Where I'm Meant to Be
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Where I'm Meant to Be
| type = studio
| artist = Ezra Collective
| cover = Ezra Collective - Where I'm Meant to Be.png
| alt = Individual men playing the drums, piano, guitar, trumpet and saxophone in a small and cramped room
| released = 4 November 2022
| recorded =
| studio =
| genre = Jazz
| length = 68:34
| label = Partisan
| producer = Ezra Collective, Riccardo Damian
| prev_title = You Can't Steal My Joy
| prev_year = 2019
| next_title = Dance, No One's Watching
| next_year = 2024
| misc =
{{Singles
| name = Where I'm Meant to Be
| type = studio
| single1 = Victory Dance
| single1date = 7 June 2022
| single2 = Life Goes On
| single2date = 24 August 2022
| single3 = Ego Killah
| single3date = 22 September 2022
| single4 = No Confusion
| single4date = 1 November 2022
}}}}
Where I'm Meant to Be is the second studio album by the London jazz quintet Ezra Collective, released on 4 November 2022 by Partisan Records. The album was produced by the band and Riccardo Damian, and features musicians including Sampa the Great, Kojey Radical, Emeli Sandé, and Nao, as well as the filmmaker Steve McQueen.
The album received a positive reception from critics. It won the Mercury Prize in 2023 and was nominated for Best Jazz Record at the 2023 Libera Awards. It debuted at number one on the UK's Jazz & Blues chart, spending six non-consecutive weeks at the top spot.
Background and release
On 7 June 2022, Partisan Records announced they had signed the group and released their first single with the label, "Victory Dance", which came with the group's first official music video directed by Femi Ladi.{{Cite news |last=Sacher |first=Andrew |date=7 June 2022 |title=Ezra Collective sign to Partisan, release new song & video, "Victory Dance" |work=BrooklynVegan |url=https://www.brooklynvegan.com/ezra-collective-sign-to-partisan-release-new-song-video-victory-dance/ |access-date=27 July 2023}} The album was announced on 24 August for a 4 November release date, along with the release of the second single, "Life Goes On" featuring Sampa the Great. "Life Goes On" came with a music video directed by Nathan Miller which was shot in London and Lusaka.{{Cite news |last=Gallagher |first=Alex |date=24 August 2022 |title=Ezra Collective share Sampa the Great collaboration "Life Goes On" and announce new album |work=NME |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/ezra-collective-new-album-where-im-meant-to-be-sampa-the-great-life-goes-on-3296522 |access-date=27 July 2023}} The third single, "Ego Killah", was released on 22 September with an official visualiser.{{Cite news |last=Murray |first=Robin |date=22 September 2022 |title=Ezra Collective's "Ego Killah" Embodies That Low-End Swagger |work=Clash |url=https://www.clashmusic.com/news/ezra-collectives-ego-killah-embodies-that-low-end-swagger/ |access-date=27 July 2023}} The fourth single, "No Confusion" featuring Kojey Radical, was released on 1 November with a music video directed by Douglas Bernardt.{{Cite news |last=Kenneally |first=Cerys |date=1 November 2022 |title=Ezra Collective and Kojey Radical pay tribute to Tony Allen on new single "No Confusion" |work=The Line of Best Fit |url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/ezra-collective-and-kojey-radical-pay-tribute-to-tony-allen-on-new-single-no-confusion |access-date=27 July 2023}}
The album's cover art is a photograph of a studio in South London. The image is filled with items including musical instruments and things the band take inspiration from. It also includes a selection of personally important items, such as a Kazakhstani flag representing a time they performed a concert in the country, and a Fela Kuti record. The image was inspired by the cover of Thelonious Monk's Underground.
On 11 November, the album debuted at the top of the Official Charts Company's UK Jazz & Blues Albums Chart and at 24 on the UK Albums Chart. The album spent six non-consecutive weeks at number one on the jazz chart.
Reception
{{Music ratings
| title = Where I'm Meant to Be ratings
| MC = 84/100{{Cite news |title=Where I'm Meant to Be by Ezra Collective Reviews and Tracks |work=Metacritic |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/where-im-meant-to-be/ezra-collective |access-date=27 July 2023}}
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1score = {{rating|4|5}}{{Cite news |last=Jurek |first=Thom |title=Ezra Collective – Where I'm Meant to Be |work=AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/where-im-meant-to-be-mw0003793658 |access-date=27 July 2023}}
| rev2 = Clash
| rev2score = 9/10{{Cite news |last=Aitken |first=Abbie |date=3 November 2022 |title=Ezra Collective – Where I'm Meant to Be |work=Clash |url=https://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/ezra-collective-where-im-meant-to-be/ |access-date=27 July 2023}}
| rev3 = The Daily Telegraph
| rev3score = {{rating|4|5}}{{Cite news |last=Hewett |first=Ivan |date=4 November 2022 |title=Phoenix haunt the Louvre, Sault offer songs to God – the week's best albums |work=The Daily Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/what-to-listen-to/new-album-reviews-phoenix-sault-first-aid-kit-daniel-avery-ezra/ |access-date=27 July 2023}}
| rev4 = Gigwise
| rev4score = {{rating|7|10}}{{Cite news |last=Kinsella |first=Cian |date=2 November 2022 |title=Album Review: Ezra Collective – Where I'm Meant to Be |work=Gigwise |url=https://gigwise.com/reviews/3427556/album-revie--ezra-collective-where-i-m-meant-to-be |access-date=27 July 2023}}
| rev5 = The Guardian
| rev5score = {{rating|5|5}}{{Cite news |last=Hutchinson |first=Kate |date=6 November 2022 |title=Ezra Collective: Where I'm Meant to Be review – brilliant follow-up from the inventive party band |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/nov/06/ezra-collective-where-im-meant-to-be-review-brilliant-follow-up-from-the-inventive-party-band |access-date=27 July 2023}}
| rev6 = Loud and Quiet
| rev6score = 7/10{{Cite news |last=Jenkins |first=Dafydd |date=31 October 2022 |title=Ezra Collective – Where I'm Meant to Be |work=Loud and Quiet |url=https://www.loudandquiet.com/reviews/ezra-collective-where-im-meant-to-be/ |access-date=27 July 2023}}
| rev7 = Mojo
| rev7score = {{rating|4|5}}{{Cite news |last=Cowan |first=Andy |date=December 2022 |title=Ezra Collective - Where I'm Meant to Be |pages=87 |work=Mojo |url=https://archive.org/details/mojo-December-2022/page/86/mode/2up |access-date=August 12, 2023}}
| rev8 = Record Collector
| rev8score = {{rating|4|5}}{{Cite news |last=Waring |first=Charles |date=7 November 2022 |title=Where I'm Meant to Be {{!}} Ezra Collective |pages=104 |work=Record Collector |url=https://recordcollectormag.com/reviews/album/where-im-meant-to-be |access-date=27 July 2023}}
| rev9 = The Skinny
| rev9score = {{rating|4|5}}{{Cite news |last=Marcelline |first=Marco |date=1 November 2022 |title=Ezra Collective – Where I'm Meant to Be |work=The Skinny |url=https://www.theskinny.co.uk/music/reviews/albums/ezra-collective-where-im-meant-to-be |access-date=27 July 2023}}
| rev10 = Uncut
| rev10score = 7/10{{Cite news |last=O'Connell |first=Sharon |date=December 2022 |title=Ezra Collective - Where I'm Meant to Be |pages=26 |work=Uncut |url=https://archive.org/details/uncut-december-2022-music-review/page/n9/mode/2up |access-date=August 12, 2023}}
}}
{{Metacritic album prose|Where I'm Meant to Be|positive|84|8}}
= Accolades =
== Awards and nominations ==
== Year-end lists ==
Track listing
{{Track listing
| headline = Where I'm Meant to Be track listing
| total_length = 68:34
| all_writing = Ife Ogunjobi, Joe Armon-Jones, James Mollison, Femi Koleoso, and TJ Koleoso, unless otherwise stated
| title1 = Life Goes On
| note1 = featuring Sampa the Great
| writer1 = {{hlist|Fela Aníkúlápó Kuti|Ogunjobi|Armon-Jones|Mollison|F. Koleoso|Sampa Tembo|T. Koleoso}}
| length1 = 3:24
| title2 = Victory Dance
| length2 = 4:56
| title3 = No Confusion
| note3 = featuring Kojey Radical
| writer3 = {{hlist|Ogunjobi|Armon-Jones|Mollison|Kwadwo Adu Genfi Amponsah|F. Koleoso|T. Koleoso}}
| length3 = 3:14
| title4 = Welcome to My World
| length4 = 7:14
| title5 = Togetherness
| length5 = 4:34
| title6 = Ego Killah
| length6 = 5:55
| title7 = Smile
| writer7 = {{hlist|Charles Chaplin|Geoffrey Parsons|John Turner}}
| length7 = 5:03
| title8 = Live Strong
| length8 = 7:37
| title9 = Siesta
| note9 = featuring Emeli Sandé
| writer9 = {{hlist|Sandé|Ogunjobi|Armon-Jones|Mollison|F. Koleoso|T. Koleoso}}
| length9 = 5:48
| title10 = Words by Steve
| writer10 = {{hlist|F. Koleoso|Steve McQueen}}
| length10 = 1:48
| title11 = Belonging
| length11 = 5:57
| title12 = Never the Same Again
| length12 = 6:43
| title13 = Words by TJ
| writer13 = T. Koleoso
| length13 = 0:39
| title14 = Love in Outer Space
| note14 = featuring Nao
| writer14 = {{hlist|Sun Ra}}
| length14 = 5:41
}}
Personnel
= Ezra Collective =
{{div col}}
- Femi Koleoso – drums (1–9, 11, 12, 14), vocals (10)
- TJ Koleoso – bass guitar (1–9, 11, 12, 14), vocals (13)
- Ife Ogunjobi – trumpet (1–9, 11, 12, 14)
- James Mollison – saxophone (1–9, 11, 12, 14)
- Joe Armon-Jones – keyboards (1–9, 11, 12, 14)
= Additional musicians =
- Junior Alli-Balogun – percussion (1–9, 11, 12, 14)
- Sampa the Great – vocals (1)
- Kojey Radical – vocals (3)
- Benjamin Totten and Oluwatobi Adenaike-Johnson – guitar (3, 4, 9)
- Jorja Smith – vocals (5)
- Mark Mollison – guitar (6, 11)
- Wayne Urquhart – cello (7, 8, 11, 12)
- Stella Page – viola (7, 8, 11, 12)
- Antonia Pagulatos, Athalie Armon-Jones, and Sam Kennedy – violin (7, 8, 11, 12)
- Angel Silvera – vocals (9, 14)
- Emeli Sandé, Louise LaBelle, and Teni Tinks – vocals (9)
- Steve McQueen – vocals (10)
- Nao and Petra Luke – vocals (14)
= Technical =
- Ezra Collective – producers
- Riccardo Damian – producer
- Jess Camilleri – engineering (9)
- Tris Ellis – engineering (14)
- TJ Koleoso – programming (9)
{{div col end}}
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+Chart performance for Where I'm Meant to Be !scope="col"| Chart (2022–2024) !scope="col"| Peak |
| {{Album chart|Scotland|9|date=20230915|rowheader=true|access-date=16 September 2023}} |
| {{Album chart|UK2|24|refname=UKAlbums|date=20221111|access-date=29 July 2023|rowheader=true}} |
| {{album chart|UKIndependent|3|date=20240105|rowheader=true|access-date=5 January 2024}} |
| {{Album chart|UKJazz|1|refname=UKJazz|date=20221111|access-date=29 July 2023|rowheader=true}} |