| "Winner" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single byJamie Foxx featuringJustin Timberlake andT.I. | ||||
| from the albumBest Night of My Life | ||||
| Released | April 6, 2010(digital download)[1] April 20, 2010(U.S. – urban radio)[2] May 4, 2010(U.S. – rhythm/crossover radio)[3] | |||
| Recorded | 2009 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:04 | |||
| Label | J Records | |||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producer | The Y's | |||
| Jamie Foxx singles chronology | ||||
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| Justin Timberlake singles chronology | ||||
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| T.I. singles chronology | ||||
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"Winner" is the first single from American singer and actorJamie Foxx's fourth studio albumBest Night of My Life, released for digital download on April 6, 2010 throughJ Records.[1] It features American singerJustin Timberlake and rapperT.I. Foxx toldGeorge Lopez about Timberlake's contribution: "I got him on the track—'cause he wasn't gonna get on the track—I just literally said, 'Man, my people suffered for 500 years. You owe me this.'"[4]
Allmusic considered this song a standout cut.[5]LA Times was also positive: "Current radio staple "Winner" sets the template — big processed drums, creepy synths and lots of open space for Foxx’s capable runs."[6]The New York Times was positive too: "On "Winner" there’s even some of the pseudo rapping that Justin Timberlake has been squeezing out of his system of late."[7]PopMatters was negative in its review, however: ""Winner" is another song that exists in spite of Jamie, and speaks only to the depth of his pockets. (...) The chorus of "Winner" splayed acrossESPN and TNT promos for basketball games."[8]Slant Magazine panned the track: "It's this kind of careless maximalism that produces junk like "Winner", a whirring waste of a Justin Timberlake appearance, a song whose basketball theme and cheesy dribble beat sound like something ripped fromHigh School Musical."[9]USA Today, however, highlighted the song positively.[10]
The song was released on urban radio stations on April 6, 2010, and was released on May 4, 2010 to mainstream radio stations. The song debuted at number 28 on the USBillboard Hot 100 due to strong airplay and downloads, becoming T.I.'s third and Timberlake's and Foxx's first "hot shot debut" on the chart.
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[11] | 23 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[12] | 37 |
| USBillboard Hot 100[13] | 28 |
| USPop Airplay (Billboard)[14] | 30 |
| USHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[15] | 65 |