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''Ready'' is the third studio album by American R&B recording artist Trey Songz. It was released on August 31, 2009, by Troy Taylor record label Songbook, distributed by Atlantic Records. The album serves as the sequel to ''Trey Day'' (2007). Production for the album took place during from 2008 to 2009, which contributed by Songz's longtime collaborator and his mentor Troy Taylor, along with Bryan-Michael Cox, StarGate and Los da Mystro, among others. The album received generally positive reviews from critics, which positively compared ''Ready'' to the work of R. Kelly, but also was criticized for this album's inconsistency. The album debuted at number 3 on the US ''Billboard'' 200, selling 131,000 copies in its first week. The album was a certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), becoming Songz's first certified album. 4 years later, ''Ready'' was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). All five singles have achieved chart success, including the top ten ''Billboard'' Hot 100 hit "Say Aah", and the top five Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs hits "Neighbors Know My Name" and "I Invented Sex", the latter of which topped the chart. Songz promoted ''Ready'' in a number of live appearances, including co-heading the 106 & Live tour, sponsored by ''106 & Park'', and serving as a support act on Jay-Z's The Blueprint 3 Tour. ''Ready'' earned Songz a Grammy Award nomination for Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 52nd Grammy Awards; but lost to Beyoncé Knowles' ''I Am... Sasha Fierce''. ==Background and production== When Songz began recording for ''Ready''; the purpose of the album was to crossover and increase his exposure on radio. The album's lead single, "I Need a Girl" was released to connect to mainstream radio. Songz said that "() was a very radio-geared record which would do great and play on radio heavily during whatever time. It wasn't a record I expected to last forever, or one I was even excited about singing, but it was a record I knew would do well." Speaking of the following singles, Songz thought that "I Invented Sex" would be a "career-defining record, and I knew 'Say Aah' would be a monster club record." Speaking on his collaborations with the producers, Songz said that on ''Ready'', "we're breaking down every song, every hook, every chorus, every bridge, and we're making sure every song is the best song it could be. This album isn't just going to be a compilation of songs, but a classic body of work." The album only contained three guest features with Drake, Gucci Mane and Soulja Boy Tell 'Em.〔 Songz wanted to keep the amount of features very limited, and stated that "anybody else I add is going to be very special". American rapper Fabolous was added as a guest feature on the track, titled "Say Aah". Songz said that compared to his previous albums, "this album is very adult, very easygoing and very sexy () My first album was very adult-like, but in a different, more soulful, sample-driven kind of way, and my second one was more contemporary and trendy." To reflect his transition into adulthood and the changes in his music, Songz changed his appearance by cutting off his trademark braids.〔 Songz also began dressing in more sophisticated attire, trading in sneakers and T-shirts for vests, tailored pants, and "tasteful" shoes.〔 On the appearance change, Songz's mentor, producer, and the head of Songbook Entertainment, Troy Taylor said, "Trey's from the streets, he's a hood kid. He wasn't glamorous and (didn't have) the finer things in life growing up, () He didn't want to lose his street-ism, () As he grew into it I think he began to realize, 'Wait a minute, this ain't that bad after all,' and then he got the ladies' opinions." After ''Ready'' 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Ready (Trey Songz album)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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