Papers (song)
Encyclopedia
"Papers" is a song by American recording artist Usher
. The song was a buzz single for his sixth studio album Raymond v. Raymond. It was written by Usher, Alonzo "Gorilla Zoe" Mathis
, Sean Garrett
and Zaytoven
, and was produced by the latter two. Although it was never identified as a track from the album, or as the lead single
, it was released to U.S. urban
and rhythmic
radio stations on October 12, 2009, and subsequently available for digital download on October 16, 2009.
The song received positive reviews from critics who compared the track to his previous work, and embraced the lyrical content of the song. The song peaked at number thirty-one on the Billboard Hot 100
and topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
, giving Usher his tenth number one song on the chart.
revealed to MTV News
that he worked with Usher on a song. Zaytoven divulged a few details, saying, "I can't wait for something like that to come out, so people can see I do more than just hip-hop. I can do R&B, pop, gospel ... whatever genre of music that's out. If you listen to [this new Usher song], you can't say, 'Zaytoven did that.'" According to Zaytoven in another interview with MTV News, the track was originally called "Filing Papers". Zaytoven said, "This is before there were any reports about Usher's marriage in the news. So I was thinking to myself, 'Is he trying to say something?' I don't know what Usher is going through, but Sean Garrett
made a song about filling out papers, divorce papers. The beat, it's got a bounce to it. It's outta here." Sean Garrett later clarified, stating that the song was not necessarily called "Filing Papers", Garret commented,
In October 2009, the track was released as the album's buzz single, not intended to be the first release of Raymond v. Raymond, but to generate reception and feedback. In March 2010, Usher continued to support Garrett's original claims, stating the song was recorded before his marriage ended. Usher said in an interview for MTV News for promoting Raymond v. Raymond:
Garrett said the song appeals to everyone, saying "Whether you're a female in love, male in love, it's a real record. Your mama has to feel this record, your daddy has to feel this record, everybody has to feel this record. That's what good writers do." Of its appeal Garrett said that it would have the effect of "Yeah!
", and called the song an "explosive record". Garrett went on to say, "I definitely feel it's what Usher's been wanting to say. But at the same time, it's what a lot of people wanted to say, they just didn't know what to say." Jayson Rodriguez of MTV News
said that "Usher pulls back the curtain, revealing that a rumored rift between him and his mother was very real", and the song could be heard as an "postmortem" on his marriage, through the lines, "For you I gave my heart and turned my back against the world/ 'Cause you were my girl, girl, girl, I done damn near lost my mama, I done been through so much drama/ I done turned into the man I never thought I'd be/ I'm ready to sign them papers."
, compared the song to 2004's "Burn
" comparing "Papers" to the former number one hit's "layered harmonies, mellow production and lyrics of heartache". MacRory also said, "It's the first time in a while that the singer sounds energized, as he unleashes deeply personal lyrics about the real-life sacrifices he made for love." Jayson Rodriguez of MTV News predicted that if "Papers" were any indication of his upcoming album, then "Raymond vs. Raymond may break some sales records", as Confessions
was the last time when "art was inspired by his life". Andy Kellman of Allmusic said that Usher "pours himself" into the "Papers" and that the song "bears the closest relation to the turbulence he experienced." Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune
said that "It’s the kind of lacerating perspective that adulthood brings, but Usher’s too busy chasing his past to fully embrace it." Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly
said that the song was the album's "last-straw slow jam" and the only song other than "Foolin' Around" that offers real revelation.
at ninety-two. In its second week, it moved sixty-one spots to thirty-one, where it peaked. The song spent a total of sixteen weeks on the chart. "Papers" also reached number one on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
becoming his tenth number-one song on that chart.
Source:
Usher (entertainer)
Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
. The song was a buzz single for his sixth studio album Raymond v. Raymond. It was written by Usher, Alonzo "Gorilla Zoe" Mathis
Gorilla Zoe
Alonzo Mathis better known by his stage name Gorilla Zoe is an American rapper and member of rap group Boyz N Da Hood. His solo debut album Welcome to the Zoo came out in 2007.-Biography:...
, Sean Garrett
Sean Garrett
Garrett Hamler, better known by his stage name Sean Garrett is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, and record producer. He has produced fifteen number one singles in only seven years of producing music. That number puts him in fifth place on the Billboard list of producers with the most number...
and Zaytoven
Zaytoven
Xavier Dotson, better known as Zaytoven, is an American record producer out of San Francisco, California and was born in Germany on an Army base. He was raised in San Francisco but later moved to Atlanta, Georgia. Since then, he has worked with Gucci Mane extensively, contributing at least one...
, and was produced by the latter two. Although it was never identified as a track from the album, or 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...
, it was released to U.S. 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...
and rhythmic
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 stations on October 12, 2009, and subsequently available for digital download on October 16, 2009.
The song received positive reviews from critics who compared the track to his previous work, and embraced the lyrical content of the song. The song peaked at number thirty-one 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...
and topped 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,...
, giving Usher his tenth number one song on the chart.
Background and composition
In June 2009, co-writer and producer of the song, Xavier "Zaytoven" DotsonZaytoven
Xavier Dotson, better known as Zaytoven, is an American record producer out of San Francisco, California and was born in Germany on an Army base. He was raised in San Francisco but later moved to Atlanta, Georgia. Since then, he has worked with Gucci Mane extensively, contributing at least one...
revealed to 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...
that he worked with Usher on a song. Zaytoven divulged a few details, saying, "I can't wait for something like that to come out, so people can see I do more than just hip-hop. I can do R&B, pop, gospel ... whatever genre of music that's out. If you listen to [this new Usher song], you can't say, 'Zaytoven did that.'" According to Zaytoven in another interview with MTV News, the track was originally called "Filing Papers". Zaytoven said, "This is before there were any reports about Usher's marriage in the news. So I was thinking to myself, 'Is he trying to say something?' I don't know what Usher is going through, but Sean Garrett
Sean Garrett
Garrett Hamler, better known by his stage name Sean Garrett is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, and record producer. He has produced fifteen number one singles in only seven years of producing music. That number puts him in fifth place on the Billboard list of producers with the most number...
made a song about filling out papers, divorce papers. The beat, it's got a bounce to it. It's outta here." Sean Garrett later clarified, stating that the song was not necessarily called "Filing Papers", Garret commented,
"Let's say I wrote a record for Usher three or four months ago where I really didn't have any idea of what he was going through personally. I work really hard at creating records I feel that's gonna fit like a glove to an artist. Me and Usher have a close relationship; I tend to sort of assist certain artists in giving them a direction, where I think they need to go in their next move. I felt that was the direction we needed to go. I felt that was the question everyone wanted to know: Was [his relationship] good or was it bad? Was it right? Are you happy or you're not?"Garrett continued to maintain that he had no idea of Usher's state of marriage during the time of the song's development, stating that the record could have meant anything, saying, "I'm a heavy believer in God. I'm a Pisces. My intuition is crazy. I think that's healthy in the process for me writing and producing for people. Maybe it was a sign of what my man was going through and he needed to get out. Maybe it was something she needed to hear as a wake-up call to her."
In October 2009, the track was released as the album's buzz single, not intended to be the first release of Raymond v. Raymond, but to generate reception and feedback. In March 2010, Usher continued to support Garrett's original claims, stating the song was recorded before his marriage ended. Usher said in an interview for MTV News for promoting Raymond v. Raymond:
"I think people would have immediately alluded to the fact I was talking about my wife when I made that record — and now my ex-wife," he said. "When the song was recorded, I wasn't divorced. It was some reality in the contrast of trying to make it all work, having to balance a career and having a normal life. Coming in at 6 in the morning and arguing was a reality when you have those type of relationships. I felt that in a way, the story did touch on certain things at the time. I didn't know how realistic it would become. I didn't know I would become divorced. I did know it spoke on the contrast between trying to balance this world of being married and having this responsibility that's like a marriage at the same time. The song spoke to that place. Unfortunately, it did become a reality."
Garrett said the song appeals to everyone, saying "Whether you're a female in love, male in love, it's a real record. Your mama has to feel this record, your daddy has to feel this record, everybody has to feel this record. That's what good writers do." Of its appeal Garrett said that it would have the effect of "Yeah!
Yeah! (Usher song)
"Yeah!" is a song by American singer Usher, released on 3 February 2004 as the lead single from his hit fourth studio album Confessions. The song was written by Lil Jon, Sean Garrett, Patrick J. Que Smith, Ludacris, Robert McDowell, and LRoc. It was produced by Lil Jon, who combined crunk and R&B...
", and called the song an "explosive record". Garrett went on to say, "I definitely feel it's what Usher's been wanting to say. But at the same time, it's what a lot of people wanted to say, they just didn't know what to say." Jayson Rodriguez 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 that "Usher pulls back the curtain, revealing that a rumored rift between him and his mother was very real", and the song could be heard as an "postmortem" on his marriage, through the lines, "For you I gave my heart and turned my back against the world/ 'Cause you were my girl, girl, girl, I done damn near lost my mama, I done been through so much drama/ I done turned into the man I never thought I'd be/ I'm ready to sign them papers."
Critical reception
Sarah MacRory 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...
, compared the song to 2004's "Burn
Burn (Usher song)
"Burn" is a song by American R&B singer Usher, which he wrote with American songwriters Jermaine Dupri, Bryan-Michael Cox. The song was produced by Dupri and Cox for Usher's fourth studio album, Confessions...
" comparing "Papers" to the former number one hit's "layered harmonies, mellow production and lyrics of heartache". MacRory also said, "It's the first time in a while that the singer sounds energized, as he unleashes deeply personal lyrics about the real-life sacrifices he made for love." Jayson Rodriguez of MTV News predicted that if "Papers" were any indication of his upcoming album, then "Raymond vs. Raymond may break some sales records", as Confessions
Confessions (Usher album)
Confessions is the fourth studio album by American R&B recording artist Usher, released March 23, 2004, on Arista-imprint label LaFace Records. Recording sessions for the album took place during 2003 to 2004 with production by Jermaine Dupri, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and Lil Jon...
was the last time when "art was inspired by his life". Andy Kellman of Allmusic said that Usher "pours himself" into the "Papers" and that the song "bears the closest relation to the turbulence he experienced." Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
said that "It’s the kind of lacerating perspective that adulthood brings, but Usher’s too busy chasing his past to fully embrace it." Leah Greenblatt 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...
said that the song was the album's "last-straw slow jam" and the only song other than "Foolin' Around" that offers real revelation.
Chart performance
On the week ending October 31, 2009 "Papers" debuted 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...
at ninety-two. In its second week, it moved sixty-one spots to thirty-one, where it peaked. The song spent a total of sixteen weeks on the chart. "Papers" also reached number one on the Billboard 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,...
becoming his tenth number-one song on that chart.
Credits and personnel
- Songwriting - Usher RaymondUsher (entertainer)Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
, Sean GarrettSean GarrettGarrett Hamler, better known by his stage name Sean Garrett is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, and record producer. He has produced fifteen number one singles in only seven years of producing music. That number puts him in fifth place on the Billboard list of producers with the most number...
, ZaytovenZaytovenXavier Dotson, better known as Zaytoven, is an American record producer out of San Francisco, California and was born in Germany on an Army base. He was raised in San Francisco but later moved to Atlanta, Georgia. Since then, he has worked with Gucci Mane extensively, contributing at least one...
, Alonzo Mathis - 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...
- Sean Garrett, Zaytoven - Background vocals - Shelea Frazier, Romika Faniel, Tommy Parker, Solomon Dykes, Timothy Bloom
- Vocal productionSound recording and reproductionSound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
- Rico Love - RecordingSound recording and reproductionSound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
- Miles Walker - Vocal recording - Ian Cross, assisted by Blake Harden and Brandon Parks
- 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...
- Ian Cross and Matt Marrin, assisted by Alex Barajas
Source:
Charts
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|
Release history
| Region | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| United States | October 8, 2009 | Rhythmic 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... and urban Urban contemporary Urban contemporary is a music radio format. The term was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s. Urban contemporary radio stations feature a playlist made up entirely of hip hop/rap, contemporary R&B, pop, electronica such as dubstep and drum and bass and Caribbean music... airplay |
| Australia | October 16, 2009 | 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... |
| Austria | ||
| Belgium | ||
| Canada | ||
| Finland | ||
| France | ||
| Germany | ||
| Ireland | ||
| Italy | ||
| Mexico | ||
| Netherlands | ||
| New Zealand | ||
| Norway | ||
| Portugal | ||
| Spain | ||
| Sweden | ||
| United Kingdom | ||
| United States | ||
| Japan | December 16, 2009 |