In 1998 while the Spice Girls were touring and Missy Elliott called her to ask if she was interested in singing a song called "I Want You Back", which went on to become part of the soundtrack to the film Why Do Fools Fall in Love. The song was recorded in one afternoon and went on to sell 218,000 copies. It was the 82nd best seller of 1998 in the UK, giving Brown her first and only #1 in her own country. She became the first Spice girl to release a solo single. and the first to get a number one solo single. The news came the day that the Spice Girls played their last concert of the World Tour at the Wembley Stadium in front of 52,000 fans.
A week earlier, on September 13, Brown became Melanie G, having married dancer Jimmy Gulzar (father of her then unborn child). He was also featured in the video to "I Want You Back" and went on to direct Melanie's second solo video for the single "Word Up", in 1999.
Brown hosted the 1998 Edition of the Music Of Black Origin (MOBO's). She also started working on her first solo album with producers such as Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (Janet Jackson, Prince) who also worked on the Spice Girls' third album: Forever. On the 19th of February 1999, her daughter Phoenix Chi was born.
Melanie's second solo single, "Word Up" (a cover of a song by Cameo), was released in May, and due to her pregnancy, Brown didn't appear in the video. It was animated and was considered too explicit by some. It was censored in a few countries. The song was part of the soundtrack to Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me and the singer had to shoot a different version of the video for the American market, in which the character of Mini-Me (Verne Troyer) is featured. The single charted at #14 in the UK. The disappointing results were partly due to a problem that made the weekend sales of all the singles released in that week not be counted.
In the same year, Brown hosted a TV Show called Pure Naughty about black music. She interviewed artists like Usher, hosted the 1999 Edition of the MOBOs with Wyclef Jean, and took part in a short film called Fish. She kept on working on her debut album and was dealing with marriage problems; by summer she had filed for divorce, which was finalized in January of 2000. The custody battle for her daughter was highly publicized; Brown won custody but large as large alimony settlement was awarded to her ex husband.
In September of 2000 she released the first single from the it, "Tell Me". The single went to #4 in the UK charts with about 40,000 sales in its first and ultimately sold approximately 100,000 copies, and was the 158th best seller of 2000. "Hot", Melanie's first solo album was released one month later, October 3, and it only sold 8,000 copies in its first week, limping in at a disappointing #28 and falling out of the top 50 the next week.
Following the release of Feels So Good, which was only a relative hit, rumours started circulating that if her next single flopped, Melanie would be dropped by her record company, Virgin Records. In May Melanie performed a small set at the London G-A-Y Astoria club, her only solo performance until 2004. Eventually a 3rd single was released in June 2001, "Lullaby", a pop number dedicated to her daughter which was accompanied by a very simple video shot in Morocco and featured Brown and Phoenix Chi. The media criticized Brown's child's participation in the video and artwork; they labelled Brown as "Desperate Spice", intimating she was using her child as a marketing tool.[citation needed] The single peaked at #13 and Virgin promptly dumped Brown from their label.
From 2001 to 2004 Melanie B concentrated on a variety of projects. She hosted a number of TV shows such as This Is My Moment (a talent show) and shot a documentary called Voodoo Princess which got many good reviews[citation needed]. She took part in a British drama, Burn It and shot her first movie, Lethal Dose, released on DVD in 2004. She also took part in smaller projects such as Top Of The Pops and The All Star Animal Awards. She has appeared in an advert for the Yorkshire tourist board in a series which included contributions from other Yorkshire-born celebrities. She also played a long run of shows as part of the cast for the Vagina Monologues which was a big success in the UK.[citation needed] In 2003 she moved to the US with her daughter and has stated she plans to reside there permenantly.[citation needed] She shot another movie there, The Seat Filler, directed by Will Smith and starring Destiny's Child star Kelly Rowland.
In 2002 she released her autobiography, Catch A Fire, which reached #7 in the official books chart and saw her touring the UK to promote it with a run of booksignings.
In April 2004 she was approached to take part in 'Rent'. She played the role of Mimi, a drug-addicted young girl, and achieved positive reviews.[citation needed] A few weeks later she played her second and last gig to date with the cast of 'Rent' in a New York club showcasing some new songs she had written. The songs received positive feedback[citation needed] she decided to release them a year later through an independent label called "Amber Cafe".
The first single from the album, "Today", was released only in the UK in June 2005. It made the singles chart at a highly disappointing #41 selling around 1,000 copies in its first week. The album, L.A. State of Mind, was released the 27th of June 2005 in a double edition (regular edition and a limited edition which came with a DVD featuring a 30 minutes documentary of Brown in L.A.) charting at an even more disappointing #453 selling just 670 copies in its first week and dropping down to number #1,581 the next week.
It was announced on February 24,2012 that Brown was planning on releasing her third studio album in Summer 2012 along with a Second Season of It's A Scary World. Brown also revealed that the Spice Girls will be having some projects later in the year dealing with the musical
I Want You Back
Melanie B Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm the M-I-S-S-Y to the E
And I got many flows from over seas
Well how can you beep beep with no keys
I got spice, I'm tight with my flows
And all my flows been known to through blows
Well let me hit this one before I go
Well I'm a let you go if you say so
Boy I'm sick of you
Who me, yes me, yeah you know I'm a fool, fool
I'm a fool for you
'Cause I be taking you back 'cause I'm stupid like that
Yeah, yeah you know I do,
But I can't say no, and I never say no
I can't say no to you
Because you treat me right, in fact I want you back
I think I want you back
Your love has made a deep impact
I know it might sound whack
But damn, I think I want you back (want you)
I think I want you back
Your love has made a deep impact
I know if might sound whack
But damn, I think I want you, want you back
Boy I'm tired of you
Running over me, telling me what to do
Now what have I done to you
To make you sex a lot
I thought I made you hot
Now don't make me act a fool
I know I talk my joke but what I truly want is you
And even though you're a man
True that I want you back
I think I want you back
Your love has made a deep impact
I know it might sound whack,
But damn, I think I want you back (want you)
I think I want you back
Your love has made a deep impact
I know if might sound whack
But damn, I think I want you, want you back
You've got me losing my mind, my mind
You can't keep breaking my heart
You've got me drinking liquor in the morning
Sittin' all night at the bar
I think I want you back
Your love has made a deep impact
I know it might sound whack
But damn, I think I want you back (want you)
I think I want you back
Your love has made a deep impact
I know if might sound whack
But damn, I think I want you, want you back
I think I want you back
Your love has made a deep impact
I know it might sound whack
But damn, I think I want you back (want you)
I think I want you back
Your love has made a deep impact
I know if might sound whack
But damn, I think I want you, want you back
Mister Lonely, uh, uh huh, lemme
Break it down
The song "I Want You Back" by Melanie B. feat. Missy Elliott, is full of conflicting emotions, as the two singers express their desire for a former lover, but also their frustration with being mistreated. The lyrics begin with both artists introducing themselves, asserting their dominance and their ability to create unique and captivating music. Missy Elliott's verse in particular showcases her ability to rap with skill and power, referencing her international influences and her reputation for delivering hard-hitting verses.
The chorus then moves into the main theme of the song, as Melanie B. explains her feelings for a past lover, admitting that she is "stupid like that" for always taking him back despite his mistreatment of her. However, she also can't say no to him, because he "treats her right" when he is with her. This internal struggle is further explored in the second verse, as she expresses her frustration with him, but also reveals that she still desires him.
The bridge of the song adds another element to the emotional complexities of the song, as Melanie B. describes how her former lover has caused her to lose her mind, but also how she continues to go back to him, even if it means drinking and staying out all night.
Overall, "I Want You Back" is a powerful and relatable song that deals with the difficulties of moving on from a past relationship, even when it may not be healthy.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm the M to the E-L-B you know me
I am Melanie B, the famous singer you know well
I'm the M-I-S-S-Y to the E
I am Missy Elliott, another popular singer with a well-known name
And I got many flows from over seas
I have many different styles of music from around the world
Well how can you beep beep with no keys
How can you make a sound effect without having an instrument or device to do so?
I got spice, I'm tight with my flows
I have passion and skill in my singing
And all my flows been known to through blows
My style of music has been known to create controversy
Well let me hit this one before I go
Let me sing this song before I leave
Well I'm a let you go if you say so
I will leave if you tell me to do so
Boy I'm sick of you
I am tired of you, boy
Who me, yes me, yeah you know I'm a fool, fool
Yes, me, you know I am foolish for still being with you
I'm a fool for you
I am foolish for being in love with you
'Cause I be taking you back 'cause I'm stupid like that
I keep getting back together with you even though it's not a smart decision
Yeah, yeah you know I do,
Yes, you know I keep taking you back
But I can't say no, and I never say no
I can't refuse you and always give you what you want
I can't say no to you
I can't turn down your advances
Because you treat me right, in fact I want you back
You know how to treat me well, and that's why I want to be with you again
I think I want you back
I believe I want to be with you again
Your love has made a deep impact
Your love has affected me strongly
I know it might sound whack
I know this may seem crazy
But damn, I think I want you back (want you)
But I really do want to be with you again
Boy I'm tired of you
I am exhausted by our relationship
Running over me, telling me what to do
You're controlling and bossy toward me
Now what have I done to you
What have I done to deserve your negative treatment?
To make you sex a lot
Why do you always want sex?
I thought I made you hot
I thought I turned you on
Now don't make me act a fool
Don't make me act irrationally
I know I talk my joke but what I truly want is you
I often make jokes, but what I really want is to be with you
And even though you're a man
Even though you're male
True that I want you back
It's true that I want to be with you again
You've got me losing my mind, my mind
You're driving me crazy
You can't keep breaking my heart
You can't keep hurting me emotionally
You've got me drinking liquor in the morning
You're causing me to start drinking early in the day
Sittin' all night at the bar
I spend all night at the bar because of you
Mister Lonely, uh, uh huh, lemme
Mr. Lonely, let me
Break it down
Let me sing it to you clearly and plainly
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DONALD HOLMES, GERARD THOMAS, MELISSA A. ELLIOTT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@artillery0811
All older millennials! Stand up!!!💪🏽
@mmurph
Missy Elliott gave damn near every sista in the game at least one banger.
@MackTatum
For the Culture
@zodiacmartnio7256
Underrated as hell
@gay-neen6148
Facts
@MM-bw1lo
Mel B is soo gorgeous
@rayraywmu09
Memory unlocked! I used to love this song! 🔥🔥🔥
@user-to5nf6dq4t
still a song that stands the test of time!
@darylmcclendon3377
The song is on point. Today-years old when I discovered it.
@reeskiescola3198
Damn this came out in like 97