Eenie Meenie
"Eenie Meenie" is a song by American singer Sean Kingston and Canadian singer Justin Bieber. The song was written by both Kingston and Bieber along with Carlos Battey, Steven Battey, Marcos Palacios and Ernest Clark and Benny Blanco and was produced by the latter. It was originally released as the first single from Kingston's third studio album Back 2 Life on March 23, 2010, but was taken off for unknown reasons. However, it is included on Bieber's My World 2.0. The song, a dance-pop number with Kingston's reggae influences and Bieber's R&B vocals, is lyrically about an indecisive lover.
"Eenie Meenie" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Sean Kingston and Justin Bieber | ||||
from the album My World 2.0 | ||||
Released | March 23, 2010 | |||
Recorded | 2009 | |||
Studio | King of Kings Studio (Miami, Florida) | |||
Genre | Dance-pop | |||
Length | 3:24 | |||
Label | Beluga Heights, Island, Epic | |||
Songwriter(s) | Kisean Anderson, Justin Bieber, Carlos Battey, Steven Battey, Benjamin Levin, Marcos Palacios, Ernest Clark | |||
Producer(s) | Benny Blanco | |||
Sean Kingston singles chronology | ||||
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Justin Bieber singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Eenie Meenie" on YouTube |
The song reached the top ten in the United Kingdom and New Zealand, and the top twenty in Australia, Canada, Ireland and the United States. The accompanying music video features Kingston and Bieber at a pool party at a condo, being pursued by the same girl.
Background and composition
The song premiered on March 4, 2010, on Ryan Seacrest's website,[1] and it was released officially on March 23, 2010, in the United States.[2] It is a dance-pop song, with R&B, and reggae fusion influences,[3][4] written in the key of B♭ minor, with a vocal range from the tone of F3 to the note of C♯5.[5] It moves at 120 beats per minute and is set in common time.[5] The song features a prominent synthesized back beat, followed by verses from both singers, then a rap interlude, while utilizing the children's rhyme "Eenie Meenie Miny Moe."[6]
Critical reception
Kyle Anderson of MTV said that "'Eenie Meenie' melds Sean Kingston's island-inflected dance-pop with Bieber's sweet tween R&B."[4] A reviewer of DJBooth said, "The record’s crown jewel, of course, is the chorus, which will worm its way into your head whether you like it or not."[7] Although he called the song catchy, Chris Richards of The Washington Post said Kingston "hogs the mike" on the song.[8] Rudy Klapper of Sputnikmusic wrote about the lyrics, on the album review, that those are "disturbing", but at the same time "unintentionally hilarious." She also criticized the production: "There's not much to say about the kind of producer who thinks the use of the term 'shorty' with an elementary school gimmick is a good idea."[9] Luke O'Neil from The Boston Globe noted "Sultry reggaeton is repackaged here for the tween set with Sean Kingston's 'Eenie Meenie.' 'Shorty' was never sung so literally."[10]
Chart performance
In the United States "Eenie Meenie" entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number thirty on April 7, 2010, where it was the highest debut of the week.[11] The next week it dropped three places,[12] and stayed there for another additional week.[13] On the Billboard issue dated May 15, 2010, the single reached its peaked, at number fifteen,[14] and it was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.[15] As of February 2011, the single was sold 1,238,000 times.[16] In Australia, it debuted at number forty-nine within the ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart on April 4, 2010,[17] the next week, "Eenie Meenie" reached the number thirty, but it fell out the chart the following week.[17] It re-entered at number forty-five on April 25, 2010, and reached its peak at number eleven on May 30, 2010, where it stayed for three weeks.[17] Later it was certified as gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association.[18] The song appeared in the UK Singles Chart on May 22, 2010, at number fifty-eight. The next week "Eenie Meenie" rose to number seventeen and peaked at number nine in the next two weeks.[19]
In Ireland, it debuted at number forty-one in the Irish Singles Chart on April 15, 2010,[20] and rose the number twelve on May 17, 2010.[21] In the Canadian Hot 100 "Eenie Meenie" debuted and peaked at number fourteen, becoming the highest debut of the week.[22] But in the next issue, the single became the biggest drop, falling to the number thirty-one.[23] It was certified gold by the Canadian Recording Industry Association.[24] In New Zealand it debuted at number thirteen on March 29, 2010, and in its eighth week the song peaked at number five.[25] It also was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand.[26]
Music video
The music video was filmed on March 30, 2010, in Beverly Hills, California,[27] and was directed by Ray Kay, director of Bieber's "Baby" video.[28] On the topic of choosing the lead girl, Kingston told MTV News, "I picked the main girl, basically, because Justin is 16 and I'm 20 years old, so it had to be a girl that fit the both of us, because in the video and song, she's trying to play the both of us. So there had to be a contrast. She fit it perfectly."[29] Additionally, Kingston explained the plot of the video to Rap-Up, commenting, "The video is basically about this girl trying to play both of us and at the end... we end up both at the same place at one time, and she's left with a stupid look on her face."[30] Appearances are made by Bieber's friend, Christian Beadles, as well as rapper Lil Romeo and singer/actress Jasmine Villegas, whose appearance further fuelled media speculation Villegas and Bieber were romantically involved after a previous appearance in his music video for 'Baby'.[29][31] Jocelyn Vena of MTV News reviewed the video, "Here's the play-by-play: While Kingston and the lady in question are flirting out on the deck, Bieber is chilling inside. But, wait — there she is flirting with Bieber while Kingston is hanging out, wondering where she went. The fickle girl eventually leaves Bieber to chill with Kingston, and then — boom — there she is with Bieber again. And, well, you get it. Of course, the 'eenie-meenie-miny-moe lover' eventually gets caught. While she's chatting up Kingston, along comes Bieber, and her game is blown. The dudes are cool with it. Well, they're not cool with her playing them, but they seem to remain friends despite both going for the same girl."[32] As of October 2019, the music video on YouTube has over 353 million views.
Track listing
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Eenie Meenie" |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Eenie Meenie" | 3:21 |
2. | "Eenie Meenie" (Video) | 3:30 |
Credits and personnel
- Songwriting - Kisean Anderson, Justin Bieber, Benjamin Levin, Carlos Battey, Steven Battey, Marcos Palacios, Ernest Clark
- Production - Benny Blanco
- Drums, keyboards, and programming - Benny Blanco
- Background vocals - Carlos Battey, Steven Battey
- Engineering - Benny Blanco, Sam Holland
- Vocal production and recording - Thaddis Harrell (Bieber's vocals), assisted by Travis Harrington
- Vocal production - Greg Ogan, Steve Siravo
- Production Coordination - Jeremy Levin, Todd Rubenstein, assisted by B. Cough and Dooey
- Mixing - Serban Ghenea, engineered for mix by John Hanes, assisted by Tim Roberts
- Editing - Matt Beckley, assisted by Jimmy James
- Recorded at the King of Kings Studio, Miami, Florida
Source:[34]
Charts and certifications
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
Certifications
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Release history
Region | Date | Label | Format |
---|---|---|---|
United States | March 15, 2010[57] | Beluga Heights, Epic | Airplay |
March 23, 2010[2] | CD single | ||
France[58] | March 28, 2010 | Digital download | |
Germany[59] | |||
United Kingdom[60] | |||
United States[61] | |||
Canada[62] | June 29, 2010 | ||
Japan[63] | |||
United Kingdom[64] | July 5, 2010 |
References
- "Listen To Justin Bieber & Sean Kingston's New Single "Eenie Meenie" (Audio)". Ryan Seacrest Official Website. March 4, 2010. Retrieved March 4, 2010.
- Bartolomeo, Joey (March 4, 2010). "Listen: Justin Bieber and Sean Kingston's New Jam". People. Time Inc. Retrieved March 4, 2010.
- O'Neill, Luke (March 29, 2010). "Justin Bieber, 'My World 2.0'". The Boston Globe. The New York Times Company. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
- Anderson, Kyle (March 4, 2010). "Justin Bieber, Sean Kingston Collaboration 'Eenie Meenie' Premieres". MTV News. MTV Networks. Retrieved March 4, 2010.
- Sheet music for My World 2.0. Beluga Heights Records, Epic Records (2010).
- Anderson, Sara (March 4, 2010). "Justin Bieber 'Eenie Meenie' Feat. Sean Kingston -- New Song". AOL. AOL Inc. Retrieved March 4, 2010.
- "Sean Kingston - Eenie Meenie". DJBooth. The DJ Booth LLC. Retrieved July 10, 2010.
- Richards, Chris. "Album review: Justin Bieber, "My World 2.0"". The Washington Post. The Washington Post Company. Retrieved July 10, 2010.
- Klapper, Rudy (March 24, 2010). "Justin Bieber - My World 2.0". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved August 8, 2010.
- O'Neil, Luke (March 29, 2010). "Justin Bieber, 'My World 2.0'". The Boston Globe. The New York Times Company. Retrieved August 8, 2010.
- "Week of April 10, 2010". Billboard. Nielsen Company. April 10, 2010. Retrieved July 15, 2010.
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- "Week Ending Feb. 13, 2011: Songs: Gaga's Milestone Hit". Archived from the original on February 19, 2011. Retrieved February 18, 2011.
- "Sean Kingston feat. Justin Bieber - Eenie Meenie". Aria Top 50 Singles. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
- "Aria Top 50 Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on May 22, 2011. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
- "Sean Kingston and Justin Bieber: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
- "Chart Track". Irish Singles Chart. Gfk. Archived from the original on October 11, 2011. Retrieved July 15, 2010.
- "Chart Track: Week 21, 2010". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
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- "Charts.nz – Sean Kingston feat. Justin Bieber – Eenie Meenie". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
- "nztop40.com". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved July 10, 2010.
- "Video: Sean Kingston f/ Justin Bieber – 'Eenie Meenie'". Rap-Up. Devin Lazerine. April 29, 2010. Retrieved April 29, 2010.
- "Video: Justin Bieber f/ Ludacris – 'Baby'". Rap-Up. Devin Lazerine. February 19, 2010. Retrieved July 10, 2010.
- Vena, Jocelyn. "Sean Kingston Breaks Down 'Eenie Meenie' Video, Frame By Frame". MTV News. MTV Networks. Retrieved July 11, 2010.
- "Rap-Up TV: On Set of Sean Kingston & Justin Bieber's 'Eenie Meenie' Video". Rap-Up. Devin Lazerine. March 31, 2010. Retrieved July 11, 2010.
- Ryan, Chris. "5 Reasons Why The 'Eenie Meenie' Video Proves Justin Bieber Is A Baller". MTV Buzzworthy. MTV Networks. Archived from the original on May 8, 2010. Retrieved July 11, 2010.
- Vena, Jocelyn (April 29, 2010). "Justin Bieber, Sean Kingston Flirt With Same Girl In 'Eeenie Meenie' Video". MTV News. MTV Networks. Retrieved April 29, 2010.
- "Eenie Meenie - Single by Sean Kingston & Justin Bieber". iTunes. Apple Inc. Retrieved June 19, 2010.
- My World 2.0 (Liner Notes) Island Records/Raymond-Braun Music Group. (2010)
- "Pandora Archive" ARIA Top 40 Urban Singles. National Library of Australia. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
- "Austriancharts.at – Sean Kingston / Justin Bieber – Eenie Meenie" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
- "Ultratop.be – Sean Kingston / Justin Bieber – Eenie Meenie" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
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- "Brazil" (PDF). ABPD. October 6, 2001. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
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- "Radio Top100 Oficiální – Kingston Sean feat. Bieber Justin – Eenie Meenie - Czech Republic". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry Czech Republic. International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved August 8, 2010.
- "Dutchcharts.nl – Sean Kingston / Justin Bieber – Eenie Meenie" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
- "Justin Bieber – Chart Search" Billboard European Hot 100 Singles for Justin Bieber. Retrieved June 17, 2010. (subscription required)
- "Offiziellecharts.de – Sean Kingston / Justin Bieber – Eenie Meenie". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
- "European Hit Radio Top 40". Retrieved August 27, 2012.
- "Radio Top 100 Oficiální Slovakian – Bieber Justin feat. Kingston Sean – Eenie Meenie". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry Slovakia. International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 11, 2010.
- "Swedishcharts.com – Sean Kingston / Justin Bieber – Eenie Meenie". Singles Top 100. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
- "Swisscharts.com – Sean Kingston / Justin Bieber – Eenie Meenie". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
- "Justin Bieber Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
- "ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 100 Singles 2010". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on December 5, 2010. Retrieved January 8, 2011.
- "Top 100 Music Hits, Top 100 Music Charts, Top 100 Songs & The Hot 100". Billboard. Nielsen Company. December 8, 2010. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
- "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2010 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on August 10, 2020.
- "Canadian single certifications – Sean Kingston / Justin Bieber – Eeenie Meenie". Music Canada.
- "New Zealand single certifications – Sean Kingston and Justin Bieber – Eeenie Meenie". Recorded Music NZ.
- "British single certifications – Sean Kingston and Justin Bieber – Eeenie Meenie". British Phonographic Industry. Select singles in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Eeenie Meenie in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
- "American single certifications – Sean Kingston and Justin Bieber – Eenie Meenie". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH.
- "Radio Industry News, Music Industry Updates, Arbitron Ratings: 3/15 Mainstream". Friday Morning Quarterback Album Report, Inc. and Mediaspan Online Services. FMQB. Archived from the original on June 2, 2013. Retrieved July 10, 2010.
- "Eenie Meenie". Amazon France (in French). Amazon.com Inc. Retrieved July 10, 2010.
- "Eenie Meenie". Amazon Germany (in German). Amazon.com Inc. Retrieved July 10, 2010.
- "Eenie Meenie". Amazon United Kingdom. Amazon.com Inc. Retrieved July 10, 2010.
- "Eenie Meenie". Amazon. Amazon.com Inc. Retrieved July 10, 2010.
- "Eenie Meenie (Import) (Single)". Amazon Canada. Amazon.com Inc. Retrieved July 10, 2010.
- "Eenie Meenie (Import) (Single) (from US)". Amazon Japan (in Japanese). Amazon.com Inc. Retrieved July 10, 2010.
- "Eenie Meenie". HMV Group. Retrieved July 10, 2010.
External links
- "Eenie Meenie" at Official Sean Kingston Website
- Official music video
- Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics