The Intro is the debut EP by Canadian singer/songwriter Ruth B.[2] It was released on November 27, 2015,[3] and was met with generally positive reviews.[4][5]
| The Intro | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| EP by | ||||
| Released | November 27, 2015 | |||
| Recorded | 2015 | |||
| Length | 16:26 | |||
| Label | Columbia[1] | |||
| Producer | Ruth B | |||
| Ruth B chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Intro | ||||
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Background
Ruth B had initially gained popularity by posting six-second snippets of her singing on Vine; she was encouraged by her fans to write a full-length song, so she wrote "Lost Boy", which ended up being her first hit.[5][6] The song entered the Top 100 of the iTunes chart "with no promotion", and B began receiving offers for recording contracts from various record labels. She signed to Columbia Records and shortly after began recording music for "The Intro."[5][7] B stated in an interview with Rookie that being signed "felt really validating and cool that people in the business thought that I could do it, not just my friends and family."[7]
Writing and recording
Ruth B began writing music after being signed to her record label; she stated that she wanted to take an "honest, real, and vulnerable" approach when writing the music.[7] Ruth B self-produced her entire EP,[7] and wrote 14 songs for the EP, selecting 4 to be included on the release.[3] Three of the EP's songs ("Lost Boy", "Golden", and "2 Broke Kids") were written prior to Ruth B's signing to the record label; she wrote "Superficial Love" shortly after being signed. The EP was recorded in two days at a music studio in Brooklyn.[8]
Release
The album was released as an MP3 on 27 November 2015, and re-released on CD in 2016, following the success of "Lost Boy".[9]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic[5] |   |
Andy Kellman, writing for AllMusic, calls the lyrics "elegant and direct" and concludes that the EP is "all aching love songs that are nonetheless comforting."[5]
Commercial performance
The EP debuted at number 20 on the Billboard Canadian Albums Chart.[10] and number 52 on the US Billboard 200.[11] The Intro also reached number 7 on the Americana/Folk Albums chart.[12]
Track listing
Adapted from AllMusic. All songs written by Ruth B.[3]
Charts
Year-end charts
| Chart (2016) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[13] | 166 |