Eenie Meenie Explained

Eenie Meenie
Cover:Eeniemeeniecover.jpg
Alt:Two young men are looking forward. The man of the left is wearing a green jacket and has his hands on his pockets. Moreover, the man of the right is wearing a plaid blue shirt, and has his hands on his chest. The background is black and in front of them the words "Sean Kingston / Justin Bieber" are written in flesh capital letters, while "Eeenie Meenie" are in lower case letters.
Type:single
Artist:Sean Kingston and Justin Bieber
Album:My World 2.0
Recorded:2008
Studio:King of Kings Studio
(Miami, Florida)
Genre:Dance-pop
Length:3:24
Producer:Benny Blanco
Chronology:Sean Kingston
Prev Title:Feel It
Prev Year:2009
Next Title:Everyone
Next Year:2010

"Eenie Meenie" is a song by American-Jamaican 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 13, 2010, but was taken off for unknown reasons. However, it is included on Bieber's first studio album 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.

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] written in the key of D major, with a vocal range from F3 to D5. It moves at 120 beats per minute and is set in common time.[4] 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."[5]

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."[6] 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 peak, at number fifteen, and it was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.[14] As of February 2011, the single was sold 1,238,000 times.[15] In Australia, it debuted at number forty-nine within the ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart on April 4, 2010, the next week, "Eenie Meenie" reached the number thirty, but it fell out the chart the following week. 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. Later it was certified as gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association.[16] 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.

In Ireland, it debuted at number forty-one in the Irish Singles Chart on April 15, 2010,[17] and rose the number twelve on May 17, 2010. In the Canadian Hot 100 "Eenie Meenie" debuted and peaked at number fourteen, becoming the highest debut of the week.[18] But in the next issue, the single became the biggest drop, falling to the number thirty-one.[19] It was certified gold by the Canadian Recording Industry Association.[20] In New Zealand it debuted at number thirteen on March 29, 2010, and in its eighth week the song peaked at number five. It also was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand.[21]

Music video

The music video was filmed on March 30, 2010, in Beverly Hills, California,[22] and was directed by Ray Kay, director of Bieber's "Baby" video.[23] 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." 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."[24] 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'.[25] [26] 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."[27] As of November 2023, the music video on YouTube has over 644 million views.

Credits and personnel

Source:[28]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2010)Peak
position
European Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[29] 36
Slovakia (Rádio Top 100)[30] 41

Year-end charts

Charts (2010)Position
Australia (ARIA)[31] 74
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[32] 76
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[33] 45
UK Singles (OCC)[34] 97
US Billboard Hot 100[35] 89

Release history

RegionDateLabelFormat
United StatesMarch 15, 2010[36] Beluga Heights, EpicAirplay
March 23, 2010CD single
France[37] March 28, 2010Digital download
Germany[38]
United Kingdom[39]
United States[40]
Canada[41] June 29, 2010
Japan[42]
United Kingdom[43] July 5, 2010

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Listen To Justin Bieber & Sean Kingston's New Single "Eenie Meenie" (Audio). Ryan Seacrest Official Website. March 4, 2010. March 4, 2010. March 7, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100307123346/http://www.ryanseacrest.com/blog/whats-happening/listen-to-justin-bieber--sean-kingstons-new-single-eenie-meenie-audio. live.
  2. Web site: Listen: Justin Bieber and Sean Kingston's New Jam. Time Inc.. People. Joey. Bartolomeo. March 4, 2010. March 4, 2010. March 7, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100307223608/http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20348478,00.html. live.
  3. News: Justin Bieber, 'My World 2.0'. Luke. O'Neill. The New York Times Company. The Boston Globe. July 20, 2010. March 29, 2010. November 2, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121102043111/http://www.boston.com/ae/music/cd_reviews/articles/2010/03/29/justin_bieber_my_world_20/. live.
  4. Sheet music for My World 2.0. Beluga Heights Records, Epic Records (2010).
  5. Web site: Justin Bieber 'Eenie Meenie' Feat. Sean Kingston -- New Song. Sara. Anderson. AOL Inc.. AOL. March 4, 2010. March 4, 2010. March 6, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100306022056/http://www.aolradioblog.com/2010/03/04/justin-bieber-eenie-meenie-sean-kingston/#comments. live.
  6. Web site: Justin Bieber, Sean Kingston Collaboration 'Eenie Meenie' Premieres. Kyle. Anderson. MTV News. MTV Networks. March 4, 2010. March 4, 2010. March 7, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100307114857/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1633167/20100304/bieber_justin.jhtml. dead.
  7. Web site: Sean Kingston - Eenie Meenie. DJBooth. July 10, 2010. The DJ Booth LLC. July 8, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100708003332/http://www.djbooth.net/index/tracks/review/sean-kingston-eenie-meenie/. live.
  8. News: Album review: Justin Bieber, "My World 2.0". Chris. Richards. The Washington Post. July 10, 2010. September 8, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120908041752/http://blog.washingtonpost.com/clicktrack/2010/03/album_review_my_world_20.html. live.
  9. Web site: Sputnikmusic . August 8, 2010 . Rudy . Klapper . March 24, 2010 . Justin Bieber - My World 2.0 .
  10. News: Justin Bieber, 'My World 2.0' . Luke . O'Neil . . The New York Times Company . August 8, 2010 . March 29, 2010 . November 2, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121102043111/http://www.boston.com/ae/music/cd_reviews/articles/2010/03/29/justin_bieber_my_world_20/ . live .
  11. Week of April 10, 2010 . Billboard . Nielsen Company . April 10, 2010 . July 15, 2010 .
  12. Web site: US Singles Top 100 (April 17, 2010) . aCharts.us . July 15, 2010 . December 2, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111202202022/http://acharts.us/us_singles_top_100/2010/15 . live .
  13. Web site: US Singles Top 100 (April 24, 2010) . aCharts.us . July 15, 2010 . August 16, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110816130120/http://acharts.us/us_singles_top_100/2010/16 . live .
  14. Web site: Gold & Platinum - Justin Bieber. Recording Industry Association of America. July 10, 2010. September 24, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150924151606/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1. live.
  15. Web site: Week Ending Feb. 13, 2011: Songs: Gaga's Milestone Hit . February 18, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110219212510/http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/chart_watch/74331/week-ending-feb-13-2011-songs-gagas-milestone-hit/ . February 19, 2011.
  16. Web site: Aria Top 50 Singles Chart . . July 13, 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110522140455/http://www.ariacharts.com.au/pages/charts_display.asp?chart=1U50 . May 22, 2011 .
  17. Web site: Chart Track . . Gfk . July 15, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111011185223/http://www.chart-track.co.uk/index.jsp?c=p%2Fmusicvideo%2Fmusic%2Farchive%2Findex_test.jsp&ct=240001&arch=t&lyr=2010&year=2010&week=18 . October 11, 2011 . dead .
  18. Week of April 10, 2010. April 10, 2010. July 15, 2010. Billboard. Nielsen Company. June 3, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130603045009/http://www.billboard.com/charts/2010-04-10/canadian-hot-100?order=gainer. live.
  19. Week of April 17, 2010 . Billboard . Nielsen Company . April 17, 2010 . July 15, 2010 . June 9, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130609125226/http://www.billboard.com/charts/2010-04-17/canadian-hot-100?order=drop . live .
  20. Web site: Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA): Gold & Plaitinum . . July 10, 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131029224648/http://www.cria.ca/gold/0410_g.php . October 29, 2013 .
  21. Web site: nztop40.com . . July 10, 2010 . July 14, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110714223148/http://www.nztop40.com/ . live .
  22. Web site: Video: Sean Kingston f/ Justin Bieber – 'Eenie Meenie'. Rap-Up. Devin Lazerine. April 29, 2010. April 29, 2010. April 30, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100430190954/http://www.rap-up.com/2010/04/29/video-sean-kingston-f-justin-bieber-eenie-meenie/#more-45559. live.
  23. Web site: Video: Justin Bieber f/ Ludacris – 'Baby'. Rap-Up. February 19, 2010. July 10, 2010. Devin Lazerine. May 7, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100507021105/http://www.rap-up.com/2010/02/19/video-justin-bieber-f-ludacris-baby/comment-page-1/#comment-269565. live.
  24. Web site: Rap-Up TV: On Set of Sean Kingston & Justin Bieber's 'Eenie Meenie' Video. Rap-Up. July 11, 2010. March 31, 2010. Devin Lazerine. June 8, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100608080749/http://www.rap-up.com/2010/03/31/rap-up-tv-on-set-of-sean-kingston-justin-biebers-eenie-meenie-video/. dead.
  25. Web site: Sean Kingston Breaks Down 'Eenie Meenie' Video, Frame By Frame. MTV News. MTV Networks. Jocelyn. Vena. July 11, 2010. May 10, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100510011213/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1638703/20100507/kingston_sean.jhtml. dead.
  26. Web site: 5 Reasons Why The 'Eenie Meenie' Video Proves Justin Bieber Is A Baller . Chris . Ryan . July 11, 2010 . . MTV Networks . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100508134511/http://buzzworthy.mtv.com/2010/05/04/5-reasons-why-eenie-meenie-video-proves-justin-bieber-baller . May 8, 2010 .
  27. Web site: Justin Bieber, Sean Kingston Flirt With Same Girl In 'Eeenie Meenie' Video. April 29, 2010. April 29, 2010. Jocelyn. Vena. MTV News. MTV Networks. May 2, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100502235925/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1638058/20100429/bieber_justin.jhtml. dead.
  28. My World 2.0 (Liner Notes) Island Records/Raymond-Braun Music Group. (2010)
  29. Eenie Meenie – Justin Bieber. Billboard. January 12, 2022. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20101109234827/http://www.billboard.com/song/sean-kingston-justin-bieber/eenie-meenie/18128101#/song/sean-kingston-justin-bieber/eenie-meenie/18128101. November 9, 2010.
  30. Web site: Radio Top 100 Oficiální Slovakian – Bieber Justin feat. Kingston Sean – Eenie Meenie. International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. July 11, 2010 . International Federation of the Phonographic Industry Slovakia. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120419112525/http://www.ifpicr.cz/hitparadask/index.php?a=titul&hitparada=18&titul=146100&sec=c13fe74e324790b059faf0dbcc5a60d5. April 19, 2012.
  31. Web site: ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2010. Australian Recording Industry Association. January 12, 2022. August 8, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170808153121/http://www.aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-end-of-year-charts-top-100-singles-2010.htm. live.
  32. Canadian Hot 100 – Year-End 2010. Billboard. January 12, 2022. February 21, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220221183126/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2010/canadian-hot-100/. live.
  33. Web site: Top Selling Singles of 2010. Recorded Music NZ. January 12, 2022. June 18, 2020. https://archive.today/20200618183223/https://nztop40.co.nz/chart/index_chart?chart=2091. live.
  34. Web site: End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2010. Official Charts Company. January 12, 2022. November 11, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201111224736/https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/end-of-year-singles-chart/20100110/37501/. live.
  35. Hot 100 Songs – Year-End 2010. Billboard. January 12, 2022. March 30, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230330225253/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2010/hot-100-songs/. live.
  36. Web site: Radio Industry News, Music Industry Updates, Arbitron Ratings: 3/15 Mainstream . . Friday Morning Quarterback Album Report, Inc. and Mediaspan Online Services . July 10, 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130602195200/http://fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=69239 . June 2, 2013 .
  37. Web site: Eenie Meenie . fr . July 10, 2010 . Amazon.com Inc. . . June 28, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110628182017/http://www.amazon.fr/dp/B003B0RJJ6 . live .
  38. Web site: Eenie Meenie. de . July 10, 2010. Amazon.com Inc. . Amazon Germany.
  39. Web site: Eenie Meenie . July 10, 2010 . Amazon.com Inc. . . June 28, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110628220540/http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003EDT7LI . live .
  40. Web site: Eenie Meenie . July 10, 2010 . Amazon.com Inc. . . June 29, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110629185113/http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003BRI04C . live .
  41. Web site: Eenie Meenie (Import) (Single) . July 10, 2010 . Amazon.com Inc. . . June 29, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110629031007/http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B003H695QO . live .
  42. Web site: Eenie Meenie (Import) (Single) (from US) . ja . July 10, 2010 . Amazon.com Inc. . . June 28, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110628232152/http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B003H695QO . live .
  43. Web site: Eenie Meenie. July 10, 2010. HMV Group. September 25, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120925071711/http://hmv.com/hmvweb/simpleMultiSearch.do?searchUID=&pGroupID=0&adultFlag=false&primaryID=0&simpleSearchString=eenie+meenie. live.

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