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Runaway Love (Ludacris song)

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"Runaway Love"
Song
B-side"Girls Gone Wild"

"Runaway Love" is the third single released from Ludacris' fifth album, Release Therapy (2007). The song, which features Mary J. Blige on the vocals, was produced by Polow da Don and reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. The song was the first single from Release Therapy in the UK and was released as a double A-side with "Girls Gone Wild" included. The song was performed at the 2007 Grammy Awards show by Ludacris, Mary J. Blige and Earth, Wind & Fire. A remix of the song is available by T-Pain featuring Cassie.

Song information

Each one of the three verses of a fictional account telling the troubles in the lives of three runaway female adolescents; a nine-year-old named Lisa, a ten-year-old named Nicole, and an eleven-year-old named Erica each ending up running away to escape each of her own problems. There is a very short, commonly used sample of Slick Rick saying "Like this" in the beginning and at approximately 1:08 in the song. At the end of the song Ludacris informs women that he feels like running away himself some times.

Lisa

The 1st account involves Lisa (played by Arielle Lopez), a nine-year-old girl who has never met her family or father, has a mother who is addicted to drugs and also brings home men at different hours of the night. When her mom is knocked out from the drugs, the men that her mother brought home go to Lisa's room and have sex with her. Lisa tries to explain this to her mom but her mother does not believe her. She then decides to run away.

Nicole

The second plot involves Nicole (played by Raquel Castro), a lonely ten-year-old girl. Nicole believes she is not beautiful, and thinks nobody likes her, and wonders why this is so. Her stepfather (played by Jon Seda) is an alcoholic and physically abuses her. Nicole's schoolteachers constantly ask her why she has bruises (which were caused by her stepfather), and she lies to them. Nicole promises her only best friend, Stacy, that they'll be close forever. However, one day, Stacy dies in a drive-by shooting and feeling alone again, Nicole decides to run away as well.

Erica

The final tale involves Erica, (played by Keke Palmer) who is an eleven-year-old girl who is popping pills to dull pain. She is also, with guilt, having sex with her sixteen-year-old boyfriend (played by Julito McCullum). As things go deeper, Erica starts to believe she is truly in love with her boyfriend, and so her boyfriend uses no protection. After Erica becomes pregnant by having sex with her boyfriend, he bails out on her because he feels he is not ready to have a child. In addition, her family is rich, so Erica has money for an abortion. Erica knows that if she tells her mom she is pregnant, her mom will be very disappointed with her. In the video, it is shown that as Erica looks through a window, she imagines her mom hugging her. She is seen sitting on a park bench while Mary J. Blige sings next to her.

Music video

The music video for "Runaway Love" was directed by Jessy Terrero. It premiered first on the internet on November 29, 2006, on Yahoo! Music. A day later it premiered on television, on BET's 106 & Park as a New Joint. The video, which is also divided in three situations, follows a storyline faithfully based on the song. Mary J. Blige is featured in all of the three situations as a pedestrian that passes by the runaway girls. Actors Michael Rapaport, Jon Seda, and actress Keke Palmer (who played Erica) also have small cameos in the video. Featured in the background are orange posters for the National Runaway Switchboard, a crisis hotline serving runaway and homeless youth and their families. The hotline for the National Runaway Switchboard is also displayed on several of the "missing child" posters that are shown in the music video. This promotional effort highlights the partnership between The Ludacris Foundation and the National Runaway Switchboard to promote November as National Runaway Prevention Month and to increase awareness of issues related to runaway adolescents.[1][2]

Cast

Lisa's story:

Nicole's story:

  • Raquel Castro - Nicole
  • Michelle Garcia - Nicole's Teacher
  • Georgia Jones- Stacy
  • Jon Seda - Nicole's Stepfather

Erica's story:

All stories:

  • Ludacris
  • Mary J. Blige

Reviews

"Runaway Love" has received positive reviews by the majority of music and pop culture critics. Reviews note that in this work Ludacris has covered a more sensitive subject than he previously has.

  • Stylus Magazine:

"The sobering "Runaway Love" finds Ludacris weaving a tale of three girls dealing with the realities of rape, drugs, and alcoholism with a solemn resignation no Ludacris song has ever approached. And it does so without compromising his steez."

Credits and personnel

The credits for "Runaway Love" are adapted from the liner notes of Release Therapy.[3]

Recording
Personnel

Charts

Chart (2007) Peak
Position
Ireland (IRMA)[4] 37
New Zealand (RIANZ)[5] 21
UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)[6] 52
US Billboard Hot 100[7] 2
US R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[8] 3
US Rap Songs (Billboard)[9] 1
US Pop Songs (Billboard)[10] 6

References

  1. ^ The Ludacris Foundation - Runaway Love Campaign
  2. ^ Ludacris promotes National Runaway Switchboard
  3. ^ (2007) Release notes for Release Therapy by Ludacris (liner notes). The Island Def Jam Music Group (1708937)
  4. ^ "Discography Ludacris". irish-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 August, 2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  5. ^ "Ludacris feat. Mary J Blige - Runaway Love". charts.org.nz. Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 August, 2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  6. ^ "Ludacris" (select "View Singles" tab). The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 August, 2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  7. ^ "Ludacris Album & Song Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved 27 August, 2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  8. ^ "Ludacris Album & Song Chart History: R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved 27 August, 2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  9. ^ "Ludacris Album & Song Chart History: Rap Songs". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved 27 August, 2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  10. ^ "Ludacris > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles". Allmusic. Macrovision. Retrieved 27 August, 2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
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