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"What's Left of Me"
Single by Nick Lachey
from the album What's Left of Me
Released	February 21, 2006
Recorded	2005
Genre	Soft rock
Length	4:05
Label	Jive Zomba
Songwriter(s)	Nick Lachey Jess Cates Emanuel Kiriakou Lindy Robbins
Producer(s)	Emanuel Kiriakou
Nick Lachey singles chronology
"This I Swear" (2003) "What's Left of Me" (2006) "I Can't Hate You Anymore" (2006)

"What's Left of Me" is a song co-written and recorded by American singer Nick Lachey. It was released on February 21, 2006, as the lead single from his second album, What's Left of Me. To date, it is Lachey's most successful single as a solo artist, reaching number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The song has also been recorded by Leandro Lopes, winner of the first season of Brazilian reality television show Ídolos, and was released as Lopes's first single.

Composition

"What's Left of Me" is a pop rock ballad that lasts for 4 minutes and 5 seconds. The song's instrumentation includes string instruments and guitars. Lyrically, the song expresses the pain of Lachey's divorce from his first wife Jessica Simpson since they separated in the previous year in 2005 and later divorced in June.

Track list

Digital download:

1. What's Left of Me (main version)

Europe CD single:

1. What's Left of Me (album version)
2. Don't Shut Me Out (bonus cut)
3. What's Left of Me (Passengerz remix)
4. What's Left of Me (Jack D. Elliott remix)

Music video

Lachey was documented on a MTV special that was aired on April 22, 2006, called "What's Left of Me". Following the special, a Making The Video was aired, covering the production process. The clip itself was premiered to the world at the end of the show. The video features Vanessa Minnillo (whom he would later marry), a former Miss Teen USA, and former Total Request Live VJ, who in the video clip presumably plays Jessica Simpson.

As the video progresses, objects from a house begin to disappear, such as a laptop computer, a stereo, some pictures, furniture, and products inside the fridge. At the end of the video, the wedding ring that Minnillo is wearing on a necklace also disappears, and seconds later Minnillo disappears before Nick's eyes. A final shot of Lachey standing on an empty house projects the theme of the song, and shows that there's nothing 'left of him'.

Many references to Lachey's personal life with Simpson are made: most specifically the wedding ring on the necklace disappearing, and the presence of a camera crew filming Lachey and Minnillo (a reference to Lachey's personal discomfort over the making of the show Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica).

Chart performance

"What's Left of Me" was one of the early successes of 2006. "What's Left of Me" debuted at No. 89 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and eventually reached a peak position of No. 6 becoming Lachey's highest-charting song as a solo artist. "What's Left of Me" remained on the Billboard Hot 100 for a total of twenty-five weeks. The song also performed well on other Billboard charts, including the Billboard Pop 100 where it reached a peak position of number 5. Thanks to the success of the single the album had an extremely strong debut at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 for the week of May 14, 2006. What's Left of Me sold 172,000 copies for that week, which was already a significant improvement upon the first week sales of his debut album, SoulO, which only sold 171,000 in total.

Leandro Lopes version

Background

In the same year of "What's Left of Me"'s original release, Sony BMG's executives chose for Leandro Lopes and Lucas Poletto, the two finalists of the first season of Ídolos, to record the song which was called "Deixo A Voz Me Levar" (Portuguese for "Let The Voice Carry Me"), in preparation for a single release as soon as the winner was announced.

Leandro and Lucas sang the song on July 27, 2006. Upon Leandro winning the competition, "Deixo A Voz Me Levar" was released on October 6, 2006, as the first single from his first album entitled Leandro Lopes: Por Você (English: Leandro Lopes: For You).

Music video

Filming of Leandro Lopes' first music video started around September 2006 in São Paulo, São Paulo. The video was directed by Pietro Sargentelli and first premiered on October 13, 2006, on MTV Brasil.

Track listings

• CD single

1. "Deixo A Voz Me Levar" – 3:09

References

1. "MTV What's Left of Me Special". MTV Special. By MTV. Perf. Nick Lachey. MTV. April 2006. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEH35LlceUM&feature=player_embedded#at=50
2. "Nick Lachey – What's Left of Me". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
3. "Nick Lachey – What's Left of Me" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
4. "Nick Lachey – What's Left of Me" (in Dutch). Ultratip.
5. "Nick Lachey Chart History (Canadian Digital Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
6. "Nick Lachey Chart History (Canada AC)". Billboard. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
7. "R&R Canada CHR/Pop Top 40" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1660. June 2, 2006. p. 24. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
8. "Nick Lachey Chart History (Canada CHR/Top 40)". Billboard. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
9. "R&R Canada Hot AC Top 40" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1668. July 28, 2006. p. 47. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
10. "Nick Lachey Chart History (Canada Hot AC)". Billboard. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
11. "Nick Lachey – What's Left of Me" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
12. "Chart Track: Week 5, 2007". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
13. "Tipparade-lijst van week 32, 2006" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
14. "Nick Lachey – What's Left of Me" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
15. "Nick Lachey – What's Left of Me". Top 40 Singles.
16. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
17. "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 200636 into search.
18. "Nick Lachey – What's Left of Me". Singles Top 100.
19. "Nick Lachey – What's Left of Me". Swiss Singles Chart.
20. "Nick Lachey: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
21. "Nick Lachey Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
22. "Nick Lachey Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
23. "Nick Lachey Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
24. "Nick Lachey Chart History (Dance Mix/Show Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
25. "Nick Lachey Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
26. "2006 Annual ARIA Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
27. "Årslista Singlar – 2006". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
28. "Hot 100 Songs - Year End 2006". Billboard. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
29. "Adult Contemporary Songs – Year-End 2006". Billboard. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
30. "Adult Pop Songs – Year-End 2006". Billboard. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
31. "Idol alumni, Leandro Lopes launches CD by Sony Records" (in Portuguese). Retrieved October 2, 2006.
32. "Leandro Lopes' music video debuts on MTV" (in Portuguese). Retrieved October 16, 2006.

• 2006 singles
• Music videos directed by Ray Kay
• Nick Lachey songs
• Songs written by Emanuel Kiriakou
• Songs written by Lindy Robbins
• Songs written by Nick Lachey
• Songs written by Jess Cates
• Pop ballads
• Rock ballads
• Songs about heartache
• 2000s ballads