya to the Brink" Grammy Award for Best Electronic/Dance Album Nominated

Charts[edit]

Chart (2008) Peak
Position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[42] 87
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[43] 48
Canadian Albums (Billboard) 40
French Albums (SNEP)[44] 129
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[45] 18
Japanese International Albums (Oricon) 5
U.S. Billboard 200[46] 41
U.S. Billboard Digital Albums[47] 9
U.S. Billboard Internet Albums[48] 17

Release history[edit]

Region Date Label Format Catalog
Japan May 14, 2008 (2008-05-14) Sony Music Japan CD with bonus tracks EICP 968[49]
United States
UK		 May 27, 2008 (2008-05-27) Epic Records CD 706592[50]
Paid download
Argentina Sony BMG CD 706592[51]
Finland May 28, 2008 (2008-05-28) – – –
South Korea June 3, 2008 (2008-06-03) Sony BMG Music Entertainment Korea CD SB10444C[52]
Australia June 7, 2008 (2008-06-07) Epic CD 88697065922[53]
Paid download
China 2008 (2008) Sony BMG CD 9787799428642
Indonesia August 15, 2008 (2008-08-15) Sony BMG CD –
Cassette –

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ "Interview: Cyndi Lauper Brings Us to the Brink and Tells Us What's in her Head". Sony Music. July 25, 2008. Archived from the original on May 14, 2010. Retrieved February 3, 2009.
  2. ^ Liss, Sarah (June 2, 2008). "She's Still Unusual: Q & A with Cyndi Lauper". CBC News. Retrieved February 2, 2009.
  3. ^ "Songwriters Hall Of Fame 2014 Nominees For Induction Announced". Archived from the original on October 14, 2013. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  4. ^ "Artist: Cyndi Lauper". Grammy.com. Archived from the original on July 26, 2021. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  5. ^ Be in the "Into the Nightlife" Video! Archived May 19, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. Cyndi Lauper Source (May 14, 2008). Retrieved May 15, 2008.
  6. ^ Hasty, Katie (June 4, 2008). "Usher Scores Second Best Sales Debut Of '08". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 23, 2013. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  7. ^ Floor Remixes (Media notes). Cyndi Lauper. Epic Records. 2009. EICP 1107-8.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. ^ "シンディ・ローパーのCDアルバムランキング、シンディ・ローパーのプロフィールならオリコン芸能人事典-Oricon Style". www.oricon.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved July 3, 2011.
  9. ^ Gamboa, Glenn (May 28, 2008). Her music has the rights stuff[permanent dead link]. Newsday. Retrieved May 29, 2008.
  10. ^ Browne, Sally (February 13, 2008). Artist Review: Cyndi Lauper Archived March 23, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. The Sunday Times. Retrieved May 29, 2008.
  11. ^ "Interview: Cyndi Lauper Brings Us to the Brink + Tells Us What's in her Head". Sony Music. July 25, 2008. Archived from the original on May 14, 2010. Retrieved February 3, 2009.
  12. ^ Liss, Sarah (June 2, 2008). "She's Still Unusual: Q & A with Cyndi Lauper". CBC News. Retrieved February 2, 2009.
  13. ^ Samora, Guilherme (June 24, 2008). "Cindy Lauper fala sobre seu novo disco, a turnê no Brasil e a decepção quando soube que não era gay". Extra (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on September 7, 2021. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  14. ^ a b c Keefe, Jonathan (May 25, 2008). "Cyndi Lauper: Bring Ya to the Brink". Slant Magazine. Retrieved October 11, 2011.
  15. ^ a b Levine, Nick (July 19, 2008). "Cyndi Lauper: 'Bring Ya To The Brink'". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on February 18, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  16. ^ a b c Hoggard, Liz (August 10, 2008). "Pop review: Cyndi Lauper, Bring Ya To The Brink". The Observer. London: Guardian Media Group. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved October 11, 2011.
  17. ^ Top Music Charts - Hot 100 - Billboard 200 - Music Genre Sales Billboard.com. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  18. ^ a b "Cyndi Lauper Albums and Discography". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  19. ^ "Billboard Dance Club Songs: Cyndi Lauper". Billboard. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  20. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Cyndi Lauper". AllMusic. Archived from the original on July 31, 2013.
  21. ^ a b "Be in the "Into the Nightlife" Video!". Cyndi Lauper Source. May 14, 2008. Archived from the original on May 19, 2008. Retrieved May 15, 2008.
  22. ^ "Billboard Dance/Mix Show Airplay". Billboard. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  23. ^ "Cyndi Lauper faz show empolgante em BH". G1 (in Portuguese). Globo.com. November 17, 2008. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  24. ^ "Top 10 Albums of 2008". Attitude. United Kingdom: Vitality Publishing. Retrieved October 11, 2011.
  25. ^ "Best Pop Music of 2008". Amazon.com. 8. Bring Ya to the Brink, Lauper, Cyndi. Retrieved February 12, 2009.
  26. ^ "Cyndi Performs "Into The Night Life"". San Francisco: Signatures Network, Inc. Retrieved February 12, 2009. Cyndi performs live on the Graham Norton Show, Oct. 9, 2008.[permanent dead link]
  27. ^ "The Graham Norton Show, Series 4, Episode 2". BBC Two Programmes. BBC. Retrieved February 12, 2009. Graham is joined by legendary comic Jennifer Saunders and 80s icon Cyndi Lauper
  28. ^ "Critic Reviews for Bring Ya to the Brink". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
  29. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Cyndi Lauper: Bring Ya to the Brink > Review" at AllMusic. Retrieved October 11, 2011.
  30. ^ a b Taylor, Chuck (2008). "Bring Ya to the Brink". News & Reviews. Billboard.com. Archived from the original on May 26, 2008.
  31. ^ a b Blender review Archived May 29, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  32. ^ a b Vozick-Levinson, Simon (June 13, 2008). "Bring Ya to the Brink (2008): Cyndi Lauper". Entertainment Weekly. No. #998. Time. ISSN 1049-0434. Archived from the original on October 9, 2012. Retrieved October 11, 2011.
  33. ^ a b Chinen, Nate (May 26, 2008). Parales, Jon (ed.). "Critics' Choice: New CDs". The New York Times. Cyndi Lauper: "Bring Ya to the Brink". ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 11, 2011.
  34. ^ a b Davies, Evan (May 29, 2008). "Cyndi Lauper: Bring Ya To The Brink". NOW. Vol. 27, no. 39. ISSN 0712-1326. Archived from the original on September 26, 2011. Retrieved October 11, 2011.
  35. ^ Wikane, Christian John (June 5, 2008). "Cyndi Lauper: Bring Ya to the Brink". PopMatters. Retrieved October 11, 2011.
  36. ^ a b Ganz, Caryn (May 29, 2008). "Cyndi Lauper: Bring Ya to the Brink". Rolling Stone. Straight Arrow. ISSN 0035-791X. Retrieved October 11, 2011.
  37. ^ Hasty, Katie (April 6, 2008). "Usher Scores Second Best Sales Debut Of '08". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 23, 2013. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  38. ^ Caulfield, Keith (August 22, 2008). "Ask Billboard: Tina Turner, Top-Selling Rap, Lauper". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 14, 2014. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  39. ^ Sony Music Online Japan. Retrieved April 16, 2008.
  40. ^ "Bring Ya to the Brink -Special Edition- [w/ DVD, Limited Release]". cdjapan.co.jp. Retrieved October 11, 2011.
  41. ^ a b Bring Ya to the Brink (Liner notes). Epic. 2008. 88697065922.
  42. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 162.
  43. ^ "Bring Ya to the Brink Austrian Charting". Austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on December 4, 2011. Retrieved August 28, 2010.
  44. ^ "Bring Ya to the Brink French Charting". Les charts. Retrieved August 28, 2010.
  45. ^ Oricon rank - Cyndi Lauper Oricon.co.jp. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  46. ^ Hasty, Katie (June 4, 2008) Usher Scores Second Best Sales Debut of '08. Billboard. Retrieved June 7, 2008.
  47. ^ Billboard Digital Albums - Cyndi Lauper Billboard.com. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  48. ^ Billboard Internet Albums - Cyndi Lauper Billboard.com. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  49. ^ Bring Ya to the Brink > Overview Allmusic. Retrieved May 14, 2008.
  50. ^ Cyndi Lauper – Bring Ya to the Brink at Discogs
  51. ^ Sony BMG Argentina News. Retrieved June 2, 2008. Archived May 31, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  52. ^ "Cyndi Lauper "Bring Ya To The Brink"" (in Korean). maniadb.com.
  53. ^ Bring Ya To The Brink Oceania Archived June 7, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. Cyndi Lauper UK. Retrieved June 2, 2008.

External links[edit]

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