What About Us (Total song)

"What About Us"
Single by Total
from the album Soul Food (soundtrack)
ReleasedAugust 12, 1997 (1997-08-12)[1]
Genre
Length4:26
Label
Songwriters
ProducerTimbaland
Total singles chronology
"When Boy Meets Girl"
(1996)		 "What About Us"
(1997)		 "What You Want"
(1997)
Missy Elliott singles chronology
"Up Jumps da Boogie"
(1997)		 "What About Us"
(1997)		 "Sock It 2 Me"
(1997)
Timbaland singles chronology
"What About Us"
(1997)		 "Hot Like Fire"
(1997)

"What About Us" is a song by American R&B group Total, featuring Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott and Timbaland. Issued on August 12, 1997, by LaFace and Bad Boy as the lead single from the soundtrack Soul Food: Music from the Soul Food Motion Picture.[2][3] The single reached number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 4 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs in the United States, and finished at number 74 on the magazine’s 1997 year-end Hot 100 list. It was certified Gold by the RIAA.[4]

Music video

The official music video for the song was directed by Christopher Erskin.[5]

Background and release

"What About Us" was released as the lead single from Soul Food: Music from the Soul Food Motion Picture, a LaFace Records compilation issued on September 16, 1997.[3] The single itself arrived earlier on August 12, 1997, backed by multiple mixes and instrumentals.[2] Credits on commercial releases and databases attribute writing to Melissa Elliott and Timothy Mosley and production to Timbaland, with additional guitar credited to Darryl Pearson on the single release.[6][7]

Track listings and formats

European remix single
  1. "What About Us" (Album Version with Rap) (featuring Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott) — 4:46
  2. "What About Us" (Album Version without Rap) — 4:23
  3. "What About Us" (Lil Jon Remix) (featuring Sean Paul of YoungBloodZ) — 5:48
  4. "What About Us" (Album Instrumental) — 4:18
  5. "What About Us" (Lil Jon Remix Instrumental) — 5:48
US 12" vinyl
  1. "What About Us" (Album Version w/ Rap) — 4:46
  2. "What About Us" (Album Version without Rap) — 4:23
  3. "What About Us" (Beat Box) — 4:29
  4. "What About Us" (Acappella) — 4:22
  5. "What About Us" (Instrumental) — 4:18
US CD single
  1. "What About Us" — 4:06
  2. "What About Us" (Instrumental) — 4:11
US remix single
  1. "What About Us" (Lil Jon Remix Radio Edit) (featuring Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott) — 4:06
  2. "What About Us" (Lil Jon Remix without Rap) (featuring Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott) — 4:11
  3. "What About Us" (Lil Jon Remix Instrumental) — 5:47

Charts

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[15] Gold 700,000[16]

References

  1. ↑ "What About Us [#1] > Total". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved April 5, 2013.
  2. 1 2 What About Us [#1] - Total | Album | AllMusic, retrieved 2025-08-10
  3. 1 2 Soul Food: Music from the Soul Food Motion Pic... | AllMusic, retrieved 2025-08-10
  4. ↑ "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved 2025-08-10.
  5. ↑ Garcia, Alex S. "mvdbase.com - Total - "What about us?"". Music Video DataBase. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
  6. ↑ What About Us - Total | AllMusic, retrieved 2025-08-10
  7. ↑ "Darryl Pearson Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & M..." AllMusic. Retrieved 2025-08-10.
  8. ↑ "Total – What About Us". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Total, HSI". Billboard. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Total, BSI". Billboard. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Total, TFC". Billboard. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
  12. ↑ "The Urban Top 40 Tracks Of 1997" (PDF). Music Week. January 10, 1998. p. 6. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Billboard Top 100 – 1997". Billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
  14. ↑ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1997". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 3, 2015. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
  15. ↑ "American single certifications – Total – What About Us?". Recording Industry Association of America.
  16. ↑ "Best-Selling Records of 1997". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 5. BPI Communications Inc. January 31, 1998. p. 76. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved May 31, 2015.
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