"Tilt Ya Head Back"
Single by Nelly featuring Christina Aguilera
from the album Sweat
B-side"Na-NaNa-Na"
ReleasedSeptember 15, 2004 (2004-09-15)
Genre
Length4:13
LabelUniversal
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Doe Mo' Beats
Nelly singles chronology
"My Place"
(2004)		 "Tilt Ya Head Back"
(2004)		 "Over and Over"
(2004)
Christina Aguilera singles chronology
"Car Wash"
(2004)		 "Tilt Ya Head Back"
(2004)		 "Somos Novios (It's Impossible)"
(2006)

"Tilt Ya Head Back" is a song by American recording artists Nelly and Christina Aguilera, taken from Nelly's album Sweat (2004). The song was released to US radio stations on September 15, 2004, as the second single from the album. Written by Nelly, Dorian Moore and Tegemold Newton and produced by Doe Mo' Beats, "Tilt Ya Head Back" is a hip hop and pop number that features a sample of Curtis Mayfield's "Superfly".

Most contemporary critics responded positively towards the song, praising the duo's vocals and recognising it one of the album's highlights. Commercially, "Tilt Ya Head Back" garnered moderate success, peaking at number 58 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and charting within the top ten on the charts of Australia, Denmark, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. An accompanying music video for "Tilt Ya Head Back" was directed by Little X. The duo performed the song at the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards, which gained positive feedback from media outlets.

Background and composition

"Tilt Ya Head Back" was written by Nelly, Dorian Moore, Tegemold Newton, Curtis Mayfield and produced by Doe Mo' Beats.[1] The producer of the song confirmed that it was originally meant for Nelly and Britney Spears, however Spears' record label Jive Records rejected the idea because they thought the song was "too urban", even though Spears wanted to do it.[2] Following Spears, Janet Jackson and Christina Aguilera were approached to appear on "Tilt Ya Head Back", and the final choice was Aguilera.[2]

"Tilt Ya Head Back" is a pop[3][4] and hip hop number,[3] which features elements from jazz[5] and soul.[6] The song is written in the key of F major with a moderate fast tempo of 116 beats per minute.[7] It features "blasts" of brass and a bassline sample of Curtis Mayfield's "Superfly",[8] and thus Mayfield was credited as a co-writer of the track.[1] Joe Muggs from The Daily Telegraph noted that the duo's vocals are similar to "old-school soul voices of Ron Isley and Anthony Hamilton."[6]

Promotion

On August 29, 2004, Nelly and Aguilera performed "Tilt Ya Head Back" at the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards.[9] The performance was praised by media outlets, Brian Hiatt from Entertainment Weekly praised Aguilera's new look with blonde curly hair, which was different from her previous image during the promotion of Stripped, and called it the "Best Makeover" of the awards.[10] Reporting the ceremony, James Montgomery wrote, "As she warmed up her pipes, the power of her vocal exercises caused people standing outside her dressing room to jump. Her performance partner Nelly lounged nearby, trying to decide which afterparties to attend. After they finished their duet, fellow St. Lunatics['] Murphy Lee congratulated them, yelling, "That sh-- [sic] was hot!"[9] John Walker from MTV Buzzworthy appreciated the 1920s-inspired theme of the performance and listed it as one of Aguilera's best performances on the MTV Video Music Awards as of 2013.[11] A music video for "Tilt Ya Head Back" was directed by Little X.[12] In the video, Nelly acts as a 1940s gangster, while Aguilera portrays Marilyn Monroe.[13] During the making of the clip, Nelly gifted Aguilera US$55,000 worth jewels as a parting present, resulting in a rumor that the duo were romantically involved.[13]

Release and reception

"Tilt Ya Head Back" impacted on US contemporary hit radio stations in September 2004 by Universal Music as the second single from Sweat.[14] It was released as a digital download single, a digital EP and a CD single on November 15, 2004.[15][16][17] A 12-inch record of the song was released on November 18, 2004.[18] "Tilt Ya Head Back" was well received by most music critics, Jason Birchmeier from AllMusic picked this song as a standout from the album and wrote that the song could be a hit "whether on radio" or "on MTV."[19] David Browne of Entertainment Weekly praised the duo's vocal on the song,[20] while Rolling Stone editor Rob Sheffield named it "a completely pop duet."[4] Michael Paoletta from Billboard praised the "Superfly" sample used in the track and its musical style.[3] Writing for The Washington Post, Sean Daly appreciated Aguilera's appearance on "Tilt Ya Head Back" as "a frisky Aguilera matching Nelly bedroom boast for boast."[8] On a less positive review, The Daily Telegraph's Joe Muggs complimented Aguilera's "undeniably impressive voice", however he thought that the duo's vocal performance did not match each other.[6] Tom Moon of The Philadelphia Inquirer called the song "an addictive, wound-tight James Brown groove."[21] Writing for the Idolator, Mike Wass noted that "Christina and Nelly turned out to be a match made in hip-hop/pop heaven".[22]

Although it was expected to be a hit,[3][19] "Tilt Ya Head Back" only experienced moderate chart success. Following its airplay release, "Tilt Ya Head Back" garnered 22 million audio impressions in 119 stations.[14] The audience amount was much less in comparison to Nelly's previous single "My Place" (96 million in 294 radio stations).[14] On the US Billboard Hot 100, "Tilt Ya Head Back" debuted at number 75 during the week of September 25, 2004,[14] and later reached the peak of number 58.[23] In the UK, the single debuted at number five on the UK Singles Chart on November 28, 2004,[24] and later became its peak position.[25] The song also gained commercial success in regions including New Zealand (number four), Australia (number five) and Denmark (number eight).[26] It was certified Platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA),[27] and Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[28]

Track listings

Charts

Certifications

Certifications and sales for "Tilt Ya Head Back"
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[27] Platinum 70,000^
United States (RIAA)[28] Gold 500,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. 1 2 Sweat (CD liner). Nelly. Universal Records. 2004. 986 393-6.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. 1 2 Staff writer (October 4, 2004). "For The Record: Quick News On Gwen Stefani, Britney Spears And Nelly, Fantasia, Nirvana, Cormega & More". MTV News. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Paoletta, Michael (September 25, 2004). "Singles: Essential Reviews". Billboard. Vol. 116, no. 39. Prometheus Global Media. p. 55. Retrieved September 30, 2013.
  4. 1 2 Sheffield, Rob (September 22, 2004). "Sweat: Album Review". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Archived from the original on August 17, 2007. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
  5. ↑ Slezak, Michael (August 16, 2006). "The Essential Aguilera". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 Muggs, Joe; Pettie, Andrew; Perry, Andrew (September 13, 2004). "Pop CDs of the week: The Thrills, Nelly and more". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Nelly "Tilt Ya Head Back" Sheet Music". Musicnotes.com. Universal Music Publishing. November 13, 2007. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
  8. 1 2 Daly, Sean (September 15, 2004). "Nelly's Elixir: Make It a Double". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
  9. 1 2 Montgomery, James (August 30, 2004). "2004 MTV Video Music Awards Backdrops". MTV News. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
  10. ↑ Hiatt, Brian (August 30, 2004). "Higher Ground". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
  11. ↑ Walker, John (July 17, 2013). "Christina Aguilera Earned A 2013 VMA Nomination! Let's Celebrate With Legendtina's 12 Best VMA Moments!". MTV Buzzworthy. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
  12. ↑ "Nelly: Music Videos". MTV Networks. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
  13. 1 2 "Nelly pursuing Christina Aguilera on Video Set". San Francisco Chronicle. Hearst Corporation. October 28, 2004. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved August 26, 2013.
  14. 1 2 3 4 "Nelly Up, Sales Down". Billboard. Vol. 116, no. 40. Prometheus Global Media. October 2, 2004. p. 49. Retrieved September 30, 2013.
  15. 1 2 "Music – Tilt Ya Head Back – Single". iTunes Store (IE). Apple Inc. January 2004. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
  16. 1 2 "Music – Tilt Ya Head Back – EP". iTunes Store (AU). Apple Inc. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
  17. 1 2 "Tilt Ya Head Back". Amazon. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
  18. ↑ "Tilt Ya Head Back [12"]". Amazon. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
  19. 1 2 Birchmeier, Jason. "Sweat: Nelly". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
  20. ↑ Browne, David (September 17, 2004). "Sweat Review". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved January 19, 2013.
  21. ↑ "Nelly Album Reviews Praise 'Tilt Ya Head Back'". The Christina Connection. September 2004. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  22. ↑ Wass, Mike (December 18, 2020). "Christina Aguilera's 40 Best Songs". Idolator. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  23. ↑ "Nelly – Chart history: The Hot 100". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
  24. ↑ "U2 Bombs U.K. Album Chart". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
  25. 1 2 "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  26. 1 2 "Nelly and Christina Aguilera – Tilt Ya Head Back". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  27. 1 2 "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2005 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
  28. 1 2 "American single certifications – Nelly – Tilt Ya Head Back". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
  29. ↑ "Nelly & Christina Aguilera – Tilt Ya Head Back (12")". Amazon. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
  30. ↑ "Issue 801" ARIA Top 40 Urban Singles. National Library of Australia. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  31. ↑ "Nelly and Christina Aguilera – Tilt Ya Head Back" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  32. ↑ "Nelly and Christina Aguilera – Tilt Ya Head Back" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  33. ↑ "Nelly and Christina Aguilera – Tilt Ya Head Back" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  34. ↑ "R&R Canada CHR/Pop Top 30" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1577. October 15, 2004. p. 25. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  35. ↑ "Top Lista Hrvatskog Radija". Croatian Radiotelevision. Archived from the original on December 15, 2004. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  36. ↑ "Nelly and Christina Aguilera – Tilt Ya Head Back". Tracklisten. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  37. ↑ "Hits of the World – Eurocharts" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 116, no. 50. December 11, 2004. p. 51. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  38. ↑ "Nelly and Christina Aguilera: Tilt Ya Head Back" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  39. ↑ "Nelly and Christina Aguilera – Tilt Ya Head Back" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  40. ↑ "Top 50 Singles Εβδομάδα 18–25/12" (in Greek). IFPI. Archived from the original on December 29, 2004. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
  41. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Tilt Ya Head Back". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  42. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 49, 2004" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  43. ↑ "Nelly and Christina Aguilera – Tilt Ya Head Back" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  44. ↑ "Nelly and Christina Aguilera – Tilt Ya Head Back". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  45. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  46. ↑ "Nelly and Christina Aguilera – Tilt Ya Head Back". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  47. ↑ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  48. ↑ "Nelly Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  49. ↑ "Nelly Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  50. ↑ "Nelly Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  51. ↑ "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2004". ARIA. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  52. ↑ "The Official UK Singles Chart 2004" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  53. ↑ "2004 Urban top 30" (PDF). Music Week. January 22, 2005. p. 24. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  54. ↑ "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2005". ARIA. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
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