We R Who We R
Encyclopedia
"We R Who We R" is a song by American recording artist and songwriter Kesha
from her first extended play
(EP), Cannibal
(2010). The song was released as the EP's lead single on October 22, 2010. It was written by Kesha, with Jacob Kasher Hindlin, Dr. Luke
, Benny Blanco
and Ammo
. Production of the song was completed by Dr. Luke, Blanco, and Ammo. In the wake of news that bullying had led to multiple suicides
of gay youth, Kesha wrote the song in hopes that it would become a pride anthem. The song is intended to inspire people to be themselves, and as a celebration of anyone deemed quirky or eccentric.
Musically, the song is a dance-pop
song that incorporates elements of electropop and trance pop
; it uses a synth-infused beat as a backing with sounds interpreted as hand claps. Kesha's vocals have been described as a talk-singing style that use layered Auto-Tune
in some parts. The song has been compared to her debut single "Tik Tok" (2009), as it has a similar musical structure. Reception of "We R Who We R" has been generally positive. Although it was criticized for not being particularly different from Kesha's previous work, reviewers felt that the song was a strong dance-pop number that combined a good rhythm with an inspiring message filled with genuine humor.
"We R Who We R" debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100
, making it the seventeenth song in the chart's history to do so. The song also reached number one in the United Kingdom, Kesha's first number one solo single there, and topped the charts in Australia for three weeks. It also attained top-five positions on the Canadian, Japanese, and New Zealand charts. The song became Kesha's fifth consecutive solo top ten hit in the United States, Canada, and Australia. As of March 2011, the song has sold over 3,000,000 digital copies in the United States.
The song's accompanying music video was directed by Hype Williams
and was filmed in downtown Los Angeles
. The video is presented as an underground party and has been described as showcasing a darker and sexier side of Kesha compared to previous videos. The song has been performed in North America at the 2010 American Music Awards
, and on her worldwide Get Sleazy Tour
.
rates amongst gay teenagers in the United States. In September 2010 at least six adolescents took their lives due to factors related to gay bullying. After reading about the surge of gay teen suicides, Kesha was inspired to write "We R Who We R", along with Dr. Luke
, Benny Blanco
, Ammo
, and Jacob Kasher Hindlin. Production of the song was completed by Luke alongside Blanco and Ammo. After being nominated for the 2011 Billboard Music Awards
, Kesha elaborated on the song's initial inspiration. She stated that she was concerned with today's society, criticizing the fact that people have to hide themselves and pretend to be someone other than who they are. Regarding her music she said that it was not for everyone, claiming that she is a misfit in society and not everyone understands her or what she stands for.
Kesha explained that she wanted the song to become a pride anthem; "I wanted to inspire people ... to be themselves. It's a celebration of any sort of quirks or eccentricities." She elaborated, "I was really affected by the suicides that have been happening, having been subject to very public hatred [myself]. I have absolutely no idea how these kids felt. What I'm going through is nothing compared to what they had to go through. Just know things do get better and you need to celebrate who you are. Every weird thing about you is beautiful and makes life interesting. Hopefully the song really captures that emotion of celebrating who you are ... I just felt like people hate because they don't understand or they're jealous, It's all coming from a very negative place and I really feel like people don't need to pay attention to that."
song that uses a synth-heavy backing; the song incorporates elements of trance pop
and electropop styles. Opening with a synth-infused backing and sounds interpreted as hand claps, Kesha opens the song by proclaiming, "Hot and dangerous if you're one of us, then roll with us 'Cause we make the hipsters fall in love". Vocally, the song follows in the footsteps of Kesha's previous singles, as Kesha uses her talk-singing vocal style throughout the song. Kesha uses layered vocals that are enhanced in some parts with the use of Auto-Tune
. Musically, the song has been said to follow a musical structure similar to her debut single, "Tik Tok".
According to sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Sony/ATV Music Publishing
, "We R Who We R" is written in the time signature of common time
, with a moderate beat rate of 120 beats per minute
. The song is written in the key
of C minor
; Kesha's vocal range spans from the note of E4 to the note of B4. It has a basic sequence of Cm–Fm–E–A as its chord progression
. According to Kesha, the song's lyrics are intended to be a "celebrat[ion] [of] who you are"; the lyrics were inspired by bullying that led to multiple suicides of gay youth. Bill Lamb of About.com
felt that the lyrics depicted a story of Kesha and her fans, writing that "she and her fans are themselves with no apologies, and she will be honest in telling their story".
Bill Lamb from About.com gave the song a positive review, giving the single four out of five stars. Lamb wrote that although the song was not very original musically, "[Kesha]'s inspiration is solid, and she knows how to inspire a party and a crowd. It's time to simply give in and have fun along with [Kesha]." Lamb commended Kesha's "genuine humor" present throughout the song, saying "Only [Kesha] would really sing about looking 'sick and sexy-fied,' wearing hot pants in the club, and the extra credibility given by 'Jesus on my necklace'." The song was compared to Lady Gaga
and Pink
due to the song's message being about embracing who you are. Lamb ended his review writing that although her "sing-speak style" is unlikely to win any vocal awards, the song is a strong lead off of Cannibal
. Robert Copsey from Digital Spy
gave the single five out of five stars. Copsey praised Kesha for not buckling under the harsh scrutiny she has been subject to over the length of her career, citing her boozy antics and processed vocals as areas that have been criticized. He wrote, "we've never disputed that she carries it all off in a fashion that's frank, fearless and unashamedly fun." The song's chorus was highlighted in the review, with Copsey calling it "her poppermost effort to date" that contained "bouncy Dr Luke beats and her usual bubblegum melodies".
Jocelyn Vena from MTV News
gave the song a positive review, writing "[Kesha] has found a chart-topping formula, combin[ing] killer beats with lyrics about super-fun parties and hot pants." Vena commented that, although the song was not groundbreaking and did not stray too far away from previous singles "Tik Tok" or "Take It Off
", that hardly matters as "it's another uber-fun tune about how awesome it is to dance the night away" with an "inspired [message about] the recent rash of suicides among gay youth." Jason Lipshutz from Billboard
gave the song a positive review; he praised Dr. Luke's production and the song's chorus. Lipshutsz commented on the song's similarity to "Tik Tok", writing, "Instead of straying from the "TiK ToK" formula, "We R Who We R," ... smartly maximizes [Kesha's] most appealing qualities." The review concluded that the song "demonstrates that [Kesha] still has mileage left in her electro-pop sound as she gears up for her next album." Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly
called the song a "companion piece" to Pink's "Raise Your Glass
" citing their similar subject matter and close releases. Nitsuh Abebe from NY Magazine complimented the song's chorus and trance pop elements. Abebe wrote that the song embodied a "hollowed-out, free-of-yourself feeling", commenting that almost all electronic dance music imbues feelings "that are almost spiritual, that sense of being subsumed and out-of-body".
Alex Hawgood from The New York Times
wrote that at first listen the song came across as another generic dance hit. Hawgood however praised the song for its hidden subtext intended to be a response to gay suicides. Hawgood compared the song to the likes of Taylor Swift
, Pink, Katy Perry
and Lady Gaga, all of which "represent a new wave of young (and mostly straight) women who are providing the soundtrack for a generation of gay fans coming to terms with their identity in a time of turbulent and confusing cultural messages." Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine
called the track "infectious" and praised her honesty and sincerity on the track. Steven Hyden from The A.V. Club
wrote that her "let’s get fucking fucked-up" attitude on the track was a positive calling her "a complete and utter genius." Rolling Stone
gave the song two and a half stars out of five, referring to the combination of Kesha's style and the song's themes as an "awkward fit". Rolling Stone placed the song at number 50 in its Best 50 Singles of 2010.
, selling over 280,000 digital copies. The song was the seventeenth song in the history of the chart to debut at number one and became Kesha's fifth straight top-ten hit in the United States. The following week, the song dropped from number one to position five, as it sold another 220,000 copies. After being present on the charts for five weeks, the song reached one million paid downloads, the fastest-selling song to reach the one million download mark since "Love the Way You Lie
" by Rihanna
and Eminem
had done so earlier in 2010. During the song's ninth week on the chart it sold 319,000 copies; the following week it sold 411,000 copies and surpassed the two million paid downloads mark. With this feat, the song became one of only ten songs to sell more than 300,000 copies in a single week more than once. On Billboard's Hot Dance Club Songs and Pop chart
, the song reached peaks of twenty-seven and two, respectively. As of June 2011, the song has sold over 3,365,000 digital copies in the United States alone; the song is her fifth song to sell more than two million copies, following her first four singles.
On the Canadian Hot 100
, the song debuted and peaked at number two, selling 21,000 digital downloads. In Australia, "We R Who We R" debuted at number one on the chart on the issue date entitled November 17, 2010. The song remained atop the charts for two weeks before dropping to the number two position. The following week, the single regained the number one position and held it for one week, giving the single a total of three weeks atop the chart. It has since been certified quadruple platinum
by the Australian Recording Industry Association
(ARIA) for sales of 280,000 units.
In New Zealand, the song entered and peaked at number four in its first week on the chart. The song has since been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
(RIANZ) for sales of 15,000 units. In Sweden, "We R Who We R" debuted on the chart at position twenty-two, which was its peak. The song has since been certified gold for sales of 10,000 units by the Swedish Recording Industry Association
(GLF). In the United Kingdom, "We R Who We R" entered the UK Singles Chart
at position ninety-five on the issue dated January 8, 2011, and dropped off the chart the following week. After the release of the single on January 23, 2011, the song re-entered the chart at number one, selling in excess of 90,000 copies.
and was filmed in downtown Los Angeles
. Filming of the video involved a partial closure of the 2nd Street Tunnel
and part of downtown Los Angeles spread out over a 48-hour period. Kesha explained the idea behind the video as well as the experience during an interview with MTV News
; she said that the video was different from her other videos, noting that it was going to show a sexier side of herself.
The music video for "We R Who We R" is presented as an underground party. The video starts off with futuristic flashing lights. Kesha, seen in a ponytail wearing gray and black makeup, chains, ripped stockings, and a sparkly one-piece leotard made of shards of broken glass, walks through the 2nd Street Tunnel with fellow partygoers. The scene features drag races and explosions in the background. Close-up shots of Kesha show her wearing studs in her eyebrows and her glittery eye makeup. As cars zoom by, the video transitions into a new location at a different party. Midway through the party Kesha changes outfits to an American-flag top and pink hot pants. As the song's hook kicks in, Kesha is seen standing on the edge of a building; the music stops and Kesha stage jumps backwards off of the building's rooftop. She is caught by the partygoers beneath her and the music resumes. The final scenes show Kesha dancing among fellow partygoers on a rooftop and smiling while singing "We R Who We R".
Jocelyn Vena from MTV News
noted that the video makes a departure from Kesha's previous music videos, in which humor is usually present; she wrote the video shows a "darker and sexier" side of the songstress. Tanner Stransky from Entertainment Weekly
was positive in his review of the video. Stransky commented on the song's lyrical inspiration, noting the video does not follow the same message, saying "it doesn't so much inspire self esteem as much as it inspires just a plain ol', trashy, [Kesha]-ed out good time. Code word: party!".
on November 14, 2010. Prior to the performance a minor controversy was sparked when Kesha's male background dancers were seen wearing red armbands that had been supplied locally. Kesha was concerned they could be mistaken for a swastika
symbol, so the armbands were removed. "We R Who We R" was performed live for the first time in North America on November 21, 2010, at the 2010 American Music Awards
. The performance started off with Kesha opening with her previous single, "Take It Off
", while playing on the keyboard; she soon transitioned into "We R Who We R". For the performance she wore a mirrored body suit and a black leather jacket. Male background dancers surrounded the stage throughout the performance. Confetti fell from the ceiling during the song's synth-filled finale and as the performance ended, Kesha played riffs on a guitar. She then turned the guitar around, revealing the word "hate" in black writing with a slash through it. She then smashed the guitar into pieces, ending the performance. In 2011, Kesha embarked on her first headlining tour, the Get Sleazy Tour
, where she performed "We R Who We R" alongside a cover of Beastie Boys
track "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)", as a part of the concert's encore.
, the original creator of the "It Gets Better" campaign, which Kesha participated in, stated that she and other music artists that wrote songs addressed to the gay community were vital in helping fans come to terms with their sexualities and identities. "These songs are countering a hateful message that a peer, family member, politician or a bully might be saying, I get frustrated with gay politicos who discount or undermine the importance of pop stars, They’re a huge part of this fight." Singers Josh Erdman and Ben Klute began posting cover versions of various songs on YouTube
, later adding a logo to their videos originally titled "Legalize Gay". They later stumbled upon Kesha's song and upon doing so they changed their logo to "Legalize Gay ’Cause We Are Who We Are". The duo changed the logo to represent the song stating, "The lyrics obviously spoke to us, What these artists are doing means the world to the gay community." In October 2011, Kesha teamed up with the Human Rights Campaign
and designed a unisex T-shirt embroidered with purple zebra print – intended to represent "spirit" in the LGBT's pride flag
. The shirt's design was titled with the writing "We R Who We R" and was made for that year's National Coming Out Day
.
In 2011, "We R Who We R" was used on the eleventh season of the American Broadcasting Company (ABC)
show, Dancing With The Stars
. The shows band covered the song as a trio composed of Hines Ward, Kirstie Alley and Kendra Wilkinson danced to the song.
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Cannibal, Dynamite Cop Music/Where Da Kasz at BMI.
Kesha
Kesha village is a small village nestled in the mountains of Yongshun County, northwestern Hunan province, China, located at latitude 29 05' 50", longitude 109 57' 9". The name is pronounced in Standard Chinese. The official language is Manderin Chinese....
from her first extended play
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...
(EP), Cannibal
Cannibal (EP)
Cannibal is the first extended play by American recording artist Kesha, released on November 19, 2010. The EP is a followup companion to her previous record, Animal. Originally the record was believed to only be released as a deluxe edition of Animal, but was instead sold and released as both an...
(2010). The song was released as the EP's lead single on October 22, 2010. It was written by Kesha, with Jacob Kasher Hindlin, Dr. Luke
Dr. Luke
Lukasz Gottwald , better known as Dr. Luke, is an American songwriter, record producer, and remixer. Luke performed with the Saturday Night Live Band for ten seasons until 2007. He has co-written and co-produced a string of commercially successful songs...
, Benny Blanco
Benny Blanco
Benjamin Levin , better known as Benny Blanco, is an American songwriter and producer from Reston, Virginia. He first came to the attention of Internet blogosphere producing a collaborative EP with Spank Rock. Working with producer Dr...
and Ammo
Ammo (musician)
Ammo is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. In November 2008, Ammo was signed to producer Dr. Luke's publishing company Prescription Songs as an exclusive producer and songwriter...
. Production of the song was completed by Dr. Luke, Blanco, and Ammo. In the wake of news that bullying had led to multiple suicides
Bullycide
The term bullycide is a portmanteau word first used in 2001 by Neil Marr and Tim Field in their book Bullycide: Death at Playtime. It refers to suicide attributable to the victim having been bullied, either in person or via social media. Bullycide has also been defined as the killing of the bully...
of gay youth, Kesha wrote the song in hopes that it would become a pride anthem. The song is intended to inspire people to be themselves, and as a celebration of anyone deemed quirky or eccentric.
Musically, the song 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 that incorporates elements of electropop and trance pop
Trance music
Trance is a genre of electronic dance music that developed in the 1990s.:251 It is generally characterized by a tempo of between 125 and 150 bpm,:252 repeating melodic synthesizer phrases, and a musical form that builds up and breaks down throughout a track...
; it uses a synth-infused beat as a backing with sounds interpreted as hand claps. Kesha's vocals have been described as a talk-singing style that use layered Auto-Tune
Auto-Tune
Auto-Tune is a proprietary audio processor created by Antares Audio Technologies. Auto-Tune uses a phase vocoder to correct pitch in vocal and instrumental performances. It is used to disguise off-key inaccuracies and mistakes, and has allowed singers to perform apparently perfectly tuned vocal...
in some parts. The song has been compared to her debut single "Tik Tok" (2009), as it has a similar musical structure. Reception of "We R Who We R" has been generally positive. Although it was criticized for not being particularly different from Kesha's previous work, reviewers felt that the song was a strong dance-pop number that combined a good rhythm with an inspiring message filled with genuine humor.
"We R Who We R" debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, making it the seventeenth song in the chart's history to do so. The song also reached number one in the United Kingdom, Kesha's first number one solo single there, and topped the charts in Australia for three weeks. It also attained top-five positions on the Canadian, Japanese, and New Zealand charts. The song became Kesha's fifth consecutive solo top ten hit in the United States, Canada, and Australia. As of March 2011, the song has sold over 3,000,000 digital copies in the United States.
The song's accompanying music video was directed by Hype Williams
Hype Williams
Harold "Hype" Williams , previously known as HYPE, is an American music video and film director of African-American and Honduran descent. His nickname "Hype" comes from his hyperactive nature as a child....
and was filmed in downtown 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...
. The video is presented as an underground party and has been described as showcasing a darker and sexier side of Kesha compared to previous videos. The song has been performed in North America at the 2010 American Music Awards
American Music Awards of 2010
The 38th American Music Awards were held November 21, 2010 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The awards recognized the most popular artists and albums from 2010. Nominees were announced on October 12, 2010. Justin Bieber was nominated for, and won, four awards, including Artist of...
, and on her worldwide Get Sleazy Tour
Get Sleazy Tour
The Get Sleazy Tour was the first concert tour by American recording artist Kesha in support of her first extended play, Cannibal. Officially announced on November 8, 2010, the tour visited the Americas, Australia and Europe. It was scheduled to visit Asia but due to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake...
.
Writing and inspiration
In mid-2010, there was a sudden surge in suicideBullycide
The term bullycide is a portmanteau word first used in 2001 by Neil Marr and Tim Field in their book Bullycide: Death at Playtime. It refers to suicide attributable to the victim having been bullied, either in person or via social media. Bullycide has also been defined as the killing of the bully...
rates amongst gay teenagers in the United States. In September 2010 at least six adolescents took their lives due to factors related to gay bullying. After reading about the surge of gay teen suicides, Kesha was inspired to write "We R Who We R", along with Dr. Luke
Dr. Luke
Lukasz Gottwald , better known as Dr. Luke, is an American songwriter, record producer, and remixer. Luke performed with the Saturday Night Live Band for ten seasons until 2007. He has co-written and co-produced a string of commercially successful songs...
, Benny Blanco
Benny Blanco
Benjamin Levin , better known as Benny Blanco, is an American songwriter and producer from Reston, Virginia. He first came to the attention of Internet blogosphere producing a collaborative EP with Spank Rock. Working with producer Dr...
, Ammo
Ammo (musician)
Ammo is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. In November 2008, Ammo was signed to producer Dr. Luke's publishing company Prescription Songs as an exclusive producer and songwriter...
, and Jacob Kasher Hindlin. Production of the song was completed by Luke alongside Blanco and Ammo. After being nominated for the 2011 Billboard Music Awards
Billboard Music Award
The Billboard Music Award is an honor given by Billboard magazine, the preeminent publication covering the music business. The Billboard Music Awards show had been held annually in December until it went dormant in 2007, but it returned in May 2011...
, Kesha elaborated on the song's initial inspiration. She stated that she was concerned with today's society, criticizing the fact that people have to hide themselves and pretend to be someone other than who they are. Regarding her music she said that it was not for everyone, claiming that she is a misfit in society and not everyone understands her or what she stands for.
Kesha explained that she wanted the song to become a pride anthem; "I wanted to inspire people ... to be themselves. It's a celebration of any sort of quirks or eccentricities." She elaborated, "I was really affected by the suicides that have been happening, having been subject to very public hatred [myself]. I have absolutely no idea how these kids felt. What I'm going through is nothing compared to what they had to go through. Just know things do get better and you need to celebrate who you are. Every weird thing about you is beautiful and makes life interesting. Hopefully the song really captures that emotion of celebrating who you are ... I just felt like people hate because they don't understand or they're jealous, It's all coming from a very negative place and I really feel like people don't need to pay attention to that."
Composition
"We R Who We R" is an uptempo dance-popDance-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 that uses a synth-heavy backing; the song incorporates elements of trance pop
Trance music
Trance is a genre of electronic dance music that developed in the 1990s.:251 It is generally characterized by a tempo of between 125 and 150 bpm,:252 repeating melodic synthesizer phrases, and a musical form that builds up and breaks down throughout a track...
and electropop styles. Opening with a synth-infused backing and sounds interpreted as hand claps, Kesha opens the song by proclaiming, "Hot and dangerous if you're one of us, then roll with us 'Cause we make the hipsters fall in love". Vocally, the song follows in the footsteps of Kesha's previous singles, as Kesha uses her talk-singing vocal style throughout the song. Kesha uses layered vocals that are enhanced in some parts with the use of Auto-Tune
Auto-Tune
Auto-Tune is a proprietary audio processor created by Antares Audio Technologies. Auto-Tune uses a phase vocoder to correct pitch in vocal and instrumental performances. It is used to disguise off-key inaccuracies and mistakes, and has allowed singers to perform apparently perfectly tuned vocal...
. Musically, the song has been said to follow a musical structure similar to her debut single, "Tik Tok".
According to sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Sony/ATV Music Publishing is a music publishing company co-owned by The Michael Jackson Family Trust and Sony. The organisation was originally founded as Associated TeleVision in 1955 by Lew Grade. In 1957, ATV acquired Pye Records as a wholly owned subsidiary...
, "We R Who We R" is written in the time signature of 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....
, with a moderate beat rate of 120 beats per minute
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
. The song is written in the key
Key (music)
In music theory, the term key is used in many different and sometimes contradictory ways. A common use is to speak of music as being "in" a specific key, such as in the key of C major or in the key of F-sharp. Sometimes the terms "major" or "minor" are appended, as in the key of A minor or in the...
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...
; Kesha's vocal range spans from the note of E4 to the note of B4. It has a basic sequence of Cm–Fm–E–A as its 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...
. According to Kesha, the song's lyrics are intended to be a "celebrat[ion] [of] who you are"; the lyrics were inspired by bullying that led to multiple suicides of gay youth. Bill Lamb of 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....
felt that the lyrics depicted a story of Kesha and her fans, writing that "she and her fans are themselves with no apologies, and she will be honest in telling their story".
Critical reception
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
and Pink
Pink (singer)
Alecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress....
due to the song's message being about embracing who you are. Lamb ended his review writing that although her "sing-speak style" is unlikely to win any vocal awards, the song is a strong lead off of Cannibal
Cannibal (EP)
Cannibal is the first extended play by American recording artist Kesha, released on November 19, 2010. The EP is a followup companion to her previous record, Animal. Originally the record was believed to only be released as a deluxe edition of Animal, but was instead sold and released as both an...
. Robert Copsey from Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
gave the single five out of five stars. Copsey praised Kesha for not buckling under the harsh scrutiny she has been subject to over the length of her career, citing her boozy antics and processed vocals as areas that have been criticized. He wrote, "we've never disputed that she carries it all off in a fashion that's frank, fearless and unashamedly fun." The song's chorus was highlighted in the review, with Copsey calling it "her poppermost effort to date" that contained "bouncy Dr Luke beats and her usual bubblegum melodies".
Jocelyn Vena 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...
gave the song a positive review, writing "[Kesha] has found a chart-topping formula, combin[ing] killer beats with lyrics about super-fun parties and hot pants." Vena commented that, although the song was not groundbreaking and did not stray too far away from previous singles "Tik Tok" or "Take It Off
Take It Off (song)
"Take It Off" is a song by American recording artist and songwriter Kesha, from her debut album, Animal. The song was written by Kesha Sebert, Lukasz Gottwald and Claude Kelly and it was produced by Dr. Luke with vocal editing done by Emily Wright. It was released as the fourth and final single...
", that hardly matters as "it's another uber-fun tune about how awesome it is to dance the night away" with an "inspired [message about] the recent rash of suicides among gay youth." Jason Lipshutz from 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...
gave the song a positive review; he praised Dr. Luke's production and the song's chorus. Lipshutsz commented on the song's similarity to "Tik Tok", writing, "Instead of straying from the "TiK ToK" formula, "We R Who We R," ... smartly maximizes [Kesha's] most appealing qualities." The review concluded that the song "demonstrates that [Kesha] still has mileage left in her electro-pop sound as she gears up for her next album." Leah Greenblatt of 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...
called the song a "companion piece" to Pink's "Raise Your Glass
Raise Your Glass
"Raise Your Glass" is a song by American recording artist and songwriter Pink, released as the lead single of her first compilation album, Greatest Hits... So Far!!!...
" citing their similar subject matter and close releases. Nitsuh Abebe from NY Magazine complimented the song's chorus and trance pop elements. Abebe wrote that the song embodied a "hollowed-out, free-of-yourself feeling", commenting that almost all electronic dance music imbues feelings "that are almost spiritual, that sense of being subsumed and out-of-body".
Alex Hawgood from 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...
wrote that at first listen the song came across as another generic dance hit. Hawgood however praised the song for its hidden subtext intended to be a response to gay suicides. Hawgood compared the song to the likes of 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...
, Pink, Katy Perry
Katy Perry
Katy Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...
and Lady Gaga, all of which "represent a new wave of young (and mostly straight) women who are providing the soundtrack for a generation of gay fans coming to terms with their identity in a time of turbulent and confusing cultural messages." Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
called the track "infectious" and praised her honesty and sincerity on the track. Steven Hyden from The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
wrote that her "let’s get fucking fucked-up" attitude on the track was a positive calling her "a complete and utter genius." 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...
gave the song two and a half stars out of five, referring to the combination of Kesha's style and the song's themes as an "awkward fit". Rolling Stone placed the song at number 50 in its Best 50 Singles of 2010.
Chart performance
In the United States, "We R Who We R" debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, selling over 280,000 digital copies. The song was the seventeenth song in the history of the chart to debut at number one and became Kesha's fifth straight top-ten hit in the United States. The following week, the song dropped from number one to position five, as it sold another 220,000 copies. After being present on the charts for five weeks, the song reached one million paid downloads, the fastest-selling song to reach the one million download mark since "Love the Way You Lie
Love the Way You Lie
"Love the Way You Lie" is a song by American rapper Eminem from his seventh studio album, Recovery . It was released as the album's second single on August 9, 2010, by Interscope-Geffen-A&M. The song features vocals by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna. According to her, its theme...
" by 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 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...
had done so earlier in 2010. During the song's ninth week on the chart it sold 319,000 copies; the following week it sold 411,000 copies and surpassed the two million paid downloads mark. With this feat, the song became one of only ten songs to sell more than 300,000 copies in a single week more than once. On Billboard's Hot Dance Club Songs and Pop chart
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...
, the song reached peaks of twenty-seven and two, respectively. As of June 2011, the song has sold over 3,365,000 digital copies in the United States alone; the song is her fifth song to sell more than two million copies, following her first four singles.
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...
, the song debuted and peaked at number two, selling 21,000 digital downloads. In Australia, "We R Who We R" debuted at number one on the chart on the issue date entitled November 17, 2010. The song remained atop the charts for two weeks before dropping to the number two position. The following week, the single regained the number one position and held it for one week, giving the single a total of three weeks atop the chart. It has since been certified quadruple platinum
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
by the Australian Recording Industry Association
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...
(ARIA) for sales of 280,000 units.
In New Zealand, the song entered and peaked at number four in its first week on the chart. The song has since been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of 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...
(RIANZ) for sales of 15,000 units. In Sweden, "We R Who We R" debuted on the chart at position twenty-two, which was its peak. The song has since been certified gold for sales of 10,000 units by the Swedish Recording Industry Association
Swedish Recording Industry Association
Grammofonleverantörernas förening , or the Swedish Recording Industry Association in English, is an organization representing the music recording industry of Sweden...
(GLF). In the United Kingdom, "We R Who We R" 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 position ninety-five on the issue dated January 8, 2011, and dropped off the chart the following week. After the release of the single on January 23, 2011, the song re-entered the chart at number one, selling in excess of 90,000 copies.
Music video
The music video for the song was directed by Hype WilliamsHype Williams
Harold "Hype" Williams , previously known as HYPE, is an American music video and film director of African-American and Honduran descent. His nickname "Hype" comes from his hyperactive nature as a child....
and was filmed in downtown 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...
. Filming of the video involved a partial closure of the 2nd Street Tunnel
2nd Street Tunnel
The 2nd Street Tunnel is a widely filmed and photographed tunnel on 2nd Street under Bunker Hill in Downtown Los Angeles, California. It has been described as "the most recognizable city landmark most Americans have never heard of"...
and part of downtown Los Angeles spread out over a 48-hour period. Kesha explained the idea behind the video as well as the experience during an interview with 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...
; she said that the video was different from her other videos, noting that it was going to show a sexier side of herself.
The music video for "We R Who We R" is presented as an underground party. The video starts off with futuristic flashing lights. Kesha, seen in a ponytail wearing gray and black makeup, chains, ripped stockings, and a sparkly one-piece leotard made of shards of broken glass, walks through the 2nd Street Tunnel with fellow partygoers. The scene features drag races and explosions in the background. Close-up shots of Kesha show her wearing studs in her eyebrows and her glittery eye makeup. As cars zoom by, the video transitions into a new location at a different party. Midway through the party Kesha changes outfits to an American-flag top and pink hot pants. As the song's hook kicks in, Kesha is seen standing on the edge of a building; the music stops and Kesha stage jumps backwards off of the building's rooftop. She is caught by the partygoers beneath her and the music resumes. The final scenes show Kesha dancing among fellow partygoers on a rooftop and smiling while singing "We R Who We R".
Jocelyn Vena 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...
noted that the video makes a departure from Kesha's previous music videos, in which humor is usually present; she wrote the video shows a "darker and sexier" side of the songstress. Tanner Stransky 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...
was positive in his review of the video. Stransky commented on the song's lyrical inspiration, noting the video does not follow the same message, saying "it doesn't so much inspire self esteem as much as it inspires just a plain ol', trashy, [Kesha]-ed out good time. Code word: party!".
Live performances
"We R Who We R" was performed for the first time on the second season of The X Factor AustraliaThe X Factor (Australia season 2)
The X Factor is an Australian television reality music competition, based on the original UK series, to find new singing talent. The 2010 season premiered on 30 August 2010 and was won by Altiyan Childs on 22 November 2010. Ronan Keating emerged as the winning mentor of the series...
on November 14, 2010. Prior to the performance a minor controversy was sparked when Kesha's male background dancers were seen wearing red armbands that had been supplied locally. Kesha was concerned they could be mistaken for a swastika
Swastika
The swastika is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing form in counter clock motion or its mirrored left-facing form in clock motion. Earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient...
symbol, so the armbands were removed. "We R Who We R" was performed live for the first time in North America on November 21, 2010, at the 2010 American Music Awards
American Music Awards of 2010
The 38th American Music Awards were held November 21, 2010 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The awards recognized the most popular artists and albums from 2010. Nominees were announced on October 12, 2010. Justin Bieber was nominated for, and won, four awards, including Artist of...
. The performance started off with Kesha opening with her previous single, "Take It Off
Take It Off (song)
"Take It Off" is a song by American recording artist and songwriter Kesha, from her debut album, Animal. The song was written by Kesha Sebert, Lukasz Gottwald and Claude Kelly and it was produced by Dr. Luke with vocal editing done by Emily Wright. It was released as the fourth and final single...
", while playing on the keyboard; she soon transitioned into "We R Who We R". For the performance she wore a mirrored body suit and a black leather jacket. Male background dancers surrounded the stage throughout the performance. Confetti fell from the ceiling during the song's synth-filled finale and as the performance ended, Kesha played riffs on a guitar. She then turned the guitar around, revealing the word "hate" in black writing with a slash through it. She then smashed the guitar into pieces, ending the performance. In 2011, Kesha embarked on her first headlining tour, the Get Sleazy Tour
Get Sleazy Tour
The Get Sleazy Tour was the first concert tour by American recording artist Kesha in support of her first extended play, Cannibal. Officially announced on November 8, 2010, the tour visited the Americas, Australia and Europe. It was scheduled to visit Asia but due to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake...
, where she performed "We R Who We R" alongside a cover of Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
track "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)", as a part of the concert's encore.
Cultural impact and cover versions
In 2010, "We R Who We R" gained widespread support from the gay community. Dan SavageDan Savage
Daniel Keenan "Dan" Savage is an American author, media pundit, journalist and newspaper editor. Savage writes the internationally syndicated relationship and sex advice column Savage Love. Its tone is frank in its discussion of sexuality, often humorous, and hostile to social conservatives, as in...
, the original creator of the "It Gets Better" campaign, which Kesha participated in, stated that she and other music artists that wrote songs addressed to the gay community were vital in helping fans come to terms with their sexualities and identities. "These songs are countering a hateful message that a peer, family member, politician or a bully might be saying, I get frustrated with gay politicos who discount or undermine the importance of pop stars, They’re a huge part of this fight." Singers Josh Erdman and Ben Klute began posting cover versions of various songs on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, later adding a logo to their videos originally titled "Legalize Gay". They later stumbled upon Kesha's song and upon doing so they changed their logo to "Legalize Gay ’Cause We Are Who We Are". The duo changed the logo to represent the song stating, "The lyrics obviously spoke to us, What these artists are doing means the world to the gay community." In October 2011, Kesha teamed up with the Human Rights Campaign
Human Rights Campaign
The Human Rights Campaign is the United States' largest LGBT advocacy group and lobbying organization; according to the HRC, it has more than one million members and supporters...
and designed a unisex T-shirt embroidered with purple zebra print – intended to represent "spirit" in the LGBT's pride flag
Rainbow flag (LGBT movement)
The rainbow flag, sometimes pride flag, LGBT pride flag or gay pride flag, is a symbol of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender pride and LGBT social movements in use since the 1970s. The colours reflect the diversity of the LGBT community, and the flag is often used as a symbol of gay pride in...
. The shirt's design was titled with the writing "We R Who We R" and was made for that year's National Coming Out Day
National Coming Out Day
National Coming Out Day is an internationally observed civil awareness day celebrating individuals who publicly identify as bisexual, gay, lesbian, transgender—coming out regarding one's sexual orientation and/or gender identity being akin to a cultural rite of passage for LGBT people...
.
In 2011, "We R Who We R" was used on the eleventh season of the American Broadcasting Company (ABC)
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
show, Dancing With The Stars
Dancing with the Stars (U.S. season 11)
Dancing with the Stars returned for an 11th season on September 20, 2010. The cast was announced during the August 30 episode of Bachelor Pad during a live press conference that included a Q&A session with host Tom Bergeron and co-host Brooke Burke and the new cast. There are twelve celebrity cast...
. The shows band covered the song as a trio composed of Hines Ward, Kirstie Alley and Kendra Wilkinson danced to the song.
Track listing
- Digital download
- "We R Who We R" – 3:24
- German CD single
- "We R Who We R" – 3:24
- "Animal" (Dave Audé Remix) – 4:37
- Digital EP
- "We R Who We R" – 3:24
- "SleazySleazy (Kesha song)"Sleazy" is a song by American recording artist and songwriter Kesha, from her first extended play , Cannibal . The song was written by Kesha alongside Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald, Benjamin Levin, Shondrae "Bangladesh" Crawford and Klas Åhlund, with production done by Bangladesh, Dr. Luke and Levin...
" – 3:25 - "Animal" (Dave AudéDave AudéDave Audé is a Grammy nominated producer, house DJ, and remixer. He has done production for musicians such as KoЯn, t.A.T.u., DJ Keoki, Barenaked Ladies, Faith No More, Cause and Effect, Hilary Duff, Wanessa, Ashley Tisdale, The Pussycat Dolls, Lady Gaga, Lunascape, Madonna, Britney Spears, CeCe...
Remix) – 4:37 - "Animal" (BillboardBillboard (producer)Mathieu Jomphe, better known as Billboard, is a Canadian songwriter and record producer, and remixer from Montreal. His productions include dance-pop as well as dubstep influences. He has produced for international artists such as Britney Spears, Kesha and Robyn.-Discography:-External links:* at...
Remix) – 4:15
Personnel
- SongwritingSongwriterA songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
– Kesha SebertKeshaKesha village is a small village nestled in the mountains of Yongshun County, northwestern Hunan province, China, located at latitude 29 05' 50", longitude 109 57' 9". The name is pronounced in Standard Chinese. The official language is Manderin Chinese....
, Joshua ColemanAmmo (musician)Ammo is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. In November 2008, Ammo was signed to producer Dr. Luke's publishing company Prescription Songs as an exclusive producer and songwriter...
, Lukasz GottwaldDr. LukeLukasz Gottwald , better known as Dr. Luke, is an American songwriter, record producer, and remixer. Luke performed with the Saturday Night Live Band for ten seasons until 2007. He has co-written and co-produced a string of commercially successful songs...
, Jacob Kasher Hindlin, Benjamin LevinBenny BlancoBenjamin Levin , better known as Benny Blanco, is an American songwriter and producer from Reston, Virginia. He first came to the attention of Internet blogosphere producing a collaborative EP with Spank Rock. Working with producer Dr... - 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...
, instrumentsMusical instrumentA musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
and programmingProgramming (music)Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in modern pop and rock...
– Dr. LukeDr. LukeLukasz Gottwald , better known as Dr. Luke, is an American songwriter, record producer, and remixer. Luke performed with the Saturday Night Live Band for ten seasons until 2007. He has co-written and co-produced a string of commercially successful songs...
, Benny BlancoBenny BlancoBenjamin Levin , better known as Benny Blanco, is an American songwriter and producer from Reston, Virginia. He first came to the attention of Internet blogosphere producing a collaborative EP with Spank Rock. Working with producer Dr...
, AmmoAmmo (musician)Ammo is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. In November 2008, Ammo was signed to producer Dr. Luke's publishing company Prescription Songs as an exclusive producer and songwriter... - Background vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
– Rani Hancock, Lukasz Gottwald, Sam Holland, Benjamin Levin, Emily Wright - 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...
– Emily Wright, Chris "TEK" O'Ryan, Sam Holland - Assistant engineering – Tatiana Gottwald, Jeremy Levin
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Cannibal, Dynamite Cop Music/Where Da Kasz at BMI.
Charts
| Chart (2010–11) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| South Korea (GAON Gaon Chart The Gaon Chart is a national record chart of South Korea. It is complied by the Korea Music Content Industry Association and sponsored by South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism; with an aim to create a national chart for Korea similar to the Billboard charts and Oricon charts... ) (International Chart) |
4 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2010) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 25 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 50 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 87 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification |
|---|---|
| Australia Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... |
4× Platinum |
| 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... |
Platinum |
| Sweden Swedish Recording Industry Association Grammofonleverantörernas förening , or the Swedish Recording Industry Association in English, is an organization representing the music recording industry of Sweden... |
Gold |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | October 22, 2010 | Digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
| Austria | ||
| Belgium | ||
| Canada | ||
| Germany | ||
| Italy | ||
| Netherlands | ||
| New Zealand | ||
| Sweden | ||
| Switzerland | ||
| United States | ||
| South Korea | October 26, 2011 | |
| Germany | January 7, 2011 | CD single |
| United Kingdom | January 23, 2011 | Digital download |
See also
- List of number-one singles of 2010 (Australia)
- List of number-one singles from the 2010s (UK)
- List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 2010 (U.S.)
- List of number-one singles of 2011 (Scotland)