Grenade (song)
Encyclopedia
"Grenade" is a song performed by American singer-songwriter and producer Bruno Mars
from his debut studio album Doo-Wops & Hooligans
. Initially released as a promotional single on September 28, 2010, it was later announced to be the album's second single. The first track from the album, it was written by Mars along with his production team The Smeezingtons
with Brody Brown, Claude Kelly
, and Andrew Wyatt
.
Critical reception has been mostly positive, with reviewers praising the vocals and emotional lyrics of the heartbreak song. It has peaked at number one in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and on the Billboard Hot 100
, becoming his third number-one single in both the United States and the United Kingdom. A music video was released in mid-November 2010.
spawned two iTunes Store
-exclusive promotional singles prior to its release in October 2010—"Liquor Store Blues", which features Damian Marley
, and "Grenade". The song was released on September 28, 2010. In an interview with Idolator
, Mars revealed songwriter-producer Benny Blanco
played him an unreleased track with similar lyrical themes, which served as the song's inspiration. He also expressed desire to release the song as a single, being his "personal favorite". In an interview with Digital Spy
, Mars revealed plans to follow hit single "Just the Way You Are
" with "Grenade".
and R&B
ballad, co-written by Mars with songwriting-production team The Smeezingtons
, Brody Brown, Claude Kelly
, and Andrew Wyatt
. Sheet music published by Sony/ATV Music Publishing
shows that "Grenade" is set in the key of D minor
and was published in common time
, with a moderate tempo
of 108 beats per minute. Mars' vocals span from A3 to D5 and background vocals are heard throughout. The song starts softly but crescendo
es both musically and lyrically toward the climax of the song, backed by "pulsating, synthesized beats". According to Jon Caramanica of The New York Times
, the song contains elements of 1980s pop
and is accompanied by drums similar to those used by Kanye West
. About.com
's Bill Lamb noted "classical pop song construction" and The New Zealand Herald
s Scott Kara described its beats as Shakira
-esque. The song contains elements of Jeff Tweedy
's "I'll Fight". Lyrically, the "Grenade" contains masochistic themes and tells the story of heartbreak caused by a failed relationship: "Gave you all I had / And you tossed it in the trash". The chorus has Mars singing, "I'd catch a grenade for ya," and speaks of unrequited love
when the subject girl of his affections "won't do the same". As Mars himself simply told Blues & Soul
: "'Grenade' represents the OTHER side of love - where you're in love with a woman and you know for a fact that she doesn't love you the way you love HER."
Leah Greenblatt called "Grenade" the "atmospheric opener" of Mars' debut studio album, and enjoyed it as one of the album's highlights, as did The Washington Post
Sean Fennessey. Roberto Mucciacciaro for MTV
noted its strong influence and similarity to Michael Jackson
's "Dirty Diana
", a song which Mars has coincidentally covered on several occasions. AOL Radio
's Amar Toor praised the song, calling it "nothing short of explosive", and Rolling Stone
Jody Rosen recommended it as proof of Mars' capabilities as a "lavishly gifted melodist". However, Slant's Eric Henderson dismissed its unrealistic lyrics and allmusic's Tim Sendra thought the song was "over-the-top"—one of the weaker ones on the album. For the 54th Grammy Awards
, the song has been nominated for Song of the Year
and Record of the Year
.
the week of October 16, 2010 at the eighty-first position and climbed the chart to number five for the week ending December 18, 2010. On December 29, it peaked at number 1, making it Bruno Mars' third number one single on the chart, the others being B.o.B's "Nothin' on You
", on which he was featured, and "Just the Way You Are
". (It later dropped and rose back to #1 two more times, making it one of only five singles in Billboard history to have three distinct runs at #1.) In January, 2011, it became his second solo single to top the 2 million mark in paid downloads. In February, it topped the 3 million mark taking only 19 weeks to do so. Compared to this feat, "Just the Way You Are" reached this mark only 4 weeks later, in its 23rd week. The song spent 36 weeks on the Hot 100. As of June 30, 2011, it has now sold 4,391,000 digital copies in the United States making it Mars' second single doing so following "Just The Way You Are". "Grenade" reached this feat in 29 weeks, six weeks faster than its predecessor. This makes it only the 4th time in Billboard history that back-to-back singles have both sold 4 million copies in the digital era. The song has peaked at number one in the Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia and Sweden. As of February 4, it has spent a total of 4 weeks at the top of the Irish Singles Chart.
. He wears a suit and encounters a gang
and a pit bull
along the way. When he reaches the woman's house and finds out she is with another man, he drags himself and the piano in front of a train. As the train approaches Bruno, the video cuts to black. Scenes also feature the singer singing in a dark bedroom, looking out of a rainy window.
In a behind-the-scenes video, Mars explained, "The concept of the video is my struggle, to tell this girl I'd do anything for her, so I'm going as far as dragging a piano to get to her just so I can sing my heart out."
The video itself earned Mars three nominations at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards
, in Best Male Video, Best Pop Video and Video of the Year
.
in New York City
on August 25, 2010, with him and his four-piece band dressed in blue tuxedos and black skinny ties. The song was also performed in a similar manner on the October 9, 2010 episode of Saturday Night Live
, as part of a segue from "Nothin' on You
". A soulful arrangement of the song was sung for a Billboard
Tastemakers video session. Additionally, Mars made a musical appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman
with "Grenade" accompanied by an all-female string section. The song was performed at the 2010 Soul Train Music Awards
on November 28, 2010, where Mars also shared a win for Song of the Year with "Nothin' on You. He also performed the song on the Dutch television show The Voice of Holland
, which will air in the United States from May on NBC as "The Voice of America", on January 21.
On February 13, he performed the song live at the 2011 Grammy Awards. Recently Mars has become apprehensive about performing the song because fans have been throwing dummy grenades on stage, some of which are metal and have posed a safety hazard.
Source:
Bruno Mars
Peter Gene Hernandez , better known by his stage name Bruno Mars, is an Filipino-American singer-songwriter and record producer. Raised in Honolulu, Hawaii by a family of musicians, Mars began making music at a young age...
from his debut studio album Doo-Wops & Hooligans
Doo-Wops & Hooligans
Doo-Wops & Hooligans is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars, released on October 4, 2010. Mars' writing and production team The Smeezingtons were credited with writing all songs and serve as the album's executive producers...
. Initially released as a promotional single on September 28, 2010, it was later announced to be the album's second single. The first track from the album, it was written by Mars along with his production team The Smeezingtons
The Smeezingtons
The Smeezingtons is the name of a songwriting and production team consisting of Bruno Mars, Philip Lawrence and Ari Levine.They have produced and written songs for artists and groups such as the Sugababes, Travie McCoy, B.o.B, Brandy Norwood, K'naan, Lil Wayne, Flo Rida, Chad Hugo, Lil Eddie, Bad...
with Brody Brown, Claude Kelly
Claude Kelly
Claude Kelly is an American singer-songwriter. He has a prolific discography, well known for writing for artists such as Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Toni Braxton, Whitney Houston, Jordin Sparks, Kelly Clarkson, Jay Sean, Adam Lambert, Jessie J and Charice.-Career:He began playing the piano...
, and Andrew Wyatt
Andrew Wyatt
Andrew Wyatt is an American musician and producer. Born and raised in Manhattan, he has played in New York bands such as The A.M., and is currently vocalist in the electronic pop band Miike Snow...
.
Critical reception has been mostly positive, with reviewers praising the vocals and emotional lyrics of the heartbreak song. It has peaked at number one in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, becoming his third number-one single in both the United States and the United Kingdom. A music video was released in mid-November 2010.
Background
Doo-Wops & HooligansDoo-Wops & Hooligans
Doo-Wops & Hooligans is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars, released on October 4, 2010. Mars' writing and production team The Smeezingtons were credited with writing all songs and serve as the album's executive producers...
spawned two iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
-exclusive promotional singles prior to its release in October 2010—"Liquor Store Blues", which features Damian Marley
Damian Marley
Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley is a Jamaican reggae artist who has won three Grammy awards. Damian is the youngest son of Bob Marley....
, and "Grenade". The song was released on September 28, 2010. In an interview with Idolator
Idolator (website)
Idolator is a music blog. Created by the blog network Gawker Media in August 2006, Idolator was later sold to rival blog network Buzz Media, which also owns music blog Stereogum. From the 2007 departure of original head writer Brian Raftery until November 2009, the blog's head writer was Maura...
, Mars revealed songwriter-producer Benny Blanco
Benny Blanco
Benjamin Levin , better known as Benny Blanco, is an American songwriter and producer from Reston, Virginia. He first came to the attention of Internet blogosphere producing a collaborative EP with Spank Rock. Working with producer Dr...
played him an unreleased track with similar lyrical themes, which served as the song's inspiration. He also expressed desire to release the song as a single, being his "personal favorite". In an interview with Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
, Mars revealed plans to follow hit single "Just the Way You Are
Just the Way You Are (Bruno Mars song)
"Just the Way You Are" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars, and is the lead single from his debut studio album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans. It was released in the United States on July 20, 2010. It has also received airplay from AOL Radio's New Pop First station. The song was written by...
" with "Grenade".
Composition
"Grenade" is a popPop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
ballad, co-written by Mars with songwriting-production team The Smeezingtons
The Smeezingtons
The Smeezingtons is the name of a songwriting and production team consisting of Bruno Mars, Philip Lawrence and Ari Levine.They have produced and written songs for artists and groups such as the Sugababes, Travie McCoy, B.o.B, Brandy Norwood, K'naan, Lil Wayne, Flo Rida, Chad Hugo, Lil Eddie, Bad...
, Brody Brown, Claude Kelly
Claude Kelly
Claude Kelly is an American singer-songwriter. He has a prolific discography, well known for writing for artists such as Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Toni Braxton, Whitney Houston, Jordin Sparks, Kelly Clarkson, Jay Sean, Adam Lambert, Jessie J and Charice.-Career:He began playing the piano...
, and Andrew Wyatt
Andrew Wyatt
Andrew Wyatt is an American musician and producer. Born and raised in Manhattan, he has played in New York bands such as The A.M., and is currently vocalist in the electronic pop band Miike Snow...
. Sheet music published by Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Sony/ATV Music Publishing is a music publishing company co-owned by The Michael Jackson Family Trust and Sony. The organisation was originally founded as Associated TeleVision in 1955 by Lew Grade. In 1957, ATV acquired Pye Records as a wholly owned subsidiary...
shows that "Grenade" is set in the key of D minor
D minor
D minor is a minor scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. In the harmonic minor, the C is raised to C. Its key signature has one flat ....
and was published in common time
Common Time
"Common Time" is a science fiction short story written by James Blish. It first appeared in the August 1953 issue of Science Fiction Quarterly and has been reprinted several times: in the 1959 short-story collection Galactic Cluster; in The Testament of Andros ; in The Penguin Science Fiction...
, with a moderate tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
of 108 beats per minute. Mars' vocals span from A3 to D5 and background vocals are heard throughout. The song starts softly but crescendo
Crescendo
-In music:*Crescendo, a passage of music during which the volume gradually increases, see Dynamics * Crescendo , a Liverpool-based electronic pop band* "Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue", one of Duke Ellington's longer-form compositions...
es both musically and lyrically toward the climax of the song, backed by "pulsating, synthesized beats". According to Jon Caramanica of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, the song contains elements of 1980s pop
1980s in music
For music from a year in the 1980s, go to 80 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88 | 89For a history of music in all times, see Timeline of musical events....
and is accompanied by drums similar to those used by Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
. About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
's Bill Lamb noted "classical pop song construction" and The New Zealand Herald
The New Zealand Herald
- External links :* * *...
s Scott Kara described its beats as Shakira
Shakira
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll , known professionally as Shakira , is a Colombian singer who emerged in the music scene of Colombia and Latin America in the early 1990s...
-esque. The song contains elements of Jeff Tweedy
Jeff Tweedy
Jeffrey Scot "Jeff" Tweedy is an American songwriter, musician and leader of the band Wilco. Tweedy joined rockabilly band The Plebes with high school friend Jay Farrar in the early 1980s, but Tweedy's musical interests caused one of Farrar's brothers to quit...
's "I'll Fight". Lyrically, the "Grenade" contains masochistic themes and tells the story of heartbreak caused by a failed relationship: "Gave you all I had / And you tossed it in the trash". The chorus has Mars singing, "I'd catch a grenade for ya," and speaks of unrequited love
Unrequited love
Unrequited love is love that is not openly reciprocated or understood as such, even though reciprocation is usually deeply desired. The beloved may or may not be aware of the admirer's deep affections...
when the subject girl of his affections "won't do the same". As Mars himself simply told Blues & Soul
Blues & Soul
Blues & Soul is a British music magazine covering black music. Genres covered include soul, R&B, jazz, hip hop, reggae and world music. It was first published in 1966 and is known for first using the term Northern Soul....
: "'Grenade' represents the OTHER side of love - where you're in love with a woman and you know for a fact that she doesn't love you the way you love HER."
Critical reception
Grenade has been well received by critics. Lamb gave a review of four-and-a-half stars out of five, praising Mars' vocals and emotional lyrics on a track that "cements his position as the top new artist of 2010". Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
Leah Greenblatt called "Grenade" the "atmospheric opener" of Mars' debut studio album, and enjoyed it as one of the album's highlights, as did The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
Sean Fennessey. Roberto Mucciacciaro for MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
noted its strong influence and similarity to Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's "Dirty Diana
Dirty Diana
"Dirty Diana" is a song by American songwriter and recording artist Michael Jackson that is featured on Jackson's seventh studio album, Bad. The song was released by Epic Records on April 18, 1988 as the fifth single from Bad. The song presented a harder rock sound similar to that of "Beat It" from...
", a song which Mars has coincidentally covered on several occasions. AOL Radio
AOL Radio
AOL Radio powered by Slacker, , is an online radio service available only in the United States.- Roots :...
's Amar Toor praised the song, calling it "nothing short of explosive", and Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
Jody Rosen recommended it as proof of Mars' capabilities as a "lavishly gifted melodist". However, Slant's Eric Henderson dismissed its unrealistic lyrics and allmusic's Tim Sendra thought the song was "over-the-top"—one of the weaker ones on the album. For the 54th Grammy Awards
54th Grammy Awards
The 54th Annual Grammy Awards will be held on February 12, 2012, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. It will be broadcasted on CBS. Nominations were announced on November 30, 2011 on prime-time television as part of "The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live! – Countdown to Music's Biggest Night", a...
, the song has been nominated for Song of the Year
Grammy Award for Song of the Year
The Song of the Year is one of the four most prestigious awards in the Grammy Awards ceremony, if not in all of the American music industry. It has been awarded since 1959 and unlike the Record of the Year award, which goes to the performer and production team of a single song, Song of the Year...
and Record of the Year
Grammy Award for Record of the Year
The Record of the Year is one of the four most prestigious Grammy Awards presented annually. It has been awarded since 1959.-History:The honorees through its history have been:*1959-1965: Artist only.*1966-1998: Artist and producer....
.
Chart performance
"Grenade" first debuted on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
the week of October 16, 2010 at the eighty-first position and climbed the chart to number five for the week ending December 18, 2010. On December 29, it peaked at number 1, making it Bruno Mars' third number one single on the chart, the others being B.o.B's "Nothin' on You
Nothin' on You
"Nothin' on You" is the debut single by American rapper B.o.B. The song features vocals from Bruno Mars. The song is included in B.o.B's debut studio album B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray. An official remix version of this song, which was featured by Big Boi, debuted on March 21, 2010...
", on which he was featured, and "Just the Way You Are
Just the Way You Are (Bruno Mars song)
"Just the Way You Are" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars, and is the lead single from his debut studio album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans. It was released in the United States on July 20, 2010. It has also received airplay from AOL Radio's New Pop First station. The song was written by...
". (It later dropped and rose back to #1 two more times, making it one of only five singles in Billboard history to have three distinct runs at #1.) In January, 2011, it became his second solo single to top the 2 million mark in paid downloads. In February, it topped the 3 million mark taking only 19 weeks to do so. Compared to this feat, "Just the Way You Are" reached this mark only 4 weeks later, in its 23rd week. The song spent 36 weeks on the Hot 100. As of June 30, 2011, it has now sold 4,391,000 digital copies in the United States making it Mars' second single doing so following "Just The Way You Are". "Grenade" reached this feat in 29 weeks, six weeks faster than its predecessor. This makes it only the 4th time in Billboard history that back-to-back singles have both sold 4 million copies in the digital era. The song has peaked at number one in the Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia and Sweden. As of February 4, it has spent a total of 4 weeks at the top of the Irish Singles Chart.
Music video
A music video was released on November 19, 2010, directed by NABIL. It involves Mars's efforts to sing to a woman he loves after dragging an upright piano with a rope tied to it through Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. He wears a suit and encounters a gang
Gang
A gang is a group of people who, through the organization, formation, and establishment of an assemblage, share a common identity. In current usage it typically denotes a criminal organization or else a criminal affiliation. In early usage, the word gang referred to a group of workmen...
and a pit bull
Pit bull
A Pit bull is any of several breeds of dog in the molosser breed group.Many jurisdictions that restrict pit bulls, including Ontario, Canada,, Miami, Florida, U.S...
along the way. When he reaches the woman's house and finds out she is with another man, he drags himself and the piano in front of a train. As the train approaches Bruno, the video cuts to black. Scenes also feature the singer singing in a dark bedroom, looking out of a rainy window.
In a behind-the-scenes video, Mars explained, "The concept of the video is my struggle, to tell this girl I'd do anything for her, so I'm going as far as dragging a piano to get to her just so I can sing my heart out."
The video itself earned Mars three nominations at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards
2011 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2011 MTV Video Music Awards took place on August 28, at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, honoring the best music videos from the previous year. On July 20, the nominees were announced...
, in Best Male Video, Best Pop Video and Video of the Year
Video of the Year
Video of the Year may refer to:*BET Award for Video of the Year*Grammy Award for Video of the Year*Juno Award for Video of the Year*MTV Pilipinas for Video of the Year*MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year...
.
Remix
Lil Wayne created an unofficial remix to the single. The song is identical except that Lil Wayne provides a 16-bar introduction verse to the song. When Bruno Mars heard it he called it "Awesome and was really excited about it." MTV described as "Lil Wayne delivering a spoken word-style flow, expressing devotion for his love interest." The Source described the his bars as "clever and appropriately emo."Live performances
Mars performed the song during a performance at the Bowery BallroomBowery Ballroom
The Bowery Ballroom is a music venue in the Bowery section of New York City. The structure, at 6 Delancey Street, was built just before the Stock Market Crash of 1929. It stood vacant until the end of WWII, when it became a high-end retail store. The neighborhood subsequently went into decline...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on August 25, 2010, with him and his four-piece band dressed in blue tuxedos and black skinny ties. The song was also performed in a similar manner on the October 9, 2010 episode of Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
, as part of a segue from "Nothin' on You
Nothin' on You
"Nothin' on You" is the debut single by American rapper B.o.B. The song features vocals from Bruno Mars. The song is included in B.o.B's debut studio album B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray. An official remix version of this song, which was featured by Big Boi, debuted on March 21, 2010...
". A soulful arrangement of the song was sung for a Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Tastemakers video session. Additionally, Mars made a musical appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
with "Grenade" accompanied by an all-female string section. The song was performed at the 2010 Soul Train Music Awards
Soul Train Music Awards
The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual award show which previously aired in national television syndication, and honors the best in Black music and entertainment...
on November 28, 2010, where Mars also shared a win for Song of the Year with "Nothin' on You. He also performed the song on the Dutch television show The Voice of Holland
The Voice of Holland
The Voice of Holland is a Dutch reality singing competition, created by media tycoon John de Mol, and currently airing on RTL4 in the Netherlands. Hosted by Martijn Krabbé and Wendy van Dijk it is currently the number 1 show in the Netherlands, with increasing ratings from 1.6 to 3.0 million viewers...
, which will air in the United States from May on NBC as "The Voice of America", on January 21.
On February 13, he performed the song live at the 2011 Grammy Awards. Recently Mars has become apprehensive about performing the song because fans have been throwing dummy grenades on stage, some of which are metal and have posed a safety hazard.
Track listing
- Digital download
- "Grenade" – 3:42
- German CD single
- "Grenade" – 3:42
- "Just the Way You AreJust the Way You Are (Bruno Mars song)"Just the Way You Are" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars, and is the lead single from his debut studio album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans. It was released in the United States on July 20, 2010. It has also received airplay from AOL Radio's New Pop First station. The song was written by...
" (Carl Louis & Martin Danielle Classic Mix) – 5:17
- The Grenade Sessions digital EP
- "Grenade" – 3:42
- "Catch a Grenade" (The Hooligans Remix) – 3:30
- "Grenade" (Passion PitPassion PitPassion Pit is an American electropop band from Cambridge, Massachusetts. The group, which formed in 2007, consists of Michael Angelakos , Ian Hultquist , Ayad Al Adhamy , Jeff Apruzzese and Nate Donmoyer...
Remix) – 6:10 - "Grenade" (acoustic) – 4:09
- "Grenade" (music video) – 3:40
Personnel
- SongwritingSongwriterA songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
– Bruno Mars, Philip Lawrence, Ari LevineThe SmeezingtonsThe Smeezingtons is the name of a songwriting and production team consisting of Bruno Mars, Philip Lawrence and Ari Levine.They have produced and written songs for artists and groups such as the Sugababes, Travie McCoy, B.o.B, Brandy Norwood, K'naan, Lil Wayne, Flo Rida, Chad Hugo, Lil Eddie, Bad...
, Brody Brown, Claude KellyClaude KellyClaude Kelly is an American singer-songwriter. He has a prolific discography, well known for writing for artists such as Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Toni Braxton, Whitney Houston, Jordin Sparks, Kelly Clarkson, Jay Sean, Adam Lambert, Jessie J and Charice.-Career:He began playing the piano...
, Andrew WyattAndrew WyattAndrew Wyatt is an American musician and producer. Born and raised in Manhattan, he has played in New York bands such as The A.M., and is currently vocalist in the electronic pop band Miike Snow... - ProductionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
– The SmeezingtonsThe SmeezingtonsThe Smeezingtons is the name of a songwriting and production team consisting of Bruno Mars, Philip Lawrence and Ari Levine.They have produced and written songs for artists and groups such as the Sugababes, Travie McCoy, B.o.B, Brandy Norwood, K'naan, Lil Wayne, Flo Rida, Chad Hugo, Lil Eddie, Bad... - MixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
– Manny MarroquinManny MarroquinManny Marroquin, born 21 September 1971 in Guatemala, is a Grammy winning mixing engineer. His family moved to Los Angeles when he was nine due to the Guatemalan Civil War.... - Assistant mixing – Erik Madrid, Christian Plata
- EngineeringAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
– Ari Levine - InstrumentationInstrumentation (music)In music, instrumentation refers to the particular combination of musical instruments employed in a composition, and to the properties of those instruments individually...
– Bruno Mars, Ari Levine, Brody Brown - MasteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
– Stephen MarcussenStephen MarcussenStephen Marcussen is the founder and chief mastering engineer of Marcussen Mastering in Hollywood, California. Marcussen is one of the most sought-after mastering engineers in the music industry and his expertise has been coveted by a wide range of artists over the years...
Source:
Charts
| Chart (2010–11) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| German Airplay Chart | 1 |
| Poland (ZPAV Polish Music Charts The Polish Music Charts are two official album charts and seven singles charts in Poland, provided by ZPAV, the Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry . The first, the Top 100, is a monthly chart based on data received from the album companies... ) |
1 |
| Romania (UPFR Romanian Top 100 The Romanian Top 100 is the national airplay-based singles chart of Romania. It is weekly and it started running in 1996. It is recognized as an official chart by the European division of Billboard, Music & Media.... ) |
32 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2010) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 32 |
| Dutch Singles Chart Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
188 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification |
|---|---|
| Australia Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... |
4× Platinum |
| Austria IFPI The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a not-for-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland... |
Gold |
| Belgium | Gold |
| Canada Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada... |
4× Platinum |
| Denmark | Platinum |
| Germany Bundesverband Musikindustrie The Bundesverband Musikindustrie or simply BVMI represents the music industry in Germany. The association represents the interests of nearly 350 labels and music industry related enterprises.... |
3× Gold |
| Italy | Gold |
| New Zealand Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
2× Platinum |
| Denmark | Platinum |
| United States | 4× Platinum |
Chart precession and succession
See also
- List of number-one singles in Australia in 2010
- List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 2011 (Canada)
- List of number-one singles of 2011 (Germany)
- List of number-one singles of 2011 (Ireland)
- List of number-one singles from the 2010s (New Zealand)
- List of number-one singles of 2011 (Poland)
- List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 2011 (U.S.)
- List of number-one singles from the 2010s (UK)