Significant Other is the second studio album by Limp Bizkit, released on June 22, 1999, through Flip and Interscope Records. It saw the band expand their sound from that of their 1997 debut Three Dollar Bill, Y’all to incorporate further metal and hip hop influences, but with a more melodic and less hardcore punk-influenced sound.
Significant Other received high commercial sales, peaking at number one on the US Billboard 200. The band’s distinctive sound and performance, which was thought to be an improvement over the band’s debut, received positive reviews from the critics. At least 16 million copies of the album have been sold worldwide.
Following the radio success of the band’s cover of George Michael‘s “Faith”, the band was determined to record the follow-up to their first album in order to show that they weren’t a “Korn ripoff” or a cover band; the band began writing an album which dealt with issues deriving from their newfound fame. Producer Terry Date, known for working with Pantera, White Zombie and Deftones, was chosen by Limp Bizkit to produce Significant Other. Guitarist Wes Borland stated of Date’s production:
“He doesn’t get overly involved at the ‘music’ end of things. He’s a producer who fools with sound and sonically makes everything perfect. He gets sounds that translate really well on tape and pretty much completely captures what we do, perfectly.”
The band immediately began recording after the conclusion of the Family Values Tour, despite the insistence of Interscope Records that the band take a break after it.
The album cover depicts a hooded microphone assassin (supposedly extra-terrestrial) donning Fred Durst’s notorious red Yankees cap and striking a mean pose. American artist Mear One created the cover by painting it on a wall as graffiti. A time-lapse video of the process is featured in the enhanced CD version of Significant Other.
Tracklist:
- Intro
- Just Like This
- Nookie
- Break Stuff
- Re-Arranged
- I’m Broke
- Nobody Like You (featuring Jonathan Davis and Scott Weiland)
- Don’t Go Off Wandering
- 9 Teen 90 Nine
- N 2 Gether Now (featuring Method Man) Clifford Smith, Durst, Chris Martin
- Trust?
- No Sex (featuring Aaron Lewis) Borland, Rivers Otto, Brendan O’Brien
- Show Me What You Got
- A Lesson Learned
- Outro (hidden track)
Limp Bizkit
Fred Durst: vocals, producer (tracks 1-9; 11-15)
Wes Borland: guitars, artwork, producer (tracks 1-9; 11-15)
DJ Lethal: turntables, keyboards, producer (tracks 1-9; 11-15)
John Otto: drums, producer (tracks 1-9; 11-15)
Sam Rivers: bass, producer (tracks 1-9; 11-15)
Additional musicians
Method Man: vocals on “N 2 Gether Now”
Les Claypool: spoken word on hidden track
Matt Pinfield: spoken word on hidden track
Anita Durst: guitar, vocals on hidden track
Mathematics
Scott Borland: keyboards
Jonathan Davis: vocals on “Nobody Like You”
Aaron Lewis: backing vocals on “No Sex”
Scott Weiland: backing vocals on “Nobody Like You”
Production
Terry Date: producer (tracks 1-9; 11-15), co-producer (track 10)
DJ Premier: producer (track 10)
Brendan O’Brien: mixing
Mear One: cover art
