In Return (Shola Ama album)

In Return
In Return
Studio album by Shola Ama
Released	8 November 1999
Genre	Pop, R&B
Length	71:18
Label	Freakstreet; WEA;
Producer	Stargate; Fred Jerkins III; D'Influence; Ali Shaheed Muhammad; Shaun LaBelle; Paul Waller; Wayne Laws; Bradley Spalter; Soulshock and Karlin;
Shola Ama chronology
Singles from In Return
	"Still Believe"; Released: 1999; "Imagine"; Released: 17 January, 2000;

In Return is the second studio album by British singer Shola Ama. It was released by Freakstreet and WEA on 8 November 1999 in the United Kingdom. The project saw Ama working with several producers, including Fred Jerkins III, Stargate, Shaun Labelle, Soulshock and Karlin, D'Influence and Ali Shaheed Muhammad. Co-writers included Angie Stone, Babyface, and David Foster. Two singles were released from the album: "Still Believe" and "Imagine", both reaching the top thirty of the UK Singles Chart.^[3]

Despite having support from her record label, In Return underperformed, barely reaching the top 100 in Germany and the UK. Following this, Ama took a break from recording.^[4]^[5]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[2]

Bryan Buss from AllMusic wrote that "sounding like a cross between Janet Jackson and Emilia, but with softer, more girlish, and more developed vocals, Ama's new CD is packed with pop songs perfectly tailored for 2000 [...] She sings with sincerity and conviction, often sounding like a heartbroken angel. With only hints of R&B, this is far more a pop album than anything else, though, despite the sheen, it isn't just for teenagers. This is good, old pop, a throwback to '60s girl groups with a contemporary twist."^[2]

UK garage remixes of "Imagine" and "Run to Me" by Club Asylum proved popular in 2000. NME included "Imagine" in their "25 essential UK garage anthems" list.^[6] Capital Xtra included "Run to Me" in their list of "The Best Old-School Garage Anthems of All Time".^[7]

Track listing[edit]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Still Believe"	Hallgeir Rustan Mikkel Storleer Eriksen	Stargate	4:12
2.	"Imagine"	Shola Ama Fred Jerkins III LaShawn Daniels Harvey Mason, Jr.	Jerkins	4:19
3.	"Deepest Hurt"	M. Redbone A. Whittby T. Faragher	Ed Baden-Powell Kwame Kwaten Steve Marston	4:52
4.	"Lovely Affair"	Ama Angie Stone Ali Shaheed Muhammad	Muhammad	4:06
5.	"Run to Me"	Ama Baden-Powell Kwaten Marston	Baden-Powell Kwaten Marston	4:03
6.	"My Heart"	Ama Stevie Bensusen Shaun LaBelle	LaBelle	4:39
7.	"Everything"	Paul Waller Greg Lester	Waller	4:26
8.	"Can't Have You"	Ama Jerkins Daniels Mason	Jerkins	3:56
9.	"This Time Next Year"	Kenneth Edmonds David Foster	D'Influence	4:20
10.	"Surrender"	Ama Yana Johnson Baden-Powell Kwaten Marston	Baden-Powell Kwaten Marston	5:08
11.	"That Thing"	Wayne Lawes Rickardo Reid Ama Johnson	Lawes Stargate	4:24
12.	"In Return"	Bradley Spalter Jason Edmonds Mark Tabbs	Spalter	4:26
13.	"He Don't Know"	Bensusen LaBelle Lil Roger	LaBelle	3:58
14.	"Queen for a Day"	Ama Rustan Eriksen Tor Erik Hermansen	Stargate	3:37
15.	"Superficial Fantasy"	Ama Sarah Ann Webb Baden-Powell Kwaten Marston	Baden-Powell Kwaten Marston	6:43
16.	"Can't Go On"	Carsten Schack Kenneth Karlin Anthem	Soulshock and Karlin	4:09
Total length:				71:18

Charts[edit]

Chart (1999)	Peak position
French Albums (SNEP)^[8]	57
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)^[9]	97
UK Albums (OCC)^[10]	92

Release history[edit]

List of release dates, showing region, formats, label, and reference
Region	Date	Format	Label	Ref.
United Kingdom	8 November 1999	CD cassette	Freakstreet WEA	^[11]

References[edit]

^ "Billboard" (PDF). Billboard. 16 October 1999. p. 89. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c Buss, Bryan. "In Return". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
^ "SHOLA AMA | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com.
^ "Ama ruined by cocaine". 21 July 2004. Archived from the original on 1 July 2008. Retrieved 1 July 2008.
^ "R&B singer tells of cocaine fight". BBC News. 20 July 2004. Archived from the original on 9 February 2010. Retrieved 1 July 2008.
^ "The best UK garage tracks of all time". NME. 16 September 2019.
^ "The Dumb Old-School Garage Anthems Of All Time". Capital XTRA.
^ "Lescharts.com – Shola Ama – In Return". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Shola Ama – In Return" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
^ "Shola Ama | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
^ Kwaku (16 October 1999). "R&B Scene Percolates In The UK". Billboard. Retrieved 4 October 2020.

[1] "Billboard" (PDF). Billboard. 16 October 1999. p. 89. Retrieved 2 February 2024.

[Allmusic-2] Buss, Bryan. "In Return". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 October 2020.

[3] "SHOLA AMA | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com.

[IOL-4] "Ama ruined by cocaine". 21 July 2004. Archived from the original on 1 July 2008. Retrieved 1 July 2008.

[bbc-5] "R&B singer tells of cocaine fight". BBC News. 20 July 2004. Archived from the original on 9 February 2010. Retrieved 1 July 2008.

[6] "The best UK garage tracks of all time". NME. 16 September 2019.

[7] "The Dumb Old-School Garage Anthems Of All Time". Capital XTRA.

[ac_France_Shola_Ama-8] "Lescharts.com – Shola Ama – In Return". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 4, 2020.

[ac_Germany4_Shola_Ama-9] "Offiziellecharts.de – Shola Ama – In Return" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved October 4, 2020.

[ac_UK_Shola_Ama-10] "Shola Ama | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved October 4, 2020.

[billboard-11] Kwaku (16 October 1999). "R&B Scene Percolates In The UK". Billboard. Retrieved 4 October 2020.

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