Written in the Stars (Tinie Tempah song)
Encyclopedia
"Written in the Stars" is the third single by English
rapper Tinie Tempah
, featuring American singer Eric Turner
. Unlike his two prior breakthrough singles which were produced by Labrinth
, the track instead features production by iSHi. It was released in September 2010 through Parlophone
records, digitally on the iTunes Store
. It serves as the third official single from his debut album Disc-Overy
. The song debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart
, becoming Tinie Tempah's second number-one single in the United Kingdom. The song also became Tempah's debut single in the US, and has peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100
. The track also marks Tinie's first Top 10 hit on the Billboard Pop Chart. Recently, it was used by Major League Baseball
in their coverage and promotional ads for their 2011 postseason
on TBS
and MLB Network
. It was also chosen by WWE as its theme song for WrestleMania XXVII
, by Sky Sports
for its coverage of Premier League football, and as the introduction to the eighth season of the South Asian Softball League.
Samples of this song can be heard in promos used for the USA Network
sports-drama Necessary Roughness
.
, Eric Turner and Charlie Bernardo and produced by iSHi. Tinie Tempah first revealed the song on 17 June 2010 performing it live on Sony Ericsson's Pocket TV along with "Frisky
". Tempah said "Written in the Stars it is a real passionate track about the sort of struggle that I've had to face. You know I just really feel it as something to perform at festivals as well so I thought I might as well get my practice and start warming up now."
The song was released on 27 September 2010, followed by Disc-Overy
on 4 October 2010.
Blog gave the song a very positive review:
by Parlophone on 13 August 2010, along with a 43-second trailer of the video three days before. The video, shot in New York City
, features Tinie Tempah
standing and rapping around a rooftop while Eric Turner
is sitting in a white room playing the melodic hook of music. The narrative scenes see a young boy whose life is shaped by the fact he and his mother are subjected to a financially insecure life and he is regularly bullied by his peers and how he is consumed with his book. After an interview with Virgin Media, the rapper claimed the boy 'not to be his younger self'- he was trying to portray the life of a city boy. It made its US Premiere from 1 February 2011.
", which peaked at #33 on the chart in March 2010. It later peaked at #16. The single also managed to chart in Switzerland, where it debuted at #71 on 26 September 2010, Tempah's first single to make an impact in the country. On 3 October 2010, the track charted at #1 in the UK Singles Chart
and UK R&B Chart
, beating "Just the Way You Are
" by Bruno Mars
and "Let the Sun Shine
" by Labrinth
, making "Written in the Stars" Tinie Tempah
's second number 1 in the UK after "Pass Out
". "Written in the Stars" sold over 115,000 copies in its first week alone, which at that point of the year was a first week figure surpassed only by California Gurls
by Katy Perry
featuring Snoop Dogg
(124,000) and the charity single Everybody Hurts
by Helping Haiti (over 450,000). In the European Hot 100, the song debuted at #5, the highest debut of the week. In January 2011, the single reached a peak position of #34 and was certified Gold in Australia. The song became Tinie Tempah's first song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100
, debuting at #91 for the week ending 5 March 2011 and peaking at #12.
UK Promo CD Single
US Digital Download
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
rapper Tinie Tempah
Tinie Tempah
Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu , better known by his stage name Tinie Tempah, is a British rapper. He made his first mixtape in 2007 with 28 songs, freestyles and remixes, the album features Mz Bratt, Chipmunk and G-Unit...
, featuring American singer Eric Turner
Eric Turner (singer)
Eric Turner is an American singer-songwriter who currently resides in Sweden. He is the lead singer in the band Street Fighting Man and is also a teacher.-Background:...
. Unlike his two prior breakthrough singles which were produced by Labrinth
Labrinth
Timothy McKenzie , better known by his stage name Labrinth, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. McKenzie is signed to Simon Cowell's record label Syco, becoming the first non-talent show signing in six years...
, the track instead features production by iSHi. It was released in September 2010 through Parlophone
Parlophone
Parlophone is a record label that was founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch was formed in 1923 as "Parlophone" which developed a reputation in the 1920s as a leading jazz label. It was acquired in 1927 by the Columbia Graphophone Company which...
records, digitally on the iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
. It serves as the third official single from his debut album Disc-Overy
Disc-Overy
Upon its release, Disc-Overy received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 71, based on 16 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".-Track...
. The song debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, becoming Tinie Tempah's second number-one single in the United Kingdom. The song also became Tempah's debut single in the US, and has peaked at #12 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...
. The track also marks Tinie's first Top 10 hit on the Billboard Pop Chart. Recently, it was used by Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
in their coverage and promotional ads for their 2011 postseason
2011 Major League Baseball season
The 2011 Major League Baseball season began on Thursday, March 31, and ended on Wednesday, September 28. This marked the first time a season began on a Thursday since , and the first time a regular season ended on a Wednesday since...
on TBS
MLB on TBS
Major League Baseball on TBS is a presentation of Major League Baseball games produced by Turner Sports and airing on the television channel TBS.-Pre-2007: relationship with the Braves:...
and MLB Network
MLB Network
MLB Network is an American television specialty channel dedicated to professional baseball. It is primarily owned by Major League Baseball. Comcast, DirecTV, Time Warner Cable and Cox Communications have minority ownership of the new network, with MLB retaining a controlling two-thirds share...
. It was also chosen by WWE as its theme song for WrestleMania XXVII
WrestleMania XXVII
WrestleMania XXVII was the twenty-seventh annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , held on April 3, 2011 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia...
, by Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
for its coverage of Premier League football, and as the introduction to the eighth season of the South Asian Softball League.
Samples of this song can be heard in promos used for the USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
sports-drama Necessary Roughness
Necessary Roughness (TV series)
Necessary Roughness is a USA Network television series starring Callie Thorne and Marc Blucas. The one-hour drama series was picked up for 12 episodes on January 19, 2011...
.
Background
"Written in the Stars" was written by "iSHi" Mughal, Tinie TempahTinie Tempah
Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu , better known by his stage name Tinie Tempah, is a British rapper. He made his first mixtape in 2007 with 28 songs, freestyles and remixes, the album features Mz Bratt, Chipmunk and G-Unit...
, Eric Turner and Charlie Bernardo and produced by iSHi. Tinie Tempah first revealed the song on 17 June 2010 performing it live on Sony Ericsson's Pocket TV along with "Frisky
Frisky (song)
"Frisky" is the second single by English rapper, Tinie Tempah and features the English long-time collaborator, producer and writer Labrinth. It was released on June 7, 2010 via Parlophone records. It was released exclusively on iTunes...
". Tempah said "Written in the Stars it is a real passionate track about the sort of struggle that I've had to face. You know I just really feel it as something to perform at festivals as well so I thought I might as well get my practice and start warming up now."
The song was released on 27 September 2010, followed by Disc-Overy
Disc-Overy
Upon its release, Disc-Overy received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 71, based on 16 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".-Track...
on 4 October 2010.
Critical reception
Robert Copsey of Digital SpyDigital 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....
Blog gave the song a very positive review:
Tempah makes abundantly clear on single number three that success wasn't handed to him on a platinum dinnerware set marked 'Doulton'. Au contraire, it was an exhausting journey of "believing and praying" in a dream that, for a time, "wasn't going nowhere" - and with his ear-snagging rhymes cloaked in a stadium-sized chorus courtesy of US newbie Eric TurnerEric Turner (singer)Eric Turner is an American singer-songwriter who currently resides in Sweden. He is the lead singer in the band Street Fighting Man and is also a teacher.-Background:...
, we're all going to hear about it whether we want to or not. Oh Tinie, we'll never doubt your work hard, play hard mentality again. .
Music video
The official music video was directed by Alex Herron and was released on YouTubeYouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
by Parlophone on 13 August 2010, along with a 43-second trailer of the video three days before. The video, shot in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, features Tinie Tempah
Tinie Tempah
Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu , better known by his stage name Tinie Tempah, is a British rapper. He made his first mixtape in 2007 with 28 songs, freestyles and remixes, the album features Mz Bratt, Chipmunk and G-Unit...
standing and rapping around a rooftop while Eric Turner
Eric Turner (singer)
Eric Turner is an American singer-songwriter who currently resides in Sweden. He is the lead singer in the band Street Fighting Man and is also a teacher.-Background:...
is sitting in a white room playing the melodic hook of music. The narrative scenes see a young boy whose life is shaped by the fact he and his mother are subjected to a financially insecure life and he is regularly bullied by his peers and how he is consumed with his book. After an interview with Virgin Media, the rapper claimed the boy 'not to be his younger self'- he was trying to portray the life of a city boy. It made its US Premiere from 1 February 2011.
Chart performance
On 13 September 2010, "Written In The Stars" debuted on the New Zealand Singles Chart at number 22, beating "Pass OutPass Out (Tinie Tempah song)
"Pass Out" is the debut single of English rapper Tinie Tempah. It is the first single from his debut album Disc-Overy and his debut single on Parlophone. The song was a digital-only release and was available to download in the United Kingdom on 28 February 2010. Producer and writer Labrinth...
", which peaked at #33 on the chart in March 2010. It later peaked at #16. The single also managed to chart in Switzerland, where it debuted at #71 on 26 September 2010, Tempah's first single to make an impact in the country. On 3 October 2010, the track charted at #1 in 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 ...
and UK R&B Chart
UK R&B Chart
The Official UK R&B Chart is a forty-position R&B/Hip-Hop chart compiled by The Official UK Charts Company. Although the chart does not receive any airplay, its compilation is viewed on BBC Radio 1's website and publications such as ChartsPlus and Music Week...
, beating "Just the Way You Are
Just the Way You Are (Bruno Mars song)
"Just the Way You Are" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars, and is the lead single from his debut studio album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans. It was released in the United States on July 20, 2010. It has also received airplay from AOL Radio's New Pop First station. The song was written by...
" by Bruno Mars
Bruno Mars
Peter Gene Hernandez , better known by his stage name Bruno Mars, is an Filipino-American singer-songwriter and record producer. Raised in Honolulu, Hawaii by a family of musicians, Mars began making music at a young age...
and "Let the Sun Shine
Let the Sun Shine
"Let the Sun Shine" is the debut single from English singer, Labrinth. It was produced and written by Labrinth and Da Diggler released on 27 September 2010 on Simco Ltd/Sony Records...
" by Labrinth
Labrinth
Timothy McKenzie , better known by his stage name Labrinth, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. McKenzie is signed to Simon Cowell's record label Syco, becoming the first non-talent show signing in six years...
, making "Written in the Stars" Tinie Tempah
Tinie Tempah
Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu , better known by his stage name Tinie Tempah, is a British rapper. He made his first mixtape in 2007 with 28 songs, freestyles and remixes, the album features Mz Bratt, Chipmunk and G-Unit...
's second number 1 in the UK after "Pass Out
Pass Out (Tinie Tempah song)
"Pass Out" is the debut single of English rapper Tinie Tempah. It is the first single from his debut album Disc-Overy and his debut single on Parlophone. The song was a digital-only release and was available to download in the United Kingdom on 28 February 2010. Producer and writer Labrinth...
". "Written in the Stars" sold over 115,000 copies in its first week alone, which at that point of the year was a first week figure surpassed only by California Gurls
California Gurls
"California Gurls" is an electropop song by American singer-songwriter Katy Perry and is the lead single of her third studio album, Teenage Dream. The song features rapper Snoop Dogg, and was produced by Dr. Luke, Max Martin, and Benny Blanco. According to Perry, the song is an answer song to...
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...
featuring Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
(124,000) and the charity single Everybody Hurts
Everybody Hurts
"Everybody Hurts" is a song by R.E.M., originally released on the band's 1992 album Automatic for the People and was also released as a single in 1993. It peaked at #29 on the Billboard Hot 100, #7 on the UK Singles Chart and #3 on the French Singles Chart.-History:Much of the song was written by...
by Helping Haiti (over 450,000). In the European Hot 100, the song debuted at #5, the highest debut of the week. In January 2011, the single reached a peak position of #34 and was certified Gold in Australia. The song became Tinie Tempah's first song to chart 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...
, debuting at #91 for the week ending 5 March 2011 and peaking at #12.
Track listings
UK Digital Download- "Written in the Stars" (Album Version) – 3:39
- "Written in the Stars" (Instrumental) – 3:39
- "Written in the Stars" (The Arcade Southside Remix) (feat. Taio CruzTaio CruzTaio Cruz is a British singer-songwriter, record producer, occasional rapper, and entrepreneur. In 2008, he released his debut album Departure, which Cruz wrote, arranged and produced himself. It achieved initial success in the UK and earned him a MOBO Award nomination...
) – 3:33
UK Promo CD Single
- "Written in the Stars" (Radio Edit) – 3:33
- "Written in the Stars" (Album Version) – 3:40
- "Written in the Stars" (Instrumental) – 3:39
US Digital Download
- "Written in the Stars" (Album Version) – 3:40
Charts
| Chart (2010–11) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada (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... ) |
18 |
| European Hot 100 Singles | 5 |
| Poland (Airplay Top 5 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... ) |
5 |
| Romania (Romanian Top 100 Romanian Top 100 The Romanian Top 100 is the national airplay-based singles chart of Romania. It is weekly and it started running in 1996. It is recognized as an official chart by the European division of Billboard, Music & Media.... ) |
10 |
| US 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... 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... |
12 |
| US Hot Dance Club Songs (Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... ) |
34 |
| US Pop Songs Mainstream Top 40 (Pop Songs) The Mainstream Top 40 is an airplay chart from Billboard magazine, and is also known as Pop Songs on billboard.com. It was often mistaken for and confused with the now discontinued Pop 100 Airplay chart... (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... ) |
7 |
| US Rap Songs (Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... ) |
19 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2010) | Position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles (The Official Charts Company) | 31 |
Certifications
| Country | Provider | Certification |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | ARIA 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... |
Gold |
| Canada | CRIA 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 |
| New Zealand | RIANZ Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
Gold |
| United Kingdom | BPI British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... |
Gold |
| United States | RIAA 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... |
Platinum |
Chart procession and succession
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Switzerland | 19 September 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... |
Parlophone Parlophone Parlophone is a record label that was founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch was formed in 1923 as "Parlophone" which developed a reputation in the 1920s as a leading jazz label. It was acquired in 1927 by the Columbia Graphophone Company which... |
| United Kingdom | 24 September 2010 | ||
| United States | 18 January 2011 | Capitol Records Capitol Records Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine... |
See also
- List of number-one singles of 2010 (Ireland)
- List of number-one singles from the 2010s (UK)
- List of number-one R&B hits of 2010 (UK)