Talk About Our Love

Last updated

Alicia Keys 2011.jpg
Janet Jackson.jpg
Critics compared the record to Alicia Keys' "You Don't Know My Name" and Janet Jackson "I Want You", both of which West had also contributed to. [13]

"Talk About Our Love" garnered a generally positive response from music critics. In his review of Afrodisiac for AllMusic, Andy Kellman noted that "Talk About Our Love" was a "career highlight for both producer and vocalist" and that it was "even more exceptional than another recent Kanye West-produced track, Janet Jackson's own "I Want You"." [13] In his review for Billboard , Michael Paoletta wrote that "now armed with a new single, Brandy sounds more grown up and confident (echoes of Mary J. Blige abound). At times, this Kanye West production sound like a lost Shalamar track. In this way, "Talk About Our Love" also recalls Alicia Keys' "You Don't Know My Name", which West co-produced [...] Breezy and melodic, the song intertwines disco-era orchestration and electro-hued hip hop". [14]

Music Week felt the song was "boasting great production and a strong hook" and that "it should chart effortlessly." [15] In her review of Afrodisiac, Sharon O'Connell of Yahoo! Music called West's productions the "two killer tracks" on the album. [16] Vibe found that "Talk About Our Love" would aim at Norwood's core audience, stating that "Brandy comes out of the gate with a bangin' Kanye West-produced single [and] this mid-tempo jam is sure to gain the love of many fans that might have been wary of Brandy's recent projects. Watch out Beyoncé and Ashanti – Brandy's back!" [17] BBC Music rated the song three out of five stars, writing: "The chorus is catchy and memorable, so you'll be humming that, but you might not remember how the verses go [...] It'll probably chart somewhere in the teens. It's a good song but does take a few listening before you get into it." [18]

Commercial performance

On May 6, 2004, "Talk About Our Love" debuted at number 88 on the US Billboard Hot 100, being the sixth highest debut of the week. [19] The song peaked at number 36 on June 3, the same week it earned the Billboard Hot 100's greatest retail gainer designation, [20] becoming Norwood's lowest-peaking lead single at the time. Furthermore, it became her first single to fail reaching the top 20 since "U Don't Know Me (Like U Used To)" (1999) peaked at number 72. [20] "Talk About Our Love" was more successful on Billboard's component charts: benefiting from strong physical sales, it peaked atop the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales and number three on the Hot Singles Sales, [21] as well as reaching the top 20 on the Dance Club Songs and the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. [3] The maxi CD single also peaked at number two on the Hot Dance Singles Sales. [22] [23]

In the United Kingdom, "Talk About Our Love" debuted and peaked at number six on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Norwood's fifth non-consecutive top-ten single. The song was the second highest entry of the weekbehind Britney Spears' "Everytime", which debuted at number one [23] and remained within the top ten for two weeks. Elsewhere, the song enjoyed moderate success. While it still managed to reach the top 40 in Australia, Ireland, Italy, and the Netherlands, it failed to enter the top 50 in other international markets. [23]

Music video

The plot of the video was based on a treatment by West. K. West (cropped).jpg
The plot of the video was based on a treatment by West.

The accompanying music video for "Talk About Our Love" was filmed in Los Angeles between April 13–14, 2004 and was produced by Rick Revel for Radical Media Inc. It was Norwood's third video to be directed by Dave Meyers, who had previously worked with her on the videos for "Another Day in Paradise" (2001) and "What About Us?" (2002). Apart from Kanye West, who came up with the concept for the video, [24] Norwood's younger brother Ray J and actress Maia Campbell make cameo appearances in the video. [25] West later revealed he met and attained affection for his later-wife Kim Kardashian, who was Brandy's assistant at the timen while filming. [26]

The concept of the video was influenced by Norwood's personal experiences at that period, picking up the idea of nosy friends and neighbors, who keep on popping in and out of her house to find out about her affairs. [27] Opening with a musical intro, the first scene in the video begins with Norwood confronting West, who's standing behind the kitchen's table, when other people switch constantly in and out the room and watch what's happening. The camera follows West's fleeing steps through the floor, incessantly backspacing on Norwood, who runs after him. The scene shifts into the living-room, where it changes into a sequence with two male dancers, before Norwood leaves the room to take stairs into the bedroom. West follows and sings to her next on the bed, when once again pop strangers in the room and Norwood and Kanye decide to escape out of the house. The video ends with both singers sitting in an oldtimer and driving down the street. [27]

The video premiered on May 2, 2004 at the end of its Making the Video episode on MTV and entered general rotation on the network the following day. [28] [29] It debuted on Total Request Live on May 10 and on MuchMusic in Canada the week ending May 16. It reached number three on the TRL top ten video countdown on May 21, after a week on the countdown; and retired from the show after spending 13 days on the countdown. [30] The "Talk About Our Love" video was the most-played clip on BET, [31] reaching number two on the network's video countdown 106 & Park . [31] PopMatters ranked the video among the best music videos of 2004. [32] At the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards, Norwood and West were nominated in the category of Best R&B Video for "Talk About Our Love". [33]

Track listings and formats

"Talk About Our Love"
Talkaboutourlove brandy.jpg
Single by Brandy featuring Kanye West
from the album Afrodisiac
B-side
ReleasedMarch 26, 2004
Recorded2004
Studio Record Plant (Los Angeles)
Genre
Length3:34
Label Atlantic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Kanye West
Brandy singles chronology
"He Is"
(2002)
"Talk About Our Love"
(2004)
"Who Is She 2 U"
(2004)
Kanye West singles chronology
"Selfish"
(2004)
"Talk About Our Love"
(2004)
"This Way"
(2004)
International maxi CD single [34]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Talk About Our Love" (Album Version)
3:39
2."Talk About Our Love" (One Rascal Remix)
  • Lilly
  • West
  • Cave
  • C. Wilson
  • L. Wilson
  • R. Wilson
6:00
3."Like It Was Yesterday" Michael Flowers Mike City 3:53
UK CD single [35]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Talk About Our Love" (Album Version)
  • Lilly
  • West
  • Cave
  • C. Wilson
  • L. Wilson
  • R. Wilson
  • West
  • Norwood [a]
3:39
2."Talk About Our Love" (One Rascal Remix)
  • Lilly
  • West
  • Cave
  • C. Wilson
  • L. Wilson
  • R. Wilson
6:00
US CD single [36]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Talk About Our Love" (Album Version)
  • Lilly
  • West
  • Cave
  • C. Wilson
  • L. Wilson
  • R. Wilson
  • West
  • Norwood [a]
3:39
2."Turn It Up" (Edited Version)
  • Timbaland
  • Norwood [a]
3:53
US maxi CD single [12]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Talk About Our Love" (Extended Mix)
  • Lilly
  • West
  • Cave
  • C. Wilson
  • L. Wilson
  • R. Wilson
  • West
  • Norwood [a]
4:57
2."Talk About Our Love" (One Rascal Remix)
  • Lilly
  • West
  • Cave
  • C. Wilson
  • L. Wilson
  • R. Wilson
  • West
  • Norwood [a]
  • Albert Cabrera [b]
6:00
3."Talk About Our Love" (Bill Hamel Club Mix)
  • Lilly
  • West
  • Cave
  • C. Wilson
  • L. Wilson
  • R. Wilson
7:13
4."Talk About Our Love" (E-Smoove Classic Club Mix)
  • Lilly
  • West
  • Cave
  • C. Wilson
  • L. Wilson
  • R. Wilson
7:14
5."Talk About Our Love" (Ford Trance Mix)
  • Lilly
  • West
  • Cave
  • C. Wilson
  • L. Wilson
  • R. Wilson
  • West
  • Norwood [a]
  • Frederick "Ford" Fordyce [b]
7:39
6."Talk About Our Love" (Alan Smithee in Blueblackness Mix)
  • Lilly
  • West
  • Cave
  • C. Wilson
  • L. Wilson
  • R. Wilson
9:59
7."Talk About Our Love" (TKC Club Mix)
  • Lilly
  • West
  • Cave
  • C. Wilson
  • L. Wilson
  • R. Wilson
7:59
8."Talk About Our Love" (Ford House Mix)
  • Lilly
  • West
  • Cave
  • C. Wilson
  • L. Wilson
  • R. Wilson
6:38
9."Talk About Our Love" (Bill Hamel Clubbed Up Dub Mix)
  • Lilly
  • West
  • Cave
  • C. Wilson
  • L. Wilson
  • R. Wilson
8:58
10."Talk About Our Love" (Thick Dick Dub)
  • Lilly
  • West
  • Cave
  • C. Wilson
  • L. Wilson
  • R. Wilson
8:03

Notes

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Afrodisiac. [37]

Charts

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Talk About Our Love"
RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref.
United StatesMarch 26, 2004 Streaming Atlantic
April 27, 2004 12-inch vinyl
May 10, 2004 Rhythmic contemporary radio
Urban contemporary radio
May 25, 2004 CD [36]
GermanyJune 4, 2004 Maxi CD Warner Music [34]
AustraliaJune 14, 2004
Germany12-inch vinyl
United KingdomCDAtlantic [65]
United States Contemporary hit radio
July 13, 2004Maxi CD [12]

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