The Dutchess
| The Dutchess | ||||
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Standard edition cover. On most deluxe editions, the background is colored black rather than red.
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| Studio album by Fergie | ||||
| Released | September 13, 2006 | |||
| Recorded | Fall 2005–Spring 2006 | |||
| Studio | The Black Eyed Peas Tour Bus and Morningview Studio | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 58:00 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer |
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| Fergie chronology | ||||
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| Alternative cover | ||||
Australian tour edition cover
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| Singles from The Dutchess | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| About.com |   |
| Allmusic | |
| Boston Phoenix | |
| Robert Christgau |  |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+ |
| Los Angeles Times | |
| PopMatters |   |
| Rolling Stone |  |
| Slant Magazine | |
| Yahoo! Music | (7/10) |
The Dutchess is the debut studio album by American singer Fergie. It was released on September 23, 2006 through A&M Records and the will.i.am Music Group as her first solo album since the break from her band The Black Eyed Peas. 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.
Upon its release, The Dutchess received mixed reviews from music critics, with many praising its production, calling it one of the most eclectic and adventurous albums of 2006, but some criticized the album's lyrical content and believed the material was not strong for her voice. It became a commercial success, reaching number two on the US Billboard 200 and spending 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 sold over five million copies in the United States and over nine 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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