Charlene (song)
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"Charlene" is an R&B
soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...
song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Anthony Hamilton, released by
So So Def Recordings So So Def Recordings is an American record label based in Atlanta, Georgia, founded by producer Jermaine Dupri in 1993. Specializing in Southern hip hop, R&B, and bass music, the label has signed musical acts such as Bow Wow, Kris Kross, Xsca ...
and
Arista Records Arista Records ( ) is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously a division of Bertelsmann Music G ...
on August 3, 2004 as the second and final single from Hamilton's second studio album, '' Comin' from Where I'm From'' (2003). Prior to its release, he was signed to six record labels, and had unsuccessful experiences. Produced by
Mark Batson Mark Christopher Batson (born 1968) is an American record producer and songwriter. He has worked on albums by artists including Alicia Keys, Dave Matthews Band, LeAnn Rimes, Anthony Hamilton, Eminem, India Arie, 50 Cent, Jay-Z, Maroon 5, Skylar ...
, who also co-wrote the song, "Charlene" was nominated for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance at the
47th Annual Grammy Awards The 47th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 13, 2005, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles honoring the best in music for the recording of the year beginning from October 1, 2003, through September 30, 2004. They were hosted by Queen Lat ...
, but lost to
Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...
's " Call My Name". "Charlene" was sampled by
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
rapper Murs on the song "Break Up (The OJ Song)" from his 2008 album '' Murs for President''.


Chart performance

"Charlene" initially debuted at number twenty-one on the
Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 po ...
in early March 2004, where it stayed for thirteen weeks. It topped the chart the week of May 1, 2004 (its ninth week on the run). The song managed to jump to the
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
at number seventy-eight the week of June 5, 2004; it spent forty-six weeks on the chart and peaked at number three. On the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, it entered at number seventy-two the week of September 4, 2004, starting a twenty-two-week run which led to a number-nineteen peak (after staying for three weeks on the
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...
, where it reached number three). "Charlene" remains as Hamilton's most successful single to date.


Awards and nominations

After the release of his second studio album ''Comin' From where I'm from'' in 2004. Anthony Hamilton got his first Grammy nominations for Best R/B song for "Charlene" and Best contemporary R/B album for ''Comin' from where I'm from''and Best Traditional R/B Vocal Performance. He was also nominated for the Billboard Music Awards for New R/B/Hip-Hop artist of the year. In 2005 Hamilton was also nominated for NAACP Image Awards for "Charlene" in the Outstanding song category. He was also nominated for the R/B soul single for "Charlene" at the Soul Train Music Award.


Critical reception

R&B music critics and other listeners of Anthony Hamilton's album,'' Comin' from Where I'm From'' (2003) seemed to generally enjoy the album and praised his soulfully unique voice. Daryl Easlea of "
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" online music review editor and writer says great things about the album such as, "Hamilton is perhaps the connoisseur’s choice amongst the many sensitive male singer-songwriters of the 90s and 00s." and "Hamilton’s unhurried voice conveys passion and pain with a rich, smoky soulfulness that echoes his influences – Green, Sly Stone and Marvin Gaye. But his style is not just a simple regurgitation of these fabled talents; Hamilton’s delivery feels fresh and new. His pieces unfold at a leisurely pace, but never outstay their welcome." Many other reviewers agreed and said similar things not only about the album but particularly "Charlene". Daryl stated it was "Arguably Hamilton’s defining moment, keening ballad of Charlene is a perfect example of his craft, relaxed almost to the point of soporific." '' Comin' from Where I'm From'' became popular in the US it went top 20 and Platinum-Certified; it also received some "
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
" nominations.#2


Music video

The music video begins with Anthony Hamilton (the singer) opening the door to a house him and his wife share. It is obvious that it's late and that he didn't want to wake up his wife (Charlene). Right after that scene the camera shows the clock next to their bed , and his wife lying in the bed with her eyes wide open, awakened by the sound of the door. A second after that scene the camera brings back the focus on the singer. Anthony is now putting all his bags down to the floor and carefully walking up the stairs toward their bedroom. Then the video shows Anthony taking off his shirt and clamming up to the bed to cuddle with his wife. At that moment the video shows the wife's frustration by showing her rolling her eyes. Right after that scene the video changes to a different scene: Anthony is now sitting on the bed with a letter in his hands. The song begins by saying “woke up this morning found a letter that she wrote. She said she’s tired that I’m always on the road.” The next scene goes back to the day he left for his tour. This scene shows them arguing and him walking away from her and going into the road bus. This video had a lot of movements and characters, throughout the rest of the song it showed him day dreaming about their happier days. However the music video ends with Charlene going to her mom and her mom finding the ultrasound of her unborn baby.


Track listing

#"Charlene" (Radio Mix) - 4:06 #"Charlene" (Instrumental) - 4:06


Chart performance

"Technically his fourth album, Comin' from Where I'm From bowed for So So Def in 2003 and featured "Charlene," a classic-sounding Southern soul ballad that reached number three on the R&B chart.


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


References


iTunes
#www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/34nv #www.AceShowbiz.com Hall, Rashaun. "Six Labels Later, Hamilton Debuts." Billboard 115.37 (2003): 21. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Apr. 2014 {{authority control 2003 songs 2004 singles Anthony Hamilton (musician) songs Songs written by Mark Batson Song recordings produced by Mark Batson Arista Records singles Contemporary R&B ballads Soul ballads 2000s ballads Songs written by Anthony Hamilton (musician)