"Because of You"
Single by Ne-Yo
from the album Because of You
ReleasedFebruary 13, 2007 (2007-02-13)
GenreR&B
Length
  • 4:26 (album version)
  • 3:46 (radio version)
LabelDef Jam
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Stargate
Ne-Yo singles chronology
"Sexy Love"
(2006) 		"Because of You"
(2007) 		"Do You"
(2007)
Music video
"Because of You" on YouTube

"Because of You" is a song by American singer-songwriter Ne-Yo. It was written by Ne-Yo, Mikkel S. Eriksen, and Tor Erik Hermansen for his second studio album of the same name, while production was helmed by Eriksen and Hermansen under their production moniker Stargate. The song, released on February 13, 2007, served as the album's first single. "Because of You" reached number two on the US Billboard Hot 100, topped the New Zealand Singles Chart, and reached the top 10 in Ireland, Japan, and the United Kingdom.

Song information

Four other versions of the song have surfaced, one with an extended ending, one featuring rapper AC, S-One, Michael Jackson as well as Joe Budden. The official remix features Kanye West. The beat used is somehow unique in the R&B style.[citation needed] The main melodic instruments include muted harpsichord and guitar, whilst the groove uses a bass/clap beat combined. The groove is heavily influenced by the disco style guitar with delay. The bass/clap beat, mixed with harpsichord, gave listeners an initial impression of the song being a remix, with which the effect is typically associated. This type of beat would later appear in Ne-Yo's 2008 hit "Closer", which uses guitar with a bass/clap beat mixed with keyboard and chorus matching the vocals. Ne-Yo has stated that the song is a continuation from the 2006 single "Sexy Love".

Chart performance

"Because of You" debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 84 in March;[1] it reached the top ten in May when it climbed from number 39 to number five in one week.[2] The song has become his second-most successful song in the US, after his 2006 number-one hit "So Sick". By May the single had reached a peak at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also peaked at number four in the United Kingdom, becoming Ne-Yo's only lead single from an album in that country to not reach the top spot, until "Time of Our Lives" from Non-Fiction.

Music video

The song's music video, directed by Melina Matsoukas and costume designed by June Ambrose premiered on Access Granted on March 14, 2007, a sneak preview having previously been shown on BET. The actress playing the 'seductress', La'Shontae Heckard, also appears in the music video of Ne-Yo's 2007 single Do You. Throughout the video, Ne-Yo echoes dance moves popularized by Michael Jackson. Ne-Yo has also worked with Trent Dickens for the choreography. The first scene of the video features Ne-Yo turning up to a club with his girlfriend, played by Camila Alves (real life Wife of Actor Matthew McConaughey). At the club, as she invites him to dance, a girl (played by La'Shontae Heckerd) brushes past him and is shown to express a seductive look. He decides to follow her into the bathroom, and there the two share a passionate kiss. The scene ends with her leaving as he rinses his face with water in regret.

In the next scene, Ne-Yo is shown in the bedroom with his girlfriend. As she falls asleep, he receives a call from the girl he met at the club, asking him to join her as a clip of her diving in a steamy pool is shown. He leaves with shoes but no socks on, intending on slipping his feet into the pool. After he arrives, she displays seductive moves in the pool as he takes photos of her. The two are again shown sharing a kiss after he lifts her out of the pool. The following scene shows Ne-Yo in the bedroom with his girlfriend. As they embrace in bed, flashes of the girl he met replace that of his girlfriend, showing that he keeps seeing her in his mind and replays their rendezvous. Finally, Ne-Yo is shown dancing with only socks on, displaying moves that echo James Brown's classic leg shuffle slide.

Live performances

The song was performed during the second intermission of the 2008 NHL All-Star Game in Atlanta. Ne-Yo was joined on the ice rink of Philips Arena by the Halftime Live marching band.[3]

Track listings

Hit 3 Pack – EP:

  1. "Because of You" - 4:26
  2. "So Sick" - 3:27
  3. "Leaving Tonight" (featuring Jennifer Hudson) – 5:14

Remixes – EP:

  1. "Because of You" (Sunfreakz radio edit) – 3:29
  2. "Because of You" (Josh Harris radio edit) – 3:54
  3. "Because of You" (Kriya vs. Erik Velez radio mix) – 3:54
  4. "Because of You" (Sunfreakz remix) – 7:17
  5. "Because of You" (Josh Harris vocal club mix) – 7:56
  6. "Because of You" (Kriya vs. Erik Velez club mix) – 5:52

Remix – EP:

  1. "Because of You" (remix featuring Kanye West) – 3:44

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[40] 2× Platinum 120,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[41] Gold 45,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[42] Gold 7,500*
Japan (RIAJ)[43]
PC download 		Gold 100,000*
Japan (RIAJ)[44]
Full-length ringtone 		Platinum 250,000*
Japan (RIAJ)[45]
Ringtone 		2× Platinum 500,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[46] Platinum 600,000‡
United States (RIAA)[47] 2× Platinum 2,000,000‡

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Format Label Ref.
United States February 13, 2007 Rhythmic contemporary radio Def Jam [48]
March 6, 2007 Contemporary hit radio
United Kingdom April 16, 2007 CD [49]

References

  1. ^ Jonathan Cohen, "Mims Remains 'Hot' At No. 1, Akon Stays Close", Billboard.com, March 8, 2007.
  2. ^ Jonathan Cohen, "Maroon 5 Makes 'Wondrous' Jump To Lead Hot 100", Billboard.com, May 3, 2007.
  3. ^ "All-Star Game Entertainment 2002-2008". www.nhl.com. Archived from the original on November 3, 2010. Retrieved October 18, 2011.
  4. ^ "Ne-Yo – Because of You". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
  5. ^ "Issue 903" ARIA Top 40 Urban Singles. National Library of Australia. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  6. ^ "Ne-Yo – Because of You" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
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  8. ^ "Ne-Yo – Because of You" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
  9. ^ "Ne-Yo Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
  10. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – RADIO – TOP 100 and insert 200724 into search. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  11. ^ "Hits of the World – Eurocharts" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 119, no. 19. May 12, 2007. p. 53. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  12. ^ "Ne-Yo – Because of You" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved October 29, 2018.
  13. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  14. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Because of You". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
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  16. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 19, 2007" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
  17. ^ "Ne-Yo – Because of You" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
  18. ^ "Ne-Yo – Because of You". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
  19. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  20. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 200725 into search. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  21. ^ "South Korea Gaon International Chart (Week: January 01, 2012 to January 07, 2012)". Gaon Chart. December 15, 2012. Archived from the original on December 19, 2012. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  22. ^ "Ne-Yo – Because of You". Singles Top 100. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
  23. ^ "Ne-Yo – Because of You". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
  24. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
  25. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  26. ^ "Ne-Yo Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
  27. ^ "Ne-Yo Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
  28. ^ "Ne-Yo Chart History (Dance Mix/Show Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  29. ^ "Ne-Yo Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
  30. ^ "Ne-Yo Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
  31. ^ "Ne-Yo Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
  32. ^ "ARIA Charts – End of Year Charts – Top 50 Urban Singles 2007". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on April 15, 2020. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  33. ^ "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 2007". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
  34. ^ "End of Year Charts 2007". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  35. ^ "End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2007". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  36. ^ "Urban Club Chart" (PDF). Music Week. January 12, 2008. p. 16. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  37. ^ "Hot 100 Songs – Billboard Chart Archive". Billboard. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  38. ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 2007". Billboard. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
  39. ^ "Rhythmic Songs – Year-End 2007". Billboard. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
  40. ^ "Brazilian single certifications – Ne-Yo – Because of You" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  41. ^ "Danish single certifications – Ne-Yo – Because of You". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  42. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Ne-Yo – Because of You". Recorded Music NZ.
  43. ^ "Japanese digital single certifications – Ne-Yo – ビコーズ・オブ・ユー" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved September 9, 2021. Select 2011年2月 on the drop-down menu
  44. ^ "Japanese ringtone certifications – Ne-Yo – ビコーズ・オブ・ユー" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved September 9, 2021. Select 2009年7月 on the drop-down menu
  45. ^ "Japanese ringtone certifications – Ne-Yo – ビコーズ・オブ・ユー" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved September 9, 2021. Select 2007年8月 on the drop-down menu
  46. ^ "British single certifications – Ne-Yo – Because of You". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
  47. ^ "American single certifications – Ne-Yo – Because of You". Recording Industry Association of America.
  48. ^ "FMQB: CHR". FMQB. Archived from the original on June 2, 2013. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  49. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. April 14, 2007. p. 29.
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