When the Sun Goes Down (Selena Gomez & the Scene album)
Encyclopedia
When the Sun Goes Down is the third studio album
by American band Selena Gomez & the Scene
, released on June 28, 2011, by Hollywood Records
. The band worked with several artists on this album, including writers and producers from their debut, Kiss & Tell
(2008), and their second album, A Year Without Rain
(2010), such as Rock Mafia duo Tim James
and Antonina Armato
, as well as Katy Perry
, Devrim "DK" Karaoglu, and Toby Gad
. New contributors to this album included Britney Spears
, Priscilla Renea
, Emanuel Kiriakou
, and Sandy Vee
. Selena Gomez along with some of the members of the The Scene
contributed to some of the songwriting on the album. The album sonically follows in the step of their predecessor, taking on a dance-pop
sound with influences of 1980's electro music and disco. The album relies less on heavy synthesizers and includes some acoustic pop
songs like "We Own the Night." Lyrical themes include topics of love, freedom, self-worth, and the joy of living in the moment.
When the Sun Goes Down spawned two singles like the band's previous album. The lead single
from the album, "Who Says
" was released on March 14, 2011, peaking at number 21 in the United States
and in the top twenty in Canada
and New Zealand
. The acoustic pop song also went Platinum in the United States
. the second single from the album is "Love You Like a Love Song
" charted in the top forty in Belgium
, Canada
, New Zealand and the United States
. The album debuted at number four on the Billboard 200
with sales over 76,000 copies, surpassing the first week sales of their first two albums. The album rose to number three in its second week. The album was successful elsewhere, peaking in the top 10 in countries like Belgium
, Canada
, Italy
, Norway
, Taiwan
and New Zealand
.
, and quickly followed-up with 2010's A Year Without Rain
. After the release of the latter Gomez said that she was not in a rush to release another album, but after hearing "Who Says", she decided to begin another release, calling the song "amazing" and crediting it for inspiring her. "Who Says" debuted on radio show On Air with Ryan Seacrest
as the first single of the album. On March 18, 2011, in an interview with MTV
, Gomez revealed, "the third record is really fun, and there's a song called 'Hit the Lights' that I love, and it's basically about every missed opportunity that you've had," she said. "But it's also a dance track. There's a lot more depth [on this album]". Gomez also revealed British recording artist Pixie Lott
and German producer Toby Gad
had both penned tracks for the album, while confirming its release for Summer 2011. A few days later, the singer revealed her team and the band "haven't decided [a] title [yet for the album] and we're dealing with the album artwork, 'cause it is very different and I'm growing up. It's a lot more mature". MTV News
later confirmed that American recording artist Britney Spears
had also written a song for the album titled "Whiplash". On June 2, 2011, the album's name, When the Sun Goes Down, and track listing were revealed through Gomez's official website. After several songs from When the Sun Goes Down started to leak online, Gomez posted several video messages on her YouTube
official channel featuring commentaries about each song of the album. When the Sun Goes Down was released on June 28, 2011 by Hollywood Records
.
themes of it's predecessor "A Year Without Rain
", with a lighter and sassier feel, according to Tim Sendra of Allmusic Guide. Tracks like "Hit the Lights" have disco
influences, as they pair ballad lyrics with uptempo and midtempo dance music. The album also explores organic instrumentation. Both the first single "Who Says
" and the fourth track "We Own the Night" featuring Pixie Lott
features more acoustic
, indie pop
sounds, which was originally intended for Kelly Clarkson
's fourth album Stronger
. They are the only songs on the album devoid of synthesized instrumentation. Gomez's work on the record as the frontwoman
has been heralded as sounding better and more mature than other former Disney Channel stars like Vanessa Hudgens, and Miley Cyrus
. When the Sun Goes Down features lyrics focusing largely on finding solace and letting go of fear and anxiety, along with topics of love, loss, loneliness, and feminism.
The first track, "Love You Like a Love Song
", was written by Antonina Armato, Tim James, Adam Schmalholz and was produced by Rock Mafia
. Also serving as the album's second single, the song contains deep, whispered vocals and slight elements of dubstep
. Gomez described the promotional single "Bang Bang Bang
" as fun and cheeky. It is made up of '80s
electro synths and sees Gomez praising her new boyfriend while mocking her ex. The track was also compared to British electropop duo La Roux
's 2009 hit Bulletproof. "Who Says" is an acoustic self-empowerment anthem where the singer extends kindness and sympathy to her critics. Serving as the album's first single, it debuted on the Hot 100 at number twenty-four and peaked at number twenty-one, standing as the group's highest charting single in the U.S., Canada and New Zealand. "We Own the Night" was written by Toby Gad and British electronic soul
singer-songwriter Pixie Lott
, who is also featured on backing vocals. The track has a largely acoustic, harmonic sound paired with escapist lyrics in the style of Jimmy Buffett
. "Hit the Lights" is an electro dance
song about overcoming anxiety and living in the moment. American pop
singer Britney Spears
composed the album's sixth track titled "Whiplash". It is an electropop/electro glam
song about an intense romance, featuring transportation imagery. The song has gained notability for Britney Spears' involvement in the composition, Gomez' faux-English accent in the spoken word verse before the chorus, and for being one of the band's more mature songs.
The title track features the use of electric guitars and stuttering synthesizers. Selena Gomez stated that "When The Sun Goes Down" held a special meaning for her and her bass player, Joey Clement
, because of their collaborative involvement in the track's composition. Gomez commented "I got to rewrite the bridge of it as well. It felt like we got to do that as a band." The eighth track on the album is "My Dilemma", a Kelly Clarkson-esque
pop-rock song about conflicted feelings towards a potential breakup. "That's More Like It", the following track, is penned by Katy Perry
and was inspired by American women of the 1950s
and their relegation to domesticity. In the song, Gomez demands that her negligent man does the cooking, cleaning, and housework, commanding him "Make me dinner and bring it to me." "Outlaw" is a bleak cautionary tale
and revenge ballad lyrically similar to Carrie Underwood
's "Cowboy Casanova
" and Lady Gaga
's "Monster". The lyrics also make use of Wild West imagery and references to Gomez's home state of Texas
, "I'm from the Lone-Star state, and I'm here to bring you in." The album's final song "Middle of Nowhere" is a dance
ballad that features electropop beats and synthesizers along with bells and chimes. In the song, Gomez laments being left behind by a manipulative ex lover, for whom she made drastic personal changes. The song's bridge is a deep and heavily-breathed spoken-word recitation of the song's chorus, much in the style of Garbage
frontwoman Shirley Manson
. A Spanish-language version of the lead single "Who Says" titled "Dices" is featured as a bonus track.
gives the album a score of 64/100 based on 6 reviews. So far, the album has been met with positive reception. Mikael Wood from 'Entertainment Weekly
writes, "[Gomez] sounds fully invested in tart electro-disco ditties like "Bang Bang Bang," and "top-shelf collaborators don't hurt — see: the grinding "Whiplash," co-penned by one Britney Spears
."" Bill Lamb from About.com
commented, "It is all wrapped up in smart pop melodies, electropop flourishes, and winning emotional engagement. This is Selena Gomez's best vocal album yet.". Jody Rosen from Rolling Stone
writes, "At just 18 years old, Selena Gomez is a showbiz vet, with a decade-plus in the game. (Before she was a Disney princess, she did dinosaur duets on Barney & Friends.) So it's no surprise that Gomez's third album is a very professional affair. The production credits are full of top flight songwriter-producers, and even a couple of starlets. (Britney Spears and Katy Perry get songwriting credits here).
, selling 9,000 copies in its first week. The album debuted in Spain at number two on the Spanish Albums Chart. The album peaked there for three weeks, during the debut week and the fifth and sixth week on the chart. In Belgium, the album debuted at number twenty-one on the Belgian Albums Chart
and jumped to its peak position at number six. The album debuted and peaked at number six in Mexico. The album debuted at number sixteen in Norway and rose to its peak position at number 6 in its eighth week.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American band Selena Gomez & the Scene
Selena Gomez & the Scene
Selena Gomez & the Scene is an American pop band formed in Hollywood, California in 2009. Along with lead singer and founder Selena Gomez, the band consists of bassist Joey Clement, guitarist Ethan Roberts, drummist Greg Garman and keyboardist Dane Forrest. Selena Gomez & the Scene have released...
, released on June 28, 2011, by Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records is an American record label owned by Disney Music Group, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company.-History:Hollywood Records was founded in 1989 by then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner with the idea of expanding the music operations of the company and to develop and promote...
. The band worked with several artists on this album, including writers and producers from their debut, Kiss & Tell
Kiss & Tell (Selena Gomez & the Scene album)
Kiss & Tell is the debut studio album by American band Selena Gomez & the Scene. It was released on September 29, 2009 by Hollywood Records. Gomez formed the band as she stated she did not want to become a solo artist quite yet. The band worked with several writers and producers on the album...
(2008), and their second album, A Year Without Rain
A Year Without Rain
A Year Without Rain is the second studio album by American band Selena Gomez & the Scene. The album was released on September 17, 2010 via Hollywood Records. The band once again worked with writers and producers from their debut, Kiss & Tell such as Rock Mafia duo Tim James, and Antonina Armato, as...
(2010), such as Rock Mafia duo Tim James
Tim James (music producer)
Timothy James Price is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. James is the co-founder of Rock Mafia. James co-wrote the songs "Potential Breakup Song" by Aly & AJ, "Come Back to Me" by Vanessa Hudgens, "See You Again" by Miley Cyrus, and "Naturally" by Selena Gomez & the Scene. James...
and Antonina Armato
Antonina Armato
Antonina Armato is a songwriter and music producer who is most known for co-writing the #1 single "I Still Believe" and co-writing another #1 single "She Ain't Worth It." She has written or produced over 20 Top Ten singles...
, as well as 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...
, Devrim "DK" Karaoglu, and Toby Gad
Toby Gad
Tobias "Toby" Gad is a Los Angeles-based hit producer and songwriter from Germany, perhaps best known for co-writing Fergie's Grammy nominated hit song "Big Girls Don't Cry" as well as co-writing and producing Beyoncé's worldwide #1 hit "If I Were a Boy", and The Veronicas multi-platinum #1...
. New contributors to this album included Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
, Priscilla Renea
Priscilla Renea
Priscilla Renea Hamilton is an American singer and songwriter. She is signed to Capitol Records, and her debut album, Jukebox, was released on December 1, 2009 but failed to garner success. Her second album is expected to be released sometime in 2011, although no official release details have been...
, Emanuel Kiriakou
Emanuel Kiriakou
- Early life :Emanuel "Eman" Kiriakou started playing music at the age of thirteen in his father’s Greek band.-Producer:...
, and Sandy Vee
Sandy Vee
Sandy Julien Wilhelm, known professionally as Sandy Vee, is a French songwriter, disc jockey and music producer. Originally a disk jockey and producer within the house genre, he began working with pop artists in 2009...
. Selena Gomez along with some of the members of the The Scene
Selena Gomez & the Scene
Selena Gomez & the Scene is an American pop band formed in Hollywood, California in 2009. Along with lead singer and founder Selena Gomez, the band consists of bassist Joey Clement, guitarist Ethan Roberts, drummist Greg Garman and keyboardist Dane Forrest. Selena Gomez & the Scene have released...
contributed to some of the songwriting on the album. The album sonically follows in the step of their predecessor, taking on 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...
sound with influences of 1980's electro music and disco. The album relies less on heavy synthesizers and includes some acoustic pop
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
songs like "We Own the Night." Lyrical themes include topics of love, freedom, self-worth, and the joy of living in the moment.
When the Sun Goes Down spawned two singles like the band's previous album. The 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...
from the album, "Who Says
Who Says (Selena Gomez & the Scene song)
"Who Says" is a song performed by American band Selena Gomez & the Scene. It was written by Priscilla Renea and Emanuel Kiriakou, with the latter also producing the track. The song was released on March 14, 2011, as the lead single from the band's third album, When the Sun Goes Down...
" was released on March 14, 2011, peaking at number 21 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and in the top twenty in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. The acoustic pop song also went Platinum in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. the second single from the album is "Love You Like a Love Song
Love You Like a Love Song
"Love You Like a Love Song" is a song performed by American band Selena Gomez & the Scene from their third studio album, When the Sun Goes Down. The song serves as the album's second single internationally on June 17, 2011. It was produced by Antonina Armato and Tim James who wrote the song with...
" charted in the top forty in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, New Zealand and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The album debuted at number four on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
with sales over 76,000 copies, surpassing the first week sales of their first two albums. The album rose to number three in its second week. The album was successful elsewhere, peaking in the top 10 in countries like Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
Background
In 2009, the band released their debut album, Kiss & TellKiss & Tell (Selena Gomez & the Scene album)
Kiss & Tell is the debut studio album by American band Selena Gomez & the Scene. It was released on September 29, 2009 by Hollywood Records. Gomez formed the band as she stated she did not want to become a solo artist quite yet. The band worked with several writers and producers on the album...
, and quickly followed-up with 2010's A Year Without Rain
A Year Without Rain
A Year Without Rain is the second studio album by American band Selena Gomez & the Scene. The album was released on September 17, 2010 via Hollywood Records. The band once again worked with writers and producers from their debut, Kiss & Tell such as Rock Mafia duo Tim James, and Antonina Armato, as...
. After the release of the latter Gomez said that she was not in a rush to release another album, but after hearing "Who Says", she decided to begin another release, calling the song "amazing" and crediting it for inspiring her. "Who Says" debuted on radio show On Air with Ryan Seacrest
On Air with Ryan Seacrest
On Air with Ryan Seacrest is an American syndicated television talk show, which ran from January 12, 2004, through September 17, 2004. It was distributed in the United States and Canada by Twentieth Television.-Series background:...
as the first single of the album. On March 18, 2011, in an interview with 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....
, Gomez revealed, "the third record is really fun, and there's a song called 'Hit the Lights' that I love, and it's basically about every missed opportunity that you've had," she said. "But it's also a dance track. There's a lot more depth [on this album]". Gomez also revealed British recording artist Pixie Lott
Pixie Lott
Victoria Louise "Pixie" Lott is an English singer-songwriter, dancer and actress. Her debut single "Mama Do" was released in June 2009 and went straight to number one in the UK Singles Chart. Her second single "Boys and Girls", also topped the UK charts in September 2009. Her debut album Turn It...
and German producer Toby Gad
Toby Gad
Tobias "Toby" Gad is a Los Angeles-based hit producer and songwriter from Germany, perhaps best known for co-writing Fergie's Grammy nominated hit song "Big Girls Don't Cry" as well as co-writing and producing Beyoncé's worldwide #1 hit "If I Were a Boy", and The Veronicas multi-platinum #1...
had both penned tracks for the album, while confirming its release for Summer 2011. A few days later, the singer revealed her team and the band "haven't decided [a] title [yet for the album] and we're dealing with the album artwork, 'cause it is very different and I'm growing up. It's a lot more mature". 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...
later confirmed that American recording artist Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
had also written a song for the album titled "Whiplash". On June 2, 2011, the album's name, When the Sun Goes Down, and track listing were revealed through Gomez's official website. After several songs from When the Sun Goes Down started to leak online, Gomez posted several video messages on her 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....
official channel featuring commentaries about each song of the album. When the Sun Goes Down was released on June 28, 2011 by Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records is an American record label owned by Disney Music Group, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company.-History:Hollywood Records was founded in 1989 by then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner with the idea of expanding the music operations of the company and to develop and promote...
.
Composition
Musically, When the Sun Goes Down expands on the electropop and synthpopSynthpop
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...
themes of it's predecessor "A Year Without Rain
A Year Without Rain
A Year Without Rain is the second studio album by American band Selena Gomez & the Scene. The album was released on September 17, 2010 via Hollywood Records. The band once again worked with writers and producers from their debut, Kiss & Tell such as Rock Mafia duo Tim James, and Antonina Armato, as...
", with a lighter and sassier feel, according to Tim Sendra of Allmusic Guide. Tracks like "Hit the Lights" have disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
influences, as they pair ballad lyrics with uptempo and midtempo dance music. The album also explores organic instrumentation. Both the first single "Who Says
Who Says (Selena Gomez & the Scene song)
"Who Says" is a song performed by American band Selena Gomez & the Scene. It was written by Priscilla Renea and Emanuel Kiriakou, with the latter also producing the track. The song was released on March 14, 2011, as the lead single from the band's third album, When the Sun Goes Down...
" and the fourth track "We Own the Night" featuring Pixie Lott
Pixie Lott
Victoria Louise "Pixie" Lott is an English singer-songwriter, dancer and actress. Her debut single "Mama Do" was released in June 2009 and went straight to number one in the UK Singles Chart. Her second single "Boys and Girls", also topped the UK charts in September 2009. Her debut album Turn It...
features more acoustic
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
, indie pop
Indie pop
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s, such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera, and the dominant UK independent band of the mid...
sounds, which was originally intended for Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...
's fourth album Stronger
Stronger (Kelly Clarkson album)
Stronger is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Kelly Clarkson. The album was released on October 21, 2011 in Australia and October 24, 2011 in the United States and the United Kingdom through RCA Records...
. They are the only songs on the album devoid of synthesized instrumentation. Gomez's work on the record as the frontwoman
Lead vocalist
The lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
has been heralded as sounding better and more mature than other former Disney Channel stars like Vanessa Hudgens, and Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus is an American actress and pop singer-songwriter. She achieved wide fame for her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana....
. When the Sun Goes Down features lyrics focusing largely on finding solace and letting go of fear and anxiety, along with topics of love, loss, loneliness, and feminism.
The first track, "Love You Like a Love Song
Love You Like a Love Song
"Love You Like a Love Song" is a song performed by American band Selena Gomez & the Scene from their third studio album, When the Sun Goes Down. The song serves as the album's second single internationally on June 17, 2011. It was produced by Antonina Armato and Tim James who wrote the song with...
", was written by Antonina Armato, Tim James, Adam Schmalholz and was produced by Rock Mafia
Rock Mafia
Rock Mafia is a record production/songwriting team, consisting of Tim James and Antonina Armato, who are credited for writing and producing a great number of top pop and rock artists beginning in the early 2000s such as Miley Cyrus, Mariah Carey, Scotty McCreery, Lauren Alaina, Selena Gomez, Demi...
. Also serving as the album's second single, the song contains deep, whispered vocals and slight elements of dubstep
Dubstep
Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in south London, England. Its overall sound has been described as "tightly coiled productions with overwhelming bass lines and reverberant drum patterns, clipped samples, and occasional vocals"....
. Gomez described the promotional single "Bang Bang Bang
Bang Bang Bang (Selena Gomez & the Scene song)
"Bang Bang Bang" is a song performed by American band Selena Gomez & the Scene, from their third studio album, When the Sun Goes Down . It was written by Meleni Smith and Priscilla Hamilton, and the song's producer, Toby Gad. The song was released exclusively to the iTunes Store on June 7, 2011, as...
" as fun and cheeky. It is made up of '80s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
electro synths and sees Gomez praising her new boyfriend while mocking her ex. The track was also compared to British electropop duo La Roux
La Roux
La Roux are an English electropop duo made up of singer, keyboardist, co-writer and co-producer Eleanor Kate Jackson, and co-writer and co-producer Ben Langmaid. Jackson describes their relationship as "very much a half and half sharing situation... not like a singer producer outfit", but also...
's 2009 hit Bulletproof. "Who Says" is an acoustic self-empowerment anthem where the singer extends kindness and sympathy to her critics. Serving as the album's first single, it debuted on the Hot 100 at number twenty-four and peaked at number twenty-one, standing as the group's highest charting single in the U.S., Canada and New Zealand. "We Own the Night" was written by Toby Gad and British electronic 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...
singer-songwriter Pixie Lott
Pixie Lott
Victoria Louise "Pixie" Lott is an English singer-songwriter, dancer and actress. Her debut single "Mama Do" was released in June 2009 and went straight to number one in the UK Singles Chart. Her second single "Boys and Girls", also topped the UK charts in September 2009. Her debut album Turn It...
, who is also featured on backing vocals. The track has a largely acoustic, harmonic sound paired with escapist lyrics in the style of Jimmy Buffett
Jimmy Buffett
James William "Jimmy" Buffett is a singer-songwriter, author, entrepreneur, and film producer. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffett's musical hits include "Margaritaville" , and "Come Monday"...
. "Hit the Lights" is an electro dance
Electronic dance music
Electronic dance music is electronic music produced primarily for the purposes of use within a nightclub setting, or in an environment that is centered upon dance-based entertainment...
song about overcoming anxiety and living in the moment. American 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 Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
composed the album's sixth track titled "Whiplash". It is an electropop/electro glam
Glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
song about an intense romance, featuring transportation imagery. The song has gained notability for Britney Spears' involvement in the composition, Gomez' faux-English accent in the spoken word verse before the chorus, and for being one of the band's more mature songs.
The title track features the use of electric guitars and stuttering synthesizers. Selena Gomez stated that "When The Sun Goes Down" held a special meaning for her and her bass player, Joey Clement
Joey Clement
Joey Clement is an American bassist from Rapid City, South Dakota. He is best known as the bassist of American pop band Selena Gomez & the Scene. He is also a member of the American band Midwest Kings.-Selena Gomez & the Scene:...
, because of their collaborative involvement in the track's composition. Gomez commented "I got to rewrite the bridge of it as well. It felt like we got to do that as a band." The eighth track on the album is "My Dilemma", a Kelly Clarkson-esque
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...
pop-rock song about conflicted feelings towards a potential breakup. "That's More Like It", the following track, is penned by 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 was inspired by American women of the 1950s
1950s
The 1950s or The Fifties was the decade that began on January 1, 1950 and ended on December 31, 1959. The decade was the sixth decade of the 20th century...
and their relegation to domesticity. In the song, Gomez demands that her negligent man does the cooking, cleaning, and housework, commanding him "Make me dinner and bring it to me." "Outlaw" is a bleak cautionary tale
Cautionary tale
A cautionary tale is a tale told in folklore, to warn its hearer of a danger. There are three essential parts to a cautionary tale, though they can be introduced in a large variety of ways. First, a taboo or prohibition is stated: some act, location, or thing is said to be dangerous. Then, the...
and revenge ballad lyrically similar to Carrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood
Carrie Marie Underwood is an American country singer-songwriter and actress who rose to fame as the winner of the fourth season of American Idol, in 2005...
's "Cowboy Casanova
Cowboy Casanova
"Cowboy Casanova" is a country song by American recording artist Carrie Underwood. The song was written by Mike Elizondo, Brett James and co-written by Underwood herself. It was released on September 14, 2009 by Arista Nashville as the lead single from her third studio album, Play On...
" and Lady Gaga
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...
's "Monster". The lyrics also make use of Wild West imagery and references to Gomez's home state of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, "I'm from the Lone-Star state, and I'm here to bring you in." The album's final song "Middle of Nowhere" is a dance
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...
ballad that features electropop beats and synthesizers along with bells and chimes. In the song, Gomez laments being left behind by a manipulative ex lover, for whom she made drastic personal changes. The song's bridge is a deep and heavily-breathed spoken-word recitation of the song's chorus, much in the style of Garbage
Garbage (band)
Garbage are an alternative rock band formed in Madison, Wisconsin in 1994. The group consists of Scottish singer Shirley Manson and American musicians Duke Erikson , Steve Marker and Butch Vig . All four members are involved in songwriting and production...
frontwoman Shirley Manson
Shirley Manson
Shirley Anne Manson is a Scottish recording artist and actress, best known internationally as the lead singer of the alternative rock band Garbage. For much of her international career Manson commuted between her home city of Edinburgh to the United States to record with Garbage but now lives and...
. A Spanish-language version of the lead single "Who Says" titled "Dices" is featured as a bonus track.
Singles
- The album's lead single, "Who SaysWho Says (Selena Gomez & the Scene song)"Who Says" is a song performed by American band Selena Gomez & the Scene. It was written by Priscilla Renea and Emanuel Kiriakou, with the latter also producing the track. The song was released on March 14, 2011, as the lead single from the band's third album, When the Sun Goes Down...
", was co-written and produced by Emanuel KiriakouEmanuel Kiriakou- Early life :Emanuel "Eman" Kiriakou started playing music at the age of thirteen in his father’s Greek band.-Producer:...
, Priscilla HamiltonPriscilla ReneaPriscilla Renea Hamilton is an American singer and songwriter. She is signed to Capitol Records, and her debut album, Jukebox, was released on December 1, 2009 but failed to garner success. Her second album is expected to be released sometime in 2011, although no official release details have been...
, and was released on March 14, 2011. The song has been met with generally positive reviews from most music critics, with many praising its theme of self-empowerment and Bill LambBill LambThe Hon. William Henry Lamb was an Australian politician. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1938 until 1962 and, variously, a member of the Australian Labor Party and the Lang Labor Party...
of About.comAbout.comAbout.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....
even called the band "the most consistent Disney pop hitmaker in recent years." The song proved moderately successful, debuting at number twenty-four and so far peaking at number twenty-one on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100The 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...
and has gone on to sell over a million copies in the United States. "Who Says" also reached number seventeen in Canada and fifteen in New Zealand, becoming the band's highest charting single on those countries. The song also managed to peak inside the top fifty in Germany and Ireland and appeared on the main charts in the United Kingdom, Belgium, Australia, Austria, Thailand and Vietnam.
- On June 17, "Love You Like a Love SongLove You Like a Love Song"Love You Like a Love Song" is a song performed by American band Selena Gomez & the Scene from their third studio album, When the Sun Goes Down. The song serves as the album's second single internationally on June 17, 2011. It was produced by Antonina Armato and Tim James who wrote the song with...
", the album's official second single, was released, debuting at number seventy-two and so far peaking at number thirty-five on the Billboard Hot 100. The song's official music video was released on June 23, 2011.
- In September 2011, Gomez announced that she was shooting a video and that it would be for her new single to be released in November, "Hit the Lights." The music video premiered November 16, 2011. 5 teasers were released on VEVOVevoVevo 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...
as well as a 5-minute "behind-the-scenes" exclusive. Hit The Lights is used for a commercial on E! For a new show called Scouted.
Promotional singles
- In preparation for the albums release, the bands record label decided to release two buzz singles. On June 7, 2011, iTunesITunesiTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
released a couple promotional tracks from the album. Beginning with "Bang Bang BangBang Bang Bang (Selena Gomez & the Scene song)"Bang Bang Bang" is a song performed by American band Selena Gomez & the Scene, from their third studio album, When the Sun Goes Down . It was written by Meleni Smith and Priscilla Hamilton, and the song's producer, Toby Gad. The song was released exclusively to the iTunes Store on June 7, 2011, as...
", which peaked ninety-four in the Billboard Hot 100, followed by "Dices", the Spanish version of "Who Says".
Critical reception
MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
gives the album a score of 64/100 based on 6 reviews. So far, the album has been met with positive reception. Mikael Wood 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...
writes, "[Gomez] sounds fully invested in tart electro-disco ditties like "Bang Bang Bang," and "top-shelf collaborators don't hurt — see: the grinding "Whiplash," co-penned by one Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
."" Bill Lamb from 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....
commented, "It is all wrapped up in smart pop melodies, electropop flourishes, and winning emotional engagement. This is Selena Gomez's best vocal album yet.". Jody Rosen 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...
writes, "At just 18 years old, Selena Gomez is a showbiz vet, with a decade-plus in the game. (Before she was a Disney princess, she did dinosaur duets on Barney & Friends.) So it's no surprise that Gomez's third album is a very professional affair. The production credits are full of top flight songwriter-producers, and even a couple of starlets. (Britney Spears and Katy Perry get songwriting credits here).
Commercial performance
When the Sun Goes Down was released on June 28, 2011. In the week of July, 4, 2011, it debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200 with their highest sales week ever, selling 78,000 copies in its first week. It beat out Kiss & Tell (#9 with 66,000 copies) and A Year Without Rain (#4 with 66,000 copies). The next week the album rose to number three, making it the band's highest charting album. In Canada, the album debuted at #2 on the Canadian Albums ChartCanadian Albums Chart
The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS...
, selling 9,000 copies in its first week. The album debuted in Spain at number two on the Spanish Albums Chart. The album peaked there for three weeks, during the debut week and the fifth and sixth week on the chart. In Belgium, the album debuted at number twenty-one on the Belgian Albums Chart
Ultratop
Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts...
and jumped to its peak position at number six. The album debuted and peaked at number six in Mexico. The album debuted at number sixteen in Norway and rose to its peak position at number 6 in its eighth week.
Track listing
(*) denotes co-producerCharts
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums 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... |
14 |
| Austrian Albums Chart 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... |
11 |
| Belgian Albums Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... (Flanders) |
6 |
| Belgian Albums Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... (Wallonia) |
26 |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
2 |
| Croatian Albums Chart | 37 |
| Czech Albums Chart | 18 |
| Danish Albums Chart Tracklisten Tracklisten is a Danish top 40 record chart that is presented every Thursday midnight at .The weekly Danish Singles Chart also known as Track Top-40 combines the 40 best selling tracks from legal music downloads and the sales of music singles on either CD or vinyl... |
22 |
| French Albums Chart | 47 |
| German Albums Chart | 18 |
| Greek Albums Chart IFPI Greece International Federation of the Phonographic Industry Greece or IFPI Greece is the Greek branch of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and is the official charts provider and recording sales certification body for Greece. Currently two charts are compiled, one for sales of... |
39 |
| Irish Albums Chart Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
13 |
| Italian Albums Chart Federation of the Italian Music Industry The Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy.... |
10 |
| Mexican Albums Chart AMPROFON Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas is a non-profit organization integrated by multinational and national record companies in Mexico. Established on April 3, 1963, it groups phonographic companies that represent more than 70 percent of the market in Mexico... |
6 |
| New Zealand Albums Chart | 8 |
| Norwegian Albums Chart VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
6 |
| Polish Albums Chart OLIS Oxford Libraries Information System, or OLIS, is an online union catalog of books held by the libraries of the University of Oxford, England, which include the Bodleian Library. It currently operates the Geac ADVANCE integrated library system . Prior to 1996 it operated DOBIS/LIBIS software... |
11 |
| Portuguese Albums Chart IFPI The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a not-for-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland... |
10 |
| Scottish Albums Chart Scottish Singles and Albums Chart The Scottish Singles Chart and Scottish Albums Chart are charts compiled by The Official Charts Company, based on physical and digital sales in the STV North, STV Central and ITV Border regions.... |
15 |
| Spanish Albums Chart | 2 |
| Swiss Albums Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
27 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
15 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
3 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification |
|---|---|
| Poland Polish Music Charts The Polish Music Charts are two official album charts and seven singles charts in Poland, provided by ZPAV, the Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry . The first, the Top 100, is a monthly chart based on data received from the album companies... |
Platinum |
| Canada Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada... |
Gold |
| United States Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
Gold |