Wild Ones is the fourth studio album by American rapper Flo Rida. It was released on July 3, 2012 through Poe Boy Entertainment and Atlantic Records. The album was produced by numerous artists, including Dr. Luke, GoonRock, DJ Frank E, The Futuristics, Feenixpawl, Axwell, Cirkut, and Rico Love, among others. The pop-rap and dance record features guest appearances from Sia, Georgi Kay, Jennifer Lopez, and Redfoo of LMFAO. Deluxe editions featured further guest appearances from Lil Wayne, David Guetta, and Nicky Romero, among others.
Six singles were released from the album. The first four, "Good Feeling", "Wild Ones" (featuring Sia), "Whistle", and "I Cry", all charted within the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. The highest-charting was "Whistle", which topped the chart, while the other three singles peaked at number 3, 5, and 6 respectively. "Let It Roll" and "Sweet Spot" (the latter featuring Jennifer Lopez) were released as the fifth and sixth singles respectively, although they fared less successful, both not charting on the Billboard Hot 100. Additionally, "Hey Jasmin" was released as a promotional single, although it did not appear on the main track list.
Upon its release, the album received mostly mixed reviews from music critics. As for commercial success, the album peaked at number 14 on the Billboard 200 and topped the Top Dance Albums chart in the United States. The album also charted within the top 10 on charts in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Austria, and Ireland. The album was promoted with an EP entitled Good Feeling (named after the song of the same name), alongside appearances on WWE's WrestleMania XXVII, the season finale to American Idol, and America's Got Talent.
Contents
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 did inspire "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 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 station 2Day 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 (Just a Little)" performed by Bingo Players, which samples "Piano in the Dark" performed by Brenda Russell. The single reached the top ten in Canada, France, the UK and the US. A remix of Sweet Spot featuring Jennifer Lopez was released March 13, 2013. The album's sixth single "Let It Roll" was released March 22, 2013. The single reached the top 20 in the UK.
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. Before being released as a full-fledged single, "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 Stone's 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 "[is] 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
^[a] denotes additional producer
^[b] denotes co-producer
^[c] denotes vocal producer
^[d] denotes remix producer
"Let It Roll" contains elements of "Come On (Part I)" 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.
"Run" contains elements of "Run to You" performed by Bryan Adams and written by Jim Vallance and Bryan Adams, and it also contains small elements of Party Rock Anthem and Sexy and I Know It performed by the electropop group LMFAO.
"In My Mind, Part 2" contains elements of the Axwell mix of "In My Mind" performed by Ivan Gough and Feenixpawl featuring Georgi Kay.
Personnel
Unless otherwise noted, Credits are taken from the album's Liner Notes.