Yeah! (Usher song)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Wickedxjade (talk | contribs) at 10:05, 20 August 2012. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

"Yeah!"
Song

"Yeah!" is a song by American singer Usher, released on February 3, 2004 as the lead single from his fourth studio album Confessions (2004). The song was written by Lil Jon, Sean Garrett, Patrick J. Que Smith, Ludacris, Robert McDowell, and LRoc. It was produced by Lil Jon, who combined crunk and R&B in the song's beat. The song features vocals from Lil Jon and Ludacris. It was remixed with Puerto Rican rapper-actor Tego Calderón, and features a two-note melody that continues throughout the track.

"Yeah!" reached number one on 20 different charts in 15 countries, and gained several platinum certifications, including by the RIAA and RIANZ. The single topped the US Billboard Hot 100 for 12 weeks, becoming the longest-running number one single of 2004. With over two million worldwide sales in one year, it is one of the fastest-selling hip-hop songs. It ranked second on the Billboard Hot 100 Songs of the Decade for 2000–2009. Usher performed "Yeah!" at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2008 as a runway soundtrack. The song won Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 47th Grammy Awards. The single was also used in the 2005 film Hitch and part of the song was used in the 2009 film The Hangover.

Background and composition

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 a few more tracks.[1][2] Usher returned 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]

"Yeah!"
"Yeah!" is a hybrid of crunk and R&B genres.[3]
Problems playing this file? See media help.

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, which would give Lil Jon the chance to peddle the leftovers to other record labels. Without Lil Jon's knowledge, Jive Records gave one of the tracks that Mystikal passed on to 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, in light of the fact that it was already recorded and had been getting responses from Southern radio. Lil Jon comments, "With so much invested, Jive wouldn't give up the cut."[4] Lil Jon reworked the track and a new instrumental was used, from which "Yeah!" was based.[2]

The song was co-written by Sean Garrett, Patrick J. Que Smith, Ludacris, Robert McDowell, and James Elbert "LRoc" Phillips. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, "Yeah!" is written in common time in the key of G minor, and Usher's vocal range spans from the low note of B♭3 to the high note of B♭4.[5]

Release

Though "Yeah!" had been created, the label was not ready to decide whether it would 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.[6]

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.[7] The song was not intended to be a proper single and only a teaser for Usher's fans after waiting for years.[8] However, the responses of "Yeah!" were overwhelmingly favorable,[6] 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.[9] In the United Kingdom, it was released as a CD single, containing the album and instrumental version of the song, and two unreleased tracks from the album, "Red Light" and "Sweet Lies".[10][11]

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."[12] Laura Sinagra Rolling Stone commented that the song "creates sensual panic by combining Usher's jumpy attacks with Jon's sublime, frayed beats."[13] Jon Caramanica of Blender noted that "Yeah!" is the first song to mix "mainstream R&B and menacing Southern crunk."[14] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine said that the song has brought Usher to a "whole new level of crunk."[15] Andy Kellman of Allmusic described the song as a "crunk-meets-R&B foundation" which features an "instantly addictive eight-note keyboard vamp".[16] He added that because it is "absorbing", Ludacris' voice cannot be noticed that much.[16] Matt Cibula of Popmatters characterized the song as a "full-fledged club über-crunk salacious" but he added that it fails to be a "club banger".[17] Steve Jones of USA Today referred to "Yeah!" as a "club-rattling" song from a combination of "Atlanta's vibrant music scene", Lil Jon's "insistent beats" and Ludacris' "racy rhymes".[18]

Usher also garnered praise for the song, Aswad called it the "grittiest song" Usher had sung for revealing his "newfound maturity".[12] Caramanica said that it is "probably the scariest record – in a good way – he's ever made" and Usher "smartly shares the spotlight."[14] Cibula stated that Usher's "smoove-ass" singing and Ludacris' presence contributes to the success of the single.[17] "Yeah!" was nominated at the 2005 Grammy Awards for Record of the Year, and won the Best Rap/Sung Collaboration award.[19][20] At the 2005 Soul Train Music Awards, "Yeah!" was nominated for best R&B/Soul or Rap Dance Cut.[21]

Chart performance

"Yeah!" debuted on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 at number fifty-three on January 13, 2004, prior to its physical release.[22] Seven weeks later, it peaked at number one on March 2, staying there for twelve consecutive weeks.[23][24] "Yeah!" became Usher's fourth number-one single, Lil Jon's first and Ludacris' second. The single remained on the Hot 100 for forty-five weeks.[24] "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.[25] The single was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America on June 11, 2006 for shipping one million copies.[26] "Yeah!" became the best-performing single of 2004 in the United States.[27] The single ranked at number 11 on The Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs.[28] As of August 2012, the song has sold 3,575,000 digital copies since its release.[29]

Internationally, "Yeah!" received similar responses, topping many charts. The single reached number one in Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Netherlands, France, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Overall, the single remained on several charts worldwide for a year, from early 2004 to 2005.[24][30] The single was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association for shipping 70,000 units.[31] On the 2004 Year End charts, "Yeah!" became the twenty-eighth best-selling single in Australia.[32] It was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand.[33]

Music video

Background

Mr. X, formerly Little X, had previously directed videos for Usher's singles "U Don't Have to Call" and "U Got It Bad". Mr. X said that the song reminded him of laser beams .[34] He felt the sound was a laser beam for him, referring to the beat as "distinctive".[34] Usher and Mr. X combined ideas to create a dance video for "Yeah!". The treatment was handled by 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.[34] 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.[34] 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.[34]

Synopsis and reception

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. P. Diddy's former assistant, Farnsworth Bentley, makes 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 end of video also features a 19 second-long rap from Lil Jon, which is not heard on the radio edit.

The music video debuted on MTV's TRL at number ten on February 19, 2004.[35] "Yeah!" topped the countdown, and retired on May 3 at number six after appearing on the countdown for fifty days.[36][37] "Yeah!" became one of the most successful music videos by Usher, alongside "Confessions Part II", which also remained for fifty days.[35] At the 2005 Soul Train Music Awards, the video was nominated for Michael Jackson Award for best R&B/Soul or Rap Music Video.[21]

Track listings

Charts

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Reid, Shaheem (March 31, 2004). "The Road To Confessions: How Usher 'Shook A Million'". MTV News. Viacom Media Networks. Retrieved March 2, 2008.
  2. ^ a b c Reid, Shaheem. "Usher: King Me – Part 3". MTV News. Viacom Media Networks. Retrieved March 2, 2008.
  3. ^ Shepherd, Julianne (August 18, 2006, 2006). "Soul Bounce: Crunk 'n' B 101". MTV News. Viacom Media Networks. Retrieved August 12, 2012. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ Drumming, Neil (May 14, 2004). "Yeah, Lil Jon came through again". Entertainment Weekly. Time Warner. Retrieved November 23, 2008.
  5. ^ "Usher – Yeah!". Musicnotes.com. Sony/ATV Music Publishing. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  6. ^ a b Reid, Shaheem (February 7, 2005). "Road To The Grammys: The Making Of Usher's Confessions". MTV News. Viacom Media Networks. Retrieved March 2, 2008.
  7. ^ Reid, Shaheem (February 7, 2005). "Usher To Share His Confessions In March". MTV News. Viacom Media Networks. Retrieved March 2, 2008.
  8. ^ "Usher Lets Skeletons Out Of The Closet On Confessions". MTV News. Viacom Media Networks. February 17, 2004. Retrieved March 2, 2008.
  9. ^ "Yeah [US 12"]". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
  10. ^ a b "Yeah (CD 1): Usher". Amazon.uk. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
  11. ^ a b "Yeah (CD 2): Usher". Amazon.uk. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
  12. ^ a b Aswad, Jem (March 26, 2004). "Confessions (2004): Usher". Entertainment Weekly. Time Warner. Retrieved March 2, 2008.
  13. ^ Sinagra, Laura. "Usher: Confessions". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 2, 2008.
  14. ^ a b Caramanica, Jon (2004). "Review: Confessions". Blender. Alpha Media Group: 132. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  15. ^ Sal Cinquemani, Sal (2004). "Usher: Confessions". Slant Magazine. Retrieved March 2, 2008.
  16. ^ a b Kellman, Andy. "Confessions: Usher". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 3, 2008.
  17. ^ a b Cibula, Matt (April 6, 2004). "Usher: By the Numbers!". PopMatters. Retrieved March 2, 2008.
  18. ^ Jones, Steve (March 22, 2004). "'Confessions' time: Usher continues his ascendancy". USA Today. Gannett Co. Inc. Retrieved March 3, 2008.
  19. ^ Jeckell, Barry (December 7, 2004). "Kanye West Leads Grammy Nominees". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved March 2, 2008.
  20. ^ "47th grammy awards winners announced". ASCAP. Retrieved March 2, 2008.
  21. ^ a b MTV News Staff (February 1, 2005). "For The Record: Quick News On Usher, TLC, Ciara, Beck, Alice In Chains, C-Murder, Beyoncé, Cher & More". MTV News. Viacom Media Networks. Retrieved March 3, 2008.
  22. ^ "Billboard Hot 100". αCharts. January 13, 2004. Archived from the original on February 23, 2008. Retrieved March 2, 2008.
  23. ^ "Billboard Hot 100". αCharts. March 2, 2004. Archived from the original on January 20, 2008. Retrieved March 2, 2008.
  24. ^ a b c "Usher featuring Ludacris and Lil Jon – Yeah". αCharts. Retrieved March 2, 2008.
  25. ^ Vineyard, Jennifer (January 5, 2005). "Usher's 'Yeah!' Was Most Played Song Of 2004". MTV News. Viacom Media Networks. Retrieved March 2, 2008.
  26. ^ a b "Gold and Platinum". Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Retrieved March 2, 2008.
  27. ^ a b "2005 Year End Charts – Hot 100 Songs". Billboard.BIZ. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved August 12, 2012. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  28. ^ "The Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2008. Retrieved October 19, 2008.
  29. ^ Paul Grein (August 8, 2012). "Week Ending Aug. 5, 2012. Songs: Phillip Phillips Is "Home"". Chart Watch (Yahoo! Music). Retrieved August 9, 2012.
  30. ^ "Usher: Yeah". Top40-charts.com. Retrieved March 2, 2008.
  31. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2004 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved March 2, 2008.
  32. ^ "ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 100 Singles 2004". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved March 2, 2008.
  33. ^ a b New Zealand certifications (See: Chart #1424 – Monday September 6, 2004). Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ). Retrieved January 28, 2009.
  34. ^ 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. Viacom Media Networks. Retrieved March 5, 2008.
  35. ^ a b "TRL Debuts". Popfusion. Retrieved March 3, 2008.
  36. ^ "TRL Number Ones". Popfusion. Retrieved March 3, 2008.
  37. ^ "TRL Hall of Fame". Popfusion. Retrieved March 3, 2008.
  38. ^ "Yeah!: Usher featuring Lil' Jon & Ludacris". Amazon.uk. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
  39. ^ "Yeah! - EP". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
  40. ^ "Usher – Yeah". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  41. ^ "Usher – Yeah" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  42. ^ "Usher – Yeah" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  43. ^ "Usher – Yeah" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  44. ^ "Usher – Yeah". Tracklisten.
  45. ^ "Usher: Yeah" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat.
  46. ^ "Usher – Yeah" (in French). Les classement single.
  47. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége.
  48. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Dance Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége.
  49. ^ "Chart Track: Week 14, 2004". Irish Singles Chart.
  50. ^ "Usher – Yeah". Top Digital Download.
  51. ^ "Usher – Yeah" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  52. ^ "Usher – Yeah". Top 40 Singles.
  53. ^ "Usher – Yeah". VG-lista.
  54. ^ "Usher – Yeah". Singles Top 100.
  55. ^ "Usher – Yeah". Swiss Singles Chart.
  56. ^ "Usher: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  57. ^ "Usher Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  58. ^ "Die ultimative Chart Show | Hits des neuen Jahrtausends | Download" (in German). RTL.de. Retrieved February 26, 2011.
  59. ^ "Top 100 Music Hits, Top 100 Music Charts, Top 100 Songs & The Hot 100: Best of the 2000s – Billboard 100". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
  60. ^ "2004 Australian Singles Chart". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved August 10, 2009.
  61. ^ "2004 Austrian Singles Chart". Ö3 Austria Top 40. Hung Medien. Retrieved August 10, 2009.
  62. ^ "2006 Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart". Ultratop 50. Hung Medien. Retrieved August 10, 2009.
  63. ^ "2004 Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart". Ultratop 40. Hung Medien. Retrieved August 10, 2009.
  64. ^ "Single top 100 over 2004" (PDF) (in Dutch). Top40. Retrieved May 5, 2010.
  65. ^ "2004 French Singles Chart". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP). Retrieved August 10, 2009.
  66. ^ "Single Jahrescharts 2004" (in German). MTV News. Viacom Media Networks. Retrieved January 16, 2010.
  67. ^ "2004 Irish Singles Chart". Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA). Retrieved August 10, 2009.
  68. ^ "2004 Swiss Singles Chart". Swiss Single Chart. Hung Medien. Retrieved August 10, 2009.
  69. ^ "UK Year-End Chart 2004" (pdf). Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
  70. ^ Australian certifications. Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved January 28, 2009.
  71. ^ Austrian certifications. International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). Retrieved January 28, 2009.
  72. ^ Belgian certifications. Ultratop.be. Hung Medien. Retrieved January 28, 2009.
  73. ^ "Gold & Platinum Certification – September 2004". Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA). Retrieved February 24, 2011.
  74. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank ('Yeah%21')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved January 28, 2009.
  75. ^ Norwegian certifications. International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). Retrieved January 28, 2009.
  76. ^ Swedish certifications. International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). Retrieved January 28, 2009.
  77. ^ Swiss certifications. Swiss Singles Chart. Hung Medien. Retrieved January 28, 2009.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Yeah!_(Usher_song)&oldid=508265362"