Wet the Bed
Encyclopedia
"Wet the Bed" is a song by American R&B
recording artist Chris Brown featuring American rapper Ludacris
, from his fourth studio album F.A.M.E.
(2011). It was written by Brown, Derrick "Bigg D" Baker
, Kevin McCall
, Amber Streeter
, Andre Merritt, Joseph Bereal
and Christopher Bridges
, and produced by Bigg D. Lyrically, the song sees Brown and Ludacris exploring ways to leave a woman satisfied. "Wet the Bed" received mixed reviews from most music critics, who were ambivalent towards its lyrics. It was released as a single and has appeared on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
chart at number twenty-five. The song has been performed live at the album's listening party, as well as on Brown's F.A.M.E. Tour
.
, Kevin McCall
, Amber Streeter
, Andre Merritt, Joseph Bereal
and Christopher Bridges
, while the production was handled by Bigg D at South Beach Studios, Miami with Steven "The Kid" Kubie, Eric Manco, Ryan Coplan. It was recorded and mixed
by Brian Springer at The Record Plant—a studio in Los Angeles
, California
. "Wet the Bed" is a slow-tempo
R&B
song. The song begins with keys laced over a beat of dripping sound effects. It also makes use of acoustic guitar
. According to Brad Wete from Entertainment Weekly
, the song "rival[s] the bump-'n'-grind heights of '90s Casanova crew Jodeci
." Ludacris opens the song proclaiming: "Hear the sound of your body drip, drip, drip / As I kiss both sets of lip, lip, lips." Using "blatant sexual metaphors", Brown then sings: "I ain't afraid to drown, if that means I deep up in your ocean yeah / Girl I'll drink you down, sipping on your body all night."
called the song "salacious" and wrote that Brown is "taking it to the next phase." Joanne Dorken from MTV UK felt "rather apprehensive" of the song, and noted it "sees Breezy exploring ways to er, leave a woman satisfied." Nick Levine from BBC Music
wrote that "Brown's identity crisis is betrayed most blatantly by the sequencing of "Wet the Bed."" Hannah Ash from The Harber Herald criticized the song's lyrics for being "kind of a gross-out and really don't need to be paid attention to", but praised Brown's "beautiful vocals, so that makes up for it." Eric Henderson from Slant Magazine
criticized the song's opening verse, as well as Ludarcris' verse, "Women call me the Super Soaker and Ima soak your bed to death", as "some new form of jizz torture." Calling the song an "over-the-top hyper-sexual", Chad Grischow from IGN
wrote that its the "kind of excessively crude sludge that would have made 12 Play
era R. Kelly
blush." Cristin Maher from Pop Crush wrote that "it is almost shocking to hear the unbelievably lustful lyrics projecting from Brown as he sings the song, which also features a rap verse from Ludacris."
in Australia, where he performed "Wet the Bed" as part of the concert's setlist.
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
chart, and peaked at number nine on the issue dated October 8, 2011. "Wet the Bed" debuted at number ninety-six on the Billboard Hot 100
on the issue dated September 24, 2011.
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...
recording artist Chris Brown featuring American rapper Ludacris
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
, from his 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...
(2011). It was written by Brown, Derrick "Bigg D" Baker
Bigg D
Derrick Baker , better known as Bigg D, is an American producer from Miami, Florida.-Biography:Born in Miami, Baker grew up in Carol City, his father a professional musician, and his mother a church pianist. He learned guitar and toured with BeBe & CeCe Winans and Shirley Caesar in the 1980s...
, 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...
, Amber Streeter
RichGirl
RichGirl was an American R&B girl group consisting of four members, Audra, Brave, Lyndriette and SeVen. The group was formed with the help of record producer Rich Harrison, and is managed by Tina Davis...
, Andre Merritt, Joseph Bereal
Lonny Bereal
Joseph A. Bereal, also known by his stage name Lonny Bereal, is an American R&B singer, songwriter and producer.-Career:Bereal is the cousin of songwriter and producers Charles and Kenneth Bereal. Having started off as a drummer, Bereal got his first break as a background vocalist for John P. Kee...
and Christopher Bridges
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
, and produced by Bigg D. Lyrically, the song sees Brown and Ludacris exploring ways to leave a woman satisfied. "Wet the Bed" received mixed reviews from most music critics, who were ambivalent towards its lyrics. It was released as a single and has appeared on the US 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 at number twenty-five. The song has been performed live at the album's listening party, as well as on Brown's F.A.M.E. Tour
F.A.M.E. Tour
The F.A.M.E. Tour was a concert tour by American recording artist Chris Brown to support his fourth studio album, F.A.M.E. . The tour began in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia in April 2011, and Brown headlined 32 concerts in North America starting in September 2011.- Background :On January 19,...
.
Background and composition
"Wet the Bed" was written by Brown, Derrick "Bigg D" BakerBigg D
Derrick Baker , better known as Bigg D, is an American producer from Miami, Florida.-Biography:Born in Miami, Baker grew up in Carol City, his father a professional musician, and his mother a church pianist. He learned guitar and toured with BeBe & CeCe Winans and Shirley Caesar in the 1980s...
, 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...
, Amber Streeter
RichGirl
RichGirl was an American R&B girl group consisting of four members, Audra, Brave, Lyndriette and SeVen. The group was formed with the help of record producer Rich Harrison, and is managed by Tina Davis...
, Andre Merritt, Joseph Bereal
Lonny Bereal
Joseph A. Bereal, also known by his stage name Lonny Bereal, is an American R&B singer, songwriter and producer.-Career:Bereal is the cousin of songwriter and producers Charles and Kenneth Bereal. Having started off as a drummer, Bereal got his first break as a background vocalist for John P. Kee...
and Christopher Bridges
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
, while the production was handled by Bigg D at South Beach Studios, Miami with Steven "The Kid" Kubie, Eric Manco, Ryan Coplan. It was recorded and mixed
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...
by Brian Springer at The Record Plant—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...
. "Wet the Bed" is a slow-tempo
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:...
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...
song. The song begins with keys laced over a beat of dripping sound effects. It also makes use of acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
. According to Brad Wete 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...
, the song "rival[s] the bump-'n'-grind heights of '90s Casanova crew Jodeci
Jodeci
Jodeci is an American band, whose repertoire includes R&B, soul music, and new jack swing. The group consists of two pairs of brothers from Hampton, Virginia and Charlotte, North Carolina: Cedric & Joel Hailey and Donald & Dalvin DeGrate, all respectively known by their stage names: K-Ci & Jojo,...
." Ludacris opens the song proclaiming: "Hear the sound of your body drip, drip, drip / As I kiss both sets of lip, lip, lips." Using "blatant sexual metaphors", Brown then sings: "I ain't afraid to drown, if that means I deep up in your ocean yeah / Girl I'll drink you down, sipping on your body all night."
Reception
Steve Jones from USA TodayUSA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
called the song "salacious" and wrote that Brown is "taking it to the next phase." Joanne Dorken from MTV UK felt "rather apprehensive" of the song, and noted it "sees Breezy exploring ways to er, leave a woman satisfied." 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's identity crisis is betrayed most blatantly by the sequencing of "Wet the Bed."" Hannah Ash from The Harber Herald criticized the song's lyrics for being "kind of a gross-out and really don't need to be paid attention to", but praised Brown's "beautiful vocals, so that makes up for it." Eric Henderson from Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
criticized the song's opening verse, as well as Ludarcris' verse, "Women call me the Super Soaker and Ima soak your bed to death", as "some new form of jizz torture." Calling the song an "over-the-top hyper-sexual", Chad Grischow from IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
wrote that its the "kind of excessively crude sludge that would have made 12 Play
12 Play
-Personnel:* All songs were written and arranged by R. Kelly* Executive Producer: Barry HankersonCo-ProducerTimmy Allen-External links:* at Discogs* at 12Play.net...
era R. Kelly
R. Kelly
Robert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
blush." Cristin Maher from Pop Crush wrote that "it is almost shocking to hear the unbelievably lustful lyrics projecting from Brown as he sings the song, which also features a rap verse from Ludacris."
Live performances
Brown and Ludacris performed the song live for the first time at a listening party for Brown's album F.A.M.E on March 18, 2011. For the performance, Brown wore navy pants and a blue hoodie reading "F.A.M.E.", while Ludacris wore sunglasses, a black shirt and jacket, and grey pants. In April 2011, Brown embarked on his F.A.M.E. TourF.A.M.E. Tour
The F.A.M.E. Tour was a concert tour by American recording artist Chris Brown to support his fourth studio album, F.A.M.E. . The tour began in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia in April 2011, and Brown headlined 32 concerts in North America starting in September 2011.- Background :On January 19,...
in Australia, where he performed "Wet the Bed" as part of the concert's setlist.
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes for F.A.M.E..- David Anderson – keyboardMusical keyboardA musical keyboard is the set of adjacent depressible levers or keys on a musical instrument, particularly the piano. Keyboards typically contain keys for playing the twelve notes of the Western musical scale, with a combination of larger, longer keys and smaller, shorter keys that repeats at the...
s - Derrick "Bigg D" BakerBigg DDerrick Baker , better known as Bigg D, is an American producer from Miami, Florida.-Biography:Born in Miami, Baker grew up in Carol City, his father a professional musician, and his mother a church pianist. He learned guitar and toured with BeBe & CeCe Winans and Shirley Caesar in the 1980s...
– 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...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, 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... - Joseph BerealLonny BerealJoseph A. Bereal, also known by his stage name Lonny Bereal, is an American R&B singer, songwriter and producer.-Career:Bereal is the cousin of songwriter and producers Charles and Kenneth Bereal. Having started off as a drummer, Bereal got his first break as a background vocalist for John P. Kee...
– songwriter - Chris Brown – songwriter, lead vocals
- Iain Findlay – assistant mixer
- Steven "The Kid" Kubie – program engineering
- Eric Manco - engineer
- Ryan Coplan - assistant engineer
- LudacrisLudacrisChristopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
– songwriter, featured vocals - Kevin McCallKevin McCallKevin 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...
– songwriter - Andre Merritt – songwriter
- Brian Springer – recorder, mixerAudio 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...
- Amber StreeterRichGirlRichGirl was an American R&B girl group consisting of four members, Audra, Brave, Lyndriette and SeVen. The group was formed with the help of record producer Rich Harrison, and is managed by Tina Davis...
– songwriter
Charts
On the issue dated July 30, 2011, "Wet the Bed" debuted at number eighty-nine on the BillboardBillboard (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,...
chart, and peaked at number nine on the issue dated October 8, 2011. "Wet the Bed" debuted at number ninety-six on the 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...
on the issue dated September 24, 2011.
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| 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... |
77 |
| US 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,... |
6 |
Radio add dates
| Country | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| United States | September 13, 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 |