If I Never See Your Face Again
Encyclopedia
"If I Never See Your Face Again" is a song written by Maroon 5
members Adam Levine
and James Valentine
for Maroon 5's second studio album, It Won't Be Soon Before Long
(2007). A remix of the song was recorded with pop singer Rihanna
, and was released as the fourth single from the album instead of the original version. The remix was included on the re-release of It Won't Be Soon Before Long, and is also featured on the re-release of Rihanna's third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad
(2007). The song was produced by Mark Endert
, Mike Elizondo
, Mark "Spike" Stent, and Maroon 5.
to record "bits and pieces" because they wanted to, in lead singer Adam Levine's words, "try something different". James Diener, president of A&M
/Octone Records, said that Maroon 5 were friends with and fans of Rihanna, having attended some of her performances, and thought that she could help them achieve Levine's goal of turning the song into a "'battle of the sexes
'-style duet". Because of the speed of the collaboration, Levine compared the remix of "If I Never See Your Face Again" to his experience working with rapper Kanye West
on the song "Heard 'Em Say
" (2005), explaining "It sounds cheesy, but if the magic is there, if the chemistry is there, you don't even have to think about it."
Rihanna said she was "honored" to be approached by Maroon 5, one of her favorite bands, and made the song the only collaboration on the re-release of Good Girl Gone Bad
because she had always wanted to work with them. She also attributed her enthusiasm for collaborating on the remix to the song's "energy" and "badass" lyrics.
Maroon 5 and Rihanna performed it for the first time live on the MTV show and it was well-received by most of the viewing public.
"If I Never See Your Face Again" was sent to U.S. mainstream radio on May 13, 2008.
The song received a Grammy nomination in the Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals
category at 51st Grammy Awards
.
#28 on May 26, 2008. It debuted on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
at #57, but failed to make the Top 50, making the song not so a hit as the others in the U.S. On June 8, the week that Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded was released, the song charted on the UK Singles Chart
at #29. The following week, the song fell a place but a week later it climbed back up to #28 but then fell out of the charts, however on July 6, the song re-entered the chart at #36. Even though the single became Rihanna's lowest charting UK single to date and her first to miss the UK Top 20, it also marked her 11th consecutive UK Top 40 single. Furthermore, it also became Maroon 5's eighth UK Top 40 single.
The music video
, directed by Anthony Mandler
, was shot on an indoor soundstage in Castaic, California
on April 23, 2008. One of the sets had to be repainted between takes. An MTV News
reporter called the video "a fairly glam affair", and Levine referred to it as "this kind of ultra-glamorous, photography-based, late-'70s/ early-'80s situation" and "really stylish and really beautiful", saying that "Rihanna
's physical presence is undeniable". The Guardian
wrote, "The concept appears to be high-end erotica [...] If the [smartly furnished] sets resemble the kind of rooms nobody really lives in, then Rihanna sports a selection of outfits nobody really wears". The video premiered on May 13 on Total Request Live
. Rihanna said on The Today Show, when she went to perform for the Toyota Concert Series, and on MTV's TRL
that this was one of her favorite videos to make and she enjoyed it.
The video features scenes in which Levine and Rihanna, according to The Guardian, "flirt professionally with each other" at a table (seated opposite each other), in a bedroom and on a couch. Another setting presents Maroon 5 performing the song before Rihanna, who approaches Levine to share the microphone with him. Levine and Rihanna occasionally make violent gestures—such as scratching and hair-pulling—toward each other during the video.
magazine found that the "equally photogenic Levine and Rihanna trade off vocals that are as sexy on record as their energy is on the elegant, glammed-to-the-hilt video."
Maroon 5
Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. While they were in high school, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Adam Levine, keyboardist Jesse Carmichael, bass guitarist Mickey Madden, and drummer Ryan Dusick formed a garage band called Kara's Flowers and released one album...
members Adam Levine
Adam Levine
Adam Noah Levine is an American singer-songwriter and musician, best known as the front man and guitarist for the pop rock band Maroon 5. He is also a coach on the American talent show The Voice.-Early life:...
and James Valentine
James Valentine (musician)
James Valentine is an American musician. He is best known as the lead guitarist for the pop rock group Maroon 5.-Early life:...
for Maroon 5's second studio album, It Won't Be Soon Before Long
It Won't Be Soon Before Long
It Won't Be Soon Before Long is Maroon 5's second studio album, released on May 22, 2007. It came almost a full five years after their debut, Songs About Jane. The name was inspired by a phrase the band adopted to keep themselves motivated while on their tour. The album debuted at number one on the...
(2007). A remix of the song was recorded with pop singer Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
, and was released as the fourth single from the album instead of the original version. The remix was included on the re-release of It Won't Be Soon Before Long, and is also featured on the re-release of Rihanna's third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad
Good Girl Gone Bad
Good Girl Gone Bad is the third studio album by Barbadian R&B singer Rihanna, released May 30, 2007, on Def Jam Recordings. Recording sessions for the album took place during October 2006 to April 2007 at Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles. Rihanna worked with producers Christopher "Tricky"...
(2007). The song was produced by Mark Endert
Mark Endert
Mark Endert is an American music producer, mixer, arranger and musician.-Biography:Since the early 1990s - present, he is credited on albums spanning a wide array of musical genres with sales totaling more than 90...
, Mike Elizondo
Mike Elizondo
Michael "Mike" Elizondo is a well-known songwriter, bassist, keyboardist, and hip hop music producer.-Musical career:Mike Elizondo is especially known for his collaborations with internationally successful producer Dr. Dre and rapper Eminem. He has played the bass for many of Dr...
, Mark "Spike" Stent, and Maroon 5.
Remix and single release
The original version of "If I Never See Your Face Again" was complete, but Maroon 5 enlisted RihannaRihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
to record "bits and pieces" because they wanted to, in lead singer Adam Levine's words, "try something different". James Diener, president of A&M
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
/Octone Records, said that Maroon 5 were friends with and fans of Rihanna, having attended some of her performances, and thought that she could help them achieve Levine's goal of turning the song into a "'battle of the sexes
Battle of the sexes (game theory)
In game theory, battle of the sexes , also called Bach or Stravinsky, is a two-player coordination game. Imagine a couple that agreed to meet this evening, but cannot recall if they will be attending the opera or a football match. The husband would most of all like to go to the football game. The...
'-style duet". Because of the speed of the collaboration, Levine compared the remix of "If I Never See Your Face Again" to his experience working with rapper 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...
on the song "Heard 'Em Say
Heard 'Em Say
"Heard 'Em Say" is a song by American hip hop artist Kanye West. It was released on November 8, 2005 as the third single for his second studio album, Late Registration. The song features Maroon 5 lead vocalist Adam Levine, who sings its chorus and bridge. Co-produced by Jon Brion, the song contains...
" (2005), explaining "It sounds cheesy, but if the magic is there, if the chemistry is there, you don't even have to think about it."
Rihanna said she was "honored" to be approached by Maroon 5, one of her favorite bands, and made the song the only collaboration on the re-release of Good Girl Gone Bad
Good Girl Gone Bad
Good Girl Gone Bad is the third studio album by Barbadian R&B singer Rihanna, released May 30, 2007, on Def Jam Recordings. Recording sessions for the album took place during October 2006 to April 2007 at Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles. Rihanna worked with producers Christopher "Tricky"...
because she had always wanted to work with them. She also attributed her enthusiasm for collaborating on the remix to the song's "energy" and "badass" lyrics.
Maroon 5 and Rihanna performed it for the first time live on the MTV show and it was well-received by most of the viewing public.
"If I Never See Your Face Again" was sent to U.S. mainstream radio on May 13, 2008.
The song received a Grammy nomination in the Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals
Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals
The Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality pop songs on which singers collaborate...
category at 51st Grammy Awards
51st Grammy Awards
The 51st Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA on February 8, 2009. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss were the biggest winners of the night, jointly winning five awards including Album of the Year and Record of the Year...
.
Chart performance
"If I Never See Your Face Again" debuted on the ARIA Singles ChartARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
#28 on May 26, 2008. It debuted on the U.S. 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...
at #57, but failed to make the Top 50, making the song not so a hit as the others in the U.S. On June 8, the week that Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded was released, the song charted on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
at #29. The following week, the song fell a place but a week later it climbed back up to #28 but then fell out of the charts, however on July 6, the song re-entered the chart at #36. Even though the single became Rihanna's lowest charting UK single to date and her first to miss the UK Top 20, it also marked her 11th consecutive UK Top 40 single. Furthermore, it also became Maroon 5's eighth UK Top 40 single.
Music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
, directed by Anthony Mandler
Anthony Mandler
Anthony Mandler is a commercial and music video director, who has written and directed music videos for several artists. His most notable and frequent collaborator is Rihanna...
, was shot on an indoor soundstage in Castaic, California
Castaic, California
Castaic, California, is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Los Angeles County, California, north of Santa Clarita and a few miles from Six Flags Magic Mountain amusement park. It is approximately 39 miles from the downtown Los Angeles Civic Center. As of the 2010...
on April 23, 2008. One of the sets had to be repainted between takes. An MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
reporter called the video "a fairly glam affair", and Levine referred to it as "this kind of ultra-glamorous, photography-based, late-'70s/ early-'80s situation" and "really stylish and really beautiful", saying that "Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
's physical presence is undeniable". The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
wrote, "The concept appears to be high-end erotica [...] If the [smartly furnished] sets resemble the kind of rooms nobody really lives in, then Rihanna sports a selection of outfits nobody really wears". The video premiered on May 13 on Total Request Live
Total Request Live
Total Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...
. Rihanna said on The Today Show, when she went to perform for the Toyota Concert Series, and on MTV's TRL
Total Request Live
Total Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...
that this was one of her favorite videos to make and she enjoyed it.
The video features scenes in which Levine and Rihanna, according to The Guardian, "flirt professionally with each other" at a table (seated opposite each other), in a bedroom and on a couch. Another setting presents Maroon 5 performing the song before Rihanna, who approaches Levine to share the microphone with him. Levine and Rihanna occasionally make violent gestures—such as scratching and hair-pulling—toward each other during the video.
Track listing
Critical reception
BillboardBillboard (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...
magazine found that the "equally photogenic Levine and Rihanna trade off vocals that are as sexy on record as their energy is on the elegant, glammed-to-the-hilt video."
Charts
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|