Talk About Our Love
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "Talk About Our Love" | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| Single by Brandy & Kanye West | ||
| from the album Afrodisiac | ||
| Released | May 25, 2004 | |
| Format | Vinyl single CD single |
|
| Recorded | 2004 | |
| Genre | R&B | |
| Length | 3:34 | |
| Label | Atlantic | |
| Writer(s) | Claude Cave II Harold Lilly Kanye West Carlos Wilson Louis Wilson Ricardo Wilson |
|
| Producer(s) | Kanye West | |
| Chart positions | ||
| Brandy & Kanye West singles chronology | ||
| "He Is" (2002) |
"Talk About Our Love" (2004) |
"Who Is She 2 U" (2004) |
| Kanye West singles chronology | ||
| "Jesus Walks" (2004) |
"Talk About Our Love" (2004) |
"Diamonds from Sierra Leone" (2005) |
"Talk About Our Love" is an R&B song written by American rapper-producer Kanye West, Harold Lilly, Claud Cave II and Carlos, Louis and Ricardo Wilson for Brandy's fourth studio album Afrodisiac (2004). The song also was produced by West and received a positive reception from music critics. Released in May 2004 as the album's lead single, the song saw moderate success when it peaked at #6 on the UK singles chart and #36 on the Billboard's U.S. Hot 100.
Contents |
[edit] Song information
In contrast to Timbaland's preponderant influence on Afrodisiac the song was written by West and assistant Harold Lilly, being one of two eleventh-hour additions to the album, commissioned by executive producer Graig Robertson after West's success in 2004. Adapting elements of West's own sound at that time, the single features strings by violinist Miri Ben-Ari, and a retro sample of Mandrill's "Gilly Hines", written by Carlos, Louis and Ricardo Wilson and Claude Cave II. Brandy described "Talk About Our Love" as being about "two people in a relationship where everybody is in and out of their business, which is something that everybody in a relationship goes through."
When "Talk About Our Love" became Afrodisiac's lead single instead of its title track, Timbaland protested the decision in several magazine interviews. The pending release of "Talk About Our Love" caused more positive comments from Brandy's advisors, who felt the song would become a success because of West's envolvement, rather than from Brandy's own fanbase.
Upon its release, however, "Talk About Our Love" underperformed. It peaked at #36 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart, and #16 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart, making it Brandy's least-successful lead single in the U.S. It became Brandy's first single to fail to reach the Top 20, since "U Don't Know Me (Like U Used To)". While the song entered the Top 10 of the UK singles chart at number 6, it failed to reach the Top 20 in Ireland and Australia. After the single's failure in summer 2004 Brandy proclaimed that "Talk About Our Love" being chosen as Afrodisiac's lead single was the decision of her manager, Benny Medina, and her label, Atlantic Records. The singer herself had favoured "Afrodisiac" to lead the album.
[edit] Critical response
"Talk About Our Love" attracted generally positive comments from professional reviewers. Andy Kellman of All Music Guide praised the song as "a career highlight for both producer and singer", calling it one of the most exceptional tracks, produced by West to date [1], while Tareck Ghoneim, writing for Contact Music, defined the song as a "well put together soul track", which is "cleverly arranged that is soulful, funky and keeps an old skool classic soul flavour" [2].
Keshawnta J. of Whudat considered "Talk About Our Love" as one of the best tracks of the Afrodisiac album, [3], while M.P. of Billboard saw indirect similarities to 1970s band Shalamar, Mary J. Blige and the sound of Alicia Keys' 2003 single "How Come You Don't Call Me", referring to West's "effortless way of bringing the musical past into the tech-savvy here and now", and adding, "Breezy and melodic, "Talk About Our Love" intertwines disco-era orchestration and electro-hued hip-hop. All the while, Brandy, sounding more sultry than ever, delivers a sublime tale of "he said, she said"." [4].
The song also attracted a few negative reviews, such as that of Jane Stevenson of JAM! Music who called the song less interesting, and Kai Kopp who noted the single "unspectecular and a stereotyped West production" [5].
[edit] Music video
The video for "Talk About Our Love" was filmed in Los Angeles between March 6 and 7, 2004 and was the third Brandy video to be directed by Dave Meyers, who had worked with her on the videos for "What About Us?" and "Another Day in Paradise" before. Beside Kanye West, who plays Brandy's love interest, Brandy's younger brother Ray-J also made a cameo. Despite already being divorced in 2004, the video's plot can be seen as a reflection on Brandy's 2002 marriage with producer Robert Smith.
The concept of the video was influenced by Brandy's personal experiences at that period, picking up the idea of nosy friends and neighbours, who keep on popping in and out of her house to find out about her affairs. The opening scene begins with Brandy entering a modern building in a white designer dress and confronting Kanye, who's standing behind the kitchen's table, with the song's first verse, when other people switch constantly in and out the room and watch what's happening. The camera follows Kanye's fleeing steps through the floor, incessantly backspacing on Brandy, who runs after him. The scene shifts into the living-room, showing Brandy in a tanktop and coat before changing into a dance sequence with two male dancers performing the second verse's content to Kanye, who's standing in front of a huge window. Afterwards they change the mic and Kanye begins performing his rhymes, when Brandy leaves the room to take stairs into the bedroom. He follows and sings to her next on the bed, when once again pop strangers in the room and Brandy and Kanye decide to escape out of the house. The video ends with both singers sitting in an oldtimer and driving down the street.
The video received its premiere on March 26, 2004 via AOL Music's First Listen program. Respectively, it peaked at #3 on TRL and #2 on 106&Park.
[edit] Formats and tracklistings
These are the formats and track listings of major single-releases of "Talk About Our Love".
[edit] US single
- "Talk About Our Love (Album Version)"
- "Turn It Up (Edited Version)"
[edit] International CD single
- "Talk About Our Love (Album Version)"
- "Talk About Our Love [One Rascal Remix Aka Albert Cabrera Mix]"
- "Like It Was Yesterday"
[edit] Official remixes/versions
- Talk About Our Love [Extended Mix]
- Talk About Our Love [One Rascal Mix]
- Talk About Our Love [Bil Hamel Club Mix]
- Talk About Our Love [E-Smoove Classic Club Mix]
- Talk About Our Love [Ford Trance Mix]
- Talk About Our Love [Alan Smithee in Blueblackness Mix]
- Talk About Our Love [TKC Club Mix]
- Talk About Our Love [Ford House Mix]
- Talk About Our Love [Bill Hamel Clubbed Up Dub Mix]
- Talk About Our Love [Thick Dick Dub]
[edit] Music charts
[edit] Worldwide
| Chart | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 28 |
| Ireland Singles Chart | 27 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 38 |
| German Singles Chart | 89 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 42 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 27 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 36 |
| UK Singles Chart | 6 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 36 |
| U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | 16 |
| U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales | 8 |
| U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay | 11 |
| U.S. Hot Dance Music/Club Play | 13 |
| U.S. Hot Dance Singles Sales | 2 |
| World Singles Official Top 100 | 28 |
| World Airplay Official Top 100 | 28 |
| World Dance/Trance Top 30 | 14 |
| World R&B Top 30 Singles | 5 |
| Kanye West |
| Albums and EPs |
|---|
| The College Dropout | Late Registration | Graduation| Freshmen Adjustment | Freshmen Adjustment 2 | Late Orchestration |
| Singles |
| Slow Jamz | Through the Wire | All Falls Down | Jesus Walks Talk About Our Love | Diamonds from Sierra Leone | Gold Digger | Heard 'Em Say | Touch the Sky |
| Related articles |
| Production Credits |
