The Phoenix (Lyfe Jennings album)

The Phoenix consists of genres including soul, R&B, gospel, and rock music. "S.E.X." advocates for sexual abstinence. ==Critical reception==

On music review aggregate website Album of the Year, The Phoenix holds a score of 85 out of 100. In the August 19, 2006, edition of Billboard magazine, the album received a "spotlight" designation. In her review, Mitchell calling the album "equally strong" as his debut, praising Jennings's "rough-edged vocals" and concluding that "this urban griot is a talent to be reckoned with". Gigwise awarded the album 10 out of 10 stars, with critic Will Lavin calling the album "instrumentally immaculate and vocally faultless" and noting "S.E.X.", "Keep Ya Head Up", and "Radio" as highlights. Writing for AllMusic, which awarded the album three and a half stars out of five, Jeffries likened Jennings to Kanye West, John Legend, and 1970s soul artists, and expressed surprise that Sony allowed it to be released. Jeffries criticized the interludes but argued that the record has "giant flaws, and grand swoops of unbridled creativity". ==Commercial performance==

In its first week, The Phoenix sold 136,000 copies, debuting at number two on the Billboard 200. The album also topped the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart in its first week. Its opening sales week was substantially more successful than that of Lyfe 268-192. In contrast with The Phoenix, Jennings's debut had failed to enter the Billboard 200 in the first four weeks following its release, eventually debuting at number 193 in October 2004. Billboard attributed the album's relatively strong sales to the popularity of lead single "S.E.X.", which ranked at number 10 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart the week that the album debuted. ==Track listing==

Weekly charts Year-end charts ==Certifications==