Nothin' on You

"Nothin' on You"
A picture of B.o.B standing up on the left of the image while laughing, with the words "B.o.B feat. Bruno Mars Nothin' on You" with capital font on the right of B.o.B
Single by B.o.B featuring Bruno Mars
from the album B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray
ReleasedDecember 15, 2009 (2009-12-15)
Recorded2009
Genre
Length
  • 4:29 (album version)
  • 3:42 (radio edit)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)The Smeezingtons
B.o.B singles chronology
"Nothin' on You"
(2009)
"Don't Go There"
(2010)
Bruno Mars singles chronology
"Nothin' on You"
(2009)
"Billionaire"
(2010)
Music video
"Nothin' on You" on YouTube

"Nothin' on You" is the debut single of both American rapper B.o.B and featured American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars. It is the lead single from the former's debut studio album, B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray (2010). It was first released on December 15, 2009, via digital download by Atlantic Records. The track was written by B.o.B, Mars, Philip Lawrence, and Ari Levine, with the latter three producing it as the Smeezingtons. "Nothin' on You" was initially written for Lupe Fiasco, but Atlantic Records' chairman, Craig Kallman, gave it to B.o.B after being displeased with Fiasco's version. The song took several months to finish and was born from a hummed melody by Mars and Lawrence.

"Nothin' on You" is a pop rap, R&B and Southern hip hop ballad. Some music critics praised its sweetness and positive vibe, while a few criticized Mars's performance. The song's main structure relies on a Jim Jonsin-helmed-beat. Lyrically, the record aims at a woman's heart by flattering and showing her she is unique. The single reached the number one position in some countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, the third and fifth spot in Australia and New Zealand, respectively, and the top ten in Canada. It was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and once by Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) and Music Canada (MC).

The music video, directed by Ethan Lader, with animation done by George Rausch, was filmed in Los Angeles. It features cutout animation, which takes multiple collages and taps them one over each other, in this case depicting various women. The video is interpolated with footage of the performers playing instruments along with Lawrence. The track has been covered by various recording artists and parodied by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It was nominated for Record of the Year, Best Rap Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 53rd Grammy Awards. The song was performed live at The Ellen DeGeneres Show and at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards. Both artists have promoted it during their respective several tours.