Fighting Temptation
Encyclopedia
"Fighting Temptation" is a song recorded by American
R&B
singer Beyoncé Knowles
and American female rappers Missy Elliott
, MC Lyte
, and Free
in 2003. The song was used to promote the film The Fighting Temptations
(2003), in which Knowles stars. It was composed by the Knowles, Missy Elliott
, Lana Moorer, Marie Wright, Jonathan Burks, LaShaun Owens, Karriem Mack, and Walter Murphy
. "Fighting Temptations" was released as the lead single
from the soundtrack album
of the movie on July 5, 2003 through Columbia Records
.
An R&B-funk
song, "Fighting Temptation" samples
Uncle Louie's "I Like Funky Music" (1979). Lyrically, the song makes reference to fighting against negativity in life as well as waiting for the right person before falling in love. Music critics generally received the song with positive reception. They complimented the theme of the song, the vocals of Knowles, and the verse-rap
s. "Fighting Temptation" received attention mainly in European countries, peaking at number eleven in the Netherlands and reaching the top fifty in Belgium as well as Switzerland. The accompanying music video for the song was directed by Antti Jokinen
.
Darrin, a shallow New York advertising executive, traveled to a small town in the deep south upon receiving word that his aunt has died and left him a sizable inheritance. Once in town, Darrin is informed that he will only receive the money if he successfully leads a local gospel group to victory at an upcoming competition. Reluctant but strapped for cash, Darrin takes on the task of finding the best singers in town and shaping the group up. Along the way, he becomes acclimated to the town with the help of his cousin Lucius (played by Mike Epps
) and meets Lilly, a single mother who not only possesses an incredible voice but also the ability to warm Darrin's cold heart.
Although Gooding's character, Darrin, was in love with Knowles' character, Lilly, the latter did not always feel the same until later on in the film. Near the end of the film, he proposes to her and she accepts. They eventually get married (offscreen) and within eighteen months they had a baby son together, making Darrin a father and also stepfather to Lilly's other son.
of The Fighting Temptations
as well as in the movie. As a whole, seven tracks featured the vocals of Knowles. The latter has a starring role in the film, along with a choir made up of gospel
, R&B and hip-hop recording artists. Faith Evans, Angie Stone, Melba Moore, Rev. Shirley Caesar, The O'Jays, Montell Jordan, T-Bone, and Zane are all seen on the film and perform on the soundtrack. "Fighting Temptations" features additional vocals from American female rappers Missy Elliott
, MC Lyte
, and Free
.
, Lana Moorer, Marie Wright, Jonathan Burks, LaShaun Owens, Karriem Mack, Walter Murphy
, and Gene Pistilli. Production was handled by Elliot. "Fighting Tempation is an R&B
-funk
song with a fun vibe. The song samples Uncle Louie's 1979 song "I Like Funky Music". Heather Phares of Allmusic wrote that the song's lyrics make reference to a "celebration of ladies' night out and waiting for true love." According to Dani Boobyer of the United Kingdom-based website, The Situation, "Fighting Temptation" has "a well worn message about striving for the best and fighting against negativity." Ed Gonzalez of Slant Magazine
found that Missy notices pleasure and joy in sins that make people go to church on Sundays, but in reality, the "party people" are no different from the churchgoers, who sin in their song and music. Lastly, the song's strong female presence is only less that the song's religious arrogance.
stating, "A lot of music was written especially for the film. At first I was concerned about the timing of the soundtrack, [because] my solo album was supposed to come out way before the movie. But then the solo album got delayed." While later announcing the release of the soundtrack album in a press release, Knowles said:
"Fighting Temptations" serviced as a CD single
in Germany on July 5, 2003. It was later sent to urban
radio for airplay
in the United States on August 18, 2003.
wrote that Beyonce, MC Lyte and Free are not fighting temptations like the song's title says, but are looking for them.
in January 2004. The following week, it ascended to number thirteen, which became its peak position. "Fighting Temptations" reached a high point of number thirty-seven on its sixth week on the Belgian Singles Chart
(Flanders). It charted for a total of seven consecutive weeks until mid-April 2004. On August 29, 2004, the single debuted and peaked at number forty-two on the Swiss Singles Chart
.
and it features Knowles, Elliott, MC Lyte and Free. It was shot in an abandoned mansion nearby Los Angeles
by the end of June 2003. Performance footage was seamlessly melded with clips from the movie. On the set, Knowles expressed herself:
Knowles then sings the chorus again and dances in her red dress in front of the background. Mc Lyte and Free are seen at a backyard barbecue party as Mc Lyte's verse begins and she mingles with the party guests, with Elliot as the party DJ. Again, Knowles comes back to sing the chorus of the song, now at the barbecue party, with scenes of her dancing in a room of the mansion and scenes from the movie in which she is singing on a stage in front of a large audience with a group of people behind her. With the end of the final chorus, the song moves back to Elliot and Lyte, with the former on her rollerskates as in the beginning and the latter in front of the semi-circle of men. The video ends with the four of them sitting at a picnic table at the barbecue party as two small girls clap hands on the opposite bench.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
singer Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
and American female rappers 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...
, MC Lyte
MC Lyte
MC Lyte is an American rapper who first gained fame in the late-1980s becoming the first solo female rapper to release a full album with 1988's critically acclaimed Lyte as a Rock.-Early life:...
, and Free
Free (rapper)
Antoinette Marie Wright, better known by her stage name, "Free" , is an American media personality, television producer and philanthropist. She rose to fame as the first host of BET's 106 & Park...
in 2003. The song was used to promote the film The Fighting Temptations
The Fighting Temptations
The Fighting Temptations is a 2003 American musical dramedy film produced by Paramount Pictures and MTV Films. It stars Cuba Gooding, Jr. as the film's protagonist as he attempts to revive a church choir in order to enter a gospel competition with the help of a beautiful lounge singer with whom he...
(2003), in which Knowles stars. It was composed by the Knowles, 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...
, Lana Moorer, Marie Wright, Jonathan Burks, LaShaun Owens, Karriem Mack, and Walter Murphy
Walter Murphy
Walter Anthony Murphy, Jr. is an American instrumentalist, songwriter, and arranger. He rose to fame with the hit instrumental "A Fifth of Beethoven", a disco adaptation of passages from the first movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, in 1976, when disco was at the height of its...
. "Fighting Temptations" was released 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 the soundtrack album
Soundtrack album
A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television program. In some cases, not all the tracks from the movie are included in the album; however there are rare cases of songs in the trailers that do not appear in...
of the movie on July 5, 2003 through Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
.
An R&B-funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
song, "Fighting Temptation" samples
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...
Uncle Louie's "I Like Funky Music" (1979). Lyrically, the song makes reference to fighting against negativity in life as well as waiting for the right person before falling in love. Music critics generally received the song with positive reception. They complimented the theme of the song, the vocals of Knowles, and the verse-rap
Song structure (popular music)
The structures or musical forms of songs in popular music are typically sectional, repeating forms, such as strophic form. Other common forms include thirty-two-bar form, verse-chorus form, and the twelve bar blues...
s. "Fighting Temptation" received attention mainly in European countries, peaking at number eleven in the Netherlands and reaching the top fifty in Belgium as well as Switzerland. The accompanying music video for the song was directed by Antti Jokinen
Antti Jokinen
Antti Jokinen is a Finnish music video and film director.-Early life:Jokinen attended East Carolina University on a basketball scholarship and later graduated with a major in broadcast and film.-Music video career:...
.
Context
The song is basically about a group of women's strict "no sex" rule similar to a part of the film's plot where Lilly (played by Knowles) does not want to start a sexual relationship with her boyfriend Darrin played by (Cuba Gooding Jr.) right away. However, in the film she assures him that they might start one in the near future but in the song, the women do not specify when they will be ready.Darrin, a shallow New York advertising executive, traveled to a small town in the deep south upon receiving word that his aunt has died and left him a sizable inheritance. Once in town, Darrin is informed that he will only receive the money if he successfully leads a local gospel group to victory at an upcoming competition. Reluctant but strapped for cash, Darrin takes on the task of finding the best singers in town and shaping the group up. Along the way, he becomes acclimated to the town with the help of his cousin Lucius (played by Mike Epps
Mike Epps
Michael Elliot "Mike" Epps is an American stand-up comedian, actor, film producer, writer, singer, and rapper. He is best known for playing Day-Day Jones in Next Friday and the sequel-to-the-sequel, Friday After Next, and also starring alongside Ice Cube in All About the Benjamins...
) and meets Lilly, a single mother who not only possesses an incredible voice but also the ability to warm Darrin's cold heart.
Although Gooding's character, Darrin, was in love with Knowles' character, Lilly, the latter did not always feel the same until later on in the film. Near the end of the film, he proposes to her and she accepts. They eventually get married (offscreen) and within eighteen months they had a baby son together, making Darrin a father and also stepfather to Lilly's other son.
Conception
"Fighting Temptation" appeared on the soundtrack albumSoundtrack album
A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television program. In some cases, not all the tracks from the movie are included in the album; however there are rare cases of songs in the trailers that do not appear in...
of The Fighting Temptations
The Fighting Temptations
The Fighting Temptations is a 2003 American musical dramedy film produced by Paramount Pictures and MTV Films. It stars Cuba Gooding, Jr. as the film's protagonist as he attempts to revive a church choir in order to enter a gospel competition with the help of a beautiful lounge singer with whom he...
as well as in the movie. As a whole, seven tracks featured the vocals of Knowles. The latter has a starring role in the film, along with a choir made up of gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
, R&B and hip-hop recording artists. Faith Evans, Angie Stone, Melba Moore, Rev. Shirley Caesar, The O'Jays, Montell Jordan, T-Bone, and Zane are all seen on the film and perform on the soundtrack. "Fighting Temptations" features additional vocals from American female rappers 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...
, MC Lyte
MC Lyte
MC Lyte is an American rapper who first gained fame in the late-1980s becoming the first solo female rapper to release a full album with 1988's critically acclaimed Lyte as a Rock.-Early life:...
, and Free
Free (rapper)
Antoinette Marie Wright, better known by her stage name, "Free" , is an American media personality, television producer and philanthropist. She rose to fame as the first host of BET's 106 & Park...
.
Composition
The soundtrack single was written by Knowles, Missy ElliottMissy 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...
, Lana Moorer, Marie Wright, Jonathan Burks, LaShaun Owens, Karriem Mack, Walter Murphy
Walter Murphy
Walter Anthony Murphy, Jr. is an American instrumentalist, songwriter, and arranger. He rose to fame with the hit instrumental "A Fifth of Beethoven", a disco adaptation of passages from the first movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, in 1976, when disco was at the height of its...
, and Gene Pistilli. Production was handled by Elliot. "Fighting Tempation is an 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...
-funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
song with a fun vibe. The song samples Uncle Louie's 1979 song "I Like Funky Music". Heather Phares of Allmusic wrote that the song's lyrics make reference to a "celebration of ladies' night out and waiting for true love." According to Dani Boobyer of the United Kingdom-based website, The Situation, "Fighting Temptation" has "a well worn message about striving for the best and fighting against negativity." Ed Gonzalez of 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 :...
found that Missy notices pleasure and joy in sins that make people go to church on Sundays, but in reality, the "party people" are no different from the churchgoers, who sin in their song and music. Lastly, the song's strong female presence is only less that the song's religious arrogance.
Release
During a string of soundtrack releases, Knowles commented on the song with 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...
stating, "A lot of music was written especially for the film. At first I was concerned about the timing of the soundtrack, [because] my solo album was supposed to come out way before the movie. But then the solo album got delayed." While later announcing the release of the soundtrack album in a press release, Knowles said:
"Once you hear the song 'Fighting Temptation', and all the music in this film, you can't help but fall in love with it. You'll definitely get emotional. You might become happy or even sad, but your heart will get full. All the songs are touching and spiritual, and that's what the movie itself is like."
"Fighting Temptations" serviced as a CD single
CD single
A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s...
in Germany on July 5, 2003. It was later sent to 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...
radio for airplay
Airplay
* Airplay is the amount of time a song is played on the radio.It may also refer to:* AirPlay, an audio & video streaming technology from Apple Inc.* Airplay , Foster & Graydon music project from 1980* Citroën C1, Citroën C1 Airplay...
in the United States on August 18, 2003.
Critical reception
Heather Phares of Allmusic wrote: "[...] the seven tracks that feature Beyoncé on her own or with other collaborators are more striking: in particular, the movie's title track, a surprisingly fun and funky celebration." Dani Boobyer of The Situation (UK), commented that the soundtrack album "jumpstarts with the explosive 'Fighting Temptation' [...] setting R&B princess Beyoncé's sweet vocals against the hard sounds of Missy and MC Lyte's raps." Ed Gonzalez of Slant MagazineSlant 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 :...
wrote that Beyonce, MC Lyte and Free are not fighting temptations like the song's title says, but are looking for them.
Chart performance
"Fighting Temptation" charted in mainland Europe in early 2004. In the Netherlands it debuted at number twenty on the Dutch Top 40Dutch 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...
in January 2004. The following week, it ascended to number thirteen, which became its peak position. "Fighting Temptations" reached a high point of number thirty-seven on its sixth week on the Belgian Singles Chart
Ultratop
Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts...
(Flanders). It charted for a total of seven consecutive weeks until mid-April 2004. On August 29, 2004, the single debuted and peaked at number forty-two on the Swiss Singles Chart
Swiss Music Charts
The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75...
.
Music video
The accompanying music video for the song was directed by Antti JokinenAntti Jokinen
Antti Jokinen is a Finnish music video and film director.-Early life:Jokinen attended East Carolina University on a basketball scholarship and later graduated with a major in broadcast and film.-Music video career:...
and it features Knowles, Elliott, MC Lyte and Free. It was shot in an abandoned mansion nearby 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...
by the end of June 2003. Performance footage was seamlessly melded with clips from the movie. On the set, Knowles expressed herself:
"Basically, it's kind of like a ladies' night 'cause it's all us females and the song is about basically all these temptations you have with this guy and you're kind of fighting it. The house came from the movie because it kind of reminds me a lot of the house that we filmed in for the movie."
Synopsis
The video begins with Knowles in a red dress moving across a screen of multiple changing colors and then moves to multiple shots of Elliot rapping in a white and red jersey and matching hat, Lyte in a blue dress, and a church choir group. Next, Elliot is shown on roller skates in a white and black outfit rollerskating throughout the mansion. Shots are shown of Elliot in bed with a man and Beyoncé at a party with a guy and singing to the people there. As the song moves to Knowles singing the chorus, she is shown sitting on a bed and dancing in a room in a golden top and black shorts, while back at the party, she is singing for her lover and blowing him kisses. The song then moves to a verse by Mc Lyte and we see her dancing in the middle of a semi-circle of men wearing orange prison jumpsuits. Scenes of the movie and of Mc Lyte in front of an ever-changing background are intercut throughout this.Knowles then sings the chorus again and dances in her red dress in front of the background. Mc Lyte and Free are seen at a backyard barbecue party as Mc Lyte's verse begins and she mingles with the party guests, with Elliot as the party DJ. Again, Knowles comes back to sing the chorus of the song, now at the barbecue party, with scenes of her dancing in a room of the mansion and scenes from the movie in which she is singing on a stage in front of a large audience with a group of people behind her. With the end of the final chorus, the song moves back to Elliot and Lyte, with the former on her rollerskates as in the beginning and the latter in front of the semi-circle of men. The video ends with the four of them sitting at a picnic table at the barbecue party as two small girls clap hands on the opposite bench.
Charts
| Chart (2003) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Singles Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... (Flanders) |
37 |
| 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... |
13 |
| German Singles Chart 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... |
54 |
| Swiss Singles Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
42 |