B-side "Diary" Genre Soul, R&B | Released November 18, 2003 | |
Format CD single, 12" single, digital download Recorded 2003; Kampo Studios, Quad Recording Studios
(New York City, New York) Length 6:06 (album version)
4:28 (radio edit) | ||
"You Don't Know My Name" is a song by American recording artist Alicia Keys from her second studio album, The Diary of Alicia Keys. Written by Keys, Kanye West and Harold Lilly, and produced by Keys and West, the track was released as the album's lead single in November 2003, and contains a sample from the 1975 song "Let Me Prove My Love to You", written by J. R. Bailey, Mel Kent, and Ken Williams and performed by The Main Ingredient.
The song became Keys' third top ten hit in the United States, peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as topping the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for eight consecutive weeks, her first Top 10 single in both charts since 2002's "A Woman's Worth". Additionally, the song won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song in 2005 and a Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Single, Female in 2004. "You Don't Know My Name" was sampled on Lil Wayne's 2008 song "Comfortable" featuring Babyface, also produced by West. Blender magazine placed the song at number thirty-seven on its list of "The 100 Best Songs of 2004".
Music video
Directed by Chris Robinson, the music video follows Keys working as a waitress at a café. One day, Keys meets a man (played by Mos Def) in the restaurant, and she falls in love with him. Later on, Keys is at a house party where she runs into that same man (Mos Def) when a fight is about to break out, and the scene resembles the house party scene in the movie Cooley High. Later in the video, Keys imagines getting the courage to call him and to tell him about her feelings. However, at the end of the movie, she remembers his order but there is no other recognition and the scene ends with his card still being in the bowl and Keys staring out the window since she will never be able to reveal her true feelings for the man.
- "You Don't Know My Name" — 5:28
- "Diary" (featuring Tony! Toni! Toné!) — 4:45
- "You Don't Know My Name" — 5:28
- "Diary" (featuring Tony! Toni! Toné!) — 4:45
- "You Don't Know My Name" (Instrumental) — 4:28
- "You Don't Know My Name" — 4:20
- "Fallin'" (Ali soundtrack version) — 4:30
- "Butterflyz" (Roger's Release Mix) — 3:54
- "You Don't Know My Name" (video)