The Dutchess
The Dutchess is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter and rapper Fergie. It was released on September 13, 2006, through A&M Records and the will.i.am Music Group as her first solo album. The album was recorded between The Black Eyed Peas' tour in 2005, and the songs were written throughout the last eight years that preceded its release. While developing the album, Fergie wanted to create an autobiographical album that would be more intimate between her and the listener. By doing so, the album experiments with different music genres, including pop, hip hop, R&B, reggae, punk rock and soul. Lyrically, The Dutchess has themes about love and critics, while also dealing with her drug abuse and addiction.
The Dutchess was praised by music critics for its production and Fergie's vocals, being called one of the most eclectic and adventurous albums of 2006, but some criticized its lyrical content and believed the material was not strong enough for her voice. The album peaked at number two on the US Billboard 200 and spent ninety-four weeks inside the chart, while also topping the Australian Albums Chart and becoming a worldwide success, reaching platinum status in over eight countries. It has been certified 5× Platinum in the United States and has sold 12 million copies worldwide.
The album produced five top five singles in the United States, including three number-one hits on the US Billboard Hot 100, "London Bridge", "Big Girls Don't Cry", and "Glamorous", as well as the number two single "Fergalicious" and the number five single "Clumsy". All five of the aforementioned singles have sold over two million digital downloads each in the United States, thus setting a new record in the digital era for the most multi-platinum singles from one album. Fergie held this record until 2012, when Katy Perry achieved six multi-platinum singles with her album Teenage Dream (2010).
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