"Over and Over" is a song by American rapper Nelly featuring American country music singer Tim McGraw. The lyrics were written by Nelly while the music was written and produced by James D. "Sted-Fast" Hargrove II and Jayson "KoKo" Bridges. Other musicians who contributed to the recording include Bryan Loss (drums) and Matthew Brauss (bass guitar). The lyrics of the song focus on regret.[2]
"Over and Over" was released on September 12, 2004, as the second single from Nelly's fourth album, Suit (2004). "Over and Over" peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100. Outside of the United States, "Over and Over" topped the charts in Australia, Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. Music critics responded positively to the track, who gave most praise to McGraw's vocal performance. The song was later included on McGraw's 2006 compilation album Reflected: Greatest Hits Vol. 2.[3]
Critical reception
Rashaun Hall of Billboard wrote that "Over and Over" possesses "real emotion" and praised Tim McGraw's "moving" vocals.[2] Jason Birchmeier of AllMusic also complimented McGraw's hook, saying that it "works much better than it should."[4]
Commercial performance
"Over and Over" was a success on the US BillboardHot 100, reaching number three on December 4, 2004, and spending 24 weeks on the chart.[5] On the BillboardMainstream Top 40, the song peaked at number one and set multiple records, including the biggest jump to number one (7–1), the quickest climb to the top spot (four weeks), and the biggest airplay increase for a number-one song (1,783 detections).[6][7] It also reached number one on the Rhythmic Top 40 chart and entered the top 20 on the Adult Top 40 and Hot Rap Tracks listings.[8][9][10] It was the 96th-most-successful song of the US in 2004 and the 48th-most-successful song of the following year,[11][12] earning a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2009.[13] The song was a radio hit in Canada, peaking at number one on the Radio & Records CHR/Pop Top 30 chart.[14]
In Europe, "Over and Over" topped the charts of Ireland and the United Kingdom.[15][16] In the latter country, it stayed on the UK Singles Chart for 15 weeks, becoming Britain's 25th biggest-selling song of 2005.[16][17] It was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry in 2024 for shipping over 400,000 copies in the United Kingdom.[18] Across continental Europe, the single entered the top 10 in Austria,[19] the Czech Republic,[20] Denmark,[21] Germany,[22] Hungary,[23] Romania,[24] and Switzerland,[25] achieving a peak of number two on the Eurochart Hot 100.[26] It additionally topped the Australian Singles Chart, staying at the top for five weeks,[27] earning a double-platinum certification,[28] and finishing in fifth place on Australia's year-end chart for 2005.[29] In New Zealand, it reached a peak of number two on February 14, 2005, and was the year's 29th-best-selling hit.[30][31]
Music video
The music video was directed by Erik White and Nelly himself. During the video, Nelly and McGraw sing individually on split screen. It starts with Nelly and Tim both waking up at 5:30 A.M., both taking showers, and both leaving their houses & getting into vehicles. Nelly has photos of Ciara on his nightstand and in his car, and McGraw has photos of Faith Hill.[32] The settings feature similar scenes of them encountering fans at gas stations, traveling, and making visits to the airport, all the while both preoccupied with their respective significant others. In the end, they both depart on separate but comparable private jets, possibly to meet up with the women they have been singing about throughout the video.
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
^Over and Over (UK 12-inch single sleeve). Nelly. Universal Records, Curb Records. 2005. MCST 40402.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Over and Over (European CD single liner notes). Nelly. Universal Records, Curb Records. 2005. 075021037717.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Over and Over (Australasian CD single liner notes). Nelly. Universal Records, Curb Records. 2004. 9880063.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Over and Over (US promo CD liner notes). Nelly. Universal Records, Curb Records. 2004. UNIR 21358-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
