"Say Somethin" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was written by Carey, Snoop Dogg, Chad Hugo, and Pharrell Williams, and produced by The Neptunes as the sixth and final single from Carey's tenth studio album, The Emancipation of Mimi (2005). The song is one of few from Carey's catalog in which she does not share production credits. "Say Somethin" features Dogg as a guest artist, and is influenced by R&B and hip-hop music genres. Lyrically, the song is a dialogue between a male and a female discussing sexual themes and acts of which they plan to engage in a restroom.
The song received generally mixed reviews from music critics, many of which both praised and dismissed its production and vocals. Some reviewers felt Carey's performance was too typical for a singer of her stature, while others felt the song's complex instrumentation distracted from the artists. Commercially, it reached the top 30 in Australia, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.
"Say Somethin" was accompanied by a high profile and budget music video, filmed by Paul Hunter in Paris, France, and featuring appearances by Carey, Williams, Dogg and fashion designer and Vogue editor, André Leon Talley. The video features Carey and Williams as love interests being chased by several paparazzi vehicles down a populated Paris road. Other scenes feature Carey trying on several outfits in Louis Vuitton's flagship store on Champs-Élysées, as well as close-up shots of Snoop Dogg. The video concluded with the duo walking together down the Le Pont de Paris bridge, overlooking the Seine river.
Background
Following record-breaking success throughout the 1990s, Carey departed from Columbia Records after the release of Rainbow (1999). Almost a year later, she signed an unprecedented $100 million five-album record contract with Virgin Records, and began work on a film and soundtrack project titled Glitter. Glitter became a box-office bomb, earning less than eight million dollars, and receiving scathing reviews. The soundtrack, while faring slightly better, failed to reach the critical or commercial heights of Carey's previous releases, and eventually lead to the annulment of her record contract with Virgin.
Following the events, as well as the release of Carey's succeeding album, Charmbracelet (2002), she began working on new material for The Emancipation of Mimi (2005). Towards the end of 2004, Carey was already conceptualizing and writing music for her upcoming album.
Recording
"Say Somethin" had been the second time the pair had collaborated, the first had been on "Crybaby" from Carey's seventh studio album Rainbow in 1999. Following the song's completion in November 2004, Snoop Dogg made several comments regarding his work with Carey in an interview with MTV News, even re-calling past sentiments towards her many years prior:
<blockquote>
She's so soft. She's beautiful too. I always tell her this story: When I was locked up in jail, that song 'Vision of Love' was the hottest song in the world. I used to always say, 'Man, if I could meet her!' So I worked with her, then Pharrell hooked it up for me to work with her again this time. During the following interval of three days, the pair helmed the album's eventual third and fourth singles, "Shake It Off" and "Get Your Number". During her trip to Atlanta, Carey began second guessing the album's direction, and described her feelings regarding the decision in an interview with MTV News:
<blockquote>
I really started second-guessing myself. And then I realized, like, all right, I have to go with my gut. Because everybody's got an opinion, and so many people's opinions about me are like polar opposites. They're like, 'We love it when she does ballads, make her do the ballads.' Then they're like, 'We want to hear a hip-hop record.' 'Why is she dressing like this? She should show less skin.' 'She should show more.' You know what I mean? I'm like, 'Stay in your lane, and I'll figure it out.'
</blockquote>
After returning to home to re-arrange the album with Reid, Carey once again traveled to Atlanta in an attempt to create a few more strong singles for the album's roster. Following the extended chart success of The Emancipation of Mimi, "Fly Like a Bird" was released as the sixth single from the project and "Say Somethin" was released as seventh and final single from the album. "Fly Like a Bird" was released on April 3, 2006, to urban radio and gospel stations, while "Say Somethin" was serviced to mainstream Top 40 radio. Tom Ferguson from Billboard did not agree with releasing both singles concurrently, as he had given "Say Somethin" a negative review. According to Ferguson, while the latter had radio appeal, its "scantily produced drum'n'bass" only distracted, concluding Fly Like A Bird' is a classic: why muddy the water with this release." In the United Kingdom, "Say Somethin" was released as a CD single on June 5. A release in Taiwan followed on June 16. On January 29, 2021, an EP was issued.
Composition
"Say Somethin" is a mid-tempo song lasting three minutes and forty-four seconds, According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by EMI Music Publishing, the song is set in common time with a moderate tempo of 110 beats per minute. The song's chorus has a chord progression of Emaj7 to Amaj7, while altering to a B minor during the bridge.
In his review for The Emancipation of Mimi (2005), Jozen Cummings from PopMatters described the song's production and instrumentation: "The track is vintage Neptunes with big drums and intergalactic sound effects, and Carey adds to the breezy, easygoing feel of the song with a voice that is sexy, but subtle, like a shy woman who doesn’t need to say anything at all to get a man’s attention." Additionally, Carey outed the lines "Something like volcanic / You and me seems organic / Just like stars and planets" as "nonsense", but claimed she "loved it".
Writer Barry Walters from Rolling Stone felt the song failed to produce a significant and memorable hook, though noting its dance appeal: "it has a beat that makes you move, but the songs' pop hook doesn't stick." While New York Times columnist Jon Pareles called the song an "earthy delight", Glenn Gamboa from Newsday felt Carey's vocals could have easily been replaced by a less skilled singer, and wrote "she sounds like a hook girl in her own song. Her vocals could have been delivered by Kelis or Amerie and no one would have been the wiser."
Chart performance
"Say Somethin" was released to rhythmic and Top 40 radio stations in the United States on April 3, 2006, during the same period that "Fly Like a Bird" was released to Urban radio stations. The song only managed to attain a peak position of number seventy-nine on the Billboard Hot 100. Internationally, "Say Somethin" debuted at its peak position of number twenty-six on the Australian Singles Chart during the week dated July 23, 2006. Sustaining an appearance on the singles chart for seven weeks, the song fell outside the top fifty on September 3, 2006. The following week, it ascended to its peak of number fifty-five, before spending another four weeks fluctuating in the Swiss Singles Chart. Spending only four weeks in the top 100, the song managed to peak at number twenty-seven in its second week, before plummeting off the chart on July 1, 2006. "Say Somethin" attained positions in other notable countries, charting for one week in Ireland at number twenty-three, and number sixty-three in Germany.
Music video
Background
Carey's record label had initially wanted "Say Somethin" to be released as the fourth single from the album, following "Shake It Off"; the music videos for both "Shake It Off" and "Say Somethin" were originally set to be directed by Brett Ratner. However, Carey then chose British director Jake Nava instead, with whom she has worked on several video projects. Nava was set to film both singles' music videos until the "Say Somethin" shoot was abruptly cancelled due to Carey's label deciding not to release it as the fourth single. Snoop Dogg and Pharrell Williams are both featured in the video, with the latter playing Carey's love interest.
- "Say Somethin" (So So Def Remix – Radio Edit) – 4:09
Digital download - Remixes By David Morales
- "Say Somethin" (Morales Radio Edit) – 3:43
Digital download - Remixes By David Morales
- "Say Somethin" (Stereo Anthem Mix) – 9:37
European CD single
- "Say Somethin" (Album Version) – 3:44
- "Say Somethin" (Morales Radio Edit) – 3:43
International enhanced CD single
- "Say Somethin" (Album Version) – 3:44
- "Say Somethin" (Stereo Anthem Mix) – 9:40
- "Say Somethin" (Stereo Dub) – 9:35
- "Say Somethin" (Video)
UK 12-inch vinyl
- "Say Somethin" (Stereo Anthem Mix) – 9:40
- "Say Somethin" (Instrumental) – 3:44
- "Say Somethin" (Stereo Dub) – 9:35
- "Say Somethin" (A Cappella) – 3:44
US 12-inch vinyl - So So Def Remix
:A1. "Say Somethin' Remix" (Radio) – 4:09
:A2. "Say Somethin' Remix" (Main) – 4:10
:A3. "Say Somethin' Remix" (Instrumental) – 4:10
:B1. "Say Somethin' Remix" (Radio) – 4:09
:B2. "Say Somethin' Remix" (Main) – 4:10
:B3. "Say Somethin' Remix" (Instrumental) – 4:10
Say Somethin' EP
- "Say Somethin" (feat. Dem Franchize Boyz) [So So Def Remix] – 4:09
- "Say Somethin" (feat. Dem Franchize Boyz) [So So Def Instrumental] – 4:10
- "Say Somethin" (David Morales Stereo Anthem Mix) – 9:37
- "Say Somethin" (David Morales Radio Edit) – 3:47
- "Say Somethin" (David Morales Stereo Dub Mix) – 9:31
- "Say Somethin" (Instrumental) – 3:47
Credits and personnel
Credits are adapted from The Emancipation of Mimi liner notes.
- Mariah Carey – vocalist, songwriter
- Snoop Dogg – rapping, songwriter
- Chad Hugo – songwriter
- Pharrell Williams – songwriter, background vocals
- The Neptunes – producer
- David Morales – remix, additional production
- Jermaine Dupri – mixing, producer
- Brian Garten – recording
Charts
Weekly charts
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="text-align:center"
|+Weekly chart performance for "Say Somethin"
!scope="col"|Chart (2006)
!scope="col"|Peak<br />position
|-
|-
|-
!scope="row"|Canada CHR/Pop (Radio & Records)
| 19
|-
|-
|-
|-
!scope="row"|Germany (Official German Charts)
| 63
|-
!scope="row"| Germany Urban (Deutsche Black Charts)
| 8
|-
!scope="row"|Global Dance Songs (Billboard)
| 20
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
!scope="row"| UK Club (Music Week)<br/>
|5
|-
!scope="row"|UK Pop Club (Music Week)<br/>
|5
|-
!scope="row"|UK Urban Club (Music Week)
|6
|-
|-
|-
|-
!scope="row"|US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales (Billboard)
| 36
|-
|-
!scope="row"|US Pop 100 (Billboard)
| 46
|-
|-
!scope="row"|US CHR/Pop (Radio & Records)
| 23
|-
!scope="row"|US CHR/Rhythmic (Radio & Records)
| 26
|}
Year-end charts
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+Year-end chart performance for "Say Somethin"
!scope="col"|Chart (2006)
!scope="col"|Position
|-
!scope="row"|UK Urban (Music Week)
|29
|-
!scope="row"|US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)
| 35
|}
Release history
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+Release dates and formats for "Say Somethin'"
! scope="col"| Region
! scope="col"| Date
! scope="col"| Format
! scope="col"| Label(s)
! scope="col"|
|-
! scope="row"| United States
| April 4, 2006
| Mainstream airplay
| Island
| style="text-align:center"|
|}
See also
- List of number-one dance singles of 2006 (U.S.)