Reception
Critical response
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source Rating
Metacritic (66/100)
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic 4/5 stars
BBC (mixed)[3]
Blender 3/5 stars
Robert Christgau
Entertainment Weekly B+/(B-)
PopMatters (favorable)
Rolling Stone 3/5 stars
Stylus B−
Uncut 4/5 stars
Village Voice (favorable)
Happy People/U Saved Me received mostly positive reviews. The Los Angeles Times said, “Charming, unpretentious and effortless, the singer presides over a party whose pace never flags and whose soul is fun-loving and wholesome.” Uncut said, “Happy People is a cunning, crackling, can’t-keep-still classic.” However many found his gospel/Christian based songs to be at stark contrast to his legal history.
Commercial
In his home country of United States, Happy People/U Saved Me debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, selling 264,000 copies in its first week, behind Tim McGraw’s Live Like You Were Dying. The album was the sixth consecutive Kelly’s solo album (seventh overall) to debut at number one on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. In its second week, the album remained in the top ten at Billboard 200, fell to number six, selling 127,000 copies. On September 24, 2004, the double album has been certified 3x platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for shipping more than 3 million units (in this case, 1.5 million double album sets, which are double-counted by the RIAA).] As of December 6, 2011, Happy People/U Saved Me has sold 5.2 million copies worldwide.
Track listing
All songs written, produced and arranged by R. Kelly.
Happy People — Disc one
No. Title Length
1. “Weatherman” 2:41
2. “Red Carpet (Pause, Flash)” 3:37
3. “Love Signals” 5:28
4. “Love Street” 4:37
5. “Ladies’ Night (Treat Her Like Heaven)” 3:45
6. “If” 4:49
7. “The Greatest Show On Earth” 4:48
8. “It’s Your Birthday” 2:44
9. “Steppin’ Into Heaven” 3:54
10. “If I Could Make the World Dance” 5:28
11. “Happy People” 7:49
U Saved Me — Disc two[15]
No. Title Length
1. “3-Way Phone Call” (featuring Kelly Price, Kim Burrell & Maurice Mahon) 7:03
2. “U Saved Me” 6:13
3. “Prayer Changes” 6:24
4. “How Did You Manage” 3:45
5. “I Surrender” 4:45
6. “When I Think About You” 4:06
7. “Diary of Me” 4:19
8. “Spirit” 3:57
9. “Leap of Faith” 4:51
10. “Peace” 5:09
Credits and personnel[edit]
Credits adapted from AllMusic.[16]
Delatrice Alexander – Choir/Chorus
Michael Avery – Choir/Chorus
Steve Bearsley – Assistant, Engineer, Main Personnel, Programming
George I. III Broughton – Choir/Chorus
Kim Burrell – Featured Artist, Primary Artist
Jeff Chestek – String Engineer
Joan Collaso – Choir/Chorus
Dee Dee – Illustrations
Rodney East – Keyboards, Main Personnel
Felicia Coleman Evans – Choir/Chorus
Sonya Frank – Choir/Chorus
Kimberly Ann Franklin – Choir/Chorus
Yvonne Gage – Choir/Chorus
Andy Gallas – Assistant, Audio Engineer, Engineer, Main Personnel, Programming
Abel Garibaldi – Audio Engineer, Engineer, Main Personnel, Mixing, Programming, Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Omar Gilbert – Unknown Contributor Role
Senabelle Gill – Choir/Chorus
Larry Gold – Conductor, String Arrangements
Dejah Gomez – Choir/Chorus
Pastor Chris Sr. Harris – Choir/Chorus
Brandon Hull – Assistant
Earickia L. Isom – Hair Stylist
R. Kelly – Arranger, Audio Production, Composer, Main Personnel, Mixing, Primary Artist, Producer, String Arrangements, Vocals
Gregg Landfair – Guitar
Donnie Lyle – Bass, Bass Instrument, Guitar, Main Personnel, Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Paul Mabin – Choir/Chorus
Maurice Mahon – Featured Artist, Primary Artist
John McGlinchey – Assistant
Ian Mereness – Engineer, Main Personnel, Mixing, Programming
Jason Mlodzinski – Assistant, Engineer, Main Personnel, Programming
Peter Mokran – Audio Engineer, Engineer
Jeffrey Morrow – Choir/Chorus
Jackie Murphy – Art Direction, Design
Lori Holton Nash – Choir/Chorus
Kendall D. Nesbitt – Keyboards, Main Personnel, Vocals
Armirris Palmore – Choir/Chorus
Lauren Pilot – Choir/Chorus
Herb Powers – Mastering
Kelly Price – Featured Artist, Guest Artist, Main Personnel, Primary Artist, Vocals
Riesig & Taylor – Photography
Montez Roberts – Assistant
Stevie Robinson – Choir/Chorus
David Ross – Set Design
Johnny Rutledge – Choir/Chorus
Cristino Sanchez – Choir/Chorus
Roberta Thomas – Choir/Chorus
Devin B. Thompson – Choir/Chorus
Uncle Life – Main Personnel, Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Seth Waldman – Assistant
Pamela Watson – Stylist
Nathan Wheeler – Assistant, Engineer, Main Personnel, Programming, Vocals, Vocals (Background)
