"Can't Nobody" is a song performed by American recording artist

Kelly Rowland Kelendria Trene Rowland (born February 11, 1981) is an American singer, actress, and television personality. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of Destiny's Child, one of the world's List of best-selling girl groups, best-selling girl ...

. It was written and produced by

Rich Harrison Richard Christopher Harrison (born 1979) is an American record producer and songwriter from Washington, D.C., specializing in R&B and hip hop music. The winner of a Grammy Award, Harrison is well known for producing songs such as "Get Right" ...

for Rowland's solo debut album ''

Simply Deep ''Simply Deep'' is the debut solo studio album by American singer Kelly Rowland. It was first released through Columbia Records and Music World Entertainment on October 22, 2002, in North America, and on February 3, 2003, in other areas. Recorded ...

'' (2002). The song is built around a sample of "Let's Get Small" (1982) by American R&B band

Trouble Funk Trouble Funk is an American R&B and funk band from Washington, D.C. The group helped to popularize funk and the subgenre go-go in the Washington metropolitan area. Among the band's well-known songs are the go-go anthem "Hey, Fellas". They rele ...

. Due to the inclusion of the sample, band members Robert "Syke Dyke" Reed and Tony Fisher are also credited as songwriters. Musically, the

uptempo A variety of musical terms are likely to be encountered in printed scores, music reviews, and program notes. Most of the terms are Italian, in accordance with the Italian origins of many European musical conventions. Sometimes, the special mus ...

track has been described as an "airy hip hop funk" song, that has Rowland describing an infatuation as she tries to convince the object of desire of her charms and advantages. The song was released as the second single from ''Simply Deep'' on January 21, 2003, following lead " Stole" and Rowland's duet single "

Dilemma A dilemma ( grc-gre, δίλημμα "double proposition") is a problem offering two possibilities, neither of which is unambiguously acceptable or preferable. The possibilities are termed the ''horns'' of the dilemma, a clichéd usage, but disti ...

" with

Nelly Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. (born November 2, 1974), better known by his stage name Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, actor and entrepreneur. He embarked on his music career with the hip hop group St. Lunatics in 1993 and signed to Universal ...

from his album ''

Nellyville ''Nellyville'' is the second studio album by American rapper and singer Nelly. It was released on June 25, 2002, by Universal Records and Fo' Reel Entertainment. The album's production was handled by Waiel Yaghnam, the Neptunes, Jay E, Trackboyz, ...

'' (2002). While it widely failed to match the success of its predecessors, "Can't Nobody" reached the top-five in the United Kingdom and became a top-twenty hit in Australia, Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Scotland. In the US, the song entered ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

''s

Mainstream Top 40 Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/contemporary hit radio, CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played o ...

. An accompanying

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...

was directed by

Benny Boom Benny Douglas (born July 22, 1971), professionally known as Benny Boom, is an American director who has worked in music, television, and film. His most commercially successful film was the 2017 Tupac Shakur biopic ''All Eyez on Me''. Career Do ...

and shot in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

in January 2003. In further promotion of the song, Rowland performed the song on television shows such as ''

Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British Record chart, music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show ...

'' and made it part of the setlist of her

Simply Deeper Tour The Simply Deeper Tour was the debut concert tour by American R&B recording artist Kelly Rowland. It was launched in support of her debut solo album '' Simply Deep'' (2002). The Simply Deeper Tour only reached Europe. History Touring Europe Thi ...

(2003).

Background

After the release of her former group

Destiny's Child Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final line-up comprised Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Houston, Texas. After years of limited ...

's 2001 album '' Survivor'', Rowland launched a solo career when American rapper

asked her to appear as a featured artist on his song "

". The record originally appeared on his album ''

'' (2002) and was released as its third single. An instant success, it became a worldwide number-one hit that year and prompted Rowland's label

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

to advance the release date of her solo album from 2003 to late 2002 to capitalize on the success of "Dilemma". Rowland was forced to complete the album within a month. "Can't Nobody" was written by producer and songwriter

. Known for his work on fellow Columbia Records signee

Amerie Amerie Mi Marie Nicholson ( Rogers; born January 12, 1980) is an American singer. Born in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, she gained an appreciation of the classical arts from her mother Mi Suk Rogers and of music from her father Charles Rogers, and ...

's debut album '' All I Have'' (2002), the song marked his first collaboration with a

member. In contrast to his own production style and major parts of ''Simply Deep'', which featured mid-tempo tracks and wide influences by pop and

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

music, the track includes a beat driven but poppy and radio-friendly instrumental, involving elements from "Let's Get Small", a song written by Robert Reed and Tony Fisher and performed by

Critical reception

"Can't Nobody" received generally mixed reviews from music critics.

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

editor Jon O'Brien named the song one of the album's highlights along with "Stole", "Dilemma" and "Everytime You Walk Out That Door" and complimented the production on "Can't Nobody" due to its "clattering percussion". Chuck Taylor from ''

'' found that "while the single has its charms, its skittish production and overly busy chorus tend to grate after a few spins, limiting its chances to go to the long haul." Sal Cinquemani of ''

Slant Slant can refer to: Bias *Bias or other non-objectivity in journalism, politics, academia or other fields Technical * Slant range, in telecommunications, the line-of-sight distance between two points which are not at the same level * Slant d ...

'' compared the song to Rowland's previous single "Dilemma" and wrote: "'Can’t Nobody' features a catchy, retro hook and slick production, but Rowland’s voice isn’t as powerful as

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston in ...

’s or even

Beyoncé Knowles Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...

's." ''

Vibe ''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down productio ...

'' journalist Craig Seymour named "Can’t Nobody" one of the better tracks on ''Simply Deep'', calling it "a morsel of airy hip hop funk ..But while the tune offers her a good rump-wiggling groove, it can't quite fill the need for an authentic identity."

Commercial performance

The song was first issued as the album's second single in the United States on January 21, 2003. However, "Can't Nobody" received little commercial response in Rowland's native, where it was less successful than previous single "Stole", debuting and peaking at number ninety-seven on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number seventy-two on ''Billboard''s

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs 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 ...

, respectively. It also entered the US

, reaching number forty. The single fared better overseas, where it became Rowland's third consecutive top five hit 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 ...

, peaking at number five, as well as her ninth best-selling solo single as of November 2011.Taken from the videocountdown "Kelly Rowland's Official Top 10", broadcast December 10, 2011, on MTV Music UK ( & ) The song also entered the top ten of the

Scottish Singles Chart The Scottish Albums Chart is a chart compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC) which is based on how physical and digital sales towards the UK Albums Chart fare in Scotland. The official singles chart for Scotland, the Scottish Singles Chart, ...

, reaching number nine, and peaked within the top twenty in Denmark, Ireland, and the Netherlands. In Australia, "Can't Nobody" peaked at number thirteen and was eventually certified gold by the

Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing th ...

(ARIA), indicating sales in excess of 35,000 copies.

Music video

Rowland reteamed with "Dilemma" director

to craft a

for "Can't Nobody" which was shot in

at the weekend of January 4, 2003. Filming locations include the Orpheum Theatre on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

and the

Chinatown A Chinatown () is an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Austra ...

neighborhood, both set in the

Downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) contains the central business district of Los Angeles. In addition, it contains a diverse residential area of some 85,000 people, and covers . A 2013 study found that the district is home to over 500,000 jobs. It is ...

district. Joe Oz served as first

assistant director The role of an assistant director on a film includes tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, and maintaining order on the set. They also have to tak ...

, while production was helmed by Veronica Zelle for now defunct Gorilla Flix Productions. Main camera was operated by Paul Cameron. Upon its release, the music video for "Can't Nobody" was included on the European maxi-single as an enhanced video element. It was later also included on the Japanese edition of

's '' Destiny's Child World Tour'' concert DVD, released in 2003, as well as the 2004

Wal-Mart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...

exclusive limited Destiny's Child's '' Fan Pack'' DVD which was released a week before the release of ''

Destiny Fulfilled ''Destiny Fulfilled'' is the fifth and final studio album by American R&B trio Destiny's Child. It was released on November 16, 2004, by Columbia Records and Sony Urban Music. A comeback release, it marked the return of Destiny's Child after th ...

'' (2004). In the video, Rowland is waiting outside of the Orpheum Theatre nightclub for her boyfriend, who is surprising her with tickets for a fictional ''Simply Deep'' musical. She arrives after her boyfriend leaves and after buying a ticket for the musical and waiting for him to meet her, she is disturbed upon seeing a hologram of the two of them waiting in line together. Frustrated, Rowland walks around the Chinatown neighborhood seeing couples all around her until she comes across the Grand Star Jazz Club. She enters the club and begins enjoying herself while dancing until she sees her boyfriend nearby. She confronts him over his absence at the theatre, and he reveals he was going to surprise her with tickets to the musical. Rowland is relieved and after the two laugh over the misunderstanding, they both proceed to dance together in the club. The video ends with the two leaving the club to go watch the musical at the theatre. In a report surrounding the production of the short film, ''

MTV News MTV News is the news production division of MTV. The service is available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network. In February 2016, MTV Networks confirmed it would refresh the MTV News brand in 2016, to compete with the likes ...

'' noted that the video was "a take-off of the

Christian Slater Christian Michael Leonard Slater (born August 18, 1969) is an American actor and producer. He made his film debut with a leading role in ''The Legend of Billie Jean'' (1985) and gained wider recognition for his breakthrough role as Jason "J.D." D ...

flick ''

True Romance ''True Romance'' is a 1993 American romantic crime film directed by Tony Scott and written by Quentin Tarantino. It features an ensemble cast led by Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette, with Dennis Hopper, Val Kilmer, Gary Oldman, Brad Pitt, ...

''."

Track listings

International CD single 1 # "Can't Nobody" (Album Version) # "Can't Nobody" (Cedsolo HipHop Remix) # "Can't Nobody" (featuring

Lil' Flip Wesley Eric Weston Jr. (born March 3, 1981), better known by his stage name Lil' Flip, is an American rapper. He embarked on his musical career as a freestyle and battle rapper before earning a record deal with Suckafree Records in 1999. Lil' F ...

) # "Can't Nobody" (featuring Jakk Frost) # "Can't Nobody" (Silk-Mix.com 80's HipHop-Flava 12) # "Can't Nobody" (Video) International CD single 2 # "Can't Nobody" (Radio Edit) # "Can't Nobody" (Silkmix House Mix Pt. 1&2 Edit) # "Can't Nobody" (Maurice's Nu Soul Mix Edit) # "Can't Nobody" (Charlie's Nu Soul Mix) Australian CD single # "Can't Nobody" (Radio Edit) # "Can't Nobody" (featuring Jakk Frost) # "Can't Nobody" (featuring

) # "Can't Nobody" (Silk-Mix.com Retro House Remix) # "Can't Nobody" (Silk-Mix.com 80's HipHop-Flava 12) UK CD single 1 # "Can't Nobody" # "Can't Nobody" (Cedsolo Hip Hop Remix) # " Stole" (La Nu Soul Mix) # "Can't Nobody" (Video) UK CD single 2 # "Can't Nobody" (Album Version) # "Can't Nobody" (Silxmix.com House Mix Pt 1&2 Edit) # "Can't Nobody" (Maurice's Nu Soul Mix Edit) # "Can't Nobody" (Charlie's Nu Soul Mix) UK cassette single # "Can't Nobody" (Album Version) # "Can't Nobody" (Feat. Jakk Frost) US CD promo # "Can't Nobody" (Radio Edit) # "Can't Nobody" (Instrumental) # "Can't Nobody" (A capella) US 12-inch single ''Side A'' # "Can't Nobody" (Album Version) # "Can't Nobody" (Instrumental) # "Cant' Nobody" (A Capella) # "Can't Nobody" (Maurice's Nu Soul Mix) ''Side B'' # "Can't Nobody" (Charlie's Nu Soul Mix) # "Can't Nobody" (Charlie's Nu Soul Mix Instrumental) # "Can't Nobody" (Azza's Nu Soul Mix) US 12-inch single promo ''Side A'' # "Can't Nobody" (Album Version) # "Can't Nobody" (Instrumental) # "Cant' Nobody" (A Capella) ''Side B'' # "Can't Nobody" (Album Version) # "Can't Nobody" (Instrumental) # "Cant' Nobody" (A Capella) US 12-inch Hot Urban Mixes promo ''Side A'' # "Can't Nobody" (Silk-Mix.com 80's HipHop-Flava 12) # "Can't Nobody" (Silk-Mix.com 80's HipHop-Flava 12 Instrumental) # "Can't Nobody" (Album Instrumental) ''Side B'' # "Can't Nobody" (featuring Lil' Flip) # "Can't Nobody" (featuring Jakk Frost) # "Can't Nobody" (featuring Jakk Frost A Capella) US 12-inch Hot Dance Mixes promo ''Side A'' # "Can't Nobody" (SilkMix.com House Mix Pt. 1 & 2) ''Side B'' # "Can't Nobody" (SilkMix.com Retro-House Remix) # "Can't Nobody" (SilkMix.com Retro-House Instrumental) UK 12-inch single ''Side A'' # "Can't Nobody" (Album Version) # "Can't Nobody" (Cedsolo Hip Hop Remix) # "Can't Nobody" (Cedsolo Hip Hop Remix Instrumental) ''Side B'' # "Can't Nobody" (featuring Jakk Frost) # "Can't Nobody" (featuring Lil' Flip) # "Can't Nobody" (Album Instrumental)

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''

''. *

– vocals *

– writing, production, instruments * Paul Falcone – recording * Dan Milazzo – mixing assistance, recording assistance *

Tony Maserati Tony Maserati is an American record producer and audio engineer specializing in mixing. He was involved in the development of the New York R&B and hip-hop scene in the 1990s, working with Mary J. Blige, Notorious B.I.G., Puff Daddy, and Queen ...

– mixing * Matt Snedeckor – mixing assistance * Liz Graner – project coordination

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{authority control 2002 songs 2003 singles Columbia Records singles Kelly Rowland songs Song recordings produced by Rich Harrison Songs written by Rich Harrison