Closer (Ne-Yo song)
Encyclopedia
"Closer" is a 2008 Single
by American
pop
/R&B
singer Ne-Yo
. The song was produced by Stargate
.
The song was released as the first single from his third album Year of the Gentleman
. It reached #1 in the UK, scoring Ne-Yo his second UK No.1 following 2006's So Sick
. "Closer" became the fifteenth biggest selling single in the UK in 2008 according to BBC Radio 1's
chart of the year.
The song and its music video were used in a commercial for Overstock.com
in early 2008. The commercial was also used as promotional tool for Year of the Gentleman.
shows Gossip Girl
and 90210
.
, Ne-Yo explained the inspiration behind the song: "It was very much inspired by just the vibe of some of these house and techno clubs we went to while we were in London. You know, kinda smoky, kinda dark and mysterious... With just that constant, four-on-the-floor house beat that just really gets bashed into your skull the whole time you're there, by the way the music makes you feel. I basically tried to capture that energy and put the Ne-Yo spin on it. And 'Closer' was the end result."
, which were held on February 8, 2009.
who also directed his "Because of You
" and "Do You
" 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 Matchless
motorcycle. A number of on-set pictures from the video leaked over the Internet.
The video premiered on BET
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 Awards
, but it lost to Pussycat Dolls
's "When I Grow Up
" which would appear in Dance Dance Revolution a year later.
Las Vegas
pop rock
band The Higher
covered the song on their June 2009 release It's Only Natural
.
UK-based rock band Kenai have covered the song as a download-only release. Michigan
band Call It Karma and Colorado
band Blue Dog And Sponge Cake have also covered the song.
Laura White covered the song in the summer of 2009 at festivals she was playing at.
Australian Idol
2008 finalist Madam Parker
covered this song on the Top 12 Idol's Idols night and was safe on the following verdict show. Parker recorded a cover for that season's Top 10 Cast Album.
Romy Madley Croft of UK Mercury Music Prize winning band The xx
covered the song in 2009. The cover was produced by UK electronic pop producers Kwes
and Micachu
and is featured in the two producer's collaborative mixtape - Kwesachu Vol.1
.
, and in general. It debuted at number twenty-two on the UK Singles Chart
, and managed a peak of number one based on downloads alone after seven weeks on the chart. Upon the release of the physical CD single
, "Closer" climbed to number-one, becoming his second UK
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 Italy
. In addition it has peaked in the top ten or top twenty in Austria
, Denmark
, Netherlands
, Norway
and Switzerland
.
In the United States
"Closer" peaked at number-seven, becoming his seventh top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100
. While having a relatively weak peak on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop songs
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 Airplay
chart. As of August 2011, "Closer" has sold nearly 2,000,000 digital downloads in the US alone, making it Ne-Yo's best-selling song as a lead artist.
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 ARIA
Singles Chart and has thus far peaked at 8, and is his second top ten single after "So Sick".
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
/R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
singer Ne-Yo
Ne-Yo
Shaffer Chimere Smith, Jr. , better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and actor. Beginning his career as a songwriter, Ne-Yo penned the hit "Let Me Love You" for singer Mario...
. The song was produced by Stargate
Stargate (production team)
This is a list of songs written and produced by the Norwegian production team Stargate.-Produced singles:-1999:5ive - 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 Gentleman
Year of the Gentleman
Year of the Gentleman is the third studio album by American R&B and pop singer-songwriter Ne-Yo, released September 16, 2008, on Def Jam Recordings in the United States...
. It reached #1 in the UK, scoring Ne-Yo his second UK No.1 following 2006's So Sick
So Sick
"So Sick" is an R&B–pop song by American singer-songwriter Ne-Yo. The track was produced by Norwegian production team Stargate for Ne-Yo's debut album In My Own Words....
. "Closer" became the fifteenth biggest selling single in the UK in 2008 according to BBC Radio 1's
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation 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...
chart of the year.
The song and its music video were used in a commercial for Overstock.com
Overstock.com
Overstock.com , also known by its shortcut, O.co, 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 was a pioneering online seller of surplus merchandise which, upon its failure in 1999,...
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, 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
The 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 Girl
Gossip Girl
Gossip 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. The series revolves around the lives and romances of the privileged teenagers at the Constance Billard School for Girls, an elite...
and 90210
90210 (TV series)
90210 is an American teen drama television series 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 is now produced by CBS...
.
Background
Speaking in May 2008 to noted UK R&B writer Pete Lewis of the award-winning Blues & SoulBlues & Soul
Blues & Soul is a British music magazine covering black music. Genres covered include soul, R&B, jazz, hip hop, reggae and world music. It was first published in 1966 and is known for first using the term Northern Soul....
, Ne-Yo explained the inspiration behind the song: "It was very much inspired by just the vibe of some of these house and techno clubs we went to while we were in London. You know, kinda smoky, kinda dark and mysterious... With just that constant, four-on-the-floor house beat that just really gets bashed into your skull the whole time you're there, by the way the music makes you feel. I basically tried to capture that energy and put the Ne-Yo spin on it. And 'Closer' was the end result."
Awards and nominations
This song was number 60 on Rolling StoneRolling 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...
51st Grammy Awards
The 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, jointly winning five awards including Album of the Year and Record of the Year...
, 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
Melina Matsoukas is an American music video director.-Life and career:Matsoukas is of Greek, Jewish, Jamaican and Cuban descent. Both her name and surname are Greek: Μελίνα Ματσούκα. She is a graduate of the American Film Institute and New York University...
who also directed his "Because of You
Because of You (Ne-Yo song)
"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 (song)
"Do You" is a 2007 single by American singer-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 Matchless
Matchless
Matchless is one of the oldest marques of British motorcycles, manufactured in Plumstead, London, between 1899 and 1966. A wide range of models was produced under the Matchless name, ranging from small two-strokes to 750 cc four-stroke twins...
motorcycle. A number of on-set pictures from the video leaked over the Internet.
The video premiered on BET
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...
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 Awards
2008 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2008 MTV Video Music Awards took place on September 7, 2008 live from Paramount Pictures Studios , honoring the best music videos from the previous year. Nominations for a majority of the categories were announced on the MTV program FNMTV after being selected through viewer online voting at...
, but it lost to Pussycat Dolls
Pussycat Dolls
The Pussycat Dolls are an American pop girl group and dance ensemble based in Los Angeles; currently consisting of Lauren Bennett, Vanessa Curry, Kristal "Lyndriette" Smith, Tiffany "Taz" Zavala, Kia Hampton and Paula Van Oppen. The Pussycat Dolls were founded by choreographer Robin Antin in 1995...
's "When I Grow Up
When I Grow Up (Pussycat Dolls song)
"When I Grow Up" is a song by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls, from their second studio album, Doll Domination . It was released on May 27, 2008 as the lead single from the album, and the first following the departure of the group's longest-standing member Carmit Bachar...
" which would appear in Dance Dance Revolution a year later.
Track listing
- UK CD Single
- "Closer" - 3:54
- "Closer" (Agent XAgent X (Music Producers)Agent X is a British record production, songwriting and DJ team, originally founded as a duo in London by Music College classmates Greg Bonnick and Leon Price, adding Hayden Chapman and Peter Renshaw to the collective in 2009...
Bassline Remix) - 5:22 - "Closer" (Instrumental) - 3:54
- "Closer" (Video)
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 Dub) - 6:37
- "Closer" (G Music Remix)
- "Closer" (Tha Bizness)
- "Closer" (X-Mix Remix)
Cover versions
Los Angeles based modern rock/pop band, Ice Cream Fire covered the song on their 6-song demo, released via their websites in 2011.Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
pop rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock 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 Higher
The Higher
The 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 Natural
It's Only Natural (The Higher album)
It's Only Natural is the third full-length studio album by American pop rock band The Higher, released on June 23, 2009.-Track listing:#"Try Again" — 3:31#"Other Options" — 3:35#"Undertaker" — 3:01#"It's Only Natural" — 3:15...
.
UK-based rock band Kenai have covered the song as a download-only release. Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
band Call It Karma and Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
band Blue Dog And Sponge Cake have also covered the song.
Laura White covered the song in the summer of 2009 at festivals she was playing at.
Australian Idol
Australian Idol
Australian Idol is a Logie Award-winning Australian singing competition, which began its first season on July 2003 and ended its run in November 2009. As part of the Idol franchise, Australian Idol originated from the reality program Pop Idol, which was created by British entertainment executive...
2008 finalist Madam Parker
Australian Idol
Australian Idol is a Logie Award-winning Australian singing competition, which began its first season on July 2003 and ended its run in November 2009. As part of the Idol franchise, Australian Idol originated from the reality program Pop Idol, which was created by British entertainment executive...
covered this song on the Top 12 Idol's Idols night and was safe on the following verdict show. Parker recorded a cover for that season's Top 10 Cast Album.
Romy Madley Croft of UK Mercury Music Prize winning band The xx
The xx
The xx are an English indie pop band, formed in London in 2005. The band's members met while studying at Elliott School, the same school that produced Hot Chip, Burial and Four Tet. They became a trio when their second guitarist and keyboardist, Baria Qureshi, departed in late 2009. In September...
covered the song in 2009. The cover was produced by UK electronic pop producers Kwes
Kwes
Kwes, officially stylized Kwes. is a British record producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist musician.-Biography:Kwes was born and raised in Lewisham, South East London. He began playing his grandparents' organ at the age of four and his grandmother bought him his first small keyboard aged 5...
and Micachu
Micachu
Mica Levi, known by her stage name Micachu , is an English singer, songwriter, composer, and producer. She is classically trained and is best known for experimental music in a variety of genres.-Biography:...
and is featured in the two producer's collaborative mixtape - Kwesachu Vol.1
Kwesachu Mixtape Vol.1
Kwesachu Mixtape Vol.1 is the second mixtape album by musician Micachu and the first collaboratively produced mixtape album by her and London producer/songwriter Kwes...
.
Chart performance
"Closer" is Ne-Yo's most successful single in EuropeEurope
Europe 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 watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, and in general. It debuted at number twenty-two 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 ...
, and managed a peak of number one based on downloads alone after seven weeks on the chart. Upon the release of the physical CD single
CD single
A 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 UK
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 ...
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 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...
. In addition it has peaked in the top ten or top twenty in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, 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...
and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
"Closer" peaked at number-seven, becoming his seventh top ten hit 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...
. While having a relatively weak peak on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, 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. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
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 Airplay
Hot 100 Airplay
The Hot 100 Airplay chart 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 Singles Sales and the Hot Digital Songs charts, that determine the chart positions of singles on the Billboard...
chart. As of August 2011, "Closer" has sold nearly 2,000,000 digital downloads in the US alone, making it Ne-Yo's best-selling song as a lead artist.
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 ARIA
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...
Singles Chart and has thus far peaked at 8, and is his second top ten single after "So Sick".
Charts
| Charts | Peak position |
|---|---|
Year-end charts
| Charts (2008–09) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 28 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 54 |
| Belgian Singles Chart (Flanders) | 89 |
| Dutch Top 40 | 45 |
| European Hot 100 Singles | 28 |
| German Singles Chart | 29 |
| Hungarian Singles Chart (2008) | 81 |
| Hungarian Singles Chart (2009) | 53 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 20 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 78 |
| UK Singles Chart | 15 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 20 |
| US Mainstream Top 40 | 14 |
Certifications
| Country | Certifications (sales thresholds) |
|---|---|
| Australia | Platinum |
| New Zealand | Platinum |
| United States | Platinum |