Heartless (Kanye West song)
Encyclopedia
"Heartless" is a song by American
hip hop
artist Kanye West
, released on November 4, 2008 digitally as the second single for his fourth studio album, 808s & Heartbreak
. It debuted at the number four spot on the Billboard Hot 100 where it eventually peaked at number two and reached number-one on the Billboard Hot Rap Tracks
and U.S. Hot 100 Airplay
chart. The song came to be covered by numerous artists, most notably by Denver-based piano rock band The Fray
and American Idol season 8 winner Kris Allen
, with both versions managing to enter charts in the absence of a physical single release. Heartless is one of the best selling singles of all time, selling 5.5 million digital copies in 2009.
in Denver, Colorado
. The song was also performed at a T.I.
concert at Key Club in Los Angeles. Kanye made a special guest appearance and confirmed the song's future release as a single at that show. A snippet of the unmastered version of the song was leaked onto the Internet on October 12, 2008. This was followed by a full unmastered version of the song being posted on West's official blog on October 15. The song was released on iTunes
on November 4, 2008. On November 8, 2008, Kanye posted a new mastered version of the song on his official blog. A free link to download the song was posted there as well.
, selling 201,000 downloads in the United States alone and making it his second highest debut on the chart. The single fluctuated in and out of the top ten for two months before reaching a new peak at number three in mid-January, and rose to two in mid-February. In early March it also reached number four on the Pop 100 chart. It is West's second consecutive top five hit on the Hot 100, and his second consecutive song to debut in the top five there. This makes 808s & Heartbreak the first West album to contain two Hot 100 top five hits. On Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
, it peaked at four. It debuted at number eleven on the Hot Rap Tracks
and has managed to reach number-one in late January. The song has so far sold 3,742,000 paid digital downloads in the United States, becoming West's second song to reach that mark, the first being "Stronger
" in 2007. The feat puts West as the sixth artist to put two songs at or above the 3 million mark in paid downloads.
In Canada
it also made a "Hot Shot Debut" at #8 on the Canadian Hot 100
, also based on huge amount of downloads in the country. On the 1st of December 2008, the song debuted at #63 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart
. It reached #6 on the New Zealand RIANZ
chart. On the UK Singles Chart
, the song debuted at number #45 and reached #10 due to album download sales. The official digital release date for the single was 12 January 2009. On the Irish Singles Chart
the song has peaked at #10.
, the animated music video for "Heartless" pays tribute to Ralph Bakshi
's 1981 film American Pop
. It features use of rotoscoped animation, in which actual people were filmed and visual effects studio Opticflavor drew over their every movement, and references various scenes and backgrounds from the film. The video portrays West wandering through a city alone at night, with scenes of various women shown throughout the video. The video features pictures of The Jetsons
and was the first animated video directed by Williams.
CD single
band, The Fray
performed a cover of "Heartless" for their Live Lounge
performance on February 16, 2009. Following the premiere of their rendition on BBC Radio 1
, it began to receive an unprecedented amount of radio airplay. The track was later included on their Live from SoHo
album released onto iTunes
on April 7, 2009. In absence of a single release, the band's version of "Heartless" managed to enter the Billboard
Hot 100 at number seventy-nine on May 21 based solely on downloads. The song has since became a staple at The Fray's live shows and sold over 125,000 downloads in the United States alone. Due to overwhelming public demand, it was released as a digital single in the UK on September 14, 2009. The song was also included in the deluxe edition of their sophomore self-titled album
, which was released on November 10, 2009.
-level students with the video centering around one boy. He keeps glancing at a girl, as drawings appear on a piece of notebook paper in front of him. The band members as well as Kanye West are seen as simple drawn figures performing on the paper. Eventually, the artwork expands out to the classroom, forming a design around the girl. The video implies that the girl was the 'heartless' one who hurt the boy.
interpretation of the song was performed by American Idol season 8 winner Kris Allen
as his personal pick for the Top 3 night of the show's eighth season. His performance was praised all across the judge's panel and by other critics, who called it "inventive". Randy Jackson
stated that he preferred it to West's original and The Fray's cover version while Simon Cowell
said, "I had written you out of the competition but that has changed after that performance." A studio version of the cover was temporarily made available on iTunes
the following week. The performance helped him move on to the finals and win. His version of the song debuted at #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in May 2009. Allen has also performed the song during the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2009
with a more alternative rock
-oriented sound. Allen re-recorded the song for his self-titled debut album
. Allen also released the album version of the song as his second single in New Zealand. During tour, Allen also did a mash up of this song and Gangsta's Paradise
by Coolio
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
artist Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
, released on November 4, 2008 digitally as the second single for his fourth studio album, 808s & Heartbreak
808s & Heartbreak
808s & Heartbreak is the fourth studio album by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released November 24, 2008 on Roc-A-Fella Records in the United States. Recording sessions for the album took place at Glenwood Studios in Burbank, California and Avex Recording Studio in Honolulu, Hawaii during...
. It debuted at the number four spot on the Billboard Hot 100 where it eventually peaked at number two and reached number-one on the Billboard Hot Rap Tracks
Hot Rap Tracks
Rap Songs is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stations and sales in hip hop-focused or exclusive markets. From 1989 through 2001, it was based on how much the single...
and U.S. 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. The song came to be covered by numerous artists, most notably by Denver-based piano rock band The Fray
The Fray
-Literature:*Fray, a phenomenon in Terry Pratchett's The Carpet People*Fray , a comic book series by Joss Whedon**Melaka Fray, titular character of the comic book series-Music:*"Fray", a song from the album 14 Shades of Grey by Staind...
and American Idol season 8 winner Kris Allen
Kris Allen
Kristopher Neil "Kris" Allen is an American musician and singer-songwriter from Conway, Arkansas, and the winner of the eighth season of American Idol...
, with both versions managing to enter charts in the absence of a physical single release. Heartless is one of the best selling singles of all time, selling 5.5 million digital copies in 2009.
Background
The song was performed for the first time at the ONE Campaign concert during the 2008 Democratic National Convention2008 Democratic National Convention
The United States 2008 Democratic National Convention was a quadrennial presidential nominating convention of the Democratic Party where it adopted its national platform and officially nominated its candidates for President and Vice President of the United States. The convention was held in Denver,...
in Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
. The song was also performed at a T.I.
T.I.
Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr. , better known by his stage name T.I., is an American rap artist, film and music producer, actor and author. He is also the founder and co-chief executive officer of Grand Hustle Records....
concert at Key Club in Los Angeles. Kanye made a special guest appearance and confirmed the song's future release as a single at that show. A snippet of the unmastered version of the song was leaked onto the Internet on October 12, 2008. This was followed by a full unmastered version of the song being posted on West's official blog on October 15. The song was released on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes 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....
on November 4, 2008. On November 8, 2008, Kanye posted a new mastered version of the song on his official blog. A free link to download the song was posted there as well.
Chart performance
In the U.S. on week of November 13, "Heartless" made a "Hot Shot Debut" #4 four on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, selling 201,000 downloads in the United States alone and making it his second highest debut on the chart. The single fluctuated in and out of the top ten for two months before reaching a new peak at number three in mid-January, and rose to two in mid-February. In early March it also reached number four on the Pop 100 chart. It is West's second consecutive top five hit on the Hot 100, and his second consecutive song to debut in the top five there. This makes 808s & Heartbreak the first West album to contain two Hot 100 top five hits. 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,...
, it peaked at four. It debuted at number eleven on the Hot Rap Tracks
Hot Rap Tracks
Rap Songs is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stations and sales in hip hop-focused or exclusive markets. From 1989 through 2001, it was based on how much the single...
and has managed to reach number-one in late January. The song has so far sold 3,742,000 paid digital downloads in the United States, becoming West's second song to reach that mark, the first being "Stronger
Stronger (Kanye West song)
"Stronger" is a song by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released as the second single from his third studio album Graduation. It was produced by West and contains an extended outro co-produced with Mike Dean...
" in 2007. The feat puts West as the sixth artist to put two songs at or above the 3 million mark in paid downloads.
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...
it also made a "Hot Shot Debut" at #8 on the Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
, also based on huge amount of downloads in the country. On the 1st of December 2008, the song debuted at #63 on the Australian ARIA Singles 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...
. It reached #6 on the 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...
chart. 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 ...
, the song debuted at number #45 and reached #10 due to album download sales. The official digital release date for the single was 12 January 2009. On the Irish Singles Chart
Irish Singles Chart
The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's 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 captured...
the song has peaked at #10.
Music video
Directed by Hype WilliamsHype Williams
Harold "Hype" Williams , previously known as HYPE, is an American music video and film director of African-American and Honduran descent. His nickname "Hype" comes from his hyperactive nature as a child....
, the animated music video for "Heartless" pays tribute to Ralph Bakshi
Ralph Bakshi
Ralph Bakshi is an Israeli-American director of animated and live-action films. In the 1970s, he established an alternative to mainstream animation through independent and adult-oriented productions. Between 1972 and 1992, he directed nine theatrically released feature films, five of which he wrote...
's 1981 film American Pop
American Pop
American Pop is a 1981 American animated musical drama film produced and directed by Ralph Bakshi. The film tells the story of four generations of a Russian Jewish immigrant family of musicians whose careers parallel the history of American popular music....
. It features use of rotoscoped animation, in which actual people were filmed and visual effects studio Opticflavor drew over their every movement, and references various scenes and backgrounds from the film. The video portrays West wandering through a city alone at night, with scenes of various women shown throughout the video. The video features pictures of The Jetsons
The Jetsons
The Jetsons is a animated American sitcom that was produced by Hanna-Barbera, originally airing in prime-time from 1962–1963 and again from 1985–1987...
and was the first animated video directed by Williams.
Track listings
Digital download- "Heartless" – 3:31
CD single
- "Heartless" (Album version) – 3:31
- "Heartless" (Instrumental) – 3:30
Personnel
Information taken from 808s & Heartbreak liner notes.- Songwriters: Kanye West, Ernest Wilson, Scott MescudiKid CudiScott Ramon Seguro Mescudi , better known by his stage name Kid Cudi , sometimes stylized KiD CuDi, is an American rapper, singer and actor. He first gained major attention after the release of his debut mixtape A Kid Named Cudi. In 2009, his single "Day 'n' Nite" reached the top five of the...
, Malik Jones - Producers: Kanye West & No I.D
- Recorders: Andrew Dawson & Anthony Kilhoffer
- Keyboards: Jeff Bhasker
- Mix engineer: Manny Marroquin
- Assistant engineers: Christian Plata and Erik Madrid
Release history
| Country | Date |
|---|---|
| United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
November 4, 2008 |
| United Kingdom 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... |
January 12, 2009 |
Chart positions
| Chart (2008/2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles 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... |
40 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 57 |
| Belgian Singles Chart Ultratop 40 Ultratop 40 singles, often just Ultratop 40, is the weekly chart of best-selling singles in Wallonia and Brussels Capital Region, the french-speaking parts of Belgium. Its equivalent covering the Flanders region is Ultratop 50. Both charts are produced and published by the Ultratop organization... |
40 |
| 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... |
8 |
| Danish Singles 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... |
18 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 20 |
| European Hot 100 Singles | 36 |
| German Singles Chart | 37 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's 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 captured... |
10 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart 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... |
6 |
| Swedish Singles Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
17 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 46 |
| Turkey Top 20 Chart | 2 |
| 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 ... |
10 |
| 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... |
2 |
| U.S. 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... |
2 |
| U.S. Billboard 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,... |
4 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Rap Tracks Hot Rap Tracks Rap Songs is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stations and sales in hip hop-focused or exclusive markets. From 1989 through 2001, it was based on how much the single... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Pop 100 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 until its discontinuation in 2009... |
4 |
| U.S. Billboard Pop Songs | 4 |
End of year charts
| Charts (2009) | Position |
|---|---|
| Hungarian Singles Chart | 78 |
| 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 ... |
122 |
| U.S. 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... |
9 |
The Fray version
American rockRock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band, The Fray
The Fray
-Literature:*Fray, a phenomenon in Terry Pratchett's The Carpet People*Fray , a comic book series by Joss Whedon**Melaka Fray, titular character of the comic book series-Music:*"Fray", a song from the album 14 Shades of Grey by Staind...
performed a cover of "Heartless" for their Live Lounge
Live Lounge
The Live Lounge is a segment on the British radio station BBC Radio 1. Originally hosted by Jo Whiley on her mid-morning radio show and now hosted by Fearne Cotton, it exhibits well-known artists usually performing one song of their own and one by another artist, in an acoustic format...
performance on February 16, 2009. Following the premiere of their rendition on BBC Radio 1
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...
, it began to receive an unprecedented amount of radio airplay. The track was later included on their Live from SoHo
The Fray: Live from SoHo
The Fray: Live from SoHo is an iTunes-exclusive album by Denver-based piano rock band The Fray. Released on April 7, 2009, it is the band's third live session and was recorded in SoHo on February 3, 2009. There was a special pass version made for the album, making The Fray the second artist in...
album released onto iTunes
ITunes
iTunes 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....
on April 7, 2009. In absence of a single release, the band's version of "Heartless" managed to enter the 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 at number seventy-nine on May 21 based solely on downloads. The song has since became a staple at The Fray's live shows and sold over 125,000 downloads in the United States alone. Due to overwhelming public demand, it was released as a digital single in the UK on September 14, 2009. The song was also included in the deluxe edition of their sophomore self-titled album
The Fray (album)
The Fray is the second studio album by The Fray. Released on February 3, 2009, through Epic Records, the album debuted at number-one on the Billboard 200 chart, and became a top 5 hit in Australia and Canada. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album in 2010...
, which was released on November 10, 2009.
Music video
A music video of The Fray's version of "Heartless" was released on September. The video showed a classroom full of elementaryElementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
-level students with the video centering around one boy. He keeps glancing at a girl, as drawings appear on a piece of notebook paper in front of him. The band members as well as Kanye West are seen as simple drawn figures performing on the paper. Eventually, the artwork expands out to the classroom, forming a design around the girl. The video implies that the girl was the 'heartless' one who hurt the boy.
Chart positions
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US 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... |
79 |
| US Billboard Alternative Songs | 25 |
| US Billboard Rock Songs Rock Songs Rock Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks the airplay of songs on alternative, mainstream rock and triple A radio stations. The first chart was published in the issue dated June 20, 2009. "Know Your Enemy" by Green Day was the first number-one song. The Rock Songs... |
26 |
Kris Allen version
An acousticAcoustic 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...
interpretation of the song was performed by American Idol season 8 winner Kris Allen
Kris Allen
Kristopher Neil "Kris" Allen is an American musician and singer-songwriter from Conway, Arkansas, and the winner of the eighth season of American Idol...
as his personal pick for the Top 3 night of the show's eighth season. His performance was praised all across the judge's panel and by other critics, who called it "inventive". Randy Jackson
Randy Jackson
Randall Darius "Randy" Jackson is an American bassist, singer, record producer, music manager, A&R executive, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is best known as a judge on American Idol and executive producer for MTV's America's Best Dance Crew...
stated that he preferred it to West's original and The Fray's cover version while Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
said, "I had written you out of the competition but that has changed after that performance." A studio version of the cover was temporarily made available on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes 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....
the following week. The performance helped him move on to the finals and win. His version of the song debuted at #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in May 2009. Allen has also performed the song during the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2009
American Idols LIVE! Tour 2009
The American Idols LIVE! Tour 2009 was a summer concert tour in the United States and Canada that featured the top 10 contestants of the eighth season of American Idol...
with a more alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
-oriented sound. Allen re-recorded the song for his self-titled debut album
Kris Allen (album)
Kris Allen is the major-label album debut from the American Idol season 8 winner Kris Allen. The album was released on November 17, 2009 in the US...
. Allen also released the album version of the song as his second single in New Zealand. During tour, Allen also did a mash up of this song and Gangsta's Paradise
Gangsta's Paradise
Gangsta's Paradise is the second album by rapper Coolio, released on November 21, 1995. The album contained three hits: "Gangsta's Paradise", which reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, "1, 2, 3, 4 ", which reached #5, and "Too Hot," which peaked at #24.-Track listing:-Samples and...
by Coolio
Coolio
Artis Leon Ivey Jr. , better known by the stage name Coolio, is an American musician, rapper, actor and record producer.-Late 80s:He recorded two singles in the late 80s, titled "Watcha Gonna Do" and "You're Gonna Miss Me"...
.
Chart positions
| Chart (2008/2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| 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... |
39 |
| U.S. 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... |
16 |
| U.S. Billboard Pop 100 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 until its discontinuation in 2009... |
29 |
Other versions
- An alternate version of the song was created for B94 in Pittsburgh in late January 2009, changing the lyrics to reflect the Super Bowl XLIIISuper Bowl XLIIISuper Bowl XLIII was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League champion for the 2008 season. The game was played on February 1, 2009,...
matchup, titled "Ringless." - A remix of the song, featuring rapper Rick RossRick Ross (rapper)William Leonard Roberts II , better known by his stage name Rick Ross, is an American rapper. He derived his stage name from the drug trafficker "Freeway" Ricky Ross, to whom he has no connection...
, was posted on West's blog on November 28, 2008. - Mia Carruthers from Taking the Stage on MTV also performed her own version, with a cast member b-boxing, and a full choir.
- Cassidy covered the song for his Apply Pressure mixtape.
- Miami rapper Ace HoodAce HoodAntoine McColister, better known by his stage name Ace Hood, is an American rapper. He is signed to DJ Khaled's label We the Best Music Group and Def Jam Recordings...
did a freestyle of this song called "Ruthless". - Lady GagaLady GaGaStefani 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...
performed a live piano medley of the song in Kool Haus, TorontoThe GuvernmentThe Guvernment is the name of a nightclub complex in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Opened in 1996, it was incarnated from the former RPM nightclub, which closed its doors after several years at the same location.Saturdays The Guvernment is the name of a nightclub complex in Toronto, Ontario, Canada....
. - Jazmine SullivanJazmine SullivanJazmine Marie Sullivan is an American recording artist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is also the protégé of rapper Missy Elliott. Her debut single "Need U Bad" reached number one on Billboards Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, while her second single, "Bust Your Windows" peaked at number four...
and Melanie FionaMelanie FionaMelanie Fiona Hallim is a Canadian R&B and Grammy-nominated recording artist from Toronto, Ontario. She was born to Guyanese immigrant parents of African, Indian, and Portuguese descent and grew up in the inner city of Toronto. Living in a music filled household, Fiona says she always knew music...
both performed covers on tour at London's Jazz Cafe - Sullivan in June 2009 and Melanie Fiona in July 2010. - Justin BieberJustin BieberJustin Drew Bieber is a Canadian pop/R&B singer, songwriter and actor. Bieber was discovered in 2008 by Scooter Braun, who came across Bieber's videos on YouTube and later became his manager...
performed a cover version on guitar on his YouTube channel. - Season 2 American Idol finalistAmerican Idol (Season 2)The second season of American Idol premiered on January 21, 2003 and continued until May 21, 2003. The title of show was shortened from American Idol: The Search for a Superstar of Season 1 to just American Idol. Brian Dunkleman quit after the first season, and Seacrest therefore became the lone...
Carmen Rasmussen covered this song on her YouTube channel. - William FitzsimmonsWilliam Fitzsimmons (musician)William Fitzsimmons is an American singer-songwriter, based in Illinois, perhaps best known for his songs "Passion Play" and "Please Don't Go", which aired during pivotal scenes in ABC's medical drama Grey's Anatomy...
recorded a cover version. - Bobi AndonovBobi AndonovBobby Andonov is an Australian pop/rock/soul singer, songwriter, actor and model.-Early life and career beginnings:Bobby has performed since the age of 6, when he started dancing and singing in his hometown, Melbourne, Australia then at the age of 9, he starred as Danny in a Junior Production of...
sang Kris AllenKris AllenKristopher Neil "Kris" Allen is an American musician and singer-songwriter from Conway, Arkansas, and the winner of the eighth season of American Idol...
's version of the song on Australia's Got TalentAustralia's Got TalentAustralia's Got Talent is an Australian reality television talent show which premiered on 18 February 2007 on the Seven Network. The show was based on the Got Talent series format that originated in the United Kingdom with Simon Cowell... - The Word AliveThe Word AliveThe Word Alive is an American metalcore band from Phoenix, Arizona, formed in 2008, the band is currently signed to Fearless Records. Their 2009 label debut, Empire reached position 15 on the Top Heatseekers, meeting a great amount of positive acclaim upon its release in 2009...
covered the song for the compilation album , Punk Goes Pop 3Punk Goes Pop 3Punk Goes Pop 3 is the tenth compilation album released from the Punk Goes... series created by Fearless Records to feature covers by various artists of pop songs, and is the tenth album in the series overall... - Denver Rapper SoleSoleSole may refer to:* Sole , the bottom of the foot* Sole , the bottom supporting member of the shoe-Business:* Sole proprietorship, a business which legally has no separate existence from its owner...
performs a reworked version of the song, chronicling Edward BernaysEdward BernaysEdward Louis Bernays , was an Austrian-American pioneer in the field of public relations and propaganda along with Ivy Lee, referred to in his obituary as "the father of public relations"...
on Nuclear Winter Vol. 1 - Kill the AlarmKill the AlarmKill the Alarm is a rock band from New York City that is led by singer/songwriter Garen Gueyikian.Gueyikian had previously fronted the band Granian, a name he had also used for solo work until he adopted the new name Kill the Alarm in 2006. They sold out a string of New York city shows including a...
covered the song for their 2011 Covers EP. - Sherri DuPreeSherri DuPreeSherri Kay DuPree-Bemis is a vocalist, guitarist and lyricist for the band Eisley.-Career:Three of her siblings, Chauntelle, Stacy and Weston are also members of Eisley, along with her cousin, Garron. Her youngest sister Christie has performed with them live as well...
from the indie band EisleyEisleyEisley is a rock band from Tyler, Texas, consisting of four siblings and their cousin , all of whom were born and live in Texas. Although the band's name translates to ice island in several Germanic languages, it was actually selected by the bandmates because of its link to the Star Wars saga...
released a free cover version on her Tumblr page in late 2010. - Dia Frampton performed the song during the First Live Show of The Voice (U.S. TV series)The Voice (U.S. TV series)The Voice is an American reality talent show that premiered on April 26, 2011 on the NBC television network. Based on the reality singing competition The Voice of Holland, the series was created by Dutch television producer John de Mol. It is part of an international series...
with instant critical acclaim & praise from critics and fans. Her song peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100.