| "Caught out There" | ||||
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| Single by Kelis | ||||
| from the album Kaleidoscope | ||||
| B-side | "Suspended" | |||
| Released | October 19, 1999 (U.S.) February 21, 2000 (Europe) |
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| Format | CD single, 12" single, cassette single | |||
| Recorded | 1998 | |||
| Genre | R&B, alternative hip hop | |||
| Length | 4:51 (Album Version) 3:35 (UK Radio Edit) |
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| Label | Virgin | |||
| Writer(s) | Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo | |||
| Producer | The Neptunes | |||
| Certification | R | |||
| Kelis singles chronology | ||||
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"Caught out There" is a song by American recording artist Kelis from her debut album, Kaleidoscope. Written and produced by The Neptunes, the song was released as the album's lead single to moderate chart success in the United States, peaking at number fifty-four. The single fared better across Europe, especially in the Netherlands and United Kingdom, where it became her first top five hit when it peaked at number three and number four in the respective countries.
The song was used on MuchMusic's Shortest Weddings special. In 2009 the signature yell "I hate you so much right now" was used in the British children's television sitcom Hotel Trubble. The aforementioned signature yell was used in the Daria episode "Partner's Complaint", first aired February 25, 2000. It was also used in BBC3's "Most annoying People 2010", under Tony Blair (11 on the list). In 2011 the yell was used in a Calvin Klein ad for CK One. In 2010, the line "look, I found her red coat" was sampled extensively in the James Blake song "CMYK".
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In the song, sung in third person, rather than a direct second-person confrontation, she finds out her man has been unfaithful to her and after explaining that "I break" (she dumps him for his infidelity), she sings, first about all the things she has done for the man (verse one), laments about how unfair the infidelity is (verse two) and finally blows a fuse, complete with gun cock (verse three). At the end of each verse, she sings "because you're caught out there", an urban slang for "being caught with your pants down" (the pun) and/or to be busted for cheating. At the beginning of the chorus, she switches from a light-soul/jazz singing voice of the verses to "belting" her frustration: "I hate you so much right now". Kelis would refer to this song in "Bossy".
In the single's music video, directed by Hype Williams, Kelis, in her technicolor spiral afro, blond, gold, orange, red, and fuchsia hair, starts in a "confessionary" style, before opening to the chorus where she rips up the living room. Afterwards, Kelis and a group of fed-up women boycott and picket men. Finally, as she sings "got something for y'all", a gun cock is heard and the video finishes by alluding to her exacting revenge for her former lover's infidelity.
| Chart (2000) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart[1] | 26 |
| Belgian Singles Chart (Flanders)[1] | 15 |
| Belgian Singles Chart (Wallonia)[1] | 14 |
| Canadian Singles Chart[2] | 10 |
| Dutch Top 40[3] | 3 |
| French Singles Chart[1] | 96 |
| German Singles Chart[4] | 40 |
| Irish Singles Chart[5] | 23 |
| Italian Singles Chart[1] | 10 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart[1] | 32 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart[1] | 11 |
| Swedish Singles Chart[1] | 10 |
| Swiss Singles Chart[1] | 35 |
| UK Singles Chart[6] | 4 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[2] | 54 |
| U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs[2] | 9 |
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