Look at Me Now (Chris Brown song)
Encyclopedia
"Look at Me Now" is a "dirty south-inspired" hip hop
song that features American rappers Lil Wayne
and Busta Rhymes
. According to Chad Grischow from IGN
, the song features "thumping bass, spacy synth and horn jam sounds." Electronic
background mixes are also present in the song. Over a beat that evokes Cali Swag District
's 2010 single "Teach Me How to Dougie
", "Brown sings that he's still riding high (in a yellow Lamborghini, to boot) before venturing off into a typically tasteless discussion of his manhood", according to staff members from Idolator
. Jon Caramanica from The New York Times
also wrote that on the song, Brown "double-time-raps about stealing girlfriends." Akshay Bhansali from MTV News
wrote that "Look at Me Now" features "a fast-rapping flurry of awesome self-indulgence courtesy of Busta Rhymes, Lil Wayne and Chris, with an eerie downtempo beat cooked up by chefs Afrojack and Diplo." Afrojack told MTV News that the song was the product of a beat he passed to Diplo. "Yeah, Diplo called me... He was like, 'We are in the studio right now, and we are gonna do a track on the beat.' And I was like, 'OK, whatever. Have fun."
gave the song a positive review, praising Diplo and Afrojack's "fabulous, insidiously catchy production" and wrote that the song was the highlight on F.A.M.E.
. Hannah Ash of The Harber Herald called "Look at Me Now" her "favourite track" on the album and wrote, "This song has boss bass mixed with astounding skill in electronic background mixes and demonstrates fantastic raps from all the artists involved."
Tom Howard from Yahoo! Music
wrote that the song was "the album's standout track... which benefits from some truly excellent bleepy production and a vocal savagery lacking anywhere else." Joanne Dorken from MTV UK called it an "uptempo dance-floor filler", also writing that it was one of the standout tracks on the album "with its unforgettable beats." Sean Fennessey from The Washington Post
called the track a "space-age sonic bender" and wrote that its "the most prominent of Brown's surprisingly deft, if extraneous, attempts at rap."
Ed Easton Jr. from radio station WXRK called the song a "cocky and hip hop based song" and commented that Brown's ability to rap
on "Look at Me Now" was not close to Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes' level. Eric Henderson from Slant Magazine
could not imagine why Brown would want to share the song with Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes, stating "One alone would've been enough to point up just how little personality he exudes on his own tracks, but putting both on 'Look at Me Now' ironically renders him invisible." Bri LaPelusa from UR Chicago
called the song "the most gangsta" track on F.A.M.E., and wrote "the abruptly homophobic/misogynistic lyrics and elementary rhyming from Busta Rhymes and Lil Wayne dampen the song's appeal." Chad Grischow from IGN
wrote, "Brown tries his hand at rapping on the out-of-place 'Look at Me Now', and is left in the dust by Lil Wayne and, suddenly resurgent, Busta Rhymes." Staff members from Idolator
criticized Brown for trying to sound like a second-class Soulja Boy Tell 'Em
and praised Busta Rhymes' "razor sharp verse" as the song's highlight.
"Look at Me Now" won the awards for Best Collaboration
and Viewer's Choice
at the 2011 BET Awards
. At the 2011 Soul Train Music Awards
, it was nominated for 'Best Hip-Hop Song of the Year'. "Look at Me Now" is currently nominated for Best Rap Performance
and Best Rap Song
at the 54th Grammy Awards
.
chart on the issue dated January 29, 2011. After spending nine weeks on the chart, the song peaked at number one on the issue dated April 2, 2011, where it remained for eight consecutive weeks. It reached number one on the Billboard
Rap Songs
chart, and became Brown's first number-one single on the chart as a lead artist. He previously topped the chart in 2006 as a featured artist on Bow Wow's "Shortie Like Mine". On the Billboard Hot 100
, "Look at Me Now" debuted at number eleven on the issue dated February 19, 2011. It later peaked at number six and became Brown's highest charting effort on the Hot 100 since "Forever
", which had peaked at number two in 2008. The song also became Busta Rhymes' seventh top-ten Hot 100 hit and Lil Wayne's thirteenth. As of November 23, 2011, "Look at Me Now" has sold 3,000,000 digital copies in the United States.
In Australia, "Look at Me Now" debuted at number seventy-five on the ARIA Singles Chart
on March 7, 2011, and peaked at number forty-six on May 9, 2011. Eventually, the song was certified Gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association
(ARIA), for selling 35,000 copies. In New Zealand, the song entered the New Zealand Singles Chart
at number thirty-nine on May 2, 2011 and peaked at number thirty-seven the following week, and spent only four weeks on the chart. In the United Kingdom, the song debuted at number fifty-seven on the UK Singles Chart
and peaked at number forty-four, and spent a total of nine weeks on the chart. "Look at Me Now" also charted on the UK R&B Chart
, where it peaked at number thirteen. In France, the song debuted at number eighty-five on the French Singles Chart
and spent three consecutive weeks on the chart.
for "Look at Me Now" was directed by American music video director Colin Tilley
and filmed in Los Angeles
, California
on February 16, 2011. Images from the shoot were released online the next day, as one of the images showed Chris Brown, Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes standing on top of an ambulance car in front of an industrial building, while another image showed the DeLorean DMC-12 sports car from the 1985 film, Back to the Future
. The video premiered online on March 9, 2011. Brown spoke about the video in an interview with MTV News
, saying,
The video begins with scenes of Brown wearing a mirrored mask inside a giant birdcage, before switching to a dance routine in a smoke-filled, graffiti-covered parking garage. In between these scenes, the video shows a Step Up
-type dance-off in the parking garage. When Brown raps his verse, he is seen standing next to Busta Rhymes, wearing horn-rimmed glasses, a red Brooklyn cap, and a white baseball jersey, which was the signature look of Mars Blackmon
from the 1986 film, She's Gotta Have It
. Rhymes then raps his verse after Brown's, standing beside him and later on the stairs in the parking garage. Wayne's verse soon follows after, with scenes of him rapping in front of the DeLorean DMC-12 sports car, and also on top of an ambulance car.
Brad Wete from Entertainment Weekly
wrote that in the video, "Busta's rapid fire flow and Weezy's frenetic verse pretty much blow Chris' off the track." He also added that what Brown "lacks lyrically he more than makes up for with his dance skills." Ed Easton Jr. from WXRK wrote that the video was "cool and fun to watch", and added that "the random array of colors displayed by Breezy and company definitely keeps you locked in as a viewer." Amanda Hensel from Pop Crush called Brown's dance moves, in the video, "game-changing", and wrote, "the video lays a solid ground for Brown's potential big comeback to the scene." Becky Bain from Idolator
criticized the video for having the same concept as many other music videos in the past. At the 2011 BET Awards
, the video won the award for Video of the Year
, and received two nominations at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards
in the categories of Best Hip-Hop Video
and Best Collaboration
. It is also nominated for 'Favorite Music Video' at the 2012 People's Choice Awards
.
, he made a guest appearance at Canadian recording artist Justin Bieber
's concert at the Acer Arena
in Sydney
on April 28, 2011, where they performed "Look at Me Now" together. For the performance, Bieber covered Busta Rhyme's verse. On June 26, 2011, Brown performed the song at the 2011 BET Awards
, where he opened his performance with his single, "She Ain't You
", while wearing a gray suit with voluminous pant legs and a cape fashioned out of a jacket. He then performed "Look at Me Now", as a group of dancers in similarly street black hoodies joined him on stage. For the performance, Brown switched his outfit to a black jumpsuit. Busta Rhymes later appeared from a brightly lit cube flanked by dancers in eerie, transparent masks illuminated by blinking lights. Wearing a black jacket with enormous, ridged sleeves, Rhymes dropped the microphone after performing his verse and walked off the stage. Brown ended the performance with "Paper, Scissors, Rock", a song from F.A.M.E.
.
singer Trey Songz
released a remix of "Look at Me Now" via Twitter
on February 4, 2011. In his version, Songz asks Brown why he didn't call him to be part of the song. A So So Def remix of the song featuring American female rapper Da Brat
was released online via Rap-Up
on April 13, 2011. In April 2011, musical duo
Karmin
uploaded a video of them performing a cover version
of "Look at Me Now" onto YouTube
. Within three days of its release, the video had been viewed over 560,000 times. In their version, member Amy Heidemann recreates verses rapped by Brown, Busta Rhymes, and Lil Wayne, while member Nick Noonan backs her up on the keyboard
. Justin Bieber performed "Look at Me Now" during his My World Tour
in Tel Aviv, Israel on April 14, 2011, where he covered Brown and Rhymes' verses.
Credits adapted from the liner notes for F.A.M.E.
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
song that features American rappers Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included...
and Busta Rhymes
Busta Rhymes
Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes...
. According to 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...
, the song features "thumping bass, spacy synth and horn jam sounds." Electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
background mixes are also present in the song. Over a beat that evokes Cali Swag District
Cali Swag District
Cali Swag District is an American hip hop group from Inglewood, California, founded by former Death Row Records artist Big Wy and Dairold Potts. The group's members are rapper-DJ C-Smoove and rappers, Yung and JayAre...
's 2010 single "Teach Me How to Dougie
Teach Me How to Dougie
"Teach Me How to Dougie" is a song recorded by American hip hop group Cali Swag District. The track was produced by Runway Star for Cali Swag District's debut studio album, The Kickback . The song was written by Chanti Glee, Charon Childs, and Corey Fowler...
", "Brown sings that he's still riding high (in a yellow Lamborghini, to boot) before venturing off into a typically tasteless discussion of his manhood", according to staff members from Idolator
Idolator (website)
Idolator is a music blog. Created by the blog network Gawker Media in August 2006, Idolator was later sold to rival blog network Buzz Media, which also owns music blog Stereogum. From the 2007 departure of original head writer Brian Raftery until November 2009, the blog's head writer was Maura...
. Jon Caramanica from The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
also wrote that on the song, Brown "double-time-raps about stealing girlfriends." Akshay Bhansali from MTV News
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...
wrote that "Look at Me Now" features "a fast-rapping flurry of awesome self-indulgence courtesy of Busta Rhymes, Lil Wayne and Chris, with an eerie downtempo beat cooked up by chefs Afrojack and Diplo." Afrojack told MTV News that the song was the product of a beat he passed to Diplo. "Yeah, Diplo called me... He was like, 'We are in the studio right now, and we are gonna do a track on the beat.' And I was like, 'OK, whatever. Have fun."
Critical reception
Jon Caramanica from The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
gave the song a positive review, praising Diplo and Afrojack's "fabulous, insidiously catchy production" and wrote that the song was the highlight on 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...
. Hannah Ash of The Harber Herald called "Look at Me Now" her "favourite track" on the album and wrote, "This song has boss bass mixed with astounding skill in electronic background mixes and demonstrates fantastic raps from all the artists involved."
Tom Howard from Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music, owned by Yahoo!, is the provider of a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming...
wrote that the song was "the album's standout track... which benefits from some truly excellent bleepy production and a vocal savagery lacking anywhere else." Joanne Dorken from MTV UK called it an "uptempo dance-floor filler", also writing that it was one of the standout tracks on the album "with its unforgettable beats." Sean Fennessey from 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...
called the track a "space-age sonic bender" and wrote that its "the most prominent of Brown's surprisingly deft, if extraneous, attempts at rap."
Ed Easton Jr. from radio station WXRK called the song a "cocky and hip hop based song" and commented that Brown's ability to rap
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
on "Look at Me Now" was not close to Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes' level. 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 :...
could not imagine why Brown would want to share the song with Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes, stating "One alone would've been enough to point up just how little personality he exudes on his own tracks, but putting both on 'Look at Me Now' ironically renders him invisible." Bri LaPelusa from UR Chicago
UR Chicago
UR Chicago is a free, independent, monthly magazine covering regional and national lifestyles and entertainment. The magazine focuses on nightlife, music, theater, art, film, dining, and fashion mainly in the Chicago area. The magazine also offers in-depth feature reporting...
called the song "the most gangsta" track on F.A.M.E., and wrote "the abruptly homophobic/misogynistic lyrics and elementary rhyming from Busta Rhymes and Lil Wayne dampen the song's appeal." 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, "Brown tries his hand at rapping on the out-of-place 'Look at Me Now', and is left in the dust by Lil Wayne and, suddenly resurgent, Busta Rhymes." Staff members from Idolator
Idolator (website)
Idolator is a music blog. Created by the blog network Gawker Media in August 2006, Idolator was later sold to rival blog network Buzz Media, which also owns music blog Stereogum. From the 2007 departure of original head writer Brian Raftery until November 2009, the blog's head writer was Maura...
criticized Brown for trying to sound like a second-class Soulja Boy Tell 'Em
Soulja Boy
DeAndre Cortez Way , better known by his stage name Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, or simply Soulja Boy, is an American rapper, record producer, actor, entrepreneur, and internet personality....
and praised Busta Rhymes' "razor sharp verse" as the song's highlight.
"Look at Me Now" won the awards for Best Collaboration
BET Award for Best Collaboration
The BET Award for Best Collaboration honors rap collaborations, R&B collaborations or Rap/Sung collaborations.The Award was first introduce in the 2003 ceremony. This category has produced many Grammy-winning/nominated collaborations. Below are a those collaboration that earned a Grammy win or...
and Viewer's Choice
BET Award for Viewer's Choice
The Viewer's Choice Award is determined by the fans. Since the 1st Annual BET Awards, no female Artist has won this category except for Rihanna. As of 2010, B2K, Chris Brown and Lil Wayne have won 2 awards each, the most any artist has won in this category....
at the 2011 BET Awards
BET Awards of 2011
The 2011 BET Awards took place at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California on June 26, 2011. The awards recognized African-Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. Actor Kevin Hart hosted the event for the first time. ...
. At the 2011 Soul Train Music Awards
Soul Train Music Awards
The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual award show which previously aired in national television syndication, and honors the best in Black music and entertainment...
, it was nominated for 'Best Hip-Hop Song of the Year'. "Look at Me Now" is currently nominated for Best Rap Performance
Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance was an honor presented to recording artists at the 31st Grammy Awards in 1989 and the 32nd Grammy Awards in 1990 and again from 2012 for quality rap performances...
and Best Rap Song
Grammy Award for Best Rap Song
The Grammy Award for Best Rap Song was first awarded in 2004. It is a songwriting award given to all who wrote the lyrics and music of the song. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works released in the previous year...
at the 54th Grammy Awards
54th Grammy Awards
The 54th Annual Grammy Awards will be held on February 12, 2012, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. It will be broadcasted on CBS. Nominations were announced on November 30, 2011 on prime-time television as part of "The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live! – Countdown to Music's Biggest Night", a...
.
Chart performance
"Look at Me Now" debuted at number sixty-two on the United States Hot R&B/Hip-Hop SongsHot 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 on the issue dated January 29, 2011. After spending nine weeks on the chart, the song peaked at number one on the issue dated April 2, 2011, where it remained for eight consecutive weeks. It reached number one on the 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...
Rap Songs
Hot Rap Songs
Rap Songs is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stations and sales in hip hop-focused or exclusive markets. From 1989 through 2001, it was based on how much the single...
chart, and became Brown's first number-one single on the chart as a lead artist. He previously topped the chart in 2006 as a featured artist on Bow Wow's "Shortie Like Mine". 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...
, "Look at Me Now" debuted at number eleven on the issue dated February 19, 2011. It later peaked at number six and became Brown's highest charting effort on the Hot 100 since "Forever
Forever (Chris Brown song)
"Forever" is a song by American R&B singer Chris Brown. It is produced by Polow da Don. It is the first single from the repackaged Exclusive: Forever Edition, and is the fifth overall single by Brown from his second studio album, Exclusive with uncredited backing vocals from Keri Hilson...
", which had peaked at number two in 2008. The song also became Busta Rhymes' seventh top-ten Hot 100 hit and Lil Wayne's thirteenth. As of November 23, 2011, "Look at Me Now" has sold 3,000,000 digital copies in the United States.
In Australia, "Look at Me Now" debuted at number seventy-five on the 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...
on March 7, 2011, and peaked at number forty-six on May 9, 2011. Eventually, the song was certified Gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
(ARIA), for selling 35,000 copies. In New Zealand, the song entered the New Zealand Singles Chart
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...
at number thirty-nine on May 2, 2011 and peaked at number thirty-seven the following week, and spent only four weeks on the chart. In the United Kingdom, the song debuted at number fifty-seven on the UK Singles Chart
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 ...
and peaked at number forty-four, and spent a total of nine weeks on the chart. "Look at Me Now" also charted on the UK R&B Chart
UK R&B Chart
The Official UK R&B Chart is a forty-position R&B/Hip-Hop chart compiled by The Official UK Charts Company. Although the chart does not receive any airplay, its compilation is viewed on BBC Radio 1's website and publications such as ChartsPlus and Music Week...
, where it peaked at number thirteen. In France, the song debuted at number eighty-five on the French Singles Chart
Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique
The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry...
and spent three consecutive weeks on the chart.
Music video
The music videoMusic 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...
for "Look at Me Now" was directed by American music video director Colin Tilley
Colin Tilley
Colin Tilley is an award winning music video director for Riveting Entertainment who has written and directed music videos for artists including Chris Brown, Justin Bieber, 50 Cent, Lil Wayne, Diddy, Usher, Melanie Fiona, Keri Hilson, Wiz Khalifa and U.K. rapper Chipmunk among others. His most...
and filmed 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...
on February 16, 2011. Images from the shoot were released online the next day, as one of the images showed Chris Brown, Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes standing on top of an ambulance car in front of an industrial building, while another image showed the DeLorean DMC-12 sports car from the 1985 film, Back to the Future
Back to the Future
Back to the Future is a 1985 American science-fiction adventure film. It was directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale, produced by Steven Spielberg, and starred Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover and Thomas F. Wilson. The film tells the story of...
. The video premiered online on March 9, 2011. Brown spoke about the video in an interview with MTV News
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...
, saying,
With the concept of "Look at Me Now" you know this video is kind of like my first rap kind of video, but I wanted to do old school; [well] not really old school, but like back in the day, when I was just growing up as a kid. [I wanted the video to have a] '90s type feel [and] big, baggy clothes. [It's] abstract, a lot of art and graffiti. I tried to blend all those components into one [and] make it fun and exciting.
The video begins with scenes of Brown wearing a mirrored mask inside a giant birdcage, before switching to a dance routine in a smoke-filled, graffiti-covered parking garage. In between these scenes, the video shows a Step Up
Step Up (film)
Step Up is a 2006 American dance/romance film directed by Anne Fletcher starring Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan.Set in Baltimore, Maryland, the film follows the tale of the disadvantaged Tyler Gage and the privileged modern dancer Nora Clark , who find themselves paired up in a showcase that...
-type dance-off in the parking garage. When Brown raps his verse, he is seen standing next to Busta Rhymes, wearing horn-rimmed glasses, a red Brooklyn cap, and a white baseball jersey, which was the signature look of Mars Blackmon
Mars Blackmon
Mars Blackmon is a fictional character in the film She's Gotta Have It , played by its writer/director, Spike Lee. In the film, he is a "Brooklyn-loving", sports-loving, die-hard New York Knicks fan. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, "Mars Blackmon" became the primary pitchman in Nike...
from the 1986 film, She's Gotta Have It
She's Gotta Have It
She's Gotta Have It is a 1986 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Spike Lee. It was also Lee's first feature-length film. The film stars Tracy Camilla Johns, Tommy Redmond Hicks and John Canada Terrell. Also appearing are cinematographer Ernest Dickerson as a Brooklyn resident and...
. Rhymes then raps his verse after Brown's, standing beside him and later on the stairs in the parking garage. Wayne's verse soon follows after, with scenes of him rapping in front of the DeLorean DMC-12 sports car, and also on top of an ambulance car.
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...
wrote that in the video, "Busta's rapid fire flow and Weezy's frenetic verse pretty much blow Chris' off the track." He also added that what Brown "lacks lyrically he more than makes up for with his dance skills." Ed Easton Jr. from WXRK wrote that the video was "cool and fun to watch", and added that "the random array of colors displayed by Breezy and company definitely keeps you locked in as a viewer." Amanda Hensel from Pop Crush called Brown's dance moves, in the video, "game-changing", and wrote, "the video lays a solid ground for Brown's potential big comeback to the scene." Becky Bain from Idolator
Idolator (website)
Idolator is a music blog. Created by the blog network Gawker Media in August 2006, Idolator was later sold to rival blog network Buzz Media, which also owns music blog Stereogum. From the 2007 departure of original head writer Brian Raftery until November 2009, the blog's head writer was Maura...
criticized the video for having the same concept as many other music videos in the past. At the 2011 BET Awards
BET Awards of 2011
The 2011 BET Awards took place at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California on June 26, 2011. The awards recognized African-Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. Actor Kevin Hart hosted the event for the first time. ...
, the video won the award for Video of the Year
BET Award for Video of the Year
The BET Award for Video of the Year is given to the most popular music video released the same or previous year of the year the awards are handed out. The award is only given to the performing artist or group in the video. The award is not handed out to the video directors and producers...
, and received two nominations at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards
2011 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2011 MTV Video Music Awards took place on August 28, at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, honoring the best music videos from the previous year. On July 20, the nominees were announced...
in the categories of Best Hip-Hop Video
MTV Video Music Award for Best Hip-Hop Video
The MTV Video Music Award for Best Hip-Hop Video was first given out at the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards. The award, according to MTV, was originally intended for hip-hop-inspired songs, not necessarily actual hip-hop music videos . This explains the recognition of non-hip-hop songs such as "Thong...
and Best Collaboration
MTV Video Music Award for Best Collaboration
The MTV Video Music Award for Best Collaboration was first introduced to the MTV Video Music Awards in 2007 under the name Most Earthshattering Collaboration, as the VMAs were revamped and a few new categories were added to the show. When MTV brought the VMAs back to their old format in 2008,...
. It is also nominated for 'Favorite Music Video' at the 2012 People's Choice Awards
People's Choice Awards
The People's Choice Awards is an American awards show recognizing the people and the work of popular culture. The show has been held annually since 1975 and is voted on by the general public. The People's Choice Awards air on CBS and are produced by Procter & Gamble and Survivor magnate Mark Burnett...
.
Live performances
During Brown's visit to Australia for 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,...
, he made a guest appearance at Canadian recording artist Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber is a Canadian pop/R&B singer, songwriter and actor. Bieber was discovered in 2008 by Scooter Braun, who came across Bieber's videos on YouTube and later became his manager...
's concert at the Acer Arena
Acer Arena
The Allphones Arena is a large entertainment and sporting complex located in Sydney, Australia. It is situated in Sydney Olympic Park, and was completed in 1999 as part of the facilities for the 2000 Summer Olympics....
in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
on April 28, 2011, where they performed "Look at Me Now" together. For the performance, Bieber covered Busta Rhyme's verse. On June 26, 2011, Brown performed the song at the 2011 BET Awards
BET Awards of 2011
The 2011 BET Awards took place at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California on June 26, 2011. The awards recognized African-Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. Actor Kevin Hart hosted the event for the first time. ...
, where he opened his performance with his single, "She Ain't You
She Ain't You
"She Ain't You" is a song by American recording artist Chris Brown. The mid-tempo R&B, pop-flavored ballad was written by Brown, Jean Baptiste, Ryan Buendia, Kevin McCall and Jason Boyd, and was produced by Free School. It was sent to urban contemporary radio in the United States on March 28, 2011,...
", while wearing a gray suit with voluminous pant legs and a cape fashioned out of a jacket. He then performed "Look at Me Now", as a group of dancers in similarly street black hoodies joined him on stage. For the performance, Brown switched his outfit to a black jumpsuit. Busta Rhymes later appeared from a brightly lit cube flanked by dancers in eerie, transparent masks illuminated by blinking lights. Wearing a black jacket with enormous, ridged sleeves, Rhymes dropped the microphone after performing his verse and walked off the stage. Brown ended the performance with "Paper, Scissors, Rock", a song from 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...
.
Remixes and cover versions
American R&BContemporary 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 Trey Songz
Trey Songz
Tremaine "Trey" Aldon Neverson , better known by his stage name Trey Songz, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. His debut album, I Gotta Make It, was released in 2005, while his second album, Trey Day, was released in 2007...
released a remix of "Look at Me Now" via Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
on February 4, 2011. In his version, Songz asks Brown why he didn't call him to be part of the song. A So So Def remix of the song featuring American female rapper Da Brat
Da Brat
Shawntae Harris , better known as Da Brat, is an American rapper and actress. Her debut album, Funkdafied, sold one million copies, making her the first female rapper to have a platinum-selling album.-Early life:...
was released online via Rap-Up
Rap-Up
Rap-Up is a magazine launched in 2001 by founder Devin Lazerine. The publication was originally a website devoted to hip hop, until Lazerine decided to pitch the possibility of a magazine to several publishers. The magazine is focused on the hip hop and R&B aspect of the music industry, and...
on April 13, 2011. In April 2011, musical duo
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
Karmin
Karmin (band)
Karmin is an American pop music duo consisting of Amy Heidemann and Nick Noonan, who are engaged. They are best known for their cover of Chris Brown's "Look At Me Now". Their original song "Take It Away" was used in promos for the 2011 NBA Finals. Heidemann and Noonan met at Berklee and released...
uploaded a video of them performing a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of "Look at Me Now" onto YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. Within three days of its release, the video had been viewed over 560,000 times. In their version, member Amy Heidemann recreates verses rapped by Brown, Busta Rhymes, and Lil Wayne, while member Nick Noonan backs her up on the keyboard
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
. Justin Bieber performed "Look at Me Now" during his My World Tour
My World Tour
The My World Tour is the debut concert tour by Canadian recording artist Justin Bieber. It is Bieber's first concert tour which supports his two-part debut album My World and My World 2.0. The tour was officially announced on March 16, 2010, a week before My World 2.0 was released...
in Tel Aviv, Israel on April 14, 2011, where he covered Brown and Rhymes' verses.
Track listing
-
- Digital download
- "Look at Me Now" (featuring Busta RhymesBusta RhymesTrevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes...
and Lil WayneLil WayneDwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included...
) – 3:43
Credits and personnel
- Chris Brown – 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...
, lead vocals - Wesley "Diplo" Pentz – songwriter, 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...
- Jean BaptisteJean Baptiste KouameJean Baptiste Kouame, often referred to simply as Jean Baptiste, is a songwriter and record producer.-2009:*The Black Eyed Peas - The E.N.D.**"Boom Boom Pow" *Blake Lewis - Heartbreak on Vinyl**"Left My Baby for You"-2006:...
– songwriter - Ryan Buendia – songwriter
- Dwayne "Lil Wayne" CarterLil WayneDwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included...
– songwriter, featured vocals - Trevor "Busta Rhymes" SmithBusta RhymesTrevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes...
– songwriter, featured vocals
- Nick "Afrojack" van de WallAfrojackNick van de Wall, born 9 September 1987, commonly known by his stage name Afrojack, is a Grammy Award winning Dutch music producer and DJ. Born and raised in Spijkenisse, Netherlands, He was listed as number 7 on DJ Mags top 100 DJs of 2011...
– songwriter, producer - Free School – co-producer
- Brian Stanley – audio mixingAudio 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...
- Mike Layos – assistant audio mixing
- Ryan Kelly – assistant audio mixing
Credits adapted from the liner notes for F.A.M.E.
Charts and certifications
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia Urban (ARIA 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... ) |
15 |
Certifications
| Country | Provider | Certification |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | ARIA Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... |
Gold |
Radio and release history
| Country | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | February 1, 2011 | 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... |
| Canada | ||
| France | ||
| Ireland | ||
| Netherlands | ||
| New Zealand | ||
| Norway | ||
| United States | ||
| United States | February 8, 2011 | Rhythmic contemporary 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... radio |