Bring Ya to the Brink

Bring Ya to the Brink
Studio album by Cyndi Lauper
Released	May 27, 2008 (See release history)
Recorded	2008
Genre	Pop rock, dance-pop, electronic, house
Length	49:36
Label	Epic
Producer	Cyndi Lauper (also exec.) Peer Åström, Axwell, Basement Jaxx, Johan Bobäck, Digital Dog, Dragonette, DJ Emz, Kleerup, Richard Morel, The Scumfrog, William Wittman
Cyndi Lauper chronology
The Body Acoustic (2005) Bring Ya to the Brink (2008) Memphis Blues (2010)
Singles from Bring Ya to the Brink
"Set Your Heart" Released: 2008 (Japan only) "Same Ol' Story" Released: May 6, 2008 "Into the Nightlife" Released: September 22, 2008

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Billboard	(favorable)[2]
Blender	[3]
Digital Spy	[4]
Entertainment Weekly	B[5]
The New York Times	(mixed)[6]
NOW	(favorable)[7]
The Observer	(positive)[8]
PopMatters	(7/10)[9]
Rolling Stone	[10]
Slant Magazine	[11]
O Globo	(positive)[12]

Bring Ya to the Brink is American singer Cyndi Lauper's ninth studio album and was released on May 27, 2008 in the United States, with a worldwide tour later that summer. The album is a dance-oriented collection featuring collaborations with Basement Jaxx, Richard Morel, Max Martin and Kleerup, amongst others. Regarded as Lauper's strongest set of original material in recent years, the Songwriters Hall of Fame has regarded the album track 'High and Mighty' as one of Lauper's key songs, and the album received a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronica Album in 2009.^[13] The song "Set Your Heart" was released as a promo-only single in Japan in early 2008 and "Same Ol' Story" was the first official single released worldwide on May 6, 2008. "Into the Nightlife" was released as the album's second official single.^[14]

The album is Lauper's last album to date for Epic Records, her label since the 1980s.

Album information

Lauper visited England and Sweden during early 2007 where she wrote songs with dance artists such as The Scumfrog, Basement Jaxx, Digital Dog, Dragonette, Kleerup and Axwell.^[15] She also wrote and produced four of the album's tracks with Washington DC DJ Richard Morel.^[16] Art direction on the album was credited to Cyndi Lauper, Sheri Lee & Meghan Foley, with photography by Stefanie Schneider.^[17][18]

Tour and Promotion

To support the album, Lauper toured the world in 2008. She embarked on the Bring Ya to the Brink World Tour in support of the album in countries outside of the United States: The show ventured to Australia in the spring of 2008 and Japan, Europe and South America in the fall of 2008. In the United States she toured in the summer with the True Colors 2008 tour to support the album there.

The album listed at No. 7 on the Attitude Magazine's top ten albums of 2008^[19] and also came in at No. 8 on Amazon's Best Pop albums of 2008.^[20]

"Echo" was featured in the Gossip Girl episode "Bonfire of the Vanity", in which Lauper had a cameo at Blair Waldorf's 18th birthday party celebration. "High and Mighty" was in an episode of Ugly Betty.

Lauper performed "Into the Nightlife" live on The Graham Norton Show,^[21] in series 4 episode 2, first broadcast on October 9, 2008.^[22]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"High and Mighty"	Cyndi Lauper, Jesse Houk	Lauper, Scumfrog	4:43
2.	"Into the Nightlife"	Lauper, Peer Åström, Johan Bobäck, Max Martin	Lauper, Åström, Bobäck	4:00
3.	"Rocking Chair"	Lauper, Felix Buxton, Simon Ratcliffe	Lauper, Basement Jaxx	3:39
4.	"Echo"	Lauper, Åström, Bobäck, William Wittman	Lauper, Åström, Bobäck	3:55
5.	"Lyfe"	Lauper, Roger Fife, Melissa Greene, Sammy Merendino	Lauper, DJ Emz	3:38
6.	"Same Ol' Story"	Lauper, Richard Morel	Lauper, Morel	5:54
7.	"Raging Storm"	Lauper, Morel	Lauper, Morel	5:23
8.	"Lay Me Down"	Lauper, Andreas Kleerup	Lauper, Kleerup	3:28
9.	"Give It Up"	Lauper, Steve Cornish, Nicholas Mace	Lauper, Digital Dog	3:23
10.	"Set Your Heart"	Lauper, Morel, Victor Carstarphen, Gene McFadden, John Whitehead	Lauper, Morel	3:42
11.	"Grab a Hold"	Lauper, Dan Kurtz, Martina Sorbara	Lauper, Dragonette	3:27
12.	"Rain on Me"	Lauper, Chau Phan, Axel Hedfors, Alexander Kronlund	Lauper, Axwell	4:24

Japanese edition[23]/Special edition[24] bonus tracks
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
13.	"Got Candy"	Lauper, Morel	Lauper, Morel	3:53
14.	"Can't Breathe"	Lauper, Phan, Kronlund	Lauper, Wittman	3:58

Sample credits

• "Set Your Heart" contains an interpolation of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes' "Where Are All My Friends", written by Victor Carstarphen, Gene McFadden, and John Whitehead.

Singles

• "Set Your Heart" was released as a promo-only single in Japan, where it received considerable airplay. Peaking at No. 11 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 Singles.

• The first single of the album was "Same Ol' Story", it was released worldwide on May 6, 2008. It topped the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play and stayed on the chart for several weeks.

• The second single of the album was "Into the Nightlife", it was released on August 8, 2008. The music video for the song was partly filmed at Splash Bar in New York City on May 20, 2008. Fans were invited to come be extras in the video. It was a huge club hit in the U.S. topping the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play and peaking at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot Dance Airplay.

• Dance radio station Energy 92.7FM in San Francisco announced that "Echo" would be the third single, but no release eventuated. The song itself was promoted in June 2012 by WWE when Lauper returned to the company for a special appearance.

Floor Remixes

A remix album, Floor Remixes, was released February 18, 2009 as a limited edition CD/DVD set and a regular edition in Japan.

A single called "Girls Just Wanna Set Your Heart" was released in Japan on January 21, 2009. It is a mashup of "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" and "Set Your Heart", mixed by Richard Morel.

Track listing
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Girls Just Wanna Have Fun/Set Your Heart"
2.	"Into the Nightlife (Freedombunch Remix)"
3.	"Same Ol' Story (Pink Noise Remix)"
4.	"Time After Time (Freedombunch Remix)"
5.	"Set Your Heart (Freedombunch Remix)"
6.	"High and Mighty (Tom Novy Remix)"
7.	"Into the Nightlife (Johnny Pinkfinger vs Mihell Remix)"
8.	"Same Ol' Story (Extended Mix)"
9.	"Girls Just Wanna Have Fun [X Set Your Heart Mashup]"
10.	"True Colors [Ukawanimation! Remix]"
11.	"DVD : Girls Just Wanna Set Your Heart"
12.	"DVD : Set Your Heart (Freedombunch Remix)"
13.	"DVD : Set Your Heart (Freedombunch Remix - Tomovie Version)"
14.	"DVD : Set Your Heart (Freedombunch Remix - Usagi TANAKA (SCORT+) Version)"
15.	"DVD : Director Interview"

Accolades

Year	Recipient/Nominated work	Award	Result
2009	"Bring Ya to the Brink"	Grammy Award for Best Electronic/Dance Album	Nominated

Chart performance

Chart (2008)	Peak Position
Australia (ARIA Albums Chart)[25]	87
Austrian Albums Chart[26]	48
French Albums Chart[27]	129
Japanese Albums Chart[28]	11
U.S. Billboard 200[29]	41

Release history

Region	Date	Label	Format	Catalog
Japan	May 14, 2008	Sony Music Japan	CD with bonus tracks	EICP 968[30]
United States UK	May 27, 2008	Epic Records	CD	706592[31]
			Paid download
Argentina		Sony BMG	CD	706592[32]
Finland	May 28, 2008	–	–	–
South Korea	June 3, 2008	Sony BMG Music Entertainment Korea	CD	SB10444C[33]
Australia	June 7, 2008	Epic	CD	88697065922[34]
			Paid download
China	2008	Sony BMG	CD	9787799428642
Indonesia	August 15, 2008	Sony BMG	CD	–
			Cassette	–

Notes

1. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Cyndi Lauper: Bring Ya to the Brink > Review" at AllMusic. Retrieved October 11, 2011.
2. Taylor, Chuck (2008). "Bring Ya to the Brink". News & Reviews. Billboard.com. Archived from the original on May 26, 2008.
3. Blender review Archived May 29, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
4. Levine, Nick (July 19, 2008). "Cyndi Lauper: 'Brink Ya To The Brink'". Digital Spy. Retrieved October 11, 2011.
5. Vozick-Levinson, Simon (June 13, 2008). "Bring Ya to the Brink (2008): Cyndi Lauper". Entertainment Weekly (Time) (#998). ISSN 1049-0434. Retrieved October 11, 2011.
6. Chinen, Nate (May 26, 2008). Parales, Jon, ed. "Critics’ Choice: New CDs". The New York Times. Cyndi Lauper: "Bring Ya to the Brink". ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 11, 2011.
7. Davies, Evan (May 29, 2008). "Cyndi Lauper: Bring Ya To The Brink". NOW 27 (39). ISSN 0712-1326. Retrieved October 11, 2011.
8. Hoggard, Liz (August 10, 2008). "Pop review: Cyndi Lauper, Bring Ya To The Brink". The Observer (London: Guardian Media Group). ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved October 11, 2011.
9. Wikane, Christian John (June 5, 2008). "Cyndi Lauper: Bring Ya to the Brink". PopMatters. Retrieved October 11, 2011.
10. Ganz, Caryn (May 29, 2008). "Cyndi Lauper: Bring Ya to the Brink". Rolling Stone (Straight Arrow). ISSN 0035-791X. Retrieved October 11, 2011.
11. Keefe, Jonathan (May 25, 2008). "Cyndi Lauper: Bring Ya to the Brink". Slant Magazine. Retrieved October 11, 2011.
12. Zamora, William (June 1, 2008). "Cyndi Lauper surpreende com CD 'Bring ya to the brink'" [Cyndi Lauper surprises with 'Bring ya to the brink' CD]. O Globo (in Portuguese) (Rio de Janeiro). OCLC 24111258. Retrieved October 11, 2011.
13. http://www.songhall.org/news/entry/songwriters_hall_of_fame_2014_nominees_for_induction_announced
14. Be in the "Into the Nightlife" Video!. Cyndi Lauper Source (May 14, 2008). Retrieved May 15, 2008.
15. Gamboa, Glenn (May 28, 2008). Her music has the rights stuff. Newsday. Retrieved May 29, 2008.
16. Browne, Sally (February 13, 2008). Artist Review: Cyndi Lauper. The Sunday Times. Retrieved May 29, 2008.
17. "Interview: Cyndi Lauper Brings Us to the Brink + Tells Us What's in her Head". Sony Music. July 25, 2008. Retrieved February 3, 2009.
18. Liss, Sarah (June 2, 2008). "She's Still Unusual: Q & A with Cyndi Lauper". CBC News. Retrieved February 2, 2009.
19. "Top 10 Albums of 2008". Attitude (United Kingdom: Vitality Publishing). Retrieved October 11, 2011.
20. "Best Pop Music of 2008". Amazon.com. 8. Bring Ya to the Brink, Lauper, Cyndi. Retrieved February 12, 2009.
21. "Cyndi Performs "Into The Night Life"". San Francisco: Signatures Network, Inc. Retrieved February 12, 2009. Cyndi performs live on the Graham Norton Show, Oct. 9, 2008.
22. "The Graham Norton Show, Series 4, Episode 2". BBC Two Programmes. BBC. Retrieved February 12, 2009. Graham is joined by legendary comic Jennifer Saunders and 80s icon Cyndi Lauper
23. Sony Music Online Japan. Retrieved April 16, 2008.
24. "Bring Ya to the Brink -Special Edition- [w/ DVD, Limited Release]". cdjapan.co.jp. Retrieved October 11, 2011. delete character in |title= at position 41 (help)
25. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
26. "Bring Ya to the Brink Austrian Charting". Austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. Retrieved August 28, 2010.
27. "Bring Ya to the Brink French Charting". Les charts. Retrieved August 28, 2010.
28. Japan - Top Albums Chart (May 26, 2008). Retrieved May 29, 2008.
29. Hasty, Katie (June 4, 2008) Usher Scores Second Best Sales Debut of '08. Billboard. Retrieved June 7, 2008.
30. Bring Ya to the Brink > Overview Allmusic. Retrieved May 14, 2008.
31. Cyndi Lauper – Bring Ya to the Brink at Discogs
32. Sony BMG Argentina News. Retrieved June 2, 2008.
33. "Cyndi Lauper "Bring Ya To The Brink"" (in Korean). maniadb.com.
34. Bring Ya To The Brink Oceania. Cyndi Lauper UK. Retrieved June 2, 2008.

External links

• Telgraph.co.uk review of Bring Ya to the Brink.