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Knock You Down

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"Knock You Down"
Song

"Knock You Down" is the fourth U.S. single from Keri Hilson's debut album, In a Perfect World.... The song features rapper Kanye West and R&B singer Ne-Yo.

The music video for the song premiered on March 23, 2009, one day before the release of the album. The song will be released as the second single in the United Kingdom on 22 June 2009.[1]

The song is Hilson's highest charting single as a lead vocalist in the United States, so far peaking at #7 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, making it her 2nd top 10 single overall, after The Way I Are, with her associate (and musical mentor) Timbaland. It is also her first #1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

Song information

It was written by Nathaniel Hills, Marcella Araica, Kevin "KC" Cossom, Shaffer Smith, Keri Hilson and Kanye West. Like most of the songs on the album Keri Hilson made final amendments to the song before it was recorded. Danja executively produced the single. Hilson said that she had always wanted to work with Ne-Yo and Kanye West, and West's vocals were a last minute addition to the single.[2] It was confirmed on Hilson's official video blog album countdown.

The song has proven to be Hilson's most successful single worldwide, being her first single to enter the AIRA 50 chart and surpassing the peak of her song "Return the Favor" on the UK charts as well her highest charting single in Canada and the U.S.

Promotion

Hilson and West performed the song on May 4, 2009 on The Late Show with David Letterman.[3]

Critical reception

Chris Williams of Billboard magazine gave the song a positive review, says that this song will follow in the success of her previous single "Turnin' Me On" while commenting on the song's thumping bass-beat verses with a transition to a frenetic midtempo groove for the chorus, as Hilson sings about love's surprise punch. Williams also comments "With a vocal assist from Ne-Yo and a clever guest rap by Kanye West, it appears Hilson is intent on a knockout punch of her own."[4]

Tracy Garraud of Vibe magazine also gave the song a positive review, and called the song a beaming mid-tempo featuring Ne-Yo and Kanye West that pounds heavier than love at first sight.[5] Glenn Gamboa of Newsday commments on the songs bouncy synths and that Kanye West sets the mood off the top, rhyming before Hilson even starts singing.[6].

Digital Spy gave the song a mixed review commenting on the song: "First, the good news. 'Knock You Down', a midtempo Danja production built around a stabbing synth riff, sounds like a more obvious hit than 'Return The Favor'. Sadly, it also illustrates that Hilson's greatest blessing as a performer - her connections - can be a bit of a curse. Getting two R&B A-listers to appear on your track should be a real coup, but not when one's got a more distinctive voice than you and the other steals the show with some typically ballsy rapping."[7]

Sal Cinquemani of Slant gave the song a more negative review, commenting:

"Knock You Down" features a candy-sampled hook going unnoticed and yet another guest rap by Kanye West rhyming atop a thumping club beat. West's gasp-filled performance—marred by loud, ill-placed breaths—suggests he's been sprinting a little too quickly from studio to studio in an apparent effort to collect the most guest-spot checks in the industry, and the song's cheeky domestic abuse metaphor is, at best, poorly timed, but hey, it's already garnering airplay at urban radio, so who cares, right?[8]

Music video

The music video for "Knock You Down" was shot in Los Angeles, California with director Chris Robinson.

In the video's first scene Hilson is filmed free-falling in the bedroom of her apartment. The next scene follows her life with Kanye West playing her love interest, after which Ne-Yo takes over playing another love interest during his verses. The final part of the video features a split screen which on the left shows what is happening in the present when West sees Hilson making out with Ne-Yo while the right side of the screen relays the first part of the video in black and white. The final scene is a small confrontation between her two love interests and the video ends with Hilson's free-falling scene shown again. There are no specific dance routines featured in the video.

It was premiered on Access Granted on March 23, 2009. Nick Tershay of Diamond Supply Co. makes a cameo in the video during Kanye West's verse. San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman also makes a cameo.

On May 14, the video made its UK premiere on Channel Four and 4 Music, quickly soaring up video request charts and radio airplay.

Track listing

Promotional CD single
  1. "Knock You Down" (Radio edit) - 4:12
  2. "Knock You Down" (Main edit) - 4:13
  3. "Knock You Down" (Instrumental) - 4:08

Chart positions

Chart (2009) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[9] 7
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs[10] 1
U.S. Billboard Pop 100[11] 36
New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart[12] 1
UK Singles Chart[13] 12
UK R&B Chart[14] 5

Chart procession and succession

Preceded by New Zealand RIANZ singles chart number-one single
May 18, 2009 		Incumbent

Release history

Region Date Format Label
North America March 24, 2009 Digital download Interscope, Universal
Airplay
New Zealand Digital download, CD single
Universal
United Kingdom May 4, 2009 [15] Digital download
Polydor
June 22, 2009[16] CD single

References

  1. ^ http://www.amazon.co.uk/Knock-You-Down-Keri-Hilson/dp/B002BSQ4TU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1244054555&sr=8-2
  2. ^ http://www.rap-up.com/
  3. ^ http://www.rap-up.com/2009/05/05/video-keri-kanye-perform-on-letterman/
  4. ^ http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/reviews-singles/knock-you-down-not-listed-1003958670.story
  5. ^ http://www.vibe.com/music/revolutions/2009/03/keri_hilson_in_a_perfect_world/ 2009
  6. ^ http://www.newsday.com/news/columnists/ny-etdrops6080233mar24a,0,6697487.column
  7. ^ Digi: review keri's new single
  8. ^ http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/music_review.asp?ID=1684
  9. ^ http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.vnuArtistId=570704&model.vnuAlbumId=1181069
  10. ^ http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=367&cfgn=Singles&cfn=Hot+R%26amp%3BB%2FHip-Hop+Songs&ci=3107164&cdi=10165439&cid=04%2F04%2F2009
  11. ^ http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/charts/chart_display.jsp?f=Pop+100&pageNumber=Top+11-50&g=Singles
  12. ^ http://www.rianz.org.nz/rianz/chart.asp
  13. ^ http://acharts.us/uk_singles_top_75
  14. ^ "Top 40 RnB Singles: 24.05.2009". The Official Charts Company. BBC Radio 1. bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
  15. ^ http://www.amazon.co.uk/Knock-You-Down/dp/B0027UC77K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1244054555&sr=8-1
  16. ^ http://www.amazon.co.uk/Knock-You-Down-Keri-Hilson/dp/B002BSQ4TU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1244054555&sr=8-2

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