:Strut (album)

{{For|other albums called Strut|Strut (disambiguation)#Albums}}

{{Infobox album

| name = Strut

| type = studio

| artist = Lenny Kravitz

| cover = Lenny Kravitz - Strut.png

| alt =

| released = {{Start date|2014|9|23}}

| recorded = 2012–2014

| studio = Gregory Town Sound{{cite web |last1=Erlewine |first1=Stephen Thomas |title=Lenny Kravitz: Strut |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/strut-mw0002696487 |publisher=AllMusic |accessdate=July 12, 2018}}

| genre = Rock

| length = {{Duration|m=53|s=22}}

| label = Roxie Records, Kobalt

| producer = Lenny Kravitz

| prev_title = Black and White America

| prev_year = 2011

| next_title = Raise Vibration

| next_year = 2018

| misc = {{Singles

| name = Strut

| type = studio

| single1 = The Chamber

| single1date = June 24, 2014

| single2 = Sex

| single2date = August 6, 2014

| single3 = New York City

| single3date = October 21, 2014

| single4 = Dirty White Boots

| single4date = November 11, 2014

| single5 = The Pleasure and the Pain

| single5date = June 26, 2015

}}

Strut is the tenth studio album by American rock musician Lenny Kravitz. It was released on September 23, 2014 and was the first release on Kravitz's own Roxie Records, with distribution by Kobalt Label Services. The record also produced five singles released both in 2014 and 2015.

Background

This album is his first one released by his own label Roxie Records—named after his mother, actress Roxie Roker. In an interview for Huffington Post Kravitz explained that the name Strut is "...about being proud and confident about who you are. Whatever you are. Because we're all different. We're all freaks of some sort. That whole thing about being "normal," I don't even know what that is. We're all different. That's the beauty of life. It's about embracing who you are, and walking tall and proud".{{cite web |last1=Williams |first1=Brennan |title=Lenny Kravitz On His New Album 'Strut' And His Dream Of Working With Prince |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/05/lenny-kravitz-strut-interview_n_5774208.html |website=HuffPost |accessdate=March 18, 2019 |date=December 6, 2017}} He also mentioned that "the music itself is about love and relationships", "grit and glamour, all together", and "a lot of sensuality".{{cite web |title=Lenny Kravitz struts back with new album |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/lifestyle/entertainment/music/news/2014/09/23/lenny-kravitz-50-struts-back-with-new-album/ |website=Toronto Star |accessdate=March 18, 2019 |date=September 23, 2014}}

Kravitz wrote all the songs on the album, except for "Ooo Baby Baby" written by Smokey Robinson and Warren "Pete" Moore, and played various instruments as well. He decided to cover "Ooo Baby Baby" while filming The Hunger Games: Catching Fire where he played character Cinna, the stylist to Jennifer Lawrence's heroine. He heard it in a makeup trailer, and the song pleased him so much that he soon decided to include it as twelfth title for the new album. The lead single, "The Chamber", was released on June 24, 2014. The video is set in Paris, a city where Kravitz has been living on and off for the past nine years. In 2011, he was even awarded the France's highest cultural honour—Order of Arts and Letters.

Critical reception

{{Music ratings

| MC = 71/100{{cite web|title=Strut – Lenny Kravitz|url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/strut/lenny-kravitz|publisher=Metacritic|accessdate=October 17, 2014}}

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}{{cite web |last1=Erlewine |first1=Stephen Thomas |title=Lenny Kravitz: Strut |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/strut-mw0002696487 |publisher=AllMusic |accessdate=July 12, 2018}}

| rev2 = Entertainment Weekly

| rev2score = B+{{cite web |last1=Anderson |first1=Kyle |title=Albums: Oct. 3, 2014 |url=https://ew.com/article/2014/09/26/albums-oct-3-2014/ |website=EW.com |access-date=16 February 2021 |language=EN |date=September 26, 2014}}

| rev3 = laut.de

| rev3score = {{rating|2|5}}{{cite web |last1=Kabelitz |first1=Sven |title=Das vorläufige Ende der Abwärtsspirale. |url=https://www.laut.de/Lenny-Kravitz/Alben/Strut-93517 |publisher=laut.de |accessdate=14 July 2020 |language=de}}

| rev4 = Now

| rev4score = {{Rating|3|5|full=Red N.png|empty=Blank N.PNG|rating=N}}{{cite web|last1=Leconte|first1=Julia|title=Lenny Kravitz – Strut (Sony)|url=http://www.nowtoronto.com/music/story.cfm?content=199858 |work=NOW |accessdate=October 17, 2014}}

| rev5 = Mojo

| rev5score = {{rating|2|5}}

| rev6 = The Music

| rev6score = {{rating|3|5}}{{cite web |last1=Cooper |first1=Cameron |title=Lenny Kravitz – Strut |url=http://themusic.com.au/music/albumreviews/2014/09/15/lenny-kravitz-strut-cameron-cooper/ |website=The Music |accessdate=June 27, 2018 |date=September 15, 2014}}

| rev7 = The New Zealand Herald

| rev7score = {{rating|3|5}}{{cite web |title=Album review: Lenny Kravitz, Strut |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=11343576 |website=The New Zealand Herald |accessdate=July 12, 2018 |date=October 17, 2014}}

| rev8 = Otago Daily Times

| rev8score = {{rating|2.5|5}}{{cite web |last1=Gilchrist |first1=Shane |title=CD Reviews: Lenny Kravitz |url=https://www.odt.co.nz/entertainment/music/cd-reviews-lenny-kravitz |website=Otago Daily Times |accessdate=July 12, 2018 |date=October 27, 2014}}

| rev9 = Renowned for Sound

| rev9score = {{rating|3|5}}{{cite web |last1=Floyd |first1=Marcus |title=ALBUM REVIEW: LENNY KRAVITZ – STRUT |url=http://renownedforsound.com/index.php/album-review-lenny-kravitz-strut/ |website=Renowned for Sound |accessdate=June 27, 2018 |date=September 22, 2014}}

| rev10 = The Sydney Morning Herald

| rev10score = {{rating|3|5}}{{cite web |last1=Smith |first1=Paul |title=The Shortlist album reviews: October 10–16 |url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/the-shortlist-album-reviews-october-1016-20141007-10osqp.html |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=16 February 2021 |language=en |date=9 October 2014}}

}}

At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 71, based on five reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".{{cite web|title=Strut – Lenny Kravitz|url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/strut/lenny-kravitz|publisher=Metacritic|accessdate=October 17, 2014}}

Strut was ranked No. 35 on Rolling Stone's 50 Best Albums of 2014 list: the song "New York City" was described as "the best tune Mick Jagger didn't get around to writing in his Studio 54 days".{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/50-best-albums-of-2014-20141201/lenny-kravitz-strut-20141201|title = 50 Best Albums of 2014|magazine = Rolling Stone|date = December 2014}}

Shane Gilchrist of Otago Daily Times stated "All his technical ability aside, Kravitz lingers a little too long in a comfortable late-night lounge, swaggering around a framework of riff-rock, reconstituted funk and dirty soul. In short, Strut offers no significant U-turns (unlike previous album Black and White America) nor does it stumble".{{cite web |last1=Gilchrist |first1=Shane |title=CD Reviews: Lenny Kravitz |url=https://www.odt.co.nz/entertainment/music/cd-reviews-lenny-kravitz |website=Otago Daily Times |accessdate=July 12, 2018 |date=October 27, 2014}} Lisa Nash of Cryptic Rock mentioned "His albums are like a bag of pick and mix: full of variety, sweet to taste, and will make listeners remember their childhood with fondness. The tracks are generally radio and club friendly and will make people want to dance. The guitar riffs will please the Rock fans, while the Soul fans will love Kravitz’s distinctive voice. Strut is a very solid piece of work and, while not as strong as 2011’s Black and White America, will still please Kravitz’s dedicated followers".{{cite web |last1=Nash |first1=Lisa |title=LENNY KRAVITZ – STRUT (ALBUM REVIEW) |website=Cryptic Rock|url=https://crypticrock.com/lenny-kravitz-strut-album-review/ |accessdate=July 12, 2018 |date=January 12, 2015}}

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic wrote "Kravitz deploys all his considerable sonic skills on songs that are purposefully trashy and unapologetically fun and the result is pure pleasure".{{cite web |last1=Erlewine |first1=Stephen Thomas |title=Lenny Kravitz: Strut |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/strut-mw0002696487 |publisher=AllMusic |accessdate=July 12, 2018}} A reviewer of Funkatopia said "The new album Strut from Lenny Kravitz seems like a culmination of raw rock and funk thrown into a blender... His talent and delivery are intense, but there's something here that seems like we’re looking at a puzzle that had some pieces left out. Maybe it's one of those albums that insist on multiple listens to truly embrace what's happening and maybe those awkward feelings are the subconscious identifying great songs".{{cite web |title=Review: Lenny Kravitz – Strut |url=http://funkatopia.com/funk-music-reviews/review-lenny-kravitz-strut/ |website=Funkatopia |accessdate=July 12, 2018 |date=September 23, 2014}}

Track listing

{{track listing

| headline = Strut track listing

| all_lyrics = Lenny Kravitz, except "Ooo Baby Baby" written by Smokey Robinson and Warren "Pete" Moore

| title1 = Sex

| music1 = Kravitz, Craig Ross

| length1 = 3:55

| title2 = The Chamber

| music2 = Kravitz, Ross

| length2 = 4:57

| title3 = Dirty White Boots

| music3 = Kravitz, Ross

| length3 = 3:58

| title4 = New York City

| music4 = Kravitz, Ross

| length4 = 6:23

| title5 = The Pleasure and the Pain

| music5 = Kravitz

| length5 = 5:09

| title6 = Strut

| music6 = Kravitz

| length6 = 3:10

| title7 = Frankenstein

| music7 = Kravitz

| length7 = 4:35

| title8 = She's a Beast

| music8 = Kravitz

| length8 = 4:43

| title9 = I'm a Believer

| music9 = Kravitz, Ross

| length9 = 3:17

| title10 = Happy Birthday

| music10 = Kravitz

| length10 = 4:57

| title11 = I Never Want to Let You Down

| music11 = Kravitz

| length11 = 4:38

| title12 = Ooo Baby Baby

| music12 = Smokey Robinson, Warren "Pete" Moore

| length12 = 3:40

| total_length = 53:22

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Target deluxe edition bonus tracks

| title13 = Lift Me Out of My Head

| length13 = 5:15

| title14 = It Won't Feel the Same

| length14 = 4:21

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = iTunes bonus tracks{{cite web |title=Strut (Bonus Track Version) by Lenny Kravitz |url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/strut-bonus-track-version/889027833 |website=Apple Music |access-date=July 14, 2023}}

| title13 = Sweet Gitchey Rose

| length13 = 4:48

| title14 = Can't Stop Thinkin' 'bout You

| length14 = 3:43

}}

Personnel

Lenny Kravitz – lead and background vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, Mellotron, bass, drums, chimes, hand claps, Arp string ensemble, wine glasses, mini-moog
Craig Ross – acoustic and electric guitars, handclaps
James "D. Train" Williams – background vocals
Cindy Mizelle – background vocals
Tawatha Agee – background vocals
Dave Baron – synthesizer programming
Harold Todd – saxophone
Ludovic Louis – trumpet
Darret Adkins – cello
David Bowlin – violin
Kenji Bunch – viola
Mali Hunter – handclaps
Woody Harrelson – handclaps
Kenyea Johnson – handclaps
Mia Ross – handclaps
Rodney Burns – handclaps
Mathieu Bitton – handclaps
Ryan Price – handclaps
Tom Kartsotis – handclaps
Tom Edmonds – recording engineer
Bob Clearmountain – handclaps, mixing
Bob Ludwig – mastering

Charts

=Weekly charts=

scope="row" {{album chart\|BillboardCanada\|20\|artist=Lenny Kravitz\|album=Strut\|accessdate=December 23, 2014}}
class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" \|+Weekly chart performance for Strut ! scope="col"\| Chart (2014) ! scope="col"\| Peak position
{{album chart\|Australia\|31\|artist=Lenny Kravitz\|album=Strut\|rowheader=true}}
{{album chart\|Austria\|3\|artist=Lenny Kravitz\|album=Strut\|rowheader=true}}
{{album chart\|Flanders\|6\|artist=Lenny Kravitz\|album=Strut\|rowheader=true}}
{{album chart\|Wallonia\|5\|artist=Lenny Kravitz\|album=Strut\|rowheader=true}}
{{album chart\|Denmark\|13\|artist=Lenny Kravitz\|album=Strut\|rowheader=true}}
{{album chart\|Netherlands\|7\|artist=Lenny Kravitz\|album=Strut\|rowheader=true}}
{{album chart\|Finland\|6\|artist=Lenny Kravitz\|album=Strut\|rowheader=true}}
{{album chart\|France\|3\|artist=Lenny Kravitz\|album=Strut\|rowheader=true}}
{{album chart\|Germany\|2\|artist=Lenny Kravitz\|album=Strut\|rowheader=true}}
{{album chart\|Hungary\|5\|year=2014\|week=39\|rowheader=true\|access-date=November 28, 2021}}
{{album chart\|Italy\|3\|artist=Lenny Kravitz\|album=Strut\|rowheader=true}}
scope="row"\|Japanese Albums (Oricon){{cite web\|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/184377/products/1090231/1/\|title=ストラット\|language=ja\|publisher=Oricon\|access-date=October 26, 2023\|url-status=live\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231026225413/https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/184377/products/1090231/1/\|archive-date=October 26, 2023}} \|align="center"\|22
{{album chart\|Scotland\|31\|date=20140928\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=October 26, 2023}}
{{album chart\|Spain\|9\|artist=Lenny Kravitz\|album=Strut\|rowheader=true}}
{{album chart\|Norway\|26\|artist=Lenny Kravitz\|album=Strut\|rowheader=true}}
{{album chart\|Poland\|4\|id=889\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=November 6, 2014}}
{{album chart\|Portugal\|6\|artist=Lenny Kravitz\|album=Strut\|rowheader=true}}
{{album chart\|Switzerland\|2\|artist=Lenny Kravitz\|album=Strut\|rowheader=true}}
scope="row"\|Swiss Albums (Romandy){{cite web\|url=https://lescharts.ch/weekchart.asp?year=2014&date=20141012&cat=a\|title=Les charts de la Suisse romande\|access-date=18 June 2024\|df=dmy-all}} \|align="center"\|1
scope="row" {{album chart\|UK\|21\|artist=Lenny Kravitz\|album=Strut\|accessdate=December 23, 2014}}
scope="row" {{album chart\|Billboard200\|19\|artist=Lenny Kravitz\|album=Strut\|accessdate=December 23, 2014}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" \|+2014 year-end chart performance for Strut !scope="col"\|Chart (2014) !scope="col"\|Rank
scope="row"\|Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[https://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=2014&cat=a "Jaaroverzichten 2014: Albums"] (in Dutch). Ultratop Flanders. Retrieved August 12, 2018. \|45
scope="row"\|Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[https://www.ultratop.be/fr/annual.asp?year=2014&cat=a "Rapports Annuels 2014: Albums"] (in French). Ultratop Wallonia. Retrieved August 12, 2018. \|73
scope="row"\|Dutch Albums Chart[https://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=2014&cat=a "Jaaroverzichten – Album 2014"] (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved August 12, 2018. \|100
scope="row"\|French Albums Chart[https://web.archive.org/web/20180812145738/http://www.snepmusique.com/tops-annuel/top-album-megafusion-annuel/?ye=2014 "Top Albums annuel (physique + téléchargement + streaming)"] (in French). SNEP Musique. 2014. Retrieved August 12, 2018. \|65
scope="row"\|German Albums Chart[https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/album-jahr/for-date-2014 "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts"] (in German). Offizielle Deutsche Charts. 2014. Retrieved August 12, 2018. \|83
scope="row"\|Italian Albums Chart{{cite web\|url=http://www.fimi.it/5233\|publisher=Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana\|language=Italian\|accessdate=January 14, 2015\|title=FIMI – Classifiche Annuali 2014 "TOP OF THE MUSIC" FIMI-GfK: un anno di musica italiana\|archive-date=January 13, 2015\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150113005101/http://www.fimi.it/5233\|url-status=dead}} \|70
scope="row"\| Polish Albums Chart{{cite web\|url=http://bestsellery.zpav.pl/aktualnosci.php?idaktualnosci=1151\|title=Jakie płyty Polacy kupowali najchętniej w 2014 roku – roczne podsumowanie listy OLiS\|publisher=Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry\|language=Polish\|accessdate=January 19, 2015}} \| 29
scope="row"\|Swiss Albums Chart[http://www.swisscharts.com/charts/jahreshitparade/2014 "Swiss Year-End Charts 2014"] (in German). Swiss Charts Portal. Retrieved August 12, 2018. \| 26

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+2014 year-end chart performance for Strut

!scope="col"|Chart (2014)

!scope="col"|Rank

scope="row"|Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[https://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=2014&cat=a "Jaaroverzichten 2014: Albums"] (in Dutch). Ultratop Flanders. Retrieved August 12, 2018.

|45

scope="row"|Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[https://www.ultratop.be/fr/annual.asp?year=2014&cat=a "Rapports Annuels 2014: Albums"] (in French). Ultratop Wallonia. Retrieved August 12, 2018.

|73

scope="row"|Dutch Albums Chart[https://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=2014&cat=a "Jaaroverzichten – Album 2014"] (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved August 12, 2018.

|100

scope="row"|French Albums Chart[https://web.archive.org/web/20180812145738/http://www.snepmusique.com/tops-annuel/top-album-megafusion-annuel/?ye=2014 "Top Albums annuel (physique + téléchargement + streaming)"] (in French). SNEP Musique. 2014. Retrieved August 12, 2018.

|65

scope="row"|German Albums Chart[https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/album-jahr/for-date-2014 "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts"] (in German). Offizielle Deutsche Charts. 2014. Retrieved August 12, 2018.

|83

scope="row"|Italian Albums Chart{{cite web|url=http://www.fimi.it/5233|publisher=Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana|language=Italian|accessdate=January 14, 2015|title=FIMI – Classifiche Annuali 2014 "TOP OF THE MUSIC" FIMI-GfK: un anno di musica italiana|archive-date=January 13, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150113005101/http://www.fimi.it/5233|url-status=dead}}

|70

scope="row"| Polish Albums Chart{{cite web|url=http://bestsellery.zpav.pl/aktualnosci.php?idaktualnosci=1151|title=Jakie płyty Polacy kupowali najchętniej w 2014 roku – roczne podsumowanie listy OLiS|publisher=Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry|language=Polish|accessdate=January 19, 2015}}

| 29

scope="row"|Swiss Albums Chart[http://www.swisscharts.com/charts/jahreshitparade/2014 "Swiss Year-End Charts 2014"] (in German). Swiss Charts Portal. Retrieved August 12, 2018.

| 26

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" \|+2015 year-end chart performance for Strut !scope="col"\|Chart (2015) !scope="col"\|Rank
scope="row"\|Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[https://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=2015&cat=a "Jaaroverzichten 2015: Albums"] (in Dutch). Ultratop Flanders. Retrieved August 12, 2018. \|115
scope="row"\|Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[https://www.ultratop.be/fr/annual.asp?year=2015&cat=a "Rapports Annuels 2015: Albums"] (in French). Ultratop Wallonia. Retrieved August 12, 2018. \|65
scope="row"\|French Albums Chart[https://web.archive.org/web/20180812150133/http://www.snepmusique.com/tops-annuel/top-album-megafusion-annuel/?ye=2015 "Top Albums annuel (physique + téléchargement + streaming)"] (in French). SNEP Musique. 2015. Retrieved August 12, 2018. \|193

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+2015 year-end chart performance for Strut

!scope="col"|Chart (2015)

!scope="col"|Rank

scope="row"|Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[https://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=2015&cat=a "Jaaroverzichten 2015: Albums"] (in Dutch). Ultratop Flanders. Retrieved August 12, 2018.

|115

scope="row"|Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[https://www.ultratop.be/fr/annual.asp?year=2015&cat=a "Rapports Annuels 2015: Albums"] (in French). Ultratop Wallonia. Retrieved August 12, 2018.

|65

scope="row"|French Albums Chart[https://web.archive.org/web/20180812150133/http://www.snepmusique.com/tops-annuel/top-album-megafusion-annuel/?ye=2015 "Top Albums annuel (physique + téléchargement + streaming)"] (in French). SNEP Musique. 2015. Retrieved August 12, 2018.

|193

References

Category:2014 albums

Category:Lenny Kravitz albums

Category:Albums produced by Lenny Kravitz

Category:Self-released albums