Testimony (August Alsina album)

Testimony
Studio album by August Alsina
Released	April 15, 2014
Recorded	2012–14
Genre	R&B hip hop
Length	59:21
Label	Def Jam
Producer	Henry "Noonie" Lee (exec.) Donald "D-Day" Albright (exec.) Karen Kwak (co-exec.) August Alsina Cassius Jay David Claxton DJ Mustard DJ Spinz Drumma Boy Dun Deal Eric Hudson Jasper Cameron John "$K" McGee Knucklehead The BeatFreqz The Featherstones The Exclusives
August Alsina chronology
Downtown: Life Under the Gun (2013) Testimony (2014) This Thing Called Life (2015)
Singles from Testimony
"I Luv This Shit" Released: February 19, 2013 "Ghetto" Released: December 9, 2013 "Numb" Released: December 10, 2013 "Make It Home" Released: January 15, 2014 "Kissin' on My Tattoos" Released: April 1, 2014 "No Love (Remix)" Released: July 29, 2014

Testimony is the debut studio album by American R&B recording artist August Alsina. It was released on April 15, 2014, by Def Jam Recordings. The album was supported by six singles: "I Luv This Shit" featuring Trinidad James, "Ghetto" featuring Rich Homie Quan, "Numb" featuring B.o.B and Yo Gotti, "Make It Home" featuring Jeezy, "Kissin' on My Tattoos" and "No Love (Remix)" featuring Nicki Minaj; along with the release of his promotional single, "Benediction" featuring Rick Ross.

Upon its release, Testimony was met with generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised the whole creativity of the album. The album debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 67,000 copies in the United States.

Singles

On February 14, 2013, the music video was released for the lead single, "I Luv This Shit" featuring Trinidad James.^[1] The song was produced by Knucklehead. It was officially released for digital download on February 19, 2013.^[2] The song peaked at number 48 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and number 13 on the Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts.^[3][4]

On December 9, 2013, the album's second single, "Ghetto" featuring Rich Homie Quan, was serviced to urban contemporary radio in the United States.^[5][6] Knucklehead also produced this track. It was officially released for digital download on February 11, 2014.^[7]

On December 2, 2013, the music video was released for "Numb" featuring B.o.B. and Yo Gotti.^[8] On December 10, 2013, "Numb" was released as the album's third single.^[9] The song was produced by DJ Mustard.

On January 15, 2014, the album's fourth single, "Make It Home" featuring Jeezy, was released for digital download.^[10] It was sent to US urban contemporary radio on March 3, 2014.^[11] On February 13, 2014, the music video was released for "Make It Home" featuring Jeezy.^[12]

On April 1, 2014, the album's fifth single, "Kissin' on My Tattoos" was released.^[13] The song was produced by Jasper Cameron.

The album's sixth single was the remix to "No Love" featuring Nicki Minaj, which was serviced to urban adult contemporary radio in the United States on July 29, 2014.^[14]

Other songs

On April 15, 2014, the music video was released for "Get Ya Money" featuring Fabolous.^[15] On June 26, 2014, the music video was released for "FML" featuring Pusha T.^[16] On July 1, 2014, the music video was released for "Benediction" featuring Rick Ross; the video also features a cameo appearances from DJ Khaled.^[17]

Promotion

To promote the album, Alsina began the Testimony Live tour in the United States on August 14, 2014.^[18]

Critical response

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	79/100[19]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[20]
The New York Times	(positive)[21]
Now	[22]
Spin	7/10[23]
XXL	3/5 (L)[24]

Upon its release, Testimony was met with generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 79, which indicates "generally positive reviews", based on 5 reviews.^[19] Andy Kellman of AllMusic said, "This is a gratifying second step from one of the most exciting contemporary R&B artists to appear during the 2010s."^[20]

Erin Lowers of XXL gave the album an L rating, saying "Finding the balance between sex, love, and ratchet, Testimony is truly a testament to a new era in R&B that shifts safe lyrics to smooth street tales."^[24] Brandon Soderberg of Spin said, "Usually, in-the-pocket R&B does fine with middling MCs, but Testimony, powered by Alsina's insider-outsider personality – sensitive romantic with a crime-haunted past – doesn't need these big dumb lugs for cred, or even menace. Testimony brings rap's raw nerve detail to the sturdy slow jam, nullifying the need for nods to R&B of the "rap and bullshit" variety."^[23]

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 67,000 copies in the United States.^[25] In its second week, the album sold 20,000 more copies in the United States.^[26] In its third week, the album sold 12,000 more copies in the United States.^[27] In its fourth week, the album sold 8,800 more copies in the United States.^[28] As of November 2015, the album has sold 287,000 copies in the United States.^[29]

Track listing

Standard edition
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Testify"	August Alsina Samuel "Knucklehead" Irving III Sean "Pen" McMillion Ralph "Vintage" Jeanty	Knucklehead Korner Keyz The Exclusives^[a]	4:02
2.	"Make It Home" (featuring Jeezy)	Alsina McMillion Jeanty William Featherstone Christopher Featherstone Matthew Featherstone Justin Featherstone Jay Jenkins	The Featherstones	4:31
3.	"Right There"	Alsina Irving III McMillion Jeanty	Knucklehead Cassius Jay Alsina The Exclusives^[a]	3:37
4.	"You Deserve"	Alsina McMillion Jeanty Terius Nash Skip Scarborough	The BeatFreqz The Exclusives^[a]	4:02
5.	"No Love"	Alsina Cristopher Gholson Onika Maraj	Drumma Boy The Exclusives^[a]	4:03
6.	"Porn Star"	Alsina Gary "DJ Spinz" Hill John "$K" McGee McMillion Jeanty	DJ Spinz McGee The Exclusives^[a]	4:37
7.	"FML" (featuring Pusha T)	Alsina Gholson McMillion Jeanty Samuel "Sam Hook" Jean Terrence Thornton	Drumma Boy The Exclusives^[a]	3:37
8.	"Grind & Pray / Get Ya Money" (featuring Fabolous)	Alsina Jasper Cameron Hill David Cunningham McMillion Jeanty John Jackson	"Grind & Pray" produced by Cameron "Get Ya Money" produced by DJ Spinz and Dun Deal	4:00
9.	"Ghetto" (featuring Yo Gotti)	Alsina McMillion Jeanty Irving III Mario Mims	Knucklehead The Exclusives^[a]	3:59
10.	"Kissin' on My Tattoos"	Alsina Cameron	Cameron The Exclusives^[a]	4:11
11.	"Ah Yeah"	Alsina David "D. Clax" Claxton	Claxton	2:35
12.	"Mama"	Alsina McMillion Jeanty	The Exclusives Alsina	3:30
13.	"Benediction" (featuring Rick Ross)	Alsina Eric Hudson McMillion Jeanty Jean William Roberts II	Hudson The Exclusives^[a]	4:55
14.	"I Luv This Shit" (featuring Trinidad James)	Alsina McMillion Jeanty Irving III Christine Massa Nicholas Williams	Knucklehead The Exclusives^[a]	4:27
15.	"Numb" (featuring B.o.B and Yo Gotti)	Alsina Dijon McFarlane McMillion Jeanty Bobby Simmons, Jr. Mims	DJ Mustard The Exclusives^[a]	4:14

Deluxe edition (bonus tracks)
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
16.	"Grind & Pray (Extended version)"	Alsina Cameron	Cameron	3:32
17.	"I Luv This Shit (Remix)" (featuring Trey Songz and Chris Brown)	Alsina McMillion Jeanty Irving III Massa Tremaine Neverson Christopher Brown	Knucklehead The Exclusives^[a]	4:26

Best Buy deluxe edition (bonus track)[30]
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
18.	"Backseat"	Alsina Kevin "Go Grizzly" Price	Go Grizzly	3:00

Notes

• ^{^a} signifies a vocal producer.

Sample credits

• "You Deserve" contains a sample from "Love Ballad" performed by L.T.D.

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2014) Peak position UK Albums Chart (The Official Charts Company)[31] 108 UK R&B Albums (OCC)[32] 10 US Billboard 200[33] 2 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[34] 1

Year-end charts Chart (2014) Position US Billboard 200[35] 79 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[36] 19 US Top R&B Albums[37] 11

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/Sales
United States (RIAA)[38]	Gold	287,000[29]
^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone

Release history

Region	Date	Label(s)
Australia[39]	April 10, 2014	Universal Music
Austria[40]
Belgium[41]
Germany[42]
France[43]
Ireland[44]	April 14, 2014	Island
United Kingdom[45]		Virgin EMI
United States[46]	April 15, 2014	Def Jam
Japan[47]	April 29, 2014	Universal Music Japan
New Zealand[48]	May 6, 2014	Universal Music
Finland[49]
Hungary[50]
Poland[51]	May 11, 2014	Def Jam
Italy[52]	May 27, 2014

See also

• List of Billboard number-one R&B albums of 2014

References

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