The Dutchess

by Fergie

Overview

Through all the twists and turns taken by Stacy "Fergie" Ferguson during her 20-year career as an entertainer -- including a stint on Kids Incorporated, background vocals for Martika, two albums with adult contemporary/dance-pop group Wild Orchid, and superstardom with Black Eyed Peas -- she has always sounded as if she is trying really, really hard. That has been the lone consistent characteristic of her output, and it remains in effect throughout The Dutchess. The album has all the characteristics of a release fronted by someone who has been itching to go solo and prove herself, once and for all, as a versatile force all her own. Fergie does cartwheels and handstands, juggles three objects at once, balances books on her head, hangs upside down, rides a unicycle with her hands in the air -- all these things while wearing different outfits. The whole process, produced mostly by fellow Pea will.i.am, is mildly entertaining. There's throwback hip-hop ("Fergalicious," done to the tune of J.J. Fad's "Supersonic"), throwback soul ("Here I Come," done to the tune of the Temptations' "Get Ready"), reggae ("Mary Jane Shoes"), ska-punk ("Mary Jane Shoes"), scat ("Mary Jane Shoes"), vaguely torchy midtempo fluff ("Velvet"), and a classy string-drenched ballad (the appropriately titled "Finally"), among several other passable switch-ups, along with "London Bridge" -- which is terrific, provided you can block out the lyrics or prevent yourself from trying to decipher its meaning. One of the more convincing songs on the album, "Big Girls Don't Cry," sounds exactly like a 2006 version of Wild Orchid, with Fergie's Taylor Dayne kid-sister act in full effect. ~ Andy Kellman

Product Details

Release Date:	10/21/2016
Label:	Interscope / Polydor
UPC:	0602547819659
Rank:	26146

Tracks

1. Fergalicious
2. Clumsy
3. All That I Got (The Make Up Song)
4. London Bridge
5. Pedestal
6. Voodoo Doll
7. Glamorous
8. Here I Come
9. Velvet
10. Big Girls Don't Cry (Personal)
11. Mary Jane Shoes
12. Losing My Ground
13. Finally/Israel Nights

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Fergie   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist,Vocals (Background)
Ludacris   Primary Artist,Rap,Featured Artist
Rita Marley & the I-Threes   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
will.i.am   Primary Artist,Rap,Bass,Drums,Keyboards,Guitar (Bass),Featured Artist
I-Threes   Primary Artist,Featured Artist,Vocals (Background)
Rita Marley   Primary Artist,Featured Artist,Vocals (Background)
John Legend   Primary Artist,Piano,Featured Artist
Nelly   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Sean Kingston   Primary Artist
Soulja Boy   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
George Pajon   Guitar
Nate Hills   Drums,Percussion
Natalie Leggett   Violin
Sid Page   Violin
Brian Dembow   Viola
Larry Corbett   Celli
Black Eyed Peas   Featured Artist
Bruce Dukov   Violin
Armen Anassian   Violin
Mike Fratantuno   Bass
Chuck Prada   Percussion
Jay Anderson   Vocals,Vocals (Background),Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Gary Novak   Drums
Cecilia Tsan   Celli
Lisa M. Sutton   Violin
Rob Boldt   Keyboards
Ron Fair   Conductor,String Conductor
Sarah Thornblade   Violin
Mike Hartnett   Guitar
Liane Mautner   Violin
Andrew Duckles   Viola
Trey Henry   Bass,Guitar (Bass)
Timothy Loo   Celli
Josefina Vergara   Violin
Darius Campo   Violin
Julie Gigante   Violin
Anatoly Rosinsky   Violin
Roberto Cani   Violin
David Low   Celli
Suzie Katayama   Celli
Simeon Spiegel   Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Acoustic)
Nico Abondolo   Bass
Charlie Bisharat   Violin
Printz Board   Trumpet,Moog Bass,Synthesizer,Fender Rhodes
Elvis Williams   Keyboards
Songa Lee   Violin
Katia Popov   Violin
Helen Nightengale   Violin
Barbara Porter   Violin
Stacy Ferguson   Vocals
Vicky Miscolczy   Viola
Becky Bunnell   Violin
Theresa Jones Bailey   Vocals (Background)
Matthew Funes   Viola
Michele Richards   Violin
Shoshana Claman   Violin
Mike Harnett   Bass,Guitar,Guitar (Bass)
Venus Brown   Piano
J. Curtis   Guitar
Phillip Levy   Violin
Thomas Diener   Viola
Tiffany Yi Hu   Violin
Polow da Don   Vocals (Background)
Keith Harris   Bass,Drums,Keyboards,Guitar (Bass),Keyboard Bass
George Pajon Jr.   Guitar
Michael Fratantuno   Guitar (Bass)
Mike Valerio   Guitar (Bass)

Technical Credits

will.i.am   Programming,Audio Production,Arranger,Composer,Engineer,Producer,Drum Programming,Executive Producer,Recording Arranger
Serban Ghenea   Mixing
Tony Maserati   Mixing
Allen Sides   Mixing,Recording,String Engineer
Bernie Grundman   Mastering
Dean Nelson   Mixing Assistant
Jack Joseph Puig   Mixing
Jaime Gomez   Composer
Sean Garrett   Composer
Ray Brady   Composer
Mike Fratantuno   Composer
Ryan Kennedy   Mixing Assistant
Vincent Ford   Composer
Rico Love   Composer
John Hanes   Editing,Digital Editing
Bobby Troup   Composer
Salaam Remi   Composer,Producer
Lionel Richie   Composer
Ronald LaPread   Composer
Rob Boldt   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Drum Programming
Ron Fair   Arranger,Producer,Vocal Producer,Executive Producer,String Arrangements
Robb Boldt   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Drum Programming,Keyboard Programming
Tal Herzberg   Engineer,Digital Editing
Nancy Wilson   Composer,Composer
Mike Hartnett   Composer
Josh Houghkirk   Mixing Assistant
Bevin Robinson   Assistant Engineer
Anthony Kilhoffer   Engineer
Trey Henry   Engineer
Jamal Jones   Composer
Stefanie Ridel   Composer,Producer,Vocal Producer
Rita Marley & the I-Threes   Performer
Neil Tucker   Assistant Engineer
Jason Villaroman   Engineer,Assistant Engineer
Tim Roberts   Mixing Assistant
Mack Woodward   Assistant Engineer
Ethan Willoughby   Mixing,Engineer
Juanita Lee   Composer
Michael DeRosier   Composer
William Robinson   Composer
Anthony Caruso   Assistant Engineer
Dru Castro   Engineer
Simeon Spiegel   Engineer
Kim Nazel   Composer
Jay Beckenstein   Composer
John Legend   Producer
Smokey Robinson   Composer
Phil Tan   Mixing
Printz Board   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Drum Programming
Toby Gad   Composer
Renee Sandstrom   Composer
Elvis Williams   Composer
Demacio Castellon   Mixing,Engineer
Ann Wilson   Composer
Anthony Tidd   Composer
Afro Rican   Engineer
Travis Daniels   Engineer
Dante Santiago   Music Coordinator
Mike Eleopoulos   Engineer,Recording
Roger Fisher   Composer
Christopher Bridges   Composer
Joe Peluso   Engineer,Assistant Engineer
Roger Douglas Fisher   Composer
Jamie Munson   Composer
Josh Chervokas   Engineer
Madeleine Smith   Sample Clearance
Stacy Ferguson   Composer
Jean Baptiste   Composer
Derrick Rahming   Composer
Jason Schweitzer   Engineer
Ellen Von Unwerth   Photography
Melvin Lewis   Composer
Justin Siegel   A&R
Melissa Bolton   Sample Clearance
John Stephens   Composer
DJ Mormile   Producer,Executive Producer
Cornell Haynes   Composer
Stephanie Cooper Willoughby   Production Coordination
Michael Markarian   Management
William Derella   Management
Will Adams   Composer
David Sonenberg   Management
Michael Matthews   Composer
Padraic Kerin   Editing,Engineer,Digital Editing
Lyn Weiner   A&R
Venus Brown   A&R,Producer,Executive Producer
Douglas J. Cuomo   Composer
William Durst   Mixing Assistant
John Brault   Assistant Engineer
Julian Peploe   Illustrations,Package Design
Jason Schuester   Recording
Polow da Don   Producer,Drum Programming
Keith Harris   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Drum Programming
Tobias Gad   Composer
Douglas Cuomo   Composer
Dania Maria Birks   Composer
Fatima Shaheed   Composer
Juana Michelle Burns   Composer
George Pajon Jr.   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Drum Programming
Allan Pineda   Composer
William Adams   Composer
Sam Garrett   Composer
Michael Fratantuno   Composer
Sean "The Pen" Garrett   Producer
Tony Terrabone   Recording