My Boo

Album

Single

Label

LaFace

Genre

Rhythm & Blues

Composer(s)

Alicia Keys;Jermaine Dupri;Manuel Seal;Usher Raymond;Adonis Shropshire

Entered Chart

Sep 11, 2004

Peak Date

Oct 30, 2004

Released

August 29, 2004

Recorded

Studio Southside (Atlanta, Georgia)XXX (Paris, France)

Catalog #

LaFace 65246

Directed by both Usher and music video director Chris Robinson, "My Boo" clip was filmed in New York City. The storyline of the video is a reflection of the song's lyrics.[6] The footage starts with Usher in a living room watching a video for "Bad Girl", a song from Confessions. The "Bad Girl" intro features Usher singing the song in a club setting while admiring a scantily-dressed woman. He turns the set off and slumps down on the sofa before laying on it with his foot propped up. After a moment of silent, nostalgic reflection, he starts to sing the intro of "My Boo". The video then shows him and Alicia Keys in their separate quarters, preparing to head out, while singing their part of the song. Usher eventually steps out on streets of New York; likewise, Keys is out in her car. She leaves the car and walks down the street, and the couple meet up in the middle of Times Square, cuddling each other and on the brink of kissing. The music video debuted on MTV's TRL at number nine on September 16, 2004. It remained on the countdown for twenty-seven days, becoming the only Confession video to chart.[33] The music video on YouTube has received over 180 million views as of May 2024

In this duet between Usher and Alicia Keys, they play a couple who have split up, but still have strong feelings for each other. Usher explains that they got together when they were very young, and now that she's with another man, it's tearing him up, but he'll always consider her his boo (special girl). Keys explains that she feels the same way, and that even though there is another man in her life, Usher will always be her boo. This song brought the Boo back after a long absence. The term "boo" (derived from the French "beau," meaning beautiful), caught on in the mid-'90s, and in 1996 the one-hit-wonder Ghost Town DJ's went to #31 US with a different song called "My Boo." That same year, The Almighty RSO had a modest hit with "You Could Be My Boo," but that was the last of the charting Boo songs until this Usher/Alicia Keys collaboration. The connection between the 1996 "My Boo" and the 2004 song is Jermaine Dupri: he released the former on his So So Def label, and he produced the later. Jermaine Dupri, Alicia Keys and Usher wrote this song with Manuel Seal and Adonis Shropshire. Seal, who often worked with Dupri, also co-wrote Usher's "You Make Me Wanna"; Shropshire's co-writes include "And I" for Ciara and "Last Chance" for Ginuwine. "My Boo" was the fourth #1 hit from Usher's Confessions album, following "Yeah!," "Burn" and "Confessions, Pt. 2." After "My Boo" logged six weeks at the top, it gave Usher a total of 28 weeks at #1 in 2004. The album sold over 10 million copies in America to earn Diamond certification. Alicia Keys joined Usher to sing "My Boo" at the Super Bowl halftime show in 2024, which Usher headlined. They also sang part of Keys' hit "If I Ain't Got You" during the performance.

There's always that one person that will always have your heart
You never see it coming 'cause you're blinded from the start
Know that you're that one for me, it's clear for everyone to see
Oh baby, ooh (yeah, uh, uh, uh) (you gotta rockaway to this one)
You will always be my boo (come on)
See, I don't know 'bout y'all, but I know about us and, uh (oh)
It's the only way we know how to rock
I don't know 'bout y'all, but I know about us and, uh (oh)
It's the only way we know how to rock

Do you remember, girl?
I was the one who gave you your first kiss
'Cause I remember, girl
I was the one who said, "Put your lips like this"
Even before all the fame and people screaming your name
Girl, I was there when you were my baby

It started when we were younger, you were mine (my boo)
Now another brother's taken over, but it's still in your eyes (my boo)
Even though we used to argue, it's alright (it's alright, girl, that's okay)
I know we haven't seen each other in a while
But you will always be my boo
I was in love with you when we were younger, you were mine (my boo)
And when I see it from time to time, I still feel like (my boo, that's my baby)
And you can see it no matter how I try to hide (I can't hide it, my boo)
And even though there's another man who's in my life
You will always be my boo

Yes, I remember, boy
'Cause after we kissed, I could only think about your lips
Yes, I remember, boy
The moment I knew you were the one I could spend my life with
Even before all the fame and people screaming your name
I was there
And you were my baby

It started when we were younger, you were mine (you were mine, my boo)
Now another brother's taken over, but it's still in your eyes (yes, it is, my boo)
Even though we used to argue, it's alright (it's alright now, it's okay, my boo)
I know we haven't seen each other in a while
But you will always be my boo
I was in love with you when we were younger, you were mine (you were mine, my boo, my boo)
And when I see it from time to time, I still feel like (still in your eyes, my boo)
And you can see it no matter how I try to hide (it's alright now, it's okay, my boo)
And even though there's another man who's in my life
You will always be my (you will always be my)

Oh, my oh, my oh, my oh, my, my boo
My oh, my oh, my oh, my oh, my boo

It started when we were younger, you were mine (you were mine, my boo)
Now another brother's taken over, but it's still in your eyes (my boo)
Even though we used to argue, it's alright (it's alright now, it's okay, my boo)
I know we haven't seen each other in a while (in a while)
But you will always be my boo

I don't know about y'all, but I know about us and, uh
It's the only way we know how to rock
I don't know about y'all, but I know about us and, uh
It's the only way we know how to rock (yeah)
It started when we were younger
My boo
'Nother brother's taken over
Just stand