Hard is the fourth studio album by AmericanR&BgroupJagged Edge. It was released by Columbia Records on October 14, 2003 in the United States. The album was the band's first project not released under mentor Jermaine Dupri's So So Def label, after its deal expired at the end of 2002 and the band became contractually bound to Columbia Records. Dupri became less prominent on Jagged Edge's new material as a result, with Melvin Coleman taking over much of the production duties on Hard.
The album earned largely mixed to negative reviews from music critics, some of whom called it repetitious and bland. Upon its release, Hard debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 178,000 copies and sold more than 870,000 copies domestically. It was eventually certfied Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and reached Silver status in the United Kingdom. The album spawned two singles, including the top ten single "Walked Outta Heaven."
Promotion
Hard was preceded by lead single "Walked Outta Heaven." The song was released on August 19, 2003 and debuted at number 41 on Billboard's US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart.[1] It eventually peaked at number six on the US Billboard Hot 100, becomding the band's highest-charting single since "Where the Party At."[1] Follow-up and final single "What's It Like" was released in 2004 and peaked at number 32 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart.[1]
AllMusic editor William Ruhlmann called the album a collection "full of slow-tempo love songs anchored by synthetic bass beats that will test the capacity of woofers and filled with involved group vocal choruses set against pleading solo lead lines that weave in and out [...] The music is repetitious, the lyrical sentiments bland, but in an act like this, image is just as important as the music (at least in commercial terms)."[2]Rolling Stone critic Jon Caramanica wrote: "For the first half of Hard, the members of this Atlanta quartet clumsily attempt to outcroon one another, and the latter half features nothing as lurid as 2000's "Promise" or as kinetic as 2001's "Where the Party At." Still, Hard is worthy, modern-day thug soul."[3]
