"Case of the Ex"
Single by Mýa
from the album Fear of Flying
ReleasedJuly 11, 2000 (2000-07-11)
RecordedLate 1999
StudioTriangle Sound (Atlanta, Georgia)
Genre
Length3:56
LabelInterscope
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Christopher "Tricky" Stewart
Mýa singles chronology
"The Best of Me"
(2000)		 "Case of the Ex"
(2000)		 "Best of Me, Part 2"
(2000)
Alternative covers
UK cover

"Case of the Ex" (sometimes subtitled "Whatcha Gonna Do"[1]) is a song by American singer Mýa. It was written and composed by Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and his songwriting partners Traci Hale and Thabiso "Tab" Nkhereanyne for Mýa's second studio album Fear of Flying (2000). The up-tempo pop and R&B track was inspired by a relationship Hale was going through at the time. It was released as the second single from the album, following "The Best of Me", on July 11, 2000.

The song received generally mixed reviews from contemporary music critics and was Mýa's breakthrough hit, both stateside and internationally. "Case of the Ex" became a top five hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 for the week of December 2, 2000, peaking and spending three consecutive weeks at number two. Internationally, the single topped the Australian ARIA Singles Chart for two consecutive weeks in March 2001 and peaked at number three in the United Kingdom.

The accompanying music video for the single was directed by Diane Martel. Mýa worked with choreographer Tina Landon, who later won an American Choreography Award for Best Hip Hop music video. The video drew comparisons to Janet Jackson's music video for "You Want This" (1994) and Mel Gibson's 1979 film Mad Max. In addition, the video was nominated for a Washington Area Music Award for Video of the Year, while the song itself won in the Urban Contemporary Recording category in 2001.

Background

Producer Tricky Stewart co-wrote "Case of the Ex" along with Traci Hale and Tab in late 1999.[2]

"Case of the Ex" was composed by Christopher Stewart, Traci Hale, and Thabiso "Tab" Nkhereanyne in late 1999.[3] Initially, Mýa was working at the Redzone Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, when she heard an early instrumental of the song through the walls from the room next door. She stepped out of her current session and was subsequently introduced to Stewart, who worked next to her.[4] Originally a rap song, Stewart heavily rearranged the track to make it fit Mýa's persona.[4]

Speaking of its creation, Stewart said: "We got together to write a song specifically for Mýa. We kicked around some subjects which Mýa could potentially sing. We wanted to create a lyric theme that would keep her young, yet would show that she was growing up."[2] It was Hale who came up with the lyric idea, which was inspired by a relationship she was going through at the time and revolved around "a strong woman who won't tolerate her man returning to his ex-girlfriend."[2] While Tab and Hale contributed most of the lyrics, Stewart wrote the music and played all of the tracks, with Hale singing on the original demo."[2]

The initial demo also featured the percussive, keyboard hook which would become the song's musical trademark. "I followed an old philosophy, which is to try to catch the listener's attention," explained Stewart. "I wanted to make a statement with that hook, creating a special sound that people would react to and remember. It was like a loud horn blast, which was derived from a sampled sound, and then enhanced with my K-25 keyboard."[2] Soon after completing the demo, Stewart played the song for Mýa, and she "immediately loved it."[2] The following day, she recorded her vocals at Stewart's studio for the master version.[2]

Critical reception

"Case of the Ex" garnered mixed to positive reviews. Billboard magazine compared the song to Destiny's Child's "Jumpin', Jumpin'", and added: "With its quick-programmed drum track [...] Mýa's 'Case of the Ex' is on the right track. Production-wise, the song used some computer tricks to play with Mýa's vocals. [It] is set to be a hot track on radio and in the clubs all summer long."[5] Music Week said the song was "sultry R&B" and that it "should help lift sales of her album Fear of Flying."[6] Jacqueline Springer of NME gave the song a favorable review and rated the single seven out of ten stars, writing: "No-good boyfriend anthem number four thousand eighty time, y'all [...] The stuttering arrangement of the original is cool and suits Mýa's brooding mood, but after a while it simply sits in the wind — there's no real build into a bassline leaving the track to run along a continuous pop/r&b vibe [...] Anyway, we all know what to do when ex-girlfriends re-emerge don't we? Round up your girls and give the wench a beat-down."[7] Writing for Yahoo! Music UK, Gary Crossing described "Case of the Ex" as a smooth and sassy if a somewhat formulaic slice of R&B.[8]

Accolades

"Case of the Ex" was featured on The Village Voice's Pazz & Jop end of the year critics list.[9]

Year Ceremony Award Result Ref.
2001 Washington Area Music Awards Urban Contemporary Recording Won [10]
Video of the Year Nominated

Chart performance

"Case of the Ex" was fended off from the number one position on Billboard Hot 100 by Destiny's Child's "Independent Women Part 1".[11]

In the United States, "Case of the Ex" debuted at number 72 on Billboard Hot 100 in the week of August 19, 2000.[1] The following week, it leaped from 72 to 57 in the week of August 26, 2000. It continued to climb the Hot 100, ascending from 42 to 31 during its sixth week, on September 23, 2000.[12] The song reached its peak at number 2 in the week of December 2, 2000.[13] From the weeks of December 2–16, 2000; it spent three consecutive weeks at number two.[14][15] "Case of the Ex" spent 30 consecutive weeks on that chart. The song became Mýa's second non-consecutive solo top-10 hit after 1998's "It's All About Me". It remains Mýa's second-biggest and second-highest-charting single on the chart to date (she topped the chart the following year when the "Lady Marmalade" remake featuring her, Lil' Kim, Christina Aguilera, and Pink climbed to number one). "Case of the Ex" became a top-10 hit on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart in the week of December 9, 2000, peaking at number ten and spent 28 consecutive weeks on that chart. It was Mýa's fifth and final top-10 hit on that chart.[16]

Globally, "Case of the Ex" debuted at number five on the Australian Singles Chart on the week of February 18, 2001.[17] It topped the chart and spent two consecutive weeks at number one, during the weeks of March 18–25, 2001.[18][19] In total, the song spent 23 consecutive weeks altogether on the chart. It was certified platinum by Australian Record Industry Association for shipment of 70,000 units. In the Netherlands, the song debuted at number sixty-two during the week of October 7, 2000.[20] It reached its peak of number eight in the week of November 4, 2000, and spent 18 consecutive weeks on the Dutch Single Top 100 chart.[21] "Case of the Ex" peaked at number seventeen in New Zealand during the week of January 28, 2001.[22] It debuted and peaked at number three in the United Kingdom on the week of February 10, 2001, and spent 13 consecutive weeks altogether on the chart.[23]

Music video

The video for "Case of the Ex" was directed by Diane Martel and filmed at Mojave Desert in California.[24] On filming "Case of the Ex," the singer laughed and remarked, "It was literally hell."[24] During filming, a wardrobe malfunction had occurred on set where the studs Mya and her dancers wore didn't have lining on the opposite sides, causing the crew to get cut up on their skin, while simultaneously getting sunburnt with sand getting in their sunburns and scrapes.[24] She noted: "So it was a very painful video regarding our skin and having to do take after take in hot weather."[24] Mya however, gushed and shared, "It was fun because I was so excited to do these really fierce dance moves and show personality."[24]

"Case of the Ex" music video "opens in a Mad-Maxish desert setting, where a posse of well-muscled girls stands before a group of somewhat nonplussed boys".[25] The girls then proceed "wielding their martial-arts sticks" at the men during their dance routine.[25] By the end of the video, Mya and her dancers exit, leaving their audience dusty and on their own.[25] Cynthia Fuchs from PopMatters compared the video to "Say You'll Be There" by the Spice Girls and "You Want This" by Janet Jackson.[25] The video first premiered on BET the week ending on June 26, 2000, later airing on MTV the week ending on July 24, 2000.[26][27]

Live performances

Mya performed "Case of the Ex" on multiple talk shows. On July 10, 2000, she performed "Case of the Ex" at Farmclub.com.[28] In September 2000, she performed the song at BET's 106 & Park.[29] On October 23, 2000, she performed at Total Request Live.[30] The following month, November 6 and 11 at The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Soul Train.[31][32] In December 2000, she performed the song at MTV's Fashionably Loud and The Queen Latifah Show.[33][34] On February 28, 2001, she hosted and performed at 2001 Soul Train Music Awards.[35]

Legacy

British girl group IV Rox re-recorded "Case of the Ex" and released it as their debut single.[36][37] Their version was featured on the group's debut EP Imperfections (2015).[38] Impressed by their cover, Mýa has expressed her appreciation and tweeted, "Lovely job ladies~xoxo."[37] With their version, the group auditioned for X Factor and received a standing ovation.[39] Out magazine included "Case of the Ex" as one of their most empowering, memorable and influential all-girl dance routines list.[40] Vh1 recognized "Case of the Ex" in their list of Best R&B Music Video Choreography of the 1990s and 2000s.[41] Writing for Pitchfork, Marc Hogan suggested "Case of the Ex" as one of his choices for his 6 Millennium Era Hits That Top 40 Needs to Sample list, commenting, "A clear-voiced young singer with a strong sense of identity like Kehlani (or maybe Halsey in a pinch) could work wonders here."[42] Billboard ranked "Case of the Ex" as one their 100 Greatest Songs of 2000 list.[43] In September 2020, Spin magazine ranked "Case of the Ex" at number 19 on their "50 Greatest Songs of 2000" list.[44] In January 2024, Rolling Stone magazine ranked "Case of the Ex" as one of their "The 100 Greatest R&B Songs of the 21st Century" list.[45]

Track listings

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Fear of Flying.[52]

Recording

Personnel

Charts

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[90] Platinum 70,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[91] Silver 200,000‡

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Release date Format(s) Label Ref.
United States July 11, 2000 Urban contemporary radio Interscope [92]
July 18, 2000 Rhythmic contemporary radio [93]
August 28, 2000 12-inch vinyl [94]
September 19, 2000 Contemporary hit radio [95]
Germany September 26, 2000 CD [96]
United States November 14, 2000 [97]
United Kingdom January 29, 2001
[98]
Australia February 5, 2001 CD [99]

Notes

  1. ↑ "Case of the Ex" reached number 14 when RPM ceased publication in November 2000.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Case of the Ex (Whatcha Gonna Do) (US 12-inch single vinyl disc). Mýa. Interscope Records. 2000. 069497457-1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "R&B Hitmaker Tricky Stewart Talks About Writing Hits For Mya And Other Artists, And How He Got Started". SongwriterUniverse.com. January 4, 2002. Retrieved October 30, 2010.
  3. ↑ Fear of Flying (liner notes). Mýa. Interscope Records. 2000.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  4. 1 2 "Interview: Mya Talks New Album "K.I.S.S.", Releasing Albums in Japan First, Importance of Her Music". Youknowigotsoul.com. Retrieved January 21, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Previews and Review". Google Books. July 29, 2000. Retrieved February 17, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Single Reviews" (PDF). Music Week. January 20, 2001. p. 13. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  7. ↑ "Mya : Case of the Ex". NME. September 12, 2005. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
  8. ↑ Crossing, Gary (January 30, 2001). "Mya - Case Of The Ex (Whatcha Gonna Do)'". Yahoo! Music UK. Archived from the original on June 3, 2004. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
  9. ↑ "Village Voice - Pazz & Jop 2000 Singles List". The Village Voice. Retrieved September 30, 2018.
  10. ↑ "2001 Wammies". Washington Area Music Association. Retrieved October 31, 2010.
  11. ↑ "Mya Can't Stop Destiny's Child On The Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
  12. ↑ "Hot 100 Week of September 23, 2000". Billboard. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
  13. ↑ "Hot 100 Week of December 2, 2000". Billboard. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
  14. ↑ "Hot 100 Week of December 9, 2000". Billboard. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
  15. ↑ "Hot 100 Week of December 16, 2000". Billboard. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
  16. ↑ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks Week of December 9, 2000". Billboard. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
  17. ↑ "Australia Top 50 Singles". australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
  18. ↑ "Australia Top 50 Singles". australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
  19. ↑ "Australia Top 50 Singles". australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
  20. ↑ "Dutch Top 100 Singles". dutchcharts.nl. Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
  21. ↑ "Dutch Top 100 Singles". dutchcharts.nl. Archived from the original on October 13, 2011. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
  22. ↑ "New Zealand Top 40". charts.nz. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
  23. ↑ "UK Top 75". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
  24. 1 2 3 4 5 Adejobi, Alicia (July 26, 2020). "Singer Mya admits filming Case of the Ex video was 'hell' after wardrobe malfunction left her bleeding". Metro.co.uk. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  25. 1 2 3 4 Fuchs, Cynthia. "Game Recognize Game". PopMatters. Archived from the original on October 22, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
  26. ↑ "Video Monitor". Billboard. July 8, 2000. p. 78.
  27. ↑ "Video Monitor". Billboard. August 5, 2000. p. 97.
  28. ↑ "Pop Beat: Mya, Britney Spears, 2GETHER, Spice Girls". MTV News. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  29. ↑ "Mya Today On BET". Mya Mya. Archived from the original on April 14, 2002. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
  30. ↑ "MYA performs on TRL Today! Awards". Mya Mya. Archived from the original on April 14, 2002. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
  31. ↑ "Tonight Show With Mya". Mya Mya. Archived from the original on November 21, 2000. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  32. ↑ "SOOOOOOUUUULLLL TRAIN!". Mya Mya. Archived from the original on November 21, 2000. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  33. ↑ "Fashionably Loud With Mya". Mya Mya. Archived from the original on November 17, 2001. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  34. ↑ "Mya Hails The Queen". Mya Mya. Archived from the original on November 17, 2001. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  35. ↑ "Jay-Z, Destiny's Child Performing At Soul Train Music Awards". MTV News. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
  36. ↑ "NEW MUSIC: IV Rox – Case of The Ex". Pardon My Blog. April 4, 2014. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
  37. 1 2 "New UK girl group, IV Rox release "Case Of The Ex" remix as debut single!". Flavour Mag. April 8, 2014. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
  38. ↑ "Imperfections". iTunes. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
  39. ↑ "XFactor 2014: Girl group IV ROX get standing ovation and make bootcamp". Telly Mix. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
  40. ↑ "From Janet to 'Sorry': A Music Video Herstory of the All-Girl Dance Routine". Out. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  41. ↑ "20 R&B Music Videos From 15 Years Ago That Taught Us How To Dance". Vh1. Archived from the original on February 23, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
  42. ↑ "6 Millennium Era Hits That Top 40 Needs to Sample". Pitchfork. August 10, 2017. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
  43. ↑ "The 100 Greatest Songs of 2000: Staff Picks". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
  44. ↑ "The 50 Best Songs of the Year 2000". Spin. September 25, 2020. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  45. ↑ "The 100 Greatest R&B Songs of the 21st Century". Rolling Stone. January 4, 2024. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  46. ↑ Case of the Ex (US CD single liner notes). Mýa. Interscope Records. 2000. 069497457-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  47. ↑ Case of the Ex (UK CD single liner notes). Mýa. Interscope Records. 2001. 497 477.2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  48. ↑ Case of the Ex (UK 12-inch single sleeve). Mýa. Interscope Records. 2001. 497 477-1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  49. ↑ Case of the Ex (UK cassette single sleeve). Mýa. Interscope Records. 2001. 497 477.4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  50. ↑ Case of the Ex (European CD single liner notes). Mýa. Interscope Records. 2000. 497 414-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  51. ↑ Case of the Ex (Australian CD single liner notes). Mýa. Interscope Records. 2001. 497 415-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  52. ↑ Fear of Flying (Media notes). University Music Entertainment, Interscope Records. 2000.
  53. ↑ "Mýa – Case of the Ex". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  54. ↑ "Issue 576" ARIA Top 40 Urban Singles. National Library of Australia. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  55. ↑ "Mýa – Case of the Ex" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  56. ↑ "Mýa – Case of the Ex" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  57. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 7292." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  58. ↑ "The Hits Chart". Jam!. Archived from the original on December 6, 2000. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
  59. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 18, no. 8. February 17, 2001. p. 8. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
  60. ↑ "Mýa – Case of the Ex" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  61. ↑ "Mýa – Case of the Ex" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  62. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Case of the Ex". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
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  73. ↑ "Mya Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  74. ↑ "Mya Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
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  81. ↑ "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2001". ARIA. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
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  89. ↑ "Most-Played Rhythmic Top 40 Songs of 2001" (PDF). Airplay Monitor. Vol. 9, no. 51. December 21, 2001. p. 48. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  90. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2001 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
  91. ↑ "British single certifications – Mya – Case of the Ex". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
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  94. ↑ "Case of the Ex". AllMusic. August 28, 2000. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  95. ↑ "Impact Dates" (PDF). Gavin Report. September 15, 2000. p. 10.
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