Say Somethin' (Mariah Carey song)

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"Say Somethin'" is a mid-tempo song lasting three minutes and forty-four seconds, [14] while drawing influence from R&B and hip-hop music genres. [14] [20] It incorporates its beat from several musical instruments, including the organ, bass drum and several electronic and computerized sound effects. [20] According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by EMI Music Publishing, the song is set in common time with a moderate tempo of 110 beats per minute. [21] Written by Carey, Snoop Dogg, Chad Hugo, and Pharrell Williams, and produced by The Neptunes, the song is composed in the key of E minor, with Carey's vocal range spanning from the low-note of F3 to the high-note of B5. [21] The song's chorus has a chord progression of Emaj7 to Amaj7, while altering to a B minor during the bridge. [21] Dimitri Ehrlich from Vibe called the song "a musical oddity" and described its production as "strange instrumentation, weird melodic shifts, and hectic drum patters". [22]

In his review for The Emancipation of Mimi (2005), Jozen Cummings from PopMatters described the song's production and instrumentation: "The track is vintage Neptunes with big drums and intergalactic sound effects, and Carey adds to the breezy, easygoing feel of the song with a voice that is sexy, but subtle, like a shy woman who doesn’t need to say anything at all to get a man’s attention." [20] Lyrically, "Say Somethin'" recalls an encounter in which a male expresses interest in having a sexual affair in a bathroom with a female, while she agrees and responds "If its worth you're while / Say somethin' good to me". [22] In an interview with Newsweek , Carey described how she felt regarding the song: "You're right. It is a totally different approach for me musically. When I heard it at first I thought it was a cool and interesting track, but I didn't know if it was very me." [23] Additionally, Carey outed the lines "Something like volcanic / You and me seems organic / Just like stars and planets" as "nonsense", but claimed she "loved it". [23]

Critical reception

"Say Somethin'" garnered generally mixed reviews from music critics, many of which praised Carey for broadening her musical palette with the release, however criticizing its production and hook. Michael Paoletta from Billboard described the song's production as a "series of gimmicks", and felt it was reminiscent of melodies used to boost the careers of "lesser artists". [14] Concluding the review on a mixed note, Paoletta wrote "the melody line is palpable and Carey's voice is appreciable, but "Say Somethin'" is mostly a reminder of a time when Carey required others to boost her chart heft." [14] USA Today critic Elysa Gardner called the song "breezy and playful", while Jim Abbott from the Orlando Sentinel classified it as a "high point" on The Emancipation of Mimi (2005). [24] [25]

Writer Barry Walters from Rolling Stone felt the song failed to produce a significant and memorable hook, though noting its dance appeal: "it has a beat that makes you move, but the songs' pop hook doesn't stick." [26] While New York Times columnist Jon Pareles called the song an "earthy delight", Glenn Gamboa from Newsday felt Carey's vocals could have easily been replaced by a less skilled singer, and wrote "she sounds like a hook girl in her own song. Her vocals could have been delivered by Kelis or Amerie and no one would have been the wiser." [27] [28]

Chart performance

"Say Somethin'" was released to rhythmic and Top 40 radio stations in the United States on April 3, 2006, during the same period that "Fly Like a Bird" was released to Urban radio stations. The song only managed to attain a peak position of number seventy-nine on the Billboard Hot 100. [29] Internationally, "Say Somethin'" debuted at its peak position of number twenty-six on the Australian Singles Chart during the week dated July 23, 2006. [30] Sustaining an appearance on the singles chart for seven weeks, the song fell outside the top fifty on September 3, 2006. [30] In Switzerland, it appeared on the singles chart on June 18, 2006, at number sixty. [31] The following week, it ascended to its peak of number fifty-five, before spending another four weeks fluctuating in the Swiss Singles Chart. [31] On the UK Singles Chart, "Say Somethin'" made its chart debut at number 128 on May 13, 2006. [32] Spending only four weeks in the top 100, the song managed to peak at number twenty-seven in its second week, before plummeting off the chart on July 1, 2006. [33] "Say Somethin'" attained positions in other notable countries, charting for one week in Ireland at number twenty-three, and number sixty-three in Germany. [34] [35]

Music video

Background

Carey's record label had initially wanted "Say Somethin'" to be released as the fourth single from the album, following "Shake It Off"; the music videos for both "Shake It Off" and "Say Somethin'" were originally set to be directed by Brett Ratner. However, Carey then chose British director Jake Nava instead, with whom she has worked on several video projects. Nava was set to film both singles' music videos until the "Say Somethin'" shoot was abruptly cancelled due to Carey's label deciding not to release it as the fourth single. [11] He would go on to direct Carey in the music video for "Get Your Number".

The high-profile music video for "Say Somethin'" was ultimately directed by Paul Hunter, who had previously worked with Carey on the music videos for both "Honey" and "Don't Forget About Us". The music video was predominately shot in Paris, France, in March 2006. [36] Snoop Dogg and Pharrell Williams are both featured in the video, with the latter playing Carey's love interest. [36] Additionally, a cameo appearance is made by André Leon Talley (1948–2022), a close friend and stylist of Carey's, whom retired from his career as a fashion designer and the first black Vogue editor. [36] In an interview with MTV News, Carey described the trip to France, as well as the video's behind-the-scenes moments:

You know what was so great about being in Paris? Usually I'm inside a hotel room and I don't get to see anything. This time, I finally got to drive around the city, walk around the city and hang out. I love Paris; I love the electricity this city has. And it gave me a new perspective on this song, which is one of the first songs I recorded for [The Emancipation of Mimi]. It's got a hot vibe to it, when you're driving around in the car on a normal, rainy day in Paris, driving around in circles in a Maserati — who doesn't do that every day? [36]

Aside from the several actors portraying paparazzi throughout the video, Hunter included several shots of actual French paparazzi on scooters, whom had attempted to photograph Carey during the video's actual filming. [36] Hunter claimed the additions made the video feel more realistic. For the video's primary filming locations, Carey chose Louis Vuitton's flagship store on Champs-Élysées, one of the most prestigious avenues in Paris, which was temporarily shut down for the music video shoot. [36] When describing the experience filming in the boutique, Carey explained, "Obviously, being able to take your pick of anything in the store and have the whole store shut down for you is every girl's dream. You know, just a pretty standard day in the life of anybody. No, just joking. There was a time in my life I only had one pair of shoes, so that's my justification for having that little perk on the job." [36] After filming concluded in France, Snoop Dogg's scenes were filmed on a Sunday in Los Angeles. When asked why Snoop Dogg was not present during the Paris shoot, Carey jokingly stated:

If you guys think I'm a diva and I have requirements, Snoop is the next level [diva]. He's the hip-hop king! So his requirements to get to Paris are, like, beyond platinum editions; they're, like, beyond ultra-platinum editions; they're like diamond editions. So[,] we love Snoop and we wish he had been here, but I think shooting [with] him in L.A. will be good because we'll have more time, more control. He probably would have gotten really mobbed in the streets here anyway. [36]

Synopsis

As the song's musical introduction begins, "Mimi" is shown on the screen in black letters. As they fade, a silver Maserati is shown driving down a populated Paris road, with several black Mercedes-Benz sedans following in close proximity. As several paparazzi begin photographing Carey's vehicle through the many vehicle's sunroofs and windows, close-up shots of Snoop Dogg, as well as alternate scenes of Carey, dressed in a polka dot bikini, while on a bed of personalized Louis Vuitton luggage are interspersed. As the video returns to the main scene, Carey is shown inside her car with Pharrell Williams, where he begins caressing her legs and touching her sensually. Following the chase, Carey, alongside Dogg, are shown inside a jewelry store, where the pair try on several pairs of earrings and rings. The video resumes with Carey dressed in a long trench-coat, strutting inside Louis Vuitton's flagship store on Champs-Élysées. Scenes of Carey trying on several outfits and stilettos are shown, as Vogue's André Leon Talley makes a cameo appearance as an employee. After leaving the boutique, Carey and Williams are shown walking down the Le Pont de Paris bridge, overlooking the Seine river. [36] The pair caress each other intimately, and continue down the public bridge in a close embrace. Serving as the final scene in the video, Williams brings Carey back to his "bachelor pad", which in reality, was Carey's hotel room during filming. [36] As the duo reaches the suite, additional close-ups of Dogg's face are shown. The video concludes with Carey sitting atop Williams at a breakfast table, as well as running together down the bridge. The scene fades, and the word "Fin" shown, meaning "Finish" in French. [36]

Formats and track listings

"Say Somethin'"
Say Somethin Mariah Carey.png
Single by Mariah Carey featuring Snoop Dogg
from the album The Emancipation of Mimi
ReleasedApril 3, 2006 (2006-04-03)
RecordedNovember 2004
Studio The Record Plant (Los Angeles, CA) [1]
Genre
Length3:44
Label Island
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) The Neptunes
Mariah Carey singles chronology
"Fly Like a Bird"
(2006)
"Say Somethin'"
(2006)
"Lil' L.O.V.E."
(2007)
Snoop Dogg singles chronology
"Gangsta Zone"
(2005)
"Say Somethin'"
(2006)
"Buttons"
(2006)

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from The Emancipation of Mimi liner notes. [45]

Charts

See also

References

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