Only U

"Only U"
UK CD 1 cover
Single by Ashanti
from the album Concrete Rose
B-side	"Turn It Up", "Spend the Night"
Released	October 14, 2004
Format	CD single, digital download
Recorded	2003
Genre	R&B, pop, hip hop
Length	3:06
Label	The Inc.
Writer(s)	Selan Lerner, Ashanti Douglas, Irv Gotti, Jerry Barnes, 7 Aurelius,
Producer	7 Aurelius
Certification	Gold (RIAA)
Ashanti singles chronology
"Wonderful" (2004) "Only U" (2004) "Don't Let Them" (2005)
Alternative cover UK CD 2 cover Music sample "Only U"

"Only U" a song by American singer-songwriter Ashanti from her third studio album, Concrete Rose (2004). Released in October 2004 as the album's lead single, the track reached number thirteen on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in January, 2005^[1], while it peaked at number two in the United Kingdom and number four in Ireland, becoming her most successful single in both countries.

The song's introduction uses a sample of Club Nouveau's 1986 song "Why You Treat Me So Bad".

Remix

The official remix was included on Ashanti's 2005 compilation album Collectables by Ashanti, and features Caddillac Tah, Young Merc, Ja Rule, and Black Child.

There is a second official remix that replaces Caddillac Tah and Young Merc with Dipset rappers Cam'ron and Juelz Santana.

Music video

There are two official versions of the video, both directed by Hype Williams and shot in Vancouver and Mexico City. It is notable for making use of a blue-hue effect in numerous shots. The first version is the original video (which has an alternate version itself) and the second version is the Dance Version, which was only aired on BET.

The original video version starts off with a Blade Runner-inspired environment and imagery of Ashanti's face depicted on a skyscraper—similar to a scene in Blade Runner. In addition, there is a scene where she is sitting down on a seat while smoking as she appears to be watching something through a projector—again, a shot similar to that of a scene in Blade Runner. The rest of the video features Ashanti in various situations, posing and wearing a variety of outfits. In one scene, Ashanti is in the shower and in another she is inside a cocoon-like lamp. The video ends with her and a group of female dancers performing the song in concert. Bottles of Herbal Essences hair products can be seen during the shower scene as Ashanti was the then-new spokesperson for the haircare company.^[2]

7 Aurelius, who co-wrote and produced the song, makes a guest appearance at the beginning and at the end of the video playing the guitar.

The original version is shot in widescreen format but the slots that are normally left black at the top and bottom of the screen were replaced with upside down or reversed images of the main shot in the middle of the screen, which flickered back and forth to give the illusion that two scenes were playing at once. The alternate version had the scenes shown in regular widescreen format with the shots and the top and bottom of the screen plain black.^[3]

The Dance Version of the video consisted of the dance scene that is also shown at the end of the original video, with Ashanti and the back-up dancers dancing throughout the whole video. 7 Aurelius makes a cameo appearance in this version as well at the beginning and at the end of the video as the guitar player. Director Hype Williams featured his signature style of widescreen format in this version of the video also, except the slots that are normally left blank at the top and bottom of the screen were replaced with upside down or reversed images of the main shot in the middle of the screen.^[4]

Track listings

UK CD 1 "Only U" "Turn It Up" (featuring Ja Rule) "Spend the Night"

UK CD 2 "Only U" "Turn It Up" (featuring Ja Rule) "Only U" (Kelly G's Club Mix) "Only U" (Video)

Charts

Chart (2005)	Peak position
Australian Singles Chart[5]	23
Austrian Singles Chart[5]	29
Belgian Singles Chart (Flanders)[5]	16
Belgian Singles Chart (Wallonia)[5]	22
Dutch Top 40[6]	17
European Hot 100 Singles[7]	3
French Singles Chart[5]	32
German Singles Chart[8]	12
Irish Singles Chart[9]	4
New Zealand Singles Chart[5]	14
Swedish Singles Chart[5]	43
Swiss Singles Chart[5]	12
UK Singles Chart[10]	2
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[11]	13
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs[11]	10

References

1. ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=dRQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1&dq=billboard+jan+22+2005&hl=en&ei=UJIrTrvzEcGdgQei8ZT2Cg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CDUQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=billboard%20jan%2022%202005&f=false
2. ^ Slotek, Jim (March 16, 2005). "Ashanti lets her hair down". Toronto Sun. Jam!. http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/A/Ashanti/2005/03/16/962776-sun.html. Retrieved March 20, 2009. 
3. ^ "Only U (Alternate Version)". YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0zs-3-5JEo. Retrieved June 7, 2008. 
4. ^ "Only U (Dance Version)". YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a21wvCrc-9o. Retrieved June 7, 2008. 
5. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h} "ultratop.be – Ashanti – Only U". Ultratop. http://www.ultratop.be/en/showitem.asp?interpret=Ashanti&titel=Only+U&cat=s. Retrieved April 26, 2010. 
6. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 7 – 2005" (in Dutch). Radio 538. Top 40. http://www.top40.nl/index.aspx?week=7&jaar=2005. Retrieved April 26, 2010. 
7. ^ "Ashanti Album & Song Chart History – European Hot 100". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. http://www.billboard.com/#/artist/ashanti/chart-history/447037?f=349&g=Singles. Retrieved April 26, 2010. 
8. ^ "Musicline.de – Chartverfolgung – Ashanti – Only U" (in German). Media Control. Musicline.de. http://www.musicline.de/de/chartverfolgung_summary/title/Ashanti/Only+U/single. Retrieved November 11, 2009. 
9. ^ "irishcharts.com – Discography Ashanti". Irish Recorded Music Association. irish-charts.com. http://www.irish-charts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Ashanti. Retrieved April 26, 2010. 
10. ^ "Chart Stats – Ashanti – Only U". The Official Charts Company. Chart Stats. http://www.chartstats.com/songinfo.php?id=568. Retrieved November 11, 2009. 
11. ^ ^{a b} "Only U – Ashanti | Billboard.com". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. http://www.billboard.com/#/song/ashanti/only-u/5672279. Retrieved November 11, 2009.