| "U Should've Known Better" | ||||
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| Single by Monica | ||||
| from the album All Eyez on Me and After the Storm |
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| Released | May 18, 2004 | |||
| Format | Digital download, ring tone, 7" single, promo single | |||
| Recorded | 2002; SouthSide Studios (Atlanta, Georgia) |
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| Genre | R&B | |||
| Length | 4:17 (album version) | |||
| Label | J | |||
| Writer(s) | Monica Arnold, Jermaine Dupri, Harold Lilly | |||
| Producer | Jermaine Dupri, Bryan Michael Cox (co-production) | |||
| Monica singles chronology | ||||
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"U Should've Known Better" is a song by American R&B singer Monica. It was written by Monica, Jermaine Dupri and Harold Lilly and produced by Dupri for her original third studio album, All Eyez on Me (2002), featuring additional production by Bryan Michael Cox. As the album was retooled, the song was one out of five original records that were transferred into a new version, entitled After the Storm (2003).
The song was released as the fourth and final single from After the Storm in May 2004. Monica's first balladic release in over five years, "U Should've Known Better" peaked at number 19 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and number 6 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart, becoming the album's second-biggest single release.
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Until its radio release in spring 2004 the single had to go through a lot of controversies. After "Knock Knock"s commercial failure in autumn 2003 it was uncertain if J Records would decide to release another single from After The Storm at all. However, Monica proclaimed in several interviews, she was looking forward to release her duet with DMX, "Don't Gotta Go Home", as a final single, but first plans for a video were scrapped and the idea was dropped.
A half year later the All Eyez on Me leftover, "U Should've Known Better" was announced as the album's last official single. The sultry ballad was written by Monica, Harold Lilly and Jermaine Dupri, who was able to finalize the track with help from co-producer Bryan Michael Cox. The lyrics deal with misunderstandings in a relationship, which conduce to doubts about love's veracity. Nonetheless Monica promises her man she'll stay with him, singing lines like: "It don't matter if you're up, matter if you're down, either way I'm gonna be around ..."
The music video for "U Should've Known Better" was shot by director Benny Boom, and produced by Joyce Washington for FM Rocks. It was filmed in various locations throughout Mexico, on April 2004, and features rapper Young Buck appears in the video as her love interest.
The video follows the single's topic of a misunderstandings in a relationship, showing Monica as the girlfriend, with the boyfriend held in a Mexico hold-prison. With Monica getting help from a guy friend, her boyfriend's best friend sees them and thinks otherwise. Monica drives through the desert of Mexico to get him out of prison. The video ends with Monica and her boyfriend hugging at the end and going home together.
The "U Should've Known Better" video premiered worldwide on May 2004 at the end on BET's Access Granted. It charted well on several video-chart countdowns, including BET's 106 & Park and MTV's TRL.
This was the introduction video of Monica with blond hair. She continued it through the The Makings of Me album point with video such as "Everytime tha Beat Drop" and "A Dozen Roses (You Remind Me)".
Released as the album's fourth and final single in March 2004, "U Should've Known Better" opened as the Hot Shot Debut of the week at number 72 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart in the week of April 3, 2004.[1] However, it took another three months until the song entered the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it debuted at number 67 in the week of June 6, 2004, the second-highest debut of the week.[2] The single remained twenty weeks on the chart, reaching its peak position of number 19 in its ninth week, making it the album's most successful release behind leading single "So Gone" following the less successful chart performances of "Knock Knock" and "Get It Off."[3]
Although never released on a CD single or CD maxi single format, "U Should've Known Better" was also successful on Billboard´s component charts: The single reached number 6 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks (Monica's tenth non-consecutive top ten entry on that particular chart), as well as the top ten on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and the top 20 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart. It also appeared on the Rhythmic Top 40 at number 20.[4]
"U Should've Known Better" was ranked #72 on Top Hot 100 Hits of 2004.
These are the formats and track listings of major single-releases of "U Should've Known Better."
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Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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