Love Letter

Love Letter is the tenth studio album by American R&B recording artist R. Kelly; it was released on December 14, 2010, by Jive Records. It was written and produced entirely by Kelly. A departure from his previous work's contemporary sound and sexually explicit themes, Love Letter incorporates classic soul music influences and features chivalrous lyrics concerning love and forgiveness. The album debuted at number 6 on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 154,000 copies in its first week. It produced two singles that attained respectable charting on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Upon its release, Love Letter received positive reviews from most music critics, who complimented its classically minded style and praised Kelly for his singing and songwriting. The album has been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America and, as of March 2011, has sold 496,600 copies in the United States. Love Letter is an homage to the classic soul music of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Kelly was heavily inspired by such soul artists as Marvin Gaye, Jackie Wilson, Donny Hathaway, Sam Cooke, Michael Jackson, and Stevie Wonder.