"
Because of You" is a 2007 song by singer and songwriter
Ne-YoShaffer Chimere Smith , better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is an American pop and R&B singer–songwriter, record producer, actor, and occasional rapper. Since his debut, Ne-Yo has had five top ten songs on the Billboard Hot 100 as a lead artist and two number-one albums on the Billboard 200...
. It is the first single from his
second album of the same nameBecause of You , is the second album from Def Jam recording artist Ne-Yo. The Best Contemporary R&B Album Grammy winner was released on May 8, 2007....
. The single started radio play the week of February 4, 2007.
Five other versions of the song have surfaced, one with an extended ending, one featuring rapper AC, S-One,
Michael JacksonMichael Joseph Jackson , known as the "King of Pop", was an American musician and one of the most commercially successful and influential entertainers of all time...
as well as
Joe BuddenJoseph Anthony Budden II , who goes by Joe Budden, is an American rapper.-Music career:In the year 2003, Joe Budden dropped his debut solo studio album, Joe Budden. It included Budden's 2003 summer hit "Pump It Up", which featured Liam Kantwill, and was also featured in the soundtrack for the movie...
; a second one features
Bone Thugs-N-HarmonyBone Thugs-n-Harmony is an American Hip Hop group from the Glenville section of Cleveland, Ohio. They are best known for their fast-paced, aggressive rapping style and harmonizing vocals. The group was mainly produced by Los Angeles producer, DJ U-Neek...
. The official remix, however, features
Kanye WestKanye West is an American singer/rapper. He released his debut album The College Dropout in 2004, his second album Late Registration in 2005, his third album Graduation in 2007, and his fourth album 808s & Heartbreak in 2008. His first three albums have received numerous awards and critical acclaim...
. The song debuted on the
Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday; while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
at number 84 in March; it reached the top ten in May when it climbed from number 39 to number 5 in one week.
"
Because of You" is a 2007 song by singer and songwriter
Ne-YoShaffer Chimere Smith , better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is an American pop and R&B singer–songwriter, record producer, actor, and occasional rapper. Since his debut, Ne-Yo has had five top ten songs on the Billboard Hot 100 as a lead artist and two number-one albums on the Billboard 200...
. It is the first single from his
second album of the same nameBecause of You , is the second album from Def Jam recording artist Ne-Yo. The Best Contemporary R&B Album Grammy winner was released on May 8, 2007....
. The single started radio play the week of February 4, 2007.
Song Information
Five other versions of the song have surfaced, one with an extended ending, one featuring rapper AC, S-One,
Michael JacksonMichael Joseph Jackson , known as the "King of Pop", was an American musician and one of the most commercially successful and influential entertainers of all time...
as well as
Joe BuddenJoseph Anthony Budden II , who goes by Joe Budden, is an American rapper.-Music career:In the year 2003, Joe Budden dropped his debut solo studio album, Joe Budden. It included Budden's 2003 summer hit "Pump It Up", which featured Liam Kantwill, and was also featured in the soundtrack for the movie...
; a second one features
Bone Thugs-N-HarmonyBone Thugs-n-Harmony is an American Hip Hop group from the Glenville section of Cleveland, Ohio. They are best known for their fast-paced, aggressive rapping style and harmonizing vocals. The group was mainly produced by Los Angeles producer, DJ U-Neek...
. The official remix, however, features
Kanye WestKanye West is an American singer/rapper. He released his debut album The College Dropout in 2004, his second album Late Registration in 2005, his third album Graduation in 2007, and his fourth album 808s & Heartbreak in 2008. His first three albums have received numerous awards and critical acclaim...
. The song debuted on the
Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday; while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
at number 84 in March; it reached the top ten in May when it climbed from number 39 to number 5 in one week. The song has become his second-most successful song in the U.S., after his 2006 #1 hit
So Sick"So Sick" is an R&B–pop song by American singer-songwriter Ne-Yo. The track was produced by Norwegian production team Stargate for Ne-Yo's debut album In My Own Words....
. It reached a peak at number 2 on the
Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday; while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart. It also peaked at number 4 in the UK.
The beat used is somehow unique in the R&B style. The main melodic instruments include muted harpsichord and guitar, whilst the groove uses a bass/clap beat combined together. The groove is heavily influenced by the disco style guitar with delay. The bass/clap beat, mixed with harpsichord, gave listeners an initial impression of the song being a remix, with which the effect is typically associated. This type of beat would later appear in Ne-Yo's 2008 hit
Closer"Closer" is a song by American pop/R&B singer Ne-Yo. The song was produced by Stargate.The song was released as the first single from his third album Year of the Gentleman. It reached #1 in the UK and spent 11 weeks in the UK Top 10...
, which uses guitar with a bass/clap beat mixed with keyboard and chorus matching the vocals.
The song's
music videoA music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music/song. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings. Although the origins of music videos go back much further, they came into their own in the...
premiered on
Access GrantedAccess Granted is an American television series that features an in depth look at the planning and production of R&B and hip hop music videos. Each week, a different artist and their new music video are featured, with the video premiering at the end of the episode. The series began airing in 2001...
on March 14, 2007, a sneak preview having previously been shown on
BETBet or BET may refer to:* A wager in gambling* Basic Economics Test *Bet , the second letter in many Semitic alphabets, including Aramaic, Hebrew, Phoenician and Syriac...
. A small clip of the video has also been shown on
TRLTotal Request Live was the flagship television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...
. The video has garnered over 20 million views on
YouTubeYouTube is a video sharing website on which users can upload and share videos. Three former PayPal employees created YouTube in February 2005. In November 2006, YouTube, LLC was bought by Google Inc. for $1.65 billion, and is now operated as a subsidiary of Google...
.
The song was featured in the 2007 film
Are We Done Yet?Are We Done Yet? is a 2007 family film starring Ice Cube. The film is both a remake of the classic Cary Grant comedy Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House and a sequel to 2005's hit comedy Are We There Yet? The film was directed by Steve Carr from a screenplay by Hank Nelken...
. It also appears in
Grand Theft Auto IV'sGrand Theft Auto IV is a sandbox-style action-adventure video game developed by Rockstar North. It is the sixth 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto series....
fictional Soul/R&B radio station The Vibe 98.8.
Ne-Yo has stated that the song is a continuation from the 2007 single
Sexy Love"Sexy Love" is the fourth and final U.S. single and the second and final international single released from R&B and pop artist Ne-Yo's debut album. It has reached number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. In the United Kingdom, the single charted at number twenty-one on downloads alone...
.
Saxophonist
Eric Darius Eric Darius is a jazz musician, saxophonist, and composer. His is a native of New Jersey who grew up in Tampa, Florida.Darius began his performing career at the age of 11 when he toured with the youth-based he was also born in Kenya Sonny LaRosa and America's Youngest Jazz Band. The tour's final...
covered the track on his 2008 album,
Goin' All Out. Japanese singer
Ken Hiraiis a Japanese R&B and pop singer. His soulful voice and unconventional looks won him fans following his debut in 1992. Since his debut, Hirai has worked as a model, actor, composer, lyricist, singer, spokesperson....
covered the track on his 2009 album, "
Ken's Bar II-Track listing:-Oricon sales charts :...
".
Music Video
Ne-Yo begins the video with a dance combining dance moves echoing those of
Michael JacksonMichael Joseph Jackson , known as the "King of Pop", was an American musician and one of the most commercially successful and influential entertainers of all time...
and
Elvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was an American singer and actor. A cultural icon, he is commonly known simply as Elvis and is also sometimes referred to as The King of Rock 'n' Roll or The King....
. The first scene features Ne-Yo turning up to a club with his girlfriend, played by Camila Alves (real life girlfriend of
Matthew McConaugheyMatthew David McConaughey is an American actor. After a series of minor roles in the early 1990s , he appeared in films such as A Time to Kill, Contact, U-571, Sahara, and We Are Marshall...
).
At the club, as she invites him to dance, a girl (played by
La'Shontae HeckerdLa'Shontae Heckard is a video girl, born in Seoul, South Korea, better known as La'Shontae or just Tae. She was born to an African-American , and Korean . Heckard has not only been seen on the big and small screens, she has also been in several music videos and magazines.-Life:Growing up in a...
) brushes past him and is shown to express a seductive look. He decides to follow her into the bathroom, and there the two share a passionate kiss. The scene ends with her leaving as he rinses his face with water in regret.
In the next scene, Ne-Yo is shown in the bedroom with his girlfriend. As she falls asleep, he receives a call from the girl he met at the club, asking him to join her as a clip of her diving in a steamy pool is shown. He leaves with shoes but no socks on, intending on slipping his feet into the pool. After he arrives, she displays seductive moves in the pool as he takes photos of her. The two are again shown sharing a kiss after he lifts her out of the pool.
The following scene shows Ne-Yo in the bedroom with his girlfriend. As they embrace in bed, flashes of the girl he met replace that of his girlfriend, showing that he keeps seeing her in his mind and replays their rendevous. Finally, Ne-Yo is shown dancing with only socks on, displaying moves that echo James Brown's classic leg shuffle slide.
The music video implies the need to be with more than one person, and the hardship in maintaining a relationship whilst also encountering sexual liaisons with another. Eventually the person becomes addicted to sex as if 'she is the sweetest drug'.
The name of the actress playing the 'seductress', Lashontae Heckard, also appears in the music video of Ne-Yo's 2007 single,
Do You"Do You" is a 2007 single by singer and songwriter Ne-Yo. It is about Ne-Yo questioning his ex-girlfriend if she ever thinks about him anymore. It is the second single from his second album, Because of You. The single was officially released to radio the week of June 12, 2007...
.
Ne-Yo has also worked with Trent Dickens for the choreography.
Track Listing
Hit 3 Pack - EP:
- "Because of You" - 4:26
- "So Sick
"So Sick" is an R&B–pop song by American singer-songwriter Ne-Yo. The track was produced by Norwegian production team Stargate for Ne-Yo's debut album In My Own Words....
" - 3:27
- "Leaving Tonight" (Featuring Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer Kate Hudson is an American recording artist, actress and model. She came to prominence in 2004 as one of the finalists on the third season of the Fox reality television series American Idol...
) - 5:14
Remixes - EP:
- "Because of You" (Sunfreakz Radio Edit) - 3:29
- "Because of You" (Josh Harris Radio Edit) - 3:54
- "Because of You" (Kriya vs. Erik Velez Radio Mix) - 3:54
- "Because of You" (Sunfreakz Remix) - 7:17
- "Because of You" (Josh Harris Vocal Club Mix) - 7:56
- "Because of You" (Kriya vs. Erik Velez Club Mix) - 5:52
Remix - EP:
- "Because of You" (Remix) [Featuring Kanye West] - 3:44
Charts
| Chart (2007) |
Peak
position |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday; while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
|
2 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Billboard's Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
|
11 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, formerly the Black Singles Chart, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues...
|
7 |
| U.S. Billboard Pop 100 The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It ranked songs based on airplay on mainstream top 40 radio stations, singles sales, and digital downloads.-History:...
|
3 |
| Japan Hot 100 The Japan Hot 100 is a music singles chart in Japan. It has been compiled by Billboard and Hanshin Contents Link since February 2008. The chart is updated on every Wednesday at billboard-japan.com, and it is updated in the billboard.com every Thursday.The Japan Hot 100 Singles is based on U.S....
|
8 |
| Australian Singles Chart |
23 |
| Austrian Singles Chart |
64 |
| Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays....
|
16 |
| Czech Singles Chart |
27 |
| Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the pirate radio channel Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the pirate radio channel was forced to stop. Joost den Draaijer was the initiator of...
|
12 |
| Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is the Republic of Ireland music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data...
|
10 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart |
1 |
| Swedish Singles Chart |
24 |
| UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record industry. The full chart contains the top 200 singles based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 of this list...
|
4 |