One World isn't the first album Billy Ocean has cut since his 1980s peak -- he continued to record, albeit sporadically, in the '90s and beyond -- but this 2020 LP does mark the first time he and producer Barry Eastman have collaborated on new material since their salad days of "Caribbean Queen." Wisely, the pair don't attempt to re-create the splashy, snazzy snap of Ocean's '80s hits. Instead, they settle into an impeccably smooth and mellow groove on One World, sometimes ratcheting up the tempo enough so the proceedings can be called breezy (in the case of "Mystery," it's busy enough to qualify as a club chill-out cut) but usually opting for relaxation instead of celebration. The title nods at the album's unifying theme: Ocean spends much of the album's 12 songs celebrating love and shared bonds. It has a sweet, positive spirit that dovetails nicely with the slick, melodic tunes on One World, music that has just enough of an R&B undercurrent so it could be called soulful but it's otherwise mature pop -- cheerful, good-natured music that's settled, not stuffy. One World isn't the first album Billy Ocean has cut since his 1980s peak -- he continued to record, albeit sporadically, in the '90s and beyond -- but this 2020 LP does mark the first time he and producer Barry Eastman have collaborated on new material since their salad days of "Caribbean Queen." Wisely, the pair don't attempt to re-create the splashy, snazzy snap of Ocean's '80s hits. Instead, they settle into an impeccably smooth and mellow groove on One World, sometimes ratcheting up the tempo enough so the proceedings can be called breezy (in the case of "Mystery," it's busy enough to qualify as a club chill-out cut) but usually opting for relaxation instead of celebration. The title nods at the album's unifying theme: Ocean spends much of the album's 12 songs celebrating love and shared bonds. It has a sweet, positive spirit that dovetails nicely with the slick, melodic tunes on One World, music that has just enough of an R&B undercurrent so it could be called soulful but it's otherwise mature pop -- cheerful, good-natured music that's settled, not stuffy. false 2024-02-27 21:28:07 2020 2020-04-17 2020-04-17 57 Pop 114204 2350328 99e8e995-5825-41b5-95ef-4ef9df49d9a3 0e422e91-a42a-4b4d-8413-9baff67350f2 a37e1991-34d6-4058-89b3-166586d6737e /media/data/media5/Music/Billy Ocean/One World (2020)/folder.jpg Billy Ocean AlbumArtist Billy Ocean Artist Billy Ocean Billy Ocean 1 04:46 2 04:27 3 04:40 4 04:10 5 04:53 6 04:57 7 04:57 8 04:54 9 04:55 10 04:56 11 05:09 12 04:04 Leslie Sebastian Charles (born 21 January 1950), known professionally as Billy Ocean, is a Trinidadian-born British singer and songwriter. Between 1976 and 1988, he had a series of hit songs in the UK and internationally. After releasing several recordings under other stage names, he achieved breakthrough success with the 1976 single "Love Really Hurts Without You". It was the second single released under the stage name Billy Ocean and peaked at no. 2 in the UK and no. 3 in Australia. Later that year, he achieved two additional top 20 singles in the UK. In 1977, his single "Red Light Spells Danger" also peaked at no. 2. After a period of limited chart success, he released the single "Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run)" in 1984. In the UK, the song peaked at no. 6. In the U.S., it entered the Billboard Hot 100 at no. 85 but peaked at no. 1 10 weeks later. Ocean won the 1985 Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for the song. It also charted in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa and across Europe under three different titles. Across the next three years, Ocean accumulated a series of international hit singles. Released in 1985, "When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going" peaked at no. 1 in the UK and no. 2 in the U.S. the following year. In the same year, he achieved an American no. 1 with the single "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)". In 1988, his single "Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car" reached no. 1 in the U.S. and no. 3 in the UK. In recognition of his success and influence, Ocean has received a number of awards. In 2002, he was presented with an honorary doctorate of music by the University of Westminster. In 2010, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the MOBO Awards. The following year, he became a Companion of the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts.