Wild Ones is the fourth studio album by American rapper Flo Rida. It was released on July 3, 2012. Wild Ones had four Top 10 singles on the US Billboard Hot 100, when the singles, "Good Feeling", "Wild Ones", "Whistle", and "I Cry" charted at three, five, one, and six respectively.
Singles
On August 21, 2011, Flo Rida released the album's lead single, titled "Good Feeling", that samples Etta James' song "Something's Got a Hold on Me". Produced by Dr. Luke and Cirkut, the song was inspired by "Levels" performed by Avicii, which also contains the Etta James sample. The song was very successful all across the world, peaking at number 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and also it became certified 3× platinum for shipping around two million copies in the US alone. The album's title track was released as the album's second single on December 19, 2011 and it features Australian singer-songwriter Sia Furler as a vocalist. The song has sold 3,000,000 copies domestically and over 6,000,000 copies globally. The album's third single "Whistle" produced by DJ Frank E, was first played on April 16, 2012, on The Kyle and Jackie O Show on Sydney radio station2Day FM. The single reached a peak at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, which it became very successful around the world. The album's fourth single, "I Cry", was inspired by "Cry " performed by Bingo Players, which samples "Piano in the Dark" performed by Brenda Russell. The album's fifth single "Sweet Spot" and the album's sixth single "Let It Roll" were both released in March 2013.
Promotional singles
Both of the promotional singles in which were released before the album's release, "Hey Jasmin" was released on June 6, 2012 with an accompanying music video and "Let it Roll" was released digitally on June 19, 2012.
Reception
Commercial performance
The album debuted at number 14 on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 31,000 copies in its first week. To date, the album has sold 311,000 copies in the United States.
Critical response
Upon its release, Wild Ones received mixed reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns an average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 54, based on ten reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Although he perceived the album's creative scope to be limited, David Jeffries of Allmusic called Wild Ones "gimmicky, lightweight, and best taken in small chunks, but get a glitter-friendly crowd together and it gets the party started, succeeding at its one and only goal". He also observed the album's material to be largely "hot, infectious fluff", but felt that the album "would be dragged down by any tacked-on sense of purpose, and thinking of Flo Rida as equal parts thrill seeker and hitmaker is easy". However, Rolling Stones Jody Rosen felt the album's production to be too inconsistent, observing that the album's "inhumanly supersized... dance beats" were either "genius" or "insipid", also writing that Flo Rida " content to surrender center-stage on his producers". Complex called the album cover art the sixth worst cover of 2012. The title track received a Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Performance nomination for Flo Rida and Sia.
Track listing
Notes
"Let It Roll" contains elements of "Come On " performed by Freddie King and written by Earl King.
"I Cry" contains elements of "Piano in the Dark" performed by Brenda Russell and written by Scott Cutler, Russell and Jeff Hull.
"Good Feeling" contains elements of "Something's Got a Hold on Me" performed by Etta James and written by Etta James, Leroy Kirkland, and Pearl Woods.
