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Baby I Love U!

{{Short description|2003 single by Jennifer Lopez}}

{{Other uses|Baby I Love You (disambiguation){{!}}Baby I Love You}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2023}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Baby I Love U!

| cover = Baby I Love U!.png

| alt =

| border = yes

| type = single

| artist = Jennifer Lopez

| album = This Is Me... Then

| released = {{Start date|2003|08|04}}

| recorded =

| studio = The Hit Factory (New York, NY){{cite AV media notes |title=This Is Me... Then |others=Jennifer Lopez |date=2003 |type=liner notes |publisher=Epic Records}}

| venue =

| genre =

| length = {{duration|m=4|s=31}}

| label = Epic

| writer =

| producer =

  • Cory Rooney
  • Dan Shea

| prev_title = I'm Glad

| prev_year = 2003

| next_title = Get Right

| next_year = 2005

| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|z142HK8V-hE|"Baby I Love U!"}}}}

}}

"Baby I Love U!" (stylized as "Baby I ♡ U!") is a song recorded by American singer Jennifer Lopez for her third studio album, This Is Me... Then (2002). It was written by Lopez, Cory Rooney, Dan Shea and John Barry and produced by Rooney and Shea. The song contains an interpolation of the theme for the film Midnight Cowboy (1969), which was well-received by music critics, who agreed it was used with care.

"Baby I Love U" is about unconditional love, with critics pointing out that it was inspired by her relationship with the actor Ben Affleck. Lopez would also meaningfully quote some of the lyrics from the song several times throughout her memoir, True Love. Commercially, the song was as successful as the other singles from the album in the United Kingdom, where it peaked at number three. In the United States, the song peaked at number 72 on the Billboard Hot 100, and reached the top 30 of the Mainstream Top 40 chart.

Background and release

While recording her then-upcoming album, Lopez listened to blues and soul, the music she had often turned to while growing up. Using songs by Stevie Wonder, Luther Vandross and others as inspiration, she attempted to elicit a similar feeling in her own songwriting, claiming, "Those were just songs that made my heart sing", she said. "They just stay with you. ... I wanted to do something that's true to me and how I grew up, but I also wanted to make beautiful songs. So I'd listen to records from today and I would listen to records from back then, and [eventually] I'd go, 'That's what I want.'"{{cite web|title=J.Lo: The Rock And The Block |url=http://www.mtv.com/bands/l/lopez_jennifer/news_feature_021108/index3.jhtml |publisher=MTV. MTV Networks |accessdate=April 3, 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216212341/http://www.mtv.com/bands/l/lopez_jennifer/news_feature_021108/index3.jhtml |archivedate=December 16, 2013 }}

Among the songs on the album, "Baby I Love U!" was written, with the help of her longtime collaborator and friend Cory Rooney. "He's so talented", she said. "And he's so 'behind the scenes,' especially when it comes to me. He's really, really just dedicated to music for the pure love of music." "Baby I Love U!" was released as the album's fourth and final single on August 3, 2003, in the United States,{{cite web|title=R&R :: Going Fot Adds :: CHR/Top 40 |url=http://gfa.radioandrecords.com/publishGFA/GFANextPage.asp?sDate=08/03/2003&Format=1 |work=Radio and Records |accessdate=November 17, 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141206183949/http://gfa.radioandrecords.com/publishGFA/GFANextPage.asp?sDate=08%2F03%2F2003&Format=1 |archivedate=December 6, 2014 }} and on March 8, 2004, in the United Kingdom.{{cite magazine|title=Key Releases: Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=19|date=March 6, 2004}} A remix version featuring R. Kelly was released on the CD single of the song. Kelly's part talks about 'rollin' with 'some fine females' against J-Lo's heart-on-the-sleeve declaration of passion.{{cite news|title=Amazon.com: Baby I Love You: Music|url=https://www.amazon.com/Baby-Love-You-The-411/dp/B0001KIEU2|accessdate=November 17, 2013|newspaper=Amazon.com|date=July 11, 2003}} The version with Kelly was also included on her second remix album "The Reel Me".{{cite web|title=The Reel Me - Jennifer Lopez | Allmusic|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-reel-me-mw0000321765|work=Allmusic|accessdate=November 17, 2013}}

Composition and lyrics

"Baby I Love U!" was written by Jennifer Lopez, Cory Rooney and Dan Shea, with production being handled by Rooney and Shea. The song contains an interpolation of the "haunting melody" from the theme of Midnight Cowboy,{{cite magazine | url=https://ew.com/article/2002/12/09/this-methen/ | magazine=Entertainment Weekly | title=Music Review: This is Me...Then Review | last=Sinclair | first=Tom | date=December 13, 2002 | access-date=June 18, 2013 | archive-date=January 17, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150117081829/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,397181,00.html | url-status=live }} written by John Barry.{{cite AV media notes |title=This Is Me... Then |others=Jennifer Lopez |date=2003 |type=liner notes |publisher=Epic Records}} The track has a "vintage-sound", where Lopez "gushes for Ben Affleck", according to Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine.{{cite news|url=http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/jennifer-lopez-this-is-me-then/251|title=Jennifer Lopez: This Is Me... Then|last=Cinquemani|first=Sal|publisher=Slant Magazine|date=November 20, 2002|accessdate=July 24, 2012}} Lyrically, Baby, I Love U" talks about being a hopeless romantic, with Lopez singing: "What I wanna know is/ Are you willing to try?/ Can you love me for a lifetime/ In just one night?."

Critical reception

"Baby, I Love U" was well-received by music critics. Betty Clarke of The Guardian praised the sample usage, which according to her, was used with care.{{cite news |last1=Clarke |first1=Betty |title=Jennifer Lopez: This Is Me...Then |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2002/nov/29/popandrock.artsfeatures2 |access-date=March 3, 2025 |work=The Guardian |date=November 28, 2002 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161202015502/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2002/nov/29/popandrock.artsfeatures2 |archive-date=December 2, 2016}} Tom Sinclair of Entertainment Weekly also commended the sample, saying that "the girl has a way with hooks, even if they're often borrowed," citing the "Midnight Cowboy" sample as an example. James Dinh of MTV News agreed, applauding Lopez for " turn[ing] the somber music of John Barry's 1969 "Midnight Cowboy" score into a blissful (and kind of cheesy)."{{cite web |url=http://newsroom.mtv.com/2011/05/03/jlo-contemplates-love-and-love-through-the-years/ |title=J.Lo Contemplates 'Love' (And Love?) Through The Years |publisher=MTV Newsroom. MTV Networks |date=May 3, 2011 |access-date=March 30, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130727042918/http://newsroom.mtv.com/2011/05/03/jlo-contemplates-love-and-love-through-the-years/ |archive-date=July 27, 2013 }} Quentin Harrison, in his 20th year anniversary review of the album for Albumism, was very positive, noting that "groove and melody lead the beat without totally abandoning it [...], which gives the LP a sophisticated feel rather than an austere one."{{cite news |last=Harrison|first=Quentin|title=Jennifer Lopez's 'This Is Me…Then' Turns 20 |url=https://albumism.com/features/jennifer-lopez-this-is-me-then-album-anniversary |access-date=March 2, 2025 |work=Albumism |date=November 24, 2002}}

Commercial performance

Prior to the single's release, MSN launched a new music premiere program, exclusively premiering the song, which generated over a million downloads of the track between November 21, 2002 and December 15, 2002.{{cite book |last1=Garrity |first1=Brian |title=MSN Rivaling AOL with Premiere Programming |date=December 28, 2002 |publisher=Billboard |page=5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RA0EAAAAMBAJ&dq=jennifer+lopez+baby+i+love+u+review&pg=PA5 |access-date=March 3, 2025}} Later, while released as a single, "Baby I Love U!" performed much lower than Lopez's previous singles from This Is Me... Then in the United States, missing the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, debuting and peaking at number 72, on the issue date April 3, 2004.{{cite web|title=Jennifer Lopez - Baby I Love You - Music Charts|url=http://acharts.us/song/435|work=Music Charts|accessdate=November 17, 2013}} Eventually, the song became Lopez's lowest charting-English single on the Billboard charts, until "Papi" became her lowest charting-single, later in 2011. The song also made its debut on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart at number 75.{{cite magazine|title=Billboard - Google Books|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XREEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA57|magazine=Billboard|date = February 7, 2004|accessdate=November 17, 2013}} The song received a Billboard Spin Award on March 25, 2006, for 50,000 spins.{{cite magazine|title=Billboard Magazine - Google Books|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GBYEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA91|magazine=Billboard|date = March 25, 2006|accessdate=November 17, 2013}} Elsewhere, the song proved to be more successful. In the United Kingdom, the song was a huge success, debuting and peaking at number three, on March 20, 2004, becoming her third top-three single of the same album. In Ireland, the single managed to peak inside the top 20, reaching number 16, on March 11, 2004.

Music video and live performances

The music video for the song was directed by Meiert Avis and premiered on BET, on August 11, 2003.{{cite web|title=J.Lo's new song and video, 'Baby I love U'|url=http://prince.org/msg/8/58088|accessdate=November 17, 2013}} The video was also included on the DVD The Reel Me. It features scenes of Lopez in bed, as well as walking around the house, performing the song. Jason Shawhan of About.com called the video "minimalist and stark and much more inspired than the song that forms its spine." Shawhan continued, "Visually, in fact, there's something quite experimental going on with its almost exclusive use of close-up and shifting focal length. This is certainly a promising development in Lopez' continuing evolution as a visual artist, and we can hope she'll work with director Meiert Avis again soon."{{cite news|last=Shawhan|first=Jason|title=Jennifer Lopez - The Reel Me|url=http://dancemusic.about.com/cs/reviews/fr/JLoTheReelMe_2.htm|accessdate=November 17, 2013|newspaper=About.com|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140318075024/http://dancemusic.about.com/cs/reviews/fr/JLoTheReelMe_2.htm|archivedate=March 18, 2014}} There is a version of the music video featuring scenes from the movie Gigli released on MTV.{{cite news|last=Moss|first=Corey|title=Jennifer Lopez Puts Off Touring, Puts On New Fragrance|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1474731/jennifer-lopez-puts-off-touring-puts-on-new-fragrance/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160331113304/http://www.mtv.com/news/1474731/jennifer-lopez-puts-off-touring-puts-on-new-fragrance/|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 31, 2016|accessdate=October 10, 2015|newspaper=MTV}}{{cite news|last=Kaufman |first=Gil |title=J. Lo "Baby I Love You" From The Motion Picture Gigli (Epic) |url=http://www.mtv.com/bands/m/most_anticipated_2005_news/news_feature_010305/ |accessdate=October 10, 2015 |newspaper=MTV |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131226235530/http://www.mtv.com/bands/m/most_anticipated_2005_news/news_feature_010305/ |archivedate=December 26, 2013 }}

The bed sequence of the music video has a link to a later Lopez music video, Marry Me (Ballad Version), as both music videos have a bed sequence. In "Baby I Love U!" she is alone in bed and looking at the camera, but in Marry Me (Ballad Version) she is seen in bed alongside Ben Affleck. {{cite web|url=https://people.com/music/ben-affleck-makes-subtle-appearance-in-jennifer-lopez-music-video/|title=Ben Affleck Makes Subtle Appearance in Jennifer Lopez's New 'Marry Me' Ballad Music Video|work=People|first=Daniela|last=Avila|date=March 11, 2022|access-date=June 6, 2022}} Lopez performed the song for the first time on Telman Ismailov's 50 years anniversary as a birthday gift i 2006.{{cite AV media | people=Telman Ismailov, Jennifer Lopez | title = Telman Ismailov's 50 years anniversary | url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYA0zOw4-o0&t=5148|website = YouTube }} It was later included as an interlude on her Dance Again World Tour (2012).{{cite news |last1=Copsey |first1=Robert |title=Jennifer Lopez live at The O2, London - Review |url=http://www.digitalspy.com.au/music/news/a432719/jennifer-lopez-live-at-the-o2-london-review.html |access-date=March 3, 2025 |work=Digital Spy |publisher=Hearst Magazines UK |date=October 23, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141029060556/http://www.digitalspy.com.au/music/news/a432719/jennifer-lopez-live-at-the-o2-london-review.html#~oU8KteLVljTWqi |archive-date=October 29, 2014}}

Track listing

  1. "Baby I Love U!" (album version) – 4:31
  2. "Baby I Love U!" (R. Kelly remix) – 4:13
  3. "Baby I Love U!" (video) – 4:30

:A. "Baby I Love U!" (album version) – 4:31

:B. "Baby I Love U!" (R. Kelly remix) – 4:13

Charts

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!scope="col"|Chart (2004)

!scope="col"|Peak
position

scope="row"|Europe (Eurochart Hot 100){{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/00s/2004/BB-2004-03-27.pdf|title=Hits of the World – Eurocharts|magazine=Billboard|volume=116|issue=13|page=53|date=March 27, 2004|access-date=March 19, 2020}}

|12

{{single chart|Ireland2|16|song=Baby I Love U!|rowheader=true|access-date=January 15, 2020}}
scope="row"|Romania (Romanian Top 100){{cite web|url=http://www.rt100.ro/editie-top-100_x10102.html|title=Arhiva romanian top 100 – Editia 3, saptamina 19.01 – 25.01, 2004|publisher=Romanian Top 100|language=ro|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050514170000/http://www.rt100.ro/editie-top-100_x10102.html|archive-date=May 14, 2005|access-date=September 15, 2018}}

|14

{{single chart|Scotland|7|date=20040314|rowheader=true|access-date=June 5, 2015|refname=scotland}}
{{single chart|UKsinglesbyname|3|artist=Jennifer Lopez|artistid=7995|rowheader=true|access-date=March 2, 2021|refname=uk}}
{{single chart|UKrandb|1|date=20040314|rowheader=true|access-date=December 8, 2017}}
{{single chart|Billboardhot100|72|artist=Jennifer Lopez|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|Billboardrandbhiphop|55|artist=Jennifer Lopez|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|Billboardpopsongs|26|artist=Jennifer Lopez|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|Billboardrhythmic|15|artist=Jennifer Lopez|rowheader=true}}

{{col-2}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!scope="col"|Chart (2004)

!scope="col"|Position

scope="row"|UK Singles (OCC){{cite web|url=http://www.ukchartsplus.co.uk/ChartsPlusYE2004.pdf|title=The Official UK Singles Chart 2004|work=UKChartsPlus|access-date=March 2, 2021}}

|65

scope="row"|US Rhythmic Top 40 (Billboard){{cite magazine|title=The Year in Charts 2003: Most-Played Rhythmic Top 40 Songs|magazine=Airplay Monitor|volume=11|issue=51|page=26|date=December 19, 2003}}

|79

{{col-end}}

Release history

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
scope="col"| Region

! scope="col"| Date

! scope="col"| Format

! scope="col"| Label

! scope="col"| {{abbr|Ref.|Reference}}

scope="row" rowspan="2"| United States

| August 4, 2003

| Contemporary hit radio

| rowspan="4"| Epic

| {{cite web|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-RandR-IDX/IDX/00s/03/RR-2003-08-01-OCR-Page-0029.pdf#search=%22jennifer%20lopez%20going%20for%20adds%22|format=PDF|title=Radio & Records|date=August 1, 2003|website=Worldradiohistory.com|access-date=March 16, 2022}}

September 22, 2003

| Hot adult contemporary radio

| {{cite web|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-RandR-IDX/IDX/00s/03/RR-2003-09-19-OCR-Page-0028.pdf#search=%22jennifer%20lopez%20going%20for%20adds%22|format=PDF|title=Radio & Records|date=September 19, 2003|website=Worldradiohistory.com|access-date=March 16, 2022}}

scope="row"| United Kingdom

| rowspan="2"| March 8, 2004

| CD single

|

scope="row"| United States

| Urban radio

| {{cite web|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/2000s/2004/RR-2004-03-05.pdf|title=Radio & Records|date=March 5, 2004|website=Worldradiohistory.com|access-date=March 16, 2022}}

References

{{Reflist}}

{{Jennifer Lopez songs}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:2002 songs

Category:2003 singles

Category:2004 singles

Category:Jennifer Lopez songs

Category:Music videos directed by Meiert Avis

Category:Song recordings produced by Dan Shea (producer)

Category:Songs with music by John Barry (composer)

Category:Songs written by Cory Rooney

Category:Songs written by Dan Shea (producer)

Category:Songs written by Jennifer Lopez