Over (Drake song)
Encyclopedia
"Over" is a song by Canadian recording artist, Drake
. The song serves as the lead single
from his debut album, Thank Me Later
. It was written by Drake with Boi-1da
, and produced by the latter and Al Khaaliq. The single was released for digital download on March 8, 2010. The song is midtempo hip-hop featuring an orchestral backdrop and lyrically about an introduction to fame. The song received positive reviews, commending the lyrics among other content.
It has peaked in the top twenty of the United States and Canada, becoming Drake's fourth consecutive top twenty hit in the U.S. It also charted within the top five on the U.S. R&B and rap charts, becoming Drake's fourth consecutive top five on those respective charts. The song has also charted in the United Kingdom and its R&B chart. The song's accompanying music video features Drake reflecting on an experience, and the struggle between his old life and the new. Several artists have made a freestyle over the track, including Eminem
, Trey Songz
, and Diggy Simmons
, among others. Drake performed the song a number of times, including at the 2010 MuchMusic Video Awards
. The track has received a nomination for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 53rd Grammy Awards
.
, "It’s gotta be a real great song. It’s gotta be something that I feel is timeless and is better than anything that I’ve ever done." Drake exclusively revealed to Rap-Up on February 15, 2010 that "Over" would be the lead single from his debut album, Thank Me Later, and would be produced by Boi-1da, producer of his previous singles "Best I Ever Had
" and "Forever
". Drake chose to premiere the song on his hometown Toronto's radio station Flow 93.5
. In an interview session with the station, Drake said, "I went with 'Over' as the first look because of the words in the hook," he said. "The hook being the most repetitive part. I got a lot of great songs on my album. I got songs for women who wanna feel special. I got songs for dudes — if you ever thought my music was too soft, this is one you will enjoy. I got a lot of variety on there, but the biggest thing was that opening line on the hook: 'I know way too many people here right now that I didn't know last year'." He went on to explain that the record sums up where he is in his career right now, and called it a "great first impression". Drake did a lot of work for the album in Jamaica
, during which he called the "calm before the storm", and called "Over" the storm. He said, "It's the moment. I wanted to emerge at first from this album and just let people know 'This is how I'm coming out in the public eye. I'm ready for anything." He then went to explain that after the album people will be like "he's still human" or "he's still thinking the same way", and said he wanted people to "understand I could have lost it. He said, "'Over' could have been my entire album. Just 'cause that's what this industry and game will do to you if you lose yourself." Drake later said that the song was a "warm-up record". He went on to say,
, the song "touches on Drake reaction to fame and stardom". Drake told MTV News, that the song was "definitely" a choice of his for releasing as a single, and that it was a song he did for himself. Brad Wete of Entertainment Weekly
called the song, "a prideful track about a guy who fought for notoriety, gained it, and now struggles with what comes with it: criticism, groupies, and the pressure of expected greatness." The song makes heavy use of an orchestral backdrop, while Drake delivers confident, aggressive raps in a paced fashion. Drake makes references to film critics Roger Ebert
& Richard Roeper
, as well as actress Jada Pinkett Smith
and her 1996 film, Set It Off
. According to Michael Craggg of MusicOMH
, the song contains three hooks. Several lines in the second verse are actually a flip of hip-hop group Dead Prez
's "Hip-Hop", from their 2000 debut, Let's Get Free
. Dead Prez's track states, "One thing about music when it hits you feel no pain/ White folks say it controls your brain/ I know better than that/ It's just game", to which Drake stated when asked about it, "I love that flow. So I took that flow and flipped it in the second verse." He also references Michael Jackson
's iconic attire in his "Thriller" video, though the lines, "'Bout to go 'Thriller' Mike Jackson on these n---as/ All I need is a f---ing red jacket with some zippers." On the reference, Drake said,
said that the single lived up to its expectations, and that "Drake continues to prove he's worthy of the hype." She commented, "It definitely isn't over for Drake-this is only the beginning.". Chris Ryan of MTV News
said the song sounded "very much a first single" and that Drake "is almost overwhelmed by the opportunity to officially go off". Ryan also said that "it sounds like he's pouring all of himself into every corner of the song". Ryan Dombal of Pitchfork Media
said the song "does not back down" as the album's lead track, with "royal fanfare-- strings, horns, the works", which he called "an emperor's welcome".
Bill Lamb of About.com
gave the song a positive review, commending Drake's "aggressive self-reflection", the song's "sweeping orchestral mix", and its "outstanding opening line". Lamb compared the song to the work of Kanye West
, stating, "From the sweeping orchestral mix to the aggressive focus on self in the lyrics, Kanye West's influence is clearly stamped on 'Over.'" However, Lamb did note that the similarities do not "take away from 'Over' being an outstanding record." He called "Over" an "obvious grab for artistic credibility and for the most part it works." Lamb went on to call "The opening line, "I know way too many people here right now That I didn’t know last year, who the f**k are y’all?", the most "memorable in a pop song in recent months." He also said the point between the "orchestral moves" and Drake's opening creates a "dramatic resonance" and "instantly memorable", and called the result an "instant hit". Parallel to Conception's ending statement in conclusion, Lamb commented, "It does seem like the love affair between pop music fans and Drake is "far from over." However, Henry Adaso of the same site dismissed the song, giving it two out of five stars, not pleased with the chorus, and called the rhymes and metaphors "redundant" and "proposterous". He called the lead single a "disappointment" however, he said that it raises expectations for his album, hoping that "he's saving the gems for his album." and also called the "distracting music" a pro of the song.
, and eventually peaked at fourteen on the chart. While it peaked at number one on the Rap Songs chart, it charted at number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
. In Drake's native Canada, the song debuted at fifty-six, later peaking at seventeen. The song peaked at number fifty in the United Kingdom, and at eighteen on the UK R&B Chart
. In Germany, the song peaked at seventeen on the German Black Chart.
, directed by Anthony Mandler
. Mandler previously worked with Drake on the video for his collaboration with Mary J. Blige
, "The One
". It premiered on VEVO
on April 12, 2010. In an exclusive with Rap-Up
, when asked about how the connection came about, Mandler said, "I’m a big fan of Drake and I was really excited when he called me about doing it, and really put a lot into making it special and capturing what I think is an image he hasn’t had yet. Here’s a guy whose lyrical presence does not equal his visual presence yet, by any means. That’s something that he and I spoke a lot about. He felt strongly that nobody had really captured him, and some of the videos that had been done were less iconic than he would like to be represented as." On Drake and the song he said, "It’s so refreshing that he’s confident, but he’s not arrogant. I think that dimensionality is so important in a genre that is very one note with words like “bravado” and “swagger” and “arrogance” and “promiscuity.” Here’s a guy that’s finally putting a duality to the words and saying, “Yeah, I have all that and I do all that, but I’m also somebody that’s asking, is that what I should be doing with my life?" When asked of the concept of the "Over" video, Mandler said that it was something that would not be expected. Mandler explained, "Drake and I were very conscious about trying to push the limits and trying to push things forward. He came to me because he wanted to throw away the conventions of a medium, and take chances and be daring and take certain themes that are relevant to him and try to visualize them in not the obvious way".
In an interview with MTV News
on the set of the video shoot, Drake said, "I've shot a lot of videos before, but this is my first attempt to establish myself as Drake the artist." Confronting the criticism of his past videos, notably the one for "Best I Ever Had
", Drake said, "I really don't care what other people think about them, they were great experiences for me. I've learned a lot from them", and he explained that he was working on that day with Mandler, someone he respects and looks up to. On the video, Drake said, "We talked colors, we talked epic, emotion-evoking visuals." He called the story of the video interesting and the song tells "sort of a love story". He explained that the video has a lot do do with his debut album, stating "The album is about finding love, feeling 'Have I sold my soul' as far as 'Will I ever be able to gain the trust of a woman? Will I only be able to be around the dark, evil women? Will I ever find that pure love?' Those elements are in the video." In a separate interview on his Away From Home Tour
, with MTV News, Drake said the video takes the song to "another place". He said it offers up a different look to the song. He explained,
artist Rita Ora
plays Drake's distant love interest in the video. It begins with Drake dressed sitting in a room on a bed, reflecting on his new life. Several images including explosions and cityscapes are shown on him and on the wall before the performance begins. Drake is later shown throughout the video in front of a gray backdrop, as he seems to be thinking about two women in his visions, Ora, who seems to portray the good girl, and another woman, who remained yet to be seen fully, portrayed as dangerous as she dances provocatively in the background. Brad Wete of Entertainment Weekly
called the video "artistically contradictory", however said that the scenes of Drake sitting "alone in his bedroom as flashing images of busy streets and crowds of strangers float around him, pensive and rebellious", and called them "controlled chaos", but said that it worked in the video. Wete also pointed out that "He chose not to go the cliche rap-video route and fill his four-minute flick with nearly naked women, Ciroc bottles, and Beamers", and that he stuck with "one leading lady".
, B.o.B
, Sean Kingston
, Royce da 5'9", Trey Songz
, Fat Joe
, Teairra Mari
, and Diggy Simmons
. Simmons, the first to release a freestyle over the track told Vibe, “With that freestyle, I heard the track, loved it, then got the instrumental from a friend of mine and just did it on the whim. It wasn’t really anything I planned. I wasn’t even ready for this to be a big thing because I’ve had tracks out before. I put my all into everything, but sometimes some tracks come out better than others. It got such a big buzz maybe because it came out the day after and people enjoyed it.”
's Spring Break 2010 in Acapulco, Mexico, and at the 2010 Juno Awards. He also performed the song at the 2010 MuchMusic Video Awards
. "Over" was also performed alongside "BedRock" with Nicki Minaj
on Jimmy Kimmel Live
on June 25, 2010. Drake also performed the song at the 2010 BET Awards
on June 27, 2010, in a medley along with "Fireworks
" and a remix of Young Jeezy
's "Lose My Mind
".
Source
Drake (entertainer)
Aubrey Drake Graham , who records under the mononym Drake, is a Canadian recording artist and actor. He originally became known for playing Jimmy Brooks on the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation....
. 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 debut album, Thank Me Later
Thank Me Later
Thank Me Later is the debut studio album of Canadian recording artist Drake, released June 15, 2010, on Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records and Universal Motown Records...
. It was written by Drake with Boi-1da
Boi-1da
Matthew Samuels , better known as Boi-1da , is a Canadian hip-hop producer from Toronto, Ontario. He has produced for artists and groups such as Chip tha Ripper, Kardinal Offishall, Clipse, Drake, Eminem, Saukrates, k-os, G-Unit, and The Diplomats among others...
, and produced by the latter and Al Khaaliq. The single was released for digital download on March 8, 2010. The song is midtempo hip-hop featuring an orchestral backdrop and lyrically about an introduction to fame. The song received positive reviews, commending the lyrics among other content.
It has peaked in the top twenty of the United States and Canada, becoming Drake's fourth consecutive top twenty hit in the U.S. It also charted within the top five on the U.S. R&B and rap charts, becoming Drake's fourth consecutive top five on those respective charts. The song has also charted in the United Kingdom and its R&B chart. The song's accompanying music video features Drake reflecting on an experience, and the struggle between his old life and the new. Several artists have made a freestyle over the track, including Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
, 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...
, and Diggy Simmons
Diggy Simmons
Daniel Dwayne Simmons III , better known by his stage name Diggy Simmons or simply as Diggy, is an American rapper and the fourth child of Joseph "Rev. Run" Simmons...
, among others. Drake performed the song a number of times, including at the 2010 MuchMusic Video Awards
2010 MuchMusic Video Awards
The 2010 MuchMusic Video Awards were held in Toronto, Canada at MuchMusic's headquarters on June 20, 2010. Along with the MuchMusic VJ's, it was confirmed on the MuchMusic website that Miley Cyrus will co-host the show. The artists with the most nominations are Drake and Hedley with six. For the...
. The track has received a nomination for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 53rd Grammy Awards
53rd Grammy Awards
The 53rd annual Grammy Awards were held on February 13, 2011, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. They were broadcast on CBS with a rating of 26.6 million viewers. Barbra Streisand was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year two nights prior to the telecast on February 11. Nominations were...
.
Background
On choosing his lead single, Drake told Rap-UpRap-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...
, "It’s gotta be a real great song. It’s gotta be something that I feel is timeless and is better than anything that I’ve ever done." Drake exclusively revealed to Rap-Up on February 15, 2010 that "Over" would be the lead single from his debut album, Thank Me Later, and would be produced by Boi-1da, producer of his previous singles "Best I Ever Had
Best I Ever Had (Drake song)
"Best I Ever Had" is the first single from Canadian rapper Drake's first EP So Far Gone. It first became prominent from the release of Drake's third mixtape of the same name. In 2009, the song was named the "Hot Rap Song" of the year by Billboard. The song's popularity helped Drake decide to...
" and "Forever
Forever (Drake song)
"Forever" is a single by rapper Drake. The song features verses by rappers Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and Eminem. The song is released as a single from the soundtrack to LeBron James's More Than a Game documentary....
". Drake chose to premiere the song on his hometown Toronto's radio station Flow 93.5
CFXJ-FM
CFXJ-FM is a Canadian radio station in Toronto, Ontario, which uses the on-air brand FLOW 93.5. It first aired in 2001 as Canada's first urban music station...
. In an interview session with the station, Drake said, "I went with 'Over' as the first look because of the words in the hook," he said. "The hook being the most repetitive part. I got a lot of great songs on my album. I got songs for women who wanna feel special. I got songs for dudes — if you ever thought my music was too soft, this is one you will enjoy. I got a lot of variety on there, but the biggest thing was that opening line on the hook: 'I know way too many people here right now that I didn't know last year'." He went on to explain that the record sums up where he is in his career right now, and called it a "great first impression". Drake did a lot of work for the album in Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, during which he called the "calm before the storm", and called "Over" the storm. He said, "It's the moment. I wanted to emerge at first from this album and just let people know 'This is how I'm coming out in the public eye. I'm ready for anything." He then went to explain that after the album people will be like "he's still human" or "he's still thinking the same way", and said he wanted people to "understand I could have lost it. He said, "'Over' could have been my entire album. Just 'cause that's what this industry and game will do to you if you lose yourself." Drake later said that the song was a "warm-up record". He went on to say,
"I love the song. I love the message in the song. It's funny, because 'Over' is the fourth song on the album and it's the turning point in the album. It's like, you get three songs of me sort of trying to paint the picture of what the last year has been like for me — trying to fill you in, almost let you into my world as much as I can. 'Over' is that moment where you're almost worried on the album. 'Is this kid about to ... ? What's happening? Is he changing?' I wanted that to come out first. I wanted people to be a little nervous. This whole journey could have changed me drastically. Fortunately I'm able to step out of my shoes and reflect on it and give you some great music. 'Over' is a great alter-ego moment. It's the dark side of things and I really wanted that to come out first."
Music and lyrics
According to MTV NewsMTV 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...
, the song "touches on Drake reaction to fame and stardom". Drake told MTV News, that the song was "definitely" a choice of his for releasing as a single, and that it was a song he did for himself. Brad Wete of 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...
called the song, "a prideful track about a guy who fought for notoriety, gained it, and now struggles with what comes with it: criticism, groupies, and the pressure of expected greatness." The song makes heavy use of an orchestral backdrop, while Drake delivers confident, aggressive raps in a paced fashion. Drake makes references to film critics Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
& Richard Roeper
Richard Roeper
Richard E. Roeper is an American columnist and film critic for The Chicago Sun-Times and now a co-host on The Roe Conn Show on WLS-AM...
, as well as actress Jada Pinkett Smith
Jada Pinkett Smith
Jada Koren Pinkett Smith is an American actress, producer, director, author, singer-songwriter, and businesswoman. She began her career in 1990, when she made a guest appearance in the short-lived sitcom True Colors. She starred in A Different World, produced by Bill Cosby, and she featured...
and her 1996 film, Set It Off
Set It Off
Set It Off is a 1996 action and crime film directed by F. Gary Gray, and stars Jada Pinkett, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox and Kimberly Elise , as four close friends in Los Angeles, California who decide to plan and execute a bank robbery...
. According to Michael Craggg of MusicOMH
MusicOMH
musicOMH is a United Kingdom-based website which publishes independent reviews, featues and interviews from across all musical genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B.-History:...
, the song contains three hooks. Several lines in the second verse are actually a flip of hip-hop group Dead Prez
Dead Prez
Dead Prez stylized as dead prez is a hip hop duo from the United States, composed of stic.man and M-1, formed in 1996 in New York City, New York. They are known for their confrontational style, combined with socialist lyrics focused on both militant social justice and Pan-Africanism...
's "Hip-Hop", from their 2000 debut, Let's Get Free
Let's Get Free
Let's Get Free is the debut album by the political hip hop duo dead prez, released on February 8, 2000 on Loud Records.Critically acclaimed upon its first release, Let's Get Free was called a "return to politically conscious rap" and, "the most politically conscious rap since Public Enemy"; the...
. Dead Prez's track states, "One thing about music when it hits you feel no pain/ White folks say it controls your brain/ I know better than that/ It's just game", to which Drake stated when asked about it, "I love that flow. So I took that flow and flipped it in the second verse." He also references Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's iconic attire in his "Thriller" video, though the lines, "'Bout to go 'Thriller' Mike Jackson on these n---as/ All I need is a f---ing red jacket with some zippers." On the reference, Drake said,
"That was sort of my reference point; that phenomenon of Michael. He was young and had the world excited and anticipating his every move. That was my homage to him and the impact that he had on the world that I live in. It's also ... great for people to say. Especially, unfortunately what happened to him, just to honor him was great."
Critical reception
Mariel Conception of 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...
said that the single lived up to its expectations, and that "Drake continues to prove he's worthy of the hype." She commented, "It definitely isn't over for Drake-this is only the beginning.". Chris Ryan of 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...
said the song sounded "very much a first single" and that Drake "is almost overwhelmed by the opportunity to officially go off". Ryan also said that "it sounds like he's pouring all of himself into every corner of the song". Ryan Dombal of Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
said the song "does not back down" as the album's lead track, with "royal fanfare-- strings, horns, the works", which he called "an emperor's welcome".
Bill Lamb of About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
gave the song a positive review, commending Drake's "aggressive self-reflection", the song's "sweeping orchestral mix", and its "outstanding opening line". Lamb compared the song to the work of Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
, stating, "From the sweeping orchestral mix to the aggressive focus on self in the lyrics, Kanye West's influence is clearly stamped on 'Over.'" However, Lamb did note that the similarities do not "take away from 'Over' being an outstanding record." He called "Over" an "obvious grab for artistic credibility and for the most part it works." Lamb went on to call "The opening line, "I know way too many people here right now That I didn’t know last year, who the f**k are y’all?", the most "memorable in a pop song in recent months." He also said the point between the "orchestral moves" and Drake's opening creates a "dramatic resonance" and "instantly memorable", and called the result an "instant hit". Parallel to Conception's ending statement in conclusion, Lamb commented, "It does seem like the love affair between pop music fans and Drake is "far from over." However, Henry Adaso of the same site dismissed the song, giving it two out of five stars, not pleased with the chorus, and called the rhymes and metaphors "redundant" and "proposterous". He called the lead single a "disappointment" however, he said that it raises expectations for his album, hoping that "he's saving the gems for his album." and also called the "distracting music" a pro of the song.
Chart performance
The song debuted at number thirty-five on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard 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...
, and eventually peaked at fourteen on the chart. While it peaked at number one on the Rap Songs chart, it charted at number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
. In Drake's native Canada, the song debuted at fifty-six, later peaking at seventeen. The song peaked at number fifty in the United Kingdom, and at eighteen 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...
. In Germany, the song peaked at seventeen on the German Black Chart.
Background
The video was shot on March 12, 2010 in Los AngelesLos 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...
, directed by Anthony Mandler
Anthony 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...
. Mandler previously worked with Drake on the video for his collaboration with Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
, "The One
The One (Mary J. Blige song)
"The One" is the first single from Mary J. Blige's album Stronger with Each Tear. The producer of the song is Rodney Jerkins aka Darkchild and the writers are Mary J. Blige, Canadian rapper Drake, who is also featured on it, Ester Dean and Rodney Jerkins....
". It premiered on VEVO
Vevo
Vevo is a music video website. It is a joint venture among Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Abu Dhabi Media with EMI licensing its content to the group without taking an ownership stake. The service was launched officially on December 8, 2009...
on April 12, 2010. In an exclusive with 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...
, when asked about how the connection came about, Mandler said, "I’m a big fan of Drake and I was really excited when he called me about doing it, and really put a lot into making it special and capturing what I think is an image he hasn’t had yet. Here’s a guy whose lyrical presence does not equal his visual presence yet, by any means. That’s something that he and I spoke a lot about. He felt strongly that nobody had really captured him, and some of the videos that had been done were less iconic than he would like to be represented as." On Drake and the song he said, "It’s so refreshing that he’s confident, but he’s not arrogant. I think that dimensionality is so important in a genre that is very one note with words like “bravado” and “swagger” and “arrogance” and “promiscuity.” Here’s a guy that’s finally putting a duality to the words and saying, “Yeah, I have all that and I do all that, but I’m also somebody that’s asking, is that what I should be doing with my life?" When asked of the concept of the "Over" video, Mandler said that it was something that would not be expected. Mandler explained, "Drake and I were very conscious about trying to push the limits and trying to push things forward. He came to me because he wanted to throw away the conventions of a medium, and take chances and be daring and take certain themes that are relevant to him and try to visualize them in not the obvious way".
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...
on the set of the video shoot, Drake said, "I've shot a lot of videos before, but this is my first attempt to establish myself as Drake the artist." Confronting the criticism of his past videos, notably the one for "Best I Ever Had
Best I Ever Had (Drake song)
"Best I Ever Had" is the first single from Canadian rapper Drake's first EP So Far Gone. It first became prominent from the release of Drake's third mixtape of the same name. In 2009, the song was named the "Hot Rap Song" of the year by Billboard. The song's popularity helped Drake decide to...
", Drake said, "I really don't care what other people think about them, they were great experiences for me. I've learned a lot from them", and he explained that he was working on that day with Mandler, someone he respects and looks up to. On the video, Drake said, "We talked colors, we talked epic, emotion-evoking visuals." He called the story of the video interesting and the song tells "sort of a love story". He explained that the video has a lot do do with his debut album, stating "The album is about finding love, feeling 'Have I sold my soul' as far as 'Will I ever be able to gain the trust of a woman? Will I only be able to be around the dark, evil women? Will I ever find that pure love?' Those elements are in the video." In a separate interview on his Away From Home Tour
Thank Me Later
Thank Me Later is the debut studio album of Canadian recording artist Drake, released June 15, 2010, on Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records and Universal Motown Records...
, with MTV News, Drake said the video takes the song to "another place". He said it offers up a different look to the song. He explained,
"This video is what I was really thinking about. The song is like a bad dream — but it's not a bad dream, it's not a terrible dream. It's a little evil. The video really reflects that. It's a struggle between the purities of my past life and what this new life has to offer. Even in the video, you see me looking back and forth between the two and deciding. At the end of the video I don't necessarily make a decision, but when you get the album, you'll see what choice I make."
Synopsis and reception
Roc NationRoc Nation
Roc Nation is an American management, music publishing and entertainment company founded by Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter.-History:In April 2008, Live Nation partnered with Jay-Z to create Roc Nation...
artist Rita Ora
Rita Ora
Rita Sahatçiu Ora is an Kosovar-born British dramatic mezzo-soprano, recording artist and actress. She is currently signed to Roc Nation.-Early life and career:...
plays Drake's distant love interest in the video. It begins with Drake dressed sitting in a room on a bed, reflecting on his new life. Several images including explosions and cityscapes are shown on him and on the wall before the performance begins. Drake is later shown throughout the video in front of a gray backdrop, as he seems to be thinking about two women in his visions, Ora, who seems to portray the good girl, and another woman, who remained yet to be seen fully, portrayed as dangerous as she dances provocatively in the background. Brad Wete of 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...
called the video "artistically contradictory", however said that the scenes of Drake sitting "alone in his bedroom as flashing images of busy streets and crowds of strangers float around him, pensive and rebellious", and called them "controlled chaos", but said that it worked in the video. Wete also pointed out that "He chose not to go the cliche rap-video route and fill his four-minute flick with nearly naked women, Ciroc bottles, and Beamers", and that he stuck with "one leading lady".
Remixes
Several artists have remixed or made a freestyle over the beat, including EminemEminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
, B.o.B
B.o.B
Bobby Ray Simmons, Jr. , better known by his stage name B.o.B, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and record producer. He is currently signed under the labels of Grand Hustle Records, Rebel Rock Entertainment, and Atlantic Records. His debut single "Nothin' on You" reached number one in both...
, Sean Kingston
Sean Kingston
Sean Kingston is a Jamaican-American singer. He pursued a music career and debuted in 2007 with the album Sean Kingston.-Early life:...
, Royce da 5'9", 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...
, Fat Joe
Fat Joe
Joseph Antonio Cartagena , better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper, CEO of Terror Squad Entertainment, and member of musical groups D.I.T.C. and Terror Squad....
, Teairra Mari
Teairra Marí
Teairra Maria Thomas , better known by her stage name Teairra Marí, is an American singer-songwriter, actress, model, and dancer. At the age of 16, she was signed to Def Jam and released her first album, Teairra Marí. After disappointing sales, she was let go from her recording contract in the...
, and Diggy Simmons
Diggy Simmons
Daniel Dwayne Simmons III , better known by his stage name Diggy Simmons or simply as Diggy, is an American rapper and the fourth child of Joseph "Rev. Run" Simmons...
. Simmons, the first to release a freestyle over the track told Vibe, “With that freestyle, I heard the track, loved it, then got the instrumental from a friend of mine and just did it on the whim. It wasn’t really anything I planned. I wasn’t even ready for this to be a big thing because I’ve had tracks out before. I put my all into everything, but sometimes some tracks come out better than others. It got such a big buzz maybe because it came out the day after and people enjoyed it.”
Live performances
Drake performed the song at MTVMTV
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....
's Spring Break 2010 in Acapulco, Mexico, and at the 2010 Juno Awards. He also performed the song at the 2010 MuchMusic Video Awards
2010 MuchMusic Video Awards
The 2010 MuchMusic Video Awards were held in Toronto, Canada at MuchMusic's headquarters on June 20, 2010. Along with the MuchMusic VJ's, it was confirmed on the MuchMusic website that Miley Cyrus will co-host the show. The artists with the most nominations are Drake and Hedley with six. For the...
. "Over" was also performed alongside "BedRock" with Nicki Minaj
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj , better known by her stage name Nicki Minaj; ), is a Trinidadian-born American recording artist...
on Jimmy Kimmel Live
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Jimmy Kimmel Live! is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and broadcast on ABC.The nightly hour-long show made its debut on January 26, 2003, following Super Bowl XXXVII. Jimmy Kimmel Live! is produced by Jackhole Productions in association with ABC Studios...
on June 25, 2010. Drake also performed the song at the 2010 BET Awards
BET Awards
The 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...
on June 27, 2010, in a medley along with "Fireworks
Fireworks (Drake song)
"Fireworks" is a song by Canadian recording artist Drake from his debut album Thank Me Later. The song features singer Alicia Keys, who previously worked with Drake on the single "Un-Thinkable ". Originally, it was supposed to be the fourth single, but it was changed to Fancy.- Background...
" and a remix of Young Jeezy
Young Jeezy
Jay Wayne Jenkins , better known by his stage name Young Jeezy, is an American rapper. He is the member of the hip hop group United Streets Dopeboyz of America and a former member of BMF...
's "Lose My Mind
Lose My Mind
"Lose My Mind" is the first single released from Young Jeezy's upcoming album, Thug Motivation 103. The song features rapper Plies. The song was also released on Jeezy's mixtape "Trap or Die II". It is nominated for Best Rap Performance By Duo or Group at the 2011 Grammy's.-Music video:The music...
".
Charts
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| 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... |
17 |
| German Black Chart | 10 |
| 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 ... |
50 |
| 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... |
18 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
14 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
2 |
| US Hot 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... |
1 |
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... |
60 |
| Canadian Hot 100 | 91 |
Credits and personnel
- Songwriting - DrakeDrake (entertainer)Aubrey Drake Graham , who records under the mononym Drake, is a Canadian recording artist and actor. He originally became known for playing Jimmy Brooks on the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation....
, Boi-1daBoi-1daMatthew Samuels , better known as Boi-1da , is a Canadian hip-hop producer from Toronto, Ontario. He has produced for artists and groups such as Chip tha Ripper, Kardinal Offishall, Clipse, Drake, Eminem, Saukrates, k-os, G-Unit, and The Diplomats among others...
, Nick Brongers, Noah "40" Shebib40 (producer)Noah Shebib, better known as 40, is a Canadian hip-hop producer from Toronto, Ontario. He is currently signed to Hip Hop Since 1978, a management and production company. In addition to a strong affiliation with Young Money Cash Money Records , Shebib has produced for artists such as Drake, Lil... - ProductionRecord 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...
- Boi-1da, co-produced by Al Khaaliq - 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...
- Noah "40" Shebib, assisted by Dale Dizzle VirgoDale Dizzle VirgoDale Dizzle Virgo , is a record producer, musician, engineer and a young entrepreneur. He is currently the In-House Producer at Geejam Studios in Port Antonio, Portland - Jamaica.Dale first started producing at age 17 in his home studio in Portmore, Jamaica...
and Tandra Jhagroo - EngineeringAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
- Noah "40" Shebib - Drum programming - Boi-1da
- Keys, Strings and Horns - Al-Khaaliq, additional by Noah "40" Shebib
Source
Release history
| Region | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| United States | March 8, 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 | March 22, 2010 | Digital download (Clean) |
| May 21, 2010 | Digital download (Explicit) |