Back to Now

{{italic title}}

{{Distinguish|text=the 2012 album of Skye Edwards}}

{{Infobox album|

| name = Back to Now

| type = album

| artist = Labelle

| cover = BackToNow.jpg

| alt =

| released = October 21, 2008
April 20, 2009 (UK)

| recorded =

| studio =

| genre =

• Rock
• soul
• funk{{cite book|first=Alice|last=Echols|title=Hot Stuff: Disco and the Remaking of American Culture|chapter= Ladies' Night: Women and Disco|url=https://books.google.com/books/about/Hot_Stuff_Disco_and_the_Remaking_of_Amer.html?id=DzrvOAA2tvAC|date=March 29, 2010|publisher=W. W. Norton & Company|isbn=978-0-393-06675-3|page=105}}

| length = 49:22

| label = Verve, Universal

| producer = Lenny Kravitz, Wyclef Jean, Gamble & Huff

| prev_title = Chameleon

| prev_year = 1976

| next_title =

| next_year =

| misc = {{Singles

| name = Back to Now

| type = studio

| single1 = Roll Out

| single1date = November 18, 2008

}}

}}

{{Album ratings

|rev1 = About.com

|rev1score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{Cite web |url=http://randb.about.com/od/cdreviews/fr/LabelleBackNow.htm |title=Labelle - "Back to Now" |access-date=2008-10-31 |archive-date=2008-10-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081026092133/http://randb.about.com/od/cdreviews/fr/LabelleBackNow.htm |url-status=dead }}

|rev2 = Allmusic

|rev2score = {{Rating|3|5}}[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r1423905|pure_url=yes}} AllMusic review]

|rev3 = BBC Music

|rev3score = favorable{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/22xm/|title=BBC - Music - Review of Labelle - Back To Now|first=Daryl|last=Easlea|website=Bbc.co.uk|access-date=19 October 2021}}

|rev4 = Baltimore Sun

|rev4score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/music/bal-to.cd21oct21,0,7492007.story|title=Baltimore Sun review|website=Baltimoresun.com|access-date=19 October 2021}}

|rev5 = Entertainment Weekly

|rev5score = B+{{Cite web|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20233230,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081017103755/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20233230,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 17, 2008|title=Entertainment Weekly review|website=Ew.com|access-date=19 October 2021}}

|rev7 = Record Collector

|rev7score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=7736128&style=music|title=LaBelle - Back to Now CD Album|website=Cduniverse.com|access-date=19 October 2021}}

|rev8 = Robert Christgau

|rev8score = {{Rating-Christgau|cut}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?id=769&name=Labelle|title=Robert Christgau: CG: Labelle|website=Robertchristgau.com|access-date=19 October 2021}}

|rev9 = The Village Voice

|rev9score = favorable{{Cite web|url=http://www.villagevoice.com/2008-11-05/music/labelle-update-their-sound-on-back-to-now-but-not-too-much/|title=The Village Voice review|access-date=19 October 2021}}

|rev6 = The Miami Herald

|rev6score = {{Rating|3|5}}[http://www.miamiherald.com/entertainment/music/CD-reviews/story/732779.html]{{Dead link|date=January 2013}}

}}

Back to Now is the seventh studio album by American female vocal group Labelle, released on October 21, 2008. The album is the group's first in over thirty years though they had sung on songs together on occasion.

Labelle member Nona Hendryx explained the album's title to noted R&B writer Pete Lewis of Blues & Soul: "It basically stemmed from two of the songs on this album being songs I'd specifically written for what would have been the next Labelle album back in 1977. So the title 'Back To Now" is really signifying that this record represents us really getting back to where we were. It's basically a continuation from where we stopped off."{{cite web |url=http://www.bluesandsoul.com/feature/408/3_into_1_does_go |title=3 Into 1 Does Go: Pete Lewis Interviews Labelle |access-date=2009-09-10 |work=Blues & Soul}}

The first single is "Roll Out", which features and is produced by Wyclef Jean which had the three Labelle members Patti LaBelle, Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash singing in autotune.

The album is also notable for the modest R&B charted ballad, "Superlover". Except for "The Truth Will Set You Free", originally recorded by Mother's Finest, in which Hendryx sings the lead over Lenny Kravitz's guitar and LaBelle's ad-libs in soprano and "System", which LaBelle, Hendryx and Dash each take a prominent lead vocal, the album is led as always by LaBelle, who gives a powerful vocal in the socially conscious "Tears for the World", a Hendryx composition.

The album is also notable for their tribute to civil rights activist Rosa Parks with "Dear Rosa" and also includes their 1971 rendition of the Cole Porter standard, "Miss Otis Regrets", which was originally recorded for sessions of their Warner debut, Labelle, but was cut from the album's final selection of tracks.

An iTunes edition of the album features the group's cover of Sylvester's disco hit, "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)".