All People is an album by the American band Michael Franti & Spearhead, released in 2013 through Boo Boo Wax and Capitol Records.[2][3] The first single was "I'm Alive (Life Sounds Like)".[4] Franti supported the album with North American and Australian tours.[5][6] In 2014, he continued to promote All People by headlining the Soulshine Music and Yoga Tour.[7]
The majority of the album was recorded in Hunters Point, with some of the mixing occurring while the band was on tour.[8][9] The album continued Franti's turn toward pop music; he had concluded that a pop song could be as comforting and meaningful as a protest song.[10] For the first time in his career, Franti worked with outside songwriters and producers, including Sam Hollander, the Matrix, and Adrian Newman.[11][12] Franti recorded around 35 songs and listened to the rough mixes while doing his morning yoga, to ensure that they were properly "inspiring".[13][14] He also wanted the tracks to incorporate dance influences, with some geared toward club play.[15] "Say Goodbye" is about the murder of Trayvon Martin.[16] A version of "11:59" was written around 2003; Franti finished the chorus for it after surviving a ruptured appendix.[17]K'naan guested on "Earth from Outer Space".[18]
Postmedia Network called the album "an infectiously sunny synthesis of pop, reggae, hip-hop and indie-folk."[21]Rolling Stone noted that "Franti's peace 'n' love MO has veered toward full-on jam pop for several years now, so mainstream-y anthems like the Euro-disco title track are really no big leap."[1]Bass Player labeled All People Franti's "most heavily produced, studio programmed album yet".[23]The Buffalo News deemed it "sun-soaked pop music with feel-good, bumper sticker-style wisdom presented as insightful commentary."[19]The Kansas City Star said that Franti "evokes an array of resemblances, some vague, some strong: to Bob Marley, G-Love, Everlast, UB40."[24]Tucson Weekly opined that while "the message of universal equality [of the title track] is spot-on and encouraging, Franti's rap-bridge lyrics about rocking everywhere can be terrible."[25]
^Levy, Dustin (July 12, 2013). "Spirit of celebration: Michael Franti invited other songwriters for new album, comes to Jiffy Lube Live". The Baltimore Sun. p. T12.
^Penn, Roberta (July 23, 2014). "Strike a pose and sing". Star-News. Wilmington.
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