Readers of That Grape Juice know what avid music lovers we are – especially of hits past.
So, just as our retrospective features ‘From the Vault’ and ‘TGJ Replay’ allow us the chance to re-spin the gems and jams of yesterday of one artist, our newest feature Chart Rewind – a variation of our current Retro Rewind assay – accedes salutes to an entire era of music history.
This week we’re looking back to Letoya Luckett‘s official debut solo single, ‘Torn.’ The lead offering from her self-titled debut album (click here to read our full length ode to the project), the Teddy Bishop-produced tune – which famously samples The Stylistics’ 70’s classic ‘You Are Everything’ (also found aboard Mary J. Blige‘s 1997 hit ‘Everything’) – came as quite the sleeper hit for Luckett. Easily the underdog after watching the likes of her former Destiny’s Child bandmates rise to varying levels of Billboard 200 and Hot 100 success, the cut – released in March 2006 – eventually found itself in mention with their releases by summer 2006.
Making its way to a #31 peak this week that year, ‘Torn’s true crowning glory was its success on the R&B charts (rocketing to a peak of #2 there). Both chart achievements remain Luckett’s career bests (to date).
Look inside to see who joined her in the top 40 this week 12 years ago:
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