Foolish (Ashanti song) explained

Foolish
Cover:Foolish (Ashanti single - cover art).jpg
Type:single
Artist:Ashanti
Album:Ashanti
Genre:R&B
Length:3:47
Label:
Producer:Irv Gotti
Prev Title:What's Luv?
Prev Year:2002
Next Title:Down 4 U
Next Year:2002

"Foolish" is a song by American singer Ashanti. It served as her debut single, the first from her self-titled debut album (2002) and was released by Def Jam Recordings, AJM, and Irv Gotti's Murder Inc. Records. It was written by Ashanti, Etterlene Jordan, Mark DeBarge and Irv Gotti, while production was overseen by Gotti. The song heavily samples DeBarge's "Stay with Me". Due to the inclusion of the sample, Mark DeBarge and Etterlene Jordan are also credited as songwriters. A promotional version of the single called "Unfoolish" features a verse from The Notorious B.I.G. from his song "F--king You Tonight".

The song was released as the album's lead single on February 11, 2002. It spent ten consecutive weeks at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, becoming Ashanti's second number one and third top ten on both charts. It is Ashanti's highest charting single as a lead artist. Elsewhere, "Foolish" became a top ten hit in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. The song was nominated for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 2003 Grammy Awards, and won the Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Single – Female. In 2009, Billboard ranked it 19th on its Hot 100 Songs of the 2000s Decade.[1]

Composition

The song is performed in the key of C major in common time with a tempo of 89 beats per minute. It follows a chord progression of F–G, and Ashanti's vocals span from A3 to C6.[2] [3]

Commercial performance

"Foolish" spent 10 consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard charts and a total of 17 weeks in the top 10. It would later get ranked the second best performing single of 2002, and listed as the 132nd best single.

Music video

The filming session of the video for the single took place during January 2002. It was directed by Irv Gotti. The video shows the viewer a relationship where a man, played by Terrence Howard, gets involved into some criminal acts after telling his girlfriend [Ashanti] that he is in construction and is unfaithful to Ashanti with reality star Althea, which ends up in a break-up after some quarrel. As the song suggests, Ashanti feels that she still loves her ex and that she just can't seem to get over him and becomes frustrated since her heart and her mind force her to love him and hate him at the same time. In supporting roles we can also see Charli Baltimore, Vita, Ja Rule and Irv Gotti. The video is set in the fashion of the movie Goodfellas, with Ashanti in the role of Karen Hill and Terrence Howard in the role of Henry Hill. Irv Gotti and Ja Rule are also in a scene appearing to take the roles of Jimmy Conway and Paulie Cicero. The video was a three-time nominee at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards for Best Female Video, Best R&B Video, and Best New Artist.

Track listings

European CD single

  1. "Foolish" (radio edit) – 3:52
  2. "Foolish" (instrumental) – 3:52

Australian and US maxi single

  1. "Foolish" (radio edit) – 3:52
  2. "Foolish" (album version) – 3:48
  3. "Foolish" (instrumental) – 3:51
  4. "Foolish" (video)

UK 5-inch CD single

  1. "Foolish" (album version) – 3:48
  2. "Unfoolish" (clean album version) – 3:15
  3. "Foolish" (Topnotch Remix)
  4. "Foolish" (video)

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Ashanti.[4]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2002)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Canada CHR (Nielsen BDS)[5] 1
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[6] 16

Year-end charts

Chart (2002)! scope="col"
Position
Australia (ARIA)[7] 32
Australian Urban (ARIA)[8] 4
Canada Radio (Nielsen BDS)[9] 49
Ireland (IRMA)[10] 91
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[11] 53
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[12] 65
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[13] 82
UK Singles (OCC)[14] 72
UK Airplay (Music Week)[15] 23
UK Urban (Music Week)[16] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[17] 2
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks (Billboard)[18] 1
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[19] 18
US Rhythmic Top 40 (Billboard)[20] 1

Decade-end charts

Chart (2000–2009)! scope="col"
Position
US Billboard Hot 100[21] 19

All-time charts

Chart (1958–2018)! scope="col"
Position
US Billboard Hot 100[22] 132

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)
United States[23]
Contemporary hit radio[24]
AustraliaCD[25]
United Kingdom[26]

See also

Notes and References

  1. https://web.archive.org/web/20080610074032/http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/charts/chart_display.jsp?g=Singles&f=Greece#/charts-decade-end/hot-100-songs?year=2009&begin=11&order=position Hot 100 Decade Songs
  2. Web site: Ashanti "Foolish" Sheet Music in C Major – Download & Print. Lorenzo. Irving. Musicnotes.com. July 10, 2002 . October 21, 2018.
  3. Web site: Key & BPM for Foolish by Ashanti Tunebat. tunebat.com. October 21, 2018. October 21, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181021232332/https://tunebat.com/Info/Foolish-Ashanti/6zMUIb4uce1CzpbjR3vMdN. dead.
  4. Ashanti . Ashanti . 2002. CD liner . Murder Inc., Def Jam Recordings.
  5. Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/20050407223203/http://www.crosscanadacountdown.com/pdfs/2002.pdf. April 7, 2005. Canadian Top 20 in 2002. Cross Canada Countdown. November 13, 2023.
  6. Web site: Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 20. 31. 7. July 27, 2002. June 3, 2018.
  7. Web site: ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2002. ARIA. January 25, 2020.
  8. Web site: ARIA Charts – End of Year Charts – Urban Singles 2002. ARIA. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20200415012252/http://www.aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-end-of-year-charts-urban-singles-2002.htm. April 15, 2020. March 8, 2024.
  9. Web site: Top 100 top played radio tracks in Canada in 2002. Jam!. https://web.archive.org/web/20040812022009/http://www.jamshowbiz.com/JamMusicCharts/100_2002.html. August 12, 2004. March 23, 2022.
  10. Web site: Top 100 Songs of 2002. Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 2002. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20040602113021/http://www.rte.ie/2fm/charts/top100_2002.html. June 2, 2004. March 16, 2022.
  11. Web site: Top 100−Jaaroverzicht van 2002. Dutch Top 40. January 25, 2020.
  12. Web site: Jaaroverzichten – Single 2002. MegaCharts. nl. January 25, 2020.
  13. Web site: Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2002. hitparade.ch. de. January 25, 2020.
  14. Web site: The Official UK Singles Chart 2002. UKChartsPlus. April 25, 2017.
  15. Most Broadcast of 2002 — Airplay Top 50. Music Week. 31. January 18, 2003. August 4, 2023.
  16. Top 40 Urban Tracks of 2002. Music Week. 32. January 18, 2003. August 4, 2023.
  17. Web site: Billboard Top 100 – 2002 . November 15, 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140107063725/http://longboredsurfer.com/charts/2002.php . January 7, 2014 .
  18. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs: 2002. Billboard. subscription. April 25, 2017.
  19. Most-Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs of 2002. Airplay Monitor. 10. 51. 10. December 20, 2002. July 13, 2021.
  20. Most-Played Rhythmic Top 40 Songs of 2002. Airplay Monitor. 10. 51. 20. December 20, 2002. July 13, 2021.
  21. "The Decade-end Music Charts". Billboard. June 19, 2022.
  22. Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart. Billboard. December 10, 2018.
  23. Going for Adds. Radio & Records. 1439. 30. February 8, 2002.
  24. Going for Adds. Radio & Records. 1447. 27. April 5, 2002.
  25. Web site: The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 20th May 2002. ARIA. 25. May 20, 2002. dead. https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20020626140000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20020627-0000/www.aria.com.au/Issue638.pdf. June 26, 2002. November 22, 2021.
  26. In-Store Next Week (from 8/7/02). Music Week. 11. July 6, 2002.

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