Ayo (song)
"Ayo" | ||||
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SinglebyChris BrownandTyga | ||||
from the albumFan of a Fan: The Album | ||||
Released | January 6, 2015 | |||
Recorded | 2014 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:49 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) |
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Chris Brownsingles chronology | ||||
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Tygasingles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Ayo"onYouTube |
"Ayo"is a song by American singerChris Brownand American rapperTyga(billed together asChris Brown X Tyga),[2]released as the lead single from their collaboration albumFan of a Fan: The Album.It was produced byNic NacandMark Kragen,whom the former Brown previously worked with on "Loyal".[3]
An accompanying music video was directed byColin Tilleyand filmed in Los Angeles, California. The video features various scenes of Brown and Tyga competing with one another to show off their riches and ends with themdrag racingLamborghinis.It also features cameo appearances by comedianMike Eppsand the dance duoLes Twins.The song was included on theset listof their 2015Between the Sheets TourwithTrey Songz.
Background
[edit]"Ayo" was written by Chris Brown and Tyga (real name Michael Stevenson) and the track's producers areNic Nac(real name Nicholas Balding) and Mark Kragen.[4]On November 14, 2014 Tyga announced via Twitter that the lead single from his and Brown'sFan of a Fan: The Albumwould be released in one week. The single was expected to be "Nothin Like Me" featuringTy Dolla $ignand produced byDJ Mustard,but the album was delayed and the decision was made to release "Ayo" as the lead single instead.[5]During an interview withPower 106on December 5, 2014 Brown announced a January release for the song and expressed his excitement, stating, “We already got it locked and loaded. Nic Nac produced it; it's crazy. It's one of them ones. We just gonna have fun, man.”[6][7]An early preview of “Ayo” was released onSoundCloudon December 17, 2014 after Brown tweeted, “Who is ready for this CHRIS BROWN/TYGA ALBUM??? Got a surprise for the fans coming!”. Three weeks later, the song officially premiered oniTuneson January 6, 2015.[8]
Composition
[edit]"Ayo" is a "synth-laced ",[9]popsoundtrack[1]delivered over anuptempobeat,[10]further described as a "club banger"[9]and a "light-hearted party anthem".[10]Thebasslineis reminiscent of Brown's previous hit "Loyal"(2014) which was also produced by Nic Nac.[11][12]David Drake ofComplexdescribed the song's production as "replete with an echoing 'I neeeed you' helium vocal" and compared its musical vibe to the original version ofNicki Minaj's “Truffle Butter”(2014),[1]while contributors atThe Singles Jukeboxnoted its "rave-like sample gasps" and techniques seemingly borrowed from "British pop-housebeat constructionists ".[13]
The song opens with a hook sung by Brown followed by Tyga rapping the lines, "Aye babe, this my new s— / I'm the black Richie Rich with the roof missing / If it don't make dollars, don't make sense / Z, wake up like I gotta get it." As the track progresses and the two trade verses, Tyga's rhymes cover the subjects of "money, cars, and his many sexual escapades" while Brown's melodies discuss "his flashy lifestyle and his brief stint in rehab". Concerning the overall mood of the song, Daryl Nelson fromThe Boomboxwrote that it has a "true summertime feel" and "evokes thoughts of warm sunshine, blue skies and good times."[14]
Critical reception
[edit]Justin Davis ofComplexnoted between Brown and Tyga an "uncanny chemistry" and wrote, "Chris provides the fun-loving and catchy chorus while Tyga handles the song lyrically...the two heartthrobs seemingly haven't missed a step."[15]Adam Fleisher fromMTV Newsnoted, "the track is so catchy it's hard not to just run it back."[16]Ali Szubiak ofPopCrushalso found the hook "insanely catchy", but described the song's sexually-charged lyrics as "likeTinderin song form. "[17]DJBooth's David Spadine and staff writers atPower 106both noted the song's similarities to Brown's 2014 single "Loyal"with Spadine concluding," On the set's latest single, AYO, the twosome mine the same rich vein of pop appeal that they did on Loyal, another Nic Nac production. "[11][12]Similarly, Elias Leight ofBillboardwrote, "The song works around many of the same motifs as Chris Brown's" Loyal, "a smash in 2014."[18]FDRMXreviewer CedricCed wrote, "Chris Brown achieves as usual, vocally giving off his cocky, showy persona, which benefits this track in a huge way. Tyga also manages to stand out on the record, bringing cohesive ingredients of a smash hit. Chris Brown performs an excellent vocal, but Tyga steals the show with a surprisingly substantial verse."[19]
Music video
[edit]Background
[edit]The accompanying music video for "Ayo" was directed byColin Tilleyand filmed in Los Angeles, California.[20]The official video was released on February 3, 2015,[21]and additional images from the shoot were released onInstagramthe same day.[22]In the month prior to its release Brown teased the video by posting a photo on his Instagram account of one of the scenes showing himself and Tyga standing on a rooftop in fur coats.[23]Alyric videowas also posted on Brown's Vevo account on January 22, 2015 displaying the words to the song overlaid atop a background of animated visual interpretations of the lyrics.[16]Behind-the-scenes footage published on March 5, 2015 showed clips from the making of the music video narrated by the executive producer Andrew Listermann and assistant director Jamar Hawkins.[24]
Synopsis
[edit]The music video features Tyga and Chris Brown trying to upstage one another by showing off their luxury goods. In the opening shot Brown takes aselfiein front of a swimming pool as a team of construction workers use a backhoe to dump money into it. The scene features Naressa Valdez. He is later shown floating on a gold-cushioned mattress in the money-filled water throughout the video.[25]Brown posts the selfie video on a new social media app calledPingTankand Tyga responds by posting aPingTankvideo of a gold toilet being installed in his mansion with gold bars dropping on top of it. Afterwards, he and Brown continue to go back and forth flaunting their wealthy lifestyles in a montage of scenes that includes a live tiger, the two of them playing chess with female modelsfencingin the background, and beautiful women playingpoloon horses.[26]Their outfits and a recurring shot of the pair rapping inside awind tunnelpay homage toDiddy'sandMase's 1997 classic "Mo Money Mo Problems"video.[27][28]The wind tunnel shot also includes a cameo by the dance duoLes Twins.[26]Next, the scene changes to a parking lot where Tyga and Brown rap and sing in front of rows of luxury cars with motorcycles circling around them. Finally, they meet up and race custom Lamborghinis past a police officer in a parked patrol car played by comedianMike Epps.Epps jokingly refers to Tyga as "Tigger" and quips that Brown is supposed to be doingcommunity servicewhile chasing the two across a bridge. The video ends with Epps and his passengers exiting the patrol car, presumably in an attempt to apprehend Brown and Tyga.[29]
Reception
[edit]Dominique Zonyee ofThe Boomboxcompared its "colorful visuals" to "a six-minute long short film", and noted "The R&B superstar and the West Coast MC take a page from Diddy's book in the 90's-inspired video with bucket hats and huge gold chains to match."[20]Hip-Hop Wired's Chris Thomas wrote that the shoot was "a dazzling visual" with "a classic 'anything you can do, I can do better' scenario between Brown and Tyga."[30]Critics generally characterized the video's plot as both "fun and flashy"[31]and "obnoxiously opulent".[32]Adam Fleischer fromMTV Newswrote, "between CB dumping a truckload of money into a pool and T-Raww showing off his gold toilet, this plays like a ridiculous episode of MTV Cribs."[33]Similarly,Stereogummusic reviewer Tom Breihan called the storyline "sumptuous ridiculousness". "But," he added, "that won't stop me from enjoying the funhouse-mirror version of a balling-out 1998 rap video."[34]Paul Thompson ofXXL Magazineconcluded, "Basically everything that Brown and Tyga's joint album,Fan Of a Fan,promises to be—larger than life, confusing, flossy, Technicolor—is realized in this six-minute clip. "[28]
Live performances
[edit]The song was first performed onThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallonon February 16, 2015 with accompaniment by the show's house band,The Roots.[18][35][36]The song was also included on theset listof the duo's 2015Between the Sheets TourwithTrey Songz.[37]
Remixes
[edit]Aremixof the song by American producerJason Nevinswas released for digital download on February 18, 2015.[38]
Track listings
[edit]- Digital download
- "Ayo" – 3:45
- Digital download[39]
- "Ayo"(Jason Nevins Remix)– 4:15
Charts
[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
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Year-end charts[edit]
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Certifications
[edit]Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[68] | 2× Platinum | 140,000‡ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[69] | Platinum | 60,000^ |
Germany (BVMI)[70] | Platinum | 400,000‡ |
Italy (FIMI)[71] | Gold | 25,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[72] | 2× Platinum | 1,200,000‡ |
United States (RIAA)[73] | 3× Platinum | 3,000,000‡ |
^Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
References
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