| Artist | Bracket |
|---|---|
| Cover | Cupid Stories.jpg |
| Released | 26 September 2011 |
| Length | 54:53 |
| Label | Ape Planet |
| Producer |
|
| Prev year | 2009 |
| Next year | 2015 |
Cupid Stories is the third studio album by Nigerian contemporary highlife music duo Bracket. It was released on 26 September 2011 through Ape Planet and features guest appearances from Wizkid, M.I, 2Face Idibia, Banky W. and Flavour. Production was handled by Fliptyce, Masterkraft, Dekumzy, Mecca E and Phyno.[1] Cupid Stories was preceded by the singles "Remember (Yori Yori Remix)", "Muah Muah", "Me & You", and "Girl". It serves as a follow-up to Least Expected (2009).
Background
Bracket originally announced the release of Cupid Stories for 5 September 2011, but it was eventually pushed back to the 26th. Explaining the album's title, Cupid Stories, Vast, a member of Bracket, revealed it was chosen because the album contains "many melodious love songs in it".[2]
Singles
The first single "Remember (Yori Yori Remix)" features 2Face Idibia and was released on 10 June 2010. Produced by Dekumzy,[3] it was originally titled "Remember" and not "Remember (Yori Yori Remix)." A leaked version of the track was mistakenly titled "Yori Yori Remix".[4] The album's second single "Muah Muah" was released on 20 March 2011, produced by Dekumzy.[5] The third single off the album "Me & You" was released on 29 May 2011, also produced by Dekumzy.[6] The fourth and final single "Girl" featuring Wizkid was released on 23 September 2011, which was produced by Masterkraft.[7] The song was nominated for Best Collabo of the Year at the 2012 Nigeria Entertainment Awards.[8]
Critical reception
Cupid Stories received generally negative reviews from critics. Ayomide Tayo of Nigerian Entertainment Today described the album as unimaginative and one-dimensional, criticizing its repetitive rhythms, weak lyrics, and lackluster production. While praising collaborations like "Girl" with Wizkid and "Champion" with Banky W., he concluded that "Cupid Stories is a book of forgettable love tales" and rated it 2.5 out of 5.[9] Wilfred Okiche of YNaija described Cupid Stories as a love-themed album with moments of charm but weighed down by inconsistent quality. While praising tracks like "Beautiful Baby" featuring Flavour and "Remember" with 2Face Idibia, he noted the album's weaker songs and concluded, "We will be making room on our playlists for the better melodious tunes on this set while wishing the guys Godspeed in perfecting their sound, but we will not wait around forever."[10] A writer for Jaguda who goes by the name Aribaba did a track-by-track review on the album and gave it a 6.5/10.[11]
Personnel
- Dekumzy — production (tracks 3, 5, 7–8, 10, 12–14)
- Mecca E — production (track 1)
- Phyno — production (tracks 2, 9)
- Masterkraft — production (tracks 4, 6)
- Fliptyce — production (track 11)
- Zeeno Foster - mixing, mastering (tracks, 1–3, 5, 7–14)
- Dr. Drexx — mixing, mastering (tracks 4, 6)
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Various | 26 September 2011 | CD · digital download | Ape Planet |
References
- ^ "Bracket pockets N15m on new album". Vanguard. 8 October 2011. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
- ^ "Bracket drops new album …refutes fight with P-Square". Vanguard. 19 August 2011. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
- ^ Ovie Ofugara (10 June 2010). "Bracket ft 2face Idibia - Yori Yori (Remix)". NotJustOk. Archived 15 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
- ^ Mukosolu Nzom (3 November 2012). "Our pain, our gains, our story – Bracket". Vanguard. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
- ^ Oye Akideinde (20 March 2011). "360Premiere: Bracket – Muah Muah". 360nobs. Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
- ^ Osagie Alonge (30 May 2011). "NETPod: Bracket Bounce Back With 'Me & U'". The NET. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
- ^ Demola Ogundele (23 September 2011). "World Premiere: Bracket ft. WizKid - Girl". NotJustOk. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
- ^ "2012 NIGERIAN ENTERTAINMENT AWARDS NOMINEES ANNOUNCED AT THE NOMINATION GALA EVENT IN LAGOS". 360nobs. 3 June 2012. Archived from the original on 5 June 2012. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
- ^ Ayomide Tayo (28 October 2011). "Bracket – Cupid Stories [ALBUM REVIEW]". The NET. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
- ^ Wilfred Okiche (22 October 2011). "Review: Bracket's Cupid Stories". YNaija. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
- ^ Aribaba (12 October 2011). "Album Review: Bracket – Cupid Stories". Jaguda. Archived from the original on 14 October 2011. Retrieved 29 June 2025.