Just Give Me a Reason
"Just Give Me a Reason" | |
---|---|
Song | |
B-side | "Are We All We Are" |
"Just Give Me a Reason" is a hit song written and recorded by American recording artist and songwriter Pink featuring fun.'s lead singer Nate Ruess. The song was chosen as the third single from Pink's sixth studio album, The Truth About Love (2012). Prior to its release, the song charted in many regions due to strong digital sales and a music video was filmed.
The song became an international success, topping charts in over 20 countries worldwide – including the Australian, American, Canadian, Irish, New Zealand, Italian, Dutch, Polish, and Scottish charts – as well as peaking within the top five in the Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Israel, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. In the US, it became Pink's fourth number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100. It also became her third number-one on the Billboard Digital Songs chart after "So What" (2008) and "Fuckin' Perfect" (2011).[1] "Just Give Me a Reason" has sold more than 3 million digital downloads in the United States.[2]
Background
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/04/Nate_Ruess_at_Bonnaroo.jpg/230px-Nate_Ruess_at_Bonnaroo.jpg)
"Just Give Me a Reason" features Nate Ruess from the American band fun. Originally, it was just a song writing session but Pink realised that she needed someone else to sing the song with her because she thought that it was more of a conversation than a one perspective song. She asked Ruess to do it with her and got him to do the song as a duet.[3] The song is about the desire to hold on to a relationship even when it appears to be breaking down.[4]
Composition
"Just Give Me a Reason" is a pop ballad written by Pink and Nate Ruess and produced by Jeff Bhasker. It starts off with a simple melody played on the piano, as Pink starts to sing the first verse and chorus, the latter of which introduces drum machines and bass. The second verse is then sung by Ruess, and the rest of the song is sung as a duet. The song ends with a piano solo, similar to the intro. It has a duration of four minutes and two seconds.[5]
According to the sheet music published on Musicnotes.com, "Just Give Me a Reason" is written in the key of G major with a moderate tempo of 95 beats per minute. Pink and Ruess' vocals span two octaves in the song, from G3 to G5. The verses and chorus of the song follow a chord progression of G–D-Em–C, while the bridge to the chorus, the intro, and the outro follow the progression of Em-Am-D-G.[6]
Critical reception
Jody Rosen from Rolling Stone referred positively to Just Give Me a Reason as the best track within the album, "in which Pink dials back the drama, letting the melody and sentiments do their work".[7] Sharing the same opinion, Amy Sciaretto from PopCrush said she liked the "soft" side of Pink and that she and Nate Ruess "fit like a jigsaw puzzle, a lovely yin and yang."[8]
Chart performance
On the week of October 6, 2012, "Just Give Me a Reason" debuted at number 106 in the US and at number 75 in Canada. That was the same week that the second single of the album ("Try") debuted at number 56. "Just Give Me a Reason" has also debuted at 65 in Switzerland and 168 in France.[9]
In Australia, the song debuted at number six on the week of February 17, 2013, before peaking at one the following week. This makes The Truth About Love Pink's first album to score two number-one singles in the country, the first single being "Blow Me (One Last Kiss)".[10] This is also Nate Ruess's first number-one song but third overall since his band Fun had two songs that went number one. In the Netherlands, the song went to number one on 23 February 2013, marking it Pink's very first Dutch number one song in her 13-year career. In France, the song went to number seven in March 2013, making "Just Give Me a Reason" Pink's third top-ten song in the country. In Canada, the song went to number one on 13 April 2013, making Pink's second number-one single in the country after "So What". It has spent seven consecutive weeks at number-one on the Canadian Hot 100, becoming her longest reigning number-one single.
The song became a big success in the USA, and is the most successful seller from The Truth About Love so far. It topped the iTunes chart on March 19 and remained atop the list for more than 10 consecutive days, therefore becoming Pink's third Digital Songs number one hit. In early April, it fell to the runner-up position to Bruno Mars's "When I Was Your Man" only to return to the top two days later and stayed there for the entire month of April 2013. Its success in the digital market was reflected on its Hot 100 position, making it Pink's fourteenth Top 10 hit in the USA during the charting week ending March 30, 2013, then pushing it further to the top to #5 and then to #3, and finally to the top of the chart.[11][12] The Truth About Love is therefore Pink's first set to achieve more than two Top 10 hits since Missundaztood. As of May 2013, the song has sold 3,608,000 copies in the United States.[13] On the issue dated April 27, 2013, it reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Pink's fourth chart topper and Nate Ruess' second overall, after "We Are Young" with his band Fun. It also was Pink's longest time spent as a lead artist at number one, as it ruled for three consecutive weeks.
With Just Give Me a Reason soaring to number one on the Adult Top 40 chart, it became Pink's eighth number one song there and her tenth top ten overall. Pink currently holds the record for most number ones on that chart, surpassing Katy Perry and Maroon 5 with each having seven.
Music video
Background and release
The video was directed by Diane Martel and photographed by Jeff Cronenweth.[14] It was filmed in November 2012. Pictures from the video were posted on Twitter. In the pictures, Pink is lying in bed with her husband Carey Hart. Pink was extremely disappointed by the leak, so the photos were deleted immediately after.[15] The official video was released on February 5, 2013.[16] A behind the scenes video was later added to Pink's VEVO channel, where Pink confirms that the video was shot in a Los Angeles swimming pool.
Synopsis
The video shows Pink lying on a mattress in the middle of an artificial marsh, with fog surrounding the set and a star-studded background. The video is highly symbolic and its storyline is indirect, with references supporting the song's theme, including a teddy bear, a TV floating on the surface of water, the water itself and a wall made of wood in the background. The scenes include Pink's solo mattress scene, another with Nate Ruess shows the two singers singing the song in a white, blank set, and a third scene showing Pink and her husband Carey Hart embracing and diving.
Lyric video
An official lyric video was published on Pink's official VEVO account in September 2012. It features stars that sparkle in the background. The lyrics shown are sung by both Pink and Ruess.[5]
Credits and personnel
- Pink - songwriter, vocals
- Nate Ruess - songwriter, vocals
- Jeff Bhasker - Songwriter, Producer, Keyboards, Synths and Programmer
- Anders Mouridsen - Guitars
- John X. Volaitis - Recording at Earthstar Creation Center, Venice, CA
- Tony Maserati- Mixer
- Justin Hergett- Assistant Mixer
- James Krausse- Assistant Mixer
Credits adapted from The Truth About Love album liner notes.
Tracklisting
- Digital download[17]
- "Just Give Me a Reason" - 4:02
- "Just Give Me a Reason" - 4:02
- "Are We All We Are" (Live from Los Angeles) - 3:32
Charts and certifications
Weekly charts |
Certifications
|
Release history
Country | Date | Format |
---|---|---|
United States | February 26, 2013 | Top 40/Mainstream radio[70] |
Hot AC radio[71] | ||
Germany | April 12, 2013 | CD single[18] |
United States | April 15, 2013 | Adult Contemporary radio[72] |
References
- ^ "Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Return To Top Of Hot 100". Billboard. 1985-11-09. Retrieved 2013-04-13.
- ^ Grein, Paul (2013-05-29). "Week Ending May 26, 2013. Songs: "Clouds" Takes Off". Retrieved 2013-06-02.
- ^ "P!nk News | The Official P!nk Site". Pinkspage.com. 2012-09-21. Retrieved 2012-11-10.
- ^ Just Give Me a Reason by Pink - Songfacts (accessed March 12, 2013)
- ^ a b "P!nk - Just Give Me a Reason (Official Lyric Video)". YouTube. 2012-09-11. Retrieved 2012-11-10.
- ^ "Pink - Just Give Me a Reason Sheet Music - Download & Print". Musicnotes.com. Retrieved 2013-04-13.
- ^ The Truth About Love | Album Reviews | Rolling Stone Rolling Stone. Retrieved 29-03-2013.
- ^ http://popcrush.com/pink-the-truth-about-love-album-review/
- ^ "P!nk and Nate Ruess - Just Give Me a Reason - Music Charts". Acharts.us. Retrieved 2012-11-10.
- ^ "P!nk feat. Nate Ruess - Just Give Me a Reason". australian-charts.com. Retrieved 2013-02-18.
- ^ "Bruno Mars Lands Fifth Hot 100 No. 1 With 'When I Was Your Man'". Billboard. Retrieved 2013-04-13.
- ^ Trust, Gary (2013-03-20). "Baauer Tops Hot 100 for Fifth Week, Despite Continued Streaming Slide". Retrieved 2013-03-20.
- ^ a b Paul Grein (July 3, 2013). "Week Ending June 30, 2013. Songs: Macklemore's Timely Hit". Chart Watch.
- ^ "P!nk f/ Nate Ruess "Just Give Me a Reason" (Diane Martel, dir.)". VideoStatic. 2013-03-27. Retrieved 2013-04-13.
- ^ "Twitter / Pink: @PinkFans_ I'm so disappointed". Twitter.com. Retrieved 2013-04-13.
- ^ "P!nk - Just Give Me A Reason ft. Nate Ruess". YouTube. 2013-02-05. Retrieved 2013-04-13.
- ^ http://www.webcitation.org/6Eb1yad7C
- ^ a b "Just Give Me a Reason: Amazon.de: Musik". Amazon.de. Retrieved 2013-04-13.
- ^ "VÖ-Vorschau". beatblogger.de. Retrieved 2013-04-13.
- ^ "P!nk feat. Nate Ruess – Just Give Me a Reason". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
- ^ "P!nk feat. Nate Ruess – Just Give Me a Reason" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
- ^ "P!nk feat. Nate Ruess – Just Give Me a Reason" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
- ^ "P!nk feat. Nate Ruess – Just Give Me a Reason" (in French). Ultratop 50.
- ^ a b BPP, ed. (July 2013). "Billboard Brasil Hot 100 Airplay". Billboard Brasil (42): 84–89. ISSN 977-217605400-2.
{{cite journal}}
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(help) - ^ "P!nk Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard.
- ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 18. týden 2013 in the date selector.
- ^ "P!nk feat. Nate Ruess – Just Give Me a Reason". Tracklisten.
- ^ "Euro Digital Songs - April 13, 2013". Billboard.biz. Archived from the original on April 6, 2013. Retrieved April 6, 2013.
- ^ "P!nk feat. Nate Ruess: Just Give Me a Reason" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat.
- ^ "P!nk feat. Nate Ruess – Just Give Me a Reason" (in French). Les classement single.
- ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
- ^ "Icelandic Singles Chart". Tonlist.is. Retrieved 2013-05-11.
- ^ "Chart Track: Week 14, 2013". Irish Singles Chart.
- ^ "Media Forest Week 12, 2013". Israeli Airplay Chart. Media Forest.
- ^ "P!nk feat. Nate Ruess – Just Give Me a Reason". Top Digital Download.
- ^ "Pink". The Official Lebanese Top 20. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
- ^ "Luxembourg Digital Songs - March 30, 2013". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 29, 2013. Retrieved March 29, 2013.
- ^ "Mexico Ingles Airplay - April 6, 2013". Billboard.biz. Archived from the original on March 30, 2013. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – P!nk feat. Nate Ruess" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
- ^ "P!nk feat. Nate Ruess – Just Give Me a Reason". Top 40 Singles.
- ^ "P!nk feat. Nate Ruess – Just Give Me a Reason". VG-lista.
- ^ {{cite web|url=http://www.philcharts.com/2013/07/21/phil-music-chart-over-all-weekly-top-20-june-20-26-2013/
- ^ "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Airplay Top 100.
- ^ "Portugal Digital Songs - April 13, 2013". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 6, 2013. Retrieved April 6, 2013.
- ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 201315 into search.
- ^ "P!nk feat. Nate Ruess – Just Give Me a Reason" Canciones Top 50.
- ^ "P!nk feat. Nate Ruess – Just Give Me a Reason". Singles Top 100.
- ^ "P!nk feat. Nate Ruess – Just Give Me a Reason". Swiss Singles Chart.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "P!nk Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
- ^ "P!nk Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "P!nk Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "Chart Highlights: Nine Inch Nails Soar Onto Rock Airplay, Alternative Songs Charts". Billboard. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
- ^ NO certyear OR id WAS PROVIDED for AUSTRALIAN CERTIFICATION.
- ^ "IFPI Austria - Searchable Database". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
{{cite web}}
:|archive-date=
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(help); Check date values in:|archivedate=
(help) - ^ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – singles 2013". Ultratop. Hung Medien.
- ^ "Canadian single certifications – Pink – Just Give Me a Reason". Music Canada.
- ^ "IFPI Denmark - Certifications". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
{{cite web}}
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(help) - ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Pink; 'Just Give Me A Reason')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
- ^ "FIMI Certifications" (PDF). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
{{cite web}}
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(help) - ^ http://www.billboard.com/biz/charts/2013-06-08/mexico-ingles.
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|title=
(help) - ^ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart - 13 May 2013". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved May 16, 2013.
{{cite web}}
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(help) - ^ "Sverigetopplistan: P!nk – Just Give Me A Reason" (To access certification, search (Sök) for "Just Give Me A Reason" or "Just Give Me A Reason P!nk" and click the "Visa" button.). Sverigetopplistan. Swedish Recording Industry Association.
- ^ "Swiss Hitparade - Searchable Database". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
{{cite web}}
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(help) - ^
{{cite web}}
: Empty citation (help) - ^ "British single certifications – Pink – Just Give Me A Reason". British Phonographic Industry. Select singles in the Format field. Type Just Give Me A Reason in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
- ^ http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/the-official-top-40-biggest-selling-singles-and-albums-of-2013-so-far2-2328/
- ^ "American single certifications – Pink – Just Give Me a Reason". Recording Industry Association of America.
- ^ http://gfa.radioandrecords.com/publishGFA/GFANextPage.asp?sDate=02/26/2013&Format=1
- ^ http://gfa.radioandrecords.com/publishGFA/GFANextPage.asp?sDate=02/26/2013&Format=10
- ^ http://www.webcitation.org/6FpqJuLRV
{{{1}}}
- Single chart usages for Germany2
- Pink (singer) songs
- 2012 songs
- 2013 singles
- Song recordings produced by Jeff Bhasker
- Songs written by Jeff Bhasker
- Songs written by Pink (singer)
- Music videos directed by Diane Martel
- RCA Records singles
- Number-one singles in Australia
- Number-one singles in Iceland
- Number-one singles in Italy
- Number-one singles in Lebanon
- Number-one singles in New Zealand
- Number-one singles in Sweden
- Canadian Hot 100 number-one singles
- Dutch Top 40 number-one singles
- Irish Singles Chart number-one singles
- Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles
- Billboard Adult Top 40 number-one singles
- Pop ballads
- Billboard Mainstream Top 40 (Pop Songs) number-one singles
- Billboard Adult Contemporary number-one singles