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Empire State of Mind

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"Empire State of Mind"
Song

"Empire State of Mind" is a song by American rapper and hip hop artist Jay-Z, featuring vocals from R&B and soul singer Alicia Keys. It was released as the third single from Jay-Z's eleventh studio album The Blueprint 3 (2009) from his Roc Nation label in October 2009. The song is an anthemic ode to both artists' native New York, and features a music sample of "Love on a Two-Way Street" (1970) by The Moments. The track was originally written after Brooklyn natives Angela Hunte and Jane't "Jnay" Sewell-Ulepic were feeling homesick while on an overseas trip in February 2009. The following month they sent the song in for consideration at Roc Nation, but the song received negative reviews. Initially discouraged, the duo sent the song to Jay-Z after being suggested to by a associate of EMI and what they described as a omen.

After hearing the song Jay-Z immediately recorded it, having changed all of the verses, but keeping the hook. The track was suppose to feature Hunte on the song's hook, but when Hunte and Sewell-Ulepic were asked if they thought someone else would be more appropriate for the chorus, Hunte suggested Keys. Mary J. Blige was also considered for Keys' part, but Keys was chosen after Jay-Z heard the song's piano loop. The song was viewed as being a "orchestral rap ballad" and has pop-rap musical styles and contains references to drugs, locations in New York, as well as its famous residents, and describes the city's essence. Profanity is also present throughout the song, and although it is usually included during live performances, it was omitted during Jay-Z and Keys' performance at Game 2 of the 2009 World Series.

"Empire State of Mind" has been praised by many contemporary music critics. Keys' vocal performance in the track has been commended by critics as well as the song's lyrics. It was included in multiple critics top ten list for the best songs of 2009, including Rolling Stone magazine's and the New York Times'. "Empire State of Mind" achieved commercial success worldwide. The track peaked within the top ten in multiple countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, France, Italy and Sweden. The single was commercially successful in the United States, peaking at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for five consecutive weeks, becoming Jay-Z's first number-one single on the chart as a lead artist. The song appeared in 2009 year-end charts in the U.S. and Australia.

In the song's music video, which is primarily in black-and-white, Jay-Z and Keys' are shown performing the song in various locations in New York. "Empire State of Mind" has been performed by Jay-Z and Keys' multiple times, including during the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards and the 2009 American Music Awards. Usually when the duo performs the song a overhead screen shows images of places in New York. Keys has recorded a sequel to "Empire State of Mind" entitled "Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down", which is featured on her fourth studio album The Element of Freedom (2009). Keys' version was well received by critics and was commercially successful, although it was not as successful as its predecessor. Keys said that she chose to record her own version of "Empire State of Mind" because she wanted to express her own feelings about New York.

Background and writing

A image of a busy intersection. People walking on nearby sidewalks and taxi cabs driving in the street can be seen, as well as tall buildings with advertisements on it reflecting bright lights. A dark sky can be seen in the background.
Hunte and Sewell-Ulepic were inspired to write "Empire State of Mind" based on their everyday life in New York.

"Empire State of Mind" was originally created by singer-songwriter-producer Angela Hunte, a Brooklyn native, along with writing partner Jane't "Jnay" Sewell-Ulepic. Hunte grew up in the same building — 560 State Street, an address which is mentioned in the song — where rapper and hip hop artist Jay-Z lived, but they had never collaborated on a song before.[2] The track's creation was inspired during a overseas trip Hunte and Sewell-Ulepic made to London in February 2009, both feeling homesick.[2] Hunte was sick during that summer while Sewell-Ulepic's mother was ill. Hunte recalls, "We said to ourselves, 'we complain so much about New York — about the busy streets, about the crowds and the pushing, about the subway system — but I would trade that for anything right now.' Before we left the hotel that night, we knew we would write a song about our city."[2] Although they wrote the song as a simple way to voice their feelings for their hometown, they secretly sent it to the Roc Nation music label the following month in hopes that Jay-Z would like it and record it. When they received negative reviews about the track, they were convinced it would never be recorded.[2] However, in the summer of the same year, EMI's Jon "Big Jon" Platt heard the track at a barbecue and fell in love with it, believing that "it would be perfect for Jay-Z".[2]

Hunte and Sewell-Ulepic were hesitant, though, being that they had sent the track for consideration already and were unsuccessful. According to Hunte, when a Notorious B.I.G. figure she kept by the computer fell as they played the track for Platt — a statue that had never moved before regardless of how loud they've blasted music — she realized it was an omen.[2] She commented, "We all just looked at each other like, 'if Biggie approves, then, send it to Jay". The next day, Platt sent it to Jay-Z and he "loved it and recorded it that night [for his eleventh studio album The Blueprint 3]".[2] Hunte recalls, "We were just so happy he wanted to honor our work and our production. Two female producers [and] writers and for him as a rapper to take our song, that's not a combination you see a lot. For him to be so open-minded about it, we just couldn't be any more grateful and thankful."[2] Jay-Z ended up writing all new verses inspired from the original lyrics and leaving Hunte on the song's hook. However, when Hunte and Sewell-Ulepic were asked if they thought someone else would be more appropriate for the chorus, Hunte suggested R&B and soul artist Alicia Keys.[2] Hunte said, "She's never done a record with him and she also has my same vocal tone. She made the song sound so close to the original. She just nailed it and brought it home. It was a great choice."[2]

"Obviously, I'm very grateful to him [Jay-Z] for reaching out to me and for that type of ability to represent my hometown, like, that was crazy. So we went to the studio. I went to the studio, and [...] I fell in love [with the song] from the jump."

Alicia Keys, MTV News[3]

Jay-Z stated in an interview that after he first heard the track's piano loops, he immediately thought of Keys and wanted her to be featured on the song. Keys recalls, "There was a first phone call, and Jay hit me up like, 'I feel like I have this record that's going to be the anthem of New York.'"[3] Jay-Z said that Mary J. Blige was initially considered for Keys' part on "Empire State Of Mind".[4] He admitted that he was "two seconds away" from asking Blige to appear on the record's chorus, but said that the second choice for the track's vocals was Keys and that using Blige on the song would have been a safe move but said that the combination of Keys' sound and piano talent had struck a chord with him.[4] In December 2009, Hunte, who would not reveal many details, said the original version of "Empire State of Mind" will one day be released, adding that, "The original is so powerful it's only a matter of time till you hear it down the line".[2]

Composition

"Empire State of Mind"
A 29-second sample of "Empire State of Mind" featuring Jay-Z rapping the last part of the second verse, and Alicia Keys singing the chorus. Jayson Rodriguez of MTV News felt that Keys "crooned" the lyrics to the song's hook.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"Empire State of Mind" features rap verses from Jay-Z and vocals from Keys, who is credited as a featured artist, during the song's chorus. It is an anthemic rap hip hop song with influences of electropop and orchestral pop. The track has also has pop-rap musical styles.[5] The song contains a music sample of the 1970 single "Love on a Two-Way Street" by the band The Moments,[6] the sample being the piano component that runs throughout the song. Throughout the song, Keys' vocal range changes from the register of A♯3 to C♯5.[5] The track is played in the key of F♯ Major.[5] According to the sheet music published on Musicnotes.com by EMI Music Publishing, "Empire State of Mind" is written in the time signature of common time.[5] The song verse has a sequence of F–C/B–B–F as its chord progression, and moves at a moderate tempo of eighty-four beats per minute.[5] Pete Cashmore of NME described Keys as having established "crashing piano chords" during her verses in the track.[7] Mariel Concepcion of Billboard magazine noted that the track has a "simple piano pattern".[8] Stephen Dalton of The Times described the song as a "orchestral rap ballad".[9]

Lyrically, "Empire State of Mind" was viewed as taking listeners for a "ride in the back of the Maybach," detailing Jay-Z's rise from the Marcy Projects to his career success.[10] The song, which opens with lyrics referencing locations in New York,[5] name-checks notable neighborhoods and captures the city's essence, from attending Knicks basket ball games to its famous residents.[11] In "Empire State of Mind" Jay-Z proclaims himself to be the "new Sinatra"[12][13] and states "since I made it here I can make it anywhere".[14] He also claims to be able to make "the Yankee hat more famous than a Yankee can/" and adds "You know I bleed blue/But I'm not a crip, though".[10] Drug dealing references, "N-words" and profanity are also present throughout the song.[15][16] Raju Mudhar of The Star commented on the tracks lyrics "I'm the new Sinatra/And since I made it here/I can make it anywhere/Yeah they love me everywhere" remarking "who can argue?" noting that he's "one of those waffling retirees," but is a living "hip hop legend".[17] Allsion Stewart of The Washington Post described "Empire State of Mind"'s lyrical content as consisting of "Hova's sports team shout-outs and PG-13 ruminations".[18] Jayson Rodriguez of MTV News felt that Keys "croons" on the track's chorus line, "I'm from Neeeeww Yooooork/These streets will make you feel brand-new/Bright lights will inspire you."[10] Keys said that while recording the song she wanted to make sure she got the hook right explaining, "I did try it a couple of times, but it was more about capturing the kind of grand feeling of it. With the way I sang it the first time, I was actually kind of sick, and I knew that he needed the record, so I was like, 'Let me get to it.' I came back and revisited it so that it could be what it is now. So it actually took a couple of times, but every time, the energy was just so high."[19] Simon Vozick-Levinson of Entertainment Weekly felt that the singer who sings the songs hook has a "crucial role", believing that "Empire State of Mind" is a "smash that concert attendees expect Jay to play, and it just wouldn’t work without a big, clear voice to sing that hook."[20]

Critical reception

The photo shows a African American female with medium brown hair with her head tilted to her right with her mouth open. She is wearing a red sleeveless shirt with dark wash colored jeans and is holding a microphone with her right hand.
Music critics commended Alicia Keys for her chorus line.

"Empire State of Mind" received generally positive reception from contemporary music critics, with most reviewers praising Keys' vocal performance. Jon Bush of Allmusic listed the song as being a highlight from The Blueprint 3. He commented that Jay-Z "crossovers" in track as a "New York flag-waver with plenty of landmark name-dropping that turns into a great anthem with help on the chorus from Alicia Keys."[21] Los Angeles Times writer Greg Kot commended Jay-Z for his ability to perform with cameos, and called the song "Empire State of Mind" "the sound of Jay-Z cruising for pop hits".[22] Pete Cashmore of NME described Alicia Keys's cameo as "lusty bellowing".[7] Pitchfork Media's Ian Cohen of stated "the piledriver hooks" of "Run This Town" and "Empire State of Mind" are "content to annoy their way to ubiquity".[23] Martin Andrew of PopMatters called the song "yet another chance" for Jay-Z to show his respect to New York, but commented that it "remains interesting thanks to a fantastic Al Shux beat and celebratory hook from Alicia Keys". He added that "above all" the song is a "chance for the Marcy emcee to show off shades of a new flow while not losing you for a second".[24] Rolling Stone magazine's Jody Rosen called it a "pallid New York shout-out".[25]

USA Today's Steve Jones perceived a maturity by Jay-Z in the song, and wrote that "The upper-crust landmarks he now references are a far cry from the grimy Marcy Projects sights that he once detailed, something that perhaps is to be expected from the self-described 'new Sinatra.'"[12] The Daily Telegraph described the song's sound as "anthemic club pop" and called Keys's chorus line a "singalong".[26] Shannon Barbour of About.com called "Empire State of Mind" the album's apex, while commending Keys for her "excellent display of some unusually strong vocals".[27] Slant Magazine writer William McBee described it as a "glittering paean to the Big Apple" with Keys "soaring skyscraper-level on the hook and Jay putting on for his city".[28] Marshall Ziglar of the Smoking Section called "Empire State of Mind" an "antithesis" to Nas’ N.Y. State of Mind", adding that Jay-Z "presents the city that never sleeps as the ultimate proving ground for those who can escape it’s trappings".[29] IGN music review Chris Carle described Keys as having "soaring vocals" in the song.[30] New York Post writer Ryan Brockington called "Empire State of Mind" his "favorite" song from The Blueprint 3[31] and Tyler Gray from the same publication said "Empire State of Mind" was the "most soulful" song on the album.[32]

Francois Marchand of the Vancouver Sun called the song "shiver-inducing".[33] The Times writer Stephen Dalton called the track a "heartfelt love letter to New York City", with Jay-Z playing the "hip-hop Sinatra" over Keys' "luscious" chorus,[9] and The Guardian's Alexis Petridis described its chorus as "incredible, breezy pop".[34] Killan Fox of the same publication felt that the track was a "terrific homage" to New York and listed the song as being one of the "really good tracks" on The Blueprint 3.[35] "Empire State of Mind" has been included in multiple music critics list for the best songs of 2009. The track was ranked the 8th best song of 2009 by MTV,[36] the second-best song of 2009 by Rolling Stone magazine[37] and was voted the best single of 2009 by The Village Voice's 37th annual Pazz & Jop critics' poll.[38] Jon Pareles of The New York Times placed "Empire State of Mind" at number three on his list of the top songs of 2009[39] and Pitchfork Media also ranked it at number forty-four on its The Top 100 Tracks of 2009 list.[40] Jay-Z, a long-time fan of the New York Yankees, said that he was elated that his songs, namely "Empire State of Mind" and "Run This Town", had been played during different Yankee player's batting at home games in the 2009 World Series.[41] He commented that it was "incredible" and "beyond explanation" to hear his music being played during Yankee games.[41] New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg commented that "Empire State of Mind" had become "one of the newest anthems of the Yankees".[42] Pop singer Katy Perry recorded an answer song to "Empire State of Mind" entitled "California Gurls" (2010).[43]

Chart performance

A image of an African American male wearing sunglasses with black pants and a white shirt and jacket. He is speaking into a microphone while holding it with his right hand. In the mostly dark background, a red colored wall with a design can be seen.
"Empire State of Mind" gave Jay-Z his first number one single on the Billboard Hot 100 as a lead artist.

"Empire State of Mind" achieved commercial success worldwide. In the United States, the track peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for five consecutive weeks[44] from November 28 to December 26, replacing "Fireflies" by Owl City for the top position and giving Jay-Z his first number one single on that chart as a lead artist in his fourteen year career.[45] The song, which was both artist's fourth number one entry on the chart,[45] became the first Billboard Hot 100 number one single to reference New York in its title.[6] It was also included in Billboard's year-end music charts for 2009 at number sixty two[46] and it was the last number one single for the 2000s. The song also peaked at number one on the Billboard component chart for the sales of legal digital downloads on October 3, 2009,[47] as well as topping the Billboard component chart for singles with the most radio airplay throughout the country for eight consecutibe weeks from November 28, to January 23, 2010.[48] The track also peaked at the top position on the R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart for three consecutive weeks,[49] as well as topping the Billboard Rap Songs chart for nine consecutive weeks.[50] After five months of release, "Empire State of Mind" was certified three times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for the shipment of over three million units in the United States.[51]

In the United Kingdom, the track debuted at number fifteen, and in the two succeeding weeks the single peaked at number two,[52] having been held from the top position by Taio Cruz's "Break Your Heart" (2009).[53] "Empire State of Mind" peaked at number three on the Canadian Hot 100, and was listed as being the top digital gainer on December 12.[54] The song peaked at number four in Australia,[55] and was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for the shipment of thirty five thousand units in the country.[56] "Empire State of Mind" was also included in Australia's 2009 year end music chart at number sixty four.[57] In New Zealand, the song peaked at number six.[55] The track was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ) for the shipment of over seven thousand five hundred units in New Zealand.[58] The single debuted at number eighteen in France, and eventually peaked at number eight in the following three weeks.[55] It also peaked at number four in Belgium's Flemish and French charts.[55] The song also respectively peaked within the top ten positions in the music charts of Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Finland, the Netherlands, and Sweden.[55] "Empire State of Mind"'s least commercially successful charting territories were Austria, Brazil and Spain, peaking at number thirteen, seventeen and twenty seven, respectively.[55][59]

Music video

A aerial view of skyscrapers at night. Most of the buildings are lit up with lights coming from the inside of them. In the background, a dark sky with no clouds can be seen.
Aerial views of skyscrapers in New York at night are shown throughout the video.

The music video for "Empire State of Mind" was directed by Hype Williams.[60] The video, which was filmed on location, features black-and-white images of New York City intercut with full-color shots of Jay-Z and Keys performing in Times Square.[60] "Empire State of Mind"'s music video was filmed from September 29, to October, in Tribeca and around Ground Zero,[60] and was released on October 30, 2009. Keys praised the music video and said that the video has all the key elements of an homage to her hometown.[60] She commented on the video for "Empire State of Mind" saying,

"It is a masterpiece video. The way it's put together, it is so New York. You totally get it and understand it. It's artistic. It's hard. It's beautiful. It's like everything. And definitely getting to be in the middle of Times Square on my piano [with] Jay, representing our home city is a triumph. It was unbelievable. [...] You have to have the skyline — it's not New York without the skyline. You have to have the Empire State Building — it's not New York without the Empire State Building. You have to also have variety. That's what New York is about. There's diversity here and so you see that. It's really beautiful."[60]

The music video opens with black and white images of locations in New York being shown in the forum of a slideshow. The slideshow is then intercut with a black and white clip of Jay-Z, who is wearing a Yankees cap and a vest with no sleeves, performing the song on a street in front of apartment buildings. The video then begins to rotate from images of New York being breifly shown to clips of Jay-Z singing "Empire State of Mind" in different locations with different outfits. Images shown include the grave stone of John D. Rockefeller, Jr., street signs and stairwells to train stations. The video then shows black and white clips of Keys', who is wearing large hoop earrings with high heels and a black shirt and pants, bent over playing a piano that has a image of the Statue of Liberty on it while singing her verse of the song in a street while cars drive by at night. Keys' performance is then intercut with arial views of skyscrapers and clips of the Yankee stadium and clips of the New York Police and the NYPD cars and logos. Some people, such as ones who are walking around New York or wearing Yankee emblems, have their face shown or blurred out. Keys and Jay-Z, both wearing sunglasses at night, are then show performing the song together as the video continues to be intercut with clips of them performing "Empire State of Mind" individually as well as images of New York. The video ends with clips shown in color of the duo waving their hands in the air while singing the final verses of the track on red colored stairs and colored clips of Keys performing and images of New York.

Live performances

"Empire State of Mind" was first performed at Jay-Z's "Answer the Call" benefit concert in Madison Square Garden on September 11, 2009,[61] where it was the opening song.[62] All ticket proceeds from the show went to the New York Police & Fire Widows’ & Children’s Fund.[62] The song was then performed live at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards (MTV VMA) on September 13, 2009, where it closed the awards show.[63] The VMA performance was the first time Jay-Z and Keys had performed the song together.[61] Shaheem Redi of MTV News commented on the performance that, "Their set was elegant and 'hood at the same time, and it was such a powerful moment"[64] and Ryan Brockington of the New York Post wrote "Alicia's buttery voice and Jay-Z's impeccable stage presence made for an audio adrenaline overload" and placed the performance third on his list of the "top six performances" from the MTV VMAs.[31] For the performance, Jay-Z wore his signature Yankees cap[61] and Keys wore all black while playing the piano. During the MTV VMA performance images of locations in New York, such as the Empire State Building and the Apollo Theatre, were shown on a overhead screen behind Jay-Z and Keys. Towards the end of the performance rapper Lil' Mama came up from her seat in the crowd onto the stage and posed with Jay-Z and Keys while they were finishing the final verse of the track.[65] Lil' Mama said she did not mean to disrespect either performer but the song had her "emotions running high", adding that "in that moment I came up onstage to celebrate my two icons singing about NY."[63] Keys responded to the incident saying "We can appreciate her being overwhelmed and inspired, but we would have appreciated it if she would have did it from her seat" and Jay-Z added "It was a lot of planning that went into that performance. To disrupt that was outta line."[66] Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly said that the duo "brought some genuine street heat to the tongue-twisting torrents" of "Empire State of Mind".[67] She added that "Keys, on piano and soaring chorus, brought the feminine strength and soul."[67]

Also, Jay-Z performed the song on September 18, 2009, during a live performance on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, due to scheduling conflicts, Roc Nation singer Bridget Kelly performed in Keys' place.[68] Jay-Z was slated to perform "Empire State of Mind" with Keys during the opening game of the baseball 2009 World Series in early October 2009, but due to inclement weather the duo did not perform.[69] The duo ultimately performed the song live in the Yankee Stadium before Game 2 of the 2009 World Series in mid October.[66][70] During the performance the two musicians performed the song on a a custom-made stage that was adorned in Yankees flags[70] while images of New York City flashed across several large screens throughout the stadium.[66] Jayson Rodriguez of MTV News wrote of the performance, "If the Yankees were looking to change their tune heading into game two of the World Series, they couldn't have picked better musical guests."[66] During most live performances of the track lyrics containing profanity are included in the song, but, they were omitted for the World Series set.[15][16] On November 5, 2009, Jay-Z and Kelly sung "Empire State of Mind" at the MTV Europe Music Awards (EMA) in Berlin, Germany, while performing in front of a New York cityscape.[71] Jocelyn Vena and Eric Ditzian of MTV News noted that Jay-Z "took his hometown pride rather seriously" during the performance.[71] Jay-Z also performed the song with Kelly at the Yankees' World Series victory ceremonies in New York City Hall on November 6, 2009.[42] As Kelly sang the last verse of the song Yankee members got up from their seats to shower Jay-Z with handshakes and hugs.[42]

The song was also performed by Jay-Z and Keys at the American Music Awards (AMA) on November 22, 2009.[72] For the performance, Jay-Z wore a white suit and Keys wore an all-black outfit that revealed most of her back. The duo opened their performance of "Empire State of Mind" with a rendition of Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York".[72] During the performance at the AMAs Keys played on a white piano and the two musicians performed the song on a stage lit by blue lights and in front of a backdrop that showed tall buildings and the words "New York" scrolled across screens on the stage, while a battery of men and women dressed in elegant finery played grand pianos.[73] Towards the ending of the song Keys joined Jay-Z at the front of the stage and sung the song's last notes and held up a "I love you" sign while Jay-Z stood with both arms outstretched.[73] Todd Martens of the Los Angeles Times felt that the song had "worn out its welcome", add gave the performance a letter grade "D".[74] However, Jeremy Blacklow of Access Hollywood had a more positive feeling towards the performance, describing it as being "so great" in his live blog for the award ceremony.[75] On November 29, Keys performed the song's chorus in a medley alongside "Doesn't Mean Anything" and "No One" on the sixth season of the United Kingdom television show The X Factor.[76] In March, Jay-Z joined Keys onstage during one of her Freedom Tours New York concerts to perform "Empire State of Mind" while images of New York were shown throughout the concert arena.[71] Jay-Z performed "Empire State of Mind", as well as three of his other singles, at the California's Coachella music festival in April 2010.[77] Jay-Z and Kelly performed the song live on an episode of Saturday Night Live on May 9, 2010. Jay-Z performed the song with a medley of his other singles, including "On to the Next One".[78][79] Kelly wore a black micro mini dress[14] and Jay-Z wore a white t-shirt with a black leather vest while performing the song on a stage light by blue lights with musicians playing instruments in the far back. Caitlyn Millat of San Diego's NBC felt that Jay-Z "brought the house down" during his performances of the melodies.[78] Rodriguez of MTV News said that Kelly "turned more than a few heads" because the outfit she was wearing was "tighter than her boss' rhyme."[14]

Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down

Main article: Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down

Following the release of "Empire State of Mind", in January 2010, Keys stated that she was planning to release a second version of the song, featuring only her vocals, as a single the following month.[80] The track, entitled "Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down", appeared on Keys' fourth studio album The Element of Freedom, which was released in December 2009. The original version of Keys' version, entitled "Empire State of Mind Part 2", included both Keys' vocals and a new rap verse from Jay-Z,[81] but the final product did not include Jay-Z.[82] Discussing the record, Keys claimed that it acts as a dichotomy of strength and vulnerability, commenting that "The music is really strong, and the drums are really aggressive, but my voice is vulnerable and delicate".[80]

I definitely wanted to give my version of it and my vision of how I see New York and how it feels to me. I wanted to do it for my style – more broken down, more on piano, more voice and intimacy – so that's what I did. I imagined, 'If I was able to sing this whole song, how would I do it?' So I just sat down at my piano and I kind of broke it down and started singing about New York as I see it, and it turned out great.

— Keys on recording "Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down"[83]

"Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down" was generally well received by contemporary music critics in their reviews for The Element of Freedom.[84][85][86] Allsion Stewart of The Washington Post noted that the track, which is a pop ballad, had replaced "Empire State of Mind"' sports team references and ruminations with "even milder and less controversial string of generalities", highlighting Keys' versions lyrics "If I could make it here/I could make it anywhere".[18] The track was not as commercially successful as "Empire State of Mind", peaking at number four in the United Kingdom,[87] number forty on the Canadian Hot 100,[88] and number sixty-nine in Sweden.[89]

Charts, certifications and procession

Chart succession and procession

Preceded by Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs number-one single
November 21, 2009 – December 5, 2009 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Billboard Rap Songs number-one single
November 21, 2009 – January 12, 2010 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Billboard Hot 100 number-one single
November 28, 2009 – December 26, 2009 		Succeeded by

Track listings and formats

Credits and personnel

  • Vocals – Jay-Z, Alicia Keys[1]
  • Writers(s) – Janet Sewell, Angela Hunte, Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, Sylvia Robinson, Burt Keyes, Alicia Keys, Alexander Shuckburgh
  • Producer(s) – Alexander Shuckburgh
  • Keyboards – Jeff Bhasker, Kevin Randolph
  • Engineer – Chris Godbey, Andrew Dawson, Karl Heilbron, Marcos Tovar, Miki Tsutsumi, Ann Mincieli
  • Arranger – Hart Gunther,
    • Assistant – Jason Wilkie
  • Mixing – Chris Godbey
  • Mastering – Tony Dawsey
  • Editor – Jason Wilkie
  • Recording – Ann Mincieli, Luke Steele
  • Music samples – "Love on a Two-Way Street" by The Moments

See also

Template:Wikipedia-Books

References

  1. ^ a b The Blueprint 3 liner notes, Atlantic Records (2009).
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Concepcion, Mariel (11 December 2009). "'Empire State of Mind' Co-writer In Disbelief Over Song's Success". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
  3. ^ a b Vena, Jocelyn (29 October 2009). "Alicia Keys 'Grateful' To Jay-Z For 'Empire State Of Mind'". MTV. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
  4. ^ a b Minaya, Marcell (2010-02-20). "Jay-Z: 'Keys was second choice on Empire'". Digital Spy. Digital Spy Limited. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  5. ^ a b c d e f "Empire State of Mind - Jay-Z Digital Sheet Music (Digital Download)". MusicNotes.com. EMI Music Publishing. Retrieved 2010-04-30.
  6. ^ a b Trust, Gary (2009-11-19). "Chart Beat Thursday: Bon Jovi, Jay-Z, Bad Lieutenant". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  7. ^ a b Cashmore, Pete (2009-09-18). "Album review: Jay-Z - 'The Blueprint III'". NME. IPC MEDIA. Retrieved 2010-04-30.
  8. ^ Concepcion, Mariel (2009-09-11). "Jay-Z, "Blueprint 3"". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved 210-05-01. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
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