I Should Have Cheated

{{Infobox song

| name = I Should Have Cheated

| cover = Keyshia Cole – I Should Have Cheated.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Keyshia Cole

| album = The Way It Is

| released = August 3, 2005

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre =

| length = 5:31

| label = A&M

| writer = {{flat list|

Daron Jones
Quinnes "Q" Parker

}}

| producer =

Daron Jones
Ron Fair

| prev_title = (I Just Want It) To Be Over

| prev_year = 2005

| next_title = Love

| next_year = 2006

}}

"I Should Have Cheated" is a song by American recording artist Keyshia Cole. It was written by 112 members Daron Jones and Quinnes "Q" Parker and recorded by Cole for her debut album, The Way It Is (2005), while production was helmed by Jones along with Ron Fair. The song was released on August 3, 2005 as the album's third single, following "I Changed My Mind" and "(I Just Want It) To Be Over." It rose to number four on US Billboard{{'}}s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number 30 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Its music video made it to the top five on 106 and Park and remained there for 46 days.

Background

"I Should Have Cheated" was written by Daron Jones and Quinnes Parker, members of the R&B group 112. The song is about a girl who suspects her boyfriend of cheating, but he also accuses her of the same; since she was not cheating, she thinks that she should have cheated on him.{{cite web|first=Kelly|last=Marino|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1506346/how-to-beat-a-cheat-keyshia-cole-style-cheat-on-him/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210804213907/http://www.mtv.com/news/1506346/how-to-beat-a-cheat-keyshia-cole-style-cheat-on-him/|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 4, 2021|title=How To Beat A Cheat, Keyshia Cole Style: Cheat On Him|work=MTV News|date=July 25, 2005|access-date=August 4, 2021}} Originally recorded by and for R&B singer Nivea for her 2005 second album, Complicated,{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IDZsHZ067A |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/4IDZsHZ067A |archive-date=December 21, 2021|url-status=live|title=Nivea talks Ciara and Keyshia Cole stealing her music, working with R. Kelly|author=Ohanwe, Malcolm|website=YouTube |date=24 September 2014 |access-date=December 24, 2015}}{{cbignore}} it was eventually handed over to Cole.{{cite web|title=Nivea Tells All: ‘Laundromat,’ Lil Wayne, & Career Comeback|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fxTgFQzXYA&t=11s |work= We Sound Crazy Podcast|via=YouTube |date=January 30, 2025|access-date=February 2, 2025 }} When asked about how the song ended on her album, Cole elaborated in an interview with MTV News that "Daron did a song with Kelly Price that I was a big fan of [...] So I saw him at a video shoot one day and asked if I could work with him. I don't think it was really in my budget, but he got paid eventually, and it all worked out, which is great because a lot of people like that don't work with new artists. So it was a blessing to actually work with him."

Chart performance

The single entered the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 85 and slowly moved up the charts, eventually peaking at number 30. "I Should Have Cheated" was a success in the urban community, peaking at number 4 in the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and charted on the Hot Dance Club Play chart at number 11.

Live performances

On October 26, 2005, Cole was announced as a performer at the second annual 2005 Vibe Awards.{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5RQEAAAAMBAJ&q=keyshia+cole+i+should+have+cheated+vibe+awards&pg=PA2|title=Keyshia Cole's Certified Gold Debut Album "The Way It Is"|date=November 19, 2005|magazine=Billboard|publisher=Prometheus Global Media, LLC|access-date=October 17, 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2005/10/26/ciara-ludacris-pharrell-young-jeezy-keyshia-cole-david-banner-paul-wall-and-lil-wayne-to-perform-at-the-third-annual-vibe-awards-on-upn-honoring-hip-hop-and-r-and-bs-biggest-brightest-stars-tuesday-nov-15-at-800-pm-on-upn-19627/20051026upn01/|title=Ciara, Ludacris, Pharrell, Young Jeezy, Keyshia Cole, David Banner, Paul Wall and Lil Wayne to Perform at the Third Annual "Vibe Awards on Upn," Honoring Hip-Hop and R&b's Biggest, Brightest Stars, Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 8:00 PM on Upn|date=October 26, 2005|work=The Futon Critic|publisher=Futon Media, Inc.|access-date=October 17, 2018}} In November, Cole performed "I Should Have Cheated" at the 2005 Vibe Awards, which was where she was nominated for three awards and went home with only one (the Next Award alongside rapper Young Jeezy) and it marked her first ever career award and nominations.{{cite news |title=Mariah Carey wins big at Vibe Awards |url=https://www.allmariah.com/index.asp?id=5201&PageNo=319&keywords=&date=&f=1 |access-date=October 21, 2020 |work=The Mariah Carey Archives |publisher=AllMariah.com |date=November 14, 2005}} Cole's performance of the song became a fan-favorite and was praised by critics, being described as "show-stopping" and "ghetto-fabulous" and also gained head nods from famous audience members, most particularly Cole's idol Mary J. Blige.{{cite web |title=Keyshia Cole on the Rise |url=http://internationalentertainmentnews.com/2005/11/keyshia-cole-on-rise.html |website=International Entertainment News |access-date=October 21, 2020 |date=November 15, 2005 }}{{Dead link|date=December 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{cite news |last1=Folk |first1=Antwane |title=Revisiting Keyshia Cole's 'The Way It Is' 15 Years Later |url=https://ratedrnb.com/2020/06/revisiting-keyshia-cole-the-way-it-is-15-years-later/ |access-date=July 22, 2020 |work=Rated R&B |publisher=ratedrnb.com |date=June 21, 2020}}

Music video

Cole reunited with Benny Boom, director of her previous music video for "(I Just Want It) To Be Over," to film a visual for "I Should Have Cheated."{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14539222/|title=I Should Have Cheated|website=imdb.com |access-date=August 4, 2021}} Rapper Chink Santana is featured as Cole's boyfriend in the video. Rapper and friends Free as well as writer Daron Jones and Quinnes Parker also make appearances. In the clip, Cole finds bits of evidence that show her what her man is up to, because of various cell phone messages and movie stubs. As it unfolds, the video periodically cuts to Cole in a recording studio with 112's Daron and Q. When she confronts her boyfriend, he claims that she is the one who is cheating. Since she was faithful in the relationship, Keyshia deems that she should have cheated.

Track listings

{{track listing

| headline = Digital single

| extra_column = Producer(s)

| title1 = I Should Have Cheated

| writer1 = {{hlist|Daron Jones|Quinnes "Q" Parker}}

| extra1 = {{hlist|Jones|Ron Fair}}

| length1 = 3:59

| title2 = I Changed My Mind

| note2 = radio edit

| writer2 = {{hlist|Keyshia Cole|Kanye West|John Legend}}

| extra2 = {{hlist|West|Fair{{ref|a|[a]}}|Tal Herzberg{{ref|a|[a]}}}}

| length2 = 3:19

| title3 = I Should Have Cheated

| note3 = The Double Time edit

| writer3 = {{hlist|Jones|Parker}}

| extra3 = {{hlist|Jones|Fair}}

| length3 = 4:28

| title4 = I Should Have Cheated

| note4 = Accapella

| writer4 = {{hlist|Jones|Parker}}

| extra4 = {{hlist|Jones|Fair}}

| length4 = 6:31

}}

Notes

^{{{note|a|[a]}}} signifies an additional producer

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of The Way It Is.{{cite AV media notes |title=The Way It Is|publisher=A&M Records |others=Keyshia Cole |year=2005}}

Charlie Bisharat – violin
Keyshia Cole – arranger, vocals
Ron Fair – instruments, mixing engineer, producer
Tal Herzberg – nass, protools, engineer
Daron Jones – producer, writer
Quinnes "Q" Parker – writer

Charts

=Weekly charts=

Chart (2005–06) ! Peak position
class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
{{singlechart\|Ireland3\|43\|artist=Keyshia Cole\|song=I Should Have Cheated\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=September 16, 2019}}
{{singlechart\|Scotland\|65\|Keyshia Cole\|song=I Should Have Cheated/I Changed My Mind\|rowheader=true\|date=20060409}}
{{singlechart\|UK\|48\|Keyshia Cole\|song=I Should Have Cheated\|rowheader=true\|date=20060409}}
{{singlechart\|UKrandb\|9\|Keyshia Cole\|song=I Should Have Cheated/I Changed My Mind\|rowheader=true\|date=20060409}}
{{singlechart\|Billboardhot100\|30\|artist=Keyshia Cole\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=October 10, 2014\|refname="Billboardhot100"}}
{{singlechart\|Billboarddanceclubplay\|11\|artist=Keyshia Cole\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=October 10, 2014\|refname="Billboarddanceclubplay"}}
{{singlechart\|Billboardrandbhiphop\|4\|artist=Keyshia Cole\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=October 10, 2014\|refname="Billboardrandbhiphop"}}
{{singlechart\|Billboardrhythmic\|33\|artist=Keyshia Cole\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=September 16, 2019}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
scope="col"\| Chart (2005) ! scope="col"\| Position
scope="row"\| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard){{cite magazine\|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2005/hot-r-and-and-b-hip-hop-songs\|title=Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 2005\|magazine=Billboard\|accessdate=March 26, 2021}} \| style="text-align:center"\|71
scope="col"\| Chart (2006) ! scope="col"\| Position
scope="row"\| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard){{cite web\|url=http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/yearendcharts/2006/hot-r-and-and-b-hip-hop-songs-titles\|title=Year-End Charts – Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Titles – 2006\|website=Billboard.biz\|year=2006\|accessdate=September 28, 2021\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121003173555/http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/yearendcharts/2006/hot-r-and-and-b-hip-hop-songs-titles\|archivedate=October 3, 2012}} \| style="text-align:center"\|44

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

scope="col"| Chart (2005)

! scope="col"| Position

scope="row"| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2005/hot-r-and-and-b-hip-hop-songs|title=Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 2005|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=March 26, 2021}}

| style="text-align:center"|71

scope="col"| Chart (2006)

! scope="col"| Position

scope="row"| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard){{cite web|url=http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/yearendcharts/2006/hot-r-and-and-b-hip-hop-songs-titles|title=Year-End Charts – Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Titles – 2006|website=Billboard.biz|year=2006|accessdate=September 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121003173555/http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/yearendcharts/2006/hot-r-and-and-b-hip-hop-songs-titles|archivedate=October 3, 2012}}

| style="text-align:center"|44

References

Category:2005 singles

Category:Keyshia Cole songs

Category:Music videos directed by Benny Boom

Category:Contemporary R&B ballads

Category:2005 songs

Category:A&M Records singles

Category:Interscope Records singles

Category:Songs written by Daron Jones

Category:Songs about infidelity

Category:2000s ballads

Category:Songs written by Quinnes Parker