Lost Without U
"Lost Without U" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Single by Robin Thicke | ||||
from the album The Evolution of Robin Thicke | ||||
Released | December 4, 2006 | |||
Recorded | 2006 | |||
Genre | ||||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) |
| |||
Producer(s) |
| |||
Robin Thicke singles chronology | ||||
|
"Lost Without U" is a song by American singer Robin Thicke. It was released on December 4, 2006 as the second single from his second album, The Evolution of Robin Thicke (2006). People magazine voted the ballad as 2007 sexiest song of the year. It was also named the 10th best song of 2007 by Vibe magazine.[1]
Writing and inspiration
"Lost Without U" was written after the release of Robin Thicke's first album and while he was on tour. It was at a time he was feeling insecure and wasn't having much commercial success with his music. Thicke said the following to MTV News about the inspiration for the song: "I was going through an insecure period and wanted my lady to tell me how fabulous and how sexy and how wonderful I am."[2]
Music video
Thicke appears in the music video of the song alongside his now ex-wife, actress Paula Patton. Fearful that the video for this single would be the last one he would ever make, Thicke chose to cast his wife as the leading lady in the music video as a way to tell the truth and represent how the last few years of his life have been.[2] However, with the success of "Lost Without U" Thicke went on to film a new video for the follow-up single, "Can U Believe".[2]
Throughout the video, scenes are intercut of Thicke sitting on a chair playing his acoustic guitar and on a wall with a light flashing on him. The video begins with Thicke entering his apartment; he seems to be angry as he throws his keys to the floor. However, he is then seen on a bed, caressing his wife and kissing her shoulder. After, he is in a bathroom, where he imagines his wife taking off his clothes, though he is taking them off himself. After, his wife is shown in the shower, and he is shown singing. He is then shown sitting on a couch, and his wife walks up to him and sits on the couch suggestively, but then gets up and leaves. They are then shown in a bedroom, with Thicke's wife dancing and Thicke watching while holding a pair of socks (presumably hers). They are then shown on top of a building, enjoying each other's presence. Thicke is shown back in his apartment angry, when all of a sudden his wife walks in, and she lets her jacket fall off her, exposing a revealing outfit. They begin kissing passionately, and Thicke lifts her up, but is then shown alone, confused (he had dreamed the kissing session).
Chart performance
"Lost Without U" has been known as Thicke's breakthrough single on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 14 on the chart and became his biggest hit until 2013's "Blurred Lines". The song is his first single to chart on the Hot 100 from the album The Evolution of Robin Thicke.[3]
It also remains Thicke's most successful single on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, peaking at number one the week of February 24, 2007, becoming his first R&B chart topper.[4] He also became the first white male artist to top the R&B table since George Michael and his song "One More Try" in 1988. A week later, on the March 3 issue of Billboard, the single also hit number one on two other charts; Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and Adult R&B Airplay, simultaneously topping all three charts that week. The single eventually spent 11 consecutive weeks atop the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (the biggest hit of the year in that chart) and Adult R&B Airplay charts, and ten consecutive weeks atop the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart. The single was also popular in the United Kingdom, where it peaked at number 11 in the UK Singles Chart in July 2007.
The single has been credited to have caused the significant spike in the sales of The Evolution of Robin Thicke, helping the album to be certified platinum by the RIAA. As of July 12, 2013, the song has sold 954,000 copies in the United States.[5] The single was certified Platinum in digital sales by the RIAA on May 09,2013.[6]
Remix
The official remix of the song features rapper Busta Rhymes.[7]
Covers
In 2008, bassist Marcus Miller recorded a version entitled "Lost Without U (Spoken Words)" with vocals by actress Taraji P. Henson and recording artist Lalah Hathaway for his album Marcus.[8][9]
Adam Levine and Chris Jamison performed the song together on the season finale of The Voice (Season 7). Their duet peaked at number 63 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[10]
Charts
Weekly charts
Chris Jamison and Adam Levine version
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI)[27] | Silver | 200,000[5] |
United States (RIAA)[28] | Platinum | 954,000[5] |
United States (RIAA) (Mastertone) | Platinum | 1,000,000 |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
See also
References
- ^ Group, Vibe Media (January 2008). "The 44 Best Songs of 2007". VIBE. 16 (1): 59. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
{{cite journal}}
:|author1=
has generic name (help) - ^ a b c "Robin Thicke, Pharrell Smiling At Last As Evolution Scales". MTV News. Retrieved 2007-02-28.
- ^ Robin Thicke – The Evolution of Robin Thicke: Awards – Billboard Singles at AllMusic. Retrieved May 20, 2013.
- ^ "Artist Chart History - Lost Without U". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2007-02-27.
- ^ a b c Paul Grein (July 3, 2013). "Week Ending June 30, 2013. Songs: Macklemore's Timely Hit". Chart Watch. Yahoo. Retrieved July 3, 2013.
- ^ "Gold & Platinum: Thicke, Robin". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
- ^ "Robin Thicke ft. Busta Rhymes - Lost Without You (Remix)". Djbooth.net. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
- ^ "Marcus overview". Allmusic.com.
- ^ "Marcus Miller: Marcus". TheStar.com. Toronto. April 8, 2008.
- ^ "Hot 100: Matt McAndrew's "Wasted Love" Outranks Craig Wayne Boyd's Song (Updated)". Headlineplanet.com. 25 December 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
- ^ "Robin Thicke – Lost Without U" (in French). Les classement single.
- ^ "Robin Thicke – Lost Without U". Top 40 Singles.
- ^ "Official Scottish Singles Chart Top 100: 01 July 2007 - 07 July 2007". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100: 01 July 2007 - 07 July 2007". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
- ^ "Official R&B Singles Chart Top 40: 01 July 2007 - 07 July 2007". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
- ^ "Robin Thicke Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
- ^ "Robin Thicke Chart History (Adult R&B Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
- ^ "Robin Thicke Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
- ^ "Robin Thicke Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
- ^ "Robin Thicke Chart History (Smooth Jazz Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
- ^ "Robin Thicke Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
- ^ "Chris Jamison Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
- ^ "Chris Jamison Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
- ^ "Chris Jamison Chart History (Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
- ^ "Top 100 Songs of 2007 - Billboard Year End Charts". Bob Borst's Home of Pop Culture. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
- ^ "The Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Songs - Year End Charts 2007". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media.
- ^ "British single certifications – Robin Thicke – Lost Without U". British Phonographic Industry. April 8, 2008. Retrieved June 12, 2013. Select singles in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type Lost Without U in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
- ^ "American single certifications – Robin Thicke – Lost Without U". Recording Industry Association of America. April 8, 2008. Retrieved June 12, 2013.