Remarks:
This song went to #1 on the American R&B charts in 2005, to #4 on the British pop charts.
Bobby V is our poster child for the 2000s. Not for having its greatest song, but, like CeCe Peniston of the 1990s and Shannon of the 1980s, for having an R&B song typical of that time.
I know, the video has issues of whitened, Ciaraesque ideas of beauty and sexual objectification, but that was part of that time (and ours) too. Still a great song, one that reminds me of back then.
The video is pretty much my picture of Los Angeles. It reminds me of how it looked when I was there in 2003.
Other songs on this blog from 2005:
- Miri Ben-Ari ft Scarface, Anthony Hamilton: Sunshine to the Rain
- Twista, Trey Songz: Girl Tonite
- Juelz Santana: Oh Yes
- Faith Evans: Again
- Pras Michel: Haven’t Found
- M.I.A.: Galang
- Alison Hinds: Roll it Gal
- I thought I had a post on Missy Elliot’s “Lose Control”. An oversight on my part!
Lyrics:
I saw you walking
Down on Melrose
You looked like an angel
Straight out of heaven, girl
I was blown away by
Your sexiness
All I have to do is catch up to you
[Hook:]
Slow down I just wanna get to know you
But don’t turn around
Cuz that pretty round thing looks good to me
Slow down never seen anything so lovely
Now turn around
And bless me with your beauty, cutie
A butterfly tattoo
Right above your navel
Your belly button’s pierced too just like I like it girl
Come take a walk with me
You’ll be impressed by
The game that I kick to you
It’s over and for reeaal
[Bridge:]
Like a flower fully bloomed in the summertime, you’re ready
To be watered by this conversation, you’re ready
I’m in awe cause you shine like the sun
Let me be the one to enjoy you
Let’s kick it girl
[Hook x2]
Oh baby you know by now that I want you bad
I’m floating on thin air I can’t come down
Cupid hit me already damn
Now I can’t leave till seven digits are in my hand, my hand
[Bridge]
[Hook x2]
Slow down never seen anything so lovely
Cutie
[Hook]
Oh yeah, I was a fan. He has another song I really liked: “Turn the Page”, I think it was.
What is Ciaraesque?
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Is Ciraesque, Like the singer/actress Ciara maybe.
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Right, like Ciara.
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I remember this song, its ok imo, i like sammie,avant, jaheim, raheem devaughn better. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lI5IGg9Vpsw)
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@mstoogood4yall, Jaheim is such a underrated artist. I like his music as well. I like Raheem Devaughn too. Avant is very sexy too.
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Abagond,
What is your reasoning behind this dude being the poster child of the 2000’s?
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I was bumpin this in my ride back in 2005! LMFAO! got the girls to look at as i was drivin by… “sigh” those were the days… @ : o ( ) >
I jam to Raheem Devaughn in my car all the time! The Love experience is one of my favorite albums of his. I like Musiq soul child also…
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I don’t really like bobby v too much i mean he alright, but i feel like there are better male artists who can outdo him vocally, when i think of 2000’s i think of mario, now he is a good dancer and can sing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NARjr3fMMvY
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I know who Ciara is. I just don’t know what Ciaraesque means? Especially in relation to ideas of beauty and sexual objectification.
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@ Solesearch: Not trying to be a problem here. But I kind of think you answered your question. The young women in the video are like the singer Ciara. She does represent what is desirable in music videos and she is very sexual in the way she sings and dances. In my opinion that’s probably what Abagon means by Ciaraesque. I just reaching here. But your question brought up a good observation. I hope wasn’t annoying you. But I watched the video and that’s what those images of those young women in the video represent to me.
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*I’m just reaching*
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It’s an interesting observation about beauty and body images and the pressure young black women have to try to live up to. That’s just my opinion.
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Maybe Abagond can explain what he meant by Ciaraesque. I curious now that you brought it up.
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* I’m curious*
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Ciaraesque: having the same light-skinned, near-white, straight-haired beauty as Ciara. The young women in the video seem to fall in line with that. I was not thinking of Ciara’s dancing, though, since there is no dancing in the video.
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I am hardly saying that Bobby V was the best of the 2000s. Hardly. I am just saying that he strikes me as typical, run-of-the-mill for that time period. A completely subjective judgement that I cannot back up with anything objective. Others will have their own ideas about who would be the Most Typical of the 2000s.
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@ Abagond: Thanks for responding. I was kind of right.
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Now im curious too. Do u mean because the girls in the vid are tall, skinny, and sexy dressed like ciara?. Ciara used to dance in baggy jeans and a hoodie, now she dances in tight fitting clothes since she couldn’t sell that many albums and has bought into the idea that sex sells. I remember her video ride it was banned in some countries. Also she used to have her hair black now it looks blondish and she kinda looks lighter too. It seems a lot of female artists are trying to be like beyonce in hopes of being as famous as she is. blonde hair,check, dress sexy, check, look lighter, check
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oh now i see ur comment i was still typing and didn’t refresh the page to see ur response, oh i see i was right lol
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This is a nice song but I am not a Bobby Valentino fan. And I don’t find Ciara the singer to be attractive at all. I don’t think she is ugly but I don’t find her pretty either. So I don’t see the whole point of the word, ”Ciaraesque”.
Yes there were some excellent R&B songs in the 2000s but there are hard to find these days. The only good R&B out these days are Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson and Fantasia.
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And this is why all the young women are having issues with their physical appearances.
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“A butterfly tattoo
Right above your navel
Your belly button’s pierced too just like I like it girl
Come take a walk with me”
Very 2005!
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Oh. I never thought of Ciara as light-skinned or near white. She is just black to me. If you would have said Beyoncesque i would have gotten it. When I think of Ciara skinny, tomboyish, and dancing is what comes to mind.
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@Solesearch
I agree with you 100%. I always thought Ciara was a regular looking Black woman to me plus she is no where near light skin. She is brown skin. Black America’s standards of beauty is measured by Beyoncé not Ciara.
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No posts yet on the Trayvon trial?
In the conservative blogosphere, there is the start of speculation that the trial’s outcome will be the trigger for the biggest Black riots in cities across the US in decades.
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Oh my gosh! It’s impossible to have any discussion within the black community without the color issue.
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Uh oh! Did I say Celebrity X was light-skinned? Huge mistake!
I was trying to explain what Ciaraesque meant. But saying a celebrity is light-skinned is highly problematic because:
1. Hollywood lighting, make-up, etc, make it hard to tell what a black woman’s natural skin tone is. Go to Google Images and see.
2. The line between light, medium and dark-skinned is highly subjective. “Light” sometimes just means “lighter than me”.
3. What counts as light-skinned is different in different parts of the country.
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Adeen, Ciara does look just black to me, but I believe she is very beautiful.
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@Solesearch
Beautiful? Well beauty is subjective and everyone has their own idea of beauty but I find Ciara very average looking. I have seen many Black women beat her out in the looks department including Beyoncé Knowles.
Yes I do respect your opinion and you have a right to say Ciara is beautiful.
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[…] Bobby Valentino: Slow Down […]
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