| "Yo (Excuse Me Miss)" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
_single_cover.jpg) | ||||
| Single byChris Brown | ||||
| from the albumChris Brown | ||||
| Released | November 29, 2005 | |||
| Genre | R&B[1] | |||
| Length | 3:49 | |||
| Label | Jive | |||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producers | Dre & Vidal | |||
| Chris Brown singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Yo (Excuse Me Miss)" onYouTube | ||||
"Yo (Excuse Me Miss)" is a song by American singerChris Brown. It was written byJohntá Austin along withAndre Harris andVidal Davis from production duoDre & Vidal for Brown'sself-titled debut album (2005), while production was helmed by Harris and Davis. Lyrically, the R&B track focuses on teenage love.[2] "Yo (Excuse Me Miss)" features background vocals from singer André Meritt in the chorus.[3]
The song was released byJive Records as the album's second single in November 2005 in the United States, and February 2006 worldwide. It became Brown's second top ten single in the United States, peaking at number seven on the USBillboard Hot 100, causing the song to appear on the 2006 compilation albumNow That’s What I Call Music! 22. "Yo (Excuse Me Miss)" also became a top ten hit in Australia, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. At the2006 BET Awards, the song won in theViewer's Choice category, while its music video, directed byErik White and Brown, received Best R&B Video nominations at both the2006 MTV Video Music Awards and theMTV Australia Awards.
In her review of parent albumChris Brown, Kelefa Sanneh fromThe New York Times wrote: "[Brown] sounds enthusiastic but polite, more the solicitous friend than the lecherous stranger [...] The beat, by Andre Harris and Vidal Davis, evokes the plush minimalism of an expensive sofa, and once again Mr. Brown makes an ostentatiously well-mannered plea."[4]Rolling Stone listed "Yo (Excuse Me Miss)" among the 30 best R&B songs of the 21st century.[5]HotNewHipHop stated in 2021 that "the song and accompanying music video have become somewhat of a cultural phenomenon since its release nearly two decades ago. In the visual, Brown memorably pursues a girl while dancing for her and singing the lyrics to her, a true testament and time stamp of the 00s era."[6]
According toBillboard, "Yo (Excuse Me Miss)" was the song that solidified Brown's presence in the music industry, following the success of his previous single "Run It!".[7] The song peaked at number seven on the USBillboard Hot 100 on February 18, 2006, becoming Brown's second top-ten song on the chart. It spent a total of 21 weeks on the chart. On December 12, 2007, "Yo (Excuse Me Miss)" was certifiedplatinum by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of over a million copies in the United States.[8] Elsewhere, the song became a top ten hit in Australia, the Netherlands, and New Zealand and reached number thirteen on theUK Singles Chart.[9]
The song'smusic video was directed byErik White and Chris Brown.[10] Filmed in various locations throughoutLos Angeles, including a basketball court in Pecan Park, it features then-modelErica Mena as a girl Brown sees, catching his attention. He then follows the girl while dancing for her. After arriving at a basketball court, he continues the choreography with two other guys. Brown then gets the girl's car and sings to her. They get close, then she gives him her phone to put his number in. The video's ending transitions to the first verse of "Gimme That", with Brown singing in a different scenario.
Lil' JJ,Trey Songz, andDeRay Davis make cameo appearances in the video. Portions of the visuals were inspired by singerMichael Jackson's 1987 video for his single "The Way You Make Me Feel."[6] "Yo (Excuse Me Miss)" received a Best R&B Video nomination at the2006 MTV Video Music Awards, but lost toBeyoncé's "Check on It" (2005).
On April 1, 2006, Brown performed "Yo (Excuse Me Miss)" at the2006 Kids' Choice Awards as part of a musical duel with rapperBow Wow that was inspired by the 1986Run-D.M.C. music video "Walk This Way".[11]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Yo (Excuse Me Miss)" | Dre & Vidal | 3:50 | |
| 2. | "Yo (Excuse Me Miss)" |
| Dre & Vidal | 3:49 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Yo (Excuse Me Miss)" (Johnny Douglas Remix) |
|
| 3:41 |
| 2. | "Yo (Excuse Me Miss)" (Main version) |
| Dre & Vidal | 3:49 |
Notes
Credits adapted fromChris Brown liner notes.[14]
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[41] | Platinum | 70,000‡ |
| Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[42] | Platinum | 60,000* |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[43] | 3× Platinum | 90,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[44] | Platinum | 600,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[45] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[45] (Mastertone) | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
