Love Me (Justin Bieber song)
Encyclopedia
"Love Me " is a song by Canadian recording artist, Justin Bieber
. The track was written by Bruno Mars
, Ari Levine, and Phillip Lawrence
, and produced by Bill Malina and DJ Frank E
. It was released exclusively to iTunes as the first promotional single from his debut studio release, My World
on October 26, 2009. An electropop song which also contains dance-pop
and R&B
music, the chorus interpolates the 1996 single "Lovefool
" by the Swedish band The Cardigans
. "Love Me" was one of the most well received tracks on the album, with critics complimenting its electro and club feel, and its usage of the "Lovefool" sample.
The song peaked in Canada and in the U.S. at twelve and thirty-seven, respectively. The song also charted in the United Kingdom on its main chart and R&B chart, and in Australia. The music video for the song was released on August 3, 2010 and serves as a "tribute to his worldwide fans, thanking them for their support". The dominant scenes are made of up of live performances, behind-the-scenes footage, and Bieber standing in front of a blue and white backdrop dancing. Bieber has performed the song on numerous occasions, most notably on the Fearless Tour
while accompanying Taylor Swift
.
at Side 3 Studios in Denver, Colorado
. The song recorded by Bill Malina at Serenity Sound Studio in Cincinnati, Ohio
. Mixing was done by Dave Pensado and Jaycen-Joshua Fowler, at Larrabee Studios in North Hollywood, California. Taylor Graves and Bonnie McKee provided background vocals. Bieber originally stated that the third single from his debut album to be released exclusively on iTunes would be an acoustic remix of his lead single
, "One Time
", and that it would be released on October 27, 2009. However plans were changed, and a week before the release, Bieber announced that a new song, "Love Me" would be released. It was released a day early on October 26. Bieber took to Twitter
with his shock saying that he was surprised himself.
"Love Me" be is a dance-pop
song, which makes use of electropop and R&B
sounds. The chorus interpolates the song "Lovefool
" by the Swedish band The Cardigans
. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Universal Music Publishing, Ltd., "Love Me" is set in common time
, and has a "moderately fast" tempo of 188 beats per minute. It is composed in the key of C minor
with Bieber's vocals spanning from the low-note of B3 to the high-note of C5. The song follows in the chord progression
of Cm–A–E–B
said "Bieber's better on "Love Me", where he riffs on the Cardigans
' "Lovefool
" atop a killer electro-glam groove." Mark Hirsh The Boston Globe, which was one of the few reviewers that gave the album a mixed analysis, said that "Love Me" was the essential song on the set. Washington Post also cited the song as one of the album's best, referring to it as a "modest club track." The New York Times
said the track is "probably the only release in recent memory that owes debts to both the Cardigans." Mike Diver of BBC Music
called the song an "an electro-infused reinterpretation of The Cardigans' Lovefool, where Bieber exhibits the right kind of attitude, playful and endearing." Diver preferred Bieber in the song and wanted more of "the cheeky chap rightfully having the time of his young life", rather than the "adolescent playboy". "Love Me" had debuted on the Canadian Hot 100
and Billboard Hot 100
at twelve and thirty-seven. It spent twelve non-consecutive weeks on the Canadian chart and four in the United States. On the week ending January 10, 2010, "Love Me" entered the UK Singles Chart
at eighty-two, and later peaked at seventy-one. It also debuted and peaked on the UK R&B chart at twenty-three, remaining on the chart for three weeks. It debuted and peaked in Australia at 100.
, also makes an appearance in the video. The video also incorporates Bieber standing in front of a "simple [white] backdrop" dancing and "draw[ing] hearts in the air, presumably directed at his loving fanbase" relative to the songs theme, "Love Me".
Bieber performed the song several times including at the new Microsoft Store
grand opening in Mission Viejo, California
, on the Fearless Tour
, on his radio promotion tour and Jingle Ball tour, and CBS' The Early Show
as a part of their Super Bowl programming. He also performed it in an unaired segment of VH1
's Pepsi Super Bowl Fan Jam, and at the 2010 Houston Rodeo with Selena Gomez
. Bieber performed the song at a concert at the Hollywood Palladium
. In a review of the performance, August Brown of the Los Angeles Times
, said commended the song, saying the song "tacks the indie-pop chorus from the Cardigans’ “Lovefool” onto en-vogue trance synthesizers and martial dance beats."
Source:
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber is a Canadian pop/R&B singer, songwriter and actor. Bieber was discovered in 2008 by Scooter Braun, who came across Bieber's videos on YouTube and later became his manager...
. The track was written by 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...
, Ari Levine, and Phillip Lawrence
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...
, and produced by Bill Malina and DJ Frank E
DJ Frank E
Justin Franks, also known as DJ Frank E, is an American DJ and record producer from Denver, Colorado. He began mixing records and later progressed to producing remixes in 2003....
. It was released exclusively to iTunes as the first promotional single from his debut studio release, My World
My World (Justin Bieber album)
My World is the first release by Canadian singer Justin Bieber. It is considered to be the first part of a two-part debut release. My World, being the first part is considered an extended play standalone. It was released on November 17, 2009, via Island Records, and its follow up was released on...
on October 26, 2009. An electropop song which also contains dance-pop
Dance-pop
Dance-pop is dance-oriented pop music that originated in the early 1980s. Developing from post-disco, it is generally up-tempo music intended for clubs with the intention of being danceable or merely dancey...
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...
music, the chorus interpolates the 1996 single "Lovefool
Lovefool
"Lovefool" is a pop rock song written by Peter Svensson and Nina Persson for The Cardigans' third studio album First Band on the Moon, released as a single on 14 September 1996, in the United Kingdom and internationally on 5 October 1996...
" by the Swedish band The Cardigans
The Cardigans
The Cardigans are a Swedish rock band formed in the town of Jönköping in October 1992.Their debut album Emmerdale gave them a solid base in their home country and enjoyed some success abroad, especially in Japan. It was not until their second album Life that an international reputation was secured...
. "Love Me" was one of the most well received tracks on the album, with critics complimenting its electro and club feel, and its usage of the "Lovefool" sample.
The song peaked in Canada and in the U.S. at twelve and thirty-seven, respectively. The song also charted in the United Kingdom on its main chart and R&B chart, and in Australia. The music video for the song was released on August 3, 2010 and serves as a "tribute to his worldwide fans, thanking them for their support". The dominant scenes are made of up of live performances, behind-the-scenes footage, and Bieber standing in front of a blue and white backdrop dancing. Bieber has performed the song on numerous occasions, most notably on the Fearless Tour
Fearless Tour
The Fearless Tour was the first concert tour by American country pop singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. The tour was in support of her second studio album, Fearless. On the tour, she was joined by guests Kellie Pickler and Gloriana. Teen singer, Justin Bieber joined her for the tour when she went to...
while accompanying Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
.
Background and composition
The song was produced by DJ Frank EDJ Frank E
Justin Franks, also known as DJ Frank E, is an American DJ and record producer from Denver, Colorado. He began mixing records and later progressed to producing remixes in 2003....
at Side 3 Studios in Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
. The song recorded by Bill Malina at Serenity Sound Studio in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
. Mixing was done by Dave Pensado and Jaycen-Joshua Fowler, at Larrabee Studios in North Hollywood, California. Taylor Graves and Bonnie McKee provided background vocals. Bieber originally stated that the third single from his debut album to be released exclusively on iTunes would be an acoustic remix of his lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
, "One Time
One Time
"One Time" is the debut song of Canadian recording artist Justin Bieber. The song was produced and written by RedZone Entertainment's Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, Terius "The-Dream" Nash, and Kuk Harrell and production duo The Movement. It is the first single released from his debut EP, My World....
", and that it would be released on October 27, 2009. However plans were changed, and a week before the release, Bieber announced that a new song, "Love Me" would be released. It was released a day early on October 26. Bieber took to Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
with his shock saying that he was surprised himself.
"Love Me" be is a dance-pop
Dance-pop
Dance-pop is dance-oriented pop music that originated in the early 1980s. Developing from post-disco, it is generally up-tempo music intended for clubs with the intention of being danceable or merely dancey...
song, which makes use of electropop 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...
sounds. The chorus interpolates the song "Lovefool
Lovefool
"Lovefool" is a pop rock song written by Peter Svensson and Nina Persson for The Cardigans' third studio album First Band on the Moon, released as a single on 14 September 1996, in the United Kingdom and internationally on 5 October 1996...
" by the Swedish band The Cardigans
The Cardigans
The Cardigans are a Swedish rock band formed in the town of Jönköping in October 1992.Their debut album Emmerdale gave them a solid base in their home country and enjoyed some success abroad, especially in Japan. It was not until their second album Life that an international reputation was secured...
. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Universal Music Publishing, Ltd., "Love Me" is set in common time
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
, and has a "moderately fast" tempo of 188 beats per minute. It is composed in the key of C minor
C minor
C minor is a minor scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. The harmonic minor raises the B to B. Changes needed for the melodic and harmonic versions of the scale are written in with naturals and accidentals as necessary.Its key signature consists of three flats...
with Bieber's vocals spanning from the low-note of B3 to the high-note of C5. The song follows in the chord progression
Chord progression
A chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...
of Cm–A–E–B
Reception
The song was one of the most well received on the album. Mikael Wood of 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...
said "Bieber's better on "Love Me", where he riffs on the Cardigans
The Cardigans
The Cardigans are a Swedish rock band formed in the town of Jönköping in October 1992.Their debut album Emmerdale gave them a solid base in their home country and enjoyed some success abroad, especially in Japan. It was not until their second album Life that an international reputation was secured...
' "Lovefool
Lovefool
"Lovefool" is a pop rock song written by Peter Svensson and Nina Persson for The Cardigans' third studio album First Band on the Moon, released as a single on 14 September 1996, in the United Kingdom and internationally on 5 October 1996...
" atop a killer electro-glam groove." Mark Hirsh The Boston Globe, which was one of the few reviewers that gave the album a mixed analysis, said that "Love Me" was the essential song on the set. Washington Post also cited the song as one of the album's best, referring to it as a "modest club track." 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...
said the track is "probably the only release in recent memory that owes debts to both the Cardigans." Mike Diver of BBC Music
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
called the song an "an electro-infused reinterpretation of The Cardigans' Lovefool, where Bieber exhibits the right kind of attitude, playful and endearing." Diver preferred Bieber in the song and wanted more of "the cheeky chap rightfully having the time of his young life", rather than the "adolescent playboy". "Love Me" had debuted on the Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
and 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 twelve and thirty-seven. It spent twelve non-consecutive weeks on the Canadian chart and four in the United States. On the week ending January 10, 2010, "Love Me" entered 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 eighty-two, and later peaked at seventy-one. It also debuted and peaked on the UK R&B chart at twenty-three, remaining on the chart for three weeks. It debuted and peaked in Australia at 100.
Music video
The music video for "Love Me" was directed by Alfredo Flores with Bieber as co-director. It was released on August 3, 2010. Bieber said the video serves as a "tribute to his worldwide fans, thanking them for their support". The dominant scenes are made of up of live performances. Other scenes of the video feature behind-the-scenes footage such as; rehearsal sessions, fan meet and greets, making radio appearances, jokingly walking around with toilet paper sticking out of his pants, and scenes with friends and family. Bieber's mentor, UsherUsher (entertainer)
Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
, also makes an appearance in the video. The video also incorporates Bieber standing in front of a "simple [white] backdrop" dancing and "draw[ing] hearts in the air, presumably directed at his loving fanbase" relative to the songs theme, "Love Me".
Bieber performed the song several times including at the new Microsoft Store
Microsoft Store
The Microsoft Store consists of fourteen retail stores and an online shopping site, and is owned and operated by Microsoft, dealing in computers, computer software and consumer electronics...
grand opening in Mission Viejo, California
Mission Viejo, California
Mission Viejo is a city located in southern Orange County, California, U.S. in the Saddleback Valley. Mission Viejo is considered one of the largest master-planned communities ever built under a single project in the United States, and is rivaled only by Highlands Ranch, Colorado, in its size...
, on the Fearless Tour
Fearless Tour
The Fearless Tour was the first concert tour by American country pop singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. The tour was in support of her second studio album, Fearless. On the tour, she was joined by guests Kellie Pickler and Gloriana. Teen singer, Justin Bieber joined her for the tour when she went to...
, on his radio promotion tour and Jingle Ball tour, and CBS' The Early Show
The Early Show
The Early Show is an American television morning news talk show broadcast by CBS from New York City. The program airs live from 7 to 9 a.m. Eastern Time Monday through Friday; most affiliates in the Central, Mountain, and Pacific time zones air the show on tape-delay from 7 to 9 a.m. local time. ...
as a part of their Super Bowl programming. He also performed it in an unaired segment of VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's Pepsi Super Bowl Fan Jam, and at the 2010 Houston Rodeo with Selena Gomez
Selena Gomez
Selena Marie Gomez is an American actress and singer best known for portraying Alex Russo in the Emmy Award-winning Disney Channel television series Wizards of Waverly Place...
. Bieber performed the song at a concert at the Hollywood Palladium
Hollywood Palladium
The Hollywood Palladium is a theater located at 6215 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California. It was built in a Streamline Moderne, Art Deco style and includes an 11,200 square foot dance floor with room for up to 4,000 people.-History:...
. In a review of the performance, August Brown of the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, said commended the song, saying the song "tacks the indie-pop chorus from the Cardigans’ “Lovefool” onto en-vogue trance synthesizers and martial dance beats."
Credits and personnel
- Songwriting – Peter Hernandez, Phillip 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...
, Peter Svensson, Nina PerssonThe CardigansThe Cardigans are a Swedish rock band formed in the town of Jönköping in October 1992.Their debut album Emmerdale gave them a solid base in their home country and enjoyed some success abroad, especially in Japan. It was not until their second album Life that an international reputation was secured... - 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...
– DJ Frank EDJ Frank EJustin Franks, also known as DJ Frank E, is an American DJ and record producer from Denver, Colorado. He began mixing records and later progressed to producing remixes in 2003.... - Background vocals – Taylor Graves, Bonnie McKee
- Vocal production and recordingSound recording and reproductionSound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
– Bill Malina and DJ Frank E, assisted by Paul Bailey and JP "The Specialist" Negrete - 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...
– Jaycen Joshua-Fowler and Dave Pensado, assisted by Giancarlo Lino
Source:
Charts
| Chart (2009/2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart ARIA 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... |
65 |
| Canadian Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
12 |
| 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 ... |
71 |
| UK R&B Chart UK R&B Chart The Official UK R&B Chart is a forty-position R&B/Hip-Hop chart compiled by The Official UK Charts Company. Although the chart does not receive any airplay, its compilation is viewed on BBC Radio 1's website and publications such as ChartsPlus and Music Week... |
23 |
| US 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... |
37 |