Expectations (Bebe Rexha album)

Expectations is the debut studio album by American singer Bebe Rexha. It was released on June 22, 2018, by Warner Bros. Records. The album was announced following the success of her collaboration with country duo Florida Georgia Line, "Meant to Be". Expectations went out for pre-order on April 13, 2018, with the release of two promotional singles: "Ferrari" and "2 Souls on Fire".^[4] The album includes the singles "I Got You" and "Meant to Be" from All Your Fault: Pt. 1 and All Your Fault: Pt. 2, respectively. It features appearances from rappers Quavo and Tory Lanez, and country duo Florida Georgia Line.

Expectations
Studio album by Bebe Rexha
Released	June 22, 2018 (2018-06-22)
Recorded	January 2016, April – September 2017
Genre	Pop[1][2] electropop[3]
Length	43:47
Label	Warner Bros.
Producer	Bleta Rexha Louis Bell Miles Ale Devon Corey Captain Cuts Jason Evigan David Garcia German Hit-Boy Jussifer Joey Moi Lauren Christy The Monsters and the Strangerz Ali P Dre Pinckney Robot Scott The Stereotypes Gian Stone Andrew Wells Willshire Aaron Zuckerman
Bebe Rexha chronology
All Your Fault: Pt. 2 (2017) Expectations (2018) Better Mistakes (2021)
Singles from Expectations
"I'm a Mess" Released: June 15, 2018

Expectations received generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised its production and Rexha's vocal performance, while others criticized its lyricism. The album debuted at number thirteen on the US Billboard 200 chart, earning 24,000 album-equivalent units (including 10,000 copies as pure album sales) in its first week.^[5][6] As of January 2019, the album has sold 604,000 units (with 37,000 copies in pure album sales) in the US.^[7] On October 23, 2020, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for combined sales and album-equivalent units of over a million units in the United States.^[8]

Background

Following the release of All Your Fault: Pt. 2 (2017), Rexha began teasing new songs for a third installment in the All Your Fault series, with her manager going on record about its release.^[9] However, it appeared plans had changed, as Rexha revealed her next project would be called Expectations through a tweet in November 2017.^[10] Rexha revealed the cover art on April 8, 2018, with the album being available for pre-order on April 13.^[11][12]

Singles

"I'm a Mess" was released as the lead single from the album on June 15, following an early radio release in the United States.^[13] It has so far peaked at number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Rexha's first top 40 hit as a solo lead artist. "I Got You" and "Meant to Be" featuring Florida Georgia Line, from the first and second parts of All Your Fault respectively, were also included on the album.

Promotional singles

"Ferrari" and "2 Souls on Fire", the latter of which features Quavo of Migos, were released as promotional singles on April 13, 2018, with the pre-order of the album. "Ferrari" has since received a vertical video.^[14]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	65/100[15]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
The Guardian	[16]
Idolator	[17]
The Independent	[18]
NME	[2]
Rolling Stone	[19]
The Quietus	[20]

Expectations received mostly positive reviews. According to Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 65, based on six reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".^[15] AllMusic's Neil Z. Yeung viewed the album as "an improvement upon her trio of EP releases that succeeds in presenting mature, forward-thinking pop of the dark, introspective variety" and concluded, "While it could benefit from some tightening – the middle stretch stalls the momentum – Expectations affirms Rexha's songwriting prowess, ear for catchy hooks, and ability to pull emotion from otherwise serviceable radio pop".^[1] Craig Jenkins from Vulture referred to the album as "a showcase for the versatility of her instrument, which is both high and hearty and also a little wan, capable of hitting incredible marks in its upper register at the cost of coming in a little shrill". He especially praised album's intriguing ideas, playful lyrics and memorable hooks, dubbing it "one of the week's easiest pleasures".^[21]

Ilana Kaplan and Nick Hasted from The Independent highlighted album's ballads "Grace" and "Knees", describing Expectations as "album full of flawed, self-deprecating and boundary-pushing pop offerings".^[18] Idolator's Mike Nied stated that the album "perfectly captures the superstar's ethos" and that Rexha's "very recognizable voice is absolutely riveting." Nevertheless, he opined that the inclusion of "Meant to Be" "feels out of place", despite being "her biggest hit to date".^[17] Nick Levine from NME perceived Rexha more as an "emo singer",^[2] while Refinery29's Courtney E. Smith described Rexha as an "anti-hero" and a "dangerous woman fiercely playing with themes of depression, a lack of self-control, and unpredictability". In addition, Smith expressed that the singer "did a masterful job of painting a nihilistic scene in which she's an observer, and sometimes an unreliable narrator", but emphasized a lack of "autobiographical impression".^[22] Rolling Stone's Sarah Grant wrote that on Expectations, Rexha "paints herself as a heroine trapped in an ivory tower of her own making, but her cat-scratching upper register suggests sensitivity more than vengeance", calling it "an impressive debut album full of nostalgic heartache".^[19] Tommy Monroe from The Quietus stated that "a few tracks do do lack energy", however he described Rexha as "no ordinary singer" and "a chameleon who can switch vocals, blend with any sound, and find rhythm with any tempo".^[20]

In a less positive review, Laura Snapes of The Guardian criticized the overuse of Auto-Tune and Rexha's "desperate search of an identity" throughout the album, citing "Ferrari" as the "only remotely distinctive song".^[16]

Commercial performance

Expectations debuted at number 13 on the US Billboard 200 chart, earning 24,000 album-equivalent units (including 10,000 copies as pure album sales) in its first week.^[5][23] In Canada, the album debuted at number fourteen on the Billboard Canadian Albums .^[24] As of January 2019, the album has sold 604,000 units (with 37,000 copies in pure album sales) in the US.^[25] On October 23, 2020, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for combined sales and album-equivalent units of over a million units in the United States.^[8]

Track listing

Standard edition

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Ferrari"	Bleta Rexha Jason Evigan Asia Whiteacre	Evigan Gian Stone[a]	3:32
2.	"I'm a Mess"	Rexha Jussi Karvinen Justin Tranter Meredith Brooks Shelly Peiken	Jussifer Devon Corey[a]	3:15
3.	"2 Souls on Fire" (featuring Quavo)	Rexha Quavious Marshall Lauren Christy Karvinen Aaron Zuckerman	Jussifer Zuckerman[b]	2:50
4.	"Shining Star"	Rexha Christy Jacqetta Singleton Scott Carter Alexander Prawl Dre Pinckney	Ali P Robot Scott Pinckney	3:06
5.	"Knees"	Rexha Christy Josh Miller David Garcia	Garcia	3:26
6.	"I Got You"	Rexha Ben Berger Ryan McMahon Ryan Rabin Christy Jacob Kasher Hindlin	Captain Cuts	3:11
7.	"Self Control"	Rexha Christy Andrew Wells	Wells Corey[a]	2:54
8.	"Sad"	Rexha Stefan Johnson Jordan Johnson Marcus Lomax Whiteacre Oliver Peterhof	The Monsters and Strangerz German Corey[a]	3:05
9.	"Mine"	Rexha Chauncey Hollis, Jr. Lionchild Rachel Kennedy Lance Shipp Nathalia Marshall	Hit-Boy Corey[a]	2:51
10.	"Steady" (featuring Tory Lanez)	Rexha Daystar Peterson Whiteacre Louis Bell	Bell	3:14
11.	"Don't Get Any Closer"	Rexha Emily Warren Scott Harris Karvinen	Jussifer Corey[a]	2:48
12.	"Grace"	Rexha Christy Wells	Wells Corey[a]	3:16
13.	"Pillow"	Rexha Whiteacre Jonathan Yip Raymond Romulus Jeremy Reeves Raymound McCollough II	The Stereotypes Corey[a]	3:36
14.	"Meant to Be" (featuring Florida Georgia Line)	Rexha Tyler Hubbard Miller Garcia	Willshire Joey Moi[a]	2:43
Total length:				43:47

Japanese CD bonus tracks^[26]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
15.	"I Can't Stop Drinking About You" (Chainsmokers Remix)	Rexha S. Johnson J. Johnson Lomax	The Monsters and the Strangerz The Chainsmokers	4:23
16.	"I Got You" (Cheat Codes Remix)	Rexha Berger Christy Hindlin McMahon Rabin	Captain Cuts Cheat Codes	3:19
Total length:				51:29

Sample credit

• "I'm a Mess" contains an interpolation of the 1997 song "Bitch", performed by Meredith Brooks.^[27]

Notes

• ^{^[a]} signifies an additional vocal producer.
• ^{^[b]} signifies an additional producer.

Personnel

Production

• Management – Adam Mersel
• Mitch McCarthy  – mixing (tracks 1–5, and 7–13)
• Manny Marroquin – mixing (track 6)
• Emerson Mancini – mastering
• Ron Blake – trumpet (track 7)

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for Expectations Chart (2018) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA)[28] 19 Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[29] 71 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[30] 53 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[31] 73 Canadian Albums (Billboard)[32] 14 Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI)[33] 60 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[34] 58 French Albums (SNEP)[35] 153 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[36] 55 Irish Albums (IRMA)[37] 40 Japan Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[38] 42 Japanese Albums (Oricon)[39] 98 New Zealand Heatseeker Albums (RMNZ)[40] 1 Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[41] 35 Scottish Albums (OCC)[42] 28 Slovak Albums (ČNS IFPI)[43] 73 South Korean International Albums (Gaon)[44] 5 Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[45] 54 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[46] 31 UK Albums (OCC)[47] 33 US Billboard 200[48] 13

Year-end charts Year-end chart performance for Expectations Chart (2018) Position US Billboard 200[49] 147 Chart (2019) Position US Billboard 200[50] 142

Certifications

Certifications for Expectations

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[51]	2× Platinum	160,000‡
Netherlands (NVPI)[52]	Gold	20,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[53]	Platinum	15,000‡
Norway (IFPI Norway)[54]	Platinum	20,000*
Singapore (RIAS)[55]	Gold	5,000*
United States (RIAA)[8]	Platinum	1,000,000‡
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.