Take Control

"Take Control" is a song by American singer Amerie from her third studio album, Because I Love It (2007). It was released as the album's lead single on October 17, 2006. The song was written by Cee-Lo Green, Mike Caren, and Amerie, and was produced by Caren, with additional production handled by Cee-Lo, Amerie, and Len Nicholson. "Take Control" contains excerpts from the 1970 song "Jimmy, Renda-se" by Brazilian musician Tom Zé, and elements of the 1980 song "You Make My Dreams" by Hall & Oates.

"Take Control"
Single by Amerie
from the album Because I Love It
B-side	"That's What U R" "Crunk Didi (Losing U)"
Released	October 17, 2006
Studio	Wonderland (New Jersey)
Genre	R&B funk go-go
Length	3:42
Label	Columbia Sony Urban
Songwriter(s)	Amerie Mi Marie Cee-Lo Green Mike Caren Tom Zé Valdez Daryl Hall John Oates Sara Allen
Producer(s)	Mike Caren Cee-Lo Green (add. and vocal) Amerie (add. and vocal) Len Nicholson (add.)
Amerie singles chronology
"I Don't Care" (2005) "Take Control" (2006) "Gotta Work" (2007)

Recording

After Cee-Lo wrote the song, he approached Amerie to record it.[1] Amerie felt the song was not uptempo enough to suit her, so she wrote a hook, a bridge, and added a horn section to add to the song her "signature" and "a different flavour", making it a "dance record".[1]

Tori Alamaze, the reference singer on the song, said that it was originally offered to her, but Amerie denied this, saying she thought it "really wack on [Alamaze's] part" to make such a claim.[1]

Release and reception

Many critics gave "Take Control" positive reviews. Rolling Stone placed "Take Control" at number 92 on its list of The 100 Best Songs of the Year.[2] Ryan Dombal of Entertainment Weekly stated "'Take Control' may be an ode to submission, but it hardly holds back."[3] Tom Breihan of The Village Voice named "Take Control" the fifth best single release of the fourth quarter of 2006, commenting on "how great Amerie's joyous chirp sounds over sharp, percussive old-school funk tracks. Here, Cee-Lo laces her with spy-movie guitars and horn-stabs and a drum track that keeps building and building, adding on congas and handclaps and tambourines without ever disturbing the tense little groove at the song's center [...] and Amerie finally finds room for a bit of grit in her voice."[4] The Guardian's Alex Macpherson wrote that the track "twitches and jerks along a nagging Tom Zé sample, but it's a song with such a sparse arrangement that interest has to be sustained entirely by the voice, which Amerie does spectacularly, making it absolutely clear who is really cracking the whip."[5]

According to Amerie, "Some Like It" was originally chosen as the first single from Because I Love It. Following the release of similar-sounding singles by Kelis ("Bossy"), Fergie ("London Bridge"), and Justin Timberlake ("SexyBack"), and because Amerie thought "Take Control" was "kind of different", the decision was made to release it as the lead single instead.[6] The single debuted at number 72 on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart dated December 16, 2006,[7] and peaked two weeks later at number 66,[8] while failing to chart on the Billboard Hot 100.[9] After the single's underperformance, the US release of Because I Love It was pushed back repeatedly.[10] Internationally, "Take Control" peaked at number 10 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Amerie's second highest-charting single in the United Kingdom after "1 Thing",[11] and also reached number nine in Finland, number 19 in Norway and number 23 in Ireland.[12][13][14]

Music video

The music video was shot in late October 2006 and was premiered on the Internet on December 3. It was released to television in the United States on January 15, 2007, and was selected as MTV Jams's "Jam of the Week".[15] Directed by Scott Franklin, it takes inspiration from Michelangelo Antonioni's 1966 film Blowup,[16] with some of the key scenes recreated in a contemporary setting. Unlike the film, however, flashing captions onscreen make the assassination involved more obvious. Amerie and some acolytes are shown removing the photographer's blowups from his apartment, which is implied but not shown in the film. The video has a short introduction that involves Amerie singing another song from Because I Love It, "That's What U R".

Helin Jung of Entertainment Weekly called the video "nonsense, just the way I like my music videos to be" and "the stuff that music video dreams are made of [...] [it] pretends to make sense by taking on something more complex than Amerie shimmying around in hot pants and heels, but don't let it fool you. The hair tossing and strut-strutting is the same here as it is in '1 Thing', just on location this time—in a car, a park, a house with a sexy man sleeping under rumpled sheet, etc. Love it!"[17]

Track listings

UK CD 1 and two-track digital single[18][19] German CD single and digital download[20][21] "Take Control" (Main Version) – 3:44 "Take Control" (Karmatronic Remix) – 3:26 UK CD 2[22] "Take Control" (Album Version) – 3:44 "Take Control" (Tracy's Taking Control Mix – Radio Edit) – 3:26 "That's What U R" (Album Version) – 3:38 "Take Control" (video) German CD maxi single[23] "Take Control" (Album Version) – 3:44 "Take Control" (Karmatronic Mix) – 3:26 "That's What U R" (Album Version) – 3:38 "Take Control" (video)

French CD single and digital download[24][25] "Take Control" (Main Version) – 3:44 "Take Control" (Karmatronic Remix) – 3:26 "Crunk Didi (Losing U)" (featuring Willy Denzey and Six Coups MC) – 3:38 US 12-inch single[26] A1. "Take Control" (Main) – 3:44 A2. "Take Control" (Instrumental) – 3:41 A3. "Take Control" (A Cappella) – 3:35 B1. "That's What U R" (Main) – 3:38 UK 12-inch single[27] A1. "Take Control" (Album Version) – 3:44 A2. "Take Control" (Instrumental) – 3:41 B1. "Take Control" (Tracy's Taking Control Mix) – 3:26 B2. "Take Control" (Karmatronic Mix) – 3:26

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Because I Love It.[28]

Recording

• Recorded at Wonderland Studios (New Jersey)
• Mixed at Larrabee North Studios (Los Angeles, California)
• Mastered at Powers Studio (Florida)

Personnel

• Amerie – vocals, additional production, vocal production, arrangement
• Mike Caren – production
• Cee-Lo Green – additional production, vocal production, arrangement
• Len Nicholson – additional production
• Cornell "Nell" Brown – recording
• Manny Marroquin – mixing
• Jared Robbins – mixing assistance
• Herb Powers Jr. – mastering

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2006–07) Peak position Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[29] 25 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[12] 9 France (SNEP)[30] 52 Germany (Official German Charts)[31] 64 Germany (Deutsche Black Charts)[32] 6 Ireland (IRMA)[14] 23 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[33] 40 Norway (VG-lista)[13] 19 Scotland (OCC)[34] 15 Slovakia (Rádio Top 100)[35] 50 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[36] 67 UK Singles (OCC)[11] 10 UK R&B (OCC)[37] 5 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[8] 66

Year-end charts Chart (2007) Position UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[38] 143

Release history

Region	Date	Format	Label	Ref.
United States	October 17, 2006	Digital download	Columbia Sony Urban	[39]
	November 28, 2006	12-inch single		[26]
Germany	April 6, 2007	CD single CD maxi single digital download	Sony	[20][21][23]
United Kingdom	April 23, 2007	Digital download	Columbia	[40]
	May 5, 2007	Two-track digital single		[19]
	May 7, 2007	CD single 12-inch single		[18][41]
France	May 28, 2007	CD single digital download	Sony	[24][25]

References

1. Ezugwu, Emmanuel BoyWonder (March 16, 2007). "Amerie: Takes Control (Part 2)". So-Urban.com. Archived from the original on October 6, 2007. Retrieved July 30, 2007.
2. "The 100 Best Songs of the Year". Rolling Stone. December 8, 2006. Archived from the original on March 2, 2009. Retrieved July 30, 2007.
3. Dombal, Ryan (October 23, 2006). "'Control'-ing Interest". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 6, 2015.
4. Breihan, Tom (January 3, 2007). "The Quarterly Report: Best New Singles". The Village Voice. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
5. Macpherson, Alex (May 11, 2007). "Amerie, Because I Love It". The Guardian. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
6. "What Made Amerie Switch Up Her Game? And... Does Cherish Appreciate Their Fans?". SOHH Soulful. December 3, 2006. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved July 30, 2007.
7. "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Vol. 118 no. 50. December 16, 2006. p. 53. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved December 1, 2014 – via Google Books.
8. "Amerie Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
9. "Amerie Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
10. Breihan, Tom (June 7, 2007). "The Battle for the Heart of R&B". The Village Voice. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
11. "Amerie: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
12. "Amerie: Take Control" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
13. "Norwegiancharts.com – Amerie – Take Control". VG-lista. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
14. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Take Control". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
15. Devan, Subhadra (July 22, 2007). "Amerie's in Control". New Straits Times. Archived from the original on May 21, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2007.
16. "NEW RELEASE: Amerie "Take Control"". VideoStatic. January 9, 2007. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
17. Jung, Helin (December 8, 2006). "Snap Judgment: Amerie's 'Take Control' video". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 6, 2015.
18. "Take Control [2 Track CD] by Amerie". Amazon (UK). Retrieved December 1, 2014.
19. "Take Control by Amerie". 7digital (UK). Archived from the original on December 1, 2014. Retrieved June 6, 2015.
20. "Take Control (Single)" (in German). Amazon (Germany). Retrieved December 1, 2014.
21. "Take Control – Single by Amerie". iTunes Store (Germany). Retrieved December 1, 2014.
22. "Take Control" (UK CD 2 liner notes). Amerie. Columbia Records. 2007. 88697 09747 2.CS1 maint: others (link)
23. "Take Control (Single, Maxi)" (in German). Amazon (Germany). Retrieved December 1, 2014.
24. "Take Control: Amerie, Amerie Mi Marie" (in French). Amazon (France). Retrieved December 1, 2014.
25. "Take Control – Single by Amerie". iTunes Store (France). Retrieved December 1, 2014.
26. "Amerie: Take Control, Pt. 1 [Vinyl]". Amazon (US). Retrieved December 1, 2014.
27. "Take Control" (UK 12-inch single liner notes). Amerie. Columbia Records. 2007. 88697 08535 1.CS1 maint: others (link)
28. Because I Love It (liner notes). Amerie. Columbia Records. 2007. 88697 08522 2.CS1 maint: others (link)
29. "Hits of the World". Billboard. Vol. 119 no. 21. May 6, 2007. ISSN 0006-2510.
30. "Lescharts.com – Amerie – Take Control" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
31. "Offiziellecharts.de – Amerie – Take Control". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
32. "Deutsche Black Charts – Die Jahrescharts 2007" (in German). Deutsche Trend Charts. Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
33. "Charts.nz – Amerie – Take Control". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
34. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 6, 2015.
35. "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 200729 into search. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
36. "Swisscharts.com – Amerie – Take Control". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
37. "Official R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 6, 2015.
38. "UK Year-End Charts 2007" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. p. 2. Retrieved June 6, 2015.
39. "Take Control – Single by Amerie". iTunes Store (US). Retrieved December 1, 2014.
40. "Take Control (Main Version) by Amerie". 7digital (UK). Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2015.
41. "Take Control [12" VINYL] by Amerie". Amazon (UK). Retrieved December 1, 2014.

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics