Release Some Tension

{{Infobox album

| name = Release Some Tension

| type = Album

| artist = SWV

| cover = SWV - Release Some Tension.jpg

| alt =

| released = {{Start date|1997|7|29}}

| recorded = 1996–1997

| venue =

| studio =

| genre = {{flatlist|

R&B{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oSsEAAAAMBAJ&q=release+some+tension+swv+r&pg=PA171|title=Vibe - SWV 'Release Some Tension'|author=Miles Marshall Lewis|publisher=Vibe Media Group|year=1997|language=en|website=Google Books}}
soul
pop
hip hop soul

}}

| length = 53:15

| label = RCA

| producer = {{flatlist|

| prev_title = New Beginning

| prev_year = 1996

| next_title = A Special Christmas

| next_year = 1997

| misc = {{Singles

| name = Release Some Tension

| type = studio

| single1 = Can We

| single1date = February 11, 1997

| single2 = Someone

| single2date = June 24, 1997

| single3 = Lose My Cool

| single3date = September 16, 1997

| single4 = Rain

| single4date = February 24, 1998

}}

Release Some Tension is the third studio album by American R&B vocal group SWV. It was released by RCA Records on July 29, 1997. The album guest appearances by E-40, Puff Daddy, Missy Elliott, Timbaland, Foxy Brown, Lil' Cease, Lil' Kim, Snoop Dogg and Redman. The album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments exceeding 500,000 copies in the United States.{{cite certification|region=United States|artist=S.W.V.|title=Release Some Tension}}

The album features hits like "Rain", "Someone", and "Can We". Another single "Lose My Cool" was slated to be released as the album's third single but due to limited radio airplay it was shelved in favor of "Rain" which became one of their most notable hits. The second single "Someone" reached number 19 on the Billboard charts and was certified gold by the RIAA for sales of 500,000 copies.{{cite certification|region=United States|artist=S.W.V.|title=Someone}}{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iQ0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA76 |title=Best-Selling Records of 1997 |magazine=Billboard|publisher=BPI Communications Inc.|date=January 31, 1998 |access-date=May 31, 2015 |page=76 |issn=0006-2510|volume=110|number=5}} The girls and others claimed that this album was rushed and recording began while they were still promoting their second album New Beginning (1996).

Critical reception

{{Music ratings

| rev1 =AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{AllMusic|album|mw0000024043|author=Stephen Thomas Erlewine|accessdate=June 9, 2013}}

| rev2 = Entertainment Weekly

| rev2Score = B+{{cite magazine|last=Tyehimba|first=Cheo| title =Release Some Tension|magazine=Entertainment Weekly |access-date = May 21, 2024|url=https://ew.com/article/1997/08/15/release-some-tension/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090421160959/https://ew.com/article/1997/08/15/release-some-tension/|archive-date=2009-04-21|date = August 16, 1997}}

|rev3 = The Guardian

|rev3Score = {{Rating|3|5}}Sullivan, Caroline (August 8, 1997). "Music: This week's pop CD releases". The Guardian.

| rev4 = Music Week

| rev4score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1997/Music-Week-1997-07-26.pdf|title=Reviews: Albums|magazine=Music Week|date=July 26, 1997|page=27|accessdate=August 15, 2022}}

| rev5 = Rolling Stone

| rev5score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite magazine | last = Stovall | first = Natasha | title = SWV: Release Some Tension : Music Reviews | magazine = Rolling Stone | access-date = June 9, 2013 | url = https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/swv/albums/album/141001/review/5942024/release_some_tension | date = October 16, 1997 }}{{dead link|date=August 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

}}

AllMusic senior editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine found that "with their third album, SWV attempt to break away from the slick urban straitjacket and return to their hip-hop roots. In order to achieve their goal, the group hired a head-spinning array of producers and collaborators [...] Considering all the extra starpower, it's not all that surprising that SWV occasionally become overwhelmed by their guests, but that doesn't prevent Release Some Tension from being a solid album, particularly when it's propelled by funky singles [...]."

Track listing

{{Track listing

| extra_column = Producer(s)

|title1 = Someone

|note1 = featuring Puff Daddy

|writer1= {{hlist|Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie|Sean Combs|Jeremy A. Graham|Andrea Martin|Harve Pierre|Kelly Price|Todd Shaw}}

|extra1 = {{hlist|J Dub|Combs}}

|length1 = 4:05

|title2 = Release Some Tension

|note2 = featuring Foxy Brown

|writer2 = {{hlist|Missy Elliott|Inga Marchand|John Daniels|Roderick Wiggins}}

|extra2 = {{hlist|Wiggins|Daniels (co.)}}

|length2 = 4:05

|title3 = Lose My Cool

|note3 = featuring Redman

|writer3 = {{hlist|Malik Pendleton|Reginald Noble}}

|extra3 = Pendleton

|length3 = 4:38

|title4 = Love Like This

|writer4 = {{hlist|Charles Farrar|Kendall Jones|Troy Taylor|Jeff Lorber}}

|note4 = featuring Lil' Cease

|extra4 = Taylor

|length4 = 3:46

|title5 = Can We

|writer5 = {{hlist|Elliott|Timothy Mosley}}

|note5 = featuring Missy Elliott

|extra5 = Timbaland

|length5 = 4:51

|title6 = Rain

|writer6= {{hlist|Brian Alexander Morgan|Jaco Pastorius}}

|extra6 = Morgan

|length6 = 4:25

|title7 = Give It Up

|writer7 = {{hlist|Angelettie|Price|Kimberly Jones|Darryl French|Mark James}}

|note7 = featuring Lil' Kim

|extra7 = {{hlist|D-Dot|Lanz "Wet" Mitchell}}

|length7 = 4:41

|title8 = Come and Get Some

|writer8= {{hlist|Cheryl Gamble|Earl Stevens|Marc Kinchen}}

|note8 = featuring E-40

|extra8 = Kinchen

|length8 = 4:23

|title9 = When U Cry

|writer9 = {{hlist|Darryl Ellis|Paul Richmond|Ruben Locke Jr.|Patricia Deige Muldrow|Kevin Perez|Tony Pérez}}

|extra9 = {{hlist|K. Perez|T. Perez}}

|length9 = 4:31

|title10 = Lose Myself

|writer10 = {{hlist|Farrar|Dawn Beckman|Taylor}}

|extra10 = Taylor

|length10 = 4:38

|title11 = Here For You

|writer11 = {{hlist|Farrar|Johntá Austin|Kevin Evans|Taylor}}

|extra11 = Taylor

|length11 = 4:53

|title12 = Gettin' Funky

|writer12 = {{hlist|Calvin Broadus|Leon Sylvers III}}

|note12 = featuring Snoop Dogg

|extra12 = {{hlist|Kinchen|Evans}}

|length12 = 4:19

}}

Charts

=Weekly charts=

scope="col"\| Chart (1997) ! scope="col"\| Peak position
class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
scope="row"\|Australian Albums (ARIA){{cite web\|url=https://imgur.com/a/u5ytqU8 \| title=SWV ARIA Chart history (complete) to 2024\|publisher=ARIA\|via=Imgur.com\|access-date= July 28, 2024}} N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart. \|195
{{Album chart\|Canada\|19\|chartid=3307\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=May 19, 2022}}
{{album chart\|Netherlands\|18\|artist=SWV\|album=Release Some Tension\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=May 19, 2022}}
scope="row"\|European Top 100 Albums (Music & Media){{cite magazine\|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1997/MM-1997-09-06.pdf\|title=European Top 100 Albums \|magazine=Music & Media\|volume=14\|issue=36\|date=September 6, 1997\|page=13\|accessdate=April 16, 2023\|via=World Radio History}} \|38
{{album chart\|Germany4\|65\|artist=SWV\|album=Release Some Tension\|id=18399\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=September 30, 2020}}
{{album chart\|Sweden\|23\|artist=SWV\|album=Release Some Tension\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=May 19, 2022}}
{{album chart\|UK2\|19\|date=19970810\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=February 11, 2023}}
{{album chart\|UKR&B\|3\|date=19970810\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=May 19, 2022}}
{{album chart\|Billboard200\|24\|artist=SWV\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=September 30, 2020}}
{{album chart\|BillboardRandBHipHop\|5\|artist=SWV\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=September 30, 2020}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
scope="col"\| Chart (1997) ! scope="col"\| Position
scope="row"\| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard){{cite magazine\|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1997/top-r-and-b-hip-hop-albums\|title=Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1997\|magazine=Billboard\|access-date=September 30, 2020}} \| 89

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

scope="col"| Chart (1997)

! scope="col"| Position

scope="row"| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1997/top-r-and-b-hip-hop-albums|title=Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1997|magazine=Billboard|access-date=September 30, 2020}}

| 89

Certifications

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|type=album|artist=SWV|title=Release Some Tension|award=Gold|relyear=1997|certyear=1997|accessdate=November 20, 2019}}

{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=Japan|artist=SWV|title=Release Some Tension|award=Gold|relyear=1997|relmonth=09|certyear=1997|certmonth=09}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=album|artist=S.W.V.|title=Release Some Tension|award=Gold|relyear=1997|certyear=1998|accessdate=November 20, 2019}}

References

External links

{{AllMusic|class=album|id=mw0000024043|label=Release Some Tension}}

Category:1997 albums

Category:SWV albums

Category:Albums produced by Sean Combs

Category:Albums produced by Timbaland

Category:Pop albums by American artists