"Criticize" is a song by American recording artist

Alexander O'Neal Alexander O'Neal (born November 15, 1953) is an American R&B singer, songwriter and arranger from Natchez, Mississippi. O'Neal came to prominence in the mid-1980s as a solo artist, with eleven Top 40 singles on the US R&B chart, three of whic ...

, written by O'Neal and

Jellybean Johnson Garry George "Jellybean" Johnson (born November 19, 1956) is an American drummer, guitarist, songwriter, producer and musician based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. A member and drummer of The Time who worked along with famed producers Jimmy Ja ...

. It was the second single from O'Neal's second solo album, ''

Hearsay Hearsay evidence, in a legal forum, is testimony from an under-oath witness who is reciting an out-of-court statement, the content of which is being offered to prove the truth of the matter asserted. In most courts, hearsay evidence is inadmis ...

'' (1987). The song's distinctive backing vocals were performed by

Lisa Keith Lisa Keith (born 1960) is an American contemporary/ pop singer, probably best known for her work as a backing vocalist for other artists and lead vocalist on Herb Alpert's hit single from 1987, " Making Love in the Rain". In 1993 she released her ...

. Following the successful chart performances of the ''

'' single "

Fake Fake may refer to: * Deception, an act or a statement intended to deceive ** Charlatan, a person who practices deception to obtain money or other advantages ** Counterfeit, a reproduction of an item, intended to deceive ** Cover-up, an attempt to ...

", "Criticize" was released as the album's second single.

Meaning

The song's lyrics are a personal commentary, critical of a

nagging Nagging, in interpersonal communication, is repetitious behaviour in the form of pestering, hectoring, harassing, or otherwise continuously urging an individual to complete previously discussed requests or act on advice. The word is derived from th ...

ex-lover, who criticizes his "friends", "ideals", "lifestyle", and "feeling .

Release

"Criticize" peaked at number four on the

R&B chart The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 p ...

, and number 70 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. In the United Kingdom, "Criticize" peaked at number four on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

, becoming O'Neal's biggest hit in Britain, and in 2020 was certified Silver by the

British Phonographic Industry British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with th ...

. In Ireland, "Criticize" peaked at number 14 on the

Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is the Republic of Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) and compiled on their behalf by the Official Charts Company. Chart rankings are bas ...

In popular culture

The song is featured in the soundtrack of the video game ''

Grand Theft Auto IV ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' is a 2008 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the sixth main entry in the ''Grand Theft Auto'' series, following 2004's '' Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'', and the ...

'' on the in-game radio station "The Vibe 98.8".

Track listing

* 12" Maxi (Tabu TBU 651158 6) # "Criticize (Remix)" – 7:00 # "Criticize (Edit)" – 3:55 # "Criticize (A Cappella)" – 2:40 # "Criticize (Critical Mix)" – 5:30 # "Criticize (Critical Edit)" – 3:45 # "Criticize (Critical Dub)" – 4:30 # "Criticize (Nag Mix)" – 1:35 * 12" Single # "Criticize (Remix)" – 7:00 # "Criticize (Critical Mix)" – 5:30 # "Fake (Extended Version)" – 5:20 * 7" Single (Tabu 651158 7) # "Criticize" – 4:00 # "

A Broken Heart Can Mend "A Broken Heart Can Mend" is a song written by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and recorded by American recording artist Alexander O'Neal. It is the third single from O'Neal's self-titled debut studio album, ''Alexander O'Neal'' (1985). Following the mo ...

" – 3:40

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes. *

- lead vocals and backing vocals *

- synthesizers, electric guitar and drum machine *

Jimmy Jam Jimmy may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Jimmy'' (2008 film), a 2008 Hindi thriller directed by Raj N. Sippy * ''Jimmy'' (1979 film), a 1979 Indian Malayalam film directed by Melattoor Ravi Varma * ''Jimmy'' (2013 f ...

- synthesizers *

- backing vocals *

Brie Howard-Darling Brie Howard-Darling (also known and credited as Brie Darling, Brie Howard, Brie Brandt, and Brie Berry) is an American drummer, singer, percussionist, songwriter, artist, cake designer, and actress of Filipino and European descent. She has recor ...

- drums, matraca and timbals

Sales chart performance

Peak positions

Certifications

Re-recording

Alexander O’Neal re-recorded “Criticize” in 1998 with producers Errol Jones and John Girvan. The song was released as a commercial single, peaking at number 51 on the UK Singles Chart.

Track listing

* UK CD Single (OWECD3) # "Criticize (‘98 Critical Yojo Working Radio Mix)" – 3:59 # "Criticize (‘98 Chill Out Positivity Krew Radio Mix)" – 4:38 # "Criticize (‘98 Critical Yojo Working Club Mix)" – 6:56 # "Criticize (‘98 House Positivity Mix)" – 4:20 * UK 12” Single (OWET3) # "Criticize (‘98 Critical Yojo Working Club Mix)" – 6:56 # "Criticize (‘98 Critical Yojo Working Radio Mix)" – 3:59 # "Criticize (‘98 Dub Mix)" – 4:38 * Germany 12” Single (0066260CLU) # "Criticize 1999 (Bini & Martini Club Vocal Mix)" – 7:22 # "Criticize 1999 (Bini & Martini Ocean Dub)" – 6:05 # "Criticize 1999 (Bini & Martini Subsonic Vocal Mix)" – 8:30 # "Criticize 1999 (Bini & Martini Subsonic Dub)" – 7:52 * Germany 12” Single (0066540CLU) # "Criticize (Stonebridge Club Mix)" – 9:52 # "Criticize (Critical Yojo Working Club Mix)" – 6:56 # "Criticize (Jamie Lewis Phat Club Mix)" – 7:49 * Italy 12” Single (BLUE012) # "Criticize '99 (Jamie Lewis Phat Club Mix)" – 7:49 # "Criticize '99 (Harley & Muscle Deep House Mix)" – 7:54 * Italy 12” Single (BLUE013) # "Criticize 1999 (Bini & Martini Club Vocal Mix)" – 7:22 # "Criticize 1999 (Bini & Martini Ocean Dub)" – 6:05 # "Criticize 1999 (Bini & Martini Sub Sonic Vocal Dub)" – 8:30

References

{{authority control 1987 singles Alexander O'Neal songs 1987 songs Song recordings produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis Songs written by Jellybean Johnson Songs written by Alexander O'Neal