| World Outside My Window | |
| Type: | Album |
| Artist: | Glenn Lewis |
| Cover: | Glenn lewis - world outside my window.jpg |
| Released: | March 19, 2002 |
| Recorded: | 2001–2002 |
| Genre: | R&B |
| Length: | 65:20 |
| Label: | Epic |
| Producer: | Andre Harris & Vidal Davis |
World Outside My Window is the debut album of Canadian R&B singer Glenn Lewis. Released on March 19, 2002, it featured two singles, "Don't You Forget It" and "It's Not Fair". It also features production by Dre & Vidal. The album debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200 with 85,000 copies sold in the first week.[1] It has sold 377,000 copies to date.[2]
Daryl Easlea from BBC Music called the album "polished, heartfelt collection of sincerely delivered R&B."[3] Mark Anthony Neal, writing for Popmatters, found that "Lewis is a fine singer/songwriter whose debut recording is a fitting addition to the modern soul tradition."[4] Blender critic Ryan Eliot found that World Outside My Window "mimics Wonder’s wistful balladry without disgracing it [...] Whether you’ll opt for this over, say, Innervisions is doubtful — despite the whiff of neosoul authenticity, Lewis is some distance from his hero’s masterly songwriting, with variety sacrificed for soporific grooves and a stolid, sleep-inducingly slow pace."
Slant Magazine Sal Cinquemani noted that World Outside My Window was "plainly straight-up rhythm & blues. He's one part Gaye and two parts Wonder, drawing on the sounds of the past to craft a winning formula that earnestly blends soul with sincerity. That said, the singer will likely need to overcome comparisons to Wonder before reaching the heights of fellow crooner D'Angelo." AllMusic editor William Ruhlmann felt that Lewis "distinguishes himself [...] enough to be interesting on his own, but one spends most of the time spent listening to this album waiting for something to happen. Lewis' career has been well set up [but] he needs to get more substance into his songwriting and move beyond the influence of his hero."
Adapted from the World Outside My Window liner notes.[5]
| Chart (2002) | Position | |
|---|---|---|
| Canadian R&B Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)[6] | 62 | |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[7] | 68 |