What You See Is What You Sweat


What You See Is What You Sweat is the thirty-third studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin, released on July 2, 1991, by Arista Records.
The album received mixed reviews, with some praising Franklin's vocal performance while others criticized the album's production and song quality. It peaked at number 153 on US Billboard 200, dropping off after seven weeks. This was Franklin's first new release in the Nielsen SoundScan era.

Critical reception

Rolling Stone editor Stephen Holden found that "although the material runs a gamut of styles, Franklin infuses her personality so indelibly into every song that somehow it all holds together." Rating the album three out of five stars, he concluded: "Because Franklin brings more spirit than usual to the record, What You See Is What You Sweat stands as one of her better albums. If the songs are uneven, they don't prevent the Queen of Soul from exuberantly expressing the breadth of her musical personality, from regal pop-gospel diva to funky everyday person." AllMusic also gave the album three out of five stars. People Magazine gave a mixed review.
New York Times critic Jon Pareles found that What You See Is What You Sweat was as "awkward as its title. Like Ms. Franklin's recent albums, it tacks a 1960's oldie onto a group of new pop songs they seem the rejects from other projects." Parles further remarked: "The frustrating thing is that Franklin can still sing like no one else; her voice swoops, curves, coos, growls, caresses. Amid the trendy and pretentious trappings, it's a beacon of emotion. Trying to keep up with the latest pop only holds her back." NME David Quantick felt that "only Vandross seems to have noticed the 1990s, and several tracks are
burdened with lame mid-'80s "funky" production clutter and clatter. This record is mostly a dull mess."

Commercial performance

The album opened at number 167 on the US Billboard 200 and peaked at number 153 the following week. It marked Franklin's lowest-charting album on the Arista label. At the time of its deletion, this album had sold 179,000 units, domestically.

Personnel