Beautiful People (Chris Brown song)
Encyclopedia
"Beautiful People" is a song by American recording artist Chris Brown featuring Italian DJ
Benny Benassi
. It was written by Brown, with Jean Baptiste
, Marco Benassi
and Allessandro Benassi, with the latter two also handling its production. The song was released as the third single from Brown's fourth studio album F.A.M.E.
on March 11, 2011. It was later included on Benassi's fifth studio album Electroman
(2011). Musically, "Beautiful People" is an uptempo
song which draws from the genres of electro house, dancehall
and Europop
, and contains influences of R&B
. The song's lyrics revolve around Brown encouraging "everyone on the dance floor to keep their heads up and discover the beauty inside."
The song was well received by most music critics who praised its production and lyrics. In the United Kingdom, "Beautiful People" peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart
, and became Brown's fifth top-ten UK hit as a lead artist. In the United States, the song peaked at number one on the Billboard
Hot Dance Club Songs chart, and became the first number-one single for both Brown and Benassi. It also attained top-ten positions on the Australian, Irish, and New Zealand charts.
An accompanying music video
was released on March 22, 2011, and features personal footage of Brown's everyday life. The video features appearances from several of Brown's famous friends, including Diddy
, Bow Wow, T-Pain
, Nelly
, Timbaland
, among others. The song has been performed on the American version of Dancing with the Stars, and on Brown's Australian F.A.M.E. Tour.
—a studio in Los Angeles
, California
. Before the release of F.A.M.E.
, the song leaked online on January 16, 2011. The single cover was unveiled on February 2, 2011, showing Brown strapping a gas mask onto his face as he peers up at the camera. The song's title is spelled out in ransom note effect
, with Brown's name graffitied onto the bottom right corner. "Beautiful People" was released for digital download
on March 11, 2011. An extended play
, featuring additional remixes of the song, was made available for download in the United Kingdom and the United States on April 19, 2011. "Beautiful People" was later included on Benassi's fifth studio album, Electroman
(2011), as track four.
"Beautiful People" is an uptempo electro house, dancehall
and Europop
song with R&B
influences. According to James Dean Wells from AOL Radio
, the song is " pulsing synths
that build under Benassi and Brown's staccato
and auto-tune
d melodies." The song is positive and uplifting with lyrics such as: "Everywhere that I've been / The only thing that I see is beautiful people ... / Don't you know / Don't you know / You're beautiful." According to Rap-Up
, on the song, Brown encourages "everyone on the dance floor to keep their heads up and discover the beauty inside." When speaking about "Beautiful People", Brown told Jayson Rodriguez of MTV News
that "it wasn't a selfish record, it wasn't me bragging or boasting or talking about cars or money or girls. It was me being able to inspire people with dance music. We have a lot of tragic things going on and the world needs to come together as a whole and stop the negativity."
wrote that "Beautiful People" sounds almost like a Kylie Minogue
song "with its powdered-sugar synths and dance floor positivity". Jon Caramanica from The New York Times
wrote that the song "has the clanging, swelling synths that are the hallmark of megaclubs." Editors from Idolator
wrote "We like the song, though we don't see anything inherently 'Chris Brown' about this track — it really could have been recorded by anybody with similar results." Ed Easton Jr. from WXRK wrote that the song "is a softer and sensitive side of Chris Brown as its lyrics are supposed to be meant to inspire others." Joanne Dorken from MTV UK wrote that "Brown's vocals are unrecognisable on this Ibiza
-dance scene floor filler, which you can’t help but move to." James Montgomery from MTV News
praised Benassi's production skills, and wrote "It's not a stretch to call "Beautiful People" not only one of the year's most unexpected singles, but also one of the best." Robert Copsey from Digital Spy
awarded "Beautiful People" five out of five stars, and called it a "dancehall thumper about equality and believing in yourself."
Nick Levine from BBC Music
wrote that Brown is at his most ingratiating when he unites with Benassi "for the electronic throb of "Beautiful People"". Jamie Horne of The Border Mail
wrote that the song "is another thumping four-on-the-floor anthem." Tom Howard of Yahoo! Music
called the song "cheesily euphoric... a single just in time to gain some momentum before the high season in Ibiza." Sean Fennessey from The Washington Post
gave "Beautiful People" a mixed review, writing, "When Brown dabbles in shamelessly au courant Eurohouse, such as in "Beautiful People" featuring and produced by the Italian pop-house staple Benny Benassi, that voice is nearly swallowed whole by wall-to-wall production."
at number forty-three. In Canada, "Beautiful People" debuted at number ninety on the Canadian Hot 100
on the issue dated May 7, 2011. It later peaked at number twenty-two, and has spent 10 weeks on the chart.
Internationally, "Beautiful People" reached the top ten in four countries. On the Australian Singles Chart
, "Beautiful People" debuted at number fourteen on March 21, 2011, and later peaked at number seven. Eventually, the song was certified double Platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association
(ARIA), for shipments of 140,000 units. In New Zealand, "Beautiful People" entered the New Zealand Singles Chart
at number forty and peaked at number six. It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
(RIANZ), for selling 7,500 copies. On the Irish Singles Chart
, "Beautiful People" debuted at number thirty-nine on March 31, 2011, before finally reaching number three on May 5, 2011. In the United Kingdom, "Beautiful People" debuted at number ninety-five on the UK Singles Chart
on April 9, 2011. It peaked at number four on May 7, 2011, where it remained for two consecutive weeks. Overall, it is Brown's fifth top-ten UK hit as a lead artist. "Beautiful People" also charted on the UK Dance Chart
, where it peaked at number two. As of August 15, 2011, "Beautiful People" has sold over 502,000 copies in the United Kingdom.
for "Beautiful People" premiered on MTV
's The Seven on March 22, 2011. The video features cameo appearances from Brandy
, Tyga
, Game, Big Sean
, Ryan Leslie
, Bow Wow, Pharrell Williams
, Swizz Beatz
, T-Pain
, Estelle
, Teyana Taylor, Omarion
, Diddy
, Kevin McCall
, Nelly
, and Timbaland
.
The video opens showing Brown and his dance crew, The Rejectz, riding scooters during the night in the streets, before switching to various scenes of Brown singing and dancing in the backseat of a car and hanging out in a recording studio with several famous friends listening to "Beautiful People". The video is also intercut with scenes of Brown and Benassi performing at separate concerts, and Brown in the studio dancing with T-Pain. More scenes feature Brown at the club with Teyana Taylor, Brandy, and Omarion. The video ends by showing Brown standing in front of a wall that has the words 'Beautiful People' graffitied on it.
Becky Bain from Idolator
stated that the video was "basically a four-minute statement that Brown still has a bunch of friends on his side." Ann Lee from Metro thought his dancing in the video was "better than his singing but it's still pleasant enough." Tanner Stransky from Entertainment Weekly
wrote that the video had a "nice concept", and noted it was "a departure from Brown’s trademark glossy clips". Ed Easton Jr. from WXRK called it a "feel good journey through his everyday life", and wrote "the visuals [in the video] are supposed to show the human side of Chris and his friends enjoying themselves and leaving the stresses of the world behind to be free from criticism."
" was shown on the American version of Dancing with the Stars on March 29, 2011. For the performance Brown wore a black and white suit, and was accompanied by a group of robotic dancers dressed in all-white suits adorned with LED lighting
for a futuristic Tron
-like affect. Prior to the performance some of the show's cast were unhappy that Brown was going to perform because of the domestic violence
assault that occurred with his then-girlfriend Rihanna
in 2009. Brown was sentenced to five years of probation
, ordered to complete more than 1,400 hours of community service
and was given a restraining order
which required him to stay away from Rihanna. Professional dancer Cheryl Burke
told Extra
, "As a victim of domestic violence, I don't agree with him coming on the show, but it's out of my control", while host Tom Bergeron
told the On Air with Ryan Seacrest
radio show that, "I did tell the producers it may be to their advantage to not have me interview him, because my natural tendency would be to say something. So don't put me in a position where you are asking me to not say something, because I really won't do that." In April 2011, Brown embarked on his F.A.M.E. Tour in Australia, where he performed "Beautiful People" as part of the concert's setlist.
Source:
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
Benny Benassi
Benny Benassi
Marco Benassi , better known as Benny Benassi, is a Grammy Award winning Italian disc jockey and record producer of electro house music. He is best known for his 2002 summer club hit "Satisfaction"...
. It was written by Brown, with Jean Baptiste
Jean Baptiste Kouame
Jean Baptiste Kouame, often referred to simply as Jean Baptiste, is a songwriter and record producer.-2009:*The Black Eyed Peas - The E.N.D.**"Boom Boom Pow" *Blake Lewis - Heartbreak on Vinyl**"Left My Baby for You"-2006:...
, Marco Benassi
Benny Benassi
Marco Benassi , better known as Benny Benassi, is a Grammy Award winning Italian disc jockey and record producer of electro house music. He is best known for his 2002 summer club hit "Satisfaction"...
and Allessandro Benassi, with the latter two also handling its production. The song was released as the third single from Brown's fourth studio album F.A.M.E.
F.A.M.E. (album)
F.A.M.E. is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Chris Brown, first released on March 18, 2011 by Jive Records. Brown worked with several record producers and songwriters for the album, including Kevin McCall, Jean Baptiste, Brian Kennedy, DJ Frank E, The Underdogs and The...
on March 11, 2011. It was later included on Benassi's fifth studio album Electroman
Electroman (album)
-Release History:...
(2011). Musically, "Beautiful People" is an uptempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
song which draws from the genres of electro house, dancehall
Dancehall
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably,...
and Europop
Europop
Europop refers to a style of pop music that first developed in today's form in Europe, throughout the late 1970s. Europop topped the charts throughout the 1980s and ’90s...
, and contains influences of 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...
. The song's lyrics revolve around Brown encouraging "everyone on the dance floor to keep their heads up and discover the beauty inside."
The song was well received by most music critics who praised its production and lyrics. In the United Kingdom, "Beautiful People" peaked at number four 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 ...
, and became Brown's fifth top-ten UK hit as a lead artist. In the United States, the song peaked at number one on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Dance Club Songs chart, and became the first number-one single for both Brown and Benassi. It also attained top-ten positions on the Australian, Irish, and New Zealand charts.
An accompanying music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was released on March 22, 2011, and features personal footage of Brown's everyday life. The video features appearances from several of Brown's famous friends, including Diddy
Sean Combs
Sean John Combs , also known by his stage names Diddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and his clothing line earned a Council of Fashion Designers of America award. He was originally...
, Bow Wow, T-Pain
T-Pain
Faheem Rasheed Najm , better known by his stage name T-Pain, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actor, currently signed to Young Money Entertainment. His debut album, Rappa Ternt Sanga, was released in 2005. In 2007, T-Pain released his second studio album Epiphany,...
, Nelly
Nelly
Cornell Iral Haynes, Jr. , better known by his stage name Nelly, is an Grammy Award winning American rapper and actor. He has performed with the rap group St. Lunatics since 1993 and signed to Universal Records in 1999. Under Universal, Nelly began his solo career in 2000 with his debut album...
, Timbaland
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
, among others. The song has been performed on the American version of Dancing with the Stars, and on Brown's Australian F.A.M.E. Tour.
Background and composition
"Beautiful People" was written by Brown, Jean Baptiste, Benny Benassi and Alle Benassi, with the latter two also handling its production. It was recorded at The Record PlantRecord Plant Studios
The Record Plant was a series of three famous recording studios which were founded by Gary Kellgren and Chris Stone, beginning in New York City in 1968. The next year, Kellgren and Stone opened a second studio in Los Angeles. In 1972, the company expanded again with a third location in Sausalito,...
—a studio in Los Angeles
Los 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...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Before the release of F.A.M.E.
F.A.M.E. (album)
F.A.M.E. is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Chris Brown, first released on March 18, 2011 by Jive Records. Brown worked with several record producers and songwriters for the album, including Kevin McCall, Jean Baptiste, Brian Kennedy, DJ Frank E, The Underdogs and The...
, the song leaked online on January 16, 2011. The single cover was unveiled on February 2, 2011, showing Brown strapping a gas mask onto his face as he peers up at the camera. The song's title is spelled out in ransom note effect
Ransom note effect
In typography, the ransom note effect is the result of using an excessive number of juxtaposed typefaces. It takes its name from the appearance of a stereotypical ransom note, with the message formed from words or letters cut randomly from a magazine or newspaper in order to avoid using...
, with Brown's name graffitied onto the bottom right corner. "Beautiful People" was released for 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...
on March 11, 2011. An extended play
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, featuring additional remixes of the song, was made available for download in the United Kingdom and the United States on April 19, 2011. "Beautiful People" was later included on Benassi's fifth studio album, Electroman
Electroman (album)
-Release History:...
(2011), as track four.
"Beautiful People" is an uptempo electro house, dancehall
Dancehall
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably,...
and Europop
Europop
Europop refers to a style of pop music that first developed in today's form in Europe, throughout the late 1970s. Europop topped the charts throughout the 1980s and ’90s...
song with 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...
influences. According to James Dean Wells from AOL Radio
AOL Radio
AOL Radio powered by Slacker, , is an online radio service available only in the United States.- Roots :...
, the song is " pulsing synths
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
that build under Benassi and Brown's staccato
Staccato
Staccato is a form of musical articulation. In modern notation it signifies a note of shortened duration and separated from the note that may follow by silence...
and auto-tune
Auto-Tune
Auto-Tune is a proprietary audio processor created by Antares Audio Technologies. Auto-Tune uses a phase vocoder to correct pitch in vocal and instrumental performances. It is used to disguise off-key inaccuracies and mistakes, and has allowed singers to perform apparently perfectly tuned vocal...
d melodies." The song is positive and uplifting with lyrics such as: "Everywhere that I've been / The only thing that I see is beautiful people ... / Don't you know / Don't you know / You're beautiful." According to Rap-Up
Rap-Up
Rap-Up is a magazine launched in 2001 by founder Devin Lazerine. The publication was originally a website devoted to hip hop, until Lazerine decided to pitch the possibility of a magazine to several publishers. The magazine is focused on the hip hop and R&B aspect of the music industry, and...
, on the song, Brown encourages "everyone on the dance floor to keep their heads up and discover the beauty inside." When speaking about "Beautiful People", Brown told Jayson Rodriguez 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...
that "it wasn't a selfish record, it wasn't me bragging or boasting or talking about cars or money or girls. It was me being able to inspire people with dance music. We have a lot of tragic things going on and the world needs to come together as a whole and stop the negativity."
Critical reception
"Beautiful People" received mostly positive reviews from most music critics. Margaret Wappler from Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
wrote that "Beautiful People" sounds almost like a Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
song "with its powdered-sugar synths and dance floor positivity". Jon Caramanica from The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
wrote that the song "has the clanging, swelling synths that are the hallmark of megaclubs." Editors from Idolator
Idolator (website)
Idolator is a music blog. Created by the blog network Gawker Media in August 2006, Idolator was later sold to rival blog network Buzz Media, which also owns music blog Stereogum. From the 2007 departure of original head writer Brian Raftery until November 2009, the blog's head writer was Maura...
wrote "We like the song, though we don't see anything inherently 'Chris Brown' about this track — it really could have been recorded by anybody with similar results." Ed Easton Jr. from WXRK wrote that the song "is a softer and sensitive side of Chris Brown as its lyrics are supposed to be meant to inspire others." Joanne Dorken from MTV UK wrote that "Brown's vocals are unrecognisable on this Ibiza
Ibiza
Ibiza or Eivissa is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea 79 km off the coast of the city of Valencia in Spain. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, an autonomous community of Spain. With Formentera, it is one of the two Pine Islands or Pityuses. Its largest cities are Ibiza...
-dance scene floor filler, which you can’t help but move to." James Montgomery from 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...
praised Benassi's production skills, and wrote "It's not a stretch to call "Beautiful People" not only one of the year's most unexpected singles, but also one of the best." Robert Copsey from Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
awarded "Beautiful People" five out of five stars, and called it a "dancehall thumper about equality and believing in yourself."
Nick Levine from BBC Music
BBC Music
BBC Music is a team working in the department of Audio and Music Interactive at the BBC. Responsible for the BBC Music website - the portal site to music content across the BBC website....
wrote that Brown is at his most ingratiating when he unites with Benassi "for the electronic throb of "Beautiful People"". Jamie Horne of The Border Mail
The Border Mail
The Border Mail is a daily newspaper published in Albury-Wodonga, Australia, serving the twin cities and the surrounding region.The first edition was printed on 24 October 1903 by editor Hamilton Mott and his brother Decimus...
wrote that the song "is another thumping four-on-the-floor anthem." Tom Howard of Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music, owned by Yahoo!, is the provider of a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming...
called the song "cheesily euphoric... a single just in time to gain some momentum before the high season in Ibiza." Sean Fennessey from The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
gave "Beautiful People" a mixed review, writing, "When Brown dabbles in shamelessly au courant Eurohouse, such as in "Beautiful People" featuring and produced by the Italian pop-house staple Benny Benassi, that voice is nearly swallowed whole by wall-to-wall production."
Chart performance
On the issue dated March 12, 2011, "Beautiful People" debuted at number thirty-seven on the United States Hot Dance Club Songs chart. The song peaked at number one on the issue dated May 21, 2011, and became the first number-one single for both Brown and Benassi. On the issue dated September 17, 2011, "Beautiful People" debuted 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...
at number forty-three. In Canada, "Beautiful People" debuted at number ninety on the Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
on the issue dated May 7, 2011. It later peaked at number twenty-two, and has spent 10 weeks on the chart.
Internationally, "Beautiful People" reached the top ten in four countries. On the Australian Singles Chart
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
, "Beautiful People" debuted at number fourteen on March 21, 2011, and later peaked at number seven. Eventually, the song was certified double Platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
(ARIA), for shipments of 140,000 units. In New Zealand, "Beautiful People" entered the New Zealand Singles Chart
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...
at number forty and peaked at number six. It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...
(RIANZ), for selling 7,500 copies. On the Irish Singles Chart
Irish Singles Chart
The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's 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 captured...
, "Beautiful People" debuted at number thirty-nine on March 31, 2011, before finally reaching number three on May 5, 2011. In the United Kingdom, "Beautiful People" debuted at number ninety-five 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 ...
on April 9, 2011. It peaked at number four on May 7, 2011, where it remained for two consecutive weeks. Overall, it is Brown's fifth top-ten UK hit as a lead artist. "Beautiful People" also charted on the UK Dance Chart
UK Dance Chart
The UK Dance Chart is a chart compiled by The Official Charts Company from sales in record stores and digital downloads. Although the chart does not currently receive any airplay on the radio or television, the chart can be viewed on the BBC Radio 1 and The Official Charts Company website.Digital...
, where it peaked at number two. As of August 15, 2011, "Beautiful People" has sold over 502,000 copies in the United Kingdom.
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "Beautiful People" premiered on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's The Seven on March 22, 2011. The video features cameo appearances from Brandy
Brandy Norwood
Brandy Rayana Norwood , known professionally as Brandy, is an American singer-songwriter, producer, actress, and dancer. In 2009, she introduced her rap alter-ego Bran'Nu....
, Tyga
Tyga
Michael Stevenson , better known by his stage name Tyga , is an American rapper signed to Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records and Universal Republic Records. He is of Vietnamese and Jamaican descent...
, Game, Big Sean
Big Sean
Sean Michael Anderson , better known by his stage name Big Sean, is an American rapper. Big Sean signed with Kanye West's G.O.O.D...
, Ryan Leslie
Ryan Leslie
Anthony Ryan Leslie, known professionally as Ryan Leslie, is a Grammy nominated American record producer, multi-instrumentalist, rapper, entrepreneur, and singer. Founder of the media company NextSelection Lifestyle Group, Leslie has produced singles for a number of artists in a variety of genres...
, Bow Wow, Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams , commonly known simply as Pharrell, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, composer, and fashion designer. Williams and Chad Hugo make up the record production duo The Neptunes, producing hip hop and R&B music...
, Swizz Beatz
Swizz Beatz
Kasseem Dean , better known by his stage name, Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, DJ, rapper and painter. At the age of 17, he gained attention in the hip-hop world through his friendship with rapper DMX. Grady Spivey and rapper Cassidy helped launch his label Full Surface Records...
, T-Pain
T-Pain
Faheem Rasheed Najm , better known by his stage name T-Pain, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actor, currently signed to Young Money Entertainment. His debut album, Rappa Ternt Sanga, was released in 2005. In 2007, T-Pain released his second studio album Epiphany,...
, Estelle
Estelle (musician)
Estelle Fanta Swaray commonly known as Estelle, and formerly as Est'elle, is an English R&B singer-songwriter, rapper and record producer.-Early Life:Estelle was born 18 January 1980 in Hammersmith, London, England...
, Teyana Taylor, Omarion
Omarion
Omari Ishmael Grandberry better known as Omarion, is an American R&B singer, actor, songwriter, record producer, dancer, and former lead singer of the R&B group, B2K. Omarion was spotted at a young age by a manager, Christopher B. Stokes, who took a liking to his vocal abilities...
, Diddy
Diddy
Diddy may refer to:*Sean Combs, an American rap mogul also known as Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Puff, Puffy and Sean John*Diddy-Dirty Money, an American hip hop group featuring Diddy...
, Kevin McCall
Kevin McCall
Kevin Lamar McCall, Jr. , better known as Kevin McCall or K-Mac, is an American singer, songwriter, producer, and rapper signed to Universal Music Group and CBE . He wrote on "Last Train to Paris", and was nominated with Chris Brown for Deuces on the 2011 Grammys.- Mixtapes :*Un-invited Guest Kevin...
, Nelly
Nelly
Cornell Iral Haynes, Jr. , better known by his stage name Nelly, is an Grammy Award winning American rapper and actor. He has performed with the rap group St. Lunatics since 1993 and signed to Universal Records in 1999. Under Universal, Nelly began his solo career in 2000 with his debut album...
, and Timbaland
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
.
The video opens showing Brown and his dance crew, The Rejectz, riding scooters during the night in the streets, before switching to various scenes of Brown singing and dancing in the backseat of a car and hanging out in a recording studio with several famous friends listening to "Beautiful People". The video is also intercut with scenes of Brown and Benassi performing at separate concerts, and Brown in the studio dancing with T-Pain. More scenes feature Brown at the club with Teyana Taylor, Brandy, and Omarion. The video ends by showing Brown standing in front of a wall that has the words 'Beautiful People' graffitied on it.
Becky Bain from Idolator
Idolator (website)
Idolator is a music blog. Created by the blog network Gawker Media in August 2006, Idolator was later sold to rival blog network Buzz Media, which also owns music blog Stereogum. From the 2007 departure of original head writer Brian Raftery until November 2009, the blog's head writer was Maura...
stated that the video was "basically a four-minute statement that Brown still has a bunch of friends on his side." Ann Lee from Metro thought his dancing in the video was "better than his singing but it's still pleasant enough." Tanner Stransky from Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
wrote that the video had a "nice concept", and noted it was "a departure from Brown’s trademark glossy clips". Ed Easton Jr. from WXRK called it a "feel good journey through his everyday life", and wrote "the visuals [in the video] are supposed to show the human side of Chris and his friends enjoying themselves and leaving the stresses of the world behind to be free from criticism."
Live performances
A pre-taped performance of Brown performing a medley of "Beautiful People" with "ForeverForever (Chris Brown song)
"Forever" is a song by American R&B singer Chris Brown. It is produced by Polow da Don. It is the first single from the repackaged Exclusive: Forever Edition, and is the fifth overall single by Brown from his second studio album, Exclusive with uncredited backing vocals from Keri Hilson...
" was shown on the American version of Dancing with the Stars on March 29, 2011. For the performance Brown wore a black and white suit, and was accompanied by a group of robotic dancers dressed in all-white suits adorned with LED lighting
Light-emitting diode
A light-emitting diode is a semiconductor light source. LEDs are used as indicator lamps in many devices and are increasingly used for other lighting...
for a futuristic Tron
Tron (franchise)
The Tron franchise began in 1982 with the Walt Disney Pictures film Tron. It was followed by various film tie-ins, a comic series and the 2010 sequel Tron: Legacy...
-like affect. Prior to the performance some of the show's cast were unhappy that Brown was going to perform because of the domestic violence
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
assault that occurred with his then-girlfriend Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
in 2009. Brown was sentenced to five years of probation
Probation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
, ordered to complete more than 1,400 hours of community service
Community service
Community service is donated service or activity that is performed by someone or a group of people for the benefit of the public or its institutions....
and was given a restraining order
Restraining order
A restraining order or order of protection is a form of legal injunction that requires a party to do, or to refrain from doing, certain acts. A party that refuses to comply with an order faces criminal or civil penalties and may have to pay damages or accept sanctions...
which required him to stay away from Rihanna. Professional dancer Cheryl Burke
Cheryl Burke
Cheryl Stephanie Burke is a professional dancer. She is best known for being one of the professional dancers on ABC's Dancing with the Stars, where she was the first woman to win the show and the first person to win twice ....
told Extra
Extra (TV series)
Extra is an American entertainment television news program covering events and celebrities which debuted on September 5, 1994 in syndication. It is produced at Victory Studios in Glendale, California by Telepictures Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television Distribution...
, "As a victim of domestic violence, I don't agree with him coming on the show, but it's out of my control", while host Tom Bergeron
Tom Bergeron
Tom Bergeron is an American television personality and game show host, best known as the host of the ABC reality series Dancing with the Stars and host of America's Funniest Home Videos . He was also host of Hollywood Squares and a fill-in host for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire...
told the On Air with Ryan Seacrest
On Air with Ryan Seacrest (radio)
On Air with Ryan Seacrest is the name of an American syndicated radio program hosted by Ryan Seacrest. As of 2010, the daily morning radio show airs on Los Angeles top 40 station KIIS-FM and was launched at the same time as the television show with the same name, although Seacrest had hosted a...
radio show that, "I did tell the producers it may be to their advantage to not have me interview him, because my natural tendency would be to say something. So don't put me in a position where you are asking me to not say something, because I really won't do that." In April 2011, Brown embarked on his F.A.M.E. Tour in Australia, where he performed "Beautiful People" as part of the concert's setlist.
Track listing
-
- Digital download
- "Beautiful People" feat. Benny BenassiBenny BenassiMarco Benassi , better known as Benny Benassi, is a Grammy Award winning Italian disc jockey and record producer of electro house music. He is best known for his 2002 summer club hit "Satisfaction"...
(Main version) – 3:45 - "Beautiful People" feat. Benny Benassi (Club version) – 5:57
-
- Digital Remix EPExtended playAn EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
- Digital Remix EP
- "Beautiful People" (Felix Cartal Club Remix) – 4:31
- "Beautiful People" (The KnocksThe KnocksThe Knocks are an electronic music duo consisting of Ben "B-Roc" Ruttner and James "JPatt" Patterson. Their single, "Make It Better," was released on Neon Gold Records in July 2010...
Club Remix) – 4:38 - "Beautiful People" (Ultimate High Radio Remix) – 3:45
- "Beautiful People" (Lenny B Radio Mix) – 3:19
- "Beautiful People" (Cosmic Dawn Club Remix) – 6:20
- "Beautiful People" (Tonal Radio Remix) – 4:03
Credits and personnel
- Chris Brown – songwriterSongwriterA songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, lead vocals - Marco "Benny" BenassiBenny BenassiMarco Benassi , better known as Benny Benassi, is a Grammy Award winning Italian disc jockey and record producer of electro house music. He is best known for his 2002 summer club hit "Satisfaction"...
– songwriter, producerRecord 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... - Allessandro "Alle" Benassi – songwriter, producer
- Jean BaptisteJean Baptiste KouameJean Baptiste Kouame, often referred to simply as Jean Baptiste, is a songwriter and record producer.-2009:*The Black Eyed Peas - The E.N.D.**"Boom Boom Pow" *Blake Lewis - Heartbreak on Vinyl**"Left My Baby for You"-2006:...
– songwriter - Serban GheneaSerban GheneaSerban Ghenea is a four-time Grammy Award and three-time Latin Grammy Award-winning mixer. He has mixed songs for such artists as Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood, Jewel, Santana, Ozomatli, Shakira, Jill Scott, R. Kelly, Rod Stewart, and Dave Matthews Band...
– audio 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... - John Hanes – engineeringAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
- Tim Roberts – assistant engineering
Source:
Charts and certifications
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia Urban (ARIA ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... ) |
3 |
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... ) |
22 |
| 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... |
43 |
| US Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles (Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... ) |
1 |
| US Hot Dance Club Songs (Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... ) |
1 |
| US Latin Pop Songs (Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... ) |
39 |
Certifications
| Country | Provider | Certification |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | ARIA Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... |
2× Platinum |
| Denmark | IFPI | Gold |
| New Zealand | RIANZ Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
Gold |
Radio add dates
| Country | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | February 28, 2011 | Contemporary hit radio Contemporary hit radio Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts... |
Sony Music |
| United States | April 5, 2011 | Urban contemporary Urban contemporary Urban contemporary is a music radio format. The term was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s. Urban contemporary radio stations feature a playlist made up entirely of hip hop/rap, contemporary R&B, pop, electronica such as dubstep and drum and bass and Caribbean music... radio |
Jive Records Jive Records Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African... |
Release history
| Country | Date | Version | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | March 11, 2011 | Single version | 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... |
Sony Music |
| Canada | ||||
| Ireland | ||||
| New Zealand | ||||
| France | March 22, 2011 | |||
| Norway | April 8, 2011 | |||
| Belgium | April 11, 2011 | |||
| Netherlands | ||||
| United Kingdom | April 19, 2011 | Remix EP | RCA Records RCA Records RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label... |
|
| United States | Jive Records | |||
| Germany | May 27, 2011 | Single version | CD single CD single A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s... |
Sony Music |