Bottoms Up (song)
Encyclopedia
"Bottoms Up" is a song by American recording artist Trey Songz. It is produced by Kane Beatz, and features Trinidadian recording artist Nicki Minaj
. The song serves as the lead single
from his fourth studio album, Passion, Pain & Pleasure
. As of August 7, 2011, the song has sold 2,889,000 copies.
.
In the webcast, Songz explained how the collaboration came together, stating:
Songz then addressed Minaj directly, stating, "I fell in love with you. When I heard the verse, I was like, 'Oh my shit, I love her. She killed it.'" Minaj also stated that she had been asked several times when she would do a song with Trey Songz, and said when Songz contacted her she said she thought "This is our time". When directing to Songz and also speaking to fans on her verse, the tribute to the late Anna Nicole Smith
, and appearing as her alter-ego Roman Zolanski, she said:
, and biblical characters Mary
, Mary
, Joseph
. Like his previous song, "Say Aah
", according to Chris Ryan of MTV Buzzworthy
, "is about the joys of enjoying a frosty beverage at the nightclub of your choosing." Ryan also said the song had an R. Kelly vibe to it. Ryan also gave the song a positive review, stating, "Trey Songz, sex inventor. Nicki Minaj, Harajuku Barbie. A duet between the two. It's getting hot in herre." WERQ-FM
gave the song a positive review, commending Minaj's cameo. BET Sound Off
said, "two of the hottest things in the industry have teamed up for what might be a contender for the hottest joint of the 2010 Summer", commenting, "THIS ish right here is the perfect anthem for happy hour, the end of a hard day at work or even a stressful situation. Maybe it's the pounding kicks that keep my head nodding. Or, maybe its the infectious hook 'Bottoms Up, Bottoms Up.'" Andy Kellman of Allmusic called it "shamelessly mindless". Mariel Concepcion of Billboard
gave the song a positive review, praising Minaj's role, stating, Songz' part "fades in to the background" and that "Minaj steals the spotlight with a layered, almost cartoonish 16-bar verse that injects the track with much-needed liveliness and creativity", showing "more personality in 45 seconds than most rappers do in an entire song, balancing an aggressive attitude with her gentler side." The Washington Post
s Sean Fennessey described the song as "gleeful, kinetic" and viewed that Songz is outperformed by Minaj, writing "[she] supplies a brilliant extended cameo on the song, and as she has on nearly all of her guest appearances this year, changes tempo, tone and persona in thrilling flashes".
filmed the video on July 31, 2010. A sneak peek to the music video was released August 16. The video provides dark, carnival-esque visuals to this club record.
Trey commented on the music video in an interview with MTV
stating, “‘Bottoms Up,’ I feel, is a very creative video. [It's] different from the norm, different than what I feel is expected of me and anything I’ve shot for that matter. It’s as if I’m walking through some kind of funhouse, filled with women and different seductive things. The music video premiers August 17, 2010 on 106 & Park while Songz hosts the show with Rocsi.”
The video premiered on BET
's 106 & Park
August 17, 2010. The video features Trey Songz walking around and performing in front of girls who are behind glass walls dancing erotically. Throughout the video Trey sits on chairs and holds bottles of alcohol. Right before Nicki's verse, Trey is seen in a club with the girls that were behind the glass. Nicki performs her verse as her alter-ego Roman, in a corner of a room and as one of the girls behind the glass windows with belts. The entire verse is shown in a spastic movement until the end of her verse were she grabs her breasts and yells at the camera. By the end of the video Trey is shirtless and Nicki flirts promiscuously towards the camera. The video ends with Nicki/Roman blowing a kiss at Trey.
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj , better known by her stage name Nicki Minaj; ), is a Trinidadian-born American recording artist...
. The song serves as 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 his fourth studio album, Passion, Pain & Pleasure
Passion, Pain & Pleasure
Passion, Pain & Pleasure received positive reviews from most music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 71, based on five reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews"...
. As of August 7, 2011, the song has sold 2,889,000 copies.
Background
The song was intentionally leaked on July 13, 2010, and to celebrate the release of the song, Songz discussed the song with Minaj on UstreamUstream
Ustream is a website which consists of a network of diverse channels providing a platform for lifecasting and live video streaming of events online. Established in March 2007, the site has over 2,000,000 registered users who generate 1,500,000+ hours of live streamed content per month with over ten...
.
In the webcast, Songz explained how the collaboration came together, stating:
"I'm in L.A. for BET AwardsBET AwardsThe BET Awards were established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate African Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. The awards are presented annually and broadcast live on BET...
weekend, I'm working on a couple records, and I do this song called 'Red Lipstick,' and then I do 'Bottoms Up' the next day. I hit Nicki and I'm like, 'Man, I've got these two incredible records, I think one of them is gonna be my first single, and I need you to do it. Can you come this weekend? Can you come down?' I stayed a couple extra days and she came through. Two, three days later I got a verse back that was just stupid."
Songz then addressed Minaj directly, stating, "I fell in love with you. When I heard the verse, I was like, 'Oh my shit, I love her. She killed it.'" Minaj also stated that she had been asked several times when she would do a song with Trey Songz, and said when Songz contacted her she said she thought "This is our time". When directing to Songz and also speaking to fans on her verse, the tribute to the late Anna Nicole Smith
Anna Nicole Smith
In 1992 Smith was chosen by Hugh Hefner to appear on the cover of the March issue of Playboy, where she was listed as Vickie Smith, wearing a low-cut evening gown. The centerfold was photographed by Stephen Wayda. Smith said she planned to be "the next Marilyn Monroe". Becoming one of Playboys...
, and appearing as her alter-ego Roman Zolanski, she said:
"I kept on hitting you like, 'I'mma have it done today.' I think I did live with it for, like, three days because I was changing it up, I couldn't get it. But then, all of a sudden, something just hit me. I was gonna take that part out [the Anna Nicole Smith part] because I was like, 'Trey is gonna think I'm crazy.' Roman is very spastic. Roman is crazy and Roman is weird and Roman doesn't care. ... The person on DJ KhaledDJ KhaledKhaled bin Abdul Khaled , better known by his stage name DJ Khaled, is an American record producer, radio personality, DJ, and record label executive. He is a radio host for the Miami-based urban music radio station WEDR and the DJ for the hip hop group Terror Squad. In 2006, Khaled released his...
's 'All I Do Is WinAll I Do Is Win"All I Do Is Win" is the second official single from DJ Khaled’s fourth studio album Victory. The track features artists T-Pain, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg and Rick Ross. It was released on February 8, 2010, along with "Put Your Hands Up". The single was certified Double Platinum by the RIAA. It is the...
' remix, that's Nicki, and the person on 'Bottoms Up,' that's Roman."
Composition and critical reception
"Bottoms Up" features a "bass-thumping" beat. Nicki Minaj appears in the song as her alter-ego, Roman Zolanski and delivering her lines in cartoonish voices and inimitable baby-talk, distorting her voice in parts to sound tipsy. Minaj also sings breathily and references the late Anna Nicole SmithAnna Nicole Smith
In 1992 Smith was chosen by Hugh Hefner to appear on the cover of the March issue of Playboy, where she was listed as Vickie Smith, wearing a low-cut evening gown. The centerfold was photographed by Stephen Wayda. Smith said she planned to be "the next Marilyn Monroe". Becoming one of Playboys...
, and biblical characters Mary
Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, and the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons", conventionally interpreted as referring to complex illnesses...
, Mary
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
, Joseph
Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph is a figure in the Gospels, the husband of the Virgin Mary and the earthly father of Jesus Christ ....
. Like his previous song, "Say Aah
Say Aah
"Say Aah" is a song by American recording artist Trey Songz featuring American rapper Fabolous. The track was written by the two along with Nate Walka, Ronald M. Ferebee, Jr., Tony Scales, and Don Correll, with the latter producing it with Troy Taylor...
", according to Chris Ryan of MTV Buzzworthy
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...
, "is about the joys of enjoying a frosty beverage at the nightclub of your choosing." Ryan also said the song had an R. Kelly vibe to it. Ryan also gave the song a positive review, stating, "Trey Songz, sex inventor. Nicki Minaj, Harajuku Barbie. A duet between the two. It's getting hot in herre." WERQ-FM
WERQ-FM
WERQ-FM is a commercial radio station located in Baltimore, Maryland. It features an Urban music format and is known by its listeners as, 92Q. It is operated by Radio One of Lanham, Maryland, which operates 53 radio stations in 16 metropolitan areas in the United States and is the largest...
gave the song a positive review, commending Minaj's cameo. BET Sound Off
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...
said, "two of the hottest things in the industry have teamed up for what might be a contender for the hottest joint of the 2010 Summer", commenting, "THIS ish right here is the perfect anthem for happy hour, the end of a hard day at work or even a stressful situation. Maybe it's the pounding kicks that keep my head nodding. Or, maybe its the infectious hook 'Bottoms Up, Bottoms Up.'" Andy Kellman of Allmusic called it "shamelessly mindless". Mariel Concepcion of 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...
gave the song a positive review, praising Minaj's role, stating, Songz' part "fades in to the background" and that "Minaj steals the spotlight with a layered, almost cartoonish 16-bar verse that injects the track with much-needed liveliness and creativity", showing "more personality in 45 seconds than most rappers do in an entire song, balancing an aggressive attitude with her gentler side." 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...
s Sean Fennessey described the song as "gleeful, kinetic" and viewed that Songz is outperformed by Minaj, writing "[she] supplies a brilliant extended cameo on the song, and as she has on nearly all of her guest appearances this year, changes tempo, tone and persona in thrilling flashes".
Music video
Anthony MandlerAnthony Mandler
Anthony Mandler is a commercial and music video director, who has written and directed music videos for several artists. His most notable and frequent collaborator is Rihanna...
filmed the video on July 31, 2010. A sneak peek to the music video was released August 16. The video provides dark, carnival-esque visuals to this club record.
Trey commented on the music video in an interview with 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....
stating, “‘Bottoms Up,’ I feel, is a very creative video. [It's] different from the norm, different than what I feel is expected of me and anything I’ve shot for that matter. It’s as if I’m walking through some kind of funhouse, filled with women and different seductive things. The music video premiers August 17, 2010 on 106 & Park while Songz hosts the show with Rocsi.”
The video premiered on BET
Bet
Bet or BET may refer to:* A wager in gambling* Basic Economics Test * Bet , the second letter in many Semitic alphabets, including Aramaic, Hebrew, Phoenician and Syriac* Brunauer-Emmett-Teller isotherm. See BET_theory...
'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...
August 17, 2010. The video features Trey Songz walking around and performing in front of girls who are behind glass walls dancing erotically. Throughout the video Trey sits on chairs and holds bottles of alcohol. Right before Nicki's verse, Trey is seen in a club with the girls that were behind the glass. Nicki performs her verse as her alter-ego Roman, in a corner of a room and as one of the girls behind the glass windows with belts. The entire verse is shown in a spastic movement until the end of her verse were she grabs her breasts and yells at the camera. By the end of the video Trey is shirtless and Nicki flirts promiscuously towards the camera. The video ends with Nicki/Roman blowing a kiss at Trey.
Charts
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA 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... |
74 |
| German Black Chart | 5 |
| 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... |
34 |
| US Pop Songs Mainstream Top 40 (Pop Songs) The Mainstream Top 40 is an airplay chart from Billboard magazine, and is also known as Pop Songs on billboard.com. It was often mistaken for and confused with the now discontinued Pop 100 Airplay chart... |
11 |
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles (The Official Charts Company 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 ... ) |
71 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2010) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. 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... |
52 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| United States | July 27, 2010 | 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... airplay |
| August 10, 2010 | 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... |
|
| United Kingdom | April 3, 2011 | CD single, digital download |