U Got It Bad

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2001 single by Usher

title: "U Got It Bad" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["2001-songs", "2001-singles", "2000s-ballads", "usher-(musician)-songs", "billboard-hot-100-number-one-singles", "music-videos-directed-by-director-x", "contemporary-r&b-ballads", "song-recordings-produced-by-jermaine-dupri", "song-recordings-produced-by-bryan-michael-cox", "songs-written-by-usher-(musician)", "songs-written-by-bryan-michael-cox", "songs-written-by-jermaine-dupri", "arista-records-singles", "laface-records-singles", "songs-about-heartache"] description: "2001 single by Usher" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U_Got_It_Bad" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary 2001 single by Usher ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox song"]

Field	Value
name	U Got It Bad
cover	Usher - U Got It Bad.png
type	single
artist	Usher
album	8701
released
studio	Southside (Atlanta, Georgia)
genre	R&B
length	4:07
prev_title	U Remind Me
prev_year	2001
next_title	U Don't Have to Call
next_year	2002
misc
::

Arista
LaFace | writer =
Usher Raymond
Jermaine Mauldin
Bryan-Michael Cox | producer =
Jermaine Dupri
Bryan-Michael Cox | prev_title = U Remind Me | prev_year = 2001 | next_title = U Don't Have to Call | next_year = 2002 | misc = "U Got It Bad" is a song by American singer Usher. It was released through Arista Records as the second official single from his third studio album 8701 (2001). It was written by Usher, Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox, and produced by Dupri, with Cox credited as co-producer. Released in the United States on August 21, 2001, "U Got It Bad" is an R&B ballad that, according to MTV, incorporates "digi-coustic" guitars, a "slow-burning bass line" and "sex funk" drums. The lyrics notably contain some quick direct allusions to other soul music ballads, mainly Maxwell's "Fortunate" and Prince's "Adore".

"U Got It Bad" was released to generally favorable reviews from critics. It became Usher's third song to top the US Billboard Hot 100 as well as the second consecutive single from 8701 to do so. Elsewhere, it entered the top five in Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, and reached the top 40 on most charts that it appeared on. The song's accompanying music video, directed by Little X, was filmed as a two-part story with "U Don't Have to Call" and features Usher's then-girlfriend, TLC's Chilli, as his love interest.

Background and writing

"U Got It Bad" was written by Usher, Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox, with production helmed by the former and co-production from the latter. Recording was done by Brian Frye and mixing by Dupri and Phil Tan, at Southside Studios, Atlanta, Georgia in 2000. John Horesco IV provided mixing assistance, William "Billy" Odum performed the guitar and Usher provided all vocals. Talking to Complex, Dupri stated that "U Got It Bad" was inspired by Usher's previous single "Nice & Slow", saying that he produced the song as he wanted to re-produce a track similar to the latter in terms of success, for Usher's 8701 (2001).

The lyrics to the song were, according to Dupri, inspired by a true story after he and Usher had been in the studio trying to record some music for the album, but Usher was continually distracted by a girl he had brought into the studio. Following an argument, the girl left. A while later, they started on talking on the phone, which prompted Dupri to kick Usher out of the studio telling him, "We're going to do this [session] later on. You got it completely too bad right now. You got it bad." This ignited the inspiration for the song, and once Usher had left, Dupri started writing its lyrics, with the notion that it was going to be a big hit. Once Usher had returned to the studio, Dupri shared the story of the song with him.

Composition and release

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/Jermaine_Dupri_(7029671959).jpg" caption="Producer [[Jermaine Dupri]] used "digi-coustic" guitars and a "slow-burning bass line" on "U Got It Bad"."] ::

"U Got It Bad" is an R&B ballad. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, it is written in the key of B minor and has a tempo of 66 beats per minute. Usher's vocal range spans from the low note of F4 to the high note of A5. The song is actually a semitone lower in the key of B-flat minor, which would have the vocals span from F4 to A5. "U Got It Bad" is a slow jam, that makes use of "digi-coustic" guitars, a "slow-burning bass line" and "sex funk" drums. Usher's vocals "floats and runs" between the song's melodies, before intensifying when entering the chorus.

The Neptunes-produced track, "I Don't Know", was initially intended as the album's second single. Rapper P. Diddy was to direct its music video in Los Angeles in July 2001. The song was receiving radio play prior to the release of 8701 first single "U Remind Me". However, Usher instead released "U Got It Bad" as the album's second single, as it presents his own unique sound, "If you wanna know what a Usher record is, then ["U Got It Bad" is] it," while using both Michael Jackson and Bobby Brown as examples of artists who "solidified" their music through their own unique music. "U Got it Bad" was released as a CD single in the US on December 18, 2001.

Reception

"U Got It Bad" earned generally favorable reviews from music critics. NME called the song 8701s "stand-out track [that] deals with the spectre of first love with passion, honesty and some raw beats." Kelefa Sanneh from The New York Times cited "U Got It Bad" as 2001's "best slow jam, coasting along on a double-time vocal line and a whisper of acoustic guitar." Austin Williams from Vibe noted that "U Got It Bad" "isn't like most begging music that's celebrated. Though it certainly contains the fundamental elements of the subgenre – passionate singing, dramatic declarations of love, and a music video with a grand gesture of desperation – there's a generality to its writing that's preserved its resonance."

"U Got It Bad" was nominated for several prizes, including the Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Single – Male at the 2002 Soul Train Music Awards. In 2002, it won Choice Love Song at the 2002 Teen Choice Awards, and in 2003, the song was awarded an ASCAP Award for Publisher of the Year. In 2016, Complex ranked the song number eight on their list of the 25 greatest Usher songs, with editor Edwin Ortiz calling it a "slow-burning ballad meant to top anything Usher had released prior," further writing: "Whereas "Nice & Slow" delivered a slow jam vibe ripe for a late night rendezvous, "U Got It Bad" was the antithesis of an erotic fantasy, with Usher exploring a relationship he can't sensibly appreciate." In 2021, American Songwriter ranked the song number five on their list of the 10 greatest Usher songs.

Chart performance

"U Got It Bad" topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart on the week of December 15, 2001, becoming Usher's third number-one song on the chart. It was his second Hot 100 number one from 8701 after "U Remind Me", which reached the position in July of the same year. "U Got It Bad" marked the first time he obtained two consecutive number one hits. In December 2001, Usher became one of the few Arista acts to have more than one Hot 100 number one hit, with Whitney Houston having eleven, Barry Manilow and Milli Vanilli with three, and Monica with two. "U Got It Bad" was also atop the Hot 100 Airplay chart that week, with an audience impression of 135 million. The following week, the song was replaced by Nickelback's "How You Remind Me", moving it to number two. Nickelback's single remained number one for four consecutive weeks, before being replaced by "U Got It Bad" on the week of January 8, 2002, which went on to top the Hot 100 for five weeks. On the same week, the song broke the record for the highest audience impression on the Hot 100 Airplay chart, previously held by Alicia Keys, with 149,858,700 listeners. The song's popularity helped 8701 rise from number twenty-three to eight on the US Billboard 200 on the week of October 11, 2001.

Music video

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/Rozonda_Thomas.jpg" caption="Chilli]] co-starred as Usher's love interest in the video."] ::

A music video for "U Got It Bad" was directed by Canadian filmmaker Little X. Co-starring TLC member Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas as the female lead, the video starts with Usher tossing and turning in bed, troubled by the thought of his ex-girlfriend (Thomas). After awakening, he turns on the TV, only to see his ex, a celebrity on her own, on every station. The video proceeds to introduce flashbacks of happier times between the two, suggesting that he still longs for his ex. In his desperation to find her, he braves the rain, bursting into her trailer to apologize and reconcile with her. However, this is revealed to be his imagination, and instead of opening the door of the trailer, he walks away ashamed. Disgusted, he makes his way home and lies in his bed, alone.

The visuals for follow-up single "U Don't Have to Call", filmed in February 2002, served as a continuation from "U Got It Bad". At the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards, the video was nominated for Best Male Video and Best R&B Video. It also received a Video of the Year nod at the 2002 BET Awards. In 2018, Little X told Billboard: "This one was a little more personal. I was young and was kind of venting through my own life experience through the song. Usher and I were around the same age, and it was just one of those [videos] that really clicked. I think there was something special about that video, having a really young director with a really young artist making this thing happen together."

Track listing

| headline = CD single | extra_column = Producer(s)

denotes co-producer Sample credits
"U Remind Me (remix)" contains samples from "The Message" as performed by Grandmaster Flash.

Charts

Weekly charts

::data[format=table title="2001–2002 weekly chart performance for "U Got It Bad""] | Chart (2001–2002) | Peak position | Australia|3|artist=Usher|song=U Got It Bad}} | Flanders Tip|3|artist=Usher|song=U Got It Bad}} | Wallonia|36|artist=Usher|song=U Got It Bad}} | Canada (Nielsen SoundScan) | Canada CHR (Nielsen BDS) | Croatia (HRT) | Europe (European Hot 100 Singles) | France|18|artist=Usher|song=U Got It Bad}} | Germany|26|artist=Usher|song=U Got It Bad|songid=4971|access-date=December 2, 2018}} | Ireland3|36|artist=Usher|rowheader=true|access-date=January 25, 2020}} | Dutch40|27|year=2001|week=44|access-date=December 2, 2018}} | Dutch100|20|artist=Usher|song=U Got It Bad}} | New Zealand|3|artist=Usher|song=U Got It Bad}} | Scotland|20|date=20011014|access-date=June 10, 2018}} | Sweden|50|artist=Usher|song=U Got It Bad}} | Switzerland|13|artist=Usher|song=U Got It Bad}} | UK|5|date=20011014|artist=Usher|song=U Got It Bad}} | UKrandb|3|date=20011014|access-date=June 10, 2018}} | Billboardhot100|1|artist=Usher}} | Billboardrandbhiphop|1|artist=Usher}} | Billboardpopsongs|3|artist=Usher}} | Billboardrhythmic|1|artist=Usher}} | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 17 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 24 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ::

::data[format=table title="2024 weekly chart performance for "U Got It Bad""] | Chart (2024) | Peak position | UK Downloads (OCC) | |---|---|---| | 93 | | | ::

Year-end charts

::data[format=table title="2001 year-end chart performance for "U Got It Bad""]

Chart (2001)	Position	UK Singles (OCC)	US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks (Billboard)	US Rhythmic Top 40 (Billboard)
118
64
60
::

::data[format=table title="2002 year-end chart performance for "U Got It Bad""]

Chart (2002)	Position	Australia (ARIA)	Australian Urban (ARIA)	Canada (Nielsen SoundScan)	Canada Radio (Nielsen BDS)	Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)	US Billboard Hot 100	US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks (Billboard)	US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)	US Rhythmic Top 40 (Billboard)	US Top 40 Tracks (Billboard)
38
6
133
62
88
9
18
9
8
9
::

Decade-end charts

::data[format=table title="Decade-end chart performance for "U Got It Bad""]

Chart (2000–2009)	Position	US Billboard Hot 100
15
::

All-time chart

::data[format=table title="All-time chart performance for "U Got It Bad""]

Chart (1958–2018)	Position	US Billboard Hot 100
126
::

Certifications and sales

Release history

::data[format=table title="Release dates and formats for "U Got It Bad""]

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.	United States	United Kingdom	Sweden	United States	Australia	United States
August 21, 2001
September 18, 2001	Rhythmic contemporary radio
October 8, 2001
October 22, 2001	CD
October 30, 2001	Contemporary hit radio
December 3, 2001	CD
January 18, 2002	Hot adult contemporary radio
::

References

(2001). "[[8701]]". [[Arista Records]].
Drake, David. "Usher "U Got It Bad" (2001)". Complex Mediaa.
(2003). "The Billboard Book of Number One Hits". Billboard Books.
(July 6, 2012). "Top Ten Usher Songs". PopCrush.
(April 21, 2008). "Usher "U Got It Bad" Sheet Music". Musicnotes.com. [[Sony/ATV Music Publishing]].
Anderson, Kyle. (September 12, 2010). "Usher Makes The Top Of The Hot 100 Look 'Bad': Wake-Up Video". MTV News. Viacom.
Reid, Shaheem. (April 18, 2001). "Usher Turns U Into 8701". MTV News. Viacom.
(August 10, 2001). "Usher Rolls With 'U Got It Bad' As Next Single". Top40-Charts.com.
"U Got It Bad: Music".
(September 12, 2005). "Usher: 8701".
Sanneh, Kelefa. (June 17, 2002). "POP REVIEW; Turning the Outdoors Into the House of Usher".
Williams, Austin. (April 21, 2022). "Singers Just Don't Beg Like Usher On 'U Got It Bad' Anymore".
(February 8, 2002). "Aaliyah, India.Arie and Alicia Keys nominated for Soul Train Awards".
"2002 Teen Choice Award Winners". AllYourTV.com.
(December 15, 2001). "Billboard". Nielsen Business Media, Inc.
(October 14, 2016). "The 25 Best Usher Songs".
Uitti, Jacob. (December 18, 2021). "Top 10 Usher Songs".
(July 21, 2003). "Billboard". Nielsen Business Media, Inc.
(December 22, 2001). "Billboard". Nielsen Business Media, Inc.
"Usher's 'U Got It Bad' Sets All-Time 1-Week Audience Chart Record With 149.85 Million Listeners, and Returns to #1". [[Arista Records]] through [[PR Newswire]].
Reid, Shaheem. (October 11, 2001). "Usher Lets Fans Title Upcoming Tour". MTV News. Viacom.
(June 27, 2020). "9 of Usher's most cinematic music videos".
Reid, Shaheem. (February 6, 2002). "P. Diddy, Usher Shoot Clip For 'The-Not-About-J.Lo' Song".
"2002 MTV Video Music Award nominees". Prometheus Global Media.
(May 15, 2002). "Aaliyah Tops BET Awards Nominations".
(July 25, 2023). "Director X Breaks Down His Signature Videos For Rihanna, Drake, Sean Paul and More".
(June 10, 2018). "Usher Chart History (Canadian Digital Songs)".
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(February 16, 2024). "UK Official Singles Downloads Chart on 16 February 2024".
"The Official UK Singles Chart 2001". [[UKChartsPlus]].
(December 29, 2001). "The Year in Music 2001: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks".
(December 21, 2001). "Most-Played Rhythmic Top 40 Songs of 2001".
"ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2002". [[Australian Recording Industry Association.
"ARIA Charts – End of Year Charts – Urban Singles 2002". ARIA.
(January 14, 2003). "Canada's Top 200 Singles of 2002 (Part 2)". [[Jam!]].
"Top 100 top played radio tracks in Canada in 2002". [[Jam!]].
"Swiss Year-End Charts 2002".
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(December 20, 2002). "Most-Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs of 2002".
(December 20, 2002). "Most-Played Rhythmic Top 40 Songs of 2002".
(December 28, 2002). "The Year in Music 2002: Hot Top 40 Tracks".
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(January 27, 2002). "Official Top 40 Singles". [[Recorded Music NZ]].
(August 17, 2001). "Going for Adds".
(September 7, 2001). "Crossover Nation: New Releases - Going For Adds 9/18".
(October 6, 2001). "New Releases – For Week Starting October 8, 2001: Singles".
"Usher: U Got It Bas".
(October 26, 2001). "CHR/Pop: Going for Adds".
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(January 19, 2002). "Going for Adds".

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