You Complicate Me

"You Complicate Me"
Single by Jackson Bradshaw
from the album Something Special
B-side	"Higher Love" (UK) "Freedom Overspill" (UK)
Released	March 18, 2013 (UK) September 2012 (outside of the UK)
Format	Digital download
Recorded	2012
Genre	R&B Soul Dubstep
Label	Fusion
Writer(s)	Jackson Bradshaw Stephanie Kesh
Producer	Diplo
Jackson Bradshaw singles chronology
"Cold" (2013) "You Complicate Me" (2013) "Don't Say Goodnight" (2013)

"You Complicate Me" is a song by Canadian R&B singer Jackson Bradshaw. Written by Bradshaw and Stephanie Kesh, and produced by Diplo, the song was released on March 18, 2013 in the UK as the third single from Bradshaw's debut album Something Special. Previously, the single was released as the second single from the album internationally and outside of the UK in September 2012.

The single became Bradshaw's breakthrough hit in international markets, reaching the top twenty in Canada and Ireland while in the US and France, where it was his debut single in the latter country, it reached the top ten. "You Complicate Me" was also Bradshaw's debut single in Italy and The Netherlands. The single was certified 2x Platinum in the US by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

After being released in the UK in March 2013, the single became Bradshaw's fifth top ten single, reaching #6 on the UK Singles Chart. It has since been certified Silver by the Urapopstar Recording Association Phonographic Society (URAPS), selling 177,000 copies to date in the UK.

Background and composition

"You Complicate Me" is a song that is described as having heavy influences of R&B, soul, and dubstep. Bradshaw described the song as being "soulstep". The song also has hints of blues, pop, and adult contemporary.

Vocally, Bradshaw sings in the middle of his range. Usually, Bradshaw sings in his higher or lower range but never really the middle. Bradshaw's voice on the song is "uncharacteristically" raspy and powerful, giving it a bit of a blues-like quality to it, and he sings all of the high notes of the song in his middle range while still retaining its power.

Release

"You Complicate Me" was released outside of the UK as the second international and second overall single from Something Special in the United States, Canada, Ireland, France, Italy, and the Netherlands, where it was his debut single in the latter three countries. "You Complicate Me" was Bradshaw's first foray into the continental European market.

In March 2013, after the release of Bradshaw's second UK single "Cold", "You Complicate Me" released in the UK as the third single there from the album. It was originally planned as the final UK single from the album but, in May 2013, Bradshaw, his management, and his label Fusion Records announced that the track "Above Ground" would the fourth and also final single instead.

The single was released in as a basic CD single and a remix EP. Both versions were also available digitally for online music retailers. The b-sides for the single were "Higher Love" and "Freedom Overspill", both songs that were originally sung by British artist Steve Winwood.

Reception

Critical response

The single managed to get generally positive reviews with many complimenting Bradshaw's experimentation with dubstep music while also praising his vocals and the production of the song.

Commercial performance

In March 2013, after being released in the UK, "You Complicate Me" debuted at #6 on the UK Singles Chart, selling 61,140 copies in its first week; the single stayed a second week at #6. The single has also peaked at #5 on the UK Downloads Chart and #31 on the UK Top 40 Airplay chart. It has since sold more than 177,000 copies in the UK and has been certified Silver by the Urapopstar Recording Association Phonographic Society (URAPS).

In September 2012, the single charted at #7 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming his first top ten single there. The single also peaked at #42 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart. "You Complicate" became Bradshaw's first charting single on the Billboard Pop Songs, Hot Dance Club Songs, Adult Pop Songs, and Adult Contemporary component charts, all of them out-charting his peak position on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, a chart he usually frequents.

In Canada, the single reached #14 while in Ireland the single peaked at #11. In France, it peaked at #9, becoming his first single to chart there.

Music video

Background

The music video for "You Complicate Me" was shot in Bradshaw's hometown of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in the summer of 2012. The video was kept from release until it was released in the UK in March 2013. It was shot in one day and, visually, it is meant to look as if it was taken in one continuous shot, with the exception of the some of the beginning. Bradshaw does not lip-sync in the video but when the song plays, he occasionally sings along with it as if he is casually listening along with the music. Throughout the video, Bradshaw does not make eye contact with the camera.

The plot of the video is simple and follows the protagonist, played by Bradshaw, who lives in an apartment and discovers that his attractive female neighbor from the next apartment building over has been spying on him from her window into his apartment. Instead of being freaked out by this, as he is attracted to the female neighbor as well and thinking she is smitten with him, Bradshaw decides to tease and seduce the neighbor by "casually" taking off his clothes. The video explores themes of voyeurism and exhibitionism, albeit them being "toned down" for the video.

Synopsis

Bradshaw is entering his apartment building when he notices an attractive female neighbor from the next apartment building over casually smoking a cigarette until she sees him and stares at him. Bradshaw grins and enters his apartment; the female neighbor then goes in her apartment from the balcony. Bradshaw arrives at his apartment and, as he is making himself a cup of coffee, he looks out the window and sees the same attractive female neighbor from the next apartment building over looking at him from her window into his apartment. Bradshaw is intrigued by this but pretends he doesn't notice her looking. Bradshaw then turns on music from his stereo ("You Complicate Me"), opens all the windows into his apartment, and then slowly but nonchalantly starts taking off his clothes until he eventually ends up in his underwear.

He pretends to not know that the female neighbor could be possibly watching him strip down but he hopes that she is. Indeed, once he is down to only wearing his underwear and when he goes into his bedroom and lays on the bed, he looks out at the open bedroom window and sees that the female neighbor had seen him completely strip, shocked but completely turned on by what she saw. He winks at her to let her know that he knows that she has been spying on him. She reacts with shock realizing she's been set up and closes her window and blinds, as Bradshaw lets out a small laugh. Moments later, however, Bradshaw hears a knock on his door and he boldly opens it in his underwear. Indeed, the attractive female neighbor is at his doorstep wearing a trench coat, hinting that underneath she is naked or is wearing only her lingerie. Bradshaw seductively says hello and the female neighbor says hello back also in a seductive manner. She then makes her way into Bradshaw's apartment and he then closes the door.

Reception

The video received generally positive reviews with many people complimenting the sex appeal of the video and the fact that Bradshaw stripped down to his underwear. Many critics felt the video was "very sexy" while being "draw-dropping and eyebrow-raising" and praised Bradshaw for showing a more seductive side to him and for showing off his body. Some critics, however, expressed ambivalence towards the plot feeling that it was both "kind of brilliant" and "elaborate" while also saying that it was "camp, outrageous, and over the top". The video gained attention and some minor controversy for lightly exploring the theme of voyeurism and exhibitionism.

The video has been viewed nine million times on VEVO and YouTube.

Live performances

Bradshaw performed "You Complicate Me" on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge in March 2013. The performance was notable for Bradshaw inadvertently hitting a wrong and flat note (labelled by the press as a "bum note") during the second chorus, prompting Bradshaw to say immediately after the song that it was "very hard to sing live". Though the bum note attracted attention on Twitter, Bradshaw's performance was well-received with many feeling that it was his best ever. Bradshaw also covered "Ain't Got Shit" by Bella-May for the cover song portion of the performance. It was Bradshaw's second appearance on Live Lounge in 2013, following his previous appearance singing his single "Cold" in January 2013.

Track listing

• International (non-UK) digital download

1. "You Complicate Me" - 4:16

• UK CD single/UK digital download 1/international digital download 2

1. "You Complicate Me"
2. "Higher Love"
3. "You Complicate Me" (Acoustic Mix)

• Remixes EP

1. "You Complicate Me" (Extended Mix)
2. "You Complicate Me" (Acoustic Mix)
3. "You Complicate Me" (Nadastrom Remix)
4. "You Complicate Me" (Tiga Remix)
5. "You Complicate Me" (Tensnake Remix)
6. "Freedom Overspill"

Charts

Chart (2012 ;mdash 2013)	Peak position
UK Singles Chart (URAPS)	6
UK Downloads Chart (URAPS)	5
UK Airplay Top 40 (URAPS)	31
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)	14
France (SNEP)	9
Ireland (IRMA)	11
US Billboard Hot 100	7
US Pop Songs (Billboard)	4
US Hot Dance Club Songs (Billboard)	31
US Adult Pop Songs (Billboard)	4
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)	25
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)	42

Certifications

Region	Certification	Sales/shipments
United Kingdom (URAPS)	Silver	177,411
United States (RIAA)	2x Platinum	2,000,000+