Louboutins (song)

"Louboutins" is a song recorded by American entertainer Jennifer Lopez. Written and produced by Terius "The-Dream" Nash and C. "Tricky" Stewart, the record was recorded by fellow recording artist and label-mate Brandy Norwood, but was given to Lopez following Norwood's departure from Epic Records. Lopez originally released the song as the lead single from her seventh studio album, Love?; however, after Lopez herself moved record labels to Island Records, the new lead single, "On the Floor", was released and "Louboutins" was not included on the album. The song uses the luxury footwear brand Louboutin as metaphor for female empowerment, with the lyrics focusing on women who need to leave their bad relationships with their heads held high.

"Louboutins"
Single by Jennifer Lopez
Released	December 8, 2009
Recorded	2009
Genre	R&B
Length	3:48
Label	Epic
Songwriter(s)	Terius "The-Dream" Nash C. "Tricky" Stewart
Producer(s)	C. "Tricky" Stewart Terius "The-Dream" Nash Kuk Harrell
Jennifer Lopez singles chronology
"This Boy's Fire" (2008) "Louboutins" (2009) "On the Floor" (2011)

Lopez premiered "Louboutins" at the American Music Awards on November 22, 2009, where she accidentally fell on her rear-end in the middle of the performance. Ryan Seacrest and will.i.am praised Lopez's showmanship and professionalism for swiftly recovering from the fall to continue the performance. It made its radio premiere a day later on KIIS-FM's On Air with Ryan Seacrest before being sent for radio adds on December 8, 2009.

"Louboutins" eventually topped the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart but failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 as it garnered little airplay. Subsequently in 2010, Lopez announced that her ten-year partnership with Sony Music was over, making the single her last release under Epic Records. A video for the single was never filmed and further promotion of the song was cancelled.

Background

During an interview with Vibe magazine in November 2009, Tricky Stewart revealed that he was working on records for Lopez's upcoming album. He then revealed that he and The-Dream had originally produced "Louboutins" for R&B singer Brandy Norwood.[1] She recorded the song after her 2008 album, Human.[2] Norwood released a statement in which she admitted that the song was once hers: "It is true I had a song called 'Louboutins' that I loved and still love to pieces, but God never blesses you with another person's blessing".[2] Stewart later revealed that when Norwood lost her deal, the song was left over and neither he nor The-Dream wanted the record to "die". "Louboutins" was subsequently offered to Lopez, who fell in love with the song.[1] Christian Louboutin said he was "flattered" that Lopez had recorded a song about his shoe designs and was grateful that she had asked if she was pronouncing the name correctly.[3][4]

Writing and composition

"Louboutins" is a R&B song which "tells the story of a woman stuck in a dead-end relationship with a man who clearly does not deserve her, and with her journey to realizing that and eventually walking out on him",[5] and her frustration that her man is not 100% committed.[6] The introduction was said to be similar to "4 Minutes" by Madonna and Justin Timberlake,[7] though the melody is "backed with trumpets and synth beats".[6] A reviewer from Prefix said that the record did not sound like a typical Tricky Stewart and The-Dream production.[8]

Stewart told Vibe how he and The-Dream came up with the song's concept. He said "That was Dream and I just getting in the room and clicking,... We were both on two different keyboards, two different drum machines and once again just got behind the mic and the rest is history."[1] Lyrics include lines like, "But it's the last time, I'm movin' on / I'm throwing on my Louboutins."[6] Lopez described the idea behind the song as "that point in a bad relationship and you're like, 'Damn, I really have to leave. It's just not good for me,' ... It's not the girl who's like, 'I'm gonna take my stuff, and I'm gonna put on my sweatpants, and I'm gonna cry,'... This girl is like putting on her hottest dress and her sexiest Louboutin shoes, and leaving your ass".[9] In the chorus Lopez sings "I'm throwing on my Louboutins" eight times and overall the word "Louboutins" is spoken thirty-two times across the song.[10] Prefix magazine said that "Louboutins" is used as a metaphor for female empowerment.[8]

Critical reception

"Louboutins" received mixed reception from critics. Elana Gorgan of Softpedia focused on the single cover and concept of the song. She said "While the idea of the track is original, critics and fans alike say, the artwork is lackluster at best... There is a certain old vibe to the cover, what with the font of the writing and the shot in itself, but it's not helping the singer in any way garner much interest in the release."[5] Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly said "[Louboutins] does for the ultra high-end shoe brand what Crocs do for sexy." She pointed out how the song was not as good as Lopez's previous material and at one point even called the song "Poo".[11] Further to this, Peter Gicas of E! Online was also critical of the song, suggesting that the song leaked online before its official debut to warn fans of what Lopez was about to inflict on them. "The track begins with the singer insisting, "I'm taking back my love." Personally, we wish we could take back the last three minutes and 49 seconds."[10] Tom Stacks of Entertainment Weekly was less than impressed saying "J. Lo needs to move on from her recording career. She had some fun, catchy songs ('If You Had My Love,' 'Love Don't Cost a Thing'), but trying to regain musical relevance by singing about pricey high-heels just seems a little sad. I say focus on getting the movie career back on track..."[12]

Becky Bain of Idolator was more positive of the song saying she "actually forgot Lopez is still considered a singer, what with her two-year hiatus to focus on all her fragrances and clothing lines and babies and such. It's nice to have her back—yes, not every J-Lo song was a hit, but we all danced to 'If You Had My Love' and 'Waiting for Tonight' back in the day. 'Louboutins' ... definitely has the catchiest chorus she's had in years. This could actually bring Jennifer out of the pit her last album Brave dug her into."[7] Nick Levine from Digital Spy described the track as "a Tricky and The-Dream-produced club banger with a chorus that succeeds through sheer attrition, with a proper Janet Jackson-style dance break. ... Truth be told, it's not a J.Lo classic to rival 'Play' or 'Love Don't Cost a Thing', and it's about as original as starting your day with a bowl of Kellogg's Cornflakes, but it does burrow into your brain after a few spins."[13]

Live performances

MTV was first to name Lopez as one of the many performers to take to the stage at the 2009 American Music Awards. which aired on November 22, 2009.[14] She later confirmed this on a KIIS-FM interview with DJ SKEE, saying that the performance would debut her new single, "Louboutins".[15] The performance took on a boxing theme, and featured famous ring announcer Michael Buffer introducing Lopez to the stage. Lopez performed in a boxing-like outfit and had a costume change halfway through the performance.[16] The performance began in the ring and ended with Lopez walking through the audience.[17] However the performance did not go as planned when the choreographed stunt of climbing a human pyramid of male dancers went wrong and she lost her balance. In E! Online's "Top Five Worst Concert Diggers", Lopez's fall was ranked at number five.[18] Ryan Seacrest called it "the greatest recovery ever!"[19] According to MTV, "the tumble was edited out of the West Coast feed of the show, out of respect for Lopez, by the show's producers".[19] Becky Bain of Idolator suggested that the tumble was more talked about than the actually single itself,[20] which was confirmed when MTV reported that it was one of the most searched things on the internet.[19] After the incident will.i.am praised Lopez for being a true entertainer. "That shows she's a true entertainer and devoted, She came out of it and still rocked it. It doesn't matter how you fall – just how you get up. She got up."[21]

Lopez reprised the performance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on December 3, 2009 where she also laughed and joked about the incident.[22] She also performed on the season six-finale of So You Think You Can Dance on December 16, 2009. The performance took on a holiday theme and was choreographed by the show's team.[23] Lopez's final performance of the song came on December 31, 2009 where she performed "Louboutins" along with a medley of previous hits including "Waiting For Tonight" and "Let's Get Loud" at Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest. Lopez's choice of outfit, a shimmering skin-tight catsuit, received attention from the media with the NY Daily News praising her for her "flawless physique".[24]

Music video

Christian Louboutin said that he would dedicate his time to creating some "scene-stealing designs for the single's video", out of his appreciation for the song.[3] According to Rap-Up, Lopez was scheduled to film the music video for the song in January 2010.[25] She outlined the concept of the video in a radio interview, where she said: "It's gonna be a lot of dancing, I definitely want to do some dancing because it's been a while and I want to do a dance video, and it's going to be really empowering. It's going to be about that woman, you know when you have that moment when you realize you have to really get out of here that's the moment we're trying to cauterize in the video. Even when you know that it's gonna hurt later, you feel good about making the decision, so you're like "I decided! I'm walking up out the house right now" and that's the part we're gonna do in the video except I'm gonna dance my way out the house."[26]

Not long after the interview, Lopez announced her departure from Epic Records in 2010 for a new record deal.[27]

Chart performance

"Louboutins" was to be the second consecutive song from Lopez's seventh album, Love?, to top the Hot Dance Club Songs chart following "Fresh Out the Oven",[28] however, neither of the songs were included on the album's final track listing. According to Billboard, "Louboutins" failed to attain enough airplay to enter the Billboard charts.[27] Later in 2010, the New York Daily News suggested that this lack of success played a role in Lopez's departure from Epic Records and Sony Music in earlier in the year.[29]

Charts

Chart (2010)	Peak position
Global Dance Tracks (Billboard)[30]	25
US Billboard Hot Dance Songs Chart[31]	1

Release history

Region	Date	Format	Label
United States[32]	December 8, 2009	Mainstream airplay	Epic

See also

• List of number-one dance singles of 2010 (U.S.)

References

1. "Tricky Stewart Predicts J. Lo's "Louboutins" Will Be Big Hit". Vibe. Archived from the original on March 1, 2010. Retrieved September 12, 2010.
2. "Jennifer Lopez Walks in Brandy's 'Louboutins'". Rap-Up. October 28, 2009. Archived from the original on November 1, 2009. Retrieved September 12, 2010.
3. "Christian Louboutin loves Jennifer Lopez's new single, Louboutins | Fashion news". Marie Claire. December 3, 2009. Archived from the original on January 8, 2010. Retrieved September 12, 2010.
4. TWI Interactive. "Pop Christianity – dispatch – news". Fashion Week Daily. Archived from the original on December 3, 2009. Retrieved December 4, 2009.
5. "Artwork for Jennifer Lopez's 'Louboutins' Single Is Out – Softpedia". News.softpedia.com. Archived from the original on December 19, 2010. Retrieved September 12, 2010.
6. "Jennifer Lopez 'Louboutins' – New Song". AOL Radio Blog. November 23, 2009. Archived from the original on November 13, 2010. Retrieved September 12, 2010.
7. "Jennifer Lopez Steps Out In Her 'Louboutins' | Music News, Reviews, and Gossip on". Idolator. November 20, 2009. Retrieved September 12, 2010.
8. Richardson, Matthew (November 20, 2009). "Jennifer Lopez: "Louboutins" (MP3)". Prefixmag.com. Archived from the original on June 13, 2011. Retrieved September 12, 2010.
9. "Jennifer Lopez Delivers Kick with 'Louboutins' Single". Rap-Up.com. November 16, 2009. Archived from the original on February 2, 2010. Retrieved September 12, 2010.
10. Jennifer Lopez (November 20, 2009). "Jennifer Lopez Really, Really Loves Her Louboutins – E! Online". Uk.eonline.com. Archived from the original on May 1, 2010. Retrieved September 12, 2010.
11. Greenblatt, Leah (November 20, 2009). "New Jennifer Lopez, 'Louboutins': If the shoe fits... | EW.com". Music-mix.ew.com. Archived from the original on September 24, 2010. Retrieved September 12, 2010.
12. Stack, Tim (November 23, 2009). "Jennifer Lopez: 'Waiting for Tonight' was awesome...but it might be time to stop singing | EW.com". Music-mix.ew.com. Archived from the original on January 6, 2010. Retrieved January 30, 2010.
13. Levine, Nick (November 23, 2009). "New J.Lo single Ahoy". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on June 11, 2011. Retrieved November 24, 2009.
14. Ditzian, Eric (October 13, 2009). "Taylor Swift and Michael Jackson lead AMA Nominations – News Story | Music, Celebrity, Artist News | MTV News". mtv.com. Archived from the original on October 16, 2009. Retrieved October 15, 2009.
15. "Jennifer Lopez Delivers Kick with "Louboutins" Single". Rap-Up. Archived from the original on November 18, 2009. Retrieved November 16, 2009.
16. "2009 American Music Awards". November 22, 2009. ABC. Missing or empty |series= (help)
17. "Jennifer Lopez to bring 'Louboutins' to AMAs — Entertainment — Music — TODAYshow.com". Today.msnbc.msn.com. November 20, 2009. Archived from the original on August 9, 2010. Retrieved September 12, 2010.
18. "Five Worst Concert Diggers – E! Online". Au.eonline.com. August 28, 2010. Archived from the original on July 1, 2012. Retrieved September 12, 2010.
19. Kaufman, Gil (November 23, 2009). "Jennifer Lopez Says AMA Fall 'Was Part Of The Choreography' – Music, Celebrity, Artist News". MTV. Archived from the original on September 26, 2010. Retrieved September 12, 2010.
20. "Jennifer Lopez Wants You To Forget 'Louboutins' Ever Happened | Music News, Reviews, and Gossip on". Idolator. Retrieved September 12, 2010.
21. "News – Jennifer Lopez Falls at AMAs – Movies, TV & Music". UsMagazine.com. Archived from the original on April 6, 2010. Retrieved September 12, 2010.
22. "12 Days of Giveaways – Thursday, December 3, 2009 – Promos". Ellen.warnerbros.com. December 3, 2009. Archived from the original on March 8, 2012. Retrieved December 21, 2009.
23. "Jennifer Lopez Gets a Do-Over on SYTYCD". Tvwatch.people.com. December 13, 2009. Archived from the original on December 17, 2009. Retrieved December 21, 2009.
24. Smith, Olivia (January 1, 2010). "Jennifer Lopez' New Year's outfit; singer stalks into 2010 in a glimmering skin tight catsuit". nydailynews.com. Archived from the original on January 3, 2010. Retrieved January 2, 2010.
25. "Tricky Stewart Explains Giving Brandy Record to Jennifer Lopez". Rap-Up.com. December 29, 2009. Archived from the original on January 2, 2010. Retrieved January 30, 2010.
26. "JLo. on KTU Mornings". Urlcash.net. Retrieved January 30, 2010.
27. "Jennifer Lopez Confirms Split With Epic Records". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 25, 2013. Retrieved September 12, 2010.
28. "Jennifer Lopez Album & Song Chart History: Dance/Club Play Songs". Billboard. Retrieved March 17, 2010.
29. Gatecrasher. "After 'Louboutins', 'Fresh Out of the Oven' flop, Epic Records gives Jennifer Lopez the boot: source". Nydailynews.com. Archived from the original on February 27, 2010. Retrieved September 12, 2010.
30. "Jennifer Lopez – Global Dance Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 28, 2019. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
31. "Chart Highlights: Adult Contemporary, Country Songs & More". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 7, 2012. Retrieved March 10, 2010.
32. "Radio Industry News, Music Industry Updates, Arbitron Ratings, Music News and more!". FMQB. Archived from the original on July 20, 2011. Retrieved September 12, 2010.