Capitol Records, and they do not expect to release the music, particularly the number one and re-entered the Hot 100 history, but a decision, "Perry, and love for music, his ear-catching hook and come to a clear track record of success, reaching the pop radio." [1] EMI Music / Capitol Records EVP / Marketing and promotion Greg Thompson told Billboard that, "if it is No. 1, that is, if you will, and we still have a song Katy fourth quarter of the radio", perhaps for the Christmas season was a teenager I and sales boosting. Label servicing, "that I have elsewhere," September 28, 2011, noon ET on the U.S. mainstream Top 40 station.
September 28, 2011 at, Katy Perry TwitPic via the word "elsewhere in the government ... It is not a single artwork with a picture !!!", happening, Tweet. Looking up at the sky with a pink-haired Perry artwork shows a disk - shaped hat wearing. Send a strange nod to the 1970s, with its distinctively retro look. Amy Sciarretto PopCrush of a Perry commented that the artwork shows the "deep-thinking, and one that did not seem to get away from it.
Following the release and success of Rihanna's previous studio album, Loud (2010), the singer revealed via Twitter that the album would be re-issued with new songs and released in Fall 2011, writing that "[t]he [Loud era] continues with more new music to add to [your] collection".[1][2] In September 2011, Rihanna took to Twitter to confirm that plans for a re-issue of Loud had been scrapped, with the singer tweeting "I [thought about] a [re-release], but LOUD is its own body of work! Plus [you] guys work so [fucking] hard that [you] deserve to act brand new".[3] On September 19, 2011, Rihanna further provoked excitement amongst her followers on twitter when the singer posted that she was listening to the song, only to be re-tweeted by Harris, who replied "Sometimes it feels like we find love in the most hopeless place", suggesting that his response contained possible lyrics from the song.[4] In an interview with Capital FM radio, Harris explained that followers of Rihanna on twitter had sent messages to him regarding their expectations of the song, saying "The song better not be rubbish", which Harris interpreted as slightly threatening, but went on to say that "it's all part of the fun".[5] "We Found Love" premiered in the United Kingdom on September 22, 2011, on Capital FM radio,[6] and was sent for mainstream adds on October 11, 2011.[4][7][8] The song was released via iTunes on September 22, 2011.[9] The song was produced by Scottish singer-songwriter Calvin Harris.[10][11]
Artwork
The artwork for "We Found Love" was released by Rihanna's official Facebook page on September 22, 2011.[12] Grady Smith of Entertainment Weekly's The Music Mix criticized the song's artwork, writing "'We found love in a hopeless place,' Rihanna repeats over a David Guetta-ish synth beat. But judging by the single cover, her place doesn't look too hopeless, does it? Maybe there's a building on fire outside the frame, and that fire hydrant doesn't work. I guess that would be hopeless."[13] A reviewer for Sugar Magazine wrote that "On anyone else this would be a pretty odd look but Rihanna somehow makes a denim overload look good".[14] A reviewer for Neon Limelight commented that Rihanna appeared to be adopting a tomboy image for the new project, writing, "She really is going for that sexy tomboy look this album era it seems; remember the laid back look she rocked on the single's cover art?".[15] A remix of We Found Love has surfaced featuring U.K. rapper/grime artist Wiley, It has not been confirmed if his assistance to the remix is official or not.
"We Found Love" is an electro house and dance-pop song.[16][17] It also displays elements of europop, pop, techno[18] and trance music.[19] Glen Gamboa ofNewsday described "We Found Love" as being the mainstream version of dubstep.[20] According to the digital music sheet published at musicnotes.com, the song is written in the key of G♭ major and it is set at a groove of 120 beats per minute.[21] The instrumentation of "We Found Love" consists of alarm bells, akeyboard,[19] repetitive pumped-up synthesizers and 4/4 beats.[22][23] It also makes use of bleeps, bloops, whoosh noises,[18] electronic loops and complicated rhythms.[20]
Rihanna's vocal range in the song spans one octave, from the lower note of C♯4 to the higher note of C♯5.[21] Priya Elan of NME commented that Rihanna sounds "extremely relaxed"[19] and Bill Lamb of About.com wrote that her vocals are simple and unaffected.[17] Leah Collins of The Vancouver Sun wrote that Rihanna's vocals on "We Found Love" were similar to her own ones on "Fly".[23] According to Elan, the keyboard work in the song bears resemblance to that in from "Only Girl (In the World)" and the melody is similar to that of "Complicated", a track taken from Rihanna's own 2010 studio album Loud.[19] Similarly, Michael Cragg of The Guardian noted that "We Found Love" is in the same vein as "Only Girl (In the World)", with regard to its dance beat.[24]
The lyrical content of the song is spare and largely revolves around Rihanna chanting, "We found love in a hopeless place".[20] Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone described it as "half-baked romantic".[22] Rihanna sings about finding love in a hopeless place.[25] Rihanna starts the song in a falsetto airy voice as she sings, "Yellow diamonds in the light / And we’re standing side by side / As your shadow crosses mine / What it takes to come alive."[25] The chorus of the song is essentially built on the hook line,[17] "We found love in a hopeless place".[16] Michael Cragg commented that the first chorus is almost being sidelined in favor of a large chunk of Harris's riff, before they join on the second chorus.[24] The hook repeatedly rings throughout the song.[25] In the second verse, she sings: "Shine a light through an open door / Love and life I will divide / Turn away cause I need you more / Feel the heartbeat in my mind / It’s the way I’m feeling I just can’t deny / But I’ve gotta let it go".[26]
Critical reception
The song was met with a mixed response by music critics who were generally polarizing critics with the simplified lyrical content. A reviewer for Instinct magazine praised the song, writing that "We Found Love" does not mark a departure from the dance-floor oriented material Rihanna debuted on Loud, but it certainly boasts "a higher-energy, peak-hour vibe".[27] Similarly, Michael Cragg of The Guardian commented that the song takes the dance direction Rihanna hinted at on "Only Girl (In the World)" and continues releasing similar songs, making reference to "We Found Love".[24]
Cragg also likened the song to Leona Lewis's recent single, "Collide", but criticized the song's structure, writing "[it] is slightly odd".[24] He ended his review, writing, "Either way, she could have recited Nick Clegg's conference speech from Wednesday over the sound of Harris cracking his knuckles and it would be a hit."[24] Describing "We Found Love" as "a club anthem in the broadest sense", Glen Gamboa of Newsday also compared the song is more a more streamlined, mainstream version of dubstep than the material Harris is known for producing for Kylie Minogue.[20]
Priya Elan of NME started by a negative comment, "By now it's pretty customary to have a jaw-on-the-floor reaction to the first single from a Rihanna album. 'Pon De Replay', 'SOS', 'Umbrella','Russian Roulette','Only Girl In The World'."[19] Despite complimenting Rihanna for sounding extremely relaxed and calling her vocal as "luxurious calling to mind the atmosphere", Elan concluded that the over-all effect is underwhelming.[19] She continued by writing that instead of re-inventing the pop wheel, "We Found Love" has "a whiff of treading-water about it" and that "if there is a 'goosebump' moment to be had it comes after many multiple plays and, dare we say it, a glass of something strong."[19] Awarding "We Found Love" two stars out of five, Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone was critical, writing that it "is much ado about very little indeed" and that is "an insipid tune". She concluded: "[Rihanna] repeats ['We found love in a hopeless place'] approximately 350 times, hoping it will start to mean something. It's the worst single of Rihanna’s career. It will probably top the Hot 100 anyway.[22]
Amanda Dobbins of New York magazine praised the composition of the song, writing "Harris's electro fingerprints are all over this one — it plays like a straight house track, with some dreamy Rihanna vocals added in over the beat."[28] Robbie Daw of Idolator commented on the song's lyrics, with particular emphasis on the line "We found love in a hopeless place", writing that it is possibly the best lyric in pop music so far in 2011.[29] Scott Shelter of PopCrush wrote that "We Found Love" is danceable but feels much brighter than a typical club banger.[26] Leah Collins of The Vancouver Sun initially praised Rihanna's vocal performance in the song, writing that she "smoothes out her vocals", before adding, "Angelic as she sounds, though, [her] performance -- which is mostly just her repeating the line 'We found love in a hopeless place' -- seems to take second place to Harris' repetitive synth-based blare."[23] Similarly, Amos Barshad of Grantland criticized the singer's vocal performance, calling it "a complete afterthought" before concluding, "People who regularly attend the Electric Zoo festival: Rihanna wants your money
Australasia
"We Found Love" made its chart debut on the New Zealand Singles Charts on September 26, 2011, at number 14,[31] and song rose to number two in its second week on the chart.[31] The song fell by one position to number three in its third week, however, in its fifth week it rose to number one.[31] The song has since been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand, denoting shipments of 7,500 copies.[32] In Australia, "We Found Love" debuted on the Australian Singles Chart on October 9, 2011, at number three.[33] In its second week on the chart, "We Found Love" fell to number four, but peaked at number two in its third week.[33] By December 2011, the song had been certified triple-platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association, denoting shipments of 210,000 copies.[34]
North America
With "We Found Love" becoming Rihanna's eleventh number-one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, the singer is tied with Whitney Houston in third place amongst females with the most number one singles on the chart, behind Madonna (12) and Mariah Carey (18).
In the United States, the song debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart on September 28, 2011, at number 16.[35] "We Found Love" became the singer's second highest debut on the chart out of her thirty-one Hot 100 chart entries,[35] with the highest being Rihanna's collaboration with Eminem, "Love the Way You Lie", which debuted at number two on July 10, 2010.[35] The following week, "We Found Love" rose to number nine, giving Rihanna the record for a solo artist to have amassed twenty top-ten singles in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the shortest amount of time, in a time span of six years and four months, surpassing the record previously held by Madonna, who managed to attain twenty top-ten singles in a time span of six years and nine months.[36] In its third week on the chart, "We Found Love" rose from number nine to number seven on the Hot 100[37] and rose again to number six in its fourth week.[38] In its fifth week on the chart, the song rose to number two, being barred by Adele's "Someone Like You".[39] In its sixth week, "We Found Love" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, giving Rihanna her eleventh number-one single on the chart.[40] With "We Found Love" becoming the singer's eleventh chart topper on the Hot 100, Rihanna has become only the seventh artist in the 53-year history of the chart to amass at least eleven number-one singles,[40] behind The Beatles (20), Mariah Carey (18), Michael Jackson (13), Madonna (12), The Supremes (12) and tying withWhitney Houston, who has also achieved eleven number-one singles.[40] Additionally, Rihanna moves into third place, tied with Houston, for the female artist with the most number-one singles, behind Carey and Madonna.[40] "We Found Love" has spent seven consecutive weeks at the top of the BillboardHot 100, tying with "Umbrella" as Rihanna's longest number one single.[41] As of December 2011, the song has sold 2,251,000 copies in the United States.[42]
"We Found Love" debuted at number seven on the US Hot Digital Songs chart, with digital download sales of 117,000 after only four days according to Nielsen SoundScan.[35] In its fifth week, the song rose to number one, with sales of 231,000 copies, giving Rihanna her eleventh number-one song on the chart, further extending her record.[43] The song spent a second week at number one on the chart, with sales of 243,000 copies, bringing total sales to 1,057,000 copies sold, marking Rihanna's twentieth download to reach the million-selling milestone, extending her record for the most such downloads among women.[40] On October 12, 2011, the song debuted at number 39 on the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart and also debuted at number 21 on the Pop Songs chart.[44] It has reached number one on the Hot Dance Club Songschart and as high as number seven on Pop Songs.[45] On November 16, 2011, "We Found Love" debuted at number 41 on the US Latin Pop Songs chart.[46] The song debuted on the Canadian Hot 100 chart at number ten and rose to four the next week
An accompanying music video for the song was directed by Jake Nava and it was filmed in Paris, France. The video showed Adele walking alone through the streets with a sad look on her face. Critics praised the video for being simple and perfect for the sound of the song. Adele performed the song on several award and television shows including the 2011 BRIT Awards, 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. She additionally added the song on the set list of her second tour Adele Live. The live performances of the song were heavily praised by music critics and fans.
On 30 November 2011, "Someone Like You" received one Grammy Award nomination, in pop category, for "Best Pop Vocal Performance Solo"
"Someone Like You" was written and produced by Adele and American songwriter and producer Dan Wilson.[2] It was one of the last written for 21.[2] The track, which epitomizes the lyrical content of 21, summarizes the now defunct relationship that the record is all about.[3] Adele has openly discussed the genesis of it saying, "Well, I wrote that song because I was exhausted from being such a bitch, with 'Rolling in the Deep' or 'Rumour Has It' ... I was really emotionally drained from the way I was portraying him, because even though I'm very bitter and regret some parts of it, he's still the most important person that's ever been in my life, and 'Someone Like You,' I had to write it to feel OK with myself and OK with the two years I spent with him. And when I did it, I felt so freed."[4]
Adele had said that it was written on her acoustic guitar, quickly, in the wake of the break-up of her 18 month relationship with the 30-year old man she thought she would marry. A few months after their split, he had gotten engaged to someone else. "We were so intense I thought we would get married. But that was something he never wanted ...So when I found out he does want that with someone else, it was just the horrible-est feeling ever. But after I wrote it, I felt more at peace. It set me free ... I didn't think it would resonate ... with the world! I'm never gonna write a song like that again. I think that's the song I'll be known for."[5] She also said that "I wrote that song on the end of my bed. I had a cold. I was waiting for my bath to run. I'd found out that he'd got engaged to someone else."[6]
Adele revealed that she was struggling emotionally when she composed it: "When I was writing it I was feeling pretty miserable and pretty lonely, which I guess kind of contradicts 'Rolling in the Deep'. Whereas that was about me saying, 'I'm going to be fine without you', this is me on my knees really."[3] She discussed further the inspiration of the song: "I can imagine being about 40 and looking for him again, only to turn up and find that he's settled with a beautiful wife and beautiful kids and he's completely happy... and I'm still on my own. The song's about that and I'm scared at the thought of that
Adele collaborated with famed musician and producer Dan Wilson on "Someone Like You" which was one of the final songs composed for the album. Prior to meeting with Wilson, Adele wrote many of the lyrics using her acoustic guitar.[8] The two sat around the piano for two days and brainstormed various melodies and lyrics, and ultimately decided to keep the musical production sparse: "We just wrote it on the piano and then we recorded it when it was written. It wasn't sort of like recording it and listening to it thinking 'where can we go next?' It was really old school."[8] During an interview with Billboard, Wilson stated that while writing the song, they wanted to make it as personal as possible.[9] He added "We didn't try to make it open-ended so it could apply to 'anybody.' We tried to make it as personal as possible. She may not have had a melodic hook or a specific lyrical idea, but she always knew what she wanted to say. She definitely had a master plan."[9] The song was recorded at Harmony Studios in West Hollywood, California with Wilson playing piano.[2] The mixing was done by Tom Elmhirst and Dan Parry while the mastering was finished by Tom Coyne.[2]
According to sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Sony Music Publishing, "Someone Like You" has a slow tempo of 67 beats per minute.[1] Written in common time, the song is in the key of A major.[1] Adele's vocal range spans from F#3 to E5 during the song.[1] A slow, plaintive ballad pairing Adele's voice with a looping piano line, "Someone Like You" is the lyrical opposite of "Rolling in the Deep"[10] on which the singer narrates coming to terms with the end of the relationship:[10] "Nevermind, I'll find someone like you/I wish nothing but the best for you, too/Don't forget me, I beg/I'll remember you said/Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead." According to Sean Fennessey of The Village Voice, the singer's "nuanced"[11] voice goes up a full octave and "into a near-shrieked whisper" as she sings parts of the chorus.[11] However, she "rebounds and gathers herself", and her voice descends into its fuller and more melancholy state.[11] Critics praised its introspective lyrics and maturity.[12][13] "Someone Like You" has been compared to the song "Hometown Glory" (2008) from the album 19.[12] John Murphy of MusicOMH said that the song "casts Adele as the spurned lover, turning up outside her ex's house, now moved on and settled down, begging for a second chance."[14] According to Aamir Yaqub of Soul Culture, "Talking of a lost love, this an extremely touching track with a vocal performance that makes the narrative almost tangible ... It really captures the experience of the story and puts it across in both a credible and incredible fashion."[15] Camreon Adams of Herald Sun called the song a "spine-tingling sparse piano ballad
The song has received general critical acclaim from a wide variety of publications, and has been viewed as a highlight of 21. In a track-by-track review for 21, Joanne Dorken of MTV UK noted the track's placement at the end of the album saying, "It maybe a cliché, but Adele has saved the best until last with this heartfelt and enchanting piano ballad. ... It's sad but beautiful and displays Adele at her best – marking the perfect end to what has been in our eyes, a faultless album."[12] Will Dean of The Guardian claimed the song was the album's "highlight", characterizing it as "gorgeous".[22] That was somehow echoed by Slant Magazine's Matthew Cole who also called the song "gorgeous".[23] NME's Parkin Chris also marked the song as a highlight, describing it as "surprisingly weighty" and comparing it favorably to the work of American Country blues singer Karen Dalton.[24]
Tom Breihan of Pitchfork Media selected "Someone Like You" as a song of the day, claiming it served as a reaffirmation of popular music: "Sometimes, pop music can still break your heart."[13] Writing for BBC Online, Ian Wade noted that the "final track Someone Like You, just voice and piano, is an actual thing of beauty, placing the listener in one of those moments where you feel you're in the presence of a future standard."[25] Bill Lamb of About.com wrote that "the piano melody is gorgeous and combined with Adele's heartfelt reading of her words, the effect is highly emotional. You can imagine it being both honked through by talent show contestants and transcended by veterans alike."[26] Lamb went to write that the song is one of the "top songs of 2011" and that "romantic pain has rarely been so utterly beautiful."[26] Jer Fairall of PopMatters called the song an "absolute magic" and praised Adele's performance by saying, "Though it is unquestionably her finest vocal showcase to date, it is less remarkable for its more powerful moments than for the small ones where her voice dips, with rueful melancholy on the line 'I heard that your dreams came true' or cracks on the 'I beg' in the chorus, like she's startled at the revelation of her own vulnerability."[21] He further called her vocal performance of the song "stunning" and "finally worthy of her talents".[21]
Writing for the website No Ripcord, Gary McGinley said that the song "has an aching beauty and the hallmarks of a modern standard."[27] He further added that it "sounds poised to soundtrack atmospheric TV trailers over the coming months."[27] A writer of URB magazine called "Someone Like You" "a heart-wrencher made all the more real by reeling phrasing and bare-voiced pleading, 'I wish nothing but the best for you, too.'"[28] John Murphy of MusicOMH categorized "Someone Like You" and "Turning Tables" as "the two best songs on the album."[14] He concluded that the song was "desperately sad and utterly, utterly gorgeous."[14] Bary Walters of Spin wrote that on "the piano-led finale, she vows, 'I'll find someone like you,' as if that's progress. It's a statement that's utterly WTF and yet true to the cyclical nature of psychological damage."[29] Sputnikmusic's Joseph Viney called the song "an ode to stalking with a perverse attitude that lies underneath the fragile composition, looks set to become the soundtrack to a million messy break-ups."[30] Allison Stewart of The Washington Post put the song on her list "Recommended tracks".[31]
At the 2011 Q Awards, "Someone Like You" was nominated in the category for Best Track.[32] The song was also nominated in the category for Best Song at the 2011 Music of Black Origin Awards.[33] "Someone Like You" is currently nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Pop Solo Performance at the 54th Grammy Awards, which will be held on 12 February 2012
Chart performance
"Someone Like You" has achieved commercial success by topping the charts in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as reaching the top ten in many other countries. The song debuted at number 36 on the UK Singles Chart in late-January 2011 due to strong digital downloads from 21. Following a live performance of the song at the 2011 BRIT Awards, it climbed 46 places from the previous week to number one, beating Lady Gaga's single "Born This Way" (2011), although it was at number 18 on the mid-week chart update.[36] While "Someone Like You" was at number one on the chart, Adele's previous single, "Rolling in the Deep" was placed at number four.[36] With that achievement, Adele has become the first living artist since The Beatles in 1964 who simultaneously had two top five hits in both the charts (21 and 19 were also in the top five on the UK Albums Chart).[36][37][38] It stayed atop the chart for four consecutive weeks (selling upwards of 100,000 copies for three of them[citation needed]) before slipping to number two on 20 March.[39] Following a performance on Comic Relief,[40][41] "Someone Like You" returned to the number one spot on 27 March, hence becoming the first song to spend 5 weeks at the top of the UK Singles Chart since Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl" (2008).[citation needed] It has been certified Platinum by the BPI, denoting shipments of 600,000 copies.[42] It became the biggest selling single of 2011 in the United Kingdom selling over 1,000,000 copies as of 5 July 2011 and becoming the first single of the decade to do so.[43] The song also became the 16th song which sold more than 1,000,000 copies from the 2000s.[44] It is the third million seller by a UK female solo artist and the first by a UK female singer-songwriter.[citation needed] As of October 2011, current UK sales stand at 1,160,000 copies.[45]
The song debuted at number 47 on the Australian Singles Chart.[46] "Someone Like You" remained at the top position of the chart for seven consecutive weeks[46] and it was certified 4× Platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).[47] It has also peaked at number one in New Zealand for five weeks, ending an 11 week run at number one for "Party Rock Anthem".[48] The single sold 51,000 copies its first week in the US, debuting at number 65.[49] The single re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 97 on the week ending 30 July 2011.[50] Upon its radio release in the United States, and a surge in popularity following her performance at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, "Someone Like You" climbed 18 positions to number one from number 19, and became her second consecutive number-one single on the Hot 100 and making Adele the first ever British female singer to spawn two consecutive number one singles from the same album.[51][52] After the performance, "Someone Like You" moved from number 11 to number one on the Digital Songs chart with 275,000 downloads sold (191% increase), according to Nielsen SoundScan.[38][51] On Radio Songs, the track moved from number 42 to number 19 with 46 million all-format audience impressions (59% increase), according to Nielsen BDS.[51] The song made Hot 100 history by achieving the biggest jump to number 1 in the chart's 53-year history that was not spurred by the release of a single.[53] "Someone Like You" became the first strictly voice-and-piano ballad to top the Billboard Hot 100.[54] The song also became the first "unquestionably slow song" to top the Hot 100 chart since Rihanna's song, "Take a Bow" (2008).[55] It topped the chart for 1 week and then slipped from number 1 to number 2 being replaced by Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera's "Moves Like Jagger".[56] A few days the release of its video, on 6 October 2011, the song returned to number one again and spent more 4 weeks at the top.[57], where it was soon replaced by "We Found Love" by Rihanna. With "Rolling in the Deep" spending 7 weeks at number one and "Someone Like You" spending 5 weeks, Adele is the first female solo artist to log five weeks at #1 in a calendar year with two strictly solo recordings. Beyoncé, Monica and Mariah Carey also did it (in 2003, 1998 and 1995, respectively), if collaborations are included.[58] As of December 2011, it has sold over 3,264,000 downloads in the US alone.[59]
[edit] Music video
[edit] Background and synopsis
On 27 September 2011, it was reported that the music video for the song was already filmed in Paris, France and it was directed by English director Jake Nava.[60] Several black-and-white pictures which showed Adele "gazing out over a river against a cloudy backdrop" were also posted.[61] Later, the same day, MTV posted a 30-second preview of the video which showed Adele slowly walking on a road.[62] Talking about the video, Nava said, "The location evokes style and romance. And shooting early in the morning allows you to focus on Adele in this lonely and emotional space."[60][63] The video premiered on 29 September at 7:56 p.m. EST on MTV and Vevo.[7][60][64] The video begins with a shot of a road in Paris and Adele is seen walking on it alone. She continues to walk and starts singing the song with a sad look as the camera makes circles and shots more locations in Paris including the Eiffel Tower. During the second chorus, Adele stops singing and pauses on the (Pont Alexandre III to look over the Seine. She continues walking alone through the streets during the bridge before finally entering a building in which she sees her ex-lover.[65] After seeing her, he starts to walk away and several shots of Adele looking at him follow.
[edit] Reception
James Montgomery of MTV News called the video "a somber, black-and-white affair, featuring Adele wandering the early morning streets and pining for her long-lost love. It's a perfect match for the song's jaw-dropping emotional range—raw and unfiltered and incredibly sad but also, in a lot of ways, beautiful and resolute."[60] In another review of the video he praised its black-and-white shots saying that "director Jake Nava made the smart decision to shoot it in arty, smudgy black-and-white, which only adds to the clip's desolate, haunted feel."[7] He added that "there are no special effects, no camera tricks or elaborate choreography, because those are quick fixes" and called Adele the "Queen of Pain."[7] A writer of the website HitFix concluded that the video is "in keeping with the singer's subdued style" and added that its vibe fits with the "melancholy tune."[62] Entertainment Weekly's Tanner Stransky called the video "quiet" and said that "it's just what you'd want to see for this break-up heart-wrencher."[65] Krista Wick of Entertainment Tonight praised the video for being "more than enough to accompany Adele's soulful vocals."[66]
Amanda Dobbins of New York magazine concluded that "the secretly devastating video" for "Someone Like You" will remind Adele's ex-lover what he has done by leaving her.[67] A writer of The Huffington Post praised the simplicity and the sadness in the video.[68] Sarah Dean of the same publication called it an "uncomplicated, moving film" and wrote, "the video is nothing more than Adele wandering around the deserted city of love alone, under its grey skies, singing her sorrowful notes, but because it’s her, we don’t need any more."[69] That was somehow echoed by Jason Lipshutz of Billboard magazine who said that the video was "simply constructed as the song's vocal-and-piano arrangement."[70] Marc Hogan of Spin said that the scene in which Adele looks in the camera, "speak[s] for itself" about the sadness in the video.[71] Andrew Matson of The Seattle Times said, "the song of the year now has a simple, perfect video: Adele in Paris, singing and strolling, apparently processing the breakup detailed in the song's lyrics. The look on her face during the 'I wish nothing but the best for you' line is the best, just gutting, a real achievement how she plays it cold but not sarcastic. I think in times of emotional devastation, everyone wants stand on a bridge over the Seine on a cold day, squinting into the wind, sorting it out."[72]
A writer of Rolling Stone wrote: "this clip for the ballad 'Someone Like You' sticks to the singer's simple but emotionally direct approach with black and white footage that lingers on her subtly expressive face as she lip-synchs to the tune while walking along sad, grey city streets."[73] Andrea Devaro of Long Island Press concluded, "its simplicity beautifully portrays the complexity of emotions invoked in the song."[74] Leah Collins of Dose called Adele "'60s bombshell glam" and said that the video's "simplicity is its strength."[75] She added: "There's something about streetlamps, cafes and the River Seine that lend an air of melancholic elegance to what would otherwise be just another walk of shame by a girl with two-day-old hair. Not everyone gets to indulge in moments as tragic but beautiful as a weepy solitary walk through Paris landmarks. But then, we don't all have voices as tragic and beautiful as Adele's either."[75] A more mixed review was given by AOL's Ashley Percival who called the video predictable and added "It's all very pleasant, but after all this time, what's the point?".[76] Nicole Eggenberger of OK! wrote that Adele "created the perfect music video to go along with her hauntingly beautiful ballad" and further described it as "simple yet stunning."[77]
[edit] Live performances
Adele performing "Someone Like You" in 2011 during a concert in Seattle, Washington.
Adele performed "Someone Like You" for the first time in November 2010 on the BBC music show Later Live...with Jools Holland before the release of the album.[78] Later, she performed the song at the 2011 BRIT Awards held at The O2 Arena in London on 15 February 2011.[79] She appeared on stage backed just by her pianist while "special effects were limited to a shower of glitter and Adele’s own tears, as she almost broke down delivering her lovelorn plea to an ex-boyfriend" as stated by Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph.[80] Speaking on the ITV2 after show, Adele explained why she had cried at the end of the performance saying, "I was really emotional by the end because I'm quite overwhelmed by everything anyway, and then I had a vision of my ex, of him watching me at home and he's going to be laughing at me because he knows I'm crying because of him, with him thinking, 'Yep, she's still wrapped around my finger'. Then everyone stood up, so I was overwhelmed."[81] A writer of Daily Mirror said that "Adele stole the show [...] with her univerally-praised performance of Someone Like You."[79] Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph chose the song as a highlight on the show saying that Adele knocked "everyone for six with no bells and whistles, just a piano, her gorgeous voice and a monster song, Someone Like You."[82] Later, the song was performed during a VH1 special called "Unplugged".[83] Adele also performed the song at Jimmy Kimmel Live! on 24 February 2011.[84] The same day she performed "Someone Like You" on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.[85] She also performed the song on Later... with Jools Holland.[86]
The singer also performed the song at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards held at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on 28 August 2011.[87] After being introduced by American singer Katy Perry, Adele appeared in a black scalloped lace dress by Barbara Tfank,[88][89] and standing alone on the stage, only with her pianist behind her.[90] Her hair was pulled back and a signature ponytail draped over one shoulder she sang the song and "did vocal aerobics and dripped her soulful, sultry sound over the dark ballad, while a transfixed audience watched her" as stated by Kelley L. Carter of MTV.[90] After the performance she received a standing ovation from fans and critics.[91] According to USA Today's Cindy Clark she "captivated the audience with her powerful performance".[92] Wesley Case of The Baltimore Sun concluded, "Adele's 'Someone Like You' could make a tough guy weep. Her tone was gorgeous."[93] Rating the performance with A, Claire Suddath of Time magazine said "it's heartening to hear a truly talented woman sing a mournful torch song for someone who has left her for someone better. And if her stellar performance, accompanied by only a piano, isn't enough to melt your heart, then her nervous wave to the audience at the end definitely will."[94] A writer of Los Angeles Times called her vocals "strong and direct, and tackles grief by moving with the melody rather than trying to pummel it" and added that it was "less-is-more performance, a tactic award-show producers rarely indulge in, but Adele needs few adornments to impress."[95] A writer of Rolling Stone said that Adele brought a "big dollop of elegance to the VMAs with a spare, moving rendition of 'Someone Like You'" and added that "amid all the pop art glitz, it was a refreshing palate cleanser."[96]
Gina Sepre of E! Online praised the performance saying, "When Adele took the stage to perform her understatedly stripped-down and hugely impactful performance of 'Someone Like You,' there were no pyrotechnics, no acrobatics, no lavender hair, and no autotune. And guess what? We didn't miss it. There may be hope yet for MTV to remember just what the 'M' in their name actually stands for."[97] Writing about the performance, Chris Coplan of Consequence of Sound concluded that "Someone Like You", "highlighted the power a bare-bones, booming performance can have in netting people’s attention. Simple is not a bad word, pop music."[98] Giving the performance an A+, Lindsey Ward of Jam! said: "When I learned British chart-topper Adele would be performing at Sunday's awards I thought, 'Whew -- at least we're guaranteed five solid, meaningful minutes of quality music television'. I was right; her frill-free performance of breakup ballad Someone Like You was just that."[99] Kyle Anderson of Entertainment Weekly highlighted the performance calling it "one of the best performances of the show."[100] Another writer of the same publication gave the performance a grade of A+ and wrote: "It takes a real super power to make the seizure-inducing lasers stop, and that power's name is Adele. The broadcast temporarily abandoned its frantic mission of nonstop overstimulation, bowing to the 23-year-old English soulstress's soaring, nearly a cappella (well done, subtle piano man) rendition of her heart-wrecking ballad Someone Like You. In a modest black dress and with a few spare hand movements, she delivered all the shock and awe of a million-watt showstopper. Who needs special effects, when God gave you your own? Even Britney Spears looked like she had to fix her mascara when it was all over."[101]
"Someone Like You" was also added to the set list of the second concert tour by Adele, Adele Live, and it was performed during the encore.[18][102] While reviewing a concert by Adele, Joanne Dorken of MTV UK, said "There wasn't a dry eye in the house as Adele powered her way through the ballad, encouraging the audience to help her sing the somewhat beautiful, yet emotional chorus – giving everyone goosebumps. The sounds of Someone Like You bounced off every wall and tugged at every heart-string, making it a truly special moment and something that every member of the Apollo crowd will never forget."[102] Jim Harrington of San Jose Mercury News chose the song as a highlight on the show adding that the song showed "her supreme vocal talent."[103]
[edit] Cover versions
The song has been covered by multiple artists including Taio Cruz (left) and Katy Perry (right).
The song was also sampled by Young Money Entertainment rapper, Tyga, on his song "Reminded". Although Adele is credited as a featured artist, the sample was pitched up to fit the song's tempo.[104] Amber Riley, an American actress and singer posted a cover of the song on the Internet. After the cover, Adele sent her a "touching" e-mail.[105] In March 2011, English singer Connie Talbot sent a cover of the song on YouTube.[106][107] Jarett Wieselman of New York Post praised the cover saying that it contained "all the emotion despite none of the relevant life experience."[108] In March 2011, British singer Jamie Woon covered the song at BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge.[109] On 12 October 2011, American singer-songwriter Katy Perry mashed her song "The One That Got Away" (2011) with "Someone Like You" during her headline show at Motorpoint Arena Sheffield, Sheffield, England.[110] In November 2011, British rapper Taio Cruz, also covered the song.[111] According to Carly Costello of the website Artistdirect, "Cruz does a 'dynamite' job with the song. No Autotune. No studio treatment. No bells and whistles. Just simple, raw, unbridled emotion."[111] Amber Riley, Naya Rivera and Heather Morris sang a mash-up of "Someone Like You" and Adele's other song "Rumour Has It" (2011) during Glee's episode "Mash Off" which aired on 15 November.[112][113] However, the cover was posted online on 10 November.[114] Jenna Mullins of E! Online praised the cover saying that it will "knock your socks right off"[115] and a writer for OK! described it as "AMAZE-ing".[116] Erica Futterman of Rolling Stone noted that the cover was "one of the greatest things the show has done [so far]."[117] Similarly, Billboard's Raye Votta commented that the cover was "arguably the best performance 'Glee' has done since 'Don't Stop Believin''."[118] Their version of the song peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 while selling 160,000 digital downloads in its first week and became the fifth highest digital sales week by a Glee Cast single.[119][120] In Canada, the song made a "Hot Shot Debut" on the Canadian Hot 100 at number 12, selling 14,000 downloads.[121] The song peaked at #35 on the UK Singles Chart, the first Glee recording to make the UK top 40 since "I Feel Pretty / Unpretty".
[edit] Controversy and usage in media
The song was banned from being played in the Opus ii store in Dublin because the workers were tired of customers trying to play the song on their keyboards.[122][123] The workers put a sign on the store which stated "Strictly NO Adele".[124] A shop assistant said "It's become the piano equivalent of 'Stairway To Heaven'. Everyone thinks they can play it. The sign was a bit of a joke, but the song can drive you mad."[125] Joanna Corscadden, an assistant manager at the shop said: "It is a very popular song, and it gets played over and over again. You get sick of songs when you hear them so often. So after hearing the same song played about four to five times in about half an hour, one staff member put up a sign stating 'strictly no Adele'. We will remove it if people are genuinely offended by it but people are still entitled to play, and they are continuing to do so. They [customers] called us piano shop fascists but did not get the correct name of our shop."[126]
"Someone Like You" was used in several movies and soundtracks after its release.[80] The song was featured during the closing of the Grey's Anatomy episode "This is How We Do It."[127] It was also featured during the season 4 finale of Secret Diary of a Call Girl. The song also appeared on Australian drama, Winners & Losers on 14 June. The song was also included in the international soundtrack to Fina Estampa, a Brazilian telenovela. It was coverd by serbian superstar Mladen Bolt.
On 12 November 2011 during episode of American television network NBC's Saturday Night Live, an entire skit was dedicated to the song, parodying the strong emotion behind the song, and how women listen to it repeatedly when at their most sorrowful moment. The skit later also had the men "touched" by the song, and they too joined in the weeping with the women. A cutaway during the skit also displayed the members of the British band Coldplay, who was the episode's musical guest, weeping to the song
"One of the main reasons we were getting turned down [by labels] was because we didn't have enough Myspace friends," vocalist/guitarist Ryan Follese says of the band's early days. "It was like, 'Oh, you only have 30,000 Myspace friends. That's only 30,000 albums. I'm sorry.' We knew we needed to get the attention of a label that didn't care about that."
To say that Sony's now-defunct Jive Records didn't care about Internet buzz may be a stretch, but in 2008 the label did see something in the then-unknown act, and it wasn't its Myspace friends. Three years later, Hot Chelle Rae is far from an online nobody. With the band's sophomore set, "Whatever," set to arrive Nov. 29 on RCA, the Nashville pop act has more than 60,000 Twitter followers, 300,000-plus likes on Facebook, an American Music Award (AMA) for new artist of the year and, perhaps most important, a hit. Released in March, lead single "Tonight Tonight" peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 in August and has sold 2.3 million copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The video has racked up more than 21 million views on YouTube.
"'Tonight Tonight' was really all it took to change the trajectory into something more rapidly upwardly rising," says RCA VP of marketing Dan Mackta, who has worked with the band since its 2009 Jive debut, "Lovesick Electric" (20,000 units, according to SoundScan). "We had slowly and steadily been building for three years, and then we had a massive hit record over the summer. That changes the complexion of things considerably."
Formed in 2005, Hot Chelle Rae is no stranger to the industry. Follese and his brother Jamie (drums) are sons of songwriters Keith and Adrienne Follese ( Tim McGraw's "Something Like That," Faith Hill's "The Way You Love Me"); lead guitarist/vocalist Nash Overstreet is the son of singer/songwriter Paul Overstreet ("Daddy's Come Around," the Judds' "Love Can Build a Bridge"); and bassist Ian Keaggy's father, Phil, is a Grammy Award-nominated guitarist. "We're songwriters, not just a band," Ryan Follese says. "We grew up on the radio. We've always loved pop music. It's a genre we really love, and we wanted to touch that same audience."
In addition to "Tonight Tonight" and second single "I Like It Like That," which features New Boyz and is No. 25 on Billboard's Mainstream Top 40 airplay chart, the band fully explores its pop potential on the 11-track "Whatever"-tailor-made for a young demographic at radio. Producer Emanuel Kiriakou ( Clay Aiken, Backstreet Boys), songwriter Evan "Kidd" Bogart ( Beyoncé, Rihanna) and production/songwriting team S*A*M & Sluggo (Metro Station) contributed to the project.
With radio already onboard, Hot Chelle Rae is amping up its online presence: The video for "I Like it Like That" clocked more than 1 million views in the three days following its Oct. 7 Vevo debut, and the group has been active on Spotify, with ad placement targeting specific playlists.
The band performed Nov. 20 during the AMAs' preshow (the broadcast's only live performance) and picked up the Sprint new artist of the year award. TV appearances are also lined up for "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon," "Today" and "Live! With Regis and Kelly" during release week. On Dec. 9, Hot Chelle Rae will share a bill at New York's Madison Square Garden with Lady Gaga, Pitbull, Kelly Clarkson, David Guetta and others, as part of WHTZ New York's Jingle Ball. The group will also open for Taylor Swift in March during her arena tour of Australia. "This is going to be massive for them, and it's going to have an echo effect around the world," Mackta says of the tour.
Red Hot Chili Peppers have announced the first half-dozen dates over their 2012 world tour in support of their 10th studio album, "I'm With You."
The band's first large-scale U.S. tour since 2007 will kick off Jan. 25, 2012 in Charlotte, N.C. Tickets for the six shows go on sale on Saturday (Dec. 3).
"I'm With You," which follows the 2006 double-album "Stadium Arcadium," debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 albums chart upon its August release. Its second single, "Monarchy of Roses," rises to No. 23 on this week's Rock Songs chart.
Strictly smashes X Factor - again: ITV show has lost 3m viewers since last year
After feuds and fighting, the X Factor suffered another blow this weekend as it was again trounced in the ratings war by Strictly Come Dancing. The ITV show’s quarter-final on Saturday was watched by three million fewer viewers than last year. It attracted an average audience of 10million, peaking at 11.3million. But Strictly, its long-standing BBC rival, drew as many as 11.7million, with an average of 10.6million.
After releasing third album "/\/\ /\ Y /\" to mixed reviews last year, M.I.A. has been missing in action for most of 2011. However, the electro-dance artist confirmed a juicy collaboration for 2012 over the weekend by announcing that she was joining Madonna and Nicki Minaj in New York, presumably to contribute on Madge's in-the-works new album.
"Summond to NYC by bitchesses > MADONNA and @NICKIMINAJ," M.I.A. posted on Twitter on Saturday (Nov. 26). "cofffffiiiiiiieeeeeeeeee it iz a good day to get me tho trustttt bitches."
Madonna, Manager Respond to 'Give Me All Your Love' Single Leak
Earlier this month, the first taste of Madonna's follow-up to 2008's "Hard Candy," a demo of an uptempo single called "Give Me All Your Love," leaked in full online. Madonna responded to the leak by telling manager Guy Oseary, "My true fans wouldn't do this."
"The plan was for new music to come out in the new year, and yet someone leaked a demo version of a song yesterday. I'm very happy with the positive reaction to the demo, but we are very upset with whoever leaked the song!!!" Oseary posted on Twitter on Nov. 9. At that time, Oseary said that Madonna's new album would be completed "in the next month or so," and while rumors persist that the pop star will play the Super Bowl halftime show in February, the performance has yet to be confirmed.
For Minaj, a collaboration with Madonna and M.I.A. would cap off a year in which she added guest vocals to songs by David Guetta, Drake and Birdman, among others. Meanwhile, production duo the Cataracs (Far*East Movement's "Like a G6") confirmed to Billboard.com in April that they had been working with M.I.A. on new material, which they thought would be for "a mixtape, and she wants it to be like an album."
