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| Format = [[Music download|Digital download]]
| Format = [[Music download|Digital download]]
| Recorded = <!---DON'T CHANGE DATE WITHOUT SOURCE---->
| Recorded = <!---DON'T CHANGE DATE WITHOUT SOURCE---->
| Genre = [[Hip hop music|Hip hop]], [[pop music|pop]], [[R&B]]
| Genre = [[Hip hop music|Hip hop]], [[contemporary R&B|R&B]], [[pop music|pop]]
| Length = 4:04
| Length = 4:04
| Label = [[Young Money Entertainment|Young Money]], [[Cash Money Records|Cash Money]], [[Universal Motown]]
| Label = [[Young Money Entertainment|Young Money]], [[Cash Money Records|Cash Money]], [[Universal Motown]]

Revision as of 21:38, 25 January 2012

"Your Love"
Song

"Your Love" is a song performed by Trinidadian-American recording artist Nicki Minaj. It was written by Minaj with Joseph Hughes, David Freedman, and Andrew "Pop" Wansel, with the latter receiving production credits. The song serves as the first single from her debut studio album, Pink Friday. Minaj was preparing to release another single after the intended lead single from the album, "Massive Attack," failed to make an impact. A version of "Your Love" appeared on the Barbie World mixtape in January 2010. Later, another version appeared online after it was stolen and leaked. After the song was endorsed by radio, the song was mixed and a few lyrics were changes before it was made the new single from the album, first released on on June 1, 2010.

"Your Love" samples the pop song "No More I Love You's" (1994) by Scottish recording artist Annie Lennox, with additional bass, hip-hop backbeats and drum loops. Described as a "rap ballad", the song is a change of tempo compared to Minaj's previous work, and according to Mariel Concepcion of Billboard, the song contains a "new brand of hood majesty." The song received mostly positive reviews from critics, complimenting Minaj's singing and rapping flexibility, and the use of the Lennox sample.

The song peaked at fourteen on the Billboard Hot 100 and four on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. "Your Love" topped the US Rap Songs chart for eight consecutive weeks. Minaj became the first female artist to lead the chart since 2003, and the first female artist to top the chart sans a featured artist since 2002. Additionally, the song charted at number twenty-two on the US Pop Songs chart. The song also appeared on other charts worldwide, notably reaching number forty-three in Canada, and number twelve on the UK R&B Chart. The song's music video was directed by Lil X, and American actor Michael Jai White portrays Minaj's love interest. The storyline revolves around a love story in which Minaj is a samurai-in-training who falls for her martial arts teacher, and duels for his affection with a jealous classmate. The video pays homage to films Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) and Kill Bill (2003), and it received positive reception which complimented its concept.

Background

"Your Love" features a sample by Scottish recording artist Annie Lennox (pictured).

The song's demo was originally released on the Barbie World mixtape in January with different lyrics included in the pre-chorus along with a fast sound.[1] The song was mixed more and lyrically changed and was released as the first single from Minaj's debut album Pink Friday.[1] Minaj stated in an interview with Hot 93.7 that, "That was a leak and I was so upset they put it out 'cause I recorded that song like two years ago. Next thing you know, people started falling in love with it."[2] Later on the set of the music video shoot for the song, Minaj stated that the song was stolen and leaked, explaining,

"I was not planning on putting the song out at all. But then I heard it one day, somebody told me it was online. And I was like, 'No way, no way in the world that song is out.' I went and listened to it and was really upset. It wasn't mixed, it wasn't finished, it wasn't anything — I wasn't gonna use it at all. But then radio started playing it."[3]

Rap-Up posted cover art featuring a close up of Minaj smirking to her right, however for unknown reasons the art work was changed.[4] The new cover features a cartoon version of Minaj, made by fan Asia Horton who posted it for Minaj on Twitter.[5]

The official remix featuring Cash Money labelmate Jay Sean was leaked via-internet on August 2,[6] and later made available for purchase in Australia via iTunes.[7] An unofficial remix of the song features American pop rapper Flo Rida adding a verse into the song were he samples a line from Notorious B.I.G..[5] Reggae recording artist Sean Paul also did a remix to the song where he ad-libs his verse throughout the original song and later adds his verse.[8] Other remixes to the song include those done by American rapper Rick Ross,[9] and American R&B singer Chris Brown.[10]

Composition

"Your Love"
A sample of "Your Love", which samples the melody of Annie Lennox's "No More I Love You's"
Problems playing this file? See media help.

The song is a mid-tempo hip-hop song with pop elements.[11] With an auto-tuned chorus,[12] it samples the instrumentals and background hooks of "No More I Love You's" by Annie Lennox, with the addition of additional bass, drum-loops and hip-hop backbeats.[1] According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, "Your Love" is set in common time with a metronome of 94 beats per minute. It is composed in the key of E major with Minaj's vocal range spanning from the low-note of B3 to the high-note of C♯5.[11]

Sara D. Anderson of AOL Radio Blog described the song as a "rap ballad", and that it features Minaj delivering a "rap/singing mash-up."[1] Coined as a "new brand of hood majesty," the song is accompanied by a simple beat, which includes finger snaps and "xylophone clings."[13] Lean Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly commented: "Rap's spitfire explores her softer side, sampling Annie Lennox on her honey-tongued ode to a good man." Greenblatt went on to compared the song to Jay-Z's "kindred" "Young Forever."[14] Minaj makes several references in her lines, which include references to Bruce Willis in Die Hard, and Adam and Eve. She makes several connections to Superman including in the pre-chorus "'S' on my chest, let me get my cape on."[1][13]

Critical reception

Due to Minaj's change in style with "Your Love", numerous critics compared her different musical personalities to those of Lady Gaga (pictured).

Rap-Up stated that Minaj "slows down her rapid-fire verses on the sticky and sweet "Your Love" ... with a sprinkling of Auto-Tune to top it off. Young Money’s First Lady even exercises her vocal chops. We demand another helping."[12] Robbie Daw of Idolator commented, "Now this is a jam we can get behind. It not only showcases Nicki’s rapping, but her singing as well. Plus, who can resist that Annie Lennox sample?"[15] Backy Bain also of Idolator additionally gave the song a positive review stating "We were a bit worried that Harujuku Barbie would forever be the garnish on other people’s tracks instead of the main dish, but this sweet song proves otherwise."[16] Mariel Concepcion of Billboard commented on Minaj toning it down stating, "the Young Money rap princess puts the sleazy talk aside and finds herself smitten with a young man... Minaj proves that even the wildest ones can be tamed."[13] While reviewing the music video, Brad Wete also of Entertainment Weekly reviewed the song stating "Okay, her first single was a dud. But Nicki Minaj is slicing the competition to pieces with her second try."[17] David Jeffries of AllMusic complimented the song as a highlight-cut of the album, additionally adding that the song, "waltzes out of the speakers."[18]

Alexis Petridis of The Guardian discussed the songs position on the album, stating that as the album progresses, Minaj turns into "devoted girlfriend material."[19] Margaret Wappler of Los Angeles Times gave a mixed review of the song stating, "It’s just another fantasy clattering around the head of this Queens-bred imagineer of urban music whose sense of identity is so whimsically schizoid that she makes Lady Gaga seem as fixed as Barbara Bush."[20] Allison Stewart of The Washington Post complimented Minaj's singing on the track stating that the song was "so shamelessly sweet it's as if replaced Minaj with Rachel McAdams, but it's a great song, and another example of Minaj trying on and ultimately discarding various personas the way Lady Gaga does platform shoes. She tries on voices, too, taking a scenic tour of Queens, London and Trinidad before settling on a Jamaican patois." Stewart went on to name the song as a recommended download from the album.[21]

Chart performance

"Your Love" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at fifty-one, Minaj's first solo song to appear on the chart, apart from her feature on Ludacris's "My Chick Bad" at eleven.[22] The next week the song jumped twenty-five spots to number twenty-six. It debuted at number twenty-three on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, currently peaking at number four.[22] The song charted on the Rap Songs chart, and eventually vaulted from number four to number one, topping the chart for eight consucutive weeks.[23] Minaj became the first female rapper to chart the top since Lil Kim's "Magic Stick", featuring 50 Cent.[23] also became the first artist to lead the chart with a song sans features since Missy Elliott in 2003 with "Work It".[23] The song was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipment of 1.000.000 copies of the single.[24] On the Canadian Hot 100, the song peaked at forty-three.[25] "Your Love" also charted in the United Kingdom, at a peak of twenty-two on the UK R&B Chart, and seventy-one on the UK Singles Chart.[26][27] It also charted and peaked at 32 on the Australian Urban Singles.[28]

Music video

American actor Michael Jai White (pictured) portrays Minaj's martial arts instructor and love interest in the music video.

A music video for the song was directed by Lil X on the weekend of July 4, 2010 in Los Angeles.[29] Minaj took to her Twitter, asking fans who they would like to see portray her love interest in the video.[30] Minaj was interviewed on the set of the "Your Love" music video by MTV News while wearing a pink and purple kimono as a geisha for the video.[3] In the interview, Minaj said, "We wanted to have geisha themes, samurai themes, stuff like that. I wanted to tell a love story. It's just kinda liking a guy, where he's not really for you to like — the forbidden fruit — and me and this other girl happen to like him and we go to war."[29] The video premiered July 21, 2010 on MTV.com.[29] Actor Michael Jai White portrays Minaj's love interest in the video.[29]

The video is set to tell the story of a samurai-in-training, who falls in love with her master while a jealous peer fights for his affection.[31] The video begins with Minaj delivering her lines over red and blue flowing fabric backdrops wearing a brown coat an geisha attire, while White teaches a martial arts class.[29] As Minaj and the instructor (White) begin to fall for one another, a student, who also has feelings for the instructor sees this and is jealous.[29] This is intercut with scenes with Minaj donning a blonde wig and black bodysuit and in front of a green flowing backdrop.[29] After seeing Minaj and White embrace each other on a bridge over blue-fabric "water", she and Minaj have a confrontation, which results in a duel. According to MTV News, the scenes pay homage to Uma Thurman as The Bride and Lucy Liu as Cottonmouth in Kill Bill.[29] Minaj loses and the other woman walks away as Minaj bleeds a red fabric and White walks up and grieves over her body.[29]

Robbie Daw of Idolator appreciated the plot twist of the video, commenting, "We really expected Nicki to waste that other warrior-in-training hater. The fact that she dies—and does so in such a beautiful way here—kind of makes us love her all the more."[32] Daw also inferred that the fancy attire from the "No More I Love You's" video inspired Minaj's in the "Your Love" video.[32] Nicole Sia of MTV Buzzworthy stated that the video resembles Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in its fight scene and commented on Minaj's appearance stating "the camera cuts to Ms. Young Money soloing in front of billowing one-million-thread-count satin sheets, just to remind us how damn FINE she is."[33] Tray Hova of Vibe gave a list of the best and worst parts of the music video,[34] stating the best were Minaj chopped through the blocks of cement, her crazy faces, silk sheets and headgear, and that the worst part was the "melodramatic ending" and "the return of those Freddy Krueger fingers."[34]

Credits and personnel

Credits are taken from Pink Friday liner notes.[35]

Charts

Radio dates and release history

Region Date Format
United States June 1, 2010 Digital download[43]
June 15, 2010 Mainstream airplay[44]
United Kingdom June 7, 2010 Digital download[45]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Anderson, Sara D. "Nicki Minaj, 'Your Love' -- New Song". AOL Radio Blog. AOL, Inc. Retrieved 2010-06-20. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  2. ^ "Nicki Minaj Creates a 'Masterpiece' with Swizz Beatz for Debut Album". Rap-Up. Retrieved 2010-06-30.
  3. ^ a b Rodriguez, Jayson (2010-07-06). "Nicki Minaj Shocked By #1 Hit 'Your Love'". MTV News. MTV Networks. Retrieved 2010-07-07.
  4. ^ "Single Cover: Nicki Minaj "Your Love"". Rap-Up. Retrieved 2010-06-30.
  5. ^ a b "Nicki Minaj's Second Solo Single 'Your Love' Released Today". First-Up. 2010-06-02. Retrieved 2010-06-30.
  6. ^ "Nicki Minaj Ft. Jay Sean - Your Love (Remix)". HitHipHop. 2010-08-02. Retrieved 2010-08-03.
  7. ^ "Your Love (Remix) [feat. Jay Sean] - Single". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
  8. ^ "Nicki Minaj – Your Love (Remix) feat. Sean Paul". Def Pen Radio. 2010-07-17. Retrieved 2010-07-19.
  9. ^ "New Music: Nicki Minaj f/ Rick Ross – 'Your Love (Remix)'". Rap-Up. 2010-07-27. Retrieved 2010-07-27.
  10. ^ "New Music - Chris Brown– 'Your Love' (Remix)". Rap-Up. 2010-08-04. Retrieved 2011-02-06.
  11. ^ a b Joseph Hughes, David Freeman, Onika Maraj, Andrew Wansel (Composers and Lyricists) (2010). "Your Love: Nicki Minaj Digital Sheet Music". Musicnotes.com. Sony/ATV Music Publishing. MN0086877(Product Number). {{cite web}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); |format= requires |url= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. ^ a b "New Music: Nicki Minaj – 'Your Love'". Rap-Up. Retrieved 2010-06-30.
  13. ^ a b c "Nicki Minaj, "Your Love"". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved 2010-07-15.
  14. ^ Entertainment Weekly #1113 July 30, 2010 Page 74
  15. ^ "Nicki Minaj's Second Single Is The Annie Lennox-Sampling "Your Love"". Idolator. Retrieved 2010-06-30.
  16. ^ Bain, Becky (2010-07-07). "Nicki Minaj Shocked By "Your Love" Hitting #1 Since She Never Planned To Release It". Idolator. Retrieved 2010-07-08.
  17. ^ Wete, Brad (2010-07-21). "Nicki Minaj goes samurai in new "Your Love" video". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2010-07-23.
  18. ^ Jeffries, David. "Pink Friday - Review". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2011-02-16.
  19. ^ Petridis, Alexis (2010-11-26). "Nicki Minaj: Pink Friday - review". The Guardian. London.
  20. ^ "Pop & Hiss". Los Angeles Times.
  21. ^ "Nicki Minaj: 'Pink Friday'". The Washington Post. 2010-11-23.
  22. ^ a b "Nicki Minaj Music News & Info". Bilboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved 2010-06-30.
  23. ^ a b c Trust, Gary. "Chart Beat Wednesday: Train, Dirty Heads, Nicki Minaj". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved 2010-06-30.
  24. ^ a b "RIAA – Gold & Platinum – Nicki Minaj". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2011-06-24.
  25. ^ a b "Nicki Minaj Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 2011-11-06.
  26. ^ a b "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2011-11-06.
  27. ^ a b "Nicki Minaj: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2011-11-06.
  28. ^ a b "The ARIA Report - Issue #1070" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. 2010-08-30. Retrieved 2010-09-16.
  29. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rodriguez, Jayson (2010-07-21). "Nicki Minaj's 'Your Love' Video -- Watch It Here!". MTV News. MTV Networks. Retrieved 2010-07-21.
  30. ^ "New Music: Nicki Minaj - "Your Love"". Concrete Loop. Buzzmedia Entertainment. 2010-05-12. Retrieved 2010-06-30.
  31. ^ "Video: Nicki Minaj - 'Your Love'". Rap-Up. 2010-07-21. Retrieved 2010-07-21.
  32. ^ a b Daw, Robbie (2010-07-21). "Nicki Minaj Dies Hard Like Bruce Willis In Her "Your Love" Video". Idolator. Buzzmedia Media. Retrieved 2010-07-21.
  33. ^ Sia, Nicole (2010-07-21). "Video Premiere: Nicki Minaj, 'Your Love'". MTV Buzzworthy. MTV Networks. Retrieved 2010-07-21.
  34. ^ a b Hova, Tray (2010-07-22). "The Wins & FAILs of Nicki Minaj's 'Your Love' Video". Vibe. Retrieved 2010-07-22.
  35. ^ Pink Friday (Media notes). Young Money, Cash Money, Universal Motown. 2010.
  36. ^ "The ARIA Report - Issue #1073" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. 2010-09-20. Retrieved 2011-05-09.
  37. ^ "Nicki Minaj – Your Love" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved 2010-10-04.
  38. ^ "Nicki Minaj Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 2011-11-06.
  39. ^ "Nicki Minaj Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2011-11-06.
  40. ^ "Nicki Minaj Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2011-11-06.
  41. ^ "Nicki Minaj Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2011-11-06.
  42. ^ "Billboard > Year End Charts > 2010". Billboard. Retrieved 2011-02-16.
  43. ^ "Your Love - Single". iTunes Store. Apple, Inc. Retrieved 2010-06-30.
  44. ^ "Airplay Archive". FMQB. Retrieved 2010-06-30.
  45. ^ "Your Love - Single". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. Retrieved 2010-09-16.
Preceded by
"Over" by Drake
 Billboard Rap Songs number-one single
July 10, 2010 – August 28, 2010 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Your_Love_(Nicki_Minaj_song)&oldid=473225695"