"Shut Up" is a song recorded by Americanhip-hop groupthe Black Eyed Peas for their third studio albumElephunk (2003). Lyrically, it is about a disastrous courtship with the chorus consisting of the lines "Shut up, just shut up, shut up". The song was released as the second single fromElephunk on September 8, 2003, byA&M Records andInterscope Records. "Shut Up" was not commercially successful in the United States but became a hit internationally, topping the charts of Australia, New Zealand, and 12 European countries. It was Europe's second-biggest hit single of 2004.
Black Eyed Peas group memberwill.i.am needed a female singer for the song "Shut Up", so he brought inFergie. She assisted the group on most of the songs onElephunk and became the group's fourth member in 2003. While will.i.am,apl.de.ap, andTaboo were working on the song, their girlfriends' phone calls would interrupt the session. Will said "The vibe was blown" and Taboo said "So we turned the negative into positive", by adding the problems they were having into the song they were making. "Shut Up" was recorded at The Stewchia inLos Feliz, Los Angeles, from December 30, 2001, to February 19, 2002.[1]
The song's "Knee Deep Remix" includes a rerecorded version of will.i.am's verse and the bridge. It also includes a new verse with apl.de.ap. An edited version of this remix appears on the deluxe version of the group's 2009 fifth studio album,The E.N.D., titled "Shut the Phunk Up". The remix samples the song "(Not Just) Knee Deep" byFunkadelic. In December 2010, Funkadelic leaderGeorge Clinton filed acopyright infringement lawsuit against will.i.am, Fergie, andUniversal Music. Clinton stated that he did not give his permission for the sample and that his signature was forged on the release form.[2]
"Shut Up" became an international success, reaching number one in Australia, Austria, Belgium (Flanders andWallonia), the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Romania, Sweden, and Switzerland.[3][4][5][6] The single also reached number two in Denmark, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom and peaked at number five in Hungary.[3][7][8] At the end of 2004, it was ranked as Europe's second-highest-selling single according to theEurochart Hot 100, on which the song peaked at number one.[9][10] As of August 2014, it was the 47th best-selling single of the 21st century in France, with 400,000 units sold.[11]
In Germany, it is the second-best-selling single of the band behind "I Gotta Feeling", selling 300,000 copies to reach platinum status.[12] The song peaked at number one on theGerman Singles Chart and stayed there for five weeks, becoming the band's longest run at the pole position.[13] In the United States, the song never charted on theBillboardHot 100 despite appearing at number 30 on theBillboardMainstream Top 40 in November 2003.[14]
Themusic video was directed byThe Malloys and features anopera themed around a battle of the sexes. In it, will.i.am and Taboo play Fergie's suitors, and apl.de.ap is theconductor.
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
^Shut Up (Knee Deep Remix) (US 12-inch vinyl disc). Black Eyed Peas. A&M Records. 2003. B0001668-11.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Shut Up (European CD single liner notes). Black Eyed Peas. A&M Records. 2003. 0602498145029.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Shut Up (UK & Australian CD single liner notes). Black Eyed Peas. A&M Records. 2003. 9814501.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Shut Up (UK 12-inch single sleeve). Black Eyed Peas. A&M Records. 2003. 9814587.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
