| "Baby" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Standard artwork for worldwide release (US commercial CD maxi-single pictured) | ||||
| Single byBrandy | ||||
| from the albumBrandy | ||||
| Released | December 24, 1994 (1994-12-24) | |||
| Recorded | 1993[1] | |||
| Studio | Human Rhythm (Los Angeles)[2] | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length |
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| Label | Atlantic | |||
| Songwriters |
| |||
| Producer | Keith Crouch | |||
| Brandy singles chronology | ||||
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"Baby" is a song by AmericanR&B recording artistBrandy, taken from herself-titled debut album (1994). It was penned byKeith Crouch, Kipper Jones, andRahsaan Patterson and produced by the former. Released as the album's second single on December 24, 1994, in the United States, it reached number four on theBillboardHot 100 and spent four weeks atop theBillboardHot R&B Singles chart. It also reached number four in New Zealand, number 16 in Australia, and number 68 in Canada. The single sold 1,000,000 copies in 1995 in the United States.[4]
Amusic video was accompanied and directed byHype Williams.[5] It was photographed in the middle ofTimes Square inNew York City in December 1994 and portrays Brandy and her company dancing in skiing outfits. Met with generally positive reviews from contemporary critics, "Baby" was nominated for aGrammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the38th Annual Grammy Awards.
"Baby" was written byKeith Crouch, Kipper Jones andRahsaan Patterson in 1993, while production was handled by the former.[2][1] Conceived within a few days only, the song was created during additional songwriting sessions with Patterson, with whom Crouch had worked on several songs for theBrandy album.[6] On the production process, Patterson commented in 2011: "I remember going over to his [Crouch's] house for two nights in a row and from the first night that he wanted to play the track for me, I heard what I heard, but I kept it to myself because I was pretty much intimidated thinking he would think it was horrible. Then by the third day, he was like 'We've got to turn this song in by Friday, so whatever you think of, just sing it!' So I sang to him what I had heard instantly when he played it and he was like 'Man you've been sitting there holding that!'.[6] Most of the background vocals and instruments were recorded in one of Crouch's bedrooms.[6] Upon hearing the demo track, Brandy applauded the song for its "flavor and soul".[7] During recording, she was reportedly inspired by idolWhitney Houston vocally, "I wanted to be exactly like her musically!".[7]
Larry Flick fromBillboard felt that "Baby" was continuing to position Brandy as a "pop/urban ingenue with charisma to spare".[3] Overall, he thought radio programmers would jump on this song "within seconds", as well as kids who will begin "endlessly chanting the chorus shortly after".[3] Steve Baltin fromCash Box commented, "Be careful not to slip on this one, as it is slick as a glacier. An extremely well-crafted slow-grinding groove lies behind the teen-age sensation’s throaty vocals. While the same level of success isn’t likely, there is still lots of airplay in the future of this tune."[8] Dave Sholin from theGavin Report wrote, "At this rate, Brandy will have aGreatest Hits album out before she turns 18! Some songs demand to be played a lot, and here's a perfect example."[9] Pan-European magazineMusic & Media deemed Brandy as America's youngest "new jil swinger". They added that "a higher "baby, babe" factor has not been heard sinceAmy Grant."[10] Ralph Tee fromMusic Week'sRM Dance Update said, "At a virtually identical pace, the track perhaps lacks the production goose-bump factor that catapulted itspredecessor up the charts, but itsjazzy guitar lick and infectious chorus wrapped up with an impressive vocal and plenty of dancefloor appeal should see this go places."[11]
An accompanyingmusic video for "Baby" was directed byHype Williams and filmed in the middle ofTimes Square inNew York City in December 1994.[5][7] Choreography was handled byFatima Robinson.[12] A performance video, it portrays Brandy and her company dancing at "The Great White Way" inMidtown Manhattan, wearing skiing outfits.[13] Brandy wears a big white jacket and thin, white leggings complete with a white hat and black shades. The back up dancers are dressed in white too. The next cuts show Brandy wearing pink in a pink room, while singing into a microphone in a dull coloured room. She is later seen dancing with people in the same room, with the rest of the video containing similar cuts.[5]
Brandy commented on filming, "all these people were passing by and were like ‘Who’s this girl on stage in the middle of Times Square?’ I had a great time shooting the video. I could just feel myself really starting to open up, really come out of my shell and find myself as a young artist."[14] At the1995 MTV Video Music Awards, Fatima Robinson was nominated forBest Choreography but lost toLaVelle Smith Jnr,Tina Landon,Travis Payne andSean Cheesman for their work on the video for theMichael andJanet Jackson duet "Scream" (1995).[12]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Baby" (radio edit) |
| Crouch | 4:19 |
| 2. | "Baby" (All Star Party mix) |
|
| 5:37 |
| 3. | "Baby" (LP version) |
| Crouch | 5:12 |
| 4. | "I Wanna Be Down" (The Human Rhythm Hip Hop remix featuringMC Lyte,Queen Latifah andYo-Yo) | Crouch | 4:15 |
Notes
Credits adapted from the liner notes ofBrandy.[2]
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Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
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| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | December 24, 1994 | — | Atlantic | [citation needed] |
| Australia | June 5, 1995 |
| [32] |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[33] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Studio albums | |
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| Compilation albums | |
| Concert tours | |
| Related topics |
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