Breathe

Produced by Dallas Austin and recorded during sessions for Blu Cantrell's second studio album 'Bittersweet', released in 2003, the track featured a guest verse from Sean Paul and was part of a deliberate effort to give Cantrell a more internationally accessible sound following the success of her debut. Released in 2003 on Arista Records, 'Breathe' became Blu Cantrell's biggest international hit, reaching number one in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and several other European markets, driven in large part by Sean Paul's contribution at the peak of his global commercial profile; the track significantly outperformed her US chart showing and cemented her reputation as a stronger commercial proposition in Europe than at home. The track remains a touchstone of early 2000s UK pop-R&B crossover and is frequently cited alongside other Sean Paul collaborations of the period as evidence of his remarkable ability to elevate featured singles to international chart success; it continues to appear in retrospective playlists of the era.