Girlfriend (Alicia Keys song)
Encyclopedia
"Girlfriend" is a song by American singer–songwriter Alicia Keys
. It was written by Keys, Jermaine Dupri
, and Joshua Thompson and produced by Dupri for her debut album, Songs in A Minor
(2001).
The track released as the album's fourth and final single
outside the United States, where it charted at number eighty-two on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
chart due to moderate airplay. Although "Girlfriend" managed to outpeak previous single "How Come You Don't Call Me
" in the United Kingdom and Australia, it failed to make impact elsewhere.
The song's KrucialKeys Sista Girl Mix, which appears on the re-release Songs in A Minor: Remixed & Unplugged, is used in the video
, directed by Patrick Hoelck, and was serviced to radio instead of its album version.
The song contains an interpolation
from Ol' Dirty Bastard
's 1995 song "Brooklyn Zoo
".
, United Kingdom
, the video uses the Krucialkeys Sista Girl Mix. The video starts in Keys' bedroom where her boyfriend is talking to the his close female friend on the phone. She gets frustrated so she leaves the house to take a long walk through the city. While walking, she sees her boyfriend also on a walk with his female friend across the street. Keys then walks into a clothing store, performing in the fitting room. Strolling through clothing aisles, she spots a pair of red leather pants—at the same time the female friend had seen them. Keys yanks the hanger into her own hands. After the second verse is performed, the video shifts to a large, empty basement where she plays a musical piece on the piano
. The video then goes back to the store, where Keys leaves out of to perform choreography with three other dancers at the corner of a street. Shortly after, she returns home to discover that her boyfriend and his female friend had been planning a surprise party for her all along.
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
. It was written by Keys, Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri Mauldin , known as Jermaine Dupri or JD, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper.- Early life and career :...
, and Joshua Thompson and produced by Dupri for her debut album, Songs in A Minor
Songs in A Minor
Songs in A Minor is the debut studio album by American recording artist Alicia Keys. It was released in the United States on June 5, 2001 by J Records. After graduating from high school, Keys signed with Columbia Records to begin her music career. She recorded an album in 1998 under the label,...
(2001).
The track released as the album's fourth and final single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
outside the United States, where it charted at number eighty-two on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart due to moderate airplay. Although "Girlfriend" managed to outpeak previous single "How Come You Don't Call Me
How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?
"How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?" is a song by Prince. It is a ballad of romantic longing with some gospel elements. On his original recording of the song, which was released as the non-album B-side to his 1982 single "1999", Prince performs most of the song in his falsetto range, with his own...
" in the United Kingdom and Australia, it failed to make impact elsewhere.
The song's KrucialKeys Sista Girl Mix, which appears on the re-release Songs in A Minor: Remixed & Unplugged, is used in the 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...
, directed by Patrick Hoelck, and was serviced to radio instead of its album version.
Song information
In "Girlfriend", Keys cannot help but think that her boyfriend is having a relationship with his close female friend. She says she knows that the woman is only a friend of him, but she cannot stop thinking that her boyfriend may leave her. Keys then proceeds to say that she thinks she jealous of his "girlfriend".The song contains an interpolation
Interpolation (music)
Interpolation in music refers to an abrupt change in musical elements from the main theme.-In classical music:In music and musical composition, especially 20th century and later, interpolation is an abrupt change of elements, with continuation of the first idea...
from Ol' Dirty Bastard
Ol' Dirty Bastard
Russell Tyrone Jones was an American rapper and occasional producer, who went by the stage name Ol' Dirty Bastard or simply ODB...
's 1995 song "Brooklyn Zoo
Brooklyn Zoo
"Brooklyn Zoo" is the debut single of the American Hip-hop artist, Ol' Dirty Bastard from the album, Return to the 36 Chambers. After the Wu-Tang Clan started releasing solo efforts, Ol' Dirty Bastard was second behind Method Man to release a solo album with Return to the 36 Chambers...
".
Music video
The video for "Girlfriend" was directed by Patrick Hoelck and shot on location in East LondonEast London
East London is a city on the southeast coast of South Africa, situated at 32.97°S and 27.87°E in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality of the Eastern Cape province. The city lies on the Indian Ocean coast, largely between the Buffalo River and the Nahoon River, and is the country's only river...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, the video uses the Krucialkeys Sista Girl Mix. The video starts in Keys' bedroom where her boyfriend is talking to the his close female friend on the phone. She gets frustrated so she leaves the house to take a long walk through the city. While walking, she sees her boyfriend also on a walk with his female friend across the street. Keys then walks into a clothing store, performing in the fitting room. Strolling through clothing aisles, she spots a pair of red leather pants—at the same time the female friend had seen them. Keys yanks the hanger into her own hands. After the second verse is performed, the video shifts to a large, empty basement where she plays a musical piece on the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
. The video then goes back to the store, where Keys leaves out of to perform choreography with three other dancers at the corner of a street. Shortly after, she returns home to discover that her boyfriend and his female friend had been planning a surprise party for her all along.
Track listing
-
- Maxi Single
- "Girlfriend" (Krucial Keys Sista Girl Mix) — 3:29
- "Girlfriend" (Brat Pac Remix) — 3:43
- "Girlfriend" (Original Album Version) — 3:38
- "Fallin'" (Ali Version) — 4:26
-
- CD Single
- "Girlfriend" (Krucial Keys Sista Girl Mix) — 3:27
- "Girlfriend" (Brat Pac Remix) — 3:54
- "Troubles" (Jay-J & Chris Lum Bootleg Mix) — 4:24
-
- 12" Promo
- A1 "Girlfriend" (Club Mix) — 3:30
- A2 "Girlfriend" (Instrumental) — 3:30
- B1 "Girlfriend" (Acappella) — 3:30
- B2 "Fallin'" — 3:16
-
- 12" Promo
- A "Girlfriend" (Krucial Keys Sista Girl Extended Mix) — 5:02
- B1 "Girlfriend" (Brat Pac Remix) — 3:54
- B2 "Girlfriend" (Album Version) — 3:34
Charts
| Chart (2001) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
82 |
| Chart (2002) | Peak position |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... Flanders) |
17 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 40 Ultratop 40 Ultratop 40 singles, often just Ultratop 40, is the weekly chart of best-selling singles in Wallonia and Brussels Capital Region, the french-speaking parts of Belgium. Its equivalent covering the Flanders region is Ultratop 50. Both charts are produced and published by the Ultratop organization... Wallonia) |
12 |
| Germany (Media Control Charts Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... ) |
100 |
| U.K (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 ... ) |
24 |
| Chart (2003) | Peak position |
| Australia (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... ) |
13 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... ) |
18 |
Personnel
- Alicia Keys – 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...
, arrangerArrangementThe American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
, vocal arranger, lead vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal... - Jermaine DupriJermaine DupriJermaine Dupri Mauldin , known as Jermaine Dupri or JD, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper.- Early life and career :...
– producer - Bryan-Michael Cox – keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
- Phil Tan – 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...