"1 Thing" | ||||
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Single by Amerie | ||||
from the album Touch | ||||
Released | January 18, 2005 | |||
Recorded | June 2004 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | ||||
Length | 4:01 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | Rich Harrison | |||
Amerie singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"1 Thing" on YouTube |
"1 Thing" is a song by American singer Amerie from her second studio album, Touch (2005). Written by Amerie and Rich Harrison and produced by the latter, the song is influenced by go-go rhythms and prominently samples the Meters' 1970 funk recording of "Oh, Calcutta!", written by Stanley Walden. Its lyrics focus on an unidentified "thing" that fuels a romantic attraction.
Released both as the album's lead single on January 18, 2005, and as the only single from the soundtrack to the 2005 romantic comedy film Hitch , "1 Thing" received acclaim from critics, and peaked at number eight on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number four in the United Kingdom, becoming Amerie's sole top-10 single in the former and her first in the latter (Take Control reached number 10 in 2007) and her biggest hit single worldwide. Its digital download and ringtone releases were each certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). A remix of "1 Thing" features rapper Eve.
The song earned Amerie a nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 2006 Grammy Awards, and was also nominated for Choice R&B/Hip-Hop Track at the 2005 Teen Choice Awards. It was later named the 22nd and 25th best song of the 2000s decade by Rolling Stone and Robert Christgau, respectively.
In 2004, when working on her second album, Amerie enlisted the services of producer Rich Harrison, who had helped produce and write her first album. In May 2004, Harrison heard "Oh, Calcutta!" for the first time and began working on the beat accompanying the ten-second back-and-forth breakdown between Meters drummer Ziggy Modeliste and guitarist Leo Nocentelli. Harrison said he loved the work of the Meters, especially Modeliste, commenting, "Ziggy, he's crazy." [1] He processed the way the breakdown could be "flipped", added a bongo drum, a cowbell, and a ride cymbal, and sent it to Amerie. [1] According to Harrison, they wrote and finished the song in two to three hours. [1]
Amerie's manager and eventual husband, Len Nicholson, felt the song was "the single" to release. [2] When executives at Amerie's label, Columbia/Sony Urban Music, heard "1 Thing", they felt that the song's choruses needed to be "bigger". [1] They recommended that more music be added to the percussion-focused beat, but Harrison and Amerie replied that adding more to the beat would overpower the song. [3] Harrison and Amerie returned to the studio several times to rework the track. [1] Each time they submitted a new version to the label, Columbia told them that the song sounded unfinished, but was unable to specify what should be changed. [1] [3] The label continued to refuse to release "1 Thing"; in Amerie's words, "People just weren't getting it". [1]
Later in 2004, six months after recording "1 Thing", Amerie and Harrison leaked it to US radio stations in an attempt to get it released officially. [1] [4] The response from DJs and listeners was positive, and it consequently received airplay across the country. Columbia Records attempted to suppress the song because it was an unofficial release, and because Jennifer Lopez (another artist on the label) had expressed interest in recording the song for her own album, Rebirth . [4] Radio stations refused to retract the song from their playlists, and Columbia eventually began promoting "1 Thing" as a single, making it a last-minute addition to the Hitch soundtrack. [1] Lopez settled on another Harrison-produced, funk-infused track, the Usher outtake "Get Right". [4] The song was officially serviced to American urban radio stations on January 18, 2005. [5]
"1 Thing" was produced by Harrison and is built around a sample of the Meters' 1970 version of the theme song from the musical Oh! Calcutta! , "Oh, Calcutta!", written by Stanley Walden. Built around The Meters' funky beat-driven percussion, "1 Thing" finds Amerie lamenting an aspect of a relationship that keeps her satisfied. Even if other factors are less than positive, there is one thing that keeps her hooked ("It's this one thing that's got me trippin'"). Amerie said that the song was inspired by a conversation she had with Harrison "about relationships and how there's always one thing that keeps you attracted to someone. No matter what they do or how they act, there's that one undeniable thing that keeps you coming back." [2] She told Blender that the "one thing" "could be bringing flowers, or something more ... physical. People think I'm just this good girl, but there are other sides they don't see." [1]
Despite being based on a New Orleans funk sample, the song belies a strong go-go influence. Harrison likened the two based on their heavy use of percussion and chant. [1] Amerie stated, "You don't hear go-go outside of D.C. ... I was like, 'We have to do it in an up-tempo way because when you hear it on the radio in D.C., it's fast.' ... So it's a fresh sound for everybody but people in the D.C./Maryland/Virginia area. They [already] know what it is." [6]
"1 Thing" received acclaim from music critics. In its review of Touch, Rolling Stone named the song "an early front-runner for song-of-the-summer status", also ranking it the number one single of 2005. [7] Pitchfork stated that Harrison "knows something about horns, big glorious ascending heavenly anthemic horns" and "drums, huge sweaty riotous back-and-forth second-line old-school Clyde Stubblefield drums." [8] AllMusic described "1 Thing" as being "just as exciting" as "Oh, Calcutta!" for how it "[flails] all over the place with unbound joy". [9]
The song received second place behind Kanye West's "Gold Digger" on the 2005 Pazz & Jop list, a survey of several hundred music critics conducted by Robert Christgau. [10] Blender ranked "1 Thing" number 191 on its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born". It praised the song's "cascading drums...and Amerie's frantic, top-of-her-range vocals". [11] Calling it "a pretty fucking smart move to wrap perfect pop around a question that stays open all night", Pitchfork listed the song as the second best single of 2005, behind Antony and the Johnsons' "Hope There's Someone". [12] The song was ranked 32nd on Pitchfork's top 500 songs of the 2000s, [13] and the publication included "1 Thing" in its collection of The Pitchfork 500 . [14] Christgau named it the 25th best song of the 2000s. [15] Björk also dubbed it the "Best! Song! Ever!" [16]
The song received a nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 48th Grammy Awards, but lost to Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together". [17]
In the United States, "1 Thing" debuted at the bottom of the Billboard Hot 100 on February 12, 2005. The song gradually climbed the chart over a 10-week period, peaking at number eight on the chart dated April 23, 2005, and exited the chart after a total of 20 weeks. [18] Additionally, the single topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in on April 30, 2005, [19] while reaching numbers 13 and 28 on the Rhythmic Top 40 and Pop 100 charts, respectively. [20] [21] The song was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in October 2005 for digital sales and in June 2006 for ringtone sales. [22]
In the United Kingdom, "1 Thing" debuted and peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart in late May 2005. It went on to spend 14 weeks on the chart and became the 38th best-selling single of 2005. [23] [24] In neighboring Ireland, the single debuted at number 10 on the Irish Singles Chart. It climbed to number six two weeks later, remaining on the chart for another nine weeks. [25] "1 Thing" was successful in continental Europe, where it peaked at number 13 on the European Hot 100 Singles chart. [26] It reached the top 10 in Denmark, Finland, and Norway; the top 20 in Belgium and the Netherlands; and the top 40 in France, Germany, Sweden, and Switzerland. The song was also commercially successful in Oceania, reaching the top 20 in Australia and New Zealand. [27]
The music video for "1 Thing", co-directed by Chris Robinson and Amerie, publicly revealed the singer's sexual side. [2] It focuses on her dance routines, featuring her as a go-go dancer in various setups, intercut with footage from the film Hitch. Amerie approached Robinson with the video's concept in mind, [28] and the two collaborated again when directing the music video for the following single, "Touch".
Foo Fighters member Dave Grohl showed the video for "1 Thing" during 24 Hours of Foo , during a segment in which each member of the band presented one song that they considered their "guilty pleasure".[ citation needed ]
American punk rock band T.S.O.L. released a cover of "1 Thing" as a 12-inch vinyl single in 2019. The band have attached a political theme to their version of the song. [29] Frontman Jack Grisham said:
I like go-go music and soul and anything that really moves. I first heard Amerie’s “1 Thing” in 2005, when it was released. Fucking infectious man, the way that groove keeps rolling, and she’s such a great vocalist. The lyrics were your basic relationship trip but then it hit me, this isn’t just a song about some dude, these lyrics read like a song to a system or a government that’d been up to no good. When she sang, “memories keep ringing bells” I was thinking of the state of our union today, the turmoil in our society, and where we’d been before—I was musing on our involvement in the Middle East, Latin America, Vietnam. I was thinking about the dirty deeds that this nation had been up to and then she sang, “why don’t you just admit it” and I realized that no one in power, not in this country, was ever gonna admit that we were wrong. [30]
Their cover would later appear on their 2024 album, A-Side Graffiti. [31]
American rapper Lauryn Hill sampled "1 Thing" during live performances, using the song during the second and last part of her single "Doo Wop (That Thing)". [32] Likewise, British girl group Girls Aloud used the song as an interlude in performances of their 2004 single "Love Machine" during their Chemistry Tour in 2006. [33] Additionally, alternative rock band Elbow covered the song in a comedic fashion for an August 2005 performance on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge . [34]
The song was played during the pole dancing scene in 2010 film Somewhere , [35] and a gospel renderition of the song was included in the 2023 musical comedy Praise This . [36] It has also been placed in the soundtracks for many video games, notably Saints Row 2 and Grand Theft Auto V .[ citation needed ]
The song's only official remix features guest vocals from rapper Eve, [37] and an alternate version of the music video was created for it. Amerie said that she chose Eve to appear on the remix because most other female R&B singers were accompanied by male rappers, and that Eve "epitomizes that whole independent fearless female doing her thing. She's fashionable and very much a woman even though she definitely has a lot of attitude, the strength that most would attribute to men. ... With '1 Thing' being such an aggressive track, it was perfect to see two females really doing it." [38]
Unofficial remixes of "1 Thing" would later materialise, with rappers Fabolous and B.G. releasing versions of the song. DJ Siik would remix "1 Thing", [39] using instrumentals by Japanese producer Nujabes. Stylus Magazine listed his remix seventh on its list of the top ten remixes of 2005, commenting that "it's enough to warrant a whole change of venue, from the sizzling pep of the dance floor to the silk luxury of the bedroom." [40] Most of these unofficial remixes were released on mixtapes and Amerie would later praise them, particularly those by Fabolous, B.G., and Juelz Santana. [41]
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Credits adapted from the liner notes of Touch . [45]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI) [72] | Platinum | 600,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [22] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
United States | January 18, 2005 | Urban radio | Columbia | [5] |
March 8, 2005 | Digital download | [73] | ||
March 28, 2005 | Contemporary hit radio | [74] | ||
United Kingdom | May 12, 2005 | Digital download | [75] | |
May 23, 2005 |
| [76] | ||
Australia | CD | [77] | ||
Denmark | May 30, 2005 | [78] |
Amerie Mi Marie Nicholson is an American actress, singer-songwriter, and writer. She has released four studio albums to date: All I Have (2002), Touch (2005), Because I Love It (2007), In Love & War (2009). She is best known for her 2005 single "1 Thing".
"Goodies" is the debut single by American singer Ciara featuring rapper and Jive recording artist Petey Pablo for Ciara's debut studio album of the same name. The song was released as the album's lead single on June 8, 2004, through LaFace Records. It was written by Ciara, Sean Garrett, LeMarquis Jefferson, and Craig Love, and Lil Jon the song's producer. The song was recorded as an answer song to the featured performer's hit single, "Freek-a-Leek." The song's lead woman refuses men's sexual advances, proclaiming that they will not get her "goodies" because "they stay in the jar."
Touch is the second studio album by American singer Amerie, released on April 26, 2005, by Richcraft Records, Sony Urban Music, and Columbia Records. Following the release of her debut album, All I Have (2002), and her first acting role, Amerie began work on her second studio album. As with All I Have, the album was co-written and produced by mentor Rich Harrison, with contributions from additional productions. Unlike her debut, Amerie co-wrote every track but one, and assumed more creative control over the visual imagery accompanying the album, such as music videos and artwork.
All I Have is the debut studio album by American R&B recording artist Amerie. It was released on July 30, 2002, through Columbia Records, Rise Entertainment and Richcraft Records. Entirely produced by Rich Harrison, the album debuted and peaked at number nine on the US Billboard 200 chart in August 2002, remaining in the top twenty for two weeks only and dropping off the top hundred in its fourteenth week. It also received generally mixed reviews from the music critics. Nevertheless, the album was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling over 500,000 copies on October 3, 2003, and won Amerie a Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist in 2003. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the album has sold over 661,000 copies in the United States as of July 2009. All I Have produced two singles: "Why Don't We Fall in Love" and a minor hit "Talkin' to Me".
"Get Right" is a song by American singer Jennifer Lopez for her fourth studio album, Rebirth (2005). It was written by Rich Harrison and James Brown, and produced by Harrison and Cory Rooney. An upbeat dance and R&B song with jazz and funk influences, "Get Right" marks a departure in Lopez's musical style, and has been called one of her most "memorable" songs by The New York Times. It is built around a sample of "Soul Power 74" by Maceo and the Macks, and was noted for its heavy use of saxophone and horn instrumentation. The song contains lyrics about dancing, sex and drinking at a club. American rapper Fabolous is featured on a separate version of the song which is present as a bonus track on Rebirth. "Get Right" was announced as the album's lead single in November 2004.
"Why Don't We Fall in Love" is a song written and produced by Rich Harrison for American R&B singer Amerie's debut album, All I Have (2002). Released as the album's lead single in the United Kingdom in October 2001 and in the United States in July 2002. After being sent to US Urban/Urban AC, Top 40 and Rhythmic radio in April 2002, the song reached number twenty-three on the Billboard Hot 100 and became a top ten hit on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. It performed moderately elsewhere, peaking at number forty in the United Kingdom and number seventy-three in Australia. The song is also used for the promo of the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless. It is also one of the songs used in the American version of Donkey Konga 2. Part of the lyrics, along with the background music, was sampled in the song "Rule the World" by 2 Chainz and Ariana Grande and No Fake Love by Queen Naija and YoungBoy Never Broke Again.
"I Don't Care" is a song by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin from his eighth studio album, Life (2005). It was released on September 13, 2005, as the album's lead single. The original English version of the song features rapper Fat Joe and R&B singer Amerie, while its Spanish version, "Qué Más Da", replaces Amerie's vocals with Debi Nova's. Martin performed "I Don't Care" at the 2006 Winter Olympics closing ceremony.
"When I'm Gone" is a song by American rapper Eminem from his first greatest hits album Curtain Call: The Hits (2005). It was released on December 6, 2005, the same day as the album was released, as the lead single.
"Milkshake" is a song by American singer Kelis from her third studio album, Tasty (2003). Written and produced by the Neptunes, it was released as the lead single from Tasty in the United States on August 25, 2003, by Star Trak and Arista Records, and internationally on November 24, 2003. According to Kelis, "milkshake" in the song is used as a metaphor for "something that makes women special". The song is noted for its euphemistic chorus and low-beat R&B sound.
"Out of Touch" is a song by American duo Daryl Hall & John Oates from their twelfth studio album Big Bam Boom (1984). The song was released as the lead single from Big Bam Boom on Thursday, October 4, 1984, by RCA Records. This song was their last Billboard Hot 100 number-one single, topping the chart for two weeks in December 1984. It also became the duo's fourteenth consecutive top 40 hit since 1980.
"Take Control" is a song by the American singer Amerie from her third studio album, Because I Love It (2007). It was released as the album's lead single on October 17, 2006. The song was written by Cee-Lo Green, Mike Caren and Amerie, and was produced by Caren, with additional production by Cee-Lo, Amerie and Len Nicholson. "Take Control" contains excerpts from the 1970 song "Jimmy, Renda-se" by the Brazilian musician Tom Zé, and elements of the 1980 song "You Make My Dreams" by Hall & Oates.
"Take This Ring" is a song by American singer Toni Braxton. It was written and produced by Rich Harrison for her fifth studio album, Libra (2005). A subdued go go track, it features an uncredited sample from the song "Here Comes the Meter Man" (1969) by The Meters. Lyrically, it has Braxton singing about her plans to be free from a night of matrimonial responsibilities. "Take This Ring was released as the album's third and final stateside single but failed to enter the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, though it peaked at number 12 on the Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.
"Touch" is a song by American singer Amerie from her second studio album of the same name (2005). Written by Amerie, Lil Jon, Sean Garrett, Craig Love, LRoc, and LaMarquis Jefferson and produced by Lil Jon, the track was released on May 31, 2005, as the album's second single. While "Touch" reached the top 20 in the United Kingdom and Ireland and number 33 in Australia, it failed to match the success of "1 Thing" in the United States, missing the Billboard Hot 100 and reaching number 95 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
Because I Love It is the third studio album by American singer Amerie. It was released on May 11, 2007, by Columbia Records. In the United States, the album was released exclusively through retailers such as Walmart and FYE, before its physical release was officially made available on September 30, 2008, by which point all future singles and promotion had been scrapped due to Amerie's departure from Columbia Records. As a result, the album failed to chart on the Billboard 200, becoming Amerie's first studio album to do so. Nevertheless, the album was a moderate success in Europe and Japan, and has been certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).
"Gotta Work" is a song by American R&B singer-songwriter Amerie, and is the second international single from her third studio album, Because I Love It (2007). It samples Sam & Dave's 1966 song "Hold On, I'm Comin'", written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter and originally recorded by Reuben Wilson. The sample used is from a cover version by Erma Franklin, from her album 'Soul Sister' (1969). Amerie called the sound of the song "'go-go soul'", saying go-go "[is] like really strong black coffee, some people can't ingest it in its purest form."
American singer Amerie has released four studio albums, two compilation albums, one mixtape, three extended plays, and fifteen singles. Her debut album, All I Have (2002), was certified Gold in the United States, and produced the top forty song "Why Don't We Fall in Love". Amerie's 2005 single "1 Thing"—from her second album, Touch became her biggest hit in the US and elsewhere, although US sales of Touch did not match those of her debut. Her third album, Because I Love It (2007), was preceded by the single "Take Control" and the mixtape Because I Love It Vol. 1, and it remains unreleased in North America. Amerie's recordings outside her solo material include featured credits on singles by Nas, LL Cool J, DJ Kayslay, Ricky Martin and Chingy.
"Talkin' About" is a song by American recording artist Amerie. It was co-written and produced by Rich Harrison for her second album, Touch (2005). According to Amerie, it is one of her "really personal" songs and may be her favorite track on the album. Released as a promotional single, "Talkin' About" peaked at number two on the US Billboard Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart. There was a remix made featuring East Coast rapper Jadakiss.
"One More Time" is a song by the French electronic music duo Daft Punk, released as the lead single from their second studio album, Discovery (2001), on 13 November 2000. It was shipped to radio in January 2001. It is a French house song featuring an auto-tuned vocal performance by Romanthony and a sample of "More Spell on You" by Eddie Johns. The music video forms part of the 2003 anime film Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem. "One More Time" reached number one on the French Singles Chart, number two on the UK Singles Chart, and number 61 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
"Hold On, We're Going Home" is a song by Canadian rapper Drake, featuring R&B duo Majid Jordan. The song was produced by Noah "40" Shebib, OVO Sound's Majid Jordan and Nineteen85, and it is the second single from his third studio album, Nothing Was the Same, and was released for digital download on August 7, 2013, following the 2013 OVO Fest. It was later released to mainstream and rhythmic contemporary radio on August 13, 2013.
The discography of American singer Kehlani consists of four studio albums, three mixtapes, and 70 singles. Kehlani released their debut commercial mixtape, Cloud 19, exclusively on August 26, 2014, and released it on streaming services on its seven-year anniversary in 2021. They released their second commercial mixtape, You Should Be Here, on April 28, 2015, which reached number 36 on the Billboard 200. On January 27, 2017, Kehlani released their debut studio album, SweetSexySavage, which reached number three on the Billboard 200. In 2018, Kehlani was featured on American rapper Cardi B's single, "Ring", from her debut studio album, Invasion of Privacy, which reached number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100. They released their third commercial mixtape, While We Wait, on February 22, 2019, which reached number nine on the Billboard 200. On May 8, 2020, Kehlani released their second studio album, It Was Good Until It Wasn't, which debuted and peaked at number two on the Billboard 200. On April 29, 2022, they released their third studio album, Blue Water Road, which debuted and peaked at number 13 on the Billboard 200.
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