Lil Freak
Encyclopedia
"Lil Freak" is a song by American recording artist Usher, taken from his sixth studio album, Raymond v. Raymond. Featuring guest vocals by Trinidadian recording artist Nicki Minaj
, the song was written by her, Usher, Ester Dean
, Blac Elvis
and Polow da Don
, the latter two producing the track. Its hook
is based around a manipulated sample of American soul musician Stevie Wonder
's 1973 hit, "Living for the City
". "Lil Freak" was released as the second single from the album in the United States and Canada on March 2, 2010.
Carrying a dark tone, composed of heavy bass beats derived from R&B
and hip hop
music, it is lyrically based around the thrill of orchestrating a ménage à trois
in a club. The song received positive reviews from critics who complimented its sensual nature. It peaked at number forty on the Billboard Hot 100
, and eight on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
, becoming Usher's sixteenth top ten hit on the latter chart. The song's accompanying music video has a secret society concept, dealing with an underground club, playing on the storyline of the song.
when asked if he was just entertaining, Usher said the song was based on real life, stating, "Yeah, I mean, I wrote about it. It happens in this day and time. Those are the best chicks to be friends with, honestly."
Usher reiterated his statements in another interview with Access Hollywood
, and when asked if he thought the racy lyrics would raise eyebrows, he said it would, commenting that that was an objective of the song. Usher also said that the work was like the dichotomy of Raymond v. Raymond, distinguishing one world from another, as in "playing the nice guy" or "showing the other side." Before official release, the song was leaked onto the internet in December 2009.
, which Prefix Magazine called "Jurrasic Park
synths". Chris Ryan of MTV News
said "Usher pairs off with current queen MC Nicki Minaj, and the two glide over Polow Da Don's minimal bass beat." Sara D. Anderson of AOL Radio Blog
said that the "heavy back-beat tune confirms Usher's old ways: "Yeah you the business / So What's the business / Don't be shy, I'm just talkin' to you girl." Tom Breihan of Pitchfork Media
called the heavily manipulated "Living for the City
" sample, "a monstrous swirl of orchestral exoticism". Minaj makes several puns in her lines, one of them referring to Santa Claus's reindeer in a runthrough which Prefix Magazine reviewed negatively. She also refers to P. Diddy and Cassie in her lines, that she's "plotting on how I can take Cassie away from Diddy".
called the song, "slick, sexy hip-hop-infused R&B done to its finest". He also called the song "nothing short of freak nasty," and "is so full of sexy sexuality that it's enough to make Tiger Woods
blush". Vibe magazine commented that "wedding ring is definitely off on this Usher cut", and that Nicki Minaj stole the scene in the song. Pitchfork Media
commented favourably on the songs explicit nature, stating the song "isn't some R. Kelly
-esque devotional hymn to sexual addiction", and that "The whole towering mess makes a drunken 3 a.m. threesome sound like the most epic endeavor anyone could hope for.." The review also compared the song to Justin Timberlake
's "Cry Me a River", stating, "it pushes into "Cry Me a River" territory for the same reason that "Cry Me a River" transcended: the gigantic, operatic backing track".
. It then fell to sixty-six, but rebounded ten spots to fifty-six, and later peaked at forty on the chart. The song's appearance on the Hot Digital Songs
and Hot 100 Airplay
charts at number thirty-one and thirty-seven, respectively, helped stabilize its stay on the Hot 100. "lil Freak" charted at number twenty-eight on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
months before its release due to it being leaked on the internet. It eventually peaked at eight, and was Usher's third straight top ten hit on the chart, and sixteenth overall. According to Nielsen SoundScan
, it has sold 508,000 units in the US as of October 3, 2010. Internationally, "Lil Freak" reached 109 on the UK Singles Chart
. Usher performed the song in the United Kingdom
on The Graham Norton Show
on June 7, 2010.
with director Taj Stansberry. In an interview with Vibe, Stansberry commented on the video's sex appeal and the pairing of Usher and Minaj, stating, "This probably has the potential to be [his sexiest video ever]. Usher’s one of the best entertainers in the world, then you have Nicki Minaj who’s fresh on the scene. Put them together and there’s just sparks, it was real good." When asked about the music video's concept would redefine the word "freak", commenting:
and singer-actor Jamie Foxx
would make appearances in the video. In an interview with MTV News
on the set of her video for "Massive Attack
", Minaj said that "The video is freaky. And it's a great concept, a great story line," Minaj told MTV News. "It felt just like one of the sequels to Saw. It was dope." Stating that the video had a "secret society" concept, Usher told Access Hollywood
that the place symbolized locations where people use to get away from pressures, and also said the movie Eyes Wide Shut
was some sort of inspiration of the video. On March 22, 2010 a thirty second preview of the music video was surfaced onto the internet. Two days later on March 24, 2010, Usher premiered the full music video on BET
's 106 & Park
.
hairstyle, and other women. The elevator goes to what MTV News
calls "Usher's underground playground," then soon finds Usher against a wall. A laptop is shown, and the video goes on to show people who are there, including Ciara
playing a casino game. Then, girls are performing choreography on poles, as Usher sings his verses on the wall in the tunnel. Nicki Minaj then comes to sing her verse and starts talking to the unknown woman who was in the tunnel with Usher, and then Minaj guides the woman somewhere. Foxx makes appears near the end of the video, with a red light on him. Usher sings the rest of the song on the wall in the tunnel with choreography from the women, until the video fades out.
BET Sound Off
complimented the video and that it stuck to the storyline of the song, stating "there's only but so much you can do with a video like this" without the video being banned, being labelled offensive, or "resemble a video we’ve already seen."
Source
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj , better known by her stage name Nicki Minaj; ), is a Trinidadian-born American recording artist...
, the song was written by her, Usher, Ester Dean
Ester Dean
Ester Renay Dean is an American singer and songwriter, and record producer signed to Zone 4 Records/Interscope Records. She is most notable for her dual appearance on Rio: Music From The Motion Picture and her 2009 US hit single "Drop It Low", which featured singer Chris Brown...
, Blac Elvis
Blac Elvis
Elvis Williams, better known as Blac Elvis, is an award-winning American record producer, musician and song writer. He rose to fame in 1999 co-producing alongside Polow da Don. Producing hits for Ludacris, Ciara, Kelly Rowland, Fergie, Rich Boy, Kelis, Nelly, Pussycat Dolls and Mario. Recently he...
and Polow da Don
Polow Da Don
Polow-Freache Jamal Fincher Jones , better known by known by professional name Polow da Don or Awesome Jones, is an American record producer, songwriter, rapper, and singer. His cousin is Atlanta singer Monica. He has produced for a variety of artists including Usher, Nelly, Christina Aguilera, T.I...
, the latter two producing the track. Its hook
Hook (music)
A hook is a musical idea, often a short riff, passage, or phrase, that is used in popular music to make a song appealing and to "catch the ear of the listener". The term generally applies to popular music, especially rock music, hip hop, dance music, and pop. In these genres, the hook is often...
is based around a manipulated sample of American soul musician Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
's 1973 hit, "Living for the City
Living for the City
"Living for the City" is a 1973 hit single by Stevie Wonder for the Tamla label, from his Innervisions album. Reaching #8 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart and #1 on the R&B chart, the record is driven by a slow bass synth groove that manages to exude a certain amount of tension, an appropriate...
". "Lil Freak" was released as the second single from the album in the United States and Canada on March 2, 2010.
Carrying a dark tone, composed of heavy bass beats derived from R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
and hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
music, it is lyrically based around the thrill of orchestrating a ménage à trois
Ménage à trois
Ménage à trois is a French term which originally described a domestic arrangement in which three people having sexual relations occupy the same household – the phrase literally translates as "household of three"...
in a club. The song received positive reviews from critics who complimented its sensual nature. It peaked at number forty on the Billboard Hot 100
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...
, and eight on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, 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. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
, becoming Usher's sixteenth top ten hit on the latter chart. The song's accompanying music video has a secret society concept, dealing with an underground club, playing on the storyline of the song.
Background
In an interview with MTV NewsMTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
when asked if he was just entertaining, Usher said the song was based on real life, stating, "Yeah, I mean, I wrote about it. It happens in this day and time. Those are the best chicks to be friends with, honestly."
Usher reiterated his statements in another interview with Access Hollywood
Access Hollywood
Access Hollywood is a weekday television entertainment news program covering events and celebrities in the entertainment industry. It was created by former Entertainment Tonight executive producer Jim Van Messel, and is currently directed by Robert Silverstein. In previous years, Doug Dougherty and...
, and when asked if he thought the racy lyrics would raise eyebrows, he said it would, commenting that that was an objective of the song. Usher also said that the work was like the dichotomy of Raymond v. Raymond, distinguishing one world from another, as in "playing the nice guy" or "showing the other side." Before official release, the song was leaked onto the internet in December 2009.
Composition
The song is midtempo, with supported by heavy bass beats produced by Polow da DonPolow Da Don
Polow-Freache Jamal Fincher Jones , better known by known by professional name Polow da Don or Awesome Jones, is an American record producer, songwriter, rapper, and singer. His cousin is Atlanta singer Monica. He has produced for a variety of artists including Usher, Nelly, Christina Aguilera, T.I...
, which Prefix Magazine called "Jurrasic Park
Jurassic Park (franchise)
The Jurassic Park franchise is a series of books, films, comics, and videos centering on a disastrous attempt to create a theme park of cloned dinosaurs...
synths". Chris Ryan of MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
said "Usher pairs off with current queen MC Nicki Minaj, and the two glide over Polow Da Don's minimal bass beat." Sara D. Anderson of AOL Radio Blog
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
said that the "heavy back-beat tune confirms Usher's old ways: "Yeah you the business / So What's the business / Don't be shy, I'm just talkin' to you girl." Tom Breihan of Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
called the heavily manipulated "Living for the City
Living for the City
"Living for the City" is a 1973 hit single by Stevie Wonder for the Tamla label, from his Innervisions album. Reaching #8 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart and #1 on the R&B chart, the record is driven by a slow bass synth groove that manages to exude a certain amount of tension, an appropriate...
" sample, "a monstrous swirl of orchestral exoticism". Minaj makes several puns in her lines, one of them referring to Santa Claus's reindeer in a runthrough which Prefix Magazine reviewed negatively. She also refers to P. Diddy and Cassie in her lines, that she's "plotting on how I can take Cassie away from Diddy".
Critical reception
Critics positively received the song, complimenting Minaj's cameo and the track's production and lyrics. Andrew Winistorfer of Prefix Magazine thought that Usher should have gone with "Lil Freak" as the album's first big single, saying, "It (OMG) doesn't come close to matching the filthy heights of "Little Freak [sic]..." He also said the song was "by a wide margin, the best track to be leaked from Usher's long-delayed Raymond vs. Raymond album". In his initial reaction, he pointed out flaws of the song, but said that the song "could become unavoidable if it gets traction on radio". Chris Ryan of MTV NewsMTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
called the song, "slick, sexy hip-hop-infused R&B done to its finest". He also called the song "nothing short of freak nasty," and "is so full of sexy sexuality that it's enough to make Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...
blush". Vibe magazine commented that "wedding ring is definitely off on this Usher cut", and that Nicki Minaj stole the scene in the song. Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
commented favourably on the songs explicit nature, stating the song "isn't some R. Kelly
R. Kelly
Robert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
-esque devotional hymn to sexual addiction", and that "The whole towering mess makes a drunken 3 a.m. threesome sound like the most epic endeavor anyone could hope for.." The review also compared the song to Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
's "Cry Me a River", stating, "it pushes into "Cry Me a River" territory for the same reason that "Cry Me a River" transcended: the gigantic, operatic backing track".
Chart performance
On the week ending March 20, 2010, "Lil Freak" debuted at number forty-three on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard 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...
. It then fell to sixty-six, but rebounded ten spots to fifty-six, and later peaked at forty on the chart. The song's appearance on the Hot Digital Songs
Hot Digital Songs
The Hot Digital Songs chart ranks the best-selling digital singles in the United States, according to Billboard.Beginning in February 2005, digital sales have been incorporated into many of Billboards music single charts. It was decided to do so mainly because of the dramatic rise in popularity of...
and Hot 100 Airplay
Hot 100 Airplay
The Hot 100 Airplay chart is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It measures radio airplay, and is one of the three component charts, along with the Hot Singles Sales and the Hot Digital Songs charts, that determine the chart positions of singles on the Billboard...
charts at number thirty-one and thirty-seven, respectively, helped stabilize its stay on the Hot 100. "lil Freak" charted at number twenty-eight on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, 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. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
months before its release due to it being leaked on the internet. It eventually peaked at eight, and was Usher's third straight top ten hit on the chart, and sixteenth overall. According to Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
, it has sold 508,000 units in the US as of October 3, 2010. Internationally, "Lil Freak" reached 109 on the UK Singles Chart
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 selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. Usher performed the song in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
on The Graham Norton Show
The Graham Norton Show
The Graham Norton Show is a British comedy chat show that is broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom. It was originally shown on BBC Two from February 2007 to May 2009 until it moved to BBC One from October 2009...
on June 7, 2010.
Background and concept
Usher and Minaj shot the music video on March 9, 2010 in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
with director Taj Stansberry. In an interview with Vibe, Stansberry commented on the video's sex appeal and the pairing of Usher and Minaj, stating, "This probably has the potential to be [his sexiest video ever]. Usher’s one of the best entertainers in the world, then you have Nicki Minaj who’s fresh on the scene. Put them together and there’s just sparks, it was real good." When asked about the music video's concept would redefine the word "freak", commenting:
"My general idea was to take the word and show its many faceted sides, twisting and turning it to where there’s really no distinguishing between one freak and another. Usher went there. When you’re engaging in sexual activity, there are many transitions and this is not about what they look like literally, but what they look like metaphorically. It’s about luring people into a situation. Because you have your thoughts on a ménage à trois, but then we’re doing it in a non-obvious way."On Minaj and her pairing with Usher, Stansberry said, " [Nicki] had a few looks that I really liked. She played the part, but still was her. If you really listen to her words in the song, you can kinda visualize her outfit." Stansberry also confirmed that R&B singer Ciara
Ciara
Ciara Princess Harris , known mononymously as Ciara, is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, actress and fashion model. Born in Austin, Texas, she traveled around the world during her childhood, only to land in Atlanta, Georgia where she met music producer, Jazze Pha...
and singer-actor Jamie Foxx
Jamie Foxx
Eric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a...
would make appearances in the video. In an interview with MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
on the set of her video for "Massive Attack
Massive Attack (song)
"Massive Attack" is a song by Trinidadian recording artist Nicki Minaj. The song features American singer-songwriter and producer Sean Garrett who wrote the song with Minaj and produced the song with Alex da Kid. It served the first single from Minaj's debut album, Pink Friday, with Billboard later...
", Minaj said that "The video is freaky. And it's a great concept, a great story line," Minaj told MTV News. "It felt just like one of the sequels to Saw. It was dope." Stating that the video had a "secret society" concept, Usher told Access Hollywood
Access Hollywood
Access Hollywood is a weekday television entertainment news program covering events and celebrities in the entertainment industry. It was created by former Entertainment Tonight executive producer Jim Van Messel, and is currently directed by Robert Silverstein. In previous years, Doug Dougherty and...
that the place symbolized locations where people use to get away from pressures, and also said the movie Eyes Wide Shut
Eyes Wide Shut
Eyes Wide Shut is a 1999 drama film based upon Arthur Schnitzler's 1926 novella Traumnovelle . The film was directed, produced and co-written by Stanley Kubrick, and was his last film. The story, set in and around New York City, follows the sexually-charged adventures of Dr...
was some sort of inspiration of the video. On March 22, 2010 a thirty second preview of the music video was surfaced onto the internet. Two days later on March 24, 2010, Usher premiered the full music video on BET
Bet
Bet 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* Brunauer-Emmett-Teller isotherm. See BET_theory...
's 106 & Park
106 & Park
106 & Park is a Top Ten Hip-Hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that airs weekdays at 6:00 PM on BET . Since its inception, it was the network's #1 rated show...
.
Synopsis and reception
The video begins with a woman walking in a underground tunnel, and she enters and elevator with Minaj, sporting a Cruella de VilCruella de Vil
Cruella de Vil is a fictional character and the iconic villain in Dodie Smith's 1956 novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians, Disney's 1961 animated film adaptation One Hundred and One Dalmatians, and Disney's live-action film adaptations 101 Dalmatians and 102 Dalmatians. In all her incarnations,...
hairstyle, and other women. The elevator goes to what MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
calls "Usher's underground playground," then soon finds Usher against a wall. A laptop is shown, and the video goes on to show people who are there, including Ciara
Ciara
Ciara Princess Harris , known mononymously as Ciara, is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, actress and fashion model. Born in Austin, Texas, she traveled around the world during her childhood, only to land in Atlanta, Georgia where she met music producer, Jazze Pha...
playing a casino game. Then, girls are performing choreography on poles, as Usher sings his verses on the wall in the tunnel. Nicki Minaj then comes to sing her verse and starts talking to the unknown woman who was in the tunnel with Usher, and then Minaj guides the woman somewhere. Foxx makes appears near the end of the video, with a red light on him. Usher sings the rest of the song on the wall in the tunnel with choreography from the women, until the video fades out.
BET Sound Off
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...
complimented the video and that it stuck to the storyline of the song, stating "there's only but so much you can do with a video like this" without the video being banned, being labelled offensive, or "resemble a video we’ve already seen."
Credits and personnel
- Songwriting - Usher RaymondUsher (entertainer)Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
, Nicki MinajNicki MinajOnika Tanya Maraj , better known by her stage name Nicki Minaj; ), is a Trinidadian-born American recording artist...
, Polow da DonPolow Da DonPolow-Freache Jamal Fincher Jones , better known by known by professional name Polow da Don or Awesome Jones, is an American record producer, songwriter, rapper, and singer. His cousin is Atlanta singer Monica. He has produced for a variety of artists including Usher, Nelly, Christina Aguilera, T.I...
, Blac ElvisBlac ElvisElvis Williams, better known as Blac Elvis, is an award-winning American record producer, musician and song writer. He rose to fame in 1999 co-producing alongside Polow da Don. Producing hits for Ludacris, Ciara, Kelly Rowland, Fergie, Rich Boy, Kelis, Nelly, Pussycat Dolls and Mario. Recently he...
, Ester DeanEster DeanEster Renay Dean is an American singer and songwriter, and record producer signed to Zone 4 Records/Interscope Records. She is most notable for her dual appearance on Rio: Music From The Motion Picture and her 2009 US hit single "Drop It Low", which featured singer Chris Brown...
, Stevie WonderStevie WonderStevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist... - ProductionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
- Blac Elvis, Polow da Don - RecordingSound recording and reproductionSound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
- Jay Stevenson - MixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
- Jaycen Joshua, assisted by Giancarlo Lino - Contains a sample from "Living For The CityLiving for the City"Living for the City" is a 1973 hit single by Stevie Wonder for the Tamla label, from his Innervisions album. Reaching #8 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart and #1 on the R&B chart, the record is driven by a slow bass synth groove that manages to exude a certain amount of tension, an appropriate...
", written and performed by Stevie Wonder, courtesy of Motown RecordsMotown RecordsMotown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
.
Source
Charts
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart 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 selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
109 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 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... |
40 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, 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. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
8 |
Release history
| Country | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | March 2, 2010 | Digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
| United States |