Boy (I Need You)

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"Boy (I Need You)"
One of the alternative CD artworks
Single by Mariah Carey featuring Cam'ron
from the album Charmbracelet
B-side
  • "Irresistible (West Side Connection)"
  • "You Got Me"
ReleasedNovember 26, 2002 (2002-11-26)
Recorded2002
Genre
Length5:14
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Mariah Carey singles chronology
"Through the Rain"
(2002)
"Boy (I Need You)"
(2002)
"I Know What You Want"
(2003)
Music video
"Boy (I Need You)" on
YouTube

"Boy (I Need You)" is a song by American singer

MonarC Entertainment. Initially, "The One" had been chosen as the second single from the album, however, halfway through the filming of a music video for it, the singer decided to release "Boy (I Need You)" instead. Considered by Carey as one of her favorites, the track is a reworked version of rapper Cam'ron's song "Oh Boy
" released earlier that year.

The song was met with generally mixed reviews from contemporary critics. Many praised Carey's versatility and considered it as one of the stand-out tracks of Charmbracelet for having a different production when compared to the others. However, the sample hook of the song was described as "annoying". The single failed to make much impact on the charts around the world; it reached number 68 on the US Billboard Hip-Hop/R&B Songs chart and number 57 on the US

Hot Singles Sales
chart. Elsewhere, the song reached the top-ten in Portugal, and the top-twenty in the United Kingdom, while peaking within the top-forty in Australia, the Netherlands, Ireland and New Zealand.

The music video, directed by Joseph Kahn, incorporates elements of Japanese culture and features Carey's alter-ego Bianca Storm. It was also the first time that Carey worked with Kahn in a music video, which premiered on an episode of MTV's Making the Video in 2003. Following the release of "Through the Rain", Carey embarked on several stateside, European and Asian promotional tours in support of Charmbracelet, as well as its accompanying singles. Carey performed "Boy (I Need You)" live on several television shows appearances around the world.

Background

Following the heavy media coverage surrounding Carey's publicized breakdown and hospitalization, Carey's unprecedented $100 million five-album record deal with

MonarC.[5]

Recording and release

Carey started writing songs for then untitled Charmbracelet in 2002,[6] before she signed the record deal.[7] She decided to concentrate on "getting some much-needed rest"[8] and traveled to Capri and moved into the studio, which she had reserved to record the album.[9] While at Capri, Carey could focus on her writing and recording, without being subjected to any stress or pressure.[6] According to her, she would write the songs in her apartment upstairs, and would record them at the studio downstairs, at night.[10] Thus, most of the album was recorded in Capri although she traveled to Atlanta, New York and Philadelphia to record a few tracks.[11] The result was that Charmbracelet was her "most personal album" she had ever made.[10]

While Carey paved a lot of the album with slower and autobiographical ballads, she also attempted at making an album with a mixture of several different genres. According to Jon Pareles of The New York Times, the album showed off Carey's musical and vocal versatility, especially when viewing the differences in the record's first and second singles, "Ms. Carey is known for her voice, of course: she can hit high notes that barely sound human, and few singers leap around the octaves as gracefully as she does. But as she tries to regain her audience, her greatest weapon may be her versatility: Ms. Carey also knows how to make a hip-hop hit by holding back and letting the beat shine."[12] Carey decided to work with Just Blaze after she heard the song "Oh Boy" he had produced for Cam'ron.[10] Together they produced "Boy (I Need You)", a remake of "Oh Boy", and "You Got Me".[10] Carey described the former as one of her favorites on the album. "It's definitely one of my favorites, 'cause I love the original. It was cool to have him out there doing his thing in such a random environment," she said.[10] "Boy (I Need You)" was released as the second single from the album on November 26, 2002.[13] Initially, "The One" was scheduled to be released as the second single and the music video was shot for the song.[14] However, halfway through the filming, the track was changed to "Boy (I Need You)".[15]

Reception

"Boy (I Need You)" received mostly mixed reviews from contemporary critics. Jon Pareles of The New York Times complimented the track on its differences with most of the content on Charmbracelet.

Allmusic noted that Carey did not "completely abandon hip-hop, but whenever it rears its head on Charmbracelet, it's utterly jarring" citing the song as an example, while describing the sampled vocal hook as "annoying".[19] Erlewine, however, selected it as a Track Pick from the album review.[19] The single failed to make much impact on the charts around the world; it reached number 68 on the US Billboard Hip-Hop/R&B Songs chart and number 57 on the US Hot Singles Sales chart.[20][21] Elsewhere, the song reached number 17 in the United Kingdom, while peaking within the top 40 in Australia,[22] the Netherlands, Ireland and New Zealand.[23]

Music video and live performances

Carey and Cam'ron shown in anime form during the video's final scene.

Described as "Speed Racer meets Hello Kitty meets me and Cam'ron" by Carey,

Today, where she performed a four-song set-list at Mall of America for a crowd of over 10,000.[29] Carey also performed the song on Top of the Pops and on The Graham Norton Show.[30][31]

Formats and track listings

Charts

Weekly chart performance for "Boy (I Need You)"
Chart (2002–2003) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[36] 29
Australian Urban (ARIA)[37] 15
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia)[38] 6
Europe (
Eurochart Hot 100 Singles)[39]
44
France (
SNEP)[40]
51
Germany (Official German Charts)[41] 73
Ireland (IRMA)[42] 40
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)[43] 9
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[44] 35
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[45] 45
Portugal (AFP)[46] 7
Scotland (OCC)[47]
32
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[48] 19
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[49] 78
UK Singles (OCC)[50]
17
UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)[51]
5
UK Urban Club (Music Week)[52] 14
US
Hot Singles Sales (Billboard)[21]
57
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[20] 68
US CHR/Rhythmic (Radio & Records)[53] 43
US Urban (Radio & Records)[54] 49

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Boy (I Need You)"
Region Date Format(s) Catalog Label(s) Ref.
United States November 26, 2002 (2002-11-26)
12-inch vinyl
440 063 794-1
  • Island Def Jam
  • MonarC
[55]
February 3, 2003 (2003-02-03)
  • urban contemporary radio
ISLR 15793-2 [56]
Poland March 20, 2003 (2003-03-20) CD 1 0779382 Universal Music Polska [57]
CD 2 0779392 [58]
Belgium March 24, 2003 (2003-03-24) CD 077 9402 Def Jam [59]
United Kingdom 12-inch vinyl 077 928-1 Mercury [60]
CD 1 077 928-2
CD 2 077 927-2
Germany March 31, 2003 (2003-03-31) CD 00044007793923 Island [61]
Canada April 8, 2003 (2003-04-08) CD 4400779402 [62]
Australia April 14, 2003 (2003-04-14) CD 077 909-2 Universal Music Australia [63]

Notes

  1. ^ (featuring Cam’ron, Juelz Santana, Jimmy Jones & Freeway)

References

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  3. ^ Adams, Josh (February 6, 2006). "The Fall and Rise of Mariah Carey". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
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    .
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