Breathe (Blu Cantrell song)

Last updated

"Breathe"
Blucantrellbreathe.jpg
Single by Blu Cantrell featuring Sean Paul
from the album Bittersweet
ReleasedNovember 18, 2002 (2002-11-18)
Studio Sound on Sound Recording (New York City)
Genre
Length
  • 3:25 (album version)
  • 3:48 (single version)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Blu Cantrell singles chronology
"Round Up"
(2002)		"Breathe"
(2002)		"Make Me Wanna Scream"
(2003)
Sean Paul singles chronology
"Get Busy"
(2003)		"Breathe"
(2003)		"Like Glue"
(2003)

"Breathe" is a song by American singer Blu Cantrell from her second studio album, Bittersweet (2003). [1] A remixed version featuring Sean Paul was released as a single in February 2003, several months after the album version was released in November 2002. The album version of this song was produced and co-written by Ivan Matias and Andrea Martin. The remix featuring Sean Paul was produced by Ivan Matias, Andrea Martin, and Mark Pitts. The song peaked at 70 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and became a hit in Europe, most notably in the United Kingdom, where it topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks in August 2003.

Contents

Background and recording

"Breathe" was originally recorded for the Bittersweet album without Sean Paul, but his vocals were added for the single release. The song uses a slightly altered instrumental of Dr. Dre's 1999 song "What's the Difference" featuring Eminem and Xzibit, [2] which in turn revolved around a sample from Charles Aznavour's 1966 song "Parce Que Tu Crois". [3] [4] In an interview with the Metro , when asked what it was like to work with Dre, Cantrell said, "It was a remix, so I never actually got to meet him. They were his beats, but it was actually produced by another girl, Andrea Martin, and Ivan Matias. If I had to choose, I much prefer the remix to the original." [5]

Music video

The music video was directed by Hype Williams.[ citation needed ]

Chart performance

"Breathe" did not achieve the same level of success as Cantrell's "Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!)" in her native US, peaking at number 70 on the Billboard Hot 100 in August 2003, [6] but did stay on the chart for 20 weeks. [7]

The song achieved greater success outside of the United States. In the United Kingdom, "Breathe" debuted and peaked at the top of the UK Singles Chart on August 3, 2003 – for the week ending date August 9, 2003, becoming both Cantrell's and Paul's first chart-topping song in Britain. [8] It spent four weeks at the summit of the chart, replacing Daniel Bedingfield's "Never Gonna Leave Your Side". [9] "Breathe" was eventually dethroned from the top of the chart by the 2003 remix of Elton John's "Are You Ready for Love". [9] It became Britain's eighth-biggest-selling single of 2003, with sales of 330,000, [9] and has since sold over 410,000 copies there. [9]

Track listings

Credits and personnel

Credits are taken from the UK CD single liner notes. [13]

Studio

Personnel

Charts

Certifications

Certifications and sales for "Breathe"
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [57] Gold35,000^
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [58] Gold45,000‡
Germany (BVMI) [59] Gold150,000‡
Norway (IFPI Norway) [60] Gold5,000*
United Kingdom (BPI) [61] 2× Platinum1,200,000‡

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Breathe"
RegionVersionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref.
United StatesSoloNovember 18, 2002 Arista [62]
Sean PaulFebruary 3, 2003 Contemporary hit radio [63]
SoloMay 5, 2003 [64]
AustraliaBothJuly 21, 2003CD
 [65]
United KingdomSean PaulJuly 28, 2003
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
 [66]
DenmarkBothAugust 25, 2003CD [67]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Blu Cantrell > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles". AllMusic . Retrieved March 10, 2008.
  2. ↑ "Blu Cantrell feat. Sean Paul's 'Breathe' sample of Dr. Dre feat. Eminem and Xzibit's 'What's the Difference'". WhoSampled . Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Charles Aznavour et ses liens avec le monde du rap". RTBF Info. October 1, 2018.
  4. ↑ "The 50 Best R&B Songs That Flipped Rap Beats". Complex.
  5. ↑ "Blu Cantrell". Metro . DMG Media. December 1, 2003. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  6. 1 2 "Blu Cantrell Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
  7. ↑ "Blu Cantrell Breathe Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
  8. ↑ "Cantrell, Coral Scale U.K. Charts". Billboard. Retrieved March 24, 2015.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Official Charts Flashback 2003: Blu Cantrell – Breathe". officialcharts.com. Retrieved March 24, 2015.
  10. ↑ Breathe (US 7-inch single vinyl disc). Blu Cantrell. Arista Records. 2003. 82876-50984-7.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. ↑ Breathe (European CD single liner notes). Blu Cantrell. Arista Records, Bertelsmann Music Group. 2003. 82876534002.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. ↑ Breathe (European maxi-CD single liner notes). Blu Cantrell. Arista Records, Bertelsmann Music Group. 2003. 82876 53401 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. 1 2 Breathe (UK CD single liner notes). Blu Cantrell. Arista Records, Bertelsmann Music Group. 2003. 82876545722.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  14. ↑ Breathe (US 12-inch vinyl disc). Blu Cantrell. Arista Records. 2002. 07822-15219-1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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  42. ↑ "Blu Cantrell Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
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