| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+[2] |
| Rolling Stone |  [3] |
| Sputnikmusic | 4/5[4] |
Human Being is the third studio album by Seal, released in 1998. The title track was written about late rappers Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G.[1] Human Being received mixed reviews ranging from being panned for its overtly dark and moody feel,[3] to being described in terms such as "pop perfection".[1] The album failed to sell in the same way as his 1994 multi-platinum album, Seal. However, it is a fan favourite and was inspired by his then-girlfriend, Tyra Banks and their breakup.
A remix of "Lost My Faith" was featured over the closing credits of the 1999 film Entrapment, and the song's single release was accompanied by a music video in which Seal is integrated into scenes from the film alongside Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
The cover art for the album was shot by French fashion photographer Jean-Baptiste Mondino.[5]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Human Beings" | Seal | 4:47 |
| 2. | "State of Grace" |
| 5:00 |
| 3. | "Latest Craze" |
| 4:28 |
| 4. | "Just Like You Said" |
| 4:17 |
| 5. | "Princess" | Seal | 1:58 |
| 6. | "Lost My Faith" |
| 4:38 |
| 7. | "Excerpt From" | Seal | 3:04 |
| 8. | "When a Man Is Wrong" | Seal | 4:21 |
| 9. | "Colour" | Seal | 5:22 |
| 10. | "Still Love Remains" | Seal | 5:54 |
| 11. | "No Easy Way" | Seal | 4:48 |
| 12. | "Human Beings (Reprise)" | Seal | 3:28 |
Personnel
- Seal – vocals, guitar, bass guitar
- Earl Harvin – drums, bass, guitar, sound engineering
- Chris Bruce – guitar, bass guitar
- Jamie Muhoberac – keyboards, bass guitar, programming
- Grant Mitchell – additional keyboards, programming
- Dave Palmer, David Sancious, Mike Garson, George De Angelis, Lisa Coleman – additional keyboards
- Gregg Arreguin, Chester Kayman, Gus Isadore, Wendy Melvoin, Ramon Stagnaro, Danny Saber – additional guitar
- Alex Acuña, Andy Duncan – percussion
- Andy Richards, Dave McCracken, Danny Saber, William Orbit – programming
- Anne Dudley, Wil Malone, Aaron Zigman, Nick Ingman – string arrangements
Charts
| Chart (1998) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[6] | 82 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[7] | 21 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[8] | 25 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[9] | 24 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[10] | 14 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[11] | 18 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[12] | 44 |
| US Billboard 200[13] | 22 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Latvia (LaMPA)[14] | Gold | 4,000 |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[15] | Gold | 7,500^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[16] | Silver | 60,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[17] | Gold | 500,000^ |
| ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- ^ a b c d Prato, Greg (17 November 1998). "Human Being - Seal". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
- ^ David Browne (16 November 1998). "Human Being Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
- ^ a b Evelyn McDonnell (17 November 1998). "Seal: Human Being : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2 October 2007. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
- ^ "Seal: Human Being". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
- ^ "SEAL on Instagram: "'Human Beings' (My Favourite of My Album Covers) #jeanbaptistemondino #albumcover"". Retrieved 4 December 2019 – via Instagram.
- ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 246.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Seal – Human Being" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Seal – Human Being" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Seal – Human Being" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
- ^ "Charts.nz – Seal – Human Being". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Seal – Human Being". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
- ^ "Seal Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
- ^ "International Latvian Certification Awards from 1998 to 2001". Latvian Music Producers Association. 2001. Retrieved 19 October 2015 – via Directupload.
- ^ "New Zealand album certifications – Seal – Human Being". Recorded Music NZ.
- ^ "British album certifications – Seal – Human Being". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type Human Being in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
- ^ "American album certifications – Seal – Human Being". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.