Wicked (Shemekia Copeland album)

Wicked is the second album by the American musician Shemekia Copeland, released in 2000. It peaked at No. 8 on Billboard's Blues Albums chart. Wicked was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Contemporary Blues Album". It won a W. C. Handy Award for "Blues Album of the Year". Copeland supported the album by touring with B. B. King.

Production
Copeland spent three weeks recording Wicked. Nine of the songs were cowritten by John Hahn, who also coproduced the album with Bruce Iglauer and Jimmy Vivino. She duetted with Ruth Brown on "If He Moves His Lips". "Beat Up Guitar" is a tribute to Copeland's father, Johnny Copeland. "It's My Own Tears" was written by Johnny. The Uptown Horns contributed to "Up on 1-2-5". Sugar Blue played a harmonica solo on "It's 2 A.M.".

Critical reception
The Globe and Mail wrote that Copeland "has the kind of burly blues voice that used to make the juke joints shake when Bessie Smith was still singing about a pig's foot and a bottle of beer." The Austin Chronicle concluded: "Her band is solid, the production smart, the song selection suitably diverse, but the story here is Copeland's undeniable presence, reflecting a confidence that belies her young age." Robert Christgau praised "Steamy Windows" and "If He Moves His Lips".

The Chicago Tribune noted that "the conventional band, and blues-cliche songwriters such as John Hahn, can't find the right connection." The Gazette called Copeland "an extremely powerful singer... She can shake the rafters." The Los Angeles Times opined that "Wicked is the kind of standard-issue showcase that labels such as Alligator have been churning out for decades, but that's not necessarily a bad thing."

AllMusic wrote that "Copeland continues to prove herself as one of the strongest young talents in the blues."