Best Behaviour (N-Dubz song)

Following N-Dubz's signing with hip hop label Def Jam Recordings in the United States, the group penned "Best Behaviour" especially for their stateside launch. It was written by N-Dubz in collaboration with Mr Hudson,[1] and produced by Fazer and Dappy. The group had previously collaborated with Mr Hudson on their single "Playing with Fire" which won them a MOBO Award for 'Best Song'.[2] During the recording of the song, a snippet was played during the second episode of Being... N-Dubz.[3] A live performance of the song was then shown on the fifth episode of the show.[4] On 1 September 2010, N-Dubz announced that they had a new single, entitled "Best Behaviour" and that it will be released on 3 October 2010.[5] The radio edit of the song premiered on BBC Radio 1Xtra and BBC Radio 1 on 5 September 2010.[6] The release date was later pushed back to 17 October 2010.[7] On 25 September 2010, the single was made available for pre-order.[8]

Fans originally thought the song was titled "Love Is All I Need" before being corrected by N-Dubz themselves who clarified that the track is actually called "Best Behaviour".[9] Tulisa originally stated that the song was the title track for their third studio album.[10] The album, however, was later titled Love.Live.Life.[11] Dappy revealed that the lyrics "Gonna be on my best behaviour," and "How long before you save me baby" on the song were written with his girlfriend, Kaye Vassell, in mind.[12]

The video was filmed on 1 September 2010 with British music video producer Ben Peters in Provence, France. Peters stated that the main story behind the video was bling.[19] It was shot under a large budget of £75, 000,[20] with sixteen-hour days over two days spent filming scenes at a number of locations,[21] including: a disused airfield, a hillside villa and a yacht moored off St. Tropez. On set photographs from the shoot were then released via the group's Twitter on 3 September.[22] The video premiered on British music television channels on 8 September 2010.[23] An extended version of the video was later released.[24] As of 14 October 2010, the music video had over a two million views on YouTube alone.[25]

From left to right: Fazer, Tulisa and Dappy exiting a private jet with Louis Vuitton luggage in the extended version of the music video for "Best Behaviour".

The music video portrays how the group has been squashed flat by a touring lifestyle. It illustrates the group looking so battered that they are not sure which way is up.[14] The video involves a mournful disembarking from a private jet, lonely clattering around a house in the hills of Provence and wielding of Louis Vuitton luggage. In one scene, Dappy sings "When you gonna save me, baby?" while spreading his arms out wide and then crossing them over his chest. His on-screen love interest then dives into a swimming pool behind him and attempts to reach him through an aquarium-like diving glass wall.[19]

Dappy is seen wearing shorts, a vest, a high-school letterman-like jacket and shoes with no socks. His looks aims to portray a man sorely in need of someone in his life. Fazer has a dark ensemble on with a silk scarf hanging from his belt.[14] With regard to the men in the group sharpening up their image, Fazer stated that their new look substantiates how he and Dappy are "trying to grow up" and shed their previous image of a tracksuit-wearing group of grime-pop rebels.[26] Fraser McAlpine of the BBC Chart Blog positively reviewed the "glamorous" video saying he felt it was impressive how Peters used clothing to capture Dappy's fragile mental state.[14]