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Doesn't Mean Anything

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"Doesn't Mean Anything"
Song
B-side"Dreaming"

"Doesn't Mean Anything" is a song by American recording artist Alicia Keys. It was released as the lead single from her fourth studio album, The Element of Freedom (2009). Written and produced by Keys and longtime partner Kerry "Krucial" Brothers, the song is a delicate soul ballad which speaks about the importance of love against materialism and fake needs. Although it didn't experience success in the US, it managed to become Keys' seventh top ten hit on the UK Singles Chart and attained chart success in several territories.

Conception

Keys called the song as "very different—it almost feels like you're flying. It has that piano, heavy-drum feeling." She elaborated the song's meaning, saying, "You dream of having all these things, you dream of going all these places. But what's the point of doing that, having that, if the one you want to be there isn't with you?"[2]

Release and chart performance

The song was released through Keys' YouTube channel on September 22, 2009, after her performance at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards along Jay-Z, singing "Empire State of Mind".[3]

The single was released on the iTunes Store on September 22, 2009, and debuted on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs at number 32, making her highest debut on that chart,[citation needed] and has peaked at number 14.[4] It has also debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 61,[5] making it her highest debut since "No One", which debuted at number 71. It also appeared on the Canadian Hot 100 at number 66.[6] Although it had a higher debut than "No One", "Doesn't Mean Anything" failed to chart high on the Billboard Hot 100, unlike the lead single from her previous album. It is one of Keys' least successful singles to date in the United States and her second lowest peaking song on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Doesn't Mean Anything" was released on November 30, 2009 in the United Kingdom. Keys performed the song on The X Factor on November 29, 2009, with a medley of "Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down" and "No One". It debuted at number eight on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Keys highest-charting debut there since "Fallin'" in 2001, and her seventh top ten single in the UK. "Doesn't Mean Anything" peaked at number four on the UK R&B Singles Chart and has spent, so far, fourteen weeks on the UK Singles Chart.[7]

Critical reception

The song received positive reviews from the critics. Mariel Concepcion of Billboard magazine gave the song a positive review, commenting that "A truly confident woman lets herself be vulnerable at the right time" and compared favorably the song to Keys' previous hits 'No One' and 'Superwoman' by saying that "the comparisons are more than welcome, because—as Keys understands so well—everyone needs love, no matter how independent they may be."[8] Nick Levine of Digital Spy gave the song a favorable review, saying that "the production is classic and gimmick-free, the chorus has the same timeless feel that turned 'No One' and 'If I Ain't Got You' into modern standards, and the whole thing oozes class the way a ripe brie oozes cheesey goodness" and then adding "the words 'classic' and 'timeless' apply to the lyrics too."[9]

Music video

The music video for "Doesn't Mean Anything" was filmed on September 27–28, 2009.[10][11] It was directed by P. R. Brown.[5] The video was released on October 19, 2009.[12]

The music video begins with Keys walking onto the balcony of her apartment, looking out at the city uttering the words, "This beautiful city feels empty. All the people in the world and you can still feel lonely. What's the point of having it all without the person you love. Sometimes you just need to start again in order to fly." The song then starts to play, with Keys playing the piano in her apartment, and also scenes of her sitting on the couch, and looking out of the window at the sunset. Various objects around the apartment then start to disappear, including a photograph on the piano of her and her lover. The scene then changes once her surroundings have all eventually disappeared, showing Keys in a new outfit, in the middle of a desert-like setting, with her piano. She is then seen to walk up the path she is on, eventually leading to a mountain. Keys then climbs the mountain, and once she has reached the top, looks out at the landscape surrounding her.

In the behind the scenes of the video, Keys explained the representation of the mountain climb scene, "Because we all have mountains to climb in our life you know? And you can reach the top, you can climb and you can make it. And as you observe the landscape, the question is 'Are you gonna fly or are you gonna fall?'. And I'm gonna fly, and we all gonna fly"

The video ranked at #42 on BET's Notarized: Top 100 Videos of 2009 countdown.

Track listing

U.S. promo CD single
  1. "Doesn't Mean Anything" (radio edit) – 3:53
  2. "Doesn't Mean Anything" (main version) – 4:36
  3. "Doesn't Mean Anything" (instrumental) – 4:38
  4. "Dreaming" – 4:26

Charts

Chart (2009) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[13] 96
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[14] 15
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[15] 10
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[16] 22
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[17] 66
Czech Republic (Rádio – Top 100)[18] 31
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[19] 43
European Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[20] 10
France Download (SNEP)[21] 17
songid field is MANDATORY FOR GERMAN CHARTS 8
YEAR AND WEEK MANDATORY FIELDS FOR IRISH CHARTS 34
Italy (FIMI)[22] 12
Japan (Japan Hot 100)[23] 3
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[24] 22
Slovakia (Rádio Top 100)[25] 31
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[26] 22
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[27] 5
UK Singles (OCC)[28] 8
US Billboard Hot 100[29] 60
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[30] 14

References

  1. ^ "Radio1 - UK Forthcoming Singles". Radio1.gr. Retrieved 2009-12-09.
  2. ^ Vena, Jocelyn (2009-10-09). "Alicia Keys to Release The Element of Freedom in December". MTV News. Retrieved 2009-10-16.
  3. ^ Vozick-Levinson, Simon (2009-09-15). "Alicia Keys' 'Doesn't Mean Anything' hits the Web: Hear it here". Entertainment Weekly. Time. Retrieved 2009-10-16.
  4. ^ "Top Hip-Hop and R&B Songs & Singles Charts". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. Retrieved 2009-10-16.
  5. ^ a b Concepcion, Mariel (2009-10-09). "Alicia Keys Reveals 'Freedom' Details". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. Retrieved 2009-10-10.
  6. ^ Retrieved in October 22, 2009
  7. ^ http://www.chartstats.com/songinfo.php?id=34669
  8. ^ http://www.billboard.com/#/news/alicia-keys-doesn-t-mean-a-thing-1004016188.story
  9. ^ "Music — The Sound — Alicia Keys, it's great to have you back". Digital Spy. 2009-09-25. Retrieved 2009-10-31.
  10. ^ "On The Set: Alicia Keys "Doesn't Mean Anything" Video". Rap Radar. 2009-09-28. Retrieved 2009-10-31.
  11. ^ "On The Set Vol. 2: Alicia Keys "Doesn't Mean Anything" Video". Rap Radar. 2009-09-28. Retrieved 2009-10-31.
  12. ^ "Video: Alicia Keys – 'Doesn't Mean Anything'". Rap-Up.com. 2009-10-19. Retrieved 2009-12-09.
  13. ^ "Alicia Keys – Doesn't Mean Anything". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  14. ^ "Alicia Keys – Doesn't Mean Anything" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  15. ^ "Alicia Keys – Doesn't Mean Anything" (in Dutch). Ultratip.
  16. ^ "Alicia Keys – Doesn't Mean Anything" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  17. ^ "Alicia Keys Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard.
  18. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 01. týden 2010 in the date selector.
  19. ^ "Alicia Keys – Doesn't Mean Anything" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  20. ^ "Alicia Keys – Chart Search" Billboard European Hot 100 Singles for Alicia Keys. [dead link‍]
  21. ^ "lescharts.com – Français" (in French). Les classement de telechargement single.
  22. ^ "Alicia Keys – Doesn't Mean Anything". Top Digital Download.
  23. ^ "Alicia Keys Chart History (Japan Hot 100)". Billboard.
  24. ^ "Alicia Keys – Doesn't Mean Anything". Top 40 Singles.
  25. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 200952 into search.
  26. ^ "Alicia Keys – Doesn't Mean Anything" Canciones Top 50.
  27. ^ "Alicia Keys – Doesn't Mean Anything". Swiss Singles Chart.
  28. ^ "Alicia Keys: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  29. ^ "Alicia Keys Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  30. ^ "Alicia Keys Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.


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