What Happened to Us

Last updated

"What Happened to Us" was written by Josh Alexander, Billy Steinberg, Jeremy Skaller, Rob Larow, Khaled Rohaim, Israel Cruz and Jay Sean. [1] It was produced by Skaller, Cruz, Rohaim and Bobby Bass. [1] The song uses C, D, and B minor chords in the chorus. [2] "What Happened to Us" was sent to contemporary hit radio in Australia on 14 February 2011. [3] The cover art for the song was revealed on 22 February on Mauboy's official Facebook page. A CD release was available for purchase via her official website on 10 March, for one week only. [4] It was released digitally the following day. [5]

Reception

Majhid Heath from ABC Online Indigenous called the song a "Jordin Sparks-esque duet", and wrote that it "has a nice innocence to it that rings true to the experience of losing a first love." [6] Chris Urankar from Nine to Five wrote that it as a "mid-tempo duet ballad" which signifies Mauboy's strength as a global player. [7] On 21 March 2011, "What Happened to Us" debuted at number 30 on the ARIA Singles Chart, and peaked at number 14 the following week. [8] The song was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), for selling 70,000 copies. [9] "What Happened to Us" spent a total of ten weeks in the ARIA top fifty. [8]

Music video

Mauboy and Sean singing the chorus of the song to each other in the video. JessicaMauboyJaySean.jpg
Mauboy and Sean singing the chorus of the song to each other in the video.

Background

The music video for the song was shot in the Elizabeth Bay House in Sydney on 26 November 2010. The video was shot during Sean's visit to Australia for the Summerbeatz tour. [10] During an interview with The Daily Telegraph while on the set of the video, Sean said "the song is sick! ... Jessica's voice is amazing and we're shooting [the video] in this ridiculously beautiful mansion overlooking the harbour." [11] The video was directed by Mark Alston, who had previously directed the video for Mauboy's single "Let Me Be Me" (2009). [12] It premiered on YouTube on 10 February 2011. [13]

Synopsis and reception

The video begins showing Mauboy who appears to be sitting on a yellow antique couch in a mansion, wearing a purple dress. As the video progresses, scenes of memories are displayed of Mauboy and her love interest, played by Sean, spending time there previously. It then cuts to the scenes where Sean appears in the main entrance room of the mansion. The final scene shows Mauboy outdoors in a gold dress, surrounded by green grass and trees. She is later joined by Sean who appears in a black suit and a white shirt, and together they sing the chorus of the song to each other. [13] David Lim of Feed Limmy wrote that the video is "easily the best thing our R&B princess has committed to film – ever" and praised the "mansion and wondrous interior décor". [14] He also commended Mauboy for choosing Australian talent to direct the video instead of American directors, which she had used for her previous two music videos. [14] Since its release, the video has received over two million views on Vevo. [15]

Live performances

Mauboy performed "What Happened to Us" live for the first time during her YouTube Live Sessions program on 4 December 2010. [16] She also appeared on Adam Hills in Gordon Street Tonight on 23 February 2011 for an interview and later performed the song. [17] On 15 March 2011, Mauboy performed "What Happened to Us" on Sunrise . [18] She also performed the song with Stan Walker during the Australian leg of Chris Brown's F.A.M.E. Tour in April 2011. [19] Mauboy and Walker later performed "What Happened to Us" on Dancing with the Stars Australia on 29 May 2011. [20] From November 2013 to February 2014, "What Happened to Us" was part of the set list of the To the End of the Earth Tour, Mauboy's second headlining tour of Australia, with Nathaniel Willemse singing Sean's part. [21]

Track listing

"What Happened to Us"
What Happened to Us.jpg
Single by Jessica Mauboy featuring Jay Sean
from the album Get 'Em Girls
Released10 March 2011 (2011-03-10)
Genre
Length3:19
Label Sony
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Jeremy Skaller
  • Bobby Bass
  • Israel Cruz
  • Khaled Rohaim
Jessica Mauboy singles chronology
"Saturday Night"
(2010)
"What Happened to Us"
(2011)
"Inescapable"
(2011)
Jay Sean singles chronology
"Every Little Part of Me"
(2011)
"What Happened to Us"
(2011)
"Like This Like That"
(2011)

Personnel

Source: [1]

Charts

Weekly chart

Chart (2011)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA) [8] 14

Year-end chart

Chart (2011)Rank
Australian Artists Singles Chart [24] 16

Certification

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [9] Platinum70,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Radio dates and release history

RegionDateFormatLabel
Australia14 February 2011 Contemporary hit radio [3] Sony Music Australia
10 March 2011 CD single [4]
11 March 2011 Digital download [5]
11 April 2011Digital download – remix single [22]
29 May 2011Digital download – feat. Stan Walker [20] [23]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jessica Mauboy</span> Musical artist

Jessica Hilda Mauboy is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. Born and raised in Darwin, Northern Territory, she rose to fame in 2006 on the fourth season of Australian Idol, where she was runner-up and subsequently signed a recording contract with Sony Music Australia. After releasing a live album of her Idol performances and briefly being a member of the girl group Young Divas in 2007, Mauboy released her debut studio album, Been Waiting, the following year. It included her first number-one single, "Burn", and became the second highest-selling Australian album of 2009, certified double platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Running Back (Jessica Mauboy song)</span> 2008 single by Jessica Mauboy

"Running Back" is the debut single of Australian R&B recording artist Jessica Mauboy, featuring American rapper Flo Rida. The track was written by Mauboy, Audius Mtawarira, and Sean Ray Mullins, and was produced by Audius. "Running Back" was released for digital download on 19 September 2008 as the lead single from Mauboy's debut studio album, Been Waiting. Mauboy felt "so excited and honoured" to work with Flo Rida, calling it a dream come true.

<i>Been Waiting</i> 2008 studio album by Jessica Mauboy

Been Waiting is the debut studio album by Australian recording artist Jessica Mauboy, released on 22 November 2008 by Sony Music Australia. While Mauboy was still a member of the girl group Young Divas, she began to work on what became Been Waiting. She co-wrote several of the album's songs and worked with many songwriters and producers, including Israel Cruz, Cutfather, Audius Mtawarira, Michael "Fingaz" Mugisha, Kwame Holland, Jonas Jeberg and Adam Reily, among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inescapable (song)</span> 2011 single by Jessica Mauboy

"Inescapable" is a song by Australian recording artist Jessica Mauboy. It was written by Diane Warren and produced by Youngboyz, Anthony Egizii and David Musumeci. "Inescapable" was sent to Australian contemporary hit radio on 4 July 2011, and was released for digital download on 15 July 2011 as the first single from the deluxe edition of Mauboy's second studio album Get 'Em Girls. The song's lyrics revolve around "a relationship all gone wrong but also a celebration."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burn (Jessica Mauboy song)</span> 2008 single by Jessica Mauboy

"Burn" is a song by Australian recording artist Jessica Mauboy. It was written by Taj Jackson, Jonas Jeberg, and Mich Hansen and was produced by Jeberg and Cutfather. "Burn" was released digitally on 17 November 2008 as the second single from Mauboy's debut studio album, Been Waiting (2008). Musically, "Burn" is an R&B-dance track that incorporates electronica influences. The song became Mauboy's first number-one on the ARIA Singles Chart and was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association for selling over 70,000 copies. "Burn" also became Mauboy's first charting single internationally, reaching number 92 on the Japan Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jessica Mauboy discography</span>

Australian singer and songwriter Jessica Mauboy has released five studio albums, one live album, three soundtrack albums, one extended play, and forty-two singles. Mauboy was the runner-up on the fourth season of Australian Idol in 2006, and subsequently signed a contract with Sony Music Australia. She released her debut live album The Journey in February 2007, which features songs she performed as part of the top twelve on Australian Idol. The album debuted at number four on the ARIA Albums Chart and was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), denoting shipments of 35,000 copies. Mauboy briefly became a member of the Australian pop girl group Young Divas later that year, before resuming her solo career early in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Been Waiting (song)</span> 2009 single by Jessica Mauboy

"Been Waiting" is a song by Australian R&B singer Jessica Mauboy. Written with Australian singer Israel Cruz and Craig Hardy, the song was released on 6 March 2009 as the third single from Mauboy's debut album, also titled Been Waiting. The song peaked at number 12 on the ARIA Singles Chart and was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Down (Jay Sean song)</span> 2009 song by Jay Sean

"Down" is a song by British singer Jay Sean featuring American rapper and labelmate Lil Wayne. The song was released in North America as his debut single from his first album there, All or Nothing. In other markets, including the United Kingdom, the song serves as Jay Sean's lead single from his third studio album. Produced by J-Remy and Bobby Bass, "Down" is the seventh-best selling single of 2009 and has been certified Platinum in several countries. The song went on to sell six million copies in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Because (Jessica Mauboy song)</span> 2009 single by Jessica Mauboy

"Because" is a song by Australian R&B recording artist Jessica Mauboy. Written by Michael "Fingaz" Mugisha, Mauboy and Dion Howell, "Because" was released as the fourth single from Mauboy's debut album Been Waiting on 12 June 2009. The song is about a past relationship of Mauboy's and she has stated that it is her favourite song off the album. "Because" peaked at number nine on the ARIA Singles Chart and was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).

Orange Factory Music is an American production team formed in 1999 by record producers and songwriters Jeremy "JRemy" Skaller and Robert "Bobby Bass" Larow. OFM also has one writer signed under its corporate umbrella; Jonathan 'Perky Rain' Perkins. Most noted for their discovery and development of Jay Sean, the duo met at the University of Vermont, before moving to New York to pursue their musical career. Skaller and Larow, professionally known as "J Remy" and "Bobby Bass" also continued to produce, write, and remix songs for Fabolous, Monrose, Eva Avila, Ricki-Lee and Jay Sean.

<i>Get Em Girls</i> 2010 studio album by Jessica Mauboy

Get 'Em Girls is the second studio album by Australian recording artist Jessica Mauboy, released on 24 August 2010 by SRC Records and Universal Republic Records. Mauboy recorded the album in Los Angeles, New York City and Atlanta. She worked with various American songwriters and producers she had not worked with before, including Bangladesh, Harvey Mason Jr., Chuck Harmony, Brian Kennedy, and Alex James, among others. Musically, Get 'Em Girls contains up-tempo and ballad-oriented songs, which derive from the genres of pop, hip hop and R&B. The album features guest vocal appearances from Snoop Dogg, Ludacris, Jay Sean, and Iyaz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Get 'Em Girls (song)</span> 2010 single by Jessica Mauboy featuring Snoop Dogg

"Get 'Em Girls" is a song by Australian R&B recording artist Jessica Mauboy. The song features American rapper Snoop Dogg, who co-wrote the song with David Buchanan and producer Bangladesh for her second studio album of the same name. It was released as the album's lead single on 17 September 2010. The concept of the song is about shoes and showcases a more urban, hip hop flavoured sound than Mauboy's previous singles. "Get 'Em Girls" received negative reviews from critics, and peaked at number 19 on the ARIA Singles Chart. An accompanying music video was directed by Hype Williams and received a mixed reaction from fans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saturday Night (Jessica Mauboy song)</span> 2010 single by Jessica Mauboy featuring Ludacris

"Saturday Night" is a song by Australian recording artist Jessica Mauboy, featuring American rapper Ludacris. It was released as the second single from Mauboy's second studio album, Get 'Em Girls, on 27 October 2010. The song was written by Angie Iron, Mauboy, Ludacris and Brian Kennedy, and was produced by Kennedy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galaxy (Jessica Mauboy song)</span> 2011 single by Jessica Mauboy featuring Stan Walker

"Galaxy" is a song by Australian recording artist Jessica Mauboy featuring Stan Walker. It was written by Richard Vission, Ferras Alqaisi, Brett McLaughlin, Dominique Calvillo, Chico Bennett and Brad Ackley. Production for the song was handled by Vission, Bennett, Ackley, Braddon Williams, Anthony Egizii and David Musumeci. "Galaxy" was released digitally on 28 October 2011, as the fifth single from Mauboy's second studio album Get 'Em Girls (2010). It peaked at number 13 on the ARIA Singles Chart and number seven on the ARIA Urban Singles Chart. "Galaxy" also became Mauboy's first charting release in New Zealand, where it reached number 36.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">To the End of the Earth</span> 2013 single by Jessica Mauboy

"To the End of the Earth" is a song recorded by Australian singer Jessica Mauboy. The song was digitally released on 17 July 2013, as the lead single from Mauboy's third studio album Beautiful. It was written by Mauboy, Jaden Michaels, Ben Berger and Ryan McMahon, and produced by the latter two. The uptempo dance-pop song received positive reviews from critics, who commended the production. "To the End of the Earth" peaked at number 21 on the ARIA Singles Chart and was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association for selling over 35,000 copies. The track was promoted by performances at the 2013 State of Origin decider, on Sunrise and at Westfield Knox and Westfield Hurstville. The accompanying music video was directed by Emma Tomelty and filmed in Alice Springs. The video received a positive reception from critics, particularly for its presentation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pop a Bottle (Fill Me Up)</span> 2013 single by Jessica Mauboy

"Pop a Bottle (Fill Me Up)" is a song recorded by Australian singer Jessica Mauboy for her third studio album, Beautiful. The song was digitally released on 27 September 2013, as the second single from the album. "Pop a Bottle (Fill Me Up)" was written by Mauboy, Mario Marchetti, Gino Barletta and Rebecca Johnson, and produced by Marchetti. The song received positive reviews from critics, many of whom complimented it as an anthem.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Can I Get a Moment?</span> 2014 single by Jessica Mauboy

"Can I Get a Moment?" is a song recorded by Australian singer Jessica Mauboy for the platinum edition of her third studio album, Beautiful. It was released on 17 October 2014 as the album's fifth overall single and the first single from the platinum edition. "Can I Get a Moment?" was written by Antonio Dixon, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Khristopher Riddick-Tynes, Carmen Reece, Leon Thomas III and Helen Jane Culver. Production of the song was helmed by Edmonds, Dixon and The Rascals. Musically, "Can I Get a Moment?" is an up-tempo funk and soul song that consists of a percussion, horns, "chunky beats" and handclaps. Upon its release, the song received positive reviews from various publications, who praised its production and Mauboy's vocal performance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Day Before I Met You</span> 2015 single by Jessica Mauboy

"The Day Before I Met You" is a song by Australian recording artist Jessica Mauboy from the platinum edition of her third studio album, Beautiful. It was released on 13 February 2015 as the album's sixth overall single and the second single from the platinum edition. "The Day Before I Met You" was written by Antonio Dixon, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Khristopher Riddick-Tynes, Helen Jane Culver and Mauboy. Dixon and Edmonds also produced the song with The Rascals. "The Day Before I Met You" is a pop love song which features an acoustic guitar riff and "very low pitched" vocals in its verses. Lyrically, Mauboy sings about "not wanting to go back to a time before that special someone was in her life".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jessica Mauboy videography</span> Wikimedia artist videography

Australian singer and actress Jessica Mauboy has released one video album and appeared in thirty music videos, two films, and many television programs and commercials. After she became the runner-up on the fourth season of Australian Idol in 2006, Mauboy signed a recording contract with Sony Music Australia. In 2008, she released her debut studio album Been Waiting and six music videos for its singles were shot. Mauboy's first music video was for the album's lead single "Running Back" featuring American rapper Flo Rida. It was directed by Fin Edquist and portrayed a fictional relationship between Mauboy and Flo Rida. At the 2009 MTV Australia Awards, the video was nominated for Best Collaboration. Keir McFarlane directed the music videos for the following singles, "Burn" and the title track "Been Waiting". The music video for the fifth single "Up/Down" was directed by Sequoia and shot in Los Angeles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">So Done (The Kid Laroi song)</span> 2020 single by the Kid Laroi

"So Done" is a song by Australian singer and rapper the Kid Laroi, released on 23 October 2020 as the first single from the deluxe edition of Laroi's debut mixtape F*ck Love, released on 24 July 2020. The song was produced by Khaled Rohaim and Omer Fedi.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Get 'Em Girls (Booklet). Jessica Mauboy. Sony Music Australia. 2010.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. "What Happened To Us Chords – Jessica Mauboy". azchords.com. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  3. 1 2 "Jessica Mauboy Ft. Jay Sean – What Happened To Us – Issue 823". The Music Network . Peer Group Media. 14 February 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
  4. 1 2 "What Happened to Us – Limited Edition CD single". Jessicamauboy.com.au. Archived from the original on 2 March 2011. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
  5. 1 2 3 "What Happened to Us (feat. Jay Sean) – Single". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. 5 November 2010. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
  6. Heath, Majhid (10 November 2010). "Arts & Events – Music – Get 'Em Girls". ABC Online. Australian Broadcasting Corporation . Retrieved 3 February 2011.
  7. Urankar, Chris (15 November 2010). "Interview: Jessica Mauboy – Arts & Entertainment – Lifestyle". Nine to Five. News Community Media . Retrieved 3 February 2011.
  8. 1 2 3 "Jessica Mauboy feat. Jay Sean – What Happened To Us". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 2011-05-02.
  9. 1 2 "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2011 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved 7 September 2011.
  10. "MTV Presents Summerbeatz 2010!". MTV Australia. MTV Networks. Archived from the original on 17 June 2011. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
  11. Compton, Maz (28 November 2010). "Jessica and Jay rap it up in Sydney". The Daily Telegraph . News Limited. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
  12. "Mark Alston – Category: Music Videos". Markalston.com.au. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
  13. 1 2 What Happened To Us – Jessica Mauboy featuring Jay Sean. 10 February 2011. Retrieved 11 February 2011 via YouTube.
  14. 1 2 Lim, David (17 February 2011). "Jessica Mauboy 'What Happened To Us' Music Video". Feed Limmy. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  15. Jessica Mauboy – What Happened to Us. Vevo on YouTube. 10 February 2011. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  16. Jessica Mauboy – YouTube Session 2010 . Retrieved 11 December 2010 via YouTube.
  17. "Adam Hills meets Carl Barron, Jessica Mauboy and Lauren Jackson this week". Throng.com.au. 22 February 2011. Retrieved 23 February 2011.
  18. "Jessica Mauboy performs live". Yahoo!7 . Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  19. Skinner, Briony (30 April 2011). "Synced or not, Chris Brown sex appeal wins Brisbane's hearts". Brisbane Times . News Limited. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  20. 1 2 "Jessica Mauboy – News". Jessicamauboy.com.au. Archived from the original on 14 May 2011. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
  21. Gilbertson, Matt (7 November 2013). "Jessica Mauboy's Adelaide Entertainment Centre performance a world class act". Adelaide Now. News Limited. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
  22. 1 2 "What Happened to Us (OFM Remix)". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. 11 April 2011. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
  23. 1 2 "What Happened to Us (feat. Stan Walker)". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. 27 May 2011. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
  24. "ARIA Top 50 Australian Artists Singles 2011". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 4 January 2012.