Music Review: Blu Cantrell "Hit 'Em Upstyle (Oops!)"
Blu Cantrell
from 
JoeUser Forums
JoeUser Forums
Hit 'Em Upstyle (Oops!)
Album: So Blu
Year: 2001
Blu Cantrell ruins her cheating boyfriend's credit to get back at him in the vindicitive "Hit 'Em Upstyle (Oops!)"
A big band beat, courtesy of a keyboard, starts the single. It sets a swanky, retro tone. Then, Cantrell stews that she walked into her home and saw her boyfriend having sex with another woman. Even though she was angry, she was grinning from ear to ear. She found the perfect plan for revenge. She calls up her best friends and asks them if they want to go to the upscale mall. She finds her boyfriend's credit cards and maxes them out at Neiman Marcus.
In the pre-chorus, she rationalizes the outrageous spending by saying he owed her for his deceptions and secrets. They had planned on having a glam wedding and then maybe waiting a few years to have kids.
In the chorus, she advises women to do the same as she did. She says their wild boyfriends will appreciate them once all their stuff is gone.
On his usual night with his friends, Cantrell packed up his clothes and pictures in a bag. She then sold it to the Salvation Army. She makes sure to take her time paying the bills. She says the politics shouldn't exist. But they are a necessary evil.
The pre-chorus is sung again.
The chorus is sung twice.
The song slows down for the bridge. The background singers "ooh" in the background as the keyboard flickers. Cantrell says that he threw away their relationship like a ragged towel. It was abrupt and it left her deeply hurt. They used to be able to tell each everything. Now, they have to play guess-what-I'm-really-thinking-game when they do talk. She says it will take a lifetime for him to get his stuff back. She's the only one who knows what happened to it all. It satsifies her to see him penniless and anguished.
The chorus is sung once.
Cantrell belts "hey ladies" and screeches.
The chorus is sung once more to close the single.
Cantrell overreacts in "Hit 'Em Upstyle (Oops!)." First, his cheating was wrong. But emptying his bank account and selling all his stuff is going too far. A relationship is something a person can move on from but debt lasts forever. Also, it's fraud, making her spending illegal.
The jazzy arrangement is a unique element. A majority of R&B has slinky, bedroom beats and samples. However, the musical arrangement is original. Cantrell's stunning voice gives the single a live feel. Unfortunately, it's hardly noticeable with the dippy lyrics.
Album: So Blu
Year: 2001
Blu Cantrell ruins her cheating boyfriend's credit to get back at him in the vindicitive "Hit 'Em Upstyle (Oops!)"
A big band beat, courtesy of a keyboard, starts the single. It sets a swanky, retro tone. Then, Cantrell stews that she walked into her home and saw her boyfriend having sex with another woman. Even though she was angry, she was grinning from ear to ear. She found the perfect plan for revenge. She calls up her best friends and asks them if they want to go to the upscale mall. She finds her boyfriend's credit cards and maxes them out at Neiman Marcus.
"While he was scheming/I was beamin' in the Beamer just beamin'/Can't believe that I caught my man cheatin'/So I found another way to make him pay for it all/So I went/To Neiman Marcus on a shopping spree-a/And on the way I grabbed Soley and Mia/And as the cash box rang I thought everything away."
In the pre-chorus, she rationalizes the outrageous spending by saying he owed her for his deceptions and secrets. They had planned on having a glam wedding and then maybe waiting a few years to have kids.
"(Oops)/There goes the dreams we used to say/ (Oops)/There goes the time we spent away/(Oops)/There goes the love I had but you cheated on me/And that's worth that now/(Oops)/
There goes the house we made a home/(Oops)/There goes you'll never leave me alone/For all the lies you told/This is what you owe."
In the chorus, she advises women to do the same as she did. She says their wild boyfriends will appreciate them once all their stuff is gone.
"Hey ladies/When your man wanna get buckwild/
Just go back and hit 'em up style/Put your hands on his cash/And spend it to the last dime/ For all the hard times/Oh, when you go then everything goes/From the crib to the ride and the clothes/So you better let him know that/If he messed up you gotta hit 'em up."
On his usual night with his friends, Cantrell packed up his clothes and pictures in a bag. She then sold it to the Salvation Army. She makes sure to take her time paying the bills. She says the politics shouldn't exist. But they are a necessary evil.
"While he was braggin'/I was coming down the hill and just draggin'/All his pictures and his clothes in the baggin'/Sold everything else till there was just nothin' left/And I paid/All the bills about a month too late/It's a shame we have to play these games/
The love we had just fades away, away."
The pre-chorus is sung again.
The chorus is sung twice.
The song slows down for the bridge. The background singers "ooh" in the background as the keyboard flickers. Cantrell says that he threw away their relationship like a ragged towel. It was abrupt and it left her deeply hurt. They used to be able to tell each everything. Now, they have to play guess-what-I'm-really-thinking-game when they do talk. She says it will take a lifetime for him to get his stuff back. She's the only one who knows what happened to it all. It satsifies her to see him penniless and anguished.
"All of the dreams you sold/Left me out in the cold/What happened to the days when we used to trust each other/And all of the things I sold/Will take you until you get old/To get 'em back without me/Revenge is better than money you'll see."
The chorus is sung once.
Cantrell belts "hey ladies" and screeches.
The chorus is sung once more to close the single.
Cantrell overreacts in "Hit 'Em Upstyle (Oops!)." First, his cheating was wrong. But emptying his bank account and selling all his stuff is going too far. A relationship is something a person can move on from but debt lasts forever. Also, it's fraud, making her spending illegal.
The jazzy arrangement is a unique element. A majority of R&B has slinky, bedroom beats and samples. However, the musical arrangement is original. Cantrell's stunning voice gives the single a live feel. Unfortunately, it's hardly noticeable with the dippy lyrics.