"Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)" | ||||
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Single by Alicia Keys | ||||
from the album The Element of Freedom | ||||
A-side | "Wait Til You See My Smile" | |||
Released | March 15, 2010 | |||
Recorded | 2009 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:09 | |||
Label | J | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) |
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Alicia Keys singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)" on YouTube |
"Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)" is a song by American singer-songwriter Alicia Keys from her fourth studio album The Element of Freedom (2009), that features uncredited background vocals from Canadian rapper Drake, although he is credited on the official remix of the song. It was initially scheduled to be the fifth single, but it was released as the fourth single. [1] It was her first single to reach number one on the R&B chart in the United States since 2007's "Like You'll Never See Me Again". "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)" spent twelve consecutive weeks atop the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs, becoming the longest-running number-one single of 2010. The song topped the Billboard Adult R&B Songs, and reached number twenty-one on the Billboard Hot 100.
"Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)" is a down-tempo R&B song written by Alicia Keys, Aubrey Graham, Kerry Brothers Jr., and Noah "40" Shebib in the key of B minor.[ citation needed ]
Mariel Concepcion from Billboard magazine called the song the album's "standout track". Concepcion said that Keys "goes from entertaining puppy love to confessing deeper emotions", adding that she "sings nervously over extended piano strokes" and "has never sounded quite as vulnerable and exposed as she does here." [2] Ashante Infantry from Toronto Star also picked the song as the album's top track saying "Keys is as sexy as she's ever been on the sultry" track. [3] Allison Stewart from The Washington Post said that Drake's appearance on the song is pointless, "filling some sort of unspoken requirement that every female R&B album contain an appearance by at least one cool-but-unthreatening hip-hop star." [4] Molly Lambert of Pitchfork ranked the song as the 64th best song of the year, writing: "Keys always puts out one perfect song per album. It's an instant babymaking classic. Skittering beats, trembling synths, deep piano chord progressions, and floating drums. It sounds like it was recorded in a downtempo underwater sex chamber or inside a neon motel sign ... It is the eye of the quiet storm." [5]
In the chart week dated May 22, 2010, "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)" topped the U.S. Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart, having already been present on the chart for eighteen weeks. [6] It remained at the top of the summit for twelve consecutive weeks this becoming her longest running Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart leader, beating her previous best of ten weeks with "No One" (2007). [7] The single was also broke another R&B chart record, this time on the Billboard Adult R&B Songs chart. On June 3, "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)" topped the Adult R&B chart, giving Keys her ninth leader on this chart and extended her lead ahead of Toni Braxton, Whitney Houston, Brian McKnight and Luther Vandross, all of whom rank in second place with six chart leaders each. [8] The single also reached number twenty-one on the Billboard Hot 100. To date the song's success on both the Hot 100 and R&B charts make "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)" the most successful single from The Element of Freedom . [9] At the end of 2010, following its twelve-week run leading the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart, "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)" was named the number-one R&B/Hip-Hop song of the year on the end of year charts. [10]
The official remix of the song features a verse by Canadian rapper Drake was released on iTunes on May 28, 2010. [11] Lloyd Banks released his own remix to the song. Joe Budden would follow up and release his own remix to it as well.
Keys filmed the music video in Los Angeles with director Jake Nava. Although Drake appears on background vocals, Keys has stated that he does not appear in the video because she said "that would be too obvious". [1] The video tackles issues of interracial dating and as Keys told Rap Up magazine, "The promo clip will highlight the past and present stigmas surrounding the subject." Additionally Chad Michael Murray, best known for playing Lucas Scott in One Tree Hill , plays Keys' love interest. One of the scenes depicts a blood-stained Murray fighting a group of men. [12] The video made its world premiere on May 12, 2010 on Vevo and on BET's 106 & Park . [13] The video features Keys in different decades, from the 1950s to the present. The video was awarded Outstanding Music Video at the 42nd NAACP Awards. [14]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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United States (RIAA) [24] | 3× Platinum | 3,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Version(s) | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
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United States | March 15, 2010 | Original | Urban contemporary radio | J | |
March 30, 2010 | Urban adult contemporary radio | ||||
April 13, 2010 | Rhythmic contemporary radio | ||||
May 28, 2010 | Remix | Digital download |
Alicia Augello Cook, known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Columbia Records. After disputes with the label, she signed with Arista Records and later released her debut album, Songs in A Minor, with J Records in 2001. The album was critically and commercially successful, selling over 12 million copies worldwide. It spawned the Billboard Hot 100 number-one single "Fallin'", and earned Keys five Grammy Awards in 2002. Her second album, The Diary of Alicia Keys (2003), was also a critical and commercial success, selling eight million copies worldwide, and producing the singles "You Don't Know My Name", "If I Ain't Got You", and "Diary". The album garnered her an additional four Grammy Awards.
R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks the top R&B and hip hop songs in the United States, based on audience impressions from a panel of radio stations monitored by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems. It was also used in sister publication R&R, which listed the chart as Urban National Airplay. The chart is not the R&B/hip-hop subset of the Hot 100 Airplay chart, but rather uses a separate panel of R&B stations in urban and urban adult contemporary markets. It was the primary airplay component chart of the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart until the issue dated October 20, 2012, when Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs was revamped to include digital sales, streaming, and airplay from all radio formats. The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart encompasses two separate airplay charts, both of which are based on radio spins rather than audience impressions: Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop and Adult R&B Airplay, which measure airplay on urban contemporary and urban adult contemporary stations respectively.
American singer Alicia Keys has released nine studio albums, eight live albums, one remix album, six reissue albums, three extended plays, seven box sets, 46 singles as lead artist, and six promotional singles. Throughout her career, Keys has sold over 65 million records worldwide. According to Recording Industry Association of America, Keys is the top certified female R&B artist of the millennium, with 20 million certified albums and 38 million certified digital singles in the United States. Billboard ranked her as the second top female artist of the 2000s decade, fourth top R&B/hip-Hop female artist of the 2010s decade and the 60th Greatest Artist of all time.
"If I Ain't Got You" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Alicia Keys for her second studio album The Diary of Alicia Keys (2003). Inspired by the 2001 death of singer Aaliyah, the September 11 attacks, and other events in the world and in Keys' life, the song is about "how material things don't feed the soul". It was released as the second single from The Diary of Alicia Keys on February 17, 2004, by J Records. The single cover depicts Keys similarly to the subject of Man Ray's 1924 photograph Le Violon d'Ingres.
"My Boo" is a duet between American R&B singers Usher and Alicia Keys, written by Usher, Keys, Jermaine Dupri, Adonis Shropshire, and Manuel Seal. It was included on the re-release of Usher's fourth studio album, Confessions (2004). The song was released as the album's fourth single in 2004. Set over a hip hop-style track, it was produced by Dupri and No I.D.
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by Billboard. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 positions but was shortened to 50 positions in October 2012.
"Like You'll Never See Me Again" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Alicia Keys for her third studio album As I Am (2007). Written and produced by Keys and Kerry Brothers Jr., it was first heard on October 25, 2007, on Atlanta's V103 WVEE radio station. Subsequently, it was released as the second single from As I Am on January 22, 2008, by J Records.
The discography of American record producer DJ Khaled consists of twelve studio albums and 54 singles.
"Throw It in the Bag" is the first single from Fabolous' album Loso's Way (2009). The song features singer The-Dream, who also provided the production alongside Tricky Stewart.
"Doesn't Mean Anything" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Alicia Keys. It written and produced by Keys and longtime partner Kerry "Krucial" Brothers for her fourth studio album The Element of Freedom (2009), with its lyrics speaking about the importance of love against materialism and fake needs. The song was released as the lead single from The Element of Freedom on September 15, 2009, by J Records.
The Element of Freedom is the fourth studio album by American singer and songwriter Alicia Keys, released on December 11, 2009, by J Records. Recording sessions for the album took place during May to September 2009 at the Oven Studios in Long Island, New York. Production was primarily handled by Keys, Kerry Brothers Jr., and Jeff Bhasker. Departing from the classicist soul music of Keys' previous albums, The Element of Freedom has a mid-tempo, low-key sound and features mostly love songs.
"Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart" is a song by American recording artist Alicia Keys. It was released as the second single from her fourth studio album, The Element of Freedom (2009). The ballad has been hailed by many music critics as the best track from the album. It marks a departure in Keys' artistic production. This single was Keys' third consecutive top 10 hit from The Element of Freedom in the United Kingdom. It was also the 99th most successful song of the year 2010 in the Billboard Hot 100. A remix of the song features American Rapper, Maino.
"Say Aah" is a song by American singer Trey Songz featuring American rapper Fabolous. The track was written by the two along with Nate Walka, Ronald M. Ferebee, Jr., Tony Scales, and Don Correll, with the latter producing it with Troy Taylor and Young Yonny. It was released on January 12, 2010 as the fourth single from Songz's third studio effort, Ready (2009). The song has lyrical content referring to a night of drinking during a birthday celebration, with the title referencing the eponymous phrase said doctors or dentists to denote a patient's oral treatment.
"I Invented Sex" is a song by American R&B singer Trey Songz, and features Canadian recording artist Drake. Together, they wrote the song alongside Tony "Chef Tone" Scales and its producer, Los Da Mystro. It was released to urban airplay as the third single from Songz's third studio album Ready on October 13, 2009. The song features a sensual message, accompanied by heavy percussion. "I Invented Sex" received positive reviews, and reached number forty-two on the Billboard Hot 100, and became Songz's first song to top the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Its official remix features fellow R&B singers Keri Hilson and Usher. The accompanying music video, containing a parental advisory warning, is the lead-up to the "Say Aah" video.
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