| "Laundromat" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Nivea | ||||
| from the album Nivea | ||||
| Released | January 21, 2003 | |||
| Studio | Rock Land (Chicago) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:25 | |||
| Label | Jive | |||
| Songwriter(s) | R. Kelly | |||
| Producer(s) | R. Kelly | |||
| Nivea singles chronology | ||||
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"Laundromat" is a song by American singer Nivea from her 2002 self-titled debut album. Jive released it in the UK as a double A-side single along with "Don't Mess With My Man" on April 28, 2003. R. Kelly wrote and produced "Laundromat", and performed some uncredited vocals on the recording, which is an R&B and pop track. It was recorded and mixed in Chicago, and was one of the last songs to be produced for the album. The track is structured as a telephone call in which Nivea breaks up with her boyfriend, who is played by Kelly. The lyrics use the laundromat as a metaphor for the washing away of an old relationship.
Critics praised Kelly for his contributions to the song. In the US, "Laundromat" peaked at number 58 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and at number 92 on the Billboard Year-End chart for Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The single received heavy airplay and appeared on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Billboard chart; journalists cited this success as evidence that Kelly's 2002 arrest for possessing child pornography did not hurt his career. "Laundromat" further reached number 33 on the UK Singles Chart, number 89 on the Scottish Singles Chart, and number 98 on the European Hot 100 Singles chart.
"Laundromat" was supported through live performances and a music video, although Nivea did not perform it with Kelly. The song's accompanying music video was filmed in a laundromat and includes Nick Cannon in Kelly's role. In 2013, Solange Knowles covered "Laundromat" in a laundromat; her performance was praised by critics, who enjoyed the song choice and the venue.