B-side "Love You Better" Genre R&B
hip hop | Recorded 2006 Length 4:04 | |
Released June 12, 2007 (2007-06-12) Format Digital download, CD single | ||
"Can't Leave 'em Alone" is a R&B song recorded by American singer Ciara and rapper 50 Cent for Ciara's second album, Ciara: The Evolution (2006). Written by Ciara, LaShawn Daniels, Rodney Jerkins, and 50 Cent, it is the fourth release and official third single from the album (see 2007 in music). It was solicited to Mainstream Urban radio stations on June 12, 2007 and Rhythmic stations on July 10, 2007.
Contents
- Background
- Composition
- Critical reception
- Chart performance
- Music video
- Live performances
- Formats and track listings
- Personnel
- References
The song is a 1980s-inspired mid-tempo ballad, featuring the 808 drums. Ciara described it as a "big record", and said that she invited 50 Cent for "some kind of flavor". It was originally titled "Dope Boys".
Background
"Can't Leave 'em Alone", along with "That's Right", was originally a contender to be the second US and first worldwide single from the album, and a poll was posted on Ciara's MySpace page to have fans help her decide, but the other contender "Like a Boy" was chosen over both songs. Later, "So Hard" was confirmed to be the third US single, while "That's Right" would serve as the third internationally, but "Can't Leave 'em Alone", unexpectedly, replaced both songs.
Composition
“Can’t Leave ‘em Alone” is an ode to the hood boys anchored by a pair of verses from 50 Cent, featuring an "easy groove".
Critical reception
"Can't Leave 'em Alone" received mixed reviews from music critics. Contactmusic.com published "Can't Leave 'em Alone" is a "mouth-watering smouldering smoothed groove", with the reviewer going on to say that it should have been the first single, and that It has "cross over potential that we see from Nelly & Kelly Rowland ["Dilemma"]" and is "simply another Darkchild classic". Ken Barnes of USA TODAY called the song "pop-soul confection". Other reviewers were more critical of the song. Cibula of PopMatters published that it is "a very bad pop-lite song" and criticized the use of 50 Cent as a sexy bad boy. Christian Hoard of Rolling Stone published "Ciara's still prone to diva blandness and silly little pop songs, which drags down the 50 Cent feature 'Can't Leave 'em Alone' ". Makkadah Selah of The Village Voice called the song "lifeless".
Chart performance
"Can't Leave 'em Alone" was a moderate success in the US. Six weeks after its official release, "Can't Leave 'em Alone" debuted at ninety on the Billboard Hot 100. The song climbed Billboard charts slowly with moderate airplay and digital sales. It peaked at forty. It peaked at twenty-four on the Hot 100 Airplay. It became Ciara's tenth top ten single on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and peaked in the top twenty of the Rhythmic Top 40. The single was never sent to mainstream radio formats and failed to chart on the Pop 100. Despite its lackluster performance at radio, the single sold well digitally and was eventually certified Gold.
In international markets, "Can't Leave 'em Alone" debuted at number forty and peaked at four, becoming Ciara's fifth top ten single in New Zealand. The song failed to chart in the United Kingdom, reaching a disappointing number 115. The single peaked at low positions in China, Germany, and Poland.
Music video
The Fat Cats directed video was shot on June 9, 2007 and June 10, 2007 in Atlanta, Georgia. Three screen shots from the music video were released on June 14, 2007, while a fourth screen shot featuring her and 50 Cent was released on June 27, 2007. The video was scheduled to premiere on Yahoo! Music on June 25, but it was changed to July 2, 2007.
The video reached number one on 106 & Park.
Live performances
Ciara performed "Can't Leave 'em Alone" with 50 Cent at the 2007 World Music Awards on November 24, 2007.
Formats and track listings
These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Can't Leave 'Em Alone".