Bust Your Windows

"Bust Your Windows"
Single by Jazmine Sullivan
from the album Fearless
Released September 16, 2008
(see release history)
Format Digital download, CD single
Genre R&B, soul, pop
Length 4:26 (album version)
3:43 (radio edit)
Label J, Puppy Love, Arista
Writer(s) Jazmine Sullivan, Salaam Remi
Producer(s) Salaam Remi
Fearless track listing
"Bust Your Windows"
(1)		 "Need U Bad"
(2)
Jazmine Sullivan singles chronology
"Need U Bad"
(2008)		 "Bust Your Windows"
(2008)		 "Lions, Tigers & Bears"
(2008)

"Bust Your Windows" is the second single by R&B singer-songwriter Jazmine Sullivan from her debut Grammy-nominated album Fearless. It was available as a digital download on Amazon.com in the U.S. on the September 16, 2008. It was then later released as a promo CD on November 15, 2008[1] after it was sent to radio stations for airplay around the U.S. "Bust Your Windows" was also nominated in the Best R&B Song category for 2009's Grammy Awards.

Composition

"Bust Your Windows" is a midtempo R&B song with moderate Latin beat. The song is set in common time with a moderate tempo of 107 beats per minute and is written in the key of F minor.[2] Sullivan's vocal range spans from F3 to Eb5.[2] The song interpolates the lyric "Now watch me you" from Soulja Boy Tell 'Em's signature song "Crank That (Soulja Boy)". The song features Jazmine on both lead and backing vocals.

Critical reception

Billboard gave it a positive review, describing Sullivan's performance as "one of the most challenging vocals from a female R&B artist this year. Sullivan's husky voice floats effortlessly over an eerie underlining violin score, originating from a sample of producer Salaam Remi's composition "Bad Man Waltz." [3] Slant Magazine also reviewed the song favorably: "Sullivan exposes the reality beneath the revenge fantasy: "Oh, but why am I the one who's still crying?" Salaam Remi, who produced part of Amy Winehouse's Back to Black, contributes to the song's emotional weight with ominous, noir-style string samples."[4]

"Bust Your Windows" was number 58 on Rolling Stone‍ '​s list of the 100 Best Songs of 2008.[5] Epinions reviewed the song: "The musical layers are deceptively intricate, with a unison string/woodwind line that continually evolves throughout the song and a very simple vocal harmony mix that moves into a call and response against Jazmine's pleas. Neither of the facets scream for attention but repeated listens bear out just how well they framed this song."[6]

Commercial reception and remixes

The single, fueled by strong radio airplay, managed to peak at #4 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Chart, becoming her second consecutive Top 5 single on that chart. "Bust Your Windows" debuted at #81 on the Billboard Hot 100 issued for week 43 of 2008. The single also became her second consecutive Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 when it spent a total of 5 weeks within the top 40. It peaked at #31 and holds the record for Jazmine's highest-peaking single on the chart, so far. The success of the song on this chart continued for weeks on end and it eventually dropped out in early 2009, spending a total of 15 weeks charting. Elsewhere, "Bust Your Windows" gave Jazmine her second consecutive top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay Chart - where it peaked at #18. As well as her second consecutive top 30 hit on the Billboard Hot Adult R&B Songs Chart - where it peaked at #22. Towards the end of the single's promotion, Jazmine performed "Bust Your Windows" on CBS's The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson in early January 2009.[7]

On September 16, 2009, Fox[8] featured "Bust Your Windows" in their new early fall hit Glee.[9] The show's teenage love triangle leads Mercedes (Amber Riley)[10] to break into her own dream-state music video singing Sullivan's 2008 hit. Chris Hollins and Ola Jordan performed an Argentine tango to the song in the semi-final of the seventh series of Strictly Come Dancing. They went on to win the competition. The song was also featured in the movie Step Up 3D. The song was covered by a contestant on The Voice UK in May 2013 and caused the song to enter the charts for the first time.

The official remix features The-Dream. This remix is also featured on the 12" Vinyl release of the song in the U.S.. Bad City Rollerz did a club mix released in the U.K. under the name Jazmine Sullivan Bust your windows (BCR Club Mix).Trey Songz has covered this song, releasing the underground track as a response from the male antagonist in the original song by Sullivan. Skillz has also made a remix, which contains additional vocals by Sullivan (though is not the official remix). Chamillionaire has also produced a freestyle called "Car Windows" which features Chalie Boy. Jim Jones, Busta Rhymes and Gorilla Zoe have also made remixes to the song. Ace Hood has also recorded a freestyle over this song. On May 4, 2010, Jed305 posted a remake of this song, "Bust the windows out your car for some chicken". It became a YouTube sensation and had over 4.6 million views as of September, 2011.[11]

Music video

On October 10, 2008, the music video for "Bust Your Windows" premiered on BET's 106 & Park. It features scenes of adultery involving Jazmine's boyfriend in the video mimicking the song and song lyrics. The video, however, does not feature Jazmine physically busting out car windows, as fans expected but instead the intense emotion of the song is displayed through Jazmine breaking wine glasses on a table; there is also a trail of glass leading up to the bedroom where she discovered what would bring out this feeling of rage within her. The setting of the video is dark and features harsh coloured gases passing through the air whilst Jazmine is singing – adding the sense of anger and depression that the video is meant to bring out in the song. Other scenes feature her boyfriend's guilty conscience of what he's done – namely when he hesitantly looks himself in the mirror. The video was also placed at #46 on BET's "Notarized: Top 100 Videos of 2008" countdown.

Track listings

US 12" vinyl
(88697-42906-1; Released: 2008)

  1. "Bust Your Windows" (Main Mix) - 3:43
  2. "Bust Your Windows" (Instrumental Version) - 3:43
  3. "Bust Your Windows" (Remix Ft. The-Dream) - 3:49

Australia CD single

  1. "Bust Your Windows" (Main Mix) - 3:43
  2. "Need U Bad" (Remix Ft. The-Dream) - 3:49

Credits

Charts

Chart (2008-2009) Peak
position
Australian ARIA Physical Singles Chart[12] 54
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[13] 31
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs[14] 4
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult R&B Songs 22
UK Singles (The Official Charts Company) 63
UK R&B (The Official Charts Company) 15

Release history

Region Date Format Label
United States September 16, 2008 Digital J Records, Puppy Love, Arista
United States November 15, 2008 12" Vinyl J Records, Puppy Love, Arista

References

  1. ↑
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Bust Your Windows". Musicnotes.com. Retrieved 2012-02-09.
  3. ↑ "Bust Your Windows". linernotes.com. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
  4. ↑ "Jazmine Sullivan: Fearless - Music Review". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 2012-06-17.
  5. ↑ "Rolling Stone's 100 Best Singles of 2008". stereogum.com. December 11, 2008. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
  6. ↑ "An Album Fearless and Fantastic - Fearless by Jazmine Sullivan". Epinions.com. Retrieved 2012-02-09.
  7. ↑ "Live Performance: Jazmine Sullivan – "Bust Your Windows"". ThaFeedback.com. 2009-01-13. Retrieved 2012-02-09.
  8. ↑ "FOX Broadcasting Company - FOX Television Shows". Fox.com. 2011-11-14. Retrieved 2012-02-09.
  9. ↑ The First Time. "FOX Broadcasting Company - Glee TV Show - Glee TV Series - Glee Episode Guide - Michael". Fox.com. Retrieved 2012-02-09.
  10. ↑ Amber Riley - IMDb
  11. ↑
  12. ↑ ARIA Report 1004. Retrieved 2013-10-23
  13. ↑ Billboard Hot 100 Billboard. Accessed October 31, 2008.
  14. ↑ Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Billboard. Accessed October 31, 2008.

External links