Only Girl (In the World)
Encyclopedia
"Only Girl" is a song by Barbadian
recording artist Rihanna
from her fifth studio album, Loud
(2010). The song was released as the album's lead single on September 10, 2010 through Def Jam
. It was written by Crystal Johnson
, Norwegian production duo Stargate
and Sandy Vee
, and produced by Stargate and Vee. Musically, "Only Girl" is an up-tempo dance-pop
song which incorporates elements of Europop
. The song became the first to be completed for the album, and Rihanna chose it for inclusion before she recorded it.
"Only Girl" was well received by music critics, complimenting its beat, as well as the direction of moving away from the darker themes which were present on Rated R
(2009). "Only Girl" debuted at number seventy-five on the US Billboard Hot 100
and peaked at number one in its eleventh week, giving Rihanna her ninth number one single on the chart. The song reached number one in other countries, including Australia, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Norway and the United Kingdom. It also attained top-five positions in the Czech Republic, France and Germany.
The song's accompanying music video was directed by Anthony Mandler
and filmed outside of Los Angeles. The video uses the simplistic theme of predominantly focusing on Rihanna frolicking on a hillside with life size flowers placed near her with an array of artistic sceneries and props. The song was performed for the first time on Saturday Night Live
, as well as at 2010 American Music Awards
in Los Angeles
as part of a medley with "Love the Way You Lie (Part II)
" and "What's My Name?
". The song won Best Dance Recording
at the 53rd Grammy Awards
held in Los Angeles on February 13, 2011.
, and premiered on Ryan Seacrest
's radio show, On Air with Ryan Seacrest
, on September 7, 2010. During a webchat with her fansite Rihanna Daily, Rihanna stated that she wanted to take the next step in the evolution of herself with regard to "Only Girl" and Loud, and not do a re-make of he`r third album, Good Girl Gone Bad
(2007). In February 2011, the production team Stargate's Tor Erik Hermansen, who co-wrote and produced the song, spoke of how the concept came about, stating "Rihanna came to us before we started recording this record and said 'I feel great about myself. I want to go back to having fun, I want to make happy and up-tempo records'." Hermansen went on to explain that because Rihanna's previous album, Rated R
(2009), had no up-tempo songs, they decided to go into the studio to make what Rihanna had requested of them. "Only Girl" became the first song to be completed for the album, and Rihanna chose it for inclusion on the album prior to having recorded it.
"Only Girl" is an up-tempo dance-pop
song that incorporates elements of eurodance
in its production. The song was written by Crystal Johnson, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen and Sandy Wilhelm. Stargate and Sandy Wilhelm (under his stage name Sandy Vee) produced the song. It features "heavy whipping bass" and the strong use of synths, while the chorus of the song incorporates a "strobing, dance club beat". According to sheet music published at Musicnotes.com, the song is written in common time
with a moderate tempo of 126 beats per minute
. The song is written in the key
of F-sharp minor, with Rihanna's vocal range in the spanning from the low note of F3 to the high note of C5. The lyrics of the song feature Rihanna demanding that her lover gives her all the attention that she wants, singing, "Like I'm the only one that you'll ever love / Like I'm the only one who knows your heart / Only girl in the world." Brad Wete, a reviewer for The Music Mix at Entertainment Weekly
, described Rihanna's vocals as seductive and reminiscent of a "stronger, sexier version" of her 2007 single, "Don't Stop the Music
".
gave the song a positive review giving it four and a half out of five stars. Lamb complimented the song for its "towering chorus" and "club ready dance beats". He concluded that "it would be no surprise if this song takes Rihanna back to number one for her second chart topper of the year after 'Rude Boy
. Gerrick D. Kennedy of the Los Angeles Times
stated that "Although we can't necessarily say Rihanna is back, since she didn't go anywhere—she is making a comeback of sorts." He continued to say, "After taking a more macabre approach to her fourth disc, Rated R, she's gone in a decidedly more 'sassy, fun, flirty [and] energetic' direction". Kennedy concluded that "With its club ready bassline and Euro-pop influences, not to mention one heck of an epic chorus, the track is a surefire hit." Monica Herrera of Billboard
complimented the production of the song, writing that, "[the song] aims squarely for dancefloor domination, as the pop star pours her heart out to one man over a full-throttle production by Norwegian hitmaking duo, Stargate
." James Dinh of MTV News
praised the lyrics of the song, stating that after having fairly dark and deep lyrics on her previous album, Rihanna has returned to the dance scene with "Only Girl (In the World)". Dinh went on to say, "On the high-energy track, Rihanna yearns for her lover to keep her at the center of his attention over a pulsing electro beat. The singer's voice remains silky on the verses, then bursts out on the song's monstrous chorus." Nick Levine of Digital Spy
awarded the song four stars out of five, describing the song as a "crowd-pleasing kinda-comeback single". He also said that even though the song might not be "original", it is probably Rihanna's "purest pop rush since "Don't Stop the Music". BBC
's Fraser McAlpine also awarded "Only Girl (In the World)" four stars out of five, stating that "whatever you may think about Rihanna, she is very good at demanding that you listen to what she has to say, even if she has to hurt you in order to do it." At the 53rd Grammy Awards
held at the Staples Center
in Los Angeles
, California
on February 13, 2011, "Only Girl (In the World) won the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording
.
at number seventy-five on the issue dated September 25, 2010. The following week the song jumped to number three giving Rihanna her sixteenth top ten on the chart, and the sixth-best total among women in the chart's 52-year history. In its eleventh week, the song climbed to the top of the chart, becoming Rihanna's ninth number one song. It was the first time in the chart's history that an album's lead single reached number one after the second single, "What's My Name?". "Only Girl" debuted at number one on the Hot Digital Songs
chart after selling 249,000 copies. It became Rihanna's sixth single to debut at number one and her eighth number one single on the chart. The song also reached number one on the Pop Songs
airplay chart, giving Rihanna her seventh number one and also giving her the most number ones in the history of the chart. As of July 2011, the single has sold more than 3 million paid downloads in the United States alone, tying Rihanna with Katy Perry
as the female artist with the most songs to top the 3 million download mark in the US. It has been certified 2× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA).
In Canada, "Only Girl" entered the Canadian Hot 100
at number sixty-five on the issue dated September 25, 2010. The following week, the song peaked at number one, where it remained for one week. After weeks of fluctuating on the chart, the single peaked at number one again on the week dated November 6, 2010, for a further three consecutive weeks, spending four non-consecutive weeks in at the top total. "Only Girl" became the seventh best selling single of 2010 in Canada
, selling 231,000 copies. In Australia, "Only Girl" entered the chart at number one on the issue date entitled October 3, 2010. The song reached the top position for a fourth non-consecutive week dated November 7, 2010. It has since been certified 5× Platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association
(ARIA) for shipments of 350,000 units. In New Zealand, the song entered the chart at number one for one week, and has since been certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
(RIANZ).
In the United Kingdom, the song debuted at number two on the chart dated October 31, 2010, selling over 126,000 copies, behind Cheryl Cole
's "Promise This
", which debuted at number one with sales of 157,210. The figure gave Rihanna the second-biggest first-week single sales of 2010 in the UK (behind Cole's "Promise This") and became her fourteenth top-ten hit in that territory. The following week the song rose to number one, becoming her fourth number one in the UK and remained atop the chart for two consecutive weeks. The song has since been certified Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry
(BPI) for shipments of 600,000 units. On January 2, 2011, "Only Girl" was listed as the fifteenth-most downloaded song of all time in the UK. As of October 2011, the song has sold over 980,000 copies in the UK.
Elsewhere in Europe, the song peaked at number two in France and has since sold 257,000 copies. In Germany, the song peaked at number two and was certified Platinum in February 2011 for shipments of 300,000 copies, making it her third single to do so.
, who directed many of Rihanna's videos, including those for "Take a Bow
", "Disturbia
", "Rehab
" and "Russian Roulette
", and premiered online on October 13, 2010. In an interview with Just Jared
, Rihanna explained the filming of the video and the video's simplistic theme, "It's really, really beautifully shot in these crazy, crazy, crazy places, We shot landscapes that we found a couple hours outside of L.A. It looks so unreal. It looks fake, like something out of a postcard with the beautiful hills… We had a lot of sunshine those couple of days, so it really worked with the whole essence of the video. But really, the video just shows this big landscape and the only person there is me."
The video mimics the carefree lyrics to the song, which suggest that she is the "only girl in the world". The majority of the video features Rihanna prancing around hillsides wearing a mohair sweater and shorter skirt, a bustier and mini floral skirt, and lastly, a white bra and "boy shorts." The video uses the simplistic theme of predominantly focusing on Rihanna frolicking on a hillside with life size flowers placed near her with an array of artistic sceneries and props. Other scenes include Rihanna surrounded by multi-colored balloons, riding on a swing that hangs from the sky, lying in a bed of flowers and then dancing in front of a tree covered with blinking lights that adds to the surreal imagery.
days and has taken on a more girly and upbeat look with her new music video, 'Only Girl (In the World).'" Brittany Talarico of OK!
complimented the transition from Rihanna's previous effort, Rated R, which featured darker themes and lyrics, stating, "Goodbye spikes and leather, hello bows and flowers! Rihanna looks like an ephemeral beauty in her latest musical for her upbeat hit 'Only Girl (In the World).' She has traded in her dominatrix, spikey look for a softer side — and lets her fiery red hair down!". A reviewer of Mail Online
also complimented the colorful video, calling it "beautifully shot". The reviewer went on to say that, "Her clothing is floral and feminine and her flame red hair has been tousled and has a huge bow in it [...] The tone is completely different to the hard edged, heavier image and sound she produced on her last record which came in the wake of the highly publicised attack at the hands of her ex-boyfriend, singer Chris Brown." Seth Sommerfield of Spin
also noted Rihanna's image change from her previous album's video's, stating that it is "far from the overtly sexual edge she flaunted on Rated R" and called it "whimsical [and] beautiful". At the MuchMusic
Video Awards held in Canada on June 19, 2011, the song was nominated for "MuchMusic.com Most Watched Video of the Year", but lost to Taio Cruz
's "Dynamite
".
on October 30, 2010, where Rihanna also debuted "What's My Name?
" (without Drake
). Rihanna was also featured in a skit performance on the show. The following day in the United Kingdom
, Rihanna sang the song on series seven
of The X Factor
. The performance featured Rihanna at a masquerade ball, which involved the dancers engage in an on-stage cake fight. Elsewhere in Europe, Rihanna performed the song at the MTV Europe Music Awards 2010
in Madrid
, Spain
, on November 7, 2010, where she was surrounded by flowers on a set which resembled that of a fairy tale. Additionally, the song was performed on The X Factor
in Italy
on November 9, 2010, which featured Rihanna wearing a red pig-tail wig and a flowered bikini
, as well as performing on Le Grand Journal
in France
on November 10, 2010. On November 11, 2010, a pre-recorded taping of The Graham Norton Show in the United Kindgom aired, featuring an interview with Rihanna, along with a performance of the song.
Rihanna performed a medley of the song together with "Love the Way You Lie (Part II)" and "What's My Name?" at the American Music Awards of 2010
on November 21, 2010. Rihanna opened the performance singing an acappella version of "Love The Way You Lie Part II". She sat on a stylized tree hovering above a field of sable-colored blades of grass. Once she had finished the first frame of the song, she intentionally fell off of the tree and plummeted to the ground. She re-emerged from the fog revealing a changed costume now consisting of a black-and-white bra top and shorts and sang "What's My Name?". The performance featured an accompaniment of background dancers. Rihanna then ended the performance after transitioning into "Only Girl", which featured drummers and a background of fire for the finale.
On February 15, 2011 it was performed at the 2011 Brit Awards
as a part of medley together with "S&M
" and "What's My Name?". The singer was supposed to perform the full version of "S&M", for promoting the song's release as a single, however she was informed to "tone down" her performance by the show's bosses, thus performing only one verse and chorus in between "Only Girl" and "What's My Name?". This was due to the BRIT Awards corporation trying to avoid receiving similar complaints about Rihanna on the final of the seventh season
of The X Factor
on December 11, 2010, for wearing a provocative outfit and performing a suggestive dance routine before the watershed. "Only Girl" was included on the Australian leg of the Last Girl on Earth Tour
in February and March 2011, and is also showcased as the opening song on the current Loud Tour
.
Source:
Barbadian people
Barbadians are people originating on the Caribbean island of Barbados whether they live there or in the Barbadian diaspora.Rihanna is by far the most popular Barbadian on the planet.-Diaspora:...
recording artist Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
from her fifth studio album, Loud
Loud (Rihanna album)
Loud is the fifth studio album by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, first released on November 12, 2010 by Def Jam Recordings. The album was recorded between February and August 2010, predominantly during Rihanna's Last Girl on Earth Tour and filming for her first feature film Battleship...
(2010). The song was released as the album's lead single on September 10, 2010 through Def Jam
Def Jam Recordings
Def Jam Recordings is an American record label, focused primarily on hip hop and urban music, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as a part of The Island Def Jam Motown Music Group...
. It was written by Crystal Johnson
Cristyle
Crystal Nicole Johnson, better known by her stage name Cristyle or sometimes credited as Cri$tyle is an American Grammy Award winning songwriter signed with So So Def/EMI Music.-Career:...
, Norwegian production duo 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"...
and Sandy Vee
Sandy Vee
Sandy Julien Wilhelm, known professionally as Sandy Vee, is a French songwriter, disc jockey and music producer. Originally a disk jockey and producer within the house genre, he began working with pop artists in 2009...
, and produced by Stargate and Vee. Musically, "Only Girl" is an up-tempo dance-pop
Dance-pop
Dance-pop is dance-oriented pop music that originated in the early 1980s. Developing from post-disco, it is generally up-tempo music intended for clubs with the intention of being danceable or merely dancey...
song which incorporates elements of Europop
Europop
Europop refers to a style of pop music that first developed in today's form in Europe, throughout the late 1970s. Europop topped the charts throughout the 1980s and ’90s...
. The song became the first to be completed for the album, and Rihanna chose it for inclusion before she recorded it.
"Only Girl" was well received by music critics, complimenting its beat, as well as the direction of moving away from the darker themes which were present on Rated R
Rated R (Rihanna album)
Rated R is the fourth studio album by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, first released November 20, 2009, on Def Jam Recordings. The album is a musical distance from her previous effort Good Girl Gone Bad , which contained up-tempo and ballad-oriented songs, and it heavily incorporated pop and...
(2009). "Only Girl" debuted at number seventy-five on the 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...
and peaked at number one in its eleventh week, giving Rihanna her ninth number one single on the chart. The song reached number one in other countries, including Australia, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Norway and the United Kingdom. It also attained top-five positions in the Czech Republic, France and Germany.
The song's accompanying music video was directed by Anthony Mandler
Anthony Mandler
Anthony Mandler is a commercial and music video director, who has written and directed music videos for several artists. His most notable and frequent collaborator is Rihanna...
and filmed outside of Los Angeles. The video uses the simplistic theme of predominantly focusing on Rihanna frolicking on a hillside with life size flowers placed near her with an array of artistic sceneries and props. The song was performed for the first time on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
, as well as at 2010 American Music Awards
American Music Awards of 2010
The 38th American Music Awards were held November 21, 2010 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The awards recognized the most popular artists and albums from 2010. Nominees were announced on October 12, 2010. Justin Bieber was nominated for, and won, four awards, including Artist of...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
as part of a medley with "Love the Way You Lie (Part II)
Love the Way You Lie (Part II)
"Love the Way You Lie " is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna from her fifth studio album, Loud. It features guest vocals from American rapper Eminem. The song was written by Eminem, Skylar Grey and Alex da Kid, the latter of whom produced the song...
" and "What's My Name?
What's My Name? (Rihanna song)
"What's My Name?" is mid-tempo electro-R&B song, produced by Norwegian producers, StarGate, who return Rihanna to the "Island-pop" of her early career with a backing track consisting of "heavy reggae" and ska beats with synthesised organs. Bill Lamb from About.com noted that before Rihanna's vocals...
". The song won Best Dance Recording
Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording
The Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for works containing quality vocal performances in the dance music genre...
at the 53rd Grammy Awards
53rd Grammy Awards
The 53rd annual Grammy Awards were held on February 13, 2011, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. They were broadcast on CBS with a rating of 26.6 million viewers. Barbra Streisand was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year two nights prior to the telecast on February 11. Nominations were...
held in Los Angeles on February 13, 2011.
Background composition
"Only Girl" was released as the lead single from Rihanna's fifth studio album, LoudLoud (Rihanna album)
Loud is the fifth studio album by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, first released on November 12, 2010 by Def Jam Recordings. The album was recorded between February and August 2010, predominantly during Rihanna's Last Girl on Earth Tour and filming for her first feature film Battleship...
, and premiered on Ryan Seacrest
Ryan Seacrest
Ryan John Seacrest is an American radio personality, television host, network producer and voice actor. He is the host of On Air with Ryan Seacrest, a nationally syndicated Top 40 radio show that airs on KIIS-FM in Los Angeles and throughout the United States and Canada on Premiere Radio Networks,...
's radio show, On Air with Ryan Seacrest
On Air with Ryan Seacrest (radio)
On Air with Ryan Seacrest is the name of an American syndicated radio program hosted by Ryan Seacrest. As of 2010, the daily morning radio show airs on Los Angeles top 40 station KIIS-FM and was launched at the same time as the television show with the same name, although Seacrest had hosted a...
, on September 7, 2010. During a webchat with her fansite Rihanna Daily, Rihanna stated that she wanted to take the next step in the evolution of herself with regard to "Only Girl" and Loud, and not do a re-make of he`r third album, Good Girl Gone Bad
Good Girl Gone Bad
Good Girl Gone Bad is the third studio album by Barbadian R&B singer Rihanna, released May 30, 2007, on Def Jam Recordings. Recording sessions for the album took place during October 2006 to April 2007 at Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles. Rihanna worked with producers Christopher "Tricky"...
(2007). In February 2011, the production team Stargate's Tor Erik Hermansen, who co-wrote and produced the song, spoke of how the concept came about, stating "Rihanna came to us before we started recording this record and said 'I feel great about myself. I want to go back to having fun, I want to make happy and up-tempo records'." Hermansen went on to explain that because Rihanna's previous album, Rated R
Rated R (Rihanna album)
Rated R is the fourth studio album by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, first released November 20, 2009, on Def Jam Recordings. The album is a musical distance from her previous effort Good Girl Gone Bad , which contained up-tempo and ballad-oriented songs, and it heavily incorporated pop and...
(2009), had no up-tempo songs, they decided to go into the studio to make what Rihanna had requested of them. "Only Girl" became the first song to be completed for the album, and Rihanna chose it for inclusion on the album prior to having recorded it.
"Only Girl" is an up-tempo dance-pop
Dance-pop
Dance-pop is dance-oriented pop music that originated in the early 1980s. Developing from post-disco, it is generally up-tempo music intended for clubs with the intention of being danceable or merely dancey...
song that incorporates elements of eurodance
Eurodance
Eurodance is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s or early 1990s primarily in Europe. It combines many elements from House, Techno, Hi-NRG and especially Italo-Disco...
in its production. The song was written by Crystal Johnson, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen and Sandy Wilhelm. Stargate and Sandy Wilhelm (under his stage name Sandy Vee) produced the song. It features "heavy whipping bass" and the strong use of synths, while the chorus of the song incorporates a "strobing, dance club beat". According to sheet music published at Musicnotes.com, the song is written in common time
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
with a moderate tempo of 126 beats per minute
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
. The song is written in the key
Key (music)
In music theory, the term key is used in many different and sometimes contradictory ways. A common use is to speak of music as being "in" a specific key, such as in the key of C major or in the key of F-sharp. Sometimes the terms "major" or "minor" are appended, as in the key of A minor or in the...
of F-sharp minor, with Rihanna's vocal range in the spanning from the low note of F3 to the high note of C5. The lyrics of the song feature Rihanna demanding that her lover gives her all the attention that she wants, singing, "Like I'm the only one that you'll ever love / Like I'm the only one who knows your heart / Only girl in the world." Brad Wete, a reviewer for The Music Mix at Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, described Rihanna's vocals as seductive and reminiscent of a "stronger, sexier version" of her 2007 single, "Don't Stop the Music
Don't Stop the Music (Rihanna song)
"Don't Stop the Music" is a dance-pop song performed by Barbadian R&B singer Rihanna from her third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad. It was the third single from the album in most of Europe, the second single in Germany and Spain and the fourth single in the rest of the world...
".
Critical reception
"Only Girl" was well received by music critics. Bill Lamb of About.comAbout.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
gave the song a positive review giving it four and a half out of five stars. Lamb complimented the song for its "towering chorus" and "club ready dance beats". He concluded that "it would be no surprise if this song takes Rihanna back to number one for her second chart topper of the year after 'Rude Boy
Rude Boy (song)
"Rude Boy" is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, taken from her fourth studio album, Rated R . The song was released as the third single from the album on February 19, 2010, through Def Jam. It was written by Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Ester Dean, Makeba Riddick, Rob Swire...
. Gerrick D. Kennedy of the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
stated that "Although we can't necessarily say Rihanna is back, since she didn't go anywhere—she is making a comeback of sorts." He continued to say, "After taking a more macabre approach to her fourth disc, Rated R, she's gone in a decidedly more 'sassy, fun, flirty [and] energetic' direction". Kennedy concluded that "With its club ready bassline and Euro-pop influences, not to mention one heck of an epic chorus, the track is a surefire hit." Monica Herrera of 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...
complimented the production of the song, writing that, "[the song] aims squarely for dancefloor domination, as the pop star pours her heart out to one man over a full-throttle production by Norwegian hitmaking duo, 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"...
." James Dinh of MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
praised the lyrics of the song, stating that after having fairly dark and deep lyrics on her previous album, Rihanna has returned to the dance scene with "Only Girl (In the World)". Dinh went on to say, "On the high-energy track, Rihanna yearns for her lover to keep her at the center of his attention over a pulsing electro beat. The singer's voice remains silky on the verses, then bursts out on the song's monstrous chorus." Nick Levine of Digital Spy
Digital 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....
awarded the song four stars out of five, describing the song as a "crowd-pleasing kinda-comeback single". He also said that even though the song might not be "original", it is probably Rihanna's "purest pop rush since "Don't Stop the Music". BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's Fraser McAlpine also awarded "Only Girl (In the World)" four stars out of five, stating that "whatever you may think about Rihanna, she is very good at demanding that you listen to what she has to say, even if she has to hurt you in order to do it." At the 53rd Grammy Awards
53rd Grammy Awards
The 53rd annual Grammy Awards were held on February 13, 2011, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. They were broadcast on CBS with a rating of 26.6 million viewers. Barbra Streisand was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year two nights prior to the telecast on February 11. Nominations were...
held at the Staples Center
Staples Center
Staples Center is a multi-purpose sports arena in Downtown Los Angeles. Adjacent to the L.A. Live development, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street. Opening on October 17, 1999, it is one of the major sporting facilities in the Greater Los Angeles...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
on February 13, 2011, "Only Girl (In the World) won the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording
Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording
The Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for works containing quality vocal performances in the dance music genre...
.
Chart performance
In the United States, "Only Girl" made its debut 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...
at number seventy-five on the issue dated September 25, 2010. The following week the song jumped to number three giving Rihanna her sixteenth top ten on the chart, and the sixth-best total among women in the chart's 52-year history. In its eleventh week, the song climbed to the top of the chart, becoming Rihanna's ninth number one song. It was the first time in the chart's history that an album's lead single reached number one after the second single, "What's My Name?". "Only Girl" debuted at number one on the Hot Digital Songs
Hot Digital Songs
The Hot Digital Songs chart ranks the best-selling digital singles in the United States, according to Billboard.Beginning in February 2005, digital sales have been incorporated into many of Billboards music single charts. It was decided to do so mainly because of the dramatic rise in popularity of...
chart after selling 249,000 copies. It became Rihanna's sixth single to debut at number one and her eighth number one single on the chart. The song also reached number one on the 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...
airplay chart, giving Rihanna her seventh number one and also giving her the most number ones in the history of the chart. As of July 2011, the single has sold more than 3 million paid downloads in the United States alone, tying Rihanna with 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...
as the female artist with the most songs to top the 3 million download mark in the US. It has been certified 2× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
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...
(RIAA).
In Canada, "Only Girl" entered 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...
at number sixty-five on the issue dated September 25, 2010. The following week, the song peaked at number one, where it remained for one week. After weeks of fluctuating on the chart, the single peaked at number one again on the week dated November 6, 2010, for a further three consecutive weeks, spending four non-consecutive weeks in at the top total. "Only Girl" became the seventh best selling single of 2010 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...
, selling 231,000 copies. In Australia, "Only Girl" entered the chart at number one on the issue date entitled October 3, 2010. The song reached the top position for a fourth non-consecutive week dated November 7, 2010. It has since been certified 5× Platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association
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...
(ARIA) for shipments of 350,000 units. In New Zealand, the song entered the chart at number one for one week, and has since been certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
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...
(RIANZ).
In the United Kingdom, the song debuted at number two on the chart dated October 31, 2010, selling over 126,000 copies, behind Cheryl Cole
Cheryl Cole
Cheryl Ann Cole is an English pop and R&B recording artist, songwriter, dancer, actress and model. She rose to fame in late 2002 when she auditioned for the reality television show Popstars: The Rivals on ITV. The programme announced that Cole had won a place as a member of the girl group, Girls...
's "Promise This
Promise This
"Promise This" is a song by British recording artist Cheryl Cole, taken from her second studio album Messy Little Raindrops. It was released in the United Kingdom and Ireland as the album's lead single on 24 October 2010 by Fascination Records...
", which debuted at number one with sales of 157,210. The figure gave Rihanna the second-biggest first-week single sales of 2010 in the UK (behind Cole's "Promise This") and became her fourteenth top-ten hit in that territory. The following week the song rose to number one, becoming her fourth number one in the UK and remained atop the chart for two consecutive weeks. The song has since been certified Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry
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...
(BPI) for shipments of 600,000 units. On January 2, 2011, "Only Girl" was listed as the fifteenth-most downloaded song of all time in the UK. As of October 2011, the song has sold over 980,000 copies in the UK.
Elsewhere in Europe, the song peaked at number two in France and has since sold 257,000 copies. In Germany, the song peaked at number two and was certified Platinum in February 2011 for shipments of 300,000 copies, making it her third single to do so.
Background and synopsis
The music video for "Only Girl" was directed by Anthony MandlerAnthony Mandler
Anthony Mandler is a commercial and music video director, who has written and directed music videos for several artists. His most notable and frequent collaborator is Rihanna...
, who directed many of Rihanna's videos, including those for "Take a Bow
Take a Bow (Rihanna song)
"Take a Bow" is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, taken from the re-release, Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded , of her third studio album Good Girl Gone Bad . The song was written and produced by Tor Erik Hermansen, Mikkel Eriksen and Shaffer Smith, under their stage names Stargate and Ne-Yo...
", "Disturbia
Disturbia (song)
"Disturbia" is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, taken from the re-release, Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded , of her third studio album Good Girl Gone Bad . The song was released as the third single from the reloaded edition of the album, and seventh overall...
", "Rehab
Rehab (Rihanna song)
"Rehab" is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, released as the eighth and final single from her third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad . Def Jam Recordings released the song to contemporary hit radio in the United States on October 6, 2008...
" and "Russian Roulette
Russian Roulette (song)
"Russian Roulette" is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, taken from her fourth studio album Rated R . The song premiered on radio stations on October 20, 2009 and was released as the album's lead single on October 26, 2009 through Def Jam Recordings. It was written and produced by...
", and premiered online on October 13, 2010. In an interview with Just Jared
Just Jared
Just Jared is a multimedia entertainment group that includes JustJared.com and teen spin-off JustJaredJr.com, providing pop culture trends, celebrity photo galleries and entertainment news.-Origin of website:...
, Rihanna explained the filming of the video and the video's simplistic theme, "It's really, really beautifully shot in these crazy, crazy, crazy places, We shot landscapes that we found a couple hours outside of L.A. It looks so unreal. It looks fake, like something out of a postcard with the beautiful hills… We had a lot of sunshine those couple of days, so it really worked with the whole essence of the video. But really, the video just shows this big landscape and the only person there is me."
The video mimics the carefree lyrics to the song, which suggest that she is the "only girl in the world". The majority of the video features Rihanna prancing around hillsides wearing a mohair sweater and shorter skirt, a bustier and mini floral skirt, and lastly, a white bra and "boy shorts." The video uses the simplistic theme of predominantly focusing on Rihanna frolicking on a hillside with life size flowers placed near her with an array of artistic sceneries and props. Other scenes include Rihanna surrounded by multi-colored balloons, riding on a swing that hangs from the sky, lying in a bed of flowers and then dancing in front of a tree covered with blinking lights that adds to the surreal imagery.
Reception
Tanner Stransky of Entertainment Weekly reviewed the video positively, commenting on the video's simplistic theme, noting it makes it seem "as if Rihanna is speaking directly to you, the viewer, and she is your one and only amid swallowing rolling, beautiful, swallowing landscapes. It's an effect that makes you focus squarely on RiRi, who's ensconsced in flirty outfits and sporting that fire-red 'do she wore to the VMAs last month." Joyce Lee of CBS wrote, "Rihanna has officially moved on from her edgy Rated RRated R (Rihanna album)
Rated R is the fourth studio album by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, first released November 20, 2009, on Def Jam Recordings. The album is a musical distance from her previous effort Good Girl Gone Bad , which contained up-tempo and ballad-oriented songs, and it heavily incorporated pop and...
days and has taken on a more girly and upbeat look with her new music video, 'Only Girl (In the World).'" Brittany Talarico of OK!
OK!
OK! is a British weekly magazine specializing in celebrity news. Originally launched as a monthly, its first issue was published in April 1993. In September 2004, OK! publishers Northern and Shell launched in Australia as a monthly title – the magazine went weekly in October 2006...
complimented the transition from Rihanna's previous effort, Rated R, which featured darker themes and lyrics, stating, "Goodbye spikes and leather, hello bows and flowers! Rihanna looks like an ephemeral beauty in her latest musical for her upbeat hit 'Only Girl (In the World).' She has traded in her dominatrix, spikey look for a softer side — and lets her fiery red hair down!". A reviewer of Mail Online
Mail Online
Mail Online is the name of the website of the Daily Mail, a newspaper in the United Kingdom. It contains almost all the stories from the Daily Mail and includes a large archive of main stories...
also complimented the colorful video, calling it "beautifully shot". The reviewer went on to say that, "Her clothing is floral and feminine and her flame red hair has been tousled and has a huge bow in it [...] The tone is completely different to the hard edged, heavier image and sound she produced on her last record which came in the wake of the highly publicised attack at the hands of her ex-boyfriend, singer Chris Brown." Seth Sommerfield of Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
also noted Rihanna's image change from her previous album's video's, stating that it is "far from the overtly sexual edge she flaunted on Rated R" and called it "whimsical [and] beautiful". At the MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
Video Awards held in Canada on June 19, 2011, the song was nominated for "MuchMusic.com Most Watched Video of the Year", but lost to Taio Cruz
Taio Cruz
Taio 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...
's "Dynamite
Dynamite (Taio Cruz song)
"Dynamite" is the fourth single from English recording artist Taio Cruz's second album Rokstarr. It was written by Cruz, Max Martin, Bonnie McKee, and Dr. Luke, and produced by Dr. Luke and Benny Blanco for the international version of Rokstarr. In the UK, the song was released as the first single...
".
Live performances
"Only Girl" was performed for the first time in North America on Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
on October 30, 2010, where Rihanna also debuted "What's My Name?
What's My Name? (Rihanna song)
"What's My Name?" is mid-tempo electro-R&B song, produced by Norwegian producers, StarGate, who return Rihanna to the "Island-pop" of her early career with a backing track consisting of "heavy reggae" and ska beats with synthesised organs. Bill Lamb from About.com noted that before Rihanna's vocals...
" (without Drake
Drake (entertainer)
Aubrey Drake Graham , who records under the mononym Drake, is a Canadian recording artist and actor. He originally became known for playing Jimmy Brooks on the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation....
). Rihanna was also featured in a skit performance on the show. The following day in the 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...
, Rihanna sang the song on series seven
The X Factor (UK series 7)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent; the winner of which receives a £1 million recording contract with the Syco Music record label. The seventh series started on ITV on 21 August 2010 and ended on 12 December 2010. The winner was Matt Cardle and...
of The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
. The performance featured Rihanna at a masquerade ball, which involved the dancers engage in an on-stage cake fight. Elsewhere in Europe, Rihanna performed the song at the MTV Europe Music Awards 2010
MTV Europe Music Awards 2010
The 2010 MTV Europe Music Awards took place on November 7, 2010 at Caja Mágica in Madrid. The award show was presented by Eva Longoria and Justin Bieber was the official MTV EMA 2010 digital host. The nominations were announced on September 20...
in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, on November 7, 2010, where she was surrounded by flowers on a set which resembled that of a fairy tale. Additionally, the song was performed on The X Factor
X Factor (Italy)
X Factor is a successful TV show airing on prime time in Italy. The singing competition is the Italian version of The X Factor franchise...
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...
on November 9, 2010, which featured Rihanna wearing a red pig-tail wig and a flowered bikini
Bikini
The bikini is typically a women's two-piece swimsuit. One part of the attire covers the breasts and the other part covers the crotch and part of or the entire buttocks, leaving an uncovered area between the two. Merriam–Webster describes the bikini as "a woman's scanty two-piece bathing suit" or "a...
, as well as performing on Le Grand Journal
Le Grand Journal (Canal+)
Le Grand Journal is a French nightly news and talk show airing every weekday evening on Canal+. Debuting on August 30, 2004, it was created and hosted by Michel Denisot. Originally a one-hour program, it expanded to two hours in 2005. Even though the show is broadcast on the premium channel Canal+,...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
on November 10, 2010. On November 11, 2010, a pre-recorded taping of The Graham Norton Show in the United Kindgom aired, featuring an interview with Rihanna, along with a performance of the song.
Rihanna performed a medley of the song together with "Love the Way You Lie (Part II)" and "What's My Name?" at the American Music Awards of 2010
American Music Awards of 2010
The 38th American Music Awards were held November 21, 2010 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The awards recognized the most popular artists and albums from 2010. Nominees were announced on October 12, 2010. Justin Bieber was nominated for, and won, four awards, including Artist of...
on November 21, 2010. Rihanna opened the performance singing an acappella version of "Love The Way You Lie Part II". She sat on a stylized tree hovering above a field of sable-colored blades of grass. Once she had finished the first frame of the song, she intentionally fell off of the tree and plummeted to the ground. She re-emerged from the fog revealing a changed costume now consisting of a black-and-white bra top and shorts and sang "What's My Name?". The performance featured an accompaniment of background dancers. Rihanna then ended the performance after transitioning into "Only Girl", which featured drummers and a background of fire for the finale.
On February 15, 2011 it was performed at the 2011 Brit Awards
2011 BRIT Awards
The 2011 BRIT Awards was held on Tuesday 15 February 2011.It was the 31st edition of the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The award ceremony was held at The O2 Arena...
as a part of medley together with "S&M
S&M (song)
"S&M" is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, taken from her fifth studio album, Loud . The song was written by Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Corey Jackson Carter, Sandy Wilhelm and Ester Dean, with production helmed by Eriksen and Hermansen of Stargate and Sandy Wilhelm under her...
" and "What's My Name?". The singer was supposed to perform the full version of "S&M", for promoting the song's release as a single, however she was informed to "tone down" her performance by the show's bosses, thus performing only one verse and chorus in between "Only Girl" and "What's My Name?". This was due to the BRIT Awards corporation trying to avoid receiving similar complaints about Rihanna on the final of the seventh season
The X Factor (UK series 7)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent; the winner of which receives a £1 million recording contract with the Syco Music record label. The seventh series started on ITV on 21 August 2010 and ended on 12 December 2010. The winner was Matt Cardle and...
of The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
on December 11, 2010, for wearing a provocative outfit and performing a suggestive dance routine before the watershed. "Only Girl" was included on the Australian leg of the Last Girl on Earth Tour
Last Girl on Earth Tour
The Last Girl on Earth Tour was the third concert tour by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna. Visiting Europe, Asia, North America and Australia, the tour supported her fourth studio album, Rated R . The tour was announced through MTV News in December 2009...
in February and March 2011, and is also showcased as the opening song on the current Loud Tour
Loud Tour
The Loud Tour is the fourth concert tour by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna. Performing in over twenty countries in the Americas and Europe, the tour supports Rihanna’s fifth studio album, Loud...
.
Track listing
- Digital download
- "Only Girl (In the World)" – 3:55
- German CD single
- "Only Girl (In the World)" – 3:55
- "Only Girl (In the World)" (Extended Club Mix) – 5:39
- UK CD single
- "Only Girl (In the World)" – 3:55
- "Only Girl (In the World)" (Instrumental) – 3:55
Personnel
- SongwritingSongwriterA songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
– Crystal JohnsonCristyleCrystal Nicole Johnson, better known by her stage name Cristyle or sometimes credited as Cri$tyle is an American Grammy Award winning songwriter signed with So So Def/EMI Music.-Career:...
, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Sandy Wilhelm - ProductionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
– StargateStargate (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"...
, Sandy VeeSandy VeeSandy Julien Wilhelm, known professionally as Sandy Vee, is a French songwriter, disc jockey and music producer. Originally a disk jockey and producer within the house genre, he began working with pop artists in 2009... - RecordingSound recording and reproductionSound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
– Mikkel S. Eriksen, Miles Walker, Sandy VeeSandy VeeSandy Julien Wilhelm, known professionally as Sandy Vee, is a French songwriter, disc jockey and music producer. Originally a disk jockey and producer within the house genre, he began working with pop artists in 2009... - Vocal production – Kuk Harrell
- Vocal recording – Kuk Harrell, Marcos Tovar, Josh Gudwin
- Assistant vocal recording – Inaam Haq, Dane Liska, Brad Shea
- MixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
– Sandy VeeSandy VeeSandy Julien Wilhelm, known professionally as Sandy Vee, is a French songwriter, disc jockey and music producer. Originally a disk jockey and producer within the house genre, he began working with pop artists in 2009...
, Phil TanPhil TanPhil Tan is an Atlanta, GA-based music/audio engineer.He is a 3-time Grammy Award recipient, as mixing engineer for Mariah Carey's "The Emancipation of Mimi" , Ludacris' "Release Therapy" and Rihanna's "Only Girl " .Among the artists on Tan's list of credits: Jill Scott, Jennifer... - Additional and assistant engineeringAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
– Damien Lewis - InstrumentsMusical instrumentA musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
– Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Sandy VeeSandy VeeSandy Julien Wilhelm, known professionally as Sandy Vee, is a French songwriter, disc jockey and music producer. Originally a disk jockey and producer within the house genre, he began working with pop artists in 2009... - Backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
– Crystal Johnson - MasteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
– Chris Gehringer
Source:
Weekly charts
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Brazil (Billboard Billboard Brasil Billboard Brasil is a monthly Brazilian magazine launched on October 10, 2009, with a print-run of over 40,000 copies. It is distributed nationwide by Brazil's biggest distributor Dinap... Hot 100 Brasil Hot 100 Airplay Brasil Hot 100 Airplay is the official music singles charts in Brazil. It has been compiled by Crowley Broadcast Analysis and published monthly by Billboard Brasil since the release of the magazine, in October 2009.... ) |
2 |
| Poland (Dance Top 50 Polish Dance Club Singles Chart The Polish Dance Club Singles Chart is a chart compiled by ZPAV from the most popular songs in the clubs. Although the chart does not currently receive any airplay on the radio or television, the chart can be viewed on the DJ Promotion and ZPAV website.... ) |
1 |
| Poland (ZPAV 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... ) |
1 |
| Romania (Romanian Radio 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.... ) |
1 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification |
|---|---|
| Australia 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... |
5× Platinum |
| Belgium IFPI The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a not-for-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland... |
Gold |
| Denmark | Platinum |
| Germany Bundesverband Musikindustrie The Bundesverband Musikindustrie or simply BVMI represents the music industry in Germany. The association represents the interests of nearly 350 labels and music industry related enterprises.... |
Platinum |
| Italy Federation of the Italian Music Industry The Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy.... |
Platinum |
| New Zealand 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... |
Platinum |
| Spain | Platinum |
| Sweden | Platinum |
| Switzerland | 2× Platinum |
| United Kingdom 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... |
Platinum |
| United States | 2× Platinum |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2010) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 7 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 18 |
| Belgian Singles Chart (Flanders) | 22 |
| Belgian Singles Chart (Wallonia) | 22 |
| Danish Singles Chart | 15 |
| European Hot 100 Singles | 35 |
| 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... |
5 |
| Netherlands | 23 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 8 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 11 |
| UK Singles Chart | 4 |
| 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... |
47 |
| US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play | 46 |
Radio add and release history
| Country | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | September 10, 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... |
Island Def Jam Music Group Def Jam Recordings Def Jam Recordings is an American record label, focused primarily on hip hop and urban music, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as a part of The Island Def Jam Motown Music Group... |
| Denmark | |||
| Netherlands | |||
| New Zealand | |||
| Brazil | September 13, 2010 | ||
| Canada | |||
| Finland | |||
| France | |||
| Italy | |||
| Norway | |||
| Portugal | |||
| Spain | |||
| Sweden | |||
| Switzerland | |||
| United States | |||
| United States | September 21, 2010 | Mainstream Contemporary hit radio Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts... and Rhythmic Rhythmic Contemporary Rhythmic contemporary, also known as rhythmic top 40, rhythmic contemporary hit radio or rhythmic crossover, is a music radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip-hop and R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary rarely uses rock music or country music in its airplay, but it may... radio |
|
| Germany | October 8, 2010 | CD single | Universal Music |
| United Kingdom | October 25, 2010 | Digital download, CD single | Mercury Records Mercury Records Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal... |
See also
- List of number-one singles of 2010 (Australia)
- List of number-one hits of 2010 (Austria)
- List of Ultratop 40 number-one singles of 2010
- List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 2011 (Canada)
- List of European number-one hits of 2010
- List of number-one singles of 2010 (Hungary)
- List of number-one singles of 2010 (Ireland)
- List of number-one hits of 2010 (Italy)
- List of number-one singles from the 2010s (New Zealand)
- List of number-one songs in Norway
- List of number-one dance singles of 2010 (Poland)
- List of number-one singles of 2010s in Romania
- List of number-one digital songs of 2010 (U.S.)
- List of Romanian Singles Chart top 10 singles in 2010
- List of 2010s UK Singles Chart number ones
- List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 2010 (U.S.)
- List of number-one dance singles of 2010 (U.S.)
- List of Mainstream Top 40 number-one hits of 2010 (U.S.)
- List of Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles in 2010
- List of Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles in 2011
- List of Top 25 singles for 2010 in Australia
- List of best-selling music downloads in the United Kingdom
- List of top 10 singles in 2011 (UK)
- List of best-selling singles in the United States
- List of best-selling singles in Australia
- Grammy Award for Best Dance RecordingGrammy Award for Best Dance RecordingThe Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for works containing quality vocal performances in the dance music genre...