Frontin'
{{Short description|2003 single by Pharrell Williams featuring Jay-Z}}
{{For|the song by Chamillionaire|The Sound of Revenge}}
{{More citations needed|date=December 2009}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Frontin'
| cover = Frontin'.jpg
| type = single
| artist = Pharrell Williams featuring Jay-Z
| album = The Neptunes Present... Clones
| released = June 3, 2003
| recorded =
| genre =
- R&B{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/frontin-mw0000324343|title=Allmusic|work=Allmusic|access-date=January 4, 2025}}
- hip-hop{{Cite podcast|url=https://slate.com/podcasts/hit-parade/2022/05/the-virginia-sound-infiltrated-millennial-rap-pop-and-r-and-b|title= Flip It and Reverse It Edition|website=Hit Parade {{!}} Music History and Music Trivia|publisher=Slate|last=Molanphy|first=Chris|date= May 21, 2022|access-date= March 25, 2024}}
| length = 4:01
| label = * Star Trak
| writer = * Pharrell Williams
| producer = The Neptunes
| chronology = Pharrell Williams
| prev_title = Belly Dancer
| prev_year = 2002
| next_title = Light Your Ass on Fire
| next_year = 2003
| misc = {{Extra chronology
| artist = Jay-Z
| type = singles
| prev_title = La-La-La
| prev_year = 2003
| title = Frontin{{'-}}
| year = 2003
| next_title = Change Clothes
| next_year = 2003
}}
{{External music video|{{YouTube|LOtkH5amC7s|"Frontin{{'-}}"}}}}
}}
"Frontin'" is the debut single by American musician Pharrell Williams featuring American rapper Jay-Z. It was written by the artists alongside Chad Hugo, who produced it with Williams as the Neptunes. At the time of its release, Williams insisted the single was a one-off, and that he was purely a producer and not an artist in his own right. However, he released his own solo studio album, In My Mind, in 2006.
The song's title refers to putting up a facade (or false 'front'), typically to impress peers. The drum beat was heavily influenced by the Beatles' 1965 track "In My Life", and the bass during the bridge by Stevie Wonder. Pharrell had initially written the song for Prince.{{cite web |url= https://www.clashmusic.com/features/stay-curious-pharrell-williams-interviewed|title= Stay Curious: Pharrell Williams Interviewed|work= Clash Music|date= July 9, 2018|access-date= March 24, 2022}} It was the 34th best-selling song of 2003 in the U.S., according to Billboard magazine. It was also featured on the Neptunes' 2003 compilation album The Neptunes Present... Clones, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 in August 2003. In 2024, the song appeared on Williams' soundtrack album Piece by Piece (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack).
Music video
{{Expand section|date=November 2023}}
The music video was filmed in Miami, Florida. Two women approach a mansion, which is throwing a large party. The women knock on the door to attend the party, and one of the women (actress Lauren London), asks for Pharrell. The security guard at the door "doesn't know who they are talking about", and will not let them inside. The other girl, who is her friend (The Price Is Right game show model Lanisha Cole), tells the security guard "Neptunes Presents Clones", and they are allowed into the party. Once the girls are inside, Pharrell is immediately smitten towards both women throughout the video, and scenes of the party guests having fun are shown, with Jay-Z also in attendance.{{Cite magazine|url= https://thesource.com/2013/09/19/her-source-exclusive-lauren-london-jenifer-lewis-talk-baggage-claim/ |title= HER SOURCE EXCLUSIVE: LAUREN LONDON & JENIFER LEWIS TALK 'BAGGAGE CLAIM'|magazine=The Source|date=September 19, 2013|access-date=May 15, 2021}}
Chart performance
"Frontin'" peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100. It also peaked at number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. In the UK, the song also charted inside the top 10, peaking at number six in the UK Singles Chart and spending 10 weeks within the top 75. It was Pharrell's biggest solo hit until 2013's "Happy" (his biggest hit as a collaboration being "Blurred Lines" with Robin Thicke and T.I.).{{Citation needed|date=August 2017}}
Track listing
- UK CD single
- "Frontin'" {{small|(featuring Jay-Z) (radio edit)}}
- "Hot Damn" {{small|(featuring Ab Liva)}}
- "Popular Thug" {{small|(Kelis featuring Nas)}}
- "Frontin'" {{small|(video)}}
Charts
= Weekly charts =
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
!Chart (2003) !Peak |
| {{singlechart|Australia|28|artist=Pharrell Williams feat. Jay-Z|song=Frontin'|rowheader=true}} |
| {{single chart|Australiaurban|11|url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20080222222425/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20031007-0000/Issue705.pdf|urltitle=Issue 705|rowheader=true|access-date=February 27, 2022}} |
| {{singlechart|Wallonia|33|artist=Pharrell Williams feat. Jay-Z|song=Frontin'|rowheader=true}} |
| {{singlechart|Flanders Tip|6|artist=Pharrell Williams feat. Jay-Z|song=Frontin'|rowheader=true}} |
| scope="row"|Canada (Nielsen SoundScan){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/pharrell-williams/chart-history/cns/|title=Pharrell Williams Chart History (Canadian Digital Songs)|magazine=Billboard|access-date=March 14, 2023}}
|15 |
|---|
| {{singlechart|Denmark|12|artist=Pharrell Williams feat. Jay-Z|song=Frontin'|rowheader=true}} |
| {{singlechart|Germany|61|artist=Pharrell Williams feat. Jay-Z|song=Frontin'|songid=5730|rowheader=true|access-date=March 3, 2020}} |
| {{singlechart|Ireland3|16|artist=Pharrell Williams|rowheader=true|access-date=April 3, 2022}} |
| {{singlechart|Dutch40|24|artist=Pharrell Williams|song=Frontin'|rowheader=true|accessdate=March 14, 2023}} |
| {{singlechart|Dutch100|21|artist=Pharrell Williams feat. Jay-Z|song=Frontin'|rowheader=true}} |
| {{singlechart|Scotland|10|date=20030810|rowheader=true|accessdate=March 14, 2023}} |
| {{singlechart|Sweden|49|artist=Pharrell Williams feat. Jay-Z|song=Frontin'|rowheader=true}} |
| {{singlechart|Switzerland|23|artist=Pharrell Williams feat. Jay-Z|song=Frontin'|rowheader=true}} |
| {{singlechart|UK|6|date=20030810|rowheader=true|accessdate=March 14, 2023}} |
| {{singlechart|UKrandb|2|date=20030810|rowheader=true|accessdate=March 14, 2023}} |
| {{singlechart|Billboardhot100|5|artist= Pharrell Williams|rowheader=true}} |
| {{singlechart|Billboardrandbhiphop|1|artist= Pharrell Williams|rowheader=true}} |
| {{singlechart|Billboardpopsongs|29|artist= Pharrell Williams|rowheader=true}} |
| {{singlechart|Billboardrhythmic|6|artist= Pharrell Williams|rowheader=true|accessdate=March 14, 2023}} |
= Year-end charts =
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|relyear=2005|title=Frontin'|artist=Jay-Z|type=single|award=Platinum|source=radioscope|certyear=2024|access-date=January 20, 2025}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|artist=Pharrell Williams Ft Jay-Z|title=Frontin'|award=Gold|type=single|relyear=2005|certyear=2024|accessdate=June 14, 2024|id=15113-4732-1}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true|nosales=true|noshipments=true}}
Other versions
On February 11, 2004, the track was covered by British neo-jazz artist Jamie Cullum for BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge. Williams was very impressed by the cover after it was played to him on a visit to the show, and this led to Cullum providing backup vocals for "You Can Do It Too", a track on Pharrell's first solo album In My Mind. The cover appeared as a bonus track on the US release of Cullum's album Twentysomething. Cullum's version was released as a single and reached number 12 in the UK.{{Citation needed|date=August 2017}}
"Frontin'" was also covered live by Maroon 5, featuring Chad Hugo and rapper Mos Def, who replaced Jay-Z's verse with impromptu rapping from A Tribe Called Quest's "Bonita Applebum", in an apparent reference to similarities between parts of the tracks.{{Citation needed|date=August 2017}} New Orleans native Trombone Shorty and his band and Orleans Avenue covered the song on their 2005 debut album, Orleans & Claiborne.[https://www.amazon.com/Trombone-Shorty-Andrews-Orleans-Avenue/dp/B000QFBZD0 Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews and Orleans Avenue: Orleans & Claiborne]. Amazon.com, During the 2012 International Yardfest at Howard University, American singer Leah LaBelle performed her 2012 single "Sexify" as part of a medley with "Frontin'".{{cite web|url=http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2012/10/recap-howard-university-homecoming-yardfest-2012|title=Recap: Howard University Homecoming International Yardfest 2012|last=Kimble|first=Julian|date=October 20, 2012|work=Complex|publisher=Verizon Hearst Media Partners|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160724010731/http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2012/10/recap-howard-university-homecoming-yardfest-2012|archive-date=July 24, 2016}} In 2014, UK garage group Disclosure remixed the song.{{cite web |last1=Smith |first1=Trevor |title=Disclosure - Frontin' (Remix) |url=https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/disclosure-frontin-remix-new-song.1911507.html |website=HotNewHipHop |access-date=23 July 2018 |date=June 6, 2014}}
American rapper GoldLink also performed a live cover of the song on Like a Version.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{The Neptunes}}
{{Pharrell Williams singles}}
{{Jay-Z songs}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Pharrell Williams songs
Category:Music videos directed by Paul Hunter (director)
Category:Song recordings produced by the Neptunes
Category:Songs written by Pharrell Williams
Category:Songs written by Chad Hugo
Category:Songs written by Jay-Z