Slow Down Baby

Last updated

"Slow Down Baby"
Christina Aguilera - Slow Down Baby (single).png
Single by Christina Aguilera
from the album Back to Basics
ReleasedJuly 24, 2007 (2007-07-24)
Genre
Length3:27
Label RCA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Mark Ronson
  • Christina Aguilera (add.)
Christina Aguilera singles chronology
"Candyman"
(2007)
"Slow Down Baby"
(2007)
"Oh Mother"
(2007)
Licensed audio
"Slow Down Baby" on YouTube

"Slow Down Baby" is a song recorded by American singer Christina Aguilera from her fifth studio album, Back to Basics (2006). It was released as the album's fourth single on July 28, 2007 by RCA Records. It was written by Aguilera, Mark Ronson, Kara DioGuardi and Raymond Angry, and produced by Ronson and co-produced by Aguilera. The song is built around samples of "Window Raisin' Granny" (1973) by American group Gladys Knight and the Pips and "So Seductive" (2005) by American rapper Tony Yayo. Due to the inclusion of the samples, the original songs' writers obtained writing credits.

Contents

Musically, "Slow Down Baby" is a pop and R&B song that incorporates elements of funk, hip hop and soul. It features claviola, horn, organ and piano instrumentation. The single was only released in Australia during the Oceanian leg of Aguilera's Back to Basics Tour (2007). "Slow Down Baby" peaked at number 21 on the Australian Singles Chart, although it did not receive any promotion in that country.

Background

Aguilera's fifth studio album, Back to Basics, is made up of two discs. [1] Aguilera worked with "more beat-driven" producers on the first disc, such as DJ Premier and Mark Ronson, who included samples in the production. [1] The second disc consists solely of collaborations with producer Linda Perry. [1] [2] Aguilera sent letters to different producers that she hoped could help her with the direction she was taking for the project, encouraging them to experiment, re-invent and create a modern soul feel. [3] She described the first disc as "kind of a throwback with elements of jazz, blues and soul music combined with a modern-day twist, like hard-hitting beats". [1]

Aguilera and Ronson wrote "Slow Down Baby" alongside Kara DioGuardi and Raymond Angry, and Ronson completed the production with assistance from Aguilera. [4] In an interview for Herald Sun , Ronson elaborated on the collaboration: "I heard [Aguilera] was looking for tracks. I was a bit narrow-minded, I assumed nothing I was doing would be something she'd be into. I sent around some hip hop tracks I had lying about and got a call four days later saying she liked them." [5] He stated that he had initially imagined offering "Slow Down Baby" to someone like rap duo M.O.P. [5] Ronson provided the beats and played the guitar and bass, while Angry played the claviola, organ and piano. [4] Ronson recorded Aguilera's vocals at Allido Sound in New York City and additional recording was helmed by Oscar Ramirez at The Record Plant in Los Angeles, California. [4] Dave "Hard Drive" Pensado later completed the mixing process at Larrabee North in North Hollywood. [4]

Composition

"Slow Down Baby" is an uptempo pop and R&B song that blends modern and "old school" R&B. [6] [7] It has elements of funk, hip hop and soul. [8] Nick Levine of Digital Spy called it "hot'n'horny retropop", [9] and JournalNews critic Sonia Murray observed that it "savvily" combines hip hop and early soul. [8] "Slow Down Baby"'s instrumentation consists of pianos and horns, [10] which recall the 1970s blaxploitation film genre. [11] In the lyrics, Aguilera tells a "lusty" man to leave her alone as she sings, "If you knew anything you'd realise I'm wearing a ring". [9] The song contains two samples, "Window Raisin' Granny" (1973) by R&B group Gladys Knight & the Pips—written by William Guest, Merald Knight, Edward Patten and Gladys Knight—and "So Seductive" (2005) by rapper Tony Yayo—written by Marvin Bernard, Michael Harper and Curtis Jackson. [4] Due to its sampling, the original songs' writers are credited as songwriters. [4] According to sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Universal Music Publishing Group, "Slow Down Baby" is written in the time signature of common time with a moderate beat rate of 110 beats per minute. The song is written in the key of F minor and Aguilera's vocal range spans from the low-note of A3 to the high-note of G5. [12] According to Spence D. of IGN, "Slow Down Baby" interpolates a "vocal page" from LL Cool J's "Jingling Baby" (1990). [13]

Critical reception

Aguilera performing "Slow Down Baby" on the Back to Basics Tour Backtobasicstoronto.jpg
Aguilera performing "Slow Down Baby" on the Back to Basics Tour

The Guardian critic Dorian Lyskey was positive regarding "Slow Down Baby", writing that it "smartly slaps a 50 Cent samplehow funk". [14] John Murphy of musicOMH named it one of the album's highlights and deemed it "fresh and funky". [7] Moreover, Murphy called it "sharp and sassy infectious pop" and used it as an example of Aguilera being "at her best". [7] Writing for The Boston Globe , Joan Anderman commented that the song's "tangle of horns and pianos [are] pushed to the edge of sonic sense". [10] Len Righi of The Morning Call wrote that Aguilera "sings with remarkable conviction" throughout the album, but the soul and funk of "Slow Down Baby" put her at "Aretha Franklin's doorstep". [15] The Virginian-Pilot writer Malcolm Venable commented that "Slow Down Baby", alongside "Back in the Day" and "Without You", displays Aguilera's "well-shaking" vocals and "tight, seemingly effortless songwriting". [16]

Jody Rosen of Entertainment Weekly wrote that the song "neatly blends old- and new-school R&B". [6] Tampa Bay Times critic Sean Daly referred "Slow Down Baby" to as "the very essence of Aguilera", indicating "old school, new school and big vocal belting". [17] Spence D. of IGN recommended "Slow Down Baby" for digital download and commended Aguilera's "throaty insistence". [13] Scott Mervis of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote that the song, alongside the album's first single "Ain't No Other Man" and "Understand", "keep [Aguilera] on the track of torchy old-school soul that lets her limitless voice run wild and free". [18] In 2010, Digital Spy's critic Nick Levine included "Slow Down Baby" on a list of Aguilera's ten best songs. [9] On a similar, top-40 list for the Idolator "Slow Down Baby" was ranked at number thirty-three. [19]

Commercial performance

To promote the Oceanian leg of the Back to Basics Tour, "Slow Down Baby" was released as the album's fourth single on July 28, 2007, in Australia. [20] It debuted at number 41 on the ARIA Digital Tracks chart in the issue dated July 23, 2007. [21] The song later entered the main singles chart at number 21 in the issue dated August 6, 2007. [22] The position became its peak, which made it Aguilera's first single since "I Turn to You" (2000) to miss the top ten. [23] The same week, "Slow Down Baby" debuted at number 20 on the physical singles chart, and rose to number 22 on the digital chart. [22] It remained on the main chart for six weeks. [23]

Live performances

Aguilera first performed the song during a concert held in front of 1,500 fans and invited guests in London on July 20, 2006. [24] [25] The 40-minute concert comprised songs from the then-upcoming Back to Basics and other songs, including "Lady Marmalade" (2001) and "Beautiful" (2002). [25] Aguilera ended the show with "Slow Down Baby", and David Smyth of Evening Standard commented that the song "rounded things up with big horns and bigger beats". [24] The song was later performed during the worldwide Back to Basics Tour. [26] The performance was preceded by newspapers headlines that flashed across a big screen, such as, "Christina goes from 'dirrty' to demure" and "Christina cleans up her act". [27] Aguilera wore black lace thigh-high boots and a white bodysuit. [27] The performance is included on the video release Back to Basics: Live and Down Under (2008). [28]

Formats and track listing

  1. "Slow Down Baby" (album version) – 3:27
  2. "Slow Down Baby" (instrumental version) – 3:27

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from the "Slow Down Baby" liner notes. [4]

Recording and samples

Personnel

Charts

Weekly chart performance for "Slow Down Baby"
Chart (2007)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA) [23] 21
New Zealand Airplay (Recorded Music NZ) [31] 38

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Slow Down Baby"
RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref.
AustraliaJuly 24, 2007 Digital download Sony BMG [29]
July 28, 2007 CD [30]

Related Research Articles

<i>Christina Aguilera</i> (album) 1999 studio album by Christina Aguilera

Christina Aguilera is the debut studio album by American singer Christina Aguilera. It was released on August 24, 1999, by RCA Records. After recording "Reflection", the theme song for the 1998 Disney film Mulan, RCA laid the foundation for the album immediately and started presenting Aguilera with tracks for her debut album, which they originally decided would have a January 1999 release. Primarily a dance-pop and teen pop album, its music incorporates bubblegum pop, R&B, soul, hip hop, as well as ballads. Contributions to the album's production came from a wide range of producers, including Johan Åberg, David Frank, Ron Fair, Guy Roche, Robin Thicke, Matthew Wilder and Aaron Zigman.

<i>Stripped</i> (Christina Aguilera album) 2002 studio album by Christina Aguilera

Stripped is the fourth studio album by American singer Christina Aguilera. It was released on October 22, 2002, by RCA Records. Looking to transition from the teen pop styles of her self-titled debut album (1999), Aguilera took creative control over her next album, both musically and lyrically. She also changed her public image and established her alter ego Xtina. Musically, the record incorporates pop and R&B with influences from many different genres, including soul, rock, hip hop, and Latin music. Lyrically, most of the songs from the album discuss the theme of self-respect, while a few other songs talk about sex and feminism. As an executive producer, Aguilera enlisted numerous new collaborators for the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dirrty</span> 2002 single by Christina Aguilera featuring Redman

"Dirrty" is a song by American singer Christina Aguilera featuring American rapper Redman, released as the lead single from her fourth studio album Stripped. Despite Aguilera's first three years of commercial success, she was displeased with the lack of control over her image. In response, she desired to create a song that would represent her authentic persona. She approached hip hop producer Rockwilder and suggested using Redman's 2001 song "Let's Get Dirty " as a guide. The final result, "Dirrty", is an R&B and hip hop song that also features rapping verses from Redman and describes sexual activities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">What a Girl Wants (Christina Aguilera song)</span> 1999 single by Christina Aguilera

"What a Girl Wants" is a song recorded by American singer Christina Aguilera for her self-titled debut album (1999). Written by Shelly Peiken and Guy Roche, the song was completed and pitched to RCA Records executive Ron Fair as "What a Girl Needs"; it was renamed "What a Girl Wants" and given to Aguilera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)</span> 2000 single by Christina Aguilera

"Come on Over Baby (All I Want Is You)" is a song recorded by American singer Christina Aguilera for her 1999 self-titled debut studio album. Released as the album's fourth and final single on July 11, 2000, by RCA Records, it was the first song over which Aguilera was given significant creative control. "Come on Over Baby (All I Want Is You)" was written by Johan Åberg and Paul Rein, with Aguilera, Ron Fair, Chaka Blackmon, Raymond Cham, Eric Dawkins, Shelly Peiken and Guy Roche contributing to a re-recorded version. The album version of the song was produced by Aaron Zigman, Åberg and Rein, while the re-recorded version was produced by Fair and Celebrity Status.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fighter (Christina Aguilera song)</span> 2003 single by Christina Aguilera

"Fighter" is a song by American singer Christina Aguilera for her fourth studio album, Stripped (2002). The song was written by Aguilera and Scott Storch, and produced by the latter. It was released by RCA Records as the third single from Stripped on March 10, 2003. Inspired by Guns N' Roses' song "November Rain", "Fighter" was characterized as a hybrid of rock and R&B that incorporates elements of arena rock and rock and roll. The track sees Aguilera thanking a man who had done her wrong for making her a "fighter."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tilt Ya Head Back</span> 2004 single by Nelly

"Tilt Ya Head Back" is a song by American recording artists Nelly and Christina Aguilera, taken from Nelly's album Sweat (2004). The song was released to US radio stations on September 15, 2004, as the second single from the album. Written by Nelly, Dorian Moore and Tegemold Newton and produced by Doe Mo' Beats, "Tilt Ya Head Back" is a hip hop and pop number that features a sample of Curtis Mayfield's "Superfly".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christina Aguilera discography</span>

American singer Christina Aguilera has released nine studio albums, two extended plays (EPs), six compilation albums, one soundtrack album, 54 singles, and 17 promotional singles. To date, Aguilera has sold around over 100 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling female music artist of all time. Billboard ranked Aguilera as the 37th Greatest Hot 100 Women of All Time and the 44th Greatest Billboard 200 Women of All Time. In the United States alone, Aguilera has sold 18.3 million albums. Through the RIAA she has 18.6 million certified albums units and 10 million certified digital singles units. Aguilera is recognized as the 20th best-selling artist of the 2000s. She has also achieved 10 number one hits on Billboard's Dance Club Songs. In the United Kingdom, Aguilera has sold over 3.3 million albums and 6.1 million singles.

<i>Back to Basics</i> (Christina Aguilera album) 2006 studio album by Christina Aguilera

Back to Basics is the fifth studio album by American singer Christina Aguilera. It was released on August 9, 2006, in the United States by RCA Records as a double album. Serving as executive producer, she enlisted a wide range of producers, including DJ Premier, Rich Harrison, Rob Lewis, Mark Ronson, and Linda Perry. Recording sessions took place between February 2005 and April 2006 at several studios in the United States and the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ain't No Other Man</span> 2006 single by Christina Aguilera

"Ain't No Other Man" is a song by the American singer Christina Aguilera from her fifth studio album Back to Basics (2006). Aguilera co-wrote the song with Kara DioGuardi, Charles Martin Roane, Harold Beatty and the producer DJ Premier. "Ain't No Other Man" is a pop, funk and R&B song that incorporates elements of soul, blues and jazz music. Lyrically, the song was inspired by her marriage to Jordan Bratman in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Guest (singer)</span> American soul singer (1941–2015)

William Franklin Guest was an American R&B/soul singer best known as a member of Gladys Knight & the Pips along with his cousins Gladys Knight, Merald "Bubba" Knight and Edward Patten. Guest was a member of the group for its entire history, from 1952 to 1989. He is a multiple Grammy Award winner and was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Gladys Knight & the Pips in 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tell Me (Diddy song)</span> 2006 single by P. Diddy featuring Christina Aguilera

"Tell Me" is a hip hop song by American rapper and producer P. Diddy from his fourth studio album, Press Play (2006), featuring guest vocals from American singer Christina Aguilera. The song was written by Combs himself, Stephen "Static Major" Garrett, Ryan "Royce" Montgomery, Elizabeth Bingham, Shannon Jones, Jack Knight, Shannon Lawrence and Leroy Watson, with production held by Just Blaze. It is the second single from the above-mentioned album. According to All Access, the single hit radio stations on November 7, 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hurt (Christina Aguilera song)</span> 2006 single by Christina Aguilera

"Hurt" is a song by American singer Christina Aguilera from her fifth studio album, Back to Basics (2006). It was serviced to US contemporary hit radio stations on September 17, 2006, as the album's second single, and was released for purchase in November. Written by Aguilera, Linda Perry, and Mark Ronson, and produced by Perry, the song is a pop ballad with lyrics describing how the protagonist deals with the loss of a loved one and was inspired by the death of Perry's father.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Back to Basics Tour</span> 2006–08 concert tour by Christina Aguilera

The Back to Basics Tour was the fourth concert tour and third world tour by American singer Christina Aguilera. The tour was launched to support her fifth studio album, Back to Basics (2006). It visited Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia from late 2006 to mid 2007. Though initially planned, four dates for New Zealand and Australia were cancelled due to Aguilera's pregnancy with her first child, Max Liron Bratman, born January 12, 2008. In October 2008, three extra dates to Ukraine and Abu Dhabi were added; therefore, the tour was Aguilera's first to visit the Middle East.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Candyman (Christina Aguilera song)</span> 2007 single by Christina Aguilera

"Candyman" is a song by American singer Christina Aguilera from the second disc of her fifth studio album, Back to Basics (2006). "Candyman" was planned to be released as the second single from Back to Basics; however, RCA Records decided to release "Hurt" instead. Subsequently, the track was released on November 19, 2006, as the third single from the album. "Candyman" is described as a pop and jazz song that imitates swing music whose lyrics are about sex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oh Mother</span> 2007 single by Christina Aguilera

"Oh Mother" is a song by American singer Christina Aguilera from her fifth studio album, Back to Basics (2006). The song was released on August 13, 2007, by RCA Records as the fourth and final single from the album in European territories, while "Slow Down Baby" was serviced as the final single in Oceania. It was written by Aguilera, Derryck Thornton, Mark Rankin, Liz Thornton, Christophe Barratier, Bruno Coulais and Kara DioGuardi. Production was done by Big Tank and Q, with L Boggie credited as co-producer and Aguilera serviced as additional producer.

<i>Back to Basics: Live and Down Under</i> 2008 video by Christina Aguilera

Back to Basics: Live and Down Under is the fourth video album by American singer-songwriter Christina Aguilera. It premiered on television on January 26, 2008, on VH1, and was released on DVD on February 4, 2008, by RCA Records. The DVD included material from recordings from two of Aguilera's concerts during her Back to Basics Tour in Adelaide on July 17 and 18, 2007. Behind-the-scenes footage is included with video from the concerts.

<i>Keeps Gettin Better: A Decade of Hits</i> 2008 greatest hits album by Christina Aguilera

Keeps Gettin' Better: A Decade of Hits is the first greatest hits album by American singer-songwriter Christina Aguilera. It was released on November 6, 2008 by RCA Records. The album contains Aguilera's singles from all of her studio albums released up to 2008. It also featured four new additions: two remakes of her previous singles—"Genie in a Bottle" (1999) and "Beautiful" (2002)—and two original songs "Keeps Gettin' Better" and "Dynamite". In the United States, the album was released on November 11, 2008, exclusively via Target.

<i>Burlesque</i> (soundtrack) 2010 soundtrack album by Christina Aguilera and Cher

Burlesque: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack album to the film of the same name, released by Screen Gems, Inc and RCA Records on November 19, 2010. The soundtrack consists of ten songs sung by the film's stars, American singers Christina Aguilera and Cher; Aguilera sang eight of the tracks, while Cher performed the remaining two. The album is inspired by jazz music style, in style with Aguilera's fifth studio album Back to Basics (2006), but contrasting to her then-recent release Bionic (2010), which was recorded concurrently with Burlesque. Burlesque served as Cher's first album since the release of Living Proof nine years earlier.

Raymond Angry is an American keyboardist, record producer, and composer. His nickname is "Mister Goldfinger".

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Moss, Corey (June 6, 2006). "Christina Makes Her Comeback Twice As Nice By Expanding Basics Into Double LP". MTV News . Viacom . Retrieved December 11, 2011.
  2. Gitlin, Lauren (March 16, 2006). "Christina Aguilera Channels Billie Holiday". Rolling Stone . Wenner Media . Retrieved December 11, 2011.
  3. Clarke, Stuart (August 12, 2006). "Aguilera takes twin-track approach for new album". Music Week . Intent Media.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Slow Down Baby (liner notes). Christina Aguilera. Australia: RCA Records. 2007. 8 8697-13691-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  5. 1 2 Adams, Cameron (August 30, 2007). "Mark Ronson, hitman to the stars". Herald Sun . The Herald and Weekly Times . Retrieved February 19, 2012.
  6. 1 2 Rosen, Judy (August 11, 2006). "Back to Basics". Entertainment Weekly . Time, Inc. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved December 10, 2011.
  7. 1 2 3 Murphy, John. "Christina Aguilera – Back To Basics". musicOMH . Archived from the original on March 10, 2012. Retrieved December 10, 2011.
  8. 1 2 Murray, Sonia (August 18, 2006). "Aguilera's new CD is exceptional". JournalNews . Cox Enterprises. Archived from the original on August 23, 2006. Retrieved December 10, 2011.
  9. 1 2 3 Copsey, Robert; Levine, Nick (June 10, 2010). "Christina Aguilera: The ten essential tunes". Digital Spy . Hachette Filipacchi UK . Retrieved December 10, 2011.
  10. 1 2 Anderman, Joan (August 13, 2006). "Aguilera is too clever by half". The Boston Globe . The New York Times Company. Archived from the original on June 9, 2012. Retrieved December 10, 2011.
  11. Gennoe, Dan (August 17, 2006). "Christina Aguilera - Back To Basics". Yahoo! UK & Ireland . Yahoo! Inc. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved December 10, 2011.
  12. "Christina Aguilera, 'Slow Down Baby' – Composition Sheet Music". Musicnotes.com. Universal Music Publishing Group.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  13. 1 2 Spence D (August 15, 2006). "Christina Aguilera – Back to Basics". IGN . News Corporation. Archived from the original on July 10, 2007. Retrieved December 10, 2011.
  14. Lyskey, Dorian (August 4, 2006). "Christina Aguilera, Back to Basics". The Guardian . Retrieved December 10, 2011.
  15. Righi, Len (August 19, 2006). "Christina Aguilera "Back To Basics" (rca)". The Morning Call . Tribune Company . Retrieved February 19, 2012.
  16. Venable, Malcolm (December 29, 2006). "Soundwaves". The Virginian-Pilot . Landmark Media Enterprises.
  17. Daly, Sean (August 19, 2006). "Aguilera takes out the trash". Tampa Bay Times . Times Publishing Company . Retrieved December 10, 2011.
  18. Mervis, Scott (August 17, 2006). "Christina Aguilera 'Back to Basics'". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . Block Communications . Retrieved December 10, 2011.
  19. Wass, Mike (December 18, 2020). "Christina Aguilera's 40 Best Songs". Idolator . Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  20. "Christina Aguilera Arrives In Town This Week!". Sony Music Australia. July 12, 2007. Archived from the original on September 4, 2007. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
  21. "The ARIA Report – Week Commencing 23rd July 2007" (PDF). ARIA Charts . Australian Web Archive. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 19, 2007. Retrieved December 13, 2011.
  22. 1 2 "The ARIA Report – Week Commencing 6th August 2007" (PDF). ARIA Charts. Australian Web Archive. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 19, 2007. Retrieved December 13, 2011.
  23. 1 2 3 "Christina Aguilera – Slow Down Baby". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved June 17, 2018.
  24. 1 2 Smyth, David (July 21, 2006). "What a night, Christina". Evening Standard . Alexander Lebedev / Evgeny Lebedev / Daily Mail and General Trust. Archived from the original on May 5, 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2011.
  25. 1 2 "Christina Gets Burlesque at Koko". MTV UK . Viacom. August 1, 2006. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
  26. Walsh, Ben (December 17, 2006). "Christina Aguilera, Wembley Arena, London". The Independent . Independent Print Limited. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
  27. 1 2 Schaffer, Regina (April 2, 2007). "Singer entertains with fast-paced 90-minute show". The Press of Atlantic City . Abarta. Archived from the original on September 12, 2007. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
  28. "Christina Aguilera – Back to Basics: Live and Down Under DVD". RCA Records. Archived from the original on May 15, 2012. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
  29. 1 2 "Slow Down Baby – Single by Christina Aguilera". iTunes Store . Australia: Apple . Retrieved December 10, 2011.
  30. 1 2 "Slow Down Baby – Christina Aguilera". Getmusic.com.au. Universal Music Australia. Archived from the original on April 6, 2012. Retrieved December 10, 2011.
  31. "RadioScope100 – August 5 2007 – RadioScope New Zealand". RadioScope. August 5, 2007. Archived from the original on May 25, 2010. Retrieved May 29, 2020.