The Way I Are

This article explains the song by Keri Hilson; the song of the same name by Bebe Rexha is explained under The Way I Are (Dance with Somebody) .

The Way I Are
Timbaland feat. DOE & Keri Hilson
publication	July 3, 2007
length	2:59 (album version) 3:19 (radio edit) 3:34 (extended version)
Genre (s)	Contemporary R&B , EDM
Author (s)	Balewa Muhammad, Candice Nelson, John Maultsby, Keri Hilson , Danja , Timbaland
Producer (s)	Timbaland , Danja
Label	Interscope Records , Blackground Records
album	Shock Value

The Way I Are is a song by the US music producer Timbaland in collaboration with the US singer Keri Hilson and the US rapper DOE (aka John Maultsby). It was released on July 3, 2007 as the second single from Timbaland's second studio album Shock Value and reached number 1 in the UK's official singles charts.

background

The Way I Are was written and composed by Timbaland, Keri Hilson, DOE, Danja , The Clutch (aka Balewa Muhammad) and Candice Nelson. Timbaland and Danja also took over the production, as with other songs on the Shock Value album , including Give It to Me . The recording of The Way I Are , like the entire album, was performed by Demacio Castellon in Timbaland's Thomas Crown Studios music studio in Virginia Beach . The mixing took place at Pacifique Recording Studios in North Hollywood under the direction of Marcella Araica. The song was edited by Ron Taylor with the Pro Tools program .

composition

The Way I Are is classified under the genres Contemporary R&B and EDM . The song, composed in four-four time , is written in A flat minor and has a tempo of 114 beats per minute . The vocal range extends from E3 to E5, the instrumentation consists of the piano and drums . The text is structured in verse - bridge - chorus mode. Timbaland raps the first two stanzas, followed by the bridge sung by Hilson. After the bridge comes the refrain performed by both of them. The third verse is rapped by DOE, in another version of the song Timbaland's brother, Garland Waverly Mosley aka Sebastian , raps the third verse. In terms of content, the song treats a kind of role reversal, the man can't offer the woman much financially, but she doesn't care because she likes him for who he is.

"I ain't got no money I ain't got no car to take you on a date I can't even buy you flowers But together we'll be the perfect soulmates Talk to me girl." - first stanza, original excerpt

"I have no money. I don't have a car to take you on a date. I can't even buy you flowers. But together we'd be perfect soulmates. Talk to me, girls." - first stanza, German translation

Reviews

The Way I Are received mixed reviews from critics. For Dani Fromm from Laut.de “there is nothing left to shake in the productions (of the album)”, but to him The Way I Are “ sounds damned like a cross between Salt'n'Pepa's 'Push It' and any 80s -Synthie pop number ". For Nate Patrin from Pitchfork Media , the song has similarities to Salt 'n' Pepa's Push It , but he describes it as "unbelievably stunning". Ben Ratliff of the New York Times described The Way I Are as "a bizarre song that turned hip-hop producer Timbaland into a pop star," for him Hilson sounded more "like a robot, of notes and feelings chirps after command ”.

Commercial win

The Way I Are achieved high chart positions worldwide. The song entered the German single charts on July 20, 2007 at number 11. In the sixth week the best position was achieved with fifth place, this position could be held for three weeks. The Way I Are spent a total of eleven weeks in the German top 10. After entering the chart again in May 2008, the song was able to place itself in the German single charts for a total of 34 weeks. For Hilson this was the first top 10 success in Germany. For over 300,000 copies sold, the single was awarded a platinum record by the Federal Music Industry Association in 2018. Also in the Ö3 Austria Top 40 with place 4 and in the Swiss hit parade with place 3 the top 5 of the single charts were reached. The song was awarded a platinum record by IFPI Switzerland .

In the British singles charts , the entry was already on June 30, 2007 at number 86. On August 4, 2007, number 1 was reached in the singles chart, making The Way I Are the second number one hit in the United Kingdom after Give It to Me Timbaland became. Overall, the song stayed at number 1 for two weeks, twelve weeks in the top 10 and 45 weeks in the complete charts. For over 600,000 copies of The Way I Are sold , Timbaland received a platinum record from the British Phonographic Industry . As of August 2017, the single had sold over 624,000 copies in the UK. The song entered the Billboard Hot 100 on June 16, 2007 at number 78, and after ten weeks of the chart it reached the top ranking at number 3. It was Hilson's first and Timbaland's fourth top 10 success in the United States. The song was sold over 3 million times in the United States. The Way I Are achieved further number one placements in Australia , Denmark , Ireland , Canada , Norway and Hungary .

At the MTV Video Music Awards 2007 , the song was nominated in the Monster Single of the Year category, but had to admit defeat to Rihanna's Umbrella . At the 2007 Teen Choice Awards won The Way I Are the category Choice Music: Rap track . Furthermore, is The Way I Are at No. 9 of 2017 meistgestreamten songs on iTunes .

Music video

The music video for The Way I Are was shot by Shane Drake on May 18, 2007 in Manchester . With YouTube the video about 268 million times was called (as of June 2019).

Chart placements

Charts	Top ranking	Weeks
Chart placements
Germany (GfK)	5 (34 weeks)	34
Austria (Ö3)	4th (36 weeks)	36
Switzerland (IFPI)	3 (48 weeks)	48
United Kingdom (OCC)	1 (45 weeks)	45
United States (Billboard)	3 (38 weeks)	38

Awards for music sales

The Way I Are has been awarded 2 × gold and 15 × platinum worldwide. According to awards, more than 4.2 million units of the single were sold.

Country / Region	Award	Sales
Awards for music sales (country / region, Award, Sales)
Australia (ARIA)	platinum	70,000
Belgium (BEA)	gold	25,000
Denmark (IFPI)	4 × platinum	60,000
Germany (BVMI)	platinum	300,000
Canada (MC)	3 × platinum	120,000
New Zealand (RMNZ)	gold	7,500
Sweden (IFPI)	platinum	20,000
Switzerland (IFPI)	platinum	30,000
United Kingdom (BPI)	platinum	624.264
United States (RIAA)	3 × platinum	3,000,000
All in all	2 × gold 15 × platinum	4,256,764

Main article: Timbaland / Music Sales Awards

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} GEMA repertoire search. GEMA , accessed on March 15, 2018 . 
2. ↑ Timbaland Featuring Keri Hilson - The Way I Are. Discogs , accessed March 15, 2018 . 
3. ^ Timbaland Shock Value. April 17, 2007, accessed March 15, 2018 . 
4. ↑ Kelefa Sanneh: Can the Star Maker Make Himself a Star? In: The New York Times . April 1, 2007, accessed March 15, 2018 . 
5. ↑ Timbaland Featuring Keri Hilson - The Way I Are - Notenblatt. In: Musicnotes.com. Retrieved March 15, 2018 . 
6. ↑ Lyrics Timbaland Featuring Keri Hilson - The Way I Are. Genius , accessed March 15, 2018 . 
7. ^ Review Timbaland Shock Value. In: Pitchfork Media . Accessed March 15, 2018 . 
8. ↑ Ben Ratliff: Album review Keri Hilson - In a perfect World. In: The New York Times . March 22, 2009, accessed March 15, 2018 . 
9. ↑ ^{a b} Timbaland feat. Keri Hilson - Shape of You chart placement Germany. GfK Entertainment , accessed March 15, 2018 . 
10. ↑ ^{a b} Timbaland feat. Keri Hilson chart placement Austria. In: Austriancharts.at. Hung Medien, accessed March 15, 2018 . 
11. ↑ ^{a b} Timbaland feat. Keri Hilson chart placement Switzerland. In: Hitparade.ch. Hung Medien, accessed March 15, 2018 . 
12. ↑ ^{a b} Edelmetall Schweiz. IFPI Switzerland , accessed on March 15, 2018 . 
13. ↑ ^{a b} The Way I Are Charthistory United Kingdom. Official Charts Company , accessed March 15, 2018 . 
14. ↑ ^{a b} BPI Awards. British Phonographic Industry , accessed March 15, 2018 . 
15. ^ ^{A b} Justin Myers: 5 random chart facts of the week that will shake you to your core. In: The Official UK Charts Company . August 4, 2017, accessed March 15, 2018 . 
16. ↑ ^{a b} Timbaland feat. Keri Hilson chart placement United States. Billboard , accessed March 15, 2017 . 
17. ↑ Paul Grein: Week Ending April 1, 2012. Songs: A Teen-Tastic Top April 10 , 2012, accessed March 15, 2018 . 
18. ↑ James Montgomery: Fergie, Maroon 5, Amy Winehouse Are iTunes' Most-Downloaded Artists Of 2007. In: MTV . December 10, 2007, accessed March 15, 2018 . 
19. ↑ SHANE DRAKE SET TO DIRECT TIMBALAND'S NEW HIP HOP MUSIC VIDEO FOR THE WAY I ARE. May 15, 2007, accessed March 15, 2018 . 
20. ↑ Official music video Timbaland Featuring Keri Hilson - The Way I Are. YouTube , accessed March 15, 2018 . 
21. ↑ ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 2007 Singles. Australian Recording Industry Association , accessed March 15, 2018 . 
22. ↑ GOUD EN PLATINA - SINGLES 2007. Belgian Entertainment Association , accessed March 15, 2018 . 
23. ↑ Guld and platinum in November. IFPI Denmark , accessed March 15, 2018 . 
24. ↑ BVMI gold and platinum database. Federal Association of the Music Industry , accessed on April 28, 2018 . 
25. ↑ Gold / Platinum. Music Canada , accessed March 15, 2018 . 
26. ↑ NZ Top 40 Single Charts - November 12, 2007. Recorded Music NZ , accessed March 15, 2018 . 
27. ↑ sverigetopplistan. IFPI Sweden , accessed March 15, 2018 . 
28. ↑ Gold & Platinum. Recording Industry Association of America , accessed March 15, 2018 .