Lighters (song)
Encyclopedia
"Lighters" is a song by American hip hop duo Bad Meets Evil
, a group composed of Royce da 5'9" and Eminem
. As the second single from their first EP
, Hell: The Sequel
, Shady Records
serviced the song for mainstream radio airplay in the United States on July 5, 2011. The song features American singer-songwriter
Bruno Mars
, who was added after the original cut. The song was written and produced by Eminem, Battle Roy and The Smeezingtons
. Eminem and Royce da 5'9" took a different approach, wanting to break the typical album format that stereotypical hip hop artists use.
"Lighters" is an alternative hip hop
song which has been said by critics to incorporate soul music
, as well as influences of synthpop
. It is noted for being different in style from any other song on the EP. The song features bass, cymbal
s and keyboards
with percussion used in most of the song. The song was met with mixed reviews; some critics praised the change in style, as a break from more hardcore and aggressive themes of the other tracks found in Hell: The Sequel, while others criticized it for the same reason. Despite the mixed reception, the song performed generally well commercially, reaching the top ten in New Zealand, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. "Lighters" was performed at the 2011 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival
and the Lollapalooza
music festival.
The accompanying music video was shot in July 2011 and was directed by Rich Lee
. The two rappers guide themselves through underground tunnel
with pipelines as red highway flares
illuminate the setting, to reach an event by night. The video was met with positive reception for its positive and inspirational message.
about the origins of Bad Meets Evil's collaboration with R&B and pop
singer Bruno Mars
. Originally, "Lighters" was intended to be featured on Royce's fifth solo studio album, Success Is Certain
. It was produced solely by Minnesota producer Battle Roy. Eminem had been inspired to write and record the first verse, prompting Royce to write his the day afterwards. According to Eminem and his radio channel, Shade 45
, Mars was not in the original cut of the song, and there was instead a rough chorus
rapped by Bad Meets Evil. The rough version also had a different beat. After Mars was asked to feature in the hook, he made changes and wrote his own hook and small verse, with production from The Smeezingtons. Royce and Eminem wanted to make a different song different from the styles of the rest of the album:
The song was recorded at Effigy Studios (Ferndale, Michigan
) by Mike Strange, Isolation Studios by Asar and Levcon Studios (Los Angeles
, California
) by Ari Levine of The Smeezingtons
, a music production and songwriting group consisting of Philip Lawrence and Mars as well. The song was written by Eminem, Royce, The Smeezingtons and Battle Roy, who all (save for Royce) also produced the song. Battle Roy and Joe Strange also engineered the song. Detroit producer Luis Resto provided additional keyboards for the song, who does so for six other tracks on the EP as well. On May 25, 2011, when the album track listing of Hell: The Sequel
was announced, "Lighters" was revealed to the public to feature Mars. "Lighters" hit contemporary hit radio
on July 5, 2011 as the second single from the EP, released by Shady Records
.
track, being different from the hardcore rap style used in other songs by Bad Meets Evil in Hell: The Sequel, instead taking influences as from synthpop
and soul music
. featuring Mars, was composed and produced by Eminem, The Smeezingtons
(composed of Mars, Philip Lawrence and Ari Levine), Battle Roy and Royce da 5'9". Additional keyboards were provided by Luis Resto. According to Royce, "We figured we'd have one song for other people to listen to. [...] People who don't like listening to straight-up, raw, rappitty-rap lyrics. One joint to show versatility." Jon Dolan from Rolling Stone
referred to the song as having a "soul-ballad hook." The song's heavy usage of profanity
has gotten attention from critics.
The song has an electronic keyboard instrumental, similar to the B.o.B
and Mars collaboration "Nothin' on You
", which is heard during the chorus. Jason Newman of MTV
said that the track is unlike Bad Meets Evil's "late-'90s string of dark, misanthropic singles". Written in the key of C major
, "Lighters" has a moderate tempo of 92 beats per minute. The song begins with "warm, pleasing" vocals from Mars: "This one's for you and me, living out our dreams" has nothing but a musical keyboard
playing on the instrumental, which is reminiscent of "Nothin' on You". Eminem's verse appears to be a message to people who have hated him. The album version of the song is just over five minutes in length and is the longest song on Hell: The Sequel.
spoke about his opinion on the new song after it leaked on June 3, 2011, which was a positive one. He wasn't surprised to hear Eminem's performance. "It's hard to imagine a time when Eminem wasn't regarded as one of rap's elite, but his past drug abuse did take its toll before he reemerged triumphant on last year's Grammy Award-winning album Recovery." He also commented on Royce da 5'9"'s verse; "The gritty Detroit MC recalls his own battles to the top, referencing doubters at every turn." Billboard
editor Jason Lipshutz published a track-by-track review of each song on the album. He thought that the song did not fit in with the rest of Hell: The Sequel, but alone, is a good song: "[The] track doesn't fit with EP, but Em's effortless confidence carries the celebratory anthem." Jon Dolan of Rolling Stone
spoke about "Lighters" in an album review: "All the evil meeting badness can get pretty ugly [...]. But there's genuine humanity, too." and that the song is complimented by a "soul-ballad hook." Magazine XXL
commented on the song, saying it is "another break from the typical vicious lyrical assault." About.com
's Bill Lamb gave a generally positive review, naming it "an engaging, soulful pop hip hop blend," but went on to mention that the song "sounds a bit schmaltzy at times."
"Lighters" was met with negative reviews as well. David Jeffries from Allmusic said that "the glossy 'Lighters' feels more like a Bruno Mars track than Detroit diesel." Consequence of Sound
gave a mixed review of the EP, and a rather negative review on "Lighters". Winston Robbins believes that the chorus, by Mars, does not fit into a rap song and would have done better on a solo track or with another artist, "but it is so far from home next to the hard verses of two of rap’s bad boys." Chad Grischow of IGN
gave a similar review, calling the song 'strange' and 'unusual'. Grischow did not favor the influences of "gooey synthpop" and soul
fusion genres. "In the end, this brief look at the duo's skills does not fully deliver what you expect, but still leaves you wanting to hear more." Music website PopMatters
said that "Lighters" was the only disappointing one of 11 tracks on the EP (Deluxe Edition) and "it’s easy to press the skip button if you’d like to." Web magazine Plugged In Online
, once a magazine that published reviews from a Conservative Christian
's perspective, favored Mars' rapping but harshly criticized the duo's lyricism: "These two Detroit rappers use a lot more nasty words to get the job done". The reviewer went on to analyze Royce's verse: "Toss in nods to toking marijuana and two allusions to oral sex, and you've got a pretty good picture of what Royce's vision of 'living out our dreams' looks like in action." Royce da 5'9" responded to the criticism of "Lighters" and according to him, Eminem and he wanted to be versatile with the EP. "I don’t want that audience to think that I can only do one thing. It shows versatility on my end and it was a good way to set up Slaughterhouse."
Digital Songs
chart at number eight, before the single's release, on the issue dated July 2, 2011, while it entered the Billboard Hot 100
at number 16. However, the next week, the song dropped on the Digital Songs chart, to number 21, and to number 36 on the Hot 100. For the July 16, 2011 issue, "Lighters" suffered the fourth biggest fall on the Digital Songs chart, down to number 44. However, the next week, it moved up to number 25, while it moved from number 58, to number 33 on the Hot 100. The next week, the song further moved up to number 17 on the Hot 100, and to number 10, the week after, giving Mars his sixth top-ten hit and Bad Meets Evil's first. On the issue dated August 13, 2011, "Lighters" moved up to number seven on the Hot 100, with sales of 165 digital copies. The next week, it entered the bottom of the top five and held the Airplay Gainer honor. The song reached its Hot 100 peak on the issue dated September 10, 2011, at number four. "Lighters" peaked at number six on the Digital Rap Songs
chart, and has been on the chart for 14 weeks. On the Pop Songs
chart, the song peaked at number two, and has been on the chart for 15 weeks.
On July 3, 2011, song entered the Australian Singles Chart at number 30 and rose to number 19, the following week; it peaked at number 17 at the end of July 2011. The song is yet to leave the chart. On the Ö3 Austria Top 40
, the song debuted at number 45, in the beginning of July 2011. Two weeks later, the song made a final appearance at number 69, before re-entering on August 26, 2011, at number 68. On September 10, 2011, "Lighters" debuted on Flanders' Ultratop 50
singles chart, at number 32, and peaked at number 24, the following week. The song also entered Wallonia's Ultratop 50
at number 38, a week after debuting on the Ultratop 50. In Denmark, "Lighters" entered at number 25, in the beginning of July 2011, and later peaked at number 18. The song's 13th and final chart appearance in the country was at number 37. The song did not enter France's national singles chart until August 13, 2011, when it debuted at number 85. Lasting eight weeks, it reached a peak position at number 11 on September 24, 2011. On the week ending of July 21, 2011, the song debuted in Ireland at number 41, and rose to number 35, the week after.
On June 25, 2011, "Lighters" debuted at number 66 on the Dutch Single Top 100; it reached a peak position at number 17, during the fourth week. In New Zealand, the song debuted and peaked at number two, making this the song's highest debut and peak position. September 26, 2011 marked the song's 14th and final chart appearance, at number 36. In the United Kingdom, the song debuted at number 37, on June 25, 2011. It rose to number 30, the week after, but left the chart, two weeks later. However, the song re-entered the chart on September 10, 2011, at the bottom; it jumped to number 28, the week after. On October 8, 2011, the song peaked at number ten.
, California
. The video was directed by American music video and commercial director Rich Lee
, who previously shot the "Not Afraid
" music video with Eminem
, in which Royce had a cameo. Mars revealed to MTV
that the video would "leave fans inspired" and that it is "a very beautiful [video]. I haven't even seen it yet, but I think it's going to be beautiful." Not revealing any specific details about the music video, he jokingly added "I'm doing handstands, and I'm juggling naked." He promised that it would be released "very soon". The video was uploaded to music video website VEVO
on August 22, 2011.
The music video begins as Mars, wearing a leather jacket, starts playing an upright piano
, singing the beginning lyrics of the song, as the Sun shines towards him from a window. The video cuts between scenes where Eminem lays on a couch
in an untidy living room
, wearing a white T-shirt and baggy red pants; Eminem picks up a notepad with lyrics, preparing to start rapping his verse. The video occasionally cuts to the living room setting, where Eminem gets off the couch, to find a trap door underneath the and go through it. He climbs down a ladder to find himself in an same underground tunnel with plumbing systems, while red highway flares
illuminate the setting. He lights a flare to navigates through a series of tunnels. While Mars sings the chorus once again in the same setting as before, Eminem continues to search through the tunnels.
Royce begins rapping in prison cell
; he finds a poster and peels it off the wall to find a door compartment, a reference to 1994 drama film
The Shawshank Redemption
. He crawls through it and finds himself in the tunnel. Royce lights a flare to help navigate through the system. As Mars sings the bridge, the two rappers find their way out of the tunnels, through a manhole
which leads them to a field where Mars sings. As the Sun starts to set, couples, along with Bad Meets Evil, gather to see a large group of rising sky lanterns aglow. Beats by Dr. Dre
headphones are advertised in the video and one couple gathers in front of a Chrysler 300
. As the video reaches its conclusion, the setting gets dark and Mars sings the last lines.
Becky Bain from Idolator
wrote, "Bruno jams out on his 88 keys while the 'King Of Hip-Hop' and his Bad Meets Evil cohort Royce da 5′9″ go underground, emerging to the sight of thousands of lanterns lighting up the sky." Consequence of Sound
's Chris Coplan said that "all three men emerge to exactly what they’d been singing for: a sky full of decorative lamps." Kyle Anderson from Entertainment Weekly
gave a mixed review, criticizing the level of lighting in the video as he says, "it is literally difficult to see anything that is going on," but praised the final scene of glowing lanterns, naming it possible "the most compellingly beautiful thing to appear in an Eminem video." James Montgomer, from MTV News
, wrote: "It's a stirring image, for sure, and yes, you can probably read plenty into it."
and Royce da 5'9" made their debut live performance as Bad Meets Evil for "Fast Lane
" and "Lighters" at the 2011 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival
. They were accompanied by Eminem's hypeman from D12
, Mr. Porter. Mars was not seen at the performance, however. The live show was complimented with animated lighters in the background screen. The duo wore Bad Meets Evil t-shirts and black hoodie
s. Eminem also wore camouflage
shorts. In the beginning of the performance, Eminem asked the audience to hold their lighters, if they had brought one, which most did. The performance was widely praised; James Montgomery from MTV
said, "It's the same renewed vigor Eminem has displayed on his most-recent efforts." News reporter Adam Graham from The Detroit News
favored the performance, commenting on its effect on the audience: "Royce joined his partner-in-rhyme on stage for two songs, 'Fast Lane' and 'Lighters,' the latter of which lit up the humongous field in front of the [stage] in a sea of Bic lighters." Magazine The Hollywood Reporter
quoted, "Bonnaroo's crowd may be a hippie enclave, but you wouldn't have known it Saturday night." Mars joined Bad Meets Evil to perform "Lighters" on the second day of Lollapalooza 2011
, which took place in Chicago
and once again, they were accompanied by Mr. Porter. Piet Levy from USA Today
newspaper named the performance as "the evening's highlight". During the show, many fans held up Bic
lighters and lit their cell phone
s and cameras. Leah Greenblatt from Entertainment Weekly
quoted the show as "a set heavy on hard-spat hits". Gil Kaufman from MTV News
thought of Mars' chorus as "a feathery pop sheen to the harder-edge". Mars also brought a silver guitar
with him that he occasionally played. "Lighters" was included on Eminem's set list
at V2011 (V Festival
), which took place in Staffordshire
and Chelmsford
on August 20 and August 21, 2011, respectively.
Personnel
Credits were adapted from the Hell: The Sequel digital booklet.
Bad Meets Evil
Bad Meets Evil is an American hip hop duo from Detroit, Michigan that consists of rappers Royce da 5'9" and Eminem . They are best known for collaborating on a self-titled song that appeared on Eminem's major-label debut album The Slim Shady LP in 1999, their early association with Dr...
, a group composed of Royce da 5'9" and Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
. As the second single from their first EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, Hell: The Sequel
Hell: The Sequel
Hell: The Sequel is the debut extended play by Bad Meets Evil, an American hip hop duo composed of Royce da 5'9" and Eminem. It was released on June 13, 2011 in some countries by Shady Records and Interscope Records and on June 14, 2011 in the United States. The EP focuses on hardcore hip hop and...
, Shady Records
Shady Records
Shady Records is an American record label specializing in hip hop music. Eminem and his manager Paul Rosenberg founded the label in 1999 after the release of The Slim Shady LP.Since the formation, the label has signed nine acts...
serviced the song for mainstream radio airplay in the United States on July 5, 2011. The song features American singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Bruno Mars
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...
, who was added after the original cut. The song was written and produced by Eminem, Battle Roy and 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...
. Eminem and Royce da 5'9" took a different approach, wanting to break the typical album format that stereotypical hip hop artists use.
"Lighters" is an alternative hip hop
Alternative hip hop
Alternative hip hop is a sub-genre of hip hop music. Allmusic defines it as follows: -Origin:...
song which has been said by critics to incorporate soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, as well as influences of synthpop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
. It is noted for being different in style from any other song on the EP. The song features bass, cymbal
Cymbal
Cymbals are a common percussion instrument. Cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys; see cymbal making for a discussion of their manufacture. The greater majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sound a...
s and keyboards
Musical keyboard
A musical keyboard is the set of adjacent depressible levers or keys on a musical instrument, particularly the piano. Keyboards typically contain keys for playing the twelve notes of the Western musical scale, with a combination of larger, longer keys and smaller, shorter keys that repeats at the...
with percussion used in most of the song. The song was met with mixed reviews; some critics praised the change in style, as a break from more hardcore and aggressive themes of the other tracks found in Hell: The Sequel, while others criticized it for the same reason. Despite the mixed reception, the song performed generally well commercially, reaching the top ten in New Zealand, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. "Lighters" was performed at the 2011 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival
Bonnaroo Music Festival
The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is an annual four day music festival created and produced by Superfly Productions and AC Entertainment, held at Great Stage Park on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee. It hosted its tenth annual event June 9–12, 2011...
and the Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
music festival.
The accompanying music video was shot in July 2011 and was directed by Rich Lee
Rich lee
Rich Lee is an American music video and commercial director signed to DNA in Hollywood, California and Flynn Productions in the United Kingdom. He has directed music videos for Eminem, The Black Eyed Peas, Norah Jones, Michael Bublé and The All-American Rejects. Rich Lee started his professional...
. The two rappers guide themselves through underground tunnel
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
with pipelines as red highway flares
Flare (pyrotechnic)
A flare, also sometimes called a fusee, is a type of pyrotechnic that produces a brilliant light or intense heat without an explosion. Flares are used for signalling, illumination, or defensive countermeasures in civilian and military applications...
illuminate the setting, to reach an event by night. The video was met with positive reception for its positive and inspirational message.
Background
Royce da 5'9" spoke to Canadian music magazine Exclaim!Exclaim!
Exclaim! is a monthly Canadian music magazine that features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with special focus on Canadian and cutting-edge artists...
about the origins of Bad Meets Evil's collaboration with R&B and pop
Pop 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...
singer Bruno Mars
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...
. Originally, "Lighters" was intended to be featured on Royce's fifth solo studio album, Success Is Certain
Success Is Certain
- Charts :-External links:* at Metacritic...
. It was produced solely by Minnesota producer Battle Roy. Eminem had been inspired to write and record the first verse, prompting Royce to write his the day afterwards. According to Eminem and his radio channel, Shade 45
Shade 45
Shade 45 is Eminem's uncensored Hip-Hop/Rap-heavy urban contemporary channel. Eminem Brings On-Air show hosts. It debuted with a hip hop format in 2004, changing to its current incarnation when it was added to XM channel 66...
, Mars was not in the original cut of the song, and there was instead a rough chorus
Refrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
rapped by Bad Meets Evil. The rough version also had a different beat. After Mars was asked to feature in the hook, he made changes and wrote his own hook and small verse, with production from The Smeezingtons. Royce and Eminem wanted to make a different song different from the styles of the rest of the album:
The song was recorded at Effigy Studios (Ferndale, Michigan
Ferndale, Michigan
Ferndale is adjacent to the cities of Detroit to the south, Oak Park to the west, Hazel Park to the east, Pleasant Ridge to the north, Royal Oak Township to the southwest, and Royal Oak to the north....
) by Mike Strange, Isolation Studios by Asar and Levcon Studios (Los Angeles
Los 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...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
) by Ari Levine of 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...
, a music production and songwriting group consisting of Philip Lawrence and Mars as well. The song was written by Eminem, Royce, The Smeezingtons and Battle Roy, who all (save for Royce) also produced the song. Battle Roy and Joe Strange also engineered the song. Detroit producer Luis Resto provided additional keyboards for the song, who does so for six other tracks on the EP as well. On May 25, 2011, when the album track listing of Hell: The Sequel
Hell: The Sequel
Hell: The Sequel is the debut extended play by Bad Meets Evil, an American hip hop duo composed of Royce da 5'9" and Eminem. It was released on June 13, 2011 in some countries by Shady Records and Interscope Records and on June 14, 2011 in the United States. The EP focuses on hardcore hip hop and...
was announced, "Lighters" was revealed to the public to feature Mars. "Lighters" hit contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
on July 5, 2011 as the second single from the EP, released by Shady Records
Shady Records
Shady Records is an American record label specializing in hip hop music. Eminem and his manager Paul Rosenberg founded the label in 1999 after the release of The Slim Shady LP.Since the formation, the label has signed nine acts...
.
Composition
"Lighters" is mainly an alternative hip hopAlternative hip hop
Alternative hip hop is a sub-genre of hip hop music. Allmusic defines it as follows: -Origin:...
track, being different from the hardcore rap style used in other songs by Bad Meets Evil in Hell: The Sequel, instead taking influences as from synthpop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
and soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
. featuring Mars, was composed and produced by Eminem, 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...
(composed of Mars, Philip Lawrence and Ari Levine), Battle Roy and Royce da 5'9". Additional keyboards were provided by Luis Resto. According to Royce, "We figured we'd have one song for other people to listen to. [...] People who don't like listening to straight-up, raw, rappitty-rap lyrics. One joint to show versatility." Jon Dolan from 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...
referred to the song as having a "soul-ballad hook." The song's heavy usage of profanity
Profanity
Profanity is a show of disrespect, or a desecration or debasement of someone or something. Profanity can take the form of words, expressions, gestures, or other social behaviors that are socially constructed or interpreted as insulting, rude, vulgar, obscene, desecrating, or other forms.The...
has gotten attention from critics.
The song has an electronic keyboard instrumental, similar to the B.o.B
B.o.B
Bobby Ray Simmons, Jr. , better known by his stage name B.o.B, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and record producer. He is currently signed under the labels of Grand Hustle Records, Rebel Rock Entertainment, and Atlantic Records. His debut single "Nothin' on You" reached number one in both...
and Mars collaboration "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...
", which is heard during the chorus. Jason Newman of 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....
said that the track is unlike Bad Meets Evil's "late-'90s string of dark, misanthropic singles". Written in the key of C major
C major
C major is a musical major scale based on C, with pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature has no flats/sharps.Its relative minor is A minor, and its parallel minor is C minor....
, "Lighters" has a moderate tempo of 92 beats per minute. The song begins with "warm, pleasing" vocals from Mars: "This one's for you and me, living out our dreams" has nothing but a musical keyboard
Musical keyboard
A musical keyboard is the set of adjacent depressible levers or keys on a musical instrument, particularly the piano. Keyboards typically contain keys for playing the twelve notes of the Western musical scale, with a combination of larger, longer keys and smaller, shorter keys that repeats at the...
playing on the instrumental, which is reminiscent of "Nothin' on You". Eminem's verse appears to be a message to people who have hated him. The album version of the song is just over five minutes in length and is the longest song on Hell: The Sequel.
Critical response
Overall, critics were divided in their reactions to "Lighters". Most critics commented on the difference of style the song has compared to other songs on the EP Hell: The Sequel. This was met with both positive and negative reception. Rob Markman from MTV NewsMTV 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...
spoke about his opinion on the new song after it leaked on June 3, 2011, which was a positive one. He wasn't surprised to hear Eminem's performance. "It's hard to imagine a time when Eminem wasn't regarded as one of rap's elite, but his past drug abuse did take its toll before he reemerged triumphant on last year's Grammy Award-winning album Recovery." He also commented on Royce da 5'9"'s verse; "The gritty Detroit MC recalls his own battles to the top, referencing doubters at every turn." 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...
editor Jason Lipshutz published a track-by-track review of each song on the album. He thought that the song did not fit in with the rest of Hell: The Sequel, but alone, is a good song: "[The] track doesn't fit with EP, but Em's effortless confidence carries the celebratory anthem." Jon Dolan of 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...
spoke about "Lighters" in an album review: "All the evil meeting badness can get pretty ugly [...]. But there's genuine humanity, too." and that the song is complimented by a "soul-ballad hook." Magazine XXL
XXL (magazine)
XXL is a Hip-Hop magazine, published by Harris Publications.In 1997, XXL was founded by former Source staffers as well as other Harris Publication employees, who wanted to create their own magazine about the hip-hop music and culture using the model developed by the founders of The Source...
commented on the song, saying it is "another break from the typical vicious lyrical assault." 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 gave a generally positive review, naming it "an engaging, soulful pop hip hop blend," but went on to mention that the song "sounds a bit schmaltzy at times."
"Lighters" was met with negative reviews as well. David Jeffries from Allmusic said that "the glossy 'Lighters' feels more like a Bruno Mars track than Detroit diesel." Consequence of Sound
Consequence of Sound
Consequence of Sound, also known often as CoS, is a Chicago-based music website featuring news, album and concert reviews, and editorials. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outlook micro-site, which serves as an on-line database for music festival news and rumors...
gave a mixed review of the EP, and a rather negative review on "Lighters". Winston Robbins believes that the chorus, by Mars, does not fit into a rap song and would have done better on a solo track or with another artist, "but it is so far from home next to the hard verses of two of rap’s bad boys." Chad Grischow of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave a similar review, calling the song 'strange' and 'unusual'. Grischow did not favor the influences of "gooey synthpop" and soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
fusion genres. "In the end, this brief look at the duo's skills does not fully deliver what you expect, but still leaves you wanting to hear more." Music website PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
said that "Lighters" was the only disappointing one of 11 tracks on the EP (Deluxe Edition) and "it’s easy to press the skip button if you’d like to." Web magazine Plugged In Online
Plugged In
Plugged In was a monthly magazine published by Focus on the Family. Its print version was discontinued and now it survives as a web site, Plugged In Online....
, once a magazine that published reviews from a Conservative Christian
Conservative Christianity
Conservative Christianity is a term applied to a number of groups or movements seen as giving priority to traditional Christian beliefs and practices...
's perspective, favored Mars' rapping but harshly criticized the duo's lyricism: "These two Detroit rappers use a lot more nasty words to get the job done". The reviewer went on to analyze Royce's verse: "Toss in nods to toking marijuana and two allusions to oral sex, and you've got a pretty good picture of what Royce's vision of 'living out our dreams' looks like in action." Royce da 5'9" responded to the criticism of "Lighters" and according to him, Eminem and he wanted to be versatile with the EP. "I don’t want that audience to think that I can only do one thing. It shows versatility on my end and it was a good way to set up Slaughterhouse."
Commercial performance
"Lighters" debuted on the BillboardBillboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
Digital Songs
Hot Digital Songs
The Hot Digital Songs chart ranks the best-selling digital singles in the United States, according to Billboard.Beginning in February 2005, digital sales have been incorporated into many of Billboards music single charts. It was decided to do so mainly because of the dramatic rise in popularity of...
chart at number eight, before the single's release, on the issue dated July 2, 2011, while it entered 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...
at number 16. However, the next week, the song dropped on the Digital Songs chart, to number 21, and to number 36 on the Hot 100. For the July 16, 2011 issue, "Lighters" suffered the fourth biggest fall on the Digital Songs chart, down to number 44. However, the next week, it moved up to number 25, while it moved from number 58, to number 33 on the Hot 100. The next week, the song further moved up to number 17 on the Hot 100, and to number 10, the week after, giving Mars his sixth top-ten hit and Bad Meets Evil's first. On the issue dated August 13, 2011, "Lighters" moved up to number seven on the Hot 100, with sales of 165 digital copies. The next week, it entered the bottom of the top five and held the Airplay Gainer honor. The song reached its Hot 100 peak on the issue dated September 10, 2011, at number four. "Lighters" peaked at number six on the Digital Rap Songs
Hot Rap Songs
Rap Songs is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stations and sales in hip hop-focused or exclusive markets. From 1989 through 2001, it was based on how much the single...
chart, and has been on the chart for 14 weeks. On the Pop Songs
Mainstream Top 40 (Pop Songs)
The Mainstream Top 40 is an airplay chart from Billboard magazine, and is also known as Pop Songs on billboard.com. It was often mistaken for and confused with the now discontinued Pop 100 Airplay chart...
chart, the song peaked at number two, and has been on the chart for 15 weeks.
On July 3, 2011, song entered the Australian Singles Chart at number 30 and rose to number 19, the following week; it peaked at number 17 at the end of July 2011. The song is yet to leave the chart. On the Ö3 Austria Top 40
Ö3 Austria Top 40
Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann...
, the song debuted at number 45, in the beginning of July 2011. Two weeks later, the song made a final appearance at number 69, before re-entering on August 26, 2011, at number 68. On September 10, 2011, "Lighters" debuted on Flanders' Ultratop 50
Ultratop 50
Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995...
singles chart, at number 32, and peaked at number 24, the following week. The song also entered Wallonia's Ultratop 50
Ultratop 50
Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995...
at number 38, a week after debuting on the Ultratop 50. In Denmark, "Lighters" entered at number 25, in the beginning of July 2011, and later peaked at number 18. The song's 13th and final chart appearance in the country was at number 37. The song did not enter France's national singles chart until August 13, 2011, when it debuted at number 85. Lasting eight weeks, it reached a peak position at number 11 on September 24, 2011. On the week ending of July 21, 2011, the song debuted in Ireland at number 41, and rose to number 35, the week after.
On June 25, 2011, "Lighters" debuted at number 66 on the Dutch Single Top 100; it reached a peak position at number 17, during the fourth week. In New Zealand, the song debuted and peaked at number two, making this the song's highest debut and peak position. September 26, 2011 marked the song's 14th and final chart appearance, at number 36. In the United Kingdom, the song debuted at number 37, on June 25, 2011. It rose to number 30, the week after, but left the chart, two weeks later. However, the song re-entered the chart on September 10, 2011, at the bottom; it jumped to number 28, the week after. On October 8, 2011, the song peaked at number ten.
Music video
The "Lighters" music video began shooting on July 20, 2011 in 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...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The video was directed by American music video and commercial director Rich Lee
Rich lee
Rich Lee is an American music video and commercial director signed to DNA in Hollywood, California and Flynn Productions in the United Kingdom. He has directed music videos for Eminem, The Black Eyed Peas, Norah Jones, Michael Bublé and The All-American Rejects. Rich Lee started his professional...
, who previously shot the "Not Afraid
Not Afraid
Not to be confused with Eminem's Not AfraidNot Afraid is the debut studio album by Christian pop rock singer Stephanie Smith. It was released on May 27, 2008 through Gotee Records...
" music video with Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
, in which Royce had a cameo. Mars revealed to 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....
that the video would "leave fans inspired" and that it is "a very beautiful [video]. I haven't even seen it yet, but I think it's going to be beautiful." Not revealing any specific details about the music video, he jokingly added "I'm doing handstands, and I'm juggling naked." He promised that it would be released "very soon". The video was uploaded to music video website VEVO
Vevo
Vevo is a music video website. It is a joint venture among Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Abu Dhabi Media with EMI licensing its content to the group without taking an ownership stake. The service was launched officially on December 8, 2009...
on August 22, 2011.
The music video begins as Mars, wearing a leather jacket, starts playing an upright piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, singing the beginning lyrics of the song, as the Sun shines towards him from a window. The video cuts between scenes where Eminem lays on a couch
Couch
A couch, also called a sofa, is an item of furniture designed to seat more than one person, and providing support for the back and arms. Typically, it will have an armrest on either side. In homes couches are normally found in the family room, living room, den or the lounge...
in an untidy living room
Living room
A living room, also known as sitting room, lounge room or lounge , is a room for entertaining adult guests, reading, or other activities...
, wearing a white T-shirt and baggy red pants; Eminem picks up a notepad with lyrics, preparing to start rapping his verse. The video occasionally cuts to the living room setting, where Eminem gets off the couch, to find a trap door underneath the and go through it. He climbs down a ladder to find himself in an same underground tunnel with plumbing systems, while red highway flares
Flare (pyrotechnic)
A flare, also sometimes called a fusee, is a type of pyrotechnic that produces a brilliant light or intense heat without an explosion. Flares are used for signalling, illumination, or defensive countermeasures in civilian and military applications...
illuminate the setting. He lights a flare to navigates through a series of tunnels. While Mars sings the chorus once again in the same setting as before, Eminem continues to search through the tunnels.
Royce begins rapping in prison cell
Prison cell
A prison cell or holding cell or lock-up is a small room in a prison, or police station where a prisoner is held.Prison cells are usually about 6 by 8 feet in size with steel or brick walls and one solid or barred door that locks from the outside. Many modern prison cells are pre-cast. Solid doors...
; he finds a poster and peels it off the wall to find a door compartment, a reference to 1994 drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
The Shawshank Redemption
The Shawshank Redemption
The Shawshank Redemption is a 1994 American drama film written and directed by Frank Darabont and starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman....
. He crawls through it and finds himself in the tunnel. Royce lights a flare to help navigate through the system. As Mars sings the bridge, the two rappers find their way out of the tunnels, through a manhole
Manhole
A manhole is an opening used to gain access to sewers or other underground structures, usually for maintenance.Manhole may also refer to:* Manhole , a metal band from Los Angeles* The Manhole, a computer game...
which leads them to a field where Mars sings. As the Sun starts to set, couples, along with Bad Meets Evil, gather to see a large group of rising sky lanterns aglow. Beats by Dr. Dre
Beats By Dr. Dre
Beats By Dr. Dre is a brand of headphones and loudspeakers marketed by hip-hop/rap musician Dr. Dre and Interscope-Geffen-A&M Records chairman Jimmy Iovine under Beats Electronics LLC. There are six versions of the headphones and six versions of the earphones, which are manufactured and...
headphones are advertised in the video and one couple gathers in front of a Chrysler 300
Chrysler 300
The Chrysler 300 is a full-size upscale car first shown at the 2003 New York Auto Show as a concept car. Sales in the U.S. began in the spring of 2004 as an early 2005 model year car. Designed by Ralph Gilles, the new 300 was built as a high-end sedan while the SRT-8 model was designed to be the...
. As the video reaches its conclusion, the setting gets dark and Mars sings the last lines.
Becky Bain from 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...
wrote, "Bruno jams out on his 88 keys while the 'King Of Hip-Hop' and his Bad Meets Evil cohort Royce da 5′9″ go underground, emerging to the sight of thousands of lanterns lighting up the sky." Consequence of Sound
Consequence of Sound
Consequence of Sound, also known often as CoS, is a Chicago-based music website featuring news, album and concert reviews, and editorials. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outlook micro-site, which serves as an on-line database for music festival news and rumors...
's Chris Coplan said that "all three men emerge to exactly what they’d been singing for: a sky full of decorative lamps." Kyle Anderson from Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment 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...
gave a mixed review, criticizing the level of lighting in the video as he says, "it is literally difficult to see anything that is going on," but praised the final scene of glowing lanterns, naming it possible "the most compellingly beautiful thing to appear in an Eminem video." James Montgomer, from 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...
, wrote: "It's a stirring image, for sure, and yes, you can probably read plenty into it."
Live performances
EminemEminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
and Royce da 5'9" made their debut live performance as Bad Meets Evil for "Fast Lane
Fast Lane (song)
"Fast Lane" is the lead single by hip hop duo Bad Meets Evil, a group composed of Royce da 5'9" and Eminem, from their first EP Hell: The Sequel. It's their first single as a group since the 1999 hit "Nuttin' to Do" and the duo's major label debut single, due to a break-up in late 2000...
" and "Lighters" at the 2011 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival
Bonnaroo Music Festival
The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is an annual four day music festival created and produced by Superfly Productions and AC Entertainment, held at Great Stage Park on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee. It hosted its tenth annual event June 9–12, 2011...
. They were accompanied by Eminem's hypeman from D12
D12
D12, an acronym for The Dirty Dozen, is an American hip hop group from Detroit, Michigan. D12 has had chart-topping albums in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia...
, Mr. Porter. Mars was not seen at the performance, however. The live show was complimented with animated lighters in the background screen. The duo wore Bad Meets Evil t-shirts and black hoodie
Hoodie
A hoodie is a sweatshirt with a hood. The characteristic design includes large frontal pockets, a hood, and a drawstring to adjust the hood opening. They are sometimes worn with sweatpants. Some hoodies have zippers on them to allow easy removal much like a jacket...
s. Eminem also wore camouflage
Military camouflage
Military camouflage is one of many means of deceiving an enemy. In practice, it is the application of colour and materials to battledress and military equipment to conceal them from visual observation. The French slang word camouflage came into common English usage during World War I when the...
shorts. In the beginning of the performance, Eminem asked the audience to hold their lighters, if they had brought one, which most did. The performance was widely praised; James Montgomery from 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....
said, "It's the same renewed vigor Eminem has displayed on his most-recent efforts." News reporter Adam Graham from The Detroit News
The Detroit News
The Detroit News is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival Free Press's building. The News absorbed the Detroit Tribune on February 1, 1919, the Detroit Journal on July 21, 1922, and on November 7, 1960,...
favored the performance, commenting on its effect on the audience: "Royce joined his partner-in-rhyme on stage for two songs, 'Fast Lane' and 'Lighters,' the latter of which lit up the humongous field in front of the [stage] in a sea of Bic lighters." Magazine The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
quoted, "Bonnaroo's crowd may be a hippie enclave, but you wouldn't have known it Saturday night." Mars joined Bad Meets Evil to perform "Lighters" on the second day of Lollapalooza 2011
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
, which took place in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and once again, they were accompanied by Mr. Porter. Piet Levy from USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
newspaper named the performance as "the evening's highlight". During the show, many fans held up Bic
Société Bic
Société Bic is a company based in Clichy, France, founded in 1945, by Baron Marcel Bich known for making disposable products including lighters, magnets, ballpoint pens, shaving razors and watersports products. It competes in most markets against Faber-Castell, Global Gillette, Newell Rubbermaid...
lighters and lit their cell phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
s and cameras. Leah Greenblatt from Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment 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...
quoted the show as "a set heavy on hard-spat hits". Gil Kaufman from 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...
thought of Mars' chorus as "a feathery pop sheen to the harder-edge". Mars also brought a silver guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
with him that he occasionally played. "Lighters" was included on Eminem's set list
Set list
A set list, or setlist, is a document that lists the songs that a band or musical artist intends to play, or has played, during a specific concert performance...
at V2011 (V Festival
V Festival
The V Festival is an annual music festival held in England during the penultimate weekend in August. The event is held at two parks simultaneously which share the same bill; artists perform at one location on Saturday and then swap on Sunday. The sites are located at Hylands Park in Chelmsford and...
), which took place in Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
and Chelmsford
Chelmsford
Chelmsford is the county town of Essex, England and the principal settlement of the borough of Chelmsford. It is located in the London commuter belt, approximately northeast of Charing Cross, London, and approximately the same distance from the once provincial Roman capital at Colchester...
on August 20 and August 21, 2011, respectively.
Credits and personnel
Recording- Recorded at: Effigy Studios in Ferndale, MichiganFerndale, MichiganFerndale is adjacent to the cities of Detroit to the south, Oak Park to the west, Hazel Park to the east, Pleasant Ridge to the north, Royal Oak Township to the southwest, and Royal Oak to the north....
, Isolation Studios, and Levcon Studios in Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos 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...
, California.
Personnel
- EminemEminemMarshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
– songwriter, producerRecord 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...
, mixerAudio 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... - Royce da 5'9" – songwriter
- Ari Levine – recording
- 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...
(Philip Lawrence, Bruno MarsBruno MarsPeter 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...
, Ari Levine) – songwriters, producers - Battle Roy – songwriter, producer
- Mike Strange – mixer, recording
- Joe Strange – assistant 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...
- Asar – recording
- Luis Resto – additional keyboards
Credits were adapted from the Hell: The Sequel digital booklet.
Weekly charts
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... (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... ) |
75 |
| US Latin Songs Hot Latin Songs Hot Latin Songs is a record chart published by Billboard magazine. It is often recognized as the most important music chart for Spanish language Latin music in the American music market. It was established by the magazine on September 6, 1986 with La Guirnalda by Rocío Dúrcal being the first song... (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... ) |
22 |
| US Latin Pop Songs (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... ) |
27 |
| US Pop Songs (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... ) |
2 |
| US Rap Songs (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... ) |
6 |
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... |
Platinum |
| 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... |
Gold |
Radio dates
| Country | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| United States | July 5, 2011 | Contemporary hit radio Contemporary hit radio Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts... |