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Unconditionally

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"Unconditionally"
Song

"Unconditionally" is a song by American singer-songwriter Katy Perry for her fourth studio album, Prism (2013); it appears as the fifth song on the album. It was written by Perry, along with Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald, Max Martin, and Henry "Cirkut" Walter, and was produced by Gottwald, Martin, and Walter. It was released as the second single from the album on October 16, 2013. The next day, the song became available for streaming online along with the rest of Prism.[1] The song was released onto iTunes on October 22, 2013.[2] Its lyrics address accepting the flaws of a loved one, through unconditional love. "Unconditionally" became Perry's thirteenth Top 10 single on the Billboard Pop Songs chart.[3]

Background and recording

"Unconditionally" was written by Perry, along with Dr. Luke, Max Martin, and Cirkut. Production of the song was handled by the later three. It was recorded at MXM Studios in Stockholm, Sweden and Conway Recording Studios in Hollywood, California, with Perry handling the song's vocal production. Engineering was carried out by Peter Carlsson, Clint Gibbs, Sam Holland, and Michael Ilbert in March 2013 at Luke's In The Boo in Malibu, California and Secret Garden Studios in Montecito, California. Carlsson, Gibbs, Holland, and Ilbert were assisted by Eric Eylands, Rachael Findlen, Justin Fox, ANC Cory Bice. It was mixed by Serban Ghenea at MixStar Studios in Virginia Beach, Virginia, while John Hanes engineered the song for mix. All instrumentation and programming was handled by Dr. Luke, Max Martin, and Cirkut.[4]

Composition and critical reception

"Unconditionally" has a length of three minutes and forty-nine seconds.[5] Musically, it is a power pop, rock, and electronic ballad,[6][7] that contains elements of Christian and electronic dance music.[8] Perry mentioned that "Unconditionally" is her favorite song from Prism, and described the track as a song about unconditional love that could come in all forms, including those from relationships, from parent-to-child, and from sibling-to-sibling.[9] The song opens with a hushed minimal electronic production, complete with "pounding" tribal drums, woodblock percussion, and a dramatic bass line.[10]

Upon release, "Unconditionally" received positive reviews. James Shotwell from Under the Gun Review reacted positively to the song, stating "Perry is making it incredibly hard to care about any upcoming pop release other than her own". Shotwell stated that "Unconditionally" was his favorite song released from Prism so far and that he was excited to hear the rest of the album. Shotwell also told readers that the song was "required listening".[11] Jeff Benjamin from Fuse felt that while Perry did not show "Diva-esque vocals", he noted that she looked "keen to prove her pipes" in the song.[12] Bradley Stern from Muumuse praised its melody and expressed eagerness for the iTunes release.[13] Radio personality Carson Daly spoke positively of the song, saying: "I love it. I think that's Katy Perry at her best." and that "There's a sense of urgency to it..... It sounds timeless."[14]

Live performances

On October 22, 2013, Perry first performed "Unconditionally" along with her other Prism tracks at the iHeartRadio Theater in Los Angeles,[15] and also performed these songs the next day, where she hosted the "We Can Survive" concert along with Bonnie McKee, Kacey Musgraves, Sara Bareilles, Ellie Goulding, and duo Tegan and Sara at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California.[16] Perry also performed the song on the Australian version of The X Factor on October 28, 2013 alongside "Roar"[17] and also performed it on the Australian breakfast program Sunrise the following day. On November 10, 2013, she performed "Unconditionally" at the 2013 MTV Europe Music Awards.[18] She will open the American Music Awards of 2013 on November 24, 2013 with a performance of "Unconditionally".[19]

Music video

Two days after the song's debut, a black-and-white lyric video was released onto VEVO and YouTube.[20][21] The video features actress Janell Shirtcliff and androgynous model Erika Linder expressing their unconditional same-sex love; it was directed by Aya Tanimura.[22]

The song's official music video was filmed in October 2013 in London.[23] The video was partly inspired by the films Dangerous Liaisons and Anna Karenina.[16][24] A preview for the music video was released on November 14, 2013.[25] The official music video premiered on MTV on November 19, 2013.[26]

Synopsis

The music video debuted on her official VEVO account on the 20th of November . The video features various scenes of dancers and Perry singing including an owl where she sets it free. Reaching the climax, shatters of flowers and car parts splatter behind her making the car covered with colorful flowers as seen in the single cover.

Charts

Chart (2013) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[27] 11
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[28] 65
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[29] 14
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia)[30] 17
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[31] 16
France (SNEP)[32] 102
Invalid chart entered Germany2 54
Ireland (IRMA)[33] 41
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[34] 32
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[35] 26
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[36] 60
US Billboard Hot 100[37] 16
US Pop Airplay (Billboard)[38] 9
US Adult Pop Airplay (Billboard)[39] 13
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[40] 30

Release history

Country Date Format Label
United States[41] October 22, 2013 Contemporary hit radio Capitol
Australia[42] October 23, 2013 Universal
United States[43] November 5, 2013 Adult contemporary radio Capitol
Germany[44] November 22, 2013 CD single Universal
Italy[45] Contemporary hit radio
United Kingdom[46] December 16, 2013 Impact Day Virgin EMI

References

  1. ^ Perry, Katy (17 October 2013). "PRISM stream". Twitter.
  2. ^ Flores, Brandon. "Katy Perry Releases New Single "Unconditionally"". Blast Out Your Radio. Retrieved 16 October 2013.
  3. ^ Trust, Gary. "Miley Cyrus, Avicii, Calvin Harris Net New Airplay Chart No. 1s". Billboard. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  4. ^ Prism (Media notes). Capitol Records. 2013. p. 4. {{cite AV media notes}}: |format= requires |url= (help); Unknown parameter |artist= ignored (|others= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ "Prism (Deluxe) by Katy Perry". iTunes Store. Capitol Records. October 22, 2013. {{cite web}}: templatestyles stripmarker in |work= at position 1 (help)
  6. ^ "PRISMTHOUGHTS: An Account of The Katy Perry 'Prism' Listening Party in Los Angeles". MuuMuse. Buzz Media. September 13, 2013. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  7. ^ Benjamin, Jeff (October 16, 2013). "Listen: Katy Perry Wails on New Single 'Unconditionally'". Fuse. The Madison Square Garden Company. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  8. ^ "Katy Perry Leaks New Album 'Prism', We Listen For You". The Inquisitr. The Inquistr News. October 15, 2013.
  9. ^ "Katy Perry: Hanging with Stevie Nicks & Ariana Grande and Inspiration For 'PRISM'". YouTube. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  10. ^ Lipshutz, Jason (September 6, 2013). "Katy Perry's 'Prism' Album Preview: 10 Things You Need To Know". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved October 27, 2013.
  11. ^ Shotwell, James (October 16, 2013). "Required Listening: Katy Perry – 'Unconditionally'". Under the Ground Review. Retrieved October 16, 2013.
  12. ^ Benjamin, Jeff. "Listen: Katy Perry Wails on New Single 'Unconditionally'". Fuse. Retrieved 16 October 2013.
  13. ^ Stern, Bradley. "Listen to Katy Perry's New 'Prism' Single, 'Unconditionally'". Muumuse. Retrieved October 16, 2013.
  14. ^ Daly, Carson. "Carson Daly Premieres Katy Perry's 'Unconditionally' On AMP Radio". AMP Radio. Retrieved October 16, 2013.
  15. ^ Gundersen, Edna (October 22, 2013). "Live stream: Katy Perry's 'Prism' album release party". USA Today. Retrieved October 22, 2013.
  16. ^ a b Aguila, Justino (October 24, 2013). "Katy Perry Hosts Famous Friends, Previews Next Tour at Hollywood Bowl: Live Review". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved October 24, 2013.
  17. ^ Kevipod, Kevin. "Katy Perry Performs "Roar" & "Unconditionally" on "The X Factor Australia"". directlyrics.com. Retrieved 28 October 2013.
  18. ^ Cirstea, Florin. "Katy Perry - Unconditionally Live at MTV EMA 2013". YouTube. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  19. ^ Perry, Katy (13 November 2013). "Open AMA". Facebook.
  20. ^ Perry, Katy. "Unconditonally (Lyric Video)". VEVO. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
  21. ^ Perry, Katy. "Unconditonally (Lyric Video)". YouTube. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
  22. ^ Perry, Katy. "The #UNCONDITIONALLY lyric video". Twitter. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
  23. ^ "Katy Perry Confirms She Filmed 'Unconditionally' Music Video In London Last Week". Capital FM. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  24. ^ Vena, Jocelyn. "Was Katy Perry Tempted To Write Any 'Screw You' Anthems On Prism?". MTV. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  25. ^ Perry, Katy (14 November 2013). "Unconditionally (Music Video Preview)". YouTube.
  26. ^ Montgomery, James. "Katy Perry's 'Unconditionally' Video". MTV. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
  27. ^ "Katy Perry – Unconditionally". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  28. ^ "Katy Perry – Unconditionally" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  29. ^ "Katy Perry – Unconditionally" (in Dutch). Ultratip.
  30. ^ "Katy Perry – Unconditionally" (in French). Ultratip.
  31. ^ "Katy Perry Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 6, 2013.
  32. ^ "Katy Perry – Unconditionally" (in French). Les classement single.
  33. ^ "Chart Track: Week 46, 2013". Irish Singles Chart.
  34. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Katy Perry" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  35. ^ "Katy Perry – Unconditionally". Top 40 Singles.
  36. ^ "Official Singles Chart UK Top 100 – 2nd November 2013". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved October 29, 2013.
  37. ^ "Katy Perry Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 30, 2013.
  38. ^ "Katy Perry Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 14, 2013.
  39. ^ "Katy Perry Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 4, 2013.
  40. ^ "Katy Perry Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved November 18, 2013.
  41. ^ "Top 40/M Future Releases (October 22, 2013)". All Access Music Group. Archived from the original on October 18, 2013. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  42. ^ Jameson, Chris (October 24, 2013). "New music to weekdays (October 23, 2013)". Joy 94.9. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
  43. ^ "Going For Adds: Hot AC (Week Of: November 5, 2013)". Radio & Records. Retrieved October 28, 2013.
  44. ^ "Unconditionally (2-Track)". Amazon.de. Retrieved November 1, 2013.
  45. ^ Aldi, Giorgia. "Katy Perry – Unconditionally" (in Italian). Radio Airplay SRL. Retrieved November 19, 2013.
  46. ^ Virgin EMI Records (October 31, 2013). "Katy Perry — new single Unconditionally out December 16th, new album Prism already certified Gold". Pressparty. Retrieved October 31, 2013.

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