"Please" is a song by American recording artist

Toni Braxton Toni Michele Braxton (born October 7, 1967) is an American Contemporary R&B, R&B singer, songwriter, actress and television personality. She has sold over 70 million records worldwide and is one of the best-selling female artists in history. ...

. It was written by

Scott Storch Scott Spencer Storch (born December 16, 1973) is an American record producer and songwriter. He started off as a keyboardist for the group the Roots. Early life Storch was born on Long Island, New York. He was raised in South Florida and Phila ...

Makeba Riddick Makeba Riddick-Woods (also known as "Girl Wonder") is an American singer-songwriter who has been active since 2005. She is originally from West Baltimore, Maryland, US. Currently she is managed by Jay-Z's record label and production house, Ro ...

Vincent Herbert Vincent Herbert (born January 27, 1973) is an American songwriter, record producer, record executive, and founder of Streamline Records, an imprint of Interscope Records. Work He has worked with artists such as Aaliyah, Tatyana Ali, Toni Braxt ...

, and Kameron Houff for her fifth studio album, ''

Libra Libra generally refers to: * Libra (constellation), a constellation * Libra (astrology), an astrological sign based on the star constellation Libra may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Libra'' (novel), a 1988 novel by Don DeLillo Musi ...

'' (2005), while production was chiefly helmed by Storch. One out of several songs on the album to feature a more hard-edged production, "Please" is a spare, mid-tempo R&B and hip hop song with a heavy bottom and zippy

strings String or strings may refer to: *String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...

. Lyrically, it talks about how to handle a temptation in a relationship. The track was released as the album's

lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...

to US

rhythmic Rhythmic may refer to: * Related to rhythm * Rhythmic contemporary, a radio format * Rhythmic adult contemporary, a radio format * Rhythmic gymnastics, a form of gymnastics * Rhythmic (chart) The Rhythmic chart (also called Rhythmic Airplay, and ...

and

urban AC Urban adult contemporary, often abbreviated as urban AC or UAC, (also known as adult R&B,) is the name for a format of radio music, similar to an urban contemporary format. Radio stations using this format usually would not have hip hop music on ...

radio formats on May 30, 2005. While "Please" reached number thirty-six on ''

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

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 ...

chart, it failed to chart on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, but instead reached number four on the

Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...

chart, making it one of Braxton's lowest-charting singles yet. "Please" was the only single from ''Libra'' for which a

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 ...

, directed by Chris Robinson, was shot.

Background

In September 2002, while gearing up for the release of her album '' More Than a Woman'', Braxton discovered she was pregnant with her second child and she was subsequently forced to cancel many scheduled performances due to complications. Executives at

Arista Records Arista Records () is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously handled by BMG Entertainmen ...

were reportedly frustrated with the timing of her second pregnancy since it prevented her from doing the extensive promotion for ''More Than A Woman'', and though Braxton asked to push the album's release to 2003, the label refused. Released in November 2002, ''More Than A Woman'' garnered lackluster sales and failed to produce a

hit single A hit song, also known as a hit record, hit single or simply a hit, is a recorded song or instrumental that becomes broadly popular or well-known. Although ''hit song'' means any widely played or big-selling song, the specific term ''hit record' ...

. Disappointed by its performance, which Braxton attributed to the little promotion activities that the Arista management had arranged for her due to her second pregnancy, she requested her manager

Barry Hankerson Barry Hankerson (born August 3, 1947) is an American record producer, music label owner and manager. Hankerson is the founder of Blackground Records. He is the uncle of singer and actress Aaliyah. Career Born and raised in Harlem, New York Ci ...

to obtain a release for her from any future recording obligations to the label. In March 2003, Braxton issued a press statement saying she was leaving Arista for Hankerson's

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-distributed

Blackground Records Blackground Records 2.0 (legal name Blackground Records, LLC, formerly known as Blackground Records) is an American record label founded and owned by Jomo and Barry Hankerson. Initially named Blackground Enterprises, the label switched its name t ...

. Soon after, she began recording her Blackground debut with husband

Keri Lewis Mint condition is an expression used to denote the quality of a pre-owned good as displaying virtually no imperfections and being in pristine condition relative to its original production state. Originally, the phrase related to the way collect ...

. The pair worked on several tracks for ''Libra'', about seven or eight songs which made the first record they turned in to Blackground and requested the singer to make significant changes to ''Libra'', prompting them to book additional recording sessions with producers, including musician

, to place it in more hard-edged productions.

Composition and lyrics

"Please" was written by Storch along with

, Kameron Houff, and

, with production being handled by Storch. A frequent collaborator, Herbert had co-written and produced her 1994 hit " How Many Ways. Vocal production was overseen by

, while Braxton's younger sister Tamar, Riddick, Kim Johnson and

Keri Hilson Keri Lynn Hilson (born December 5, 1982) is an American R&B singer, songwriter and actress. She was born and raised in Decatur, Georgia and spent most of her youth working with producer Anthony Dent as a songwriter and background vocalist for ...

all provided background vocals on "Please". Musically, "Please" is an upbeat R&B and hip-hop song that talks about how to handle a temptation in a relationship. Braxton starts the song singing, "I know you watching all over here, trying to find a way to come into my situation, because you should know that it is so good to be cool."

Release and reception

In May 2005, MTV ''News'' reported that a new single by Braxton was coming and that the song was produced by Scott Storch. On May 30, 2005, "Please" was released to US

and

radio formats. While a promotional CD was released during 2005, Blackground and its distributor

Universal Records Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch–American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...

produced no physical

CD single A CD single (sometimes abbreviated to CDS) is a music single in the form of a compact disc. The standard in the Red Book for the term ''CD single'' is an 8 cm (3-inch) CD (or Mini CD). It now refers to any single recorded onto a CD of any si ...

in support of the "Please". In

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

, a different promo CD was also released. To promote the single, Braxton visited ''

The Ellen Show ''The Ellen Show'' is an American television sitcom created by and starring Ellen DeGeneres that was broadcast during the 2001–02 season on CBS, aired from September 24, 2001, to January 11, 2002. It was DeGeneres' second attempt at a sitcom, ...

'' where she performed "Please" along with her sisters. She also performed the song on the ''

Tom Joyner Morning Show The ''Tom Joyner Morning Show'' is an American nationally syndicated radio program, hosted by veteran broadcaster Tom Joyner. The program, which aired on Urban contemporary- and Urban adult contemporary-formatted stations across the United States, ...

'' and on ''

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''. In concert, Braxton performed the song on her 2006 Libra Tour and her 2013 Summer Tour, in a groove-oriented medley with fellow ''Libra'' single "

Take This Ring "Take This Ring" is a song by American singer Toni Braxton. It was written and produced by Rich Harrison for her fifth studio album, ''Libra'' (2005). A subdued go go track, it features an uncredited sample from the song "Here Comes the Meter M ...

." Upon its release, the song received generally mixed reviews from music critics. ''

The Baltimore Sun ''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries. Founded in 1837, it is currently owned by Tr ...

'' found that the song "hasn't exactly been a runaway hit." Sal Cinquemani of

Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...

called it "forgettable," and wrote that it "picks up where the edgy '' More Than a Woman'' left off."

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 Andy Kellman picked "Please" as a standout track of ''Libra''. Commercially, "Please" only charted inside the top-forty on the

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 p ...

chart, topping the

Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles 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 ...

chart and later debuting at number 78 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Later, the song climbed to number 40, before peaking at number 36. It marked Braxton's lowest-charting lead single then.

Music video

An accompanying

for the song, directed by Chris Robinson, was released in late June 2005. It features Braxton wearing different clothes and wigs, while also dancing with backup dancers.

Track listing

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes of ''Libra''.Braxton, Toni (2006). ''

'' (liner notes). Toni Braxton.

*Toni Braxton –

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are use ...

Tamar Braxton Tamar Estine Braxton (born March 17, 1977) is an American singer and television personality. Braxton began her career in 1990 as a founding member of The Braxtons, an R&B singing group formed with her sisters. The Braxtons released their debut a ...

– backing vocals *Chris Gehringer – mastering *

– backing vocals *Kameron Houff –

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...

* Kim Johnson – backing vocals *

– vocal producer *

– backing vocals *Dave "Natural Love" Russell – mixing *

–

producer Producer or producers may refer to: Occupations *Producer (agriculture), a farm operator *A stakeholder of economic production *Film producer, supervises the making of films **Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does not ...

Charts

References

{{Authority control 2005 singles Music videos directed by Chris Robinson (director) Song recordings produced by Scott Storch Songs written by Scott Storch Toni Braxton songs Songs written by Makeba Riddick 2005 songs Blackground Records singles Hip hop soul songs Songs written by Vincent Herbert hu:Please