The Time Is Now (album)

The Time Is Now
Studio album by
Craig David
Released26 January 2018
Recorded2016–2017
Genre
Length38:31
Label
  • Speakerbox
  • Insanity
  • RCA
Producer
Craig David chronology
Rewind – The Collection(2017) The Time Is Now(2018) 22(2022)
Singles from The Time Is Now
  1. "Heartline"Released: 14 September 2017
  2. "I Know You"Released: 23 November 2017
  3. "Magic"Released: 6 April 2018[3]

The Time Is Now is the seventh studio album by English singer Craig David, released on 26 January 2018.[4][5] The album features guest appearances from JP Cooper, Bastille, AJ Tracey, Ella Mai, Kaytranada and GoldLink. The albums's first single, "Heartline", was released on 14 September 2017, through David's official YouTube account.

The album reached number two in the United Kingdom, making it David's fifth UK top 10 album.

Background

On 15 September 2017, less than a year after the release of his comeback album Following My Intuition which became his first chart-topper for 16 years, David announced the follow-up, The Time Is Now. In an interview, David said: "The motivation and inspiration behind this album was all down to the huge realisation that even when I wasn't as focused, there were amazing lessons to be learnt."[6]

The album features collaborations with Bastille, AJ Tracey, Kaytranada and GoldLink.[7]

Promotion

The first single from the album, "Heartline", was released on 14 September 2017, and peaked at 24 in the UK. The second single, "I Know You", featuring the British band Bastille, was released on 23 November 2017, and was commercially more successful than his recent singles, peaking at five in the UK. In further promotion of the album, David embarked on a tour and made appearances at music festivals around England, the United States, the Middle East and Europe to promote the album.[8]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic56/100[9]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStar[10]
Clash6/10[11]
The Daily TelegraphStarStarStar[12]
The GuardianStarStarStar[13]
MusicOMHStarStarStarHalf star[14]
NMEStarStarStar[15]
The ObserverStarStarStar[16]
Pitchfork5.5/10[17]
PopMatters5/10[18]
Under the Radar3/10[19]

The Time Is Now received mixed reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 56 based on 12 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews."[9] Ben Hogwood from MusicOMH found that while the album was "undoubtedly a bit too long, The Time Is Now reaffirms Craig David's standing as a fine and flexible pop songwriter with all sorts of hooks up his sleeve. He is a more versatile singer these days, able to home in on an urban style, but moulding himself into different shapes, sizes and speeds."[14]Neil McCormick from The Daily Telegraph criticized the album for its lack of lyrical depth and overreliance on Auto-Tune but pointed out that it was "packed with snappy, hook-laden songs, and plush electronic arrangements and rhythm tracks."[12] Andre Paine, writing for The Evening Standard, called the album a "comeback that's going to keep adding followers,"[20] while NME's Leonie Cooper found that "what The Time Is Now lacks in coherency, it makes up for in sheer enthusiasm."[15]AllMusic editor concluded that the album was "less scattered stylistically, yet less consistent quality-wise."[10]

Damien Morris from The Observer felt that the album was offering "inspirational memes slathered over playlist-ready tropical R&B-pop" and called it a "glossily one-note album, an uncomplicated toast to desire sated, friendship reciprocated and love requited."[16] Rachel Aroesti from The Guardian remarked that the album "contains notably less UK garage than its predecessor, and instead lives up to its name by mining trendy, but already quite tired, sounds from the charts [...] It's a shame that David barely draws on the genre he helped popularise, because here he often seems swallowed up by different styles. [He] may have worked hard to rejoin the pop firmament, but he seems slightly lost now that he’s arrived."[13]

Commercial performance

The Time Is Now reached number two on the UK Albums Chart, debuting with sales of 16,874 copies, behind the soundtrack of The Greatest Showman.[21]

Track listing

Standard edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Magic"
Tre Jean-Marie2:52
2."Heartline"
Jonas Blue3:12
3."Brand New"
Steve Mac2:44
4."Going On"
Fraser T. Smith3:24
5."Love Me Like It's Yesterday"
Fraser T. Smith3:32
6."For the Gram"
Diztortion3:54
7."Get Involved" (featuring JP Cooper)
Tre Jean-Marie3:09
8."I Know You" (featuring Bastille)
  • David
  • Dan Smith
  • Thorneycroft-Smith
  • Helen "Carmen Reece" Culver
Fraser T. Smith3:34
9."Live in the Moment" (featuring GoldLink)
  • Kaytranada
  • Tre Jean-Marie[a]
3:06
10."Love Will Come Around"
  • David
  • Josiah Dixon
  • Thorneycroft-Smith
  • Tyrell Paul
Fraser T. Smith3:14
11."Somebody Like Me" (featuring AJ Tracey)
Blonde2:54
12."Focus"
  • David
  • Furner
  • Thorneycroft-Smith
  • Tyrell Paul
Fraser T. Smith2:56
Total length:38:31
Deluxe edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
13."Reload" (with Chase & Status)
Chase & Status3:10
14."Talk to Me"
Tre Jean-Marie3:55
15."Talk to Me, Pt. II" (featuring Ella Mai)
  • David
  • Jean-Marie
  • Riley
  • Ella Mai
  • Nosa Obasohan
  • Tre Jean-Marie
  • Nosaapollo
3:22
Total length:48:58
Japanese edition bonus tracks[22]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
16."Armour"
Tre Jean-Marie3:31
17."Heartline" (acoustic)
Fraser T. Smith3:12
18."I Know You" (acoustic; featuring Bastille)
  • David
  • Dan Smith
  • Thorneycroft-Smith
  • Helen "Carmen Reece" Culver
  • Fraser T. Smith
  • Tobie Tripp
  • Dan Smith
  • Sophie Gledhill
3:58
Total length:59:39

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies a vocal producer.

Personnel

Credits adapted from album's liner notes.[23]

  • Mark Asari – backing vocals (tracks 9, 14), chant vocals (track 1)
  • Jonas Blue – producer and mixing (track 2)
  • Raoul Chen – producer, engineer, mixing, backing vocals, drum programming, and instruments (track 6)
  • Wez Clarke – mixing (tracks 1, 3, 7, 14, 15)
  • JP Cooper – vocals (track 7)
  • Craig David – vocals (all tracks)
  • Ed Drewett – chant vocals (track 1)
  • Phebe Edwards – backing vocals (tracks 4, 5, 12)
  • Lauren Faith – backing vocals (track 4)
  • Rachel Furner – backing vocals (track 12)
  • GoldLink – vocals (track 9)
  • Manon Grandjean – engineer (tracks 4, 5, 8, 10, 12)
  • Stuart Hawkes – mastering (all tracks)
  • Tre Jean-Marie – producer (tracks 1, 7, 14, 15); vocal production, vocal mixing, and background vocals (track 9); chant vocals (track 1)
  • Kaytranada – producer and mixing (track 9)
  • William Kennard – producer, mixing, instrumentation, and programming (track 13)
  • Chris Laws – engineer, drums, and percussion (track 3)
  • Tim Laws – guitar (track 3)
  • Colin Lester – executive producer
  • Andy Mac – talkbox (track 14)
  • Steve Mac – producer and keyboards (track 3)
  • Rob MacFarlane – engineer (tracks 8, 13)
  • Ella Mai – vocals (track 15)
  • Jacob Manson – producer, engineer, mixing, guitar, keyboards, and drum programming (track 11)
  • Brandon Michael – chant vocals (track 1)
  • Saul Milton – producer, mixing, instrumentation, and programming (track 13)
  • Nosaappollo – producer (track 15)
  • Tyrell "169" Paul – producer (tracks 4, 10, 12), drum programming (tracks 4, 10)
  • Dann Pursey – engineer (track 3)
  • Carmen Reece – backing vocals (track 8)
  • Sillkey – additional production (track 14)
  • Dan Smith – vocals (track 8)
  • Fraser T. Smith – producer, mixing, keyboards, and drum programming (tracks 4, 5, 8, 10, 12); guitar (tracks 4, 10)
  • AJ Tracey – vocals (track 11)

Charts

Chart performance for The Time Is Now
Chart (2018) Peakposition
Australian Albums (ARIA)[24]43
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[25]77
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[26]128
Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI)[27]91
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[28]56
French Albums (SNEP)[29]157
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[30]97
Irish Albums (IRMA)[31]53
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[32]97
Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[33]91
New Zealand Heatseeker Albums (RMNZ)[34]2
Scottish Albums (OCC)[35]9
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[36]47
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[37]75
UK Albums (OCC)[38]2
UK R&B Albums (OCC)[39]1

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[40]Silver 60,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release history and formats for The Time Is Now
Region Date Format(s) Label
United Kingdom 26 January 2018
  • Speakerbox
  • Insanity
  • Sony

References

  1. ^Beta, Andy (25 January 2018). "Craig David: The Time Is Now Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
  2. ^Hodgkinson, Will (26 January 2018). "Pop review: Craig David: The Time is Now". The Times. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  3. ^"BBC – Radio 1 – Playlist". BBC Radio 1. Archived from the original on 13 April 2018. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  4. ^"Craig David releases new single 'Heartline' and announces new album and tour". NME. 15 September 2017.
  5. ^"Craig David Releases New Single 'Heartline', Announces New Album 'The Time Is Now'". Capital XTRA. 15 September 2017.
  6. ^Kelly, Emma (15 September 2017). "Craig David announces seventh album and drops brand new single". Metro. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  7. ^Renshaw, David (15 September 2017). "Craig David Announces New Album The Time Is Now". The FADER. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  8. ^"Craig David Tour 2018". craigdavid.com. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  9. ^ ab"Reviews for The Time Is Now by Craig David". Metacritic. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  10. ^ abKellman, Andy. "AllMusic Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  11. ^Rivers, Joe (22 January 2018). "Clash Magazine Review". Clash. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  12. ^ abMcCormick, Neil (26 January 2018). "Is it time for Craig David to grow up? The Time is Now, review". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 17 December 2024. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  13. ^ abAroesti, Rachel (26 January 2018). "Craig David: The Time Is Now review – selfie addict stays just about on-trend". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  14. ^ abHogwood, Ben (26 January 2018). "MusicOMH Review". MusicOMH. Archived from the original on 22 July 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  15. ^ abCooper, Leonie (2 February 2018). "NME Review". NME. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  16. ^ abMorris, Damien (28 January 2018). "Craig David: The Time Is Now review – a glossily one-note album". The Observer. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  17. ^Beta, Andy (25 January 2019). "Pitchfork Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  18. ^Schiller, Mike (26 February 2018). "PopMatters Review". PopMatters. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  19. ^Moayeri, Lily (6 February 2018). "Under the Radar Review". Under the Radar. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  20. ^Paine, Andre (26 January 2018). "Albums of the Week: Craig David, Django Django and Nick JD Hodgson". Evening Standard. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  21. ^Myers, Justin (2 February 2018). "The Greatest Showman denies Craig David a third Number 1 album". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  22. ^"CDJapan : The Time Is Now Craig David CD Album". cdjapan.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  23. ^The Time Is Now (booklet). Speakerbox, Insanity, RCA. 2018.
  24. ^"Australiancharts.com – Craig David – The Time Is Now". Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  25. ^"Ultratop.be – Craig David – The Time Is Now" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  26. ^"Ultratop.be – Craig David – The Time Is Now" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  27. ^"ČNS IFPI – CZ Albums – Top 100 – 5. týden 2018" (in Czech). ČNS IFPI. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  28. ^"Dutchcharts.nl – Craig David – The Time Is Now" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  29. ^"Lescharts.com – Craig David – The Time Is Now". Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  30. ^"Offiziellecharts.de – Craig David – The Time Is Now" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  31. ^"Irish-charts.com – Discography Craig David". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  32. ^"Craig David". Oricon. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  33. ^"The Time Is Now on Billboard Japan Hot Albums". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  34. ^"NZ Heatseeker Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 5 February 2018. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  35. ^"Official Scottish Albums Chart on 2/2/2018 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  36. ^"Spanishcharts.com – Craig David – The Time Is Now". Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  37. ^"Swisscharts.com – Craig David – The Time Is Now". Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  38. ^"Official Albums Chart on 2/2/2018 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  39. ^"Official R&B Albums Chart on 2/2/2018 – Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  40. ^"British album certifications – Craig David – The Time Is Now". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
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