Nicole Wray – Elektric Blue (UNRELEASED ALBUM) (2001) CD

Nicole Wray – Elektric Blue (UNRELEASED ALBUM) (2001) CD

01. Elektric Blue (Intro) (Feat. Missy Elliott)
02. I’m Lookin’
03. Bangin’ (Don’t Lie) (Feat. Missy Elliott & Prodigy)
04. Wanna Cruise
05. Sweetest
06. (No Joke) Mama Used to Say (Feat. Redman & Missy Elliott)
07. Too Controllin’
08. Not My Man (Meet Me At The Spot)
09. Single Life (Interlude) (Feat. Missy Elliott)
10. Talk With Time
11. Club 2G (Feat. Missy Elliott)
12. Sayonara
13. U Can’t Be Me
14. Ghetto Children (Feat. Bizzy)
15. Gonna Love You
16. (You) Played The Game
17. Don’t Have To
18. Without You (From “Why Do Fools Fall In Love”)

A partial collection of songs recorded during the period of former Missy Elliott protégée Nicole Wray’s unfinished sophomore album “Elektric Blue” (2001). Production for the album dates back as early as 1999, when Nicole ventured out to seek creative control for songwriting.

The “Make It Hot” songstress partnered with producers outside the SuperFriends clique and recruited composers Diane Warren, Teddy Bishop, Harold Lily, Tamara Savage, Pharrell Williams & Chad Hugo of The Neptunes/N*E*R*D during the ’99 and early ’00 prototype demo sessions of the album.

Among the results were “Gonna Love You”, “Only Love”, “Dial My Heart”, “Jump”, “Get It Right”, “Talk with Time” & “Can I”. Some of these leaked; however, the remaining tracks still remain locked away in the vault. During the course of summer 2000, Nicole decided to work with returning collaborators Missy Elliott & Timbaland for the effort.

The dynamic duo, alongside affiliates Rockwilder & Bink, rekindled their magic with Nicole on the blazin’ offerings “Single Life”, “(No Joke) Mama Used to Say”, “Club 2G”, “Sweetest” & “Bangin’ (Don’t Lie)”; the latter serving as one of two buzz singles for “Elektric Blue”. Sadly, the single went nowhere due to signing of Nicole’s Goldmind Inc. label mate Torrey Carter, whose inclusion additionally pushed Nicole’s “Elektric Blue” alongside fellow labelmates’ projects to 2001.

The event caused Nicole to retool the album once more and choose a softer single compared to her previous selections; the hopeless romantic ballad “I’m Lookin'” was chosen as the official lead. Featuring production by DJ Eddie F and Timbaland’s previous understudy Balewa Muhammad of The Clutch, “I’m Lookin'” garnered minor airplay on video networks like BET’s “Midnight Love” but failed to make a bigger impression on the Billboard end, only scoring number 66 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart.

As an end result, “Elektric Blue” was pushed back once more towards fourth quarter of 2001 and in response, Nicole asked to be released from her contract with Elektra/Goldmind; leaving “Elektric Blue” unfinished.