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| Writer = Lil Jon, [[Sean Garrett]], [[Patrick J. Que Smith]], [[Ludacris]], Robert McDowell, [[LRoc|James Phillips]], LaMarquis Jefferson
| Writer = Lil Jon, [[Sean Garrett]], [[Patrick J. Que Smith]], [[Ludacris]], Robert McDowell, [[LRoc|James Phillips]], LaMarquis Jefferson
| Producer = Lil Jon
| Producer = Lil Jon
| Certification = 3xPlatinum <small>([[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]], [[Australian Recording Industry Association|ARIA]])</small>
| Certification = 3x Platinum <small>([[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]], [[Australian Recording Industry Association|ARIA]])</small>
| Chronology = [[Usher (entertainer)|Usher]] singles
| Chronology = [[Usher (entertainer)|Usher]] singles
| Last single = "[[I Need a Girl (Part One)]]"<br>(2002)
| Last single = "[[I Need a Girl (Part One)]]"<br>(2002)

Revision as of 18:29, 12 June 2009

"Yeah!"
Song

"Yeah!" is a hit hip hop-R&B song by American R&B singer Usher, written by American songwriters and producers Lil Jon, Sean Garrett, Patrick J. Que Smith, Ludacris, Robert McDowell and James Elbert "LRoc" Phillips It was released as the lead single from Usher's hit fourth studio album, Confessions (2004). The track was produced by Lil Jon, who combined crunk and R&B in the song's beat. The song features vocals from Lil Jon and a rap verse from rapper Ludacris.

The song was featured remix with Tego Calderon significant success, with the three-note beat that continues throughout the track becoming widely recognized. The song reached #1 on twenty different charts in fifteen countries, and gained several multi-platinum certifications, including 3x Platinum from the RIAA. The single topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for a record twelve weeks, the longest-running of 2004, and its huge success added to Usher's hit success that year. Usher was the longest-running #1 artist in 2004 with four #1 singles, and the most successful artist of 2004. WIth over two million worldwide sales in one year, it is one of the fastest selling hip hop songs ever.


Background

In 2003, Usher submitted his fourth studio album, Confessions, to his label Arista Records, thinking it was already completed. However, when Usher and the company's then-president Antonio "LA" Reid listened to the songs, they felt the album needed a lead single. Although they had "Burn", the first song created early in the making of the album, as waiting list, Usher had to record few more tracks.[1][2]

"Yeah!"
"Yeah!" is a hybrid of crunk and R&B genres.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Usher went back to the studio and enlisted fellow Atlantians rapper-producer Lil Jon, alongside rapper-actor Ludacris, to produce songs for him. Lil Jon recalled: "He needed a single. They had 'Burn,' 'Burn' was hot, but they needed that first powerful monster. That's when I came in."[2]

Several months before Lil Jon came into the production of Confessions, he was commissioned by Jive Records to produce fifteen beats for rapper Mystikal. The rapper would only choose two tracks that gave Lil Jon the chance to peddle the leftovers to other record labels, subsequently using it for Usher. Beyond his awareness, Jive gave one of the tracks Mystikal passed onto hip hop artist Petey Pablo, who also records for the label. Lil Jon went to Pablo, who had already recorded the song, which later became "Freak a Leek". Lil Jon tried to settle it with Jive by making another beat for Pablo; however, Pablo did not give up the track, considering it was already recorded and had gaining responses from South radio. Lil Jon comments, "With so much invested, Jive wouldn't give up the cut."[3] Lil Jon reworked the track and a new instrumental was used, from which the "Yeah!" was based.[2] The song was co-written by Sean Garrett, Patrick J. Que Smith, Ludacris, Robert McDowell and James Elbert "LRoc" Phillips.

Release

Though "Yeah!" was created, the label was not ready to decide whether it will be released as the lead single, considering they had "Burn" on queue. Usher's friend and former A&R rep Kawan "KP" Prather commented: "'Burn' being a great song is one thing, but it's one of them things where people said, 'It's strong, but can we make history with that?' At the end of the day, you want an event." Usher was also skeptical if "Yeah!" was the right choice.[4]

After Lil Jon leaked "Yeah!" to street DJs across the United States, Usher opted "Burn" as the lead single of the album and was already planning for its music video.[5] The song was not intended to be a proper single and only a teaser for Usher's fans after waiting for years.[6] However, the responses of "Yeah!" were overwhelmingly favorable,[4] and "Yeah!" was released as the first single instead of "Burn", which became the second single from the album. The single was released in the United States on January 27, 2004 as a CD single and 12" single.[7] In the United Kingdom, it was released as a CD single, containing the album and instrumental version of the song, and two unreleased material from the album, "Red Light" and "Sweet Lies".[8]

Reception

"Yeah!" was lauded by contemporary critics for its production. Jem Aswad of Entertainment Weekly called it "irresistibly crunked-out", adding, "ensuing track glides smoothly between club-friendly hip-hop soul and ballads."[9] Laura Sinagra Rolling Stone commented that the song "creates sensual panic by combining Usher's jumpy attacks with Jon's sublime, frayed beats."[10] Jon Caramanica of Blender noted that "Yeah!" is the first song to mix "mainstream R&B and menacing Southern crunk."[11] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine the song has brought Usher to a "whole new level of crunk."[12] Andy Kellman of Allmusic described the song a "crunk-meets-R&B foundation" which features an "instantly addictive eight-note keyboard vamp".[13] He added that because it is "absorbing", Ludacris' voice cannot be noticed that much.[13] Matt Cibula of Popmatters characterized the song a "full-fledged club über-crunk salacious" but he added that it fails to be a "club banger".[14] Steve Jones of USA Today referred to "Yeah!" a "club-rattling" song from a combination of "Atlanta's vibrant music scene", Lil Jon's "insistent beats" and Ludacris' "racy rhymes".[15]

Critics complimented Usher for the song. Aswad called it the "grittiest song" Usher had sung for revealing his "newfound maturity".[9] Caramanica said that it is "probably the scariest record — in a good way — he's ever made" and Usher "smartly shares the spotlight."[11] Cibula stated that Usher's "smoove-ass" singing and Ludacris' presence contributes to the success of the single.[14]

"Yeah!" was nominated at the 2005 Grammy Awards for Record of the Year, and won the Best Rap/Sung Collaboration award.[16][17] At the 2005 Soul Train Music Awards, "Yeah!" was nominated for best R&B/Soul or Rap Dance Cut.[18]

Commercial acclaim

"Yeah!" charted well on various charts worldwide. The single debuted on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 at number fifty-three on January 13, 2004, prior its physical release.[19] Seven weeks after, it peaked on the chart at number one on March 2, staying there for twelve consecutive weeks.[20][21] "Yeah!" became Usher's fourth number-one single; Lil Jon's first; and Ludacris' second. The single remained on Hot 100 for forty-five weeks.[21] "Yeah!" became the most-played song in 2004. Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems placed the song on the top for getting 496,805 total plays, above Hoobastank's single "The Reason" with 489,976 spins.[22] The single was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America on June 11, 2006 for reaching one million shipments.[23] "Yeah!" became the 2004's best-performing single in the United States.[24] The single ranks at number 11 on The Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs.[25]

Internationally, "Yeah!" received similar responses, topping many charts. The single reached number 1 in the Australia Singles Top 50, Austria Singles Top 75, Canadian Singles Chart, Denmark Singles Top 40, Dutch Top 40, France Singles Top 100, Germany Singles Top 100, Ireland Singles Top 50, New Zealand Top 40, Norway Singles Top 20, Swiss Singles Top 100, and the UK Singles Top 75. Overall, the single charted to different charts worldwide for a year, early in 2004 to early in 2005.[21][26] The single was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association for selling 70,000 units.[27] At the 2004 Year Ender charts, "Yeah!" became the twenty-eighth best-selling single in Australia.[28] It was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand.

Music video

File:Usher Yeah.PNG
Usher in the music video of "Yeah!", using blue and green hues for laser beams

Mr. X, formerly Little X, had previously captured videos for Usher's single "U Don't Have to Call" and "U Got It Bad". Mr. X was inspired with the treatment of laser beams after listening to the song.[29] He felt the sound was a laser beam for him, referring to the beat as "distinctive".[29] Usher and Mr. X combined ideas to create a dance video for "Yeah!". The treatment was accompanied of how Usher wanted to be portrayed in the video, particularly showcasing his dance moves.

The music video was filmed in a vacant art gallery in Los Angeles over two days. When the shooting started, Mr. X recalled Michael Jackson's "low-tech" and "laser-flashing" 1979 "Rock With You" video, and used it as a reference.[29] Forty extras were commissioned to dance with Usher, and two ladies to tempt him in different scenes. They went through photo browsing and phone calling, opting for Destiny, a friend of Mr. X, who seduces Usher in the club ala Marilyn Monroe wardrobe to complement the lyrics.[29] Usher's other would-be seductress is portrayed by model Melyssa Ford. Lil Jon acted as an assistant director during the sessions. Usher took charge of his ideas on his wardrobe and choreography, with additional routines, specifically the Rockaway and the thunderclap, which Mr. X learned from Jamaica. The Rockaway influenced Fat Joe and Terror Squad's "Lean Back" video.[29]

Usher's dancing in front of the green and blue laser beams is prominently featured throughout the video. Lil Jon and Ludacris appeared on the video as well.[1] Ludacris protégé Chingy also appears near the end of the video, holding up his chain which shows his name. Sean "Diddy" Combs' former assistant, Farnsworth Bentley, made a cameo at the end of the video as well, when he was in Los Angeles and Mr. X begged him to dance in the video with his violin.

The music video debuted on MTV's Total Request Live at number ten on February 19, 2004.[30] "Yeah!" topped the countdown, and retired on May 3 at number six after appearing on the countdown for fifty days.[31][32] "Yeah!" became one of the most successful music video by Usher, alongside "Confessions Part II", which also remained for fifty days.[30] At the 2005 Soul Train Music Awards, the video was nominated for Michael Jackson Award for best R&B/Soul or Rap Music Video.[18]

Track listing

UK CD 1
  1. "Yeah!" (featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris) – 4:10
  2. "Red Light" (Smith, Patrick J Que/Smith, Jonathan/Hilson, Keri/McDowell, Robert/Garrett, Sean) – 4:48
  3. "Yeah!" (Reggaeton remix)
UK CD 2
  1. "Yeah!" – 4:10
  2. "Red Light" – 4:48
  3. "Sweet Lies" (Williams, Pharrell/Hugo, Chad) – 4:09
  4. "Yeah!" (Instrumental) – 4:09

Certifications

Country Certification Date Sales certified
Australia[33] Platinum 2004 70,000
Austria[34] Gold May 17, 2004 15,000
Belgium[35] Platinum June 5, 2004 50,000
Canada[36] Platinum September 30, 2004 10,000
Germany[37] Platinum 2004 300,000
New Zealand[38] 2 x Platinum September 6, 2004 30,000
Norway[39] Platinum 2004 10,000
Sweden[40] Gold May 6, 2004 10,000
Switzerland[41] Gold 2004 20,000
U.S.[42] Platinum November 6, 2006 1,000,000

Charts

Template:Succession box one to twoTemplate:Succession box two to oneTemplate:Succession box two to two
Preceded by Norwegian VG-lista number-one single
12/2004 – 17/2004 (6 weeks)
20/2004 (1 week) 		Succeeded by
"My Band" by D12
"Morning Songs EP" by Jim Stärk
Preceded by Danish number-one single
March 26, 2004 – April 9, 2004 (3 weeks) 		Succeeded by
"Fuck It (I Don't Want You Back)" by Eamon
Preceded by UK Singles Chart number-one single
March 27, 2004 – April 3, 2004 (2 weeks) 		Succeeded by
Preceded by German number-one single
April 9, 2004 - April 30, 2004 (4 weeks) 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Belgian (Wallonia) Ultratop 40 number-one single
April 10, 2004 – May 8, 2004 (5 weeks) 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
"In Love With You Again" by Carmen Fenk
 Swiss number-one single
April 11, 2004 - May 16, 2004 (6 weeks) 		Succeeded by
"Fuck It (I Don't Want You Back)" by Eamon
Preceded by
"Si demain... (Turn Around)"
by Bonnie Tyler and Kareen Antonn
 French SNEP number-one single
April 11, 2004 (1 week) 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
"Fuck It (I Don't Want You Back)" by Eamon
"My Band" by D12
 New Zealand RIANZ number-one single
April 18, 2004 – April 19, 2004
April 26, 2004 - May 10, 2004 (3 weeks) 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
"Solitaire" by Clay Aiken
 Canadian Hot 100 number-one single
April 24, 2004 - June 12, 2004 (8 weeks) 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Ö3 Austria Top 40 number-one single
May 2, 2004 (2 weeks) 		Succeeded by
"Dragostea din tei" by Haiducii
Preceded by Billboard Hot 100 number-one single of the year
2004 		Succeeded by

References

  1. ^ a b Reid, Shaheem (March 31, 2004). "The Road To Confessions: How Usher 'Shook A Million'". MTV News. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
  2. ^ a b c Reid, Shaheem. "Usher: King Me – Part 3". MTV News. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
  3. ^ Drumming, Neil (2004-05-14). "Yeah, Lil Jon came through again". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2008-11-23.
  4. ^ a b Reid, Shaheem (February 7, 2005). "Road To The Grammys: The Making Of Usher's Confessions". MTV News. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
  5. ^ Reid, Shaheem (February 7, 2005). "Usher To Share His Confessions In March". MTV News. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
  6. ^ "Usher Lets Skeletons Out Of The Closet On Confessions". MTV News. February 17, 2004. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
  7. ^ "Yeah [US 12"]". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved 2008-03-03.
  8. ^ "Yeah [UK CD]". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved 2008-03-03.
  9. ^ a b Aswad, Jem (March 26, 2004). "Confessions (2004): Usher". Entertainment Weekly. Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
  10. ^ Sinagra, Laura. "Usher: Confessions". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
  11. ^ a b Caramanica, Jon. "Usher: Confessions". Blender. Alpha Media Group Inc. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
  12. ^ Sal Cinquemani, Sal (2004). "Usher: Confessions". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
  13. ^ a b Kellman, Andy. "Confessions: Usher". Allmusic. Macrovision Company. Retrieved 2008-03-03.
  14. ^ a b Cibula, Matt (April 6, 2004). "Usher: By the Numbers!". Popmatters. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
  15. ^ Jones, Steve (March 22, 2004). "'Confessions' time: Usher continues his ascendancy". USA Today. Gannett Co. Inc. Retrieved 2008-03-03.
  16. ^ Jeckell, Barry (December 7, 2004). "Kanye West Leads Grammy Nominees". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
  17. ^ "47TH GRAMMY AWARDS WINNERS ANNOUNCED". ASCAP. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
  18. ^ a b MTV News Staff (February 1, 2005). "For The Record: Quick News On Usher, TLC, Ciara, Beck, Alice In Chains, C-Murder, Beyonce, Cher & More". MTV News. Retrieved 2008-03-03.
  19. ^ "Billboard Hot 100". αCharts. January 13, 2004. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
  20. ^ "Billboard Hot 100". αCharts. March 2, 2004. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
  21. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "Usher featuring Ludacris and Lil Jon - Yeah". αCharts. Retrieved 2008-03-02. Cite error: The named reference "aCharts" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  22. ^ Vineyard, Jennifer (January 5, 2005). "Usher's 'Yeah!' Was Most Played Song Of 2004". MTV News. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
  23. ^ "Gold and Platinum". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
  24. ^ "The Billboard Hot 100: 2004". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
  25. ^ "The Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-19.
  26. ^ "Usher: Yeah". Top40-charts.com. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
  27. ^ "ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 2004 Singles". ARIA. Australian Recording Industry Association Ltd. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
  28. ^ "ARIA Charts - End Of Year Charts - Top 100 Singles 2004". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
  29. ^ a b c d e Kaufman, Gil (August 24, 2004). "Usher's 'Yeah!' A Nod To That Other Laser-Filled Video: VMA Lens Recap". MTV News. Retrieved 2008-03-05.
  30. ^ a b "TRL Debuts". Popfusion. Retrieved 2008-03-03.
  31. ^ "TRL Number Ones". Popfusion. Retrieved 2008-03-03.
  32. ^ "TRL Hall of Fame". Popfusion. Retrieved 2008-03-03.
  33. ^ Australian certifications aria.com (Retrieved January 28, 2009)
  34. ^ Austrian certifications ifpi.at (Retrieved January 28, 2009)
  35. ^ Belgian certifications Ultratop.be (Retrieved January 28, 2009)
  36. ^ Canada certifications cria.ca (Retrieved January 28, 2009)
  37. ^ German certifications musikindustrie.de (Retrieved January 28, 2009)
  38. ^ New Zealand certifications (See: Chart #1424 - Monday 6 September 2004) Rianz.org.nz (Retrieved January 28, 2009)
  39. ^ Norwegian certifications Ifpi.no (Retrieved January 28, 2009)
  40. ^ Swedish certifications Ifpi.se (Retrieved January 28, 2009)
  41. ^ Swiss certifications Swisscharts.com (Retrieved January 28, 2009)
  42. ^ U.S. certifications riaa.com (Retrieved January 28, 2009)
  43. ^ a b c "Usher: Billboard Singles Chart". Allmusic. Macrovision Company. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
  44. ^ a b ""Yeah", in various singles charts". Lescharts.com. Retrieved 2009-01-27.
  45. ^ "Hot Canadian Digital Singles - Yeah! - Usher Featuring Lil Jon & Ludacris". Billboard. Retrieved 2009-01-25. {{cite web}}: Text "1" ignored (help); Text "Company" ignored (help)
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