"Window Seat" is a song by

Erykah Badu Erica Abi Wright (born February 26, 1971), known professionally as Erykah Badu (), is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Influenced by rhythm and blues, R&B, Soul music, soul, and hip hop, Badu rose to prominence in the ...

. It is the

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 ...

from her album ''

New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh) ''New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh)'' is the fifth studio album by American recording artist Erykah Badu, first released on March 30, 2010, through Universal Motown. Collaborating with several hip hop producers over the Internet, Badu co ...

'' (2010). It was produced by Badu and

James Poyser James Jason Poyser is an American songwriter, record producer, musician and current member of the hip hop band The Roots. Poyser has written and produced songs for various legendary and award-winning artists such as Erykah Badu, Mariah Carey, ...

. The song is low-tempo

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

with lyrics that concern escapism and longing for a lover. The

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 ...

for "Window Seat" features Badu walking the streets around Dealey Plaza in

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County w ...

, slowly stripping to the nude, before being shot by an unseen assassin. Badu's public nudity, guerrilla filming, and the video's allusions to the

assassination of John F. Kennedy John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, was assassinated on Friday, November 22, 1963, at 12:30 p.m. CST in Dallas, Texas, while riding in a presidential motorcade through Dealey Plaza. Kennedy was in the vehicle with ...

were met with controversy among fans and critics.

Background and release

"Jump Up in the Air (Stay There)", featuring

Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman (rapper), ...

and

Bilal __NOTOC__ Bilal may refer to: People * Bilal (name) (a list of people with the name) * Bilal ibn Rabah, a companion of Muhammad * Bilal (American singer) * Bilal (Lebanese singer) Places *Bilal Colony, a neighbourhood of Korangi Town in Karachi, ...

, was released as an internet-only promotional single on Badu's official website in January 2010. RC Williams, Badu's musical director, said that a music video for the track was shot in Dallas. A censored "clean" version of the video was released on February 12, 2010 on Badu's official website. It has been made available as a free, legal download by Giant Step, the marketing and promotion company for the album. "Window Seat" was released as the album's official lead single, Badu released a downloadable link to the song on her

Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

account. "Window Seat" was released to the

iTunes Store The iTunes Store is a digital media store operated by Apple Inc. It opened on April 28, 2003, as a result of Steve Jobs' push to open a digital marketplace for music. As of April 2020, iTunes offered 60 million songs, 2.2 million apps, 25,00 ...

on February 9, 2010. In its promotion,

Delta Air Lines Delta Air Lines, Inc., typically referred to as Delta, is one of the major airlines of the United States and a legacy carrier. One of the List of airlines by foundation date, world's oldest airlines in operation, Delta is headquartered in Atla ...

has signed on to use the song as boarding music for its flights.

Reception

The song debuted at number 95 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart."Hot 100: Week of April 17, 2010". ''

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 ...

'': April 17, 2010
Archived
on 2010-04-08. It also entered at number 47 on ''

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,Herrera, Monica
Erykah Badu returns with a new album
''

''. Retrieved on 2010-04-02. ultimately peaking at number 16 in its five weeks on the chart. Chart History: 'Window Seat' ''Billboard''. Retrieved on 2010-04-02. "Window Seat" received generally positive reviews from most music critics.

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...

writer Quentin B. Huff found Badu's vulnerability on the song comparable to her work on ''

Mama's Gun ''Mama's Gun'' is the second studio album by American singer Erykah Badu. It was recorded between 1999 and 2000 at Electric Lady Studios in New York and released on November 21, 2000, by Motown Records. A neo soul album, ''Mama's Gun'' incorporat ...

'' (2000).Huff, Quentin B
Review: ''New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh)''

. Retrieved on 2010-03-30.

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 ...

's Andy Kellman wrote that it "should appeal to those who have wanted Badu to revisit that lissome sound of ''

Baduizm ''Baduizm'' is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Erykah Badu. It was released on February 11, 1997, by Kedar Records and Universal Records. After leaving university in order to concentrate on music full-time, Badu then began ...

'' songs like ' On & On' and 'Otherside of the Game,' and it packs stunning stomp-and-clap breakdowns that sync up with Badu's most halting lines".Kellman, Andy. Review: ''New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh)''

. Retrieved on 2010-03-27. Embling of

Tiny Mix Tapes ''Tiny Mix Tapes'' (also ''TMT'' or ''tinymixtapes'') is an online music and film webzine that focuses primarily on new music and related news. In addition to its reviews, it is noted for its subversive, political, and sometimes surreal news, a ...

called it "as amniotic a slow jam as Badu has ever recorded".Embling
Review: ''New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh)''

. Retrieved on 2010-03-30.

BBC Online BBC Online, formerly known as BBCi, is the BBC's online service. It is a large network of websites including such high-profile sites as BBC News and BBC Sport, Sport, the on-demand video and radio services branded BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds, t ...

writer Stevie Chick praised Badu's performance on the song, writing that she sings "with such earnest, desperate yearning you’ll be struck dumb".Chick, Stevie
Review: ''New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh)''

. Retrieved on 2010-03-30. ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

''s Chris Richards described the song as "vintage Badu: gentle melodies, a twinkling harp, rim-shots click-clacking at an easy, Sunday morning tempo".Richards, Chris
Review: ''New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh)''
''

''. Retrieved on 2010-03-30. ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'' writer Margaret Wappler praised co-producer and keyboardist James Poyser's contribution, writing that he "elevates" the song "into a juicy slice of escapism but with the security of someone missing you back home".Wappler, Margaret
Review: ''New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh)''
''

''. Retrieved on 2010-03-30. ''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the crea ...

''s

Pazz & Jop Pazz & Jop was an annual poll of top musical releases, compiled by American newspaper ''The Village Voice'' and created by music critic Robert Christgau. It published lists of the year's top releases for 1971 and, after Christgau's two-year abse ...

annual year-end critics' poll ranked "Window Seat" at number 11 to find the best music of 2010, tied with

Arcade Fire Arcade Fire is a Canadian indie rock band, consisting of husband and wife Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, alongside Richard Reed Parry, Tim Kingsbury and Jeremy Gara. The band's current touring line-up also includes former core member S ...

s " Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)" and

LCD Soundsystem LCD Soundsystem is an American rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2002 by James Murphy, co-founder of DFA Records. The band comprises Murphy (vocals, various instruments), Nancy Whang (synthesizer, keyboards, vocals), Pat Mahoney (dr ...

s " I Can Change".

Music video

Background and synopsis

On March 13, 2010, Badu filmed an impromptu

for "Window Seat" in the Dealey Plaza historic district of

.Hauk, Hunte
Badu Speaks Out About 'Window Seat' Video
''

Dallas Morning News ''The Dallas Morning News'' is a daily newspaper serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas, with an average print circulation of 65,369. It was founded on October 1, 1885 by Alfred Horatio Belo as a satellite publication of the ''Galvesto ...

''. Retrieved on 2010-03-29. In the video, Badu is seen walking the streets of Dealey Plaza in Dallas, slowly stripping to the nude, before being shot by an unseen assassin.Kennedy, Gerrick D
Live review: Erykah Badu's surprise midnight show at the El Rey
''

''. Retrieved on 2010-03-31. On her

feed, she stated that the music video "was shot guerrilla style, no crew, 1 take, no closed set, no warning, 2 min., Downtown Dallas, then ran like hell". Badu was inspired by

indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...

duo

Matt & Kim Matt and Kim (sometimes stylized MATT and KIM) are an American indie electronic duo from Brooklyn, New York City. The group formed in 2004 and consist of Matt Johnson (vocals/keyboards) and Kim Schifino (drums). The duo is known for its upbeat d ...

's video for the song "Lessons Learned",Herrera, Monica
Erykah Badu Strips Naked In Controversial 'Window Seat' Video
''

''. Retrieved on 2010-04-02. viewing it as "the bravest, most liberating thing I’ve ever seen two people do... I wanted to dedicate this contagious act of liberation and freedom to them. I hoped it would become something contagious that people would want to do in some way or another". Badu has expressed that her video is a criticism of the psychological concept

groupthink Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people in which the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an irrational or dysfunctional decision-making outcome. Cohesiveness, or the desire for cohesiveness ...

. On the video's location, Badu expressed that Matt & Kim's video and its "monumental"

Times Square Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and 42nd Street. Together with adjacent ...

setting influenced her to film in Dealey Plaza, which is known as the site of President John F. Kennedy's assassination. She viewed the historic district's

grassy knoll Dealey Plaza is a city park in the West End Historic District of downtown Dallas, Texas. It is sometimes called the "birthplace of Dallas". It was also the location of the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963; 30 minutes after the shooting ...

as a monumental place in Dallas and that she "tied it in a way that compared that assassination to the character assassination one would go through after showing his or her self completely. That’s exactly the action that I wanted to display". After she collapses to the ground in the video, blue blood spills out to form the word "groupthink", after which Badu's voiceover says: Badu intended for the assassination scene to represent character assassination by groupthink. Prior to the filming of the official music video, a video

teaser Teaser may refer to: * One who teases * Teaser (animal), a male livestock animal (typically a bull) whose penis has been amputated, "''gomer''" Film exhibition, broadcasting, advertising * Teaser (trailer), a short film used to advertise an ...

of "Window Seat" was featured on Badu's official website around early March, which begins with a shot of Badu's

boarding pass A boarding pass or boarding card is a document provided by an airline during airport check-in, giving a passenger permission to enter the restricted area of an airport (also known as the airside portion of the airport) and to board the air ...

of the flight she had booked on the fictional Amerykah Airlines, and mainly features her putting on make-up at a make-up table. A second version of the video, entitled "Window Seat (Reexamined)", was posted on her website and features the original video in reverse; the ending monologue with Badu's voiceover was repositioned to the start of the footage.Webb, Ted
Erykah Badu Charged With Disorderly Conduct Over Nude ‘Window Seat’ Video At JFK Site
IndyPosted. Retrieved on 2010-04-05. A music video for the song's official remix, featuring rapper

Rick Ross William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), known professionally as Rick Ross, is an American rapper. Prior to releasing his debut single, "Hustlin'", in 2006, Ross was the subject of a bidding war, receiving offers from Sean Combs, D ...

, was shot during May 2010.

Response and controversy

"Window Seat"'s official music video was premiered on March 27, 2010 at 3:33 a.m. on Badu's website.Duke, Alan
Singer Erykah Badu Strips at JFK Assassination Site in New Video

CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...

. Retrieved on 2010-04-08.Reid, Shaheem
Erykah Badu 'Didn't Expect To Be Demonized' Over Nude 'Window Seat' Video

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

. Retrieved on 2010-04-08. Circulating throughout several Internet

blog A blog (a truncation of "weblog") is a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (posts). Posts are typically displayed in reverse chronological order ...

s,Langhorne, Cyrus
Erykah Badu Explains Her Nude 'Window Seat' Music Video, 'Everything Was Real'
SOHH.com. Retrieved on 2010-04-08. the music video was received with controversy and a divided reaction from fans, Internet critics, and media outlets.Crane, Makeda
Should Dallas Official Charge Erykah Badu?: ‘Window Seat’ To A Black Woman’s Soul
Hip Hop and Politics. Retrieved on 2010-04-08.Ragland, James

''Dallas Morning News''. Retrieved on 2010-04-08. On March 30, 2010, it became the ninth most popular search on

Google Google LLC () is an American multinational technology company focusing on search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and consumer electronics. ...

.Pippen, Scotty
“Group Think” Erykah Badu’s Return of the Ankh Controversy
'' URB''. Retrieved on 2010-04-08. The music video also prompted attention from Dallas city officials for Badu's public nudity and filming without city permits. Dallas Mayor

Pro Tem ''Pro tempore'' (), abbreviated ''pro tem'' or ''p.t.'', is a Latin phrase which best translates to "for the time being" in English. This phrase is often used to describe a person who acts as a ''locum tenens'' (placeholder) in the absence of ...

Dwaine Caraway expressed concern for stricter laws to prevent similar incidents, stating "None of this would have occurred had she stayed clothed. But since she didn't, it elevated the need for making sure that we have policies in place that will protect folks and the integrity of the city as best we possibly can ... What if there is another take to her bizarre activity? What if there is a part two and we don't take some type of action or put it up for discussion and she comes out and really gets with it and does a Michael Jackson-type video and have 15, 20 people and all of them take their clothes off?"Goldstein, Scott
Erykah Badu's Naked Video Prompts Call to Toughen Dallas Law
''Dallas Morning News''. Retrieved on 2010-04-02. On April 2, 2010, Badu was charged with disorderly conduct for her public nudity, a class C misdemeanor in Texas indicating a $500

fine Fine may refer to: Characters * Sylvia Fine (''The Nanny''), Fran's mother on ''The Nanny'' * Officer Fine, a character in ''Tales from the Crypt'', played by Vincent Spano Legal terms * Fine (penalty), money to be paid as punishment for an offe ...

(with no

jail A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correc ...

time), when a witness came forward. According to Dallas Deputy Police Chief Mike Genovesi, the witness "had two small children with her and was offended".Hanek, Joel
Erykah Badu Defends 'Window Seat' On 'Wanda Sykes Show'

. Retrieved on 2010-04-05. In an interview for the ''

'', Badu said that her part in the video foreshadowed the controversy and reaction to the video, stating "I knew that would happen, so as soon as the thought came to my mind, I decided to assassinate myself as a gesture. Because it was going to happen anyway. The video is a prediction of what is happening now". In an April 3, 2010 interview on '' The Wanda Sykes Show'', she explained in response to critics of the video that she did not intend to disrespect the memory of John F. Kennedy with its allusion to his assassination, stating "My point was grossly misunderstood all over America. JFK is one of my heroes, one of the nation's heroes. John F. Kennedy was a revolutionary; he was not afraid to butt heads with America, and I was not afraid to show America my butt-naked truth."Hanek, Joel
Erykah Badu Defends 'Window Seat' On 'Wanda Sykes Show'
MTV. Retrieved on 2010-04-05. On April 28, 2010, Badu challenged the disorderly conduct charge by pleading not guilty rather than paying the fee by mail. On August 13, she paid the $500 fine and agreed to serve six months probation through February 11, 2011.

Chart history

References

External links

* {{Erykah Badu 2010s ballads 2010 singles Erykah Badu songs Songs written by James Poyser Songs written by Erykah Badu 2010 songs Music video controversies Universal Motown Records singles Works about the assassination of John F. Kennedy