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{{Infobox song
|
| cover =
| Artist = [[Brandy Norwood|Brandy]]▼
| alt =
| Album = [[Afrodisiac (Brandy album)|Afrodisiac]] ▼
| type =
| Recorded = Criteria Hit Factory, [[Miami]], [[Florida]]▼
| released =
| recorded = 2003
| genre =
*[[Contemporary R&B|R&B]]
*[[Pop music|pop]]
▲| Length = {{Duration|m=4|s=56}}
| writer =
▲| Label = [[Atlantic Records|Atlantic]]
*Walter Millsap
*[[The Clutch|Candice Nelson]]
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*[[Will Champion]]
*[[Chris Martin]]
}}
▲*[[Timbaland]]
"'''Should I Go'''" is a song by American recording artist [[Brandy Norwood]] from her fourth studio album, ''[[Afrodisiac (Brandy album)|Afrodisiac]]'' (2004). It was written by Walter Millsap III, his collaborative partner [[The Clutch|Candice Nelson]], and mentor [[Timbaland]], while production was helmed by the latter. "Should I Go" is built on percussive beats, syncopated handclaps and a piano [[riff]] that samples British alternative rock band [[Coldplay]]'s song "[[Clocks (song)|Clocks]]", written by [[Guy Berryman]], [[Jonny Buckland]], [[Will Champion]], and [[Chris Martin]] for their second album, ''[[A Rush of Blood to the Head]]'' (2002). Lyrically, Norwood as the protagonist openly talks about contemplating stepping away from the music business, admitting that she
==Background==
In June 2002, Norwood gave birth to her daughter Sy'rai. Soon, she resumed work on her then-untitled fourth studio album with producer [[Mike City]] and companion [[Robert "Big Bert" Smith]], the latter of which served as the album's [[executive producer]] and [[A&R]].<ref>{{cite web|first=Billy|last=Johnson|date=2002-09-27|title=Brandy Preparing To Begin Work On New Album|work=[[Yahoo! Music]]|publisher=[[Yahoo!]]|url=http://music.yahoo.com/read/news/12064468|accessdate=2007-01-18}}</ref> He replaced longtime contributor and mentor [[Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins]], who Norwood felt was not going in the same direction creatively after all,<ref name="mtv1"/> and kept her from exploring her "versatility, [her] creativity and [her] art."<ref name="four">{{cite news|first=Steve|last=Jones|date=2004-07-15|title=An ''Afrodisiac'' toast to Brandy|work=[[USA Today]]|publisher=[[Gannett Company]]|url=
[[File:Coldplay-3.jpg|thumb|left|As with other tracks on ''Afrodisiac'', "Should I Go" was largely inspired by British alternative rock band [[Coldplay]].<ref name="ykigs-cn"/>]]
Timbaland consulted his protégé Walter Millsap III and writing partner [[The Clutch|Candice Nelson]] to work with him on the bulk of Norwood's fourth album.<ref name="two"/> Many of the themes and musical styles of their records were inspired by British alternative rock band [[Coldplay]]'s debut album ''[[Parachutes (Coldplay album)|Parachutes]]'' (2000) which Nelson had just started listening to at the time.<ref name="ykigs-cn">{{cite web |title=Exclusive: Songwriter Candice Nelson Reveals Inspiration Behind
The development of "Should I Go" was motivated by the idea of what Millsap and Nelson imagined Norwood might feel at times and in the business as it was constantly changing.<ref name="ykigs-cn"/> On the accompanying writing process, Nelson commented that "it was like 'What else does Brandy feel besides love and all that? What else might be going through her mind?' That’s what we came up with. She had already been in the business for awhile and she had put out a few albums, so it was like 'What might somebody at that point in their career been thinking?'"<ref name="ykigs-cn"/> Upon hearing the demo, Norwood felt shocked but could relate to its topic.<ref name="ykigs-cn"/> Her vocals were recorded at [[Criteria Studios|The
==Composition==
"Should I Go" is a [[downtempo]] [[contemporary R&B|R&B]] and [[pop ballad]],<ref name="avclub"/> that displays influences of [[dream pop]] and [[alternative rock]].<ref name="avclub"/> Built around a [[Riff|repeating melody]], it features a [[minimalism|minimalist]] soundscape of [[Slide guitar|bluesy guitar]] and syncopated hand claps, while incorporating a cascading [[piano]] [[arpeggio]] that [[sampling (music)|samples]] from the instrumental break of [[Coldplay]]'s 2002 song "[[Clocks (song)|Clocks]]".<ref name="slant"/> The song itself was inspired by the English rock band [[Muse (band)|Muse]],<ref name="EzineChris">{{cite web|url=http://www.coldplay.com/content/ezine/documents/ezine6.pdf|title=Chris talks us through Rush A Rush of Blood to the Head|date=November 2002|work=Coldplay.com
▲"Should I Go" is a [[downtempo]] [[contemporary R&B|R&B]] and [[pop ballad]],<ref name="avclub"/> that displays influences of [[dream pop]] and [[alternative rock]].<ref name="avclub"/> Built around a [[Riff|repeating melody]], it features a [[minimalism|minimalist]] soundscape of [[Slide guitar|bluesy guitar]] and syncopated hand claps, while incorporating a cascading [[piano]] [[arpeggio]] that [[sampling (music)|samples]] from the instrumental break of [[Coldplay]]'s 2002 song "[[Clocks (song)|Clocks]]".<ref name="slant"/> The song itself was inspired by the English rock band [[Muse (band)|Muse]],<ref name="EzineChris">{{cite web|url=http://www.coldplay.com/content/ezine/documents/ezine6.pdf|title=Chris talks us through Rush A Rush of Blood to the Head|date=November 2002|work=Coldplay.com|format=PDF|accessdate=2006-12-19 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20060808184853/http://www.coldplay.com/content/ezine/documents/ezine6.pdf |archivedate = August 8, 2006}}</ref> and penned by band members [[Guy Berryman]], [[Jonny Buckland]], [[Will Champion]], and [[Chris Martin]].<ref name="booklet"/>
"Should I Go" features the female protagonist wondering aloud whether
==Critical reception==
[[Slant Magazine]]'s Sal Cinquemani ranked "Should I Go" among ''Afrodisiac''{{'}}s highlights and commented that the song sounded like a "shout-out to the band it's become excruciatingly cool to say you like."<ref name="slant">{{cite web|url=http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/brandy-afrodisiac/454|title=''Afrodisiac'' review|work=[[Slant Magazine|Slant]]|first=Sal|last=Cinquemani|accessdate=2010-03-06|date=2004-06-28|
Less enthusiastic with the track, Terry Sawyers from [[PopMatters]] commented that "Should I Go" sounded "exhausted and porously dull", and that "without the punch up of a good backbeat, Brandy can drift and drain, melting into the song without making more than a breeze of an impression [...] despite the limp handclaps, which seem placed more to keep you awake than to actually support the song."<ref name="popmatters">{{cite web|url=http://www.popmatters.com/review/brandy-afrodisiac/|title=Brandy: Afrodisiac|work=[[PopMatters]]|first=Terry|last=Sawyer|accessdate=2010-03-06|date=2004-09-17}}</ref> Andy Battaglia of ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' wrote that the song "floats over a clunky sample [...] that goes nowhere" and added that the song showed "Brandy in her best and worst form: Unmoored as a musical presence, she sounds most at home in pop-R&B clothes that would seem to make her one of many stars that twinkle more than shine."<ref name="avclub">{{cite web|url=http://www.avclub.com/review/brandy-emafrodisiacem-11372|title=Brandy: Afrodisiac|work=[[The A.V. Club]]|publisher=[[The Onion]]|first=Andy|last=Battaglia|accessdate=2013-12-26|date=2004-07-12}}</ref> [[Stylus Magazine]]'s Josh Love called the song a "rarity in Brandy’s catalogue",<ref name="stylus">{{cite web|url=http://stylusmagazine.com/reviews/brandy/afrodisiac.htm|title=Brandy – Afrodisiac – Review|work=[[Stylus Magazine]]|first=Josh|last=Love|accessdate=2010-03-06|date=2004-07-29|archive-date=2010-01-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100114003545/http://stylusmagazine.com/reviews/brandy/afrodisiac.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> while Keya Modessa from ''The Situation'' declared it a "spectacular close."<ref name="situation">{{cite web|url=http://www.thesituation.co.uk/reviews/brandy_review.html|title=Brandy, Afrodisiac|work=The Situation|first=Keya|last=Modessa
== Credits and personnel ==
Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Afrodisiac''.<ref name="booklet">{{cite AV media notes |title=Afrodisiac |publisher=[[Atlantic Records]] |others=[[Brandy Norwood]] |
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
*
*Vocal production – Brandy Norwood
*[[Backing vocalist|Vocal assistance]] – Blake English, Kenisha Pratt
*[[Audio engineering|Engineering]] – [[Jimmy Douglass]], Blake English
{{col-2}}
*Engineering assistance -
*[[Audio mixing|Mixing]] – Timbaland, Jimmy Douglass
*Mixing assistance – Halsey Quemere
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==References==
{{Reflist
{{Brandy songs}}
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[[Category:Songs written by Jonny Buckland]]
[[Category:Songs written by Will Champion]]
[[Category:2000s ballads]]
[[Category:Contemporary R&B ballads]]
[[Category:Pop ballads]]
|