If All I Was Was Black

If All I Was Was Black
Studio album by
Mavis Staples
ReleasedNovember 17, 2017 (2017-11-17)
RecordedMay 2017[1]
StudioThe Loft (Chicago)[2]
Genre
Length34:33
LabelAnti-
ProducerJeff Tweedy
Mavis Staples chronology
Livin' on a High Note
(2016) 		If All I Was Was Black
(2017) 		Live in London
(2019)
Singles from If All I Was Was Black
  1. "If All I Was Was Black"
    Released: September 11, 2017
  2. "Little Bit"
    Released: October 12, 2017
  3. "Build a Bridge"
    Released: November 7, 2017
  4. "Ain't No Doubt About It"
    Released: November 14, 2017

If All I Was Was Black is the thirteenth studio album by American R&B, soul, and gospel singer Mavis Staples. It was released on November 17, 2017, by ANTI- Records.[3][4] The album was written and produced by Jeff Tweedy.[5]

Background

The album's announced on September 11, 2017. The album consists of 11 songs, all of which were written by Jeff Tweedy.[6][7] Staples said she hoped the album will "bring us all together as a people. That's what I hope to do. You can't stop me. You can't break me. I'm too loving. These songs are going to change the world."[8][9] Tweedy described the message of the album, saying, "I’ve always thought of art as a political statement in and of itself—that it was enough to be on the side of creation and not destruction. But there is something that feels complicit at this moment in time about not facing what is happening in this country head on."[10][11][12][13]

Release and promotion

The lead single, "If All I Was Was Black", was released on September 11, 2017, along with the album's pre-order.[14] "Little Bit" was released as the second single from the album on October 12, 2017.[15] The third single, "Build a Bridge", was released on November 7, 2017.[16] "Ain't No Doubt About It" was released as the fourth and final single on November 14, 2017.[17] A music video for "If All I Was Was Black" was released on February 12, 2018.[18]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic80/100[19]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[20]
The A.V. ClubB[21]
Drowned in Sound8/10[22]
The Guardian[23]
The Observer[24]
Paste8.4/10[25]
Pitchfork7.6/10[26]
Q[27]
Rolling Stone[28]
Slant Magazine[29]

If All I Was Was Black received generally favorable reviews upon release. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 80, based on 18 reviews.[19]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Jeff Tweedy; "If All I Was Was Black", "No Time for Crying", and "We Go High" written with Mavis Staples.[2]

If All I Was Was Black track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Little Bit"3:51
2."If All I Was Was Black"3:56
3."Who Told You That"2:48
4."Ain't No Doubt About It" (featuring Jeff Tweedy)3:18
5."Peaceful Dream"3:20
6."No Time for Crying"4:37
7."Build a Bridge"3:38
8."We Go High"3:26
9."Try Harder"3:51
10."All Over Again"1:52
Total length:34:33

Personnel

Adapted from the album's liner notes.[2]

Charts

Chart (2017) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[30] 106
New Zealand Heatseeker Albums (RMNZ)[31] 10

References

  1. ^ Green, Elon (September 11, 2017). "Mavis Staples on Prince, Trump, Black Lives Matter, and Her Exercise Regimen". The New Yorker. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c If All I Was Was Black (Media notes). Mavis Staples. Anti-. November 17, 2017.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  3. ^ Kreps, Daniel (September 11, 2017). "Mavis Staples Previews New Jeff Tweedy-Produced LP". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
  4. ^ "Mavis Staples Announces New Album If All I Was Was Black Produced by Wilco's Jeff Tweedy". Spin. September 11, 2017. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
  5. ^ Murphy, Sarah (September 10, 2017). "Mavis Staples Teams Up with Jeff Tweedy for 'If All I Was Was Black' LP". Exclaim. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
  6. ^ "Mavis Staples – "If All I Was Was Black"". Stereogum. September 11, 2017. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
  7. ^ "Mavis Staples Teams With Jeff Tweedy for Unflinching New Album, If All I Was Was Black". Paste. September 11, 2017. Archived from the original on October 4, 2017. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
  8. ^ "Hear The New Mavis Staples, Jeff Tweedy Song 'If All I Was Was Black' : All Songs Considered". NPR. September 11, 2017. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
  9. ^ "Mavis Staples Joins Forces With Jeff Tweedy For New LP 'If All I Was Was Black' – Sets Tour Dates With Bob Dylan". Glide Magazine. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
  10. ^ Matthew Strauss (September 11, 2017). "Mavis Staples Announces New Album With Jeff Tweedy If All I Was Was Black". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
  11. ^ Jem Aswad (September 11, 2017). "Mavis Staples Confronts Trump's America on 'If All I Was Was Black'". Variety. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
  12. ^ "Mavis Staples Tackles Racism On New Album, 'If All I Was Was Black'". Okayplayer.com. Archived from the original on September 11, 2017. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
  13. ^ "Bob Dylan announces tour with Mavis Staples (who announced a new album)". Brooklyn Vegan. September 7, 2017. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
  14. ^ "Mavis Staples Unveils New Album 'If All I Was Was Black' Produced by Wilco's Jeff Tweedy". Billboard. September 12, 2017. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  15. ^ "Mavis Staples Releases Funky New Single "Little Bit"". Paste. October 12, 2017. Archived from the original on March 24, 2019. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  16. ^ Blistein, Jon (November 8, 2017). "Hear Mavis Staples' Graceful New Protest Song 'Build a Bridge'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  17. ^ "Mavis Staples – "Ain't No Doubt About It" (Feat. Jeff Tweedy)". Stereogum. November 14, 2017. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  18. ^ Blistein, Jon (February 12, 2018). "Watch Mavis Staples Replace Confederate Statues in Poignant New Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  19. ^ a b "If All I Was Was Black by Mavis Staples". Metacritic.com. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  20. ^ Deming, Mark (November 17, 2017). "AllMusic Review". AllMusic. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
  21. ^ Waite, Kelsey J. (November 17, 2017). "Here are 6 new albums you should know about this week". A.V. Club. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  22. ^ Bemrose, Bekki (November 15, 2017). "Mavis Staples - If All I Was Was Black". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  23. ^ Aroesti, Rachel (November 16, 2017). "Mavis Staples: If All I Was Was Black review – powerful, stirring protest songs". The Guardian. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  24. ^ Spencer, Neil (November 19, 2017). "Mavis Staples: If All I Was Was Black review – inspirational work". The Observer. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  25. ^ Salmon, Ben (November 17, 2017). "Mavis Staples: If All I Was Was Black Review". Paste. Archived from the original on February 5, 2018. Retrieved February 4, 2018.
  26. ^ Deusner, Stephen M. (November 16, 2017). "Mavis Staples: If All I Was Was Black". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
  27. ^ Potent stuff. [Jan 2018, p.114]
  28. ^ Hermes, Will (November 16, 2017). "Review: Mavis Staples and Producer Jeff Tweedy Fight the Powers That Be". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 28, 2017. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  29. ^ Winograd, Jeremy (November 16, 2017). "Review: Mavis Staples, If All I Was Was Black". Slant.
  30. ^ "Ultratop.be – Mavis Staples – If All I Was Was Black" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  31. ^ "NZ Heatseeker Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. November 27, 2017. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
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