Locked Up (song)

"Locked Up"
Single by Akon
from the album Trouble
Released	April 13, 2004
Format	CD single, digital download
Recorded	October 2003
Genre	R&B
Length	3:56
Label	SRC, Universal
Writer(s)	Akon
Producer(s)	Akon
Certification	Gold (RIAA)
Akon singles chronology
"Locked Up" (2004) "Find Us" (2004)

"Locked Up" is the debut single by American singer Akon, taken as the lead single from his debut studio album, Trouble. The single was released in 2004, peaking at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. Outside the United States, "Locked Up" peaked within the top ten of the charts in the United Kingdom.

Background

Although it was widely regarded that "Lonely" offered the album's best option in terms of commercial breakthrough, SRC Records A&R and producer Knobody chose "Locked Up" as the first single because he wanted to break Akon in the streets first, and then work towards a cross-over. In an interview for HitQuarters, he claimed: "Locked Up" is a street record. I thought that was the place for us to start to get a fan-base, knowing that weight. We thought really carefully about the record, what touches people and will get people's attention - so we added references of his kin and kith sending him magazines, money-orders, to visit him, ask where his lawyer is, accept his phone calls and ask where're my niggaz on lockdown? The song was designed a breakout hit for Akon, something that could shape the future of his personal life and widely successful musical career. I worked on what I call "drops" – points in the record where it feels different, to break the monotony and make it a little more interesting."^[1] Knobody produced an alternate of the song, featuring Taz & Styles P, which appears as both a b-side on the single and as a bonus track on the UK version of the album. In 2004, T-Pain sampled the song in a parody recording "I'm Fucked Up". In 2005, the song was sampled in the track "Won't Let Me Out" by C-Murder. A music video was produced to promote the single. The video was directed by FlyyKai, and was edited to both the album version and the remix featuring Taz & Styles P.

Track listing

UK CD single

1. "Locked Up" - 3:56
2. "Locked Up" (Featuring Styles P) - 3:50
3. "Locked Up" (Featuring Taz & Styles P) - 3:54
4. "Locked Up" (Video) (Featuring Taz & Styles P) - 3:54

UK 12" vinyl

1. "Locked Up" - 3:56
2. "Locked Up" (Featuring Styles P) - 3:50
3. "Locked Up" (Featuring Taz & Styles P) - 3:54
4. "Locked Up" (Instrumental) - 3:56

German CD single

1. "Locked Up" (Featuring Azad) - 3:50
2. "Locked Up" (Without Rap) - 3:33
3. "Locked Up" (Featuring Styles P) - 3:50
4. "Gunshot" - 2:56

UK promo single - The Global Remixes^[2]

1. "Locked Up" - 3:56
2. "Locked Up" (Featuring Styles P) - 3:50
3. "Locked Up" (Featuring Taz & Styles P) - 3:56
4. "Locked Up" (Featuring Azad) - 3:50
5. "Locked Up" (Featuring Savage) - 3:50
6. "Locked Up" (Featuring Booba) - 3:50
7. "Locked Up" (Featuring Mayhem) - 4:22
8. "Locked Up" (Featuring Julio Voltio) - 3:50

Charts

Chart (2004/2005)	Peak position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[3]	64
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[4]	26
France (SNEP)[5]	12
Germany (Official German Charts)[6]	15
Ireland (IRMA)[7]	10
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[8]	71
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[9]	19
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[10]	19
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[11]	5
US Billboard Hot 100[12]	8
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[13]	29
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[14]	6

Certifications

Country	Provider	Certification	Sales
Brazil	ABPD	Gold[15]	50,000+
United States	RIAA	Gold[16]	500,000+

References

1. "Interview With Knobody". HitQuarters. Sep 27, 2005. Retrieved Jul 1, 2010.
2. http://www.discogs.com/Akon-Locked-Up-Global-Remixes/release/555209
3. "Austriancharts.at – Akon – Locked Up" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
4. "Ultratop.be – Akon – Locked Up" (in French). Ultratop 50.
5. "Lescharts.com – Akon – Locked Up" (in French). Les classement single.
6. "Musicline.de – Akon Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
7. "Chart Track: Week 9, 2005". Irish Singles Chart.
8. "Dutchcharts.nl – Akon – Locked Up" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
9. "Spanishcharts.com – Akon – Locked Up" Canciones Top 50.
10. "Swisscharts.com – Akon – Locked Up". Swiss Singles Chart.
11. "Akon: Artist Chart History" Official Charts Company.
12. "Akon – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Akon.
13. "Akon – Chart history" Billboard Pop Songs for Akon.
14. "Akon – Chart history" Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for Akon.
15. http://abpd.org.br/certificados_interna.asp
16. "Gold & Platinum: Akon". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved May 22, 2012.

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics