Jenni Vartiainen - Ihmisten Edessa (2007)

Ihmisten edessä (English: In Front of People) is the debut studio album by Finnish pop singer Jenni Vartiainen. The Finnish-language album was released digitally on 5 September 2007, with the physical release following on 12 September. The album was produced by Jukka Immonen. Well received by music critics who complimented the album for nuanced vocals, interpretation and mixing of several musical styles such as electro and funk, the album debuted at number eight on the Finnish Albums Chart, peaking at number six in mid-April 2008 and charting for 35 weeks. To date, the album has sold over 65,000 copies in Finland.
Ihmisten edessä was well received by music critics, as most of the reviewers complimented the audacious use of musical elements and styles and Vartiainen's nuanced vocals and interpretation. The critics also noted Vartiainen's stylistic departure from her previous pop band Gimmel. Writing for Helsingin Sanomat, Ilkka Mattila gave Ihmisten edessä four out of five stars, saying the debut album was a "precedent" in the Finnish pop of the 2000s as it showed how Vartiainen "seriously tries to get rid of a talent show star's role". Mattila considered "Tunnoton" with its "captivating banjo and folk ambience" one of the best Finnish pop songs of the year and "Ihmisten edessä" "British-spirited, melancholic gay disco with all the hooks". Helsingin Sanomat praised Vartiainen's intimate interpretation as the core of the music. Noting a little R&B-esque singing popular on talent shows, Mattila went on to say the record is "commercial though amibitious and, therefore, pleasurable pop". Mattila credited producer and composer Jukka Immonen for "fearlessly using unfashionable special effects such as Soul II Soul-like comping and synthetic choirs". Kirsi Taivainen from Keskisuomalainen gave the album four out of five stars alike, saying the album is "balanced, hued, poppish music" that is "not too calculated for being genuine". Noting old synthpop sounds and tiny musical elements, she considered the "finely-mixed album strongly contemporary". Giving credits to the bass and drums synchronizing the songs with a back rhythm, Taivainen complimented Vartiainen's "developed vocals with a range of delicate nuances" for "not being mainstream".