What About Us?
3213823
223369284
2008-07-03T19:48:55Z
Seraphim Whipp
3369647
Removing backlinks to United World Chart because ""; using [[WP:TWINKLE|TW]]
{{Infobox Single
| Name = What About Us?
| Artist = [[Brandy (entertainer)|Brandy]]
| Cover = Whataboutus.jpg
| from Album = [[Full Moon (album)|Full Moon]]
| Format = [[CD single]], [[12-inch single|12" single]]
| Released = [[January 8]], [[2002]] <small>(internet)</small><br>[[February 5]], [[2002]]
| Recorded = [[New Jersey]]; [[2001]]
| Genre = [[contemporary R&B|R&B]]
| Length = 4:10 <small>(album version)</small> <br> 3:57 <small>(radio edit)</small>
| Label = [[Atlantic Records|Atlantic]]
| Writer = [[LaShawn Daniels]], [[Rodney Jerkins]], Brandy Norwood, Nora Payne, Kenisha Pratt
| Producer = Rodney Jerkins
| Certification = [[Gold]] <small>([[ARIA]])</small>
| Last single = "[[Another Day in Paradise#Brandy & Ray J cover|Another Day in Paradise]]"<br>(2001)
| This single = "What Abous Us?"<br>(2002)
| Next single = "[[Full Moon (song)|Full Moon]]"<br>(2002)
}}
"'''What About Us?'''" is an [[contemporary R&B|R&B]] song written by [[United States|American]] singer-songwriter [[Brandy (entertainer)|Brandy]], [[LaShawn Daniels]], [[Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins]], Kenisha Pratt, and Nora Payne for Brandy's third studio album, ''[[Full Moon (album)|Full Moon]]'' (2002). It was produced by Jerkins, and was released as the album's lead single during the first quarter of 2002 (see [[2002 in music]]). While "What About Us?" managed to enter the top twenty on the majority of the charts it appeared on, it reached the top ten in [[Australia]], [[Denmark]], [[New Zealand]], [[Norway]], [[the Philippines]], the [[UK]], and the [[United States]]. [[Steve "Silk" Hurley]]'s remix version was nominated for a 2003 [[Grammy Award]] for "[[Grammy Award for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical|Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical]]".
== Writing and recording ==
"What About Us?" was one of a couple of new tracks Jerkins worked on while he was putting the finishing touches on Brandy's ''[[Full Moon (album)|Full Moon]]'' album in [[Los Angeles, California]].<ref name="one">{{cite web|title="Brandy Comes Full Circle On ''Full Moon''"|work=MTV News|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1451839/20020117/brandy.jhtml|accessdate=2007-07-17}}</ref> After playing it to her, enthusiastic Brandy asked Jerkins to save the "offbeat, aggressive high-tech track" for the album: "I was like 'Oh my God, Rodney, this is it", she said in an interview with ''[[MTV News]]'' the following year. "This is exactly what the industry needs. We can maybe change the game with this.' He said, 'Yeah, this is what I'm going for'."<ref name="one">{{cite web|title="Brandy Comes Full Circle On ''Full Moon''"|work=MTV News|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1451839/20020117/brandy.jhtml|accessdate=2007-07-17}}</ref> The singer eventually consulted longtime collaborators [[LaShawn Daniels]], Nora Payne and Kenisha Pratt to re-write several lyrics in the song. "I told them what I wanted to talk about. 'This is an aggressive record — it's edgy, it's sexy. I wanna sing about something that's sexy and edgy.' I revisited my past in my mind and kind of told them what I wanna talk about."<ref name="one">{{cite web|title="Brandy Comes Full Circle On ''Full Moon''"|work=MTV News|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1451839/20020117/brandy.jhtml|accessdate=2007-07-17}}</ref>
Brandy has noted that it took the team a while to get it because she didn't want "that sound that’s already saturated the industry. It’s important to me to be a trendsetter and change the game. It was a great feeling to see Rodney soar like that."<ref name="three">{{cite web|title="Brandy Released Her New Single "What About Us?"|work=e-Jams|url=http://www.ejams.com/brandy.htm|accessdate=2007-07-17}}</ref> The song's protagonist describes the aftermaths of an untrue love, facing would-be Mr. Right with the current point of the one-sided attachment. "It was about being in a relationship that's not working anymore," Brandy said in a [[2005]] interview, adding: "'What About Us' was a little more aggressive and different for me. I'd say it was a little bit ahead of its time..."<ref name="five">{{cite web|title=''The Best of Brandy''|work=Soultracks|url=http://www.soultracks.com/brandy.htm|accessdate=2007-07-17}}</ref> Media sources compared it to the [[Janet Jackson]] single "[[Control (Janet Jackson song)|Control]]", released in 1986 (see [[1986 in music]]), which the singer has cited as an influence on the song.<ref name="four">{{cite web|title="Brandy Expecting A 'Full Moon' On March 5"|work=XS-4-All|url=http://www.xs4all.nl/~mroyen/News/2002/news_january_13_2002.htm|accessdate=2007-07-17}}</ref>
On [[January 8]], [[2002]] the full song was available [[streaming|streamed]] [[on-demand]] in its entirety with a special recorded introduction from Brandy,<ref name="two">{{cite web|title="AOL Music Hosts Record Breaking Global 'First Listen' of Brandy's Latest Single"|work=Business Wire|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2002_Jan_9/ai_81516415|accessdate=2007-07-17}}</ref> on the [[AOL]] service at [[AOL Music]]: ''First Listen'', across AOL's Web Properties including [[Netscape]], [[AIM]], [[ICQ]] and [[CompuServe]], as well as on its international services in [[Australia]], [[Brazil]], [[Canada]], [[France]], [[Germany]], [[Japan]], [[Mexico]]/[[Argentina]], and the [[UK]].<ref name="two">{{cite web|title="AOL Music Hosts Record Breaking Global 'First Listen' of Brandy's Latest Single"|work=Business Wire|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2002_Jan_9/ai_81516415|accessdate=2007-07-17}}</ref> "What About Us?" was remixed by several producers and DJs, among spawning versions with rappers [[Nas (rapper)|Nas]] and [[Joe Budden]] each. Although it "didn't pop," [[Darkchild]] signee Fats was supposed to appear on the album version of the song. [[Steve "Silk" Hurley]]'s remix version was nominated for a 2003 [[Grammy Award]] for "[[Grammy Award for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical|Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical]]".
== Music video ==
[[Image:Brandy wau1.jpg|210px|thumb|left|Brandy performing atop a pyramid of kneeling men in the music video for "What About Us?" ([[2002]]).]] The song's [[music video]] was directed by [[Dave Meyers]] and produced by Ron Mohrhoff. It was entirely filmed inside the Ten 9 Fifty Studios in [[Culver City, California]] between [[December 1]] and [[December 2|2]], [[2001]], and features close shots and dance sequences using [[bluescreen|greenscreen technique]].<ref name="six">{{cite web|title=Brandy - "What About Us?"|work=MVD Base|url=http://www.mvdbase.com/video.php?id=4361 |accessdate=2007-02-05}}</ref>
The video does not have a substantial plot and, per Brandy's request, focuses on capturing her "moments as a performer," dealing with "different set-ups" and "beauty, fashion, edginess, hip."<ref>[http://vidsearch.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=956453805 "What About Us?" on ''Making the Video'']. ''Myspace''. Retrieved [[2007]]-02-05.</ref> It opens with a digitized long shot of the singer standing atop a pyramid of kneeling, taut men, all holding up Brandy on her pedestal. The scene switches into a "futuristic [[wind tunnel]]", where she wields a bat against cell phones, two-way pagers, and a flying man, whose sunglasses she grabs off. While the video among intercuts scenes of Brandy performing on a platform with two black-painted men in collars and leashes, it ends with her sitting in the passenger's seat in a [[lowrider]], amid a sea of lowriders. The final scenes feature [[cameo appearance]]s by [[Rodney Jerkins]] and Brandy's younger brother [[Ray J]].
The final edit of "What About Us?" worldpremiered at the end of its ''[[Making the Video]]'' episode on [[MTV]] on [[January 10]], [[2002]].<ref name="seven">{{cite web|title="Brandy Stands On Hill Of Men, Rocks Low Rider In New Video"|work=Vh1 News|url=http://www.vh1.com/artists/news/1451741/20020110/brandy.jhtml |accessdate=2007-02-05}}</ref> It debuted on the network's ''[[Total Request Live]]'' top ten video countdown on [[January 25]] and peaked at number one, remaining on the countdown for 25 unconsecutive days.<ref name="eight">{{cite web|title=Archive|work=TRL Archive|url=http://www.atrl.net/trlarchive/?s=recap&y=2002&m=04|accessdate=2007-07-19}}</ref> The video entered the [[MuchMusic]] ''[[Countdown (MuchMusic TV series)|Countdown]]'' in Canada in the week ending [[February 8]], and it peaked at number seven in the week ending [[February 22]].<ref name="nine">{{cite web|title=Countdown|work=Much Music|url=http://www.muchmusic.com/countdown/index.aspx?CountdownDate=12/8/2006|accessdate=2007-07-19}}</ref>
==Charts==
{| width="0%"
|- valign="top"
| width="50%" |
{|class="wikitable"
!align="left" width="250"|Chart (2002)
!align="center"|Peak<br>position
|-
|align="left"|[[ARIA Charts|Australian ARIA Singles Chart]] <ref name="aus">{{cite web | title=Australia: "What About Us?"| work=AustralianCharts| url=http://australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Brandy&titel=What+About+Us%3F&cat=s| accessdate=2007-04-29}}</ref>
|align="center"|6
|-
|align="left"|Austrian Singles Chart <ref name="austria">{{cite web | title=Austria: "What About Us?"| work=Austrian Charts| url=http://austriancharts.at/showitem.asp?interpret=Brandy&titel=What+About+Us%3F&cat=s| accessdate=2007-04-29}}</ref>
|align="center"|40
|-
|align="left"|Belgian [[Ultratop 50]] (Flanders) <ref name="belgium">[http://www.ultratop.be/en/showitem.asp?interpret=Brandy&titel=What+About+Us%3F&cat=s ultratop.be - Brandy - What About Us?<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
|align="center"|20
|-
|align="left"|Belgian [[Ultratop]] 40 (Wallonia) <ref name="belgium"/>
|align="center"|13
|-
|align="left"|Brazil Singles Chart <ref name="BRA">{{cite web|title=Chart Data| work=MC-Charts| url=http://www.mariah-charts.com/chartdata/PBrandy.htm| accessdate=2007-07-17}}</ref>
|align="center"|20
|-
|align="left"|Canadian Singles Chart <ref name="amg">{{cite web | title=AMG: ''Billboard'' Singles | work=All Music Guide| url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:0xfrxqqgldae~T51| accessdate=2007-04-29}}</ref>
|align="center"|16
|-
|align="left"|Danish Singles Chart <ref name="top40">{{cite web | title=Full History| work=Top40-Charts| url=http://top40-charts.com/songs/full.php?sid=3084&sort=chartid| accessdate=2007-04-29}}</ref>
|align="center"|7
|-
|align="left"|Dutch Singles Chart <ref name="top40">{{cite web | title=Full History| work=Top40-Charts| url=http://top40-charts.com/songs/full.php?sid=3084&sort=chartid| accessdate=2007-04-29}}</ref>
|align="center"|11
|-
|align="left"|Europe Official Top 100 <ref name="top40">{{cite web | title=Full History| work=Top40-Charts| url=http://top40-charts.com/songs/full.php?sid=3084&sort=chartid| accessdate=2007-04-29}}</ref>
|align="center"|4
|-
|align="left"|French Singles Chart <ref name="lescharts">{{cite web | title="What About Us?" Information| work=LesCharts| url=http://lescharts.com/showitem.asp?key=5046&cat=s| accessdate=2007-04-29}}</ref>
|align="center"|24
|-
|align="left"|[[German Singles Chart]] <ref name="top40">{{cite web | title=Full History| work=Top40-Charts| url=http://top40-charts.com/songs/full.php?sid=3084&sort=chartid| accessdate=2007-04-29}}</ref>
|align="center"|13
|-
|align="left"|[[Irish Singles Chart]] <ref name="irish">{{cite web | title=The Irish Charts | work=Irish Charts| url=http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement| accessdate=2007-04-29}}</ref>
|align="center"|17
|}
| width="50%" |
{|class="wikitable"
!align="left" width="250"|Chart (2002)
!align="center"|Peak<br>position
|-
|align="left"|Italian Singles Chart <ref name="italy">{{cite web | title=Italy: "What About Us?" | work=FIMI| url=http://www.fimi.it/classifiche.asp?idtipo_classifica=3&idclassifica=453&archivio=true| accessdate=2007-04-29}}</ref>
|align="center"|26
|-
|align="left"|[[RIANZ|New Zealand Singles Chart]] <ref name="nz">{{cite web | title=Charts: "What About Us?"| work=Charts.org| url=http://charts.org.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=Brandy&titel=What+About+Us%3F&cat=s| accessdate=2007-04-29}}</ref>
|align="center"|8
|-
|align="left"|Norwegian Singles Chart <ref name="norway">{{cite web | title=Norway: "What About Us?" | work=Norwegian Charts| url=http://norwegiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Brandy&titel=What+About+Us%3F&cat=s| accessdate=2007-04-29}}</ref>
|align="center"|11
|-
|align="left"|Swedish Singles Chart <ref name="sc">{{cite web | title=Swedish Charts: "What About Us?"| work=SwedishCharts| url=http://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Brandy&titel=What+About+Us%3F&cat=s| accessdate=2007-04-29}}</ref>
|align="center"|16
|-
|align="left"|Swiss Singles Chart <ref name="swiss">{{cite web | title=Switzerland: "What About Us?"| work=Swisscharts| url=http://hitparade.ch/showitem.asp?interpret=Brandy&titel=What+About+Us%3F&cat=s| accessdate=2007-04-29}}</ref>
|align="center"|8
|-
|align="left"|[[UK Singles Chart]] <ref name="norway">{{cite web | title=Norway: "What About Us?" | work=Norwegian Charts| url=http://norwegiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Brandy&titel=What+About+Us%3F&cat=s| accessdate=2007-04-29}}</ref>
|align="center"|4
|-
|align="left"|United World Chart <ref>{{cite web |title=United World Chart |url=http://www.mediatraffic.de/week11-2002.htm |accessdate=2008-01-04 |work=Media Traffic}}</ref>
|align="center"|7
|-
|align="left"|U.S. [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] <ref name="amg">{{cite web | title=AMG: ''Billboard'' Singles | work=All Music Guide| url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:0xfrxqqgldae~T51| accessdate=2007-04-29}}</ref>
|align="center"|7
|-
|align="left"|U.S. ''Billboard'' [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs]] <ref name="amg">{{cite web | title=AMG: ''Billboard'' Singles | work=All Music Guide| url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:0xfrxqqgldae~T51| accessdate=2007-04-29}}</ref>
|align="center"|3
|-
|align="left"|World R&B Top 30 Singles <ref name="top40">{{cite web | title=Full History| work=Top40-Charts| url=http://top40-charts.com/songs/full.php?sid=3084&sort=chartid| accessdate=2007-04-29}}</ref>
|align="center"|3
|-
|align="left"|World Jazz Top 20 Singles <ref name="top40">{{cite web | title=Full History| work=Top40-Charts| url=http://top40-charts.com/songs/full.php?sid=3084&sort=chartid| accessdate=2007-04-29}}</ref>
|align="center"|13
|}
|}
==Formats and tracklistings==
These are the formats and track listings of major single-releases of "What About Us?".
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
=====CD single=====
# "What About Us?" (Radio Version)
# "What About Us?" (Boogiesoul Remix)
# "What About Us?" (Simon Vegas Remix)
# "What About Us?" (Album Instrumental)
# "What About Us?" (Boogiesoul Remix Instrumental)
# "What About Us?" (Simon Vegas Remix Instrumental)
=====12" vinyl single=====
# "What About Us?" (Album Version)
# "What About Us?" (Instrumental)
# "What About Us?" (Radio Edit)
# "What About Us?" (Acappella)
{{col-2}}
=====Remixes=====
# "What About Us?" (Boogiesoul Remix)
# "What About Us?" (Simon Vegas Remix)
# "What About Us?" (Massive Funky House Mix)
# "What About Us?" (Speed Garage Mix)
# "What About Us?" (Qualifide Remix)
# "What About Us?" (Jay Hannan Vocal/Dub Remix)
# "What About Us?" (Drum & Bass Mix)
# "What About Us?" ([[E-Smoove]] Remix)
# "What About Us?" (Lenny B Club Mix)
{{col-end}}
==Notes==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* [http://music.yahoo.com/ar-286452---Brandy Brandy music videos] — watch "What About Us?" at LAUNCHcast
{{Brandy}}
{{Brandy songs}}
[[Category:2002 singles]]
[[Category:Brandy songs]]
[[Category:Music videos directed by Dave Meyers]]
[[Category:Songs produced by Darkchild]]