"
Closer" is a song by
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
popPop music is a music genre that developed from the mid-1950s as a softer alternative to rock 'n' roll and later to rock music. It has a focus on commercial recording, often orientated towards a youth market, usually through the medium of relatively short and simple love songs...
/
R&BContemporary R&B is a music genre of western popular music. Although the acronym “R&B” originates from its association with traditional rhythm and blues music, the term R&B is today most often used to define a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in the 1980s...
singer
Ne-YoShaffer Chimere Smith , better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is an American pop and R&B singer–songwriter, record producer, actor, and occasional rapper. Since his debut, Ne-Yo has had five top ten songs on the Billboard Hot 100 as a lead artist and two number-one albums on the Billboard 200...
. The song was produced by
StargateThis is a list of songs written and produced by the Norwegian production team Stargate.-Singles produced by Stargate:-5ive - Invincible:*05. "Two Sides to Every Story"*06. "You Make Me a Better Man"-Noora Noor - Curious:*01. "Curious"...
.
The song was released as the first single from his third album
Year of the GentlemanYear of the Gentleman is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Ne-Yo, released on September 16, 2008 by Def Jam Recordings. The album was met with generally favorable reviews from critics, as well as a considerable amount of commercial success and sales.-Conception:Year of the...
. It reached #1 in the UK and spent 11 weeks in the UK Top 10. "Closer" became the fifteenth biggest selling single in the UK in 2008 according to
BBC Radio 1'sBBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the BBC which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock or interviews. It is aimed...
chart of the year.
The song and its music video were used in a commercial for
Overstock.comOverstock.com is an online retailer headquartered in Cottonwood Heights, Utah, near Salt Lake City. Founded in 1997 by Robert Brazell, under the name D2: Discounts Direct, it pioneered the online sale of surplus merchandise. It now features a combination of surplus, returned, and new items.The...
in early 2008.
"
Closer" is a song by
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
popPop music is a music genre that developed from the mid-1950s as a softer alternative to rock 'n' roll and later to rock music. It has a focus on commercial recording, often orientated towards a youth market, usually through the medium of relatively short and simple love songs...
/
R&BContemporary R&B is a music genre of western popular music. Although the acronym “R&B” originates from its association with traditional rhythm and blues music, the term R&B is today most often used to define a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in the 1980s...
singer
Ne-YoShaffer Chimere Smith , better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is an American pop and R&B singer–songwriter, record producer, actor, and occasional rapper. Since his debut, Ne-Yo has had five top ten songs on the Billboard Hot 100 as a lead artist and two number-one albums on the Billboard 200...
. The song was produced by
StargateThis is a list of songs written and produced by the Norwegian production team Stargate.-Singles produced by Stargate:-5ive - Invincible:*05. "Two Sides to Every Story"*06. "You Make Me a Better Man"-Noora Noor - Curious:*01. "Curious"...
.
The song was released as the first single from his third album
Year of the GentlemanYear of the Gentleman is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Ne-Yo, released on September 16, 2008 by Def Jam Recordings. The album was met with generally favorable reviews from critics, as well as a considerable amount of commercial success and sales.-Conception:Year of the...
. It reached #1 in the UK and spent 11 weeks in the UK Top 10. "Closer" became the fifteenth biggest selling single in the UK in 2008 according to
BBC Radio 1'sBBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the BBC which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock or interviews. It is aimed...
chart of the year.
The song and its music video were used in a commercial for
Overstock.comOverstock.com is an online retailer headquartered in Cottonwood Heights, Utah, near Salt Lake City. Founded in 1997 by Robert Brazell, under the name D2: Discounts Direct, it pioneered the online sale of surplus merchandise. It now features a combination of surplus, returned, and new items.The...
in early 2008. The commercial was also used as promotional tool for
Year of the Gentleman.
Song information
"Closer" marks a musical departure for Ne-Yo, taking on a dance pop style over the more rhythmic and urban sound his songs usually possess. In the song, Ne-Yo sings of having an urging attraction to a woman he sees, having the desire to "come closer" to her. His attraction to her becomes stronger, and almost hypnotic-like, as he sings "And I just can't pull myself away, under a spell I can't break/I just can't stop." The song was featured in episodes of the
CWThe CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
shows
Gossip GirlGossip Girl is an American young adult novel series written by Cecily von Ziegesar and published by Little, Brown and Company, a subsidiary of the Hachette Group...
and
9021090210 is a teen drama developed by Rob Thomas, Jeff Judah and Gabe Sachs, and the fourth series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise created by Darren Star. 90210 is the first series produced by CBS Productions under the company's re-launch, but now produced by CBS Television Studios...
.
Awards and nominations
This song was number 60 on
Rolling StoneRolling Stone is a United States-based magazine devoted to music, 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. Gleason.The magazine was named after the 1948 Muddy Waters song of the same...
's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2008. The song was nominated for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, while the Stonebridge Radio Edit was nominated for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical for the
51st Grammy AwardsThe 51st Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA on February 8, 2009. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss were the biggest winners of the night, with five wins, including Album of the Year and Record of the Year. Lil Wayne won four awards, including Best Rap Album....
, which were held on February 8, 2009.
Music video
The video was filmed at Santa Clara Studios, California. It was directed by
Melina MatsoukasMelina Matsoukas is a Greek-Cuban American music video director signed to Black Dog Films since late 2006. Previously, she worked with the now-defunct Gorilla Flix. She is a graduate of the American Film Institute and New York University. She did her graduate thesis on music video...
who also directed his "
Because of You"Because of You" is a 2007 song by singer and songwriter Ne-Yo. It is the first single from his second album of the same name. The single started radio play the week of February 4, 2007.-Song Information:...
" and "
Do You"Do You" is a 2007 single by singer and songwriter Ne-Yo. It is about Ne-Yo questioning his ex-girlfriend if she ever thinks about him anymore. It is the second single from his second album, Because of You. The single was officially released to radio the week of June 12, 2007...
" video. Ne-Yo wore a "gentleman-looking" suit dancing with a woman. Other shots also show him alone in the center of the spotlight being backed up with four dancers, or with a
MatchlessMatchless is one of the oldest marques of British motorcycles with the first models manufactured at the start of the 20th century. Produced in Plumstead, London from 1899 to 1966, a wide range of models were produced under the Matchless name ranging from small two-strokes to 750 cc four-stroke...
motorcycle. A number of on-set pictures from the video leaked over the Internet.
The video premiered on
BETBlack Entertainment Television is an American cable network based in Washington D.C., and targets young African-American audiences in the United States. Robert L. Johnson founded the network in 1980...
on April 25, playing every hour of the day with the last airing being at 7 PM. It features Ne-Yo performing dance moves, with lyrics from the song occasionally appearing on-screen.
The video was nominated in the "Best Dancing In A Video" category at the
2008 MTV Video Music AwardsThe 2008 MTV Video Music Awards took place on September 7, 2008 live from Paramount Pictures Studios. Nominations for a majority of the categories were announced on the MTV program FNMTV after being selected through viewer online voting at MTV.com. The remaining, professional categories were chosen...
, but it lost to
Pussycat DollsThe Pussycat Dolls is an American pop quintet. The current musical lineup is composed of Nicole Scherzinger, Melody Thornton, Jessica Sutta, Ashley Roberts, and Kimberly Wyatt....
's "
When I Grow Up"When I Grow Up" is a dance-pop song written by American songwriters Rodney Jerkins, Theron Thomas and Timothy Thomas, and produced by Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins for the Pussycat Dolls' sophomore studio album Doll Domination...
" which would appear in Dance Dance Revolution a year later.
Remixes
- "Closer" (StoneBridge Club Remix) - 7:36
- "Closer" (Subkulcha House Remix) - 7:22
- "Closer" (Cotto's Club Mix) - 7:56
- "Closer" (Cotto's Can't Stop Remix) - 7:25
- "Closer" (StoneBridge Db) - 6:37
- "Closer" (G Music Remix)
- "Closer" (Tha Bizness
Tha Bizness is an American hip hop production duo from Seattle, Washington consisting of J-Hen & Dow Jones.-Biography:Born and raised in Seattle, Washington, the production duo, who are cousins, were inspired by artists such as Teddy Riley, DJ Premier, Mannie Fresh...
)
- "Closer" (X-Mix Remix)
Cover Versions
Las VegasLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, fine dining, and entertainment. Las Vegas, which bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, is famous for the number of...
pop rockPop rock is a mix of pop music and rock music utilizing a catchy pop style with light lyrics, and guitar-based songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
band
The HigherThe Higher is an American pop rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada. They were originally known as "September Star". They have released two full length albums named On Fire, Histrionics and EPs named "Pace Yourself" and "Star is Dead"...
covered the song on their June 2009 release
It's Only NaturalIt's Only Natural is a 2009 album by pop rock band The Higher, released on June 23, 2009. It is their third full-length and second on a major label.-Track listing:#"Try Again" – 3:31#"Other Options" – 3:35#"Undertaker" – 3:01...
.
Chart performance
"Closer" is Ne-Yo's most successful single in
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
, and in general. It debuted at number twenty-two on the
UK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record industry. The full chart contains the top 200 singles based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 of this list...
, and managed a peak of number one based on downloads alone after seven weeks on the chart. Upon the release of the physical
CD singleA CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size compact disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s...
, "Closer" climbed to number-one, becoming his second
UKThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record industry. The full chart contains the top 200 singles based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 of this list...
number one, following "So Sick", "Closer" spent 11 weeks in the UK Top 10. In Ireland, "Closer" initially peaked at number-twelve for four weeks before jumping to number-three. It has peaked at number four on the German Singles Chart, becoming his highest charting single there. It recently debuted at #37 in
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
. In addition it has peaked in the top ten or top twenty in
AustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.3 million people in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west...
,
DenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries; southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and it is bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark borders both the Baltic and the North Sea...
,
NetherlandsThe Netherlands is a country in Northwestern Europe, constituting the major portion of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east...
,
NorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a country in Northern Europe occupying the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, as well as Jan Mayen and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard under the Spitsbergen Treaty...
, and
SwitzerlandSwitzerland , officially the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 states named cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities...
.
In the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
"Closer" has so far peaked at number-seven, becoming his seventh top ten hit on the
Billboard 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...
. While having a relatively weak peak on
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop songsR&B/Hip-Hop Songs, formerly the Black Singles Chart, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues...
for a Ne-Yo song, peaking outside of the top twenty at #21, "Closer" has instead had surprising success on Top 40 radio. After losing its bullet and falling down the charts on CHR/Top 40, suddenly the track exploded and frequently had the biggest bullet on pop radio, at times with over +1000. It has become his biggest U.S. radio hit, despite the lack of Urban airplay, becoming his first song to top the
Hot 100 AirplayThe Hot 100 Airplay is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It measures radio airplay, and is one of the three component charts, along with the Hot 100 Singles Sales and the Hot Digital Songs charts, that determine the chart positions of singles on the Billboard Hot...
chart.
The song jumped fifteen spots from number-twenty to number five on the New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart and reached a peak of number-three, it has also been certified Platinum with sales of over 15,000. In Australia, "Closer" debuted at number-seventeen on the Australian
ARIAThe 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...
Singles Chart and has thus far peaked at 8, and is his second top ten single after "So Sick".
On December 28, 2008, the
UK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record industry. The full chart contains the top 200 singles based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 of this list...
listed this at #15 for the year end countdown.
Charts
| Charts |
Peak
position |
| Australian Singles Chart |
8 |
| Austrian Singles Chart |
9 |
| 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 premiered in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
|
19 |
| Danish Singles Chart |
18 |
| Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the pirate radio channel Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the pirate radio channel was forced to stop. Joost den Draaijer was the initiator of...
|
12 |
| German Singles Chart |
4 |
| Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is the Republic of Ireland music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data...
|
3 |
| Italian Singles Chart |
10 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart |
3 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart |
17 |
| Swedish Singles Chart |
43 |
| Turkey Top 20 Chart |
2 |
| 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 200 singles based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 of this list...
|
1 |
| U.S. 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...
|
7 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, formerly the Black Singles Chart, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues...
|
21 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Billboard's Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
|
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Pop 100 The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It ranked songs based on airplay on mainstream top 40 radio stations, singles sales, and digital downloads.-History:...
|
3 |
Chart procession and succession