He Wasn't Man Enough

Background and composition

"He Wasn't Man Enough" was released as the lead single from Toni Braxton's third studio album, The Heat. The song was written by Rodney Jerkins, Fred Jerkins III, LaShawn Daniels, and Harvey Mason, Jr., while it was produced by Jerkins. The song was recorded in the United States during the production of Braxton's third studio album, between January and February 2000. During its production, L.A. Reid said "It's very strong, and very personal to her".

All instruments on "He Wasn't Man Enough" are played by Jerkins and the background vocals are sung by Braxton, Nora Payne, Sharlotte Gibson, and Jerkins. The song was recorded in a key signature of E minor. Popmatters praised Braxton, saying "the track seems to be an attempt to make some headway within the lucrative urban R&B market."

The song earned Braxton her sixth Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance in 2001. According to Billboard.com, this song is her last Top 10 appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 to date.

Critical reception

"He Wasn't Man Enough" was widely acclaimed by contemporary music critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic highlighted the track along with "Gimme Some" as having a "skimmering beat". David Browne from Entertainment Weekly gave it a positive review, certificating it with a B rating. He said "From producer Rodney Jerkins' cushiony pulse to its premise (one woman warning another about her ex-beau), the amenable single "He Wasn't Man Enough" sounds mightily familiar. But it's still no "Scrubs", largely thanks to Braxton's husky, mumbly delivery." NME gave it a positive review, saying that for the track, "Braxton can probably claim the best set of tonsils in soul-pop". Rolling Stone ranked the song number 17 on its list of "The 100 Greatest R&B Songs of the 21st Century".

Chart performance

"He Wasn't Man Enough" peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks in May 2000, becoming Braxton's sixth and last top-10 single. The song spent 37 weeks on the chart. The song also peaked at number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart for four weeks. The song debuted at number five on the UK Singles Chart on its issue date of April 29, 2000. The song debuted at number six on the Australian Singles Chart and peaked at number five in that country. The song debuted at number 36 on the New Zealand Singles Chart and later rose to number five after seven weeks on the charts. The song received platinum by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ), selling over 15,000 copies there. The song debuted at number 99 on the French Singles Chart before falling out, then re-entering at number 74 on the charts and eventually peaked at number fifteen, becoming the biggest jump of the issue date of July 1, 2000. The song debuted at number 21 on the Single Top 100, peaked at number five and stayed on the charts for seventeen weeks.

Music video

The music video, directed by Bille Woodruff from February 25–26, 2000, begins with Braxton as an animated superhero who unzips her shirt to ward off villains. Next, she is shown dancing in a red cylinder-like hallway. The shot turns to a club where her ex (portrayed by Braxton's former husband Keri Lewis of R&B group Mint Condition) and his current wife (portrayed by Robin Givens) walk in. Givens looks Braxton up and down and flashes her wedding ring at her. Braxton scoffs as she knows of his infidelity.

The video flashes between Braxton dancing in the hallway and the club scene. At one point, the two women are in the club's bathroom, and Braxton informs the new wife why she dumped her husband. They set up an act, wherein Braxton goes into a private room with him and gets him to drop his pants; all the while he is on camera, and everyone at the club, including his current wife, is watching. At the end, Givens busts in and throws the ring at him, and the two women give each other a high five.

The video also features cameo appearances by Rodney Chester and Braxton's sister Tamar. Originally cast to play the husband, actor Michael Jai White ended up dropping out before the video shoot because Givens allegedly took issue with White resembling her former husband Mike Tyson, whom White played in the HBO film Tyson five years earlier. He would appear in the video for Braxton's "Hands Tied" a decade later.

Track listings

US CD and cassette single

1. "He Wasn't Man Enough" (album version) – 4:21
2. "He Wasn't Man Enough" (instrumental) – 4:19

US and Japanese DVD single

1. "He Wasn't Man Enough" (video)
2. "Un-Break My Heart" (video)
3. Special feature: Interview with Toni

European CD single

1. "He Wasn't Man Enough" (radio edit) – 3:58
2. "He Wasn't Man Enough" (extended version) – 5:35 UK and Australian CD single
3. "He Wasn't Man Enough" (radio edit) – 3:58
4. "You're Makin' Me High" (classic edit) – 3:45
5. "He Wasn't Man Enough" (extended version) – 5:35
6. "He Wasn't Man Enough" (video version) – 4:38

UK cassette single

1. "He Wasn't Man Enough" (radio edit) – 3:58
2. "You're Makin' Me High" (classic edit) – 3:45
3. "He Wasn't Man Enough" (extended version) – 5:35

Credits and personnel

Credits are lifted from The Heat album booklet.

Studios

• Recorded at Larrabee North (Universal City, California)
• Mixed at Enterprise Studios (North Hollywood, California)
• Mastered at Powers House of Sound (New York City)

Personnel

• Rodney Jerkins – writing, background vocals, all instruments, production, arrangement, mixing
• Fred Jerkins III – writing, arrangement
• LaShawn Daniels – writing, vocal production, arrangement
• Harvey Mason, Jr. – writing, recording, Pro Tools
• Toni Braxton – vocals, background vocals
• Nora Payne – background vocals
• Sharlotte Gibson – background vocals
• Steve Baughman – recording assistant
• Dexter Simmons – mixing
• Tyson Leeper – mixing assistant
• Roger Lopez – mixing assistant
• Herb Powers – mastering

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications and sales

Release history

Samples

In 2022, Nigerian singer Burna Boy sampled the song's instrumental introduction for his hit song "Last Last".

References

References

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