I Wanna Talk About Me

"I Wanna Talk About Me"
Single by Toby Keith
from the album Pull My Chain
Released August 20, 2001
Format CD single
Recorded 2000
Genre Country, country rap
Length 3:04
Label DreamWorks
Writer(s) Bobby Braddock
Producer(s) James Stroud
Toby Keith
Toby Keith singles chronology
"I'm Just Talkin' About Tonight"
(2001)
"I Wanna Talk About Me"
(2001)
"My List"
(2002)

"I Wanna Talk About Me" is a song written by Bobby Braddock and recorded by American country music artist Toby Keith. It was released in August 2001 as the second single from Keith's album Pull My Chain. The song was his seventh Number One single on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts.

Background

Keith told Billboard magazine that he knew he would get "banged a little" for cutting the song. "They're going to call it a rap, [although] there ain't nobody doing rap who would call it a rap."[1]

Content

Like Keith's 1998 single "Getcha Some", "I Wanna Talk About Me" is cited as an example of country-rap, due to the use of a strong beat and rhythmically spoken lyrics.[2][3] Songwriter Bobby Braddock ("He Stopped Loving Her Today") was inspired to write a song in that style after hearing "Getcha Some" and pitched it to Keith.[4] "I Wanna Talk About Me" tells of a male's frustration in his inability to converse with his partner, who wants to talk about herself. In the chorus, the singer states "I like talking about you, you, you, you, usually / But occasionally / I wanna talk about me".[3]

Blake Shelton was originally slated to record the song. However, his label turned it down, as they thought it would be too risky of a debut single.[2]

Critical reception

Ray Waddell, of Billboard magazine in his review of the album, said that a lot of men will be able to relate to the song, "which Keith manages to sell through sheer force of personality."[5]

Music video

The music video was directed by Michael Salomon and shows Keith following a girl around while she talks about different things that interest her. It was released in August 2001.

Chart performance

"I Wanna Talk About Me" debuted at number 51 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of August 25, 2001.

Chart (2001) Peak
position
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[6] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[7] 28

Year-end charts

Chart (2001) Position
US Country Songs (Billboard)[8] 60
Chart (2002) Position
US Country Songs (Billboard)[9] 40
Preceded by
"Angry All the Time"
by Tim McGraw
Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks
number-one single

November 24-December 22, 2001
Succeeded by
"Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)"
by Alan Jackson

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
United States (RIAA)[10] Gold 500,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification alone

References

  1. Billboard magazine: August 4, 2001
  2. 1 2 Crossan, Jeff. "Bobby Braddock article". Songwriter Universe. Retrieved 2007-07-19.
  3. 1 2 Farhi, Paul (January 2002). ""Talk": Singing In the Key of Me". WashingtonPost.com. Washington Post. Retrieved 2007-07-19.
  4. Keith, Toby (2002) "Song By Song - Pull My Chain" TobyKeith.com at The Internet Archive. Retrieved September 19, 2009
  5. Billboard, September 1, 2001
  6. "Toby Keith – Chart history" Billboard Hot Country Songs for Toby Keith.
  7. "Toby Keith – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Toby Keith.
  8. "Best of 2001: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2001. Retrieved August 14, 2012.
  9. "Best of 2002: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2002. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
  10. "American single certifications – Toby Keith – I Wanna Talk About Me". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 12, 2012. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH

External links

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