Need U Bad
Encyclopedia
"Need U Bad" is a song performed by American recording artist Jazmine Sullivan
Jazmine Sullivan
Jazmine Marie Sullivan is an American recording artist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is also the protégé of rapper Missy Elliott. Her debut single "Need U Bad" reached number one on Billboards Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, while her second single, "Bust Your Windows" peaked at number four...

 from her debut album, Fearless
Fearless (Jazmine Sullivan album)
Fearless is the debut album of American R&B recording artist Jazmine Sullivan, released September 23, 2008, on J Records. Production for the album took place during 2007 to 2008 and was handled by several record producers, including Missy Elliott, Stargate, Carvin & Ivan, Wyclef Jean, and Salaam...

(2008). The song features rapper Missy Elliott
Missy Elliott
Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott , is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actressA five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one...

, as well as Pepa
Pepa
Pepa may refer to:*Pepa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, a village in northeastern Katanga province with a population around 4,000*Pepa Airport, an airstrip in the Democratic Republic of the Congo near Pepa village...

 speaking a Jamaican chant. "Need U Bad" is Sullivan's debut single and the lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...

 from Fearless. It was first released on May 13, 2008 in the United States by J
J Records
J Records was an American record label, owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment, and was distributed through the RCA Music Group.-Company history:...

 and Arista Records
Arista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...

. The song was co-written
Songwriter
A 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...

 by Sullivan in collaboration with Elliott, Cainon Lamb, and Taurian Osbourne. It was produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...

 by Elliott and Lamb. The song uses a sample
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...

 from Nicolas Taylor Stanton's "Higher Meditation Riddim Version", and Tapper Zukie
Tapper Zukie
Tapper Zukie is a reggae deejay and producer.-Biography:Tapper was the nickname given to him by his grandmother in his youth, while Zukie was a name that came from his friends' association as a young boy - their gang was called 'The Zukies'.In 1973 his mother, concerned with Zukie's tendency to...

's "Papa Big Shirt".

"Need U Bad" was one of two songs on Fearless where Sullivan collaborated with Elliott and Lamb. Musically, the song was inspired to be different to typical mainstream singles. Featuring prominent elements of reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...

, 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...

 and soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...

 characteristics, the track was composed
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...

 in a different style to co-relate with the title of its parent album, Fearless. Lyrically
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...

, "Need U Bad" takes reference to a situation when one develops a strong need for one's lover.

"Need U Bad" garnered a positive response from contemporary music critics. The single also achieved R&B chart success; peaking at number one on U.S. 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 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,...

, and at number thirty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100. It is Sullivan's most successful single on Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs to-date.

"Need U Bad" was accompanied by a 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...

 which was directed by Jonathan Mannion and released on July 8, 2008. The old school
Old school
In slang, old school can refer to anything that is from an earlier era. Old school refers to something that is fairly old and not very recent. Depending on the context and intent, the term can imply a high regard or respect, or be a pejorative...

-styled video features Sullivan singing and dancing with Missy Elliott and other reggae musicians in a recording studio. Sullivan performed "Need U Bad" on 106 & Park
106 & Park
106 & Park is a Top Ten Hip-Hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that airs weekdays at 6:00 PM on BET . Since its inception, it was the network's #1 rated show...

, The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, often shortened to Ellen, is an American television talk show hosted by comedian/actress Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it is produced by Telepictures and airs in syndication, including stations owned by NBC Universal. For its first five seasons, the show...

and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that initially aired from May 25, 1992 to May 29, 2009, and resumed production on March 1, 2010. The fourth incarnation of the Tonight Show franchise made its debut on May 25, 1992, three days following Johnny...

. "Need U Bad" was nominated in the 'Best Female R&B Vocal Performance' category at the 51st Grammy Awards
51st Grammy Awards
The 51st Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA on February 8, 2009. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss were the biggest winners of the night, jointly winning five awards including Album of the Year and Record of the Year...

.

Critical reception

Michael Cragg of musicOMH
MusicOMH
musicOMH is a United Kingdom-based website which publishes independent reviews, featues and interviews from across all musical genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B.-History:...

 said that "Need U Bad" saw Sullivan "tackling reggae", further saying that the track was a highlight on Fearless
Fearless (Jazmine Sullivan album)
Fearless is the debut album of American R&B recording artist Jazmine Sullivan, released September 23, 2008, on J Records. Production for the album took place during 2007 to 2008 and was handled by several record producers, including Missy Elliott, Stargate, Carvin & Ivan, Wyclef Jean, and Salaam...

and as equally convincing as fellow album highlights "Lions, Tigers & Bears
Lions, Tigers & Bears
This article is about the song. For the comic book series, see Lions, Tigers and Bears."Lions, Tigers & Bears" is the third single released from American R&B–soul singer Jazmine Sullivan's debut album Fearless. The song impacted radio on November 11, 2008, and was officially released on December...

" and "Live a Lie". "Need U Bad" was also seen as an album highlight by Mark Edward Nero of About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....

 who described the song as a "Caribbean anthem". Andy Kellman from Allmusic deemed the track as "yearning/swaggering". Simon Vozick-Levinson of 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...

reviewed the song saying it had been greeted by "a public and critical rush of adulation." Vozick-Levinson went on to say that the "great tune" and "one of the catchiest singles getting airplay at the moment" is "an uncannily Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Noelle Hill is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress.Early in her career, she established her reputation as a member of the Fugees. In 1998, she launched her solo career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album, The Miseducation of...

-y slice of reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...

fied soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...

."

Jeff Harvey of Okayplayer
Okayplayer
Okayplayer.com is an online hip-hop and alternative music website and community, described by Rolling Stone as a "tastemaker" and "an antidote to dull promotional Web sites used by most artists". The group was co-founded by The Roots' drummer Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson as a loose musical...

 reviewed "Need U Bad" in relation to its similarity to the rest of the tracks on Fearless, saying: "Fans of Sullivan's raw, reggae tinged single [...], may be a little put off by the prestine production and pop sensibilities of much of her album, and indeed, it is far from The Miseducation of Jazmine Sullivan that hungry L-boogie fans may have unfairly hoped for." Joey Guerra of the Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...

mentioned that "reggae-flavoured" "Need U Bad" is a sample of Sullivan's eclectic musical approach. While Todd Martens from the Los Angeles Times
Los 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....

felt that the song sees Sullivan comfortably veering into glossy mainstream territory, saying it slides from easy-listening R&B to a more clubby reggae beat. "Need U Bad" ranked at number eight on VIBE's 'Best Songs of '08' list. The song was nominated in the 'Best Female R&B Vocal Performance' category at the 51st Grammy Awards
51st Grammy Awards
The 51st Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA on February 8, 2009. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss were the biggest winners of the night, jointly winning five awards including Album of the Year and Record of the Year...

, losing out to Alicia Keys
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...

' "Superwoman
Superwoman (Alicia Keys song)
"Superwoman" is a song by American R&B-soul singer–songwriter Alicia Keys from her third studio album, As I Am . Written by Keys, Linda Perry, and Steve Mostyn, the track was released as the fourth and final single from the album...

".

Chart performance

In the United States, "Need U Bad" debuted at number seventy-three on the Billboard Hot 100 on August 2, 2008. The single went on to peak at number thirty-seven and spend thirteen weeks on the chart, inevitably becoming her second most successful single on the Hot 100 behind "Bust Your Windows
Bust Your Windows
"Bust Your Windows" is the second single by R&B singer-songwriter Jazmine Sullivan from her debut Grammy-nominated album Fearless. It was available as a digital download on Amazon.com in the U.S. on the September 16, 2008...

". The single is Sullivan's sole number one hit to-date, spending four weeks atop of the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart, and spending a total of thirty-four weeks on the chart altogether. "Need U Bad" is also Sullivan's only single to chart on the Pop 100
Pop 100
The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009...

 where it peaked at number eighty-three.

Music video

"Need U Bad" was accompanied by a music video directed by American photographer, Jonathan Mannion. Mannion's previous music video work includes The Game's "It's Okay (One Blood)
It's Okay (One Blood)
"It's Okay " is a song by American rapper and West Coast hip hop artist The Game featuring vocals from reggae singer Junior Reid, from his second studio album Doctor's Advocate. Released as the album's lead single on July 24, 2006, the song was written by The Game himself and Junior Reid, and it...

" (2006), and J. Holiday
J. Holiday
Nahum Grymes better known by his stage name J. Holiday, is an American R&B singer-songwriter. He came into prominence in 2007 with his breakthrough hit "Bed" peaking at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.-Discography:...

's "Bed
Bed (song)
"Bed" is a song by American R&B singer J. Holiday. It is the second single released from his debut album Back of My Lac. The song was produced by Los Da Mystro and written by The-Dream....

" (2007). The video was shot on June 16, 2008, and later released on July 7, 2008. It features a cameo appearance from Missy Elliott. The video topped BET
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...

's 106 & Park
106 & Park
106 & Park is a Top Ten Hip-Hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that airs weekdays at 6:00 PM on BET . Since its inception, it was the network's #1 rated show...

video countdown show and reached number two on AOL Music
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...

. It also ranked at number fourteen on BET's 'Notarized 2008' Top 100 video countdown.

Urban Review stated that they were really liking the music video. They felt that it adds well to the slightly 'Old School' vibe that the song already has. The blog further noted: "It obviously has broken the bank, but it's not particularly necessary when the song speaks for itself."

Track listings

U.S CD Single
  1. "Need U Bad" (Radio Edit) – 4:00
  2. "Need U Bad" (No Patois Version) – 3:45
  3. "Need U Bad" (Instrumental) – 4:28
  4. "Need U Bad" (Call Out Hook) – 0:17


U.S. Digital Download / 7"
  1. "Need U Bad" (Album Version) – 4:17


U.S. 12"
  1. "Need U Bad" (Main Mix) – 4:12
  2. "Need U Bad" (Instrumental Version) – 4:19


UK 7"
  1. "Need U Bad" (Main Mix) – 4:12
  2. "Need U Bad" (Moody Boyz Remix) – 4:50

Remix

The official remix features rapper T.I.
T.I.
Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr. , better known by his stage name T.I., is an American rap artist, film and music producer, actor and author. He is also the founder and co-chief executive officer of Grand Hustle Records....

, additional vocals by Missy Elliott, and a new verse by Sullivan, the remix is exclusively on the website Rhapsody
Rhapsody (online music service)
Rhapsody is an online music store subscription service, launched in December 2001, and available in the United States only. On April 6, 2010, Rhapsody officially declared its independence from RealNetworks. Downloaded files come with restrictions on their use, enforced by Helix, Rhapsody's version...

 as a digital download and as a bonus track on the international edition of the album.

Credits and personnel

  • Songwriting
    Songwriter
    A 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...

     – Jazmine Sullivan
    Jazmine Sullivan
    Jazmine Marie Sullivan is an American recording artist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is also the protégé of rapper Missy Elliott. Her debut single "Need U Bad" reached number one on Billboards Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, while her second single, "Bust Your Windows" peaked at number four...

    , Missy Elliott
    Missy Elliott
    Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott , is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actressA five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one...

    , Cainon Lamb, Taurian Osbourne, Nicholas Stanton, Tapper Zukie
    Tapper Zukie
    Tapper Zukie is a reggae deejay and producer.-Biography:Tapper was the nickname given to him by his grandmother in his youth, while Zukie was a name that came from his friends' association as a young boy - their gang was called 'The Zukies'.In 1973 his mother, concerned with Zukie's tendency to...

  • Production
    Record producer
    A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...

     – Missy Elliott, Cainon Lamb
  • Recording and engineering
    Sound recording and reproduction
    Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...

     – Missy Elliott, Paul J. Falcone
  • Background vocals – Pepa
    Pepa
    Pepa may refer to:*Pepa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, a village in northeastern Katanga province with a population around 4,000*Pepa Airport, an airstrip in the Democratic Republic of the Congo near Pepa village...

  • Mixing
    Audio 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...

     – Manny Marroquin
    Manny Marroquin
    Manny Marroquin, born 21 September 1971 in Guatemala, is a Grammy winning mixing engineer. His family moved to Los Angeles when he was nine due to the Guatemalan Civil War....

    , Christian Plata


Source:

Charts

Chart (2008) Peak
position
US Pop 100
Pop 100
The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009...

 (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...

)
83

Radio adds

Country Date Format
United States May 25, 2008 Urban
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...

July 6, 2008 Rhythmic
Rhythmic Contemporary
Rhythmic contemporary, also known as rhythmic top 40, rhythmic contemporary hit radio or rhythmic crossover, is a music radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip-hop and R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary rarely uses rock music or country music in its airplay, but it may...

August 17, 2008 Urban AC
Urban Adult Contemporary
Urban adult contemporary is the name for a format of radio music, similar to an urban contemporary format. Radio stations using this format usually would not have rap music on their playlists. The format was designed by Barry Mayo when he, Lee S. Simonson and Bill Pearson organized Broadcast...


Release history

Country Date Format
United States May 13, 2008 CD single
May 20, 2008 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...

May 27, 2008 7"
June 2, 2008 12"
12-inch single
The 12-inch single is a type of gramophone record that has wider groove spacing compared to other types of records. This allows for louder levels to be cut on the disc by the cutting engineer, which in turn gives a wider dynamic range, and thus better sound quality...

United Kingdom September 15, 2008 7"
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