Promise (Ciara song)
Encyclopedia
"Promise" is a R&B
song recorded by American singer-songwriter
Ciara
. Written by Ciara, Jasper Cameron, Jamal Jones
, and Elvis Williams, it is the official lead single
and second release in the North America
from Ciara's second studio album, Ciara: The Evolution
(2006
). The single was released in North America only and premiered on AOL Music on September 22, 2006.
The mid-tempo ballad chronicles the protagonist
searching for the perfect man. She states that she has been single, lonely, and needs someone to love her. Without further ado, she is ready to commit to him and will do anything to spend her life with him.
Pitchfork Media listed the song as the 320th best song of the 2000's.
" was to Janet Jackson
)" and "also strangely appealing—particularly the changes in melody." Glenn Gamboa of Newsday
wrote "she knocks out one potential hit" and called it a "Prince
-ly ballad". Matt Cibula of PopMatters
wrote "it is slow, it is weird, it is massive" and "it ain't genius, quite, but it’s close enough". Ken Barnes of USA Today
wrote that Ciara has a "slight but sweetly tangy voice and budding emotional presence" as she plays a "demure temptress".
With the song's popularity, "Promise" produced an official remix, known as the "Go and Get Your Tickets Mix", which features R. Kelly
. Kelly wrote and produced the track "Next to You" on Ciara's debut album Goodies
. The remix contains a new edits on the beat
and Ciara's re-recorded vocals. This remix appears on the European edition of Ciara: The Evolution. Various unofficial remixes exist, including the "Nitti Remix", "Cory Bold Remix", and remixes featuring Busta Rhymes
and Grafh
. Lil Wayne
recorded a version of the song on the Da Drought 3
mixtape
, which he declares his love for Ciara. Record producer
Bryan Michael Cox
produced a remix for an international compilation album
.
at twenty-four. Two weeks later, the song debuted at forty-five on the Billboard Hot 100
, making the single Ciara's highest debut and the top debut of the week. "Promise" peaked quickly at eleven for one week on the Hot 100. The song descended quickly, staying in the Hot 100 for twenty weeks. "Promise" peaked at number one for two weeks on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
, becoming Ciara's third number one of the chart. The song peaked in the top five of the Rhythmic Top 40 and thirty-six on the Top 40 Mainstream and twenty-five on the Hot Digital Tracks
.
"Promise." ranked #71 on the Top Hot 100 Hits of 2007
.
The music video
for "Promise" was shot on October 2 and October 3, 2006 and was directed by Diane Martel
. The video premiered on BET
's Access Granted
on Ciara's 21st birthday, October 25 and Canada
's MuchMusic
where she introduced it over the phone. The video has charted BET
's 106 & Park
and debuted on Friday November 3, 2006 at the number 8 position six days after its premiere. The video debuted on MTV
's TRL
at number ten on November 8, 2006 and peaked at number four. In addition, the video topped the 106 & Park at the number one position on November 27, 2006, for 27 nonconsecutive countdowns. Tina Landon
, Janet Jackson
's former choreographer, assisted in the choreography for the video.
The video begins with Ciara, wearing a brown hooded sweater and sweat pants, dancing by herself in a secluded area. The scene shows her singing the first verse into a gravity defying microphone, which can also support Ciara's entire body weight. During the chorus and second verse, Ciara is seen finessing seductively in a chair, which is mixed with footage of Ciara and her dancers dancing in hooded attire. Further on in the video we are introduced to a different setting in which Ciara and the dancers are seen sitting on the ground against a brick wall, exhibiting shoulder and hand movements. During the second chorus, a cabaret scene shows the silhouette of Ciara in front of a white screen, while the dancers move around on scaffolding. The shot changes once more to a visualization of Ciara on the floor sporting a petite, brown wig, reciting the spoken part of the bridge. Afterwards, Ciara dances in front of a different brick wall, in a dark area, only lit by a red spotlight. The video fades out to a scene in which we see Ciara and the dancers in somewhat of a conga line, dancing out of view.
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
song recorded by American singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Ciara
Ciara
Ciara Princess Harris , known mononymously as Ciara, is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, actress and fashion model. Born in Austin, Texas, she traveled around the world during her childhood, only to land in Atlanta, Georgia where she met music producer, Jazze Pha...
. Written by Ciara, Jasper Cameron, Jamal Jones
Polow Da Don
Polow-Freache Jamal Fincher Jones , better known by known by professional name Polow da Don or Awesome Jones, is an American record producer, songwriter, rapper, and singer. His cousin is Atlanta singer Monica. He has produced for a variety of artists including Usher, Nelly, Christina Aguilera, T.I...
, and Elvis Williams, it is the official 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...
and second release in the North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
from Ciara's second studio album, Ciara: The Evolution
Ciara: The Evolution
Ciara: The Evolution is the second studio album by American recording artist Ciara. It was released on December 5, 2006, by LaFace Records. The album is separated into five sections, with each showcasing a different side of Ciara's artistry...
(2006
2006 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2006.-January:*January 10 – Eric Burdon releases his album Soul of a Man and begins touring with a new band....
). The single was released in North America only and premiered on AOL Music on September 22, 2006.
The mid-tempo ballad chronicles the protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
searching for the perfect man. She states that she has been single, lonely, and needs someone to love her. Without further ado, she is ready to commit to him and will do anything to spend her life with him.
Pitchfork Media listed the song as the 320th best song of the 2000's.
Reception
The release of "Promise" was met with positive reviews. Clover Hope of Billboard Magazine described "Promise" as "a reinvention record (like what "When I Think of YouWhen I Think of You
"When I Think of You" is the third single from Janet Jackson's third studio album, Control . Written by Jackson and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and produced by Jam and Lewis, the song is about a person who finds relief and fun in a lover...
" was to Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
)" and "also strangely appealing—particularly the changes in melody." Glenn Gamboa of Newsday
Newsday
Newsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
wrote "she knocks out one potential hit" and called it a "Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
-ly ballad". Matt Cibula of PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
wrote "it is slow, it is weird, it is massive" and "it ain't genius, quite, but it’s close enough". Ken Barnes of USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
wrote that Ciara has a "slight but sweetly tangy voice and budding emotional presence" as she plays a "demure temptress".
With the song's popularity, "Promise" produced an official remix, known as the "Go and Get Your Tickets Mix", which features R. Kelly
R. Kelly
Robert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
. Kelly wrote and produced the track "Next to You" on Ciara's debut album Goodies
Goodies (album)
Goodies is the debut studio album by American recording artist Ciara. It was released on September 28, 2004 via LaFace Records. After writing songs for several established acts, Ciara's talents were noticed by Jazze Pha, and she began to work on what became Goodies...
. The remix contains a new edits on the beat
Beat (music)
The beat is the basic unit of time in music, the pulse of the mensural level . In popular use, the beat can refer to a variety of related concepts including: tempo, meter, rhythm and groove...
and Ciara's re-recorded vocals. This remix appears on the European edition of Ciara: The Evolution. Various unofficial remixes exist, including the "Nitti Remix", "Cory Bold Remix", and remixes featuring 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...
and Grafh
Grafh
Grafh, born Philip Bernard, hails from Jamaica, Queens, New York. He made a name for himself on the mixtape circuit, where he garnered early support from influential mix-show DJ’s in New York. His skill, charisma, honesty, and determination were so obvious that he generated a buzz nationwide and...
. 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...
recorded a version of the song on the Da Drought 3
Da Drought 3
- Background :This is the third in the trilogy of mixtapes in Da Drought series. Released in 2007, the mixtape was delayed slightly as a result of Wayne's last-minute decision to add songs to the album's second disc. The album is available as a free legal download. It contains mostly remixes of...
mixtape
Mixtape
A Mix Tape or Mixed Tape is a compilation of songs recorded in a specific order, traditionally onto an audio Compact Cassette.A Mix Tape, which usually reflects the musical tastes of its compiler, can range from a casually selected list of favorite songs, to a conceptual mix of songs linked by a...
, which he declares his love for Ciara. Record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Bryan Michael Cox
Bryan Michael Cox
Bryan-Michael Cox is a GRAMMY award winning American songwriter and record producer.-History:Bryan-Michael Cox was born in Miami and grew up in Houston, where he attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. While in the eleventh grade he met and was mentored by Greg Curtis...
produced a remix for an international compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
.
Chart performance
"Promise" debuted on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 SinglesBubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
The Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It lists the top 25 singles below number 100 that have not yet charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Sometimes, however, singles halt their progress on this chart, and never appear on the Hot 100...
at twenty-four. Two weeks later, the song debuted at forty-five 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...
, making the single Ciara's highest debut and the top debut of the week. "Promise" peaked quickly at eleven for one week on the Hot 100. The song descended quickly, staying in the Hot 100 for twenty weeks. "Promise" peaked at number one for two weeks 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,...
, becoming Ciara's third number one of the chart. The song peaked in the top five of the Rhythmic Top 40 and thirty-six on the Top 40 Mainstream and twenty-five on the Hot Digital Tracks
Hot Digital Tracks
The Hot Digital Tracks chart is a song popularity chart that ranks the best selling digital tracks in the United States according to Billboard magazine...
.
"Promise." ranked #71 on the Top Hot 100 Hits of 2007
Top Hot 100 Hits of 2007
This is a list of Billboard magazine's Top Hot 100 songs of 2007....
.
Music video
The music video
Music 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 "Promise" was shot on October 2 and October 3, 2006 and was directed by Diane Martel
Diane Martel
Diane Martel is a music video director and choreographer.-Choreographer:1989*Bloodhounds of Broadway 1991*"Shiny Happy People" - R.E.M...
. The video premiered on BET
Bet
Bet or BET may refer to:* A wager in gambling* Basic Economics Test * Bet , the second letter in many Semitic alphabets, including Aramaic, Hebrew, Phoenician and Syriac* Brunauer-Emmett-Teller isotherm. See BET_theory...
's Access Granted
Access Granted
Access Granted is an American television series that features an in depth look at the planning and production of R&B and hip hop music videos. Each week, a different artist and their new music video are featured, with the video premiering at the end of the episode. The series began airing in 2001...
on Ciara's 21st birthday, October 25 and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
's MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
where she introduced it over the phone. The video has charted BET
Bet
Bet or BET may refer to:* A wager in gambling* Basic Economics Test * Bet , the second letter in many Semitic alphabets, including Aramaic, Hebrew, Phoenician and Syriac* Brunauer-Emmett-Teller isotherm. See BET_theory...
's 106 & Park
106 & Park
106 & Park is a Top Ten Hip-Hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that airs weekdays at 6:00 PM on BET . Since its inception, it was the network's #1 rated show...
and debuted on Friday November 3, 2006 at the number 8 position six days after its premiere. The video debuted on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's TRL
Total Request Live
Total Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...
at number ten on November 8, 2006 and peaked at number four. In addition, the video topped the 106 & Park at the number one position on November 27, 2006, for 27 nonconsecutive countdowns. Tina Landon
Tina Landon
Tina Landon is an award-winning Mexican-American choreographer based in Los Angeles who has worked with Prince, Anastacia, Mýa, Pink, Jay-Z, Marc Anthony, Kristi Yamaguchi, Aerosmith, Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera, Ricky Martin, Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, Shakira, Pussycat Dolls, Tina...
, Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
's former choreographer, assisted in the choreography for the video.
The video begins with Ciara, wearing a brown hooded sweater and sweat pants, dancing by herself in a secluded area. The scene shows her singing the first verse into a gravity defying microphone, which can also support Ciara's entire body weight. During the chorus and second verse, Ciara is seen finessing seductively in a chair, which is mixed with footage of Ciara and her dancers dancing in hooded attire. Further on in the video we are introduced to a different setting in which Ciara and the dancers are seen sitting on the ground against a brick wall, exhibiting shoulder and hand movements. During the second chorus, a cabaret scene shows the silhouette of Ciara in front of a white screen, while the dancers move around on scaffolding. The shot changes once more to a visualization of Ciara on the floor sporting a petite, brown wig, reciting the spoken part of the bridge. Afterwards, Ciara dances in front of a different brick wall, in a dark area, only lit by a red spotlight. The video fades out to a scene in which we see Ciara and the dancers in somewhat of a conga line, dancing out of view.
Formats and track listings
These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Promise".- Itunes North America digital download #1
- "Promise" (Main version)
- Itunes North America digital download #2
- "Promise" (Go and Get Your Tickets Mix)
- Promotional CD
- "Promise" (Main)
- "Promise" (Instrumental)
- "Promise" (Call Out Research Hook #1)
- "Promise" (Call Out Research Hook #2)
Charts
| Chart (2006/2007) | Peak 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... |
11 |
| U.S. 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,... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Pop Songs | 36 |