Who Says (Selena Gomez & the Scene song)
Encyclopedia
"Who Says" is a song performed by American band Selena Gomez & the Scene
Selena Gomez & the Scene
Selena Gomez & the Scene is an American pop band formed in Hollywood, California in 2009. Along with lead singer and founder Selena Gomez, the band consists of bassist Joey Clement, guitarist Ethan Roberts, drummist Greg Garman and keyboardist Dane Forrest. Selena Gomez & the Scene have released...

. It was written by Priscilla Renea
Priscilla Renea
Priscilla Renea Hamilton is an American singer and songwriter. She is signed to Capitol Records, and her debut album, Jukebox, was released on December 1, 2009 but failed to garner success. Her second album is expected to be released sometime in 2011, although no official release details have been...

 and Emanuel Kiriakou
Emanuel Kiriakou
- Early life :Emanuel "Eman" Kiriakou started playing music at the age of thirteen in his father’s Greek band.-Producer:...

, with the latter also producing the track. The song was released on March 14, 2011, as the lead single from the band's third album, When the Sun Goes Down
When the Sun Goes Down (Selena Gomez & the Scene album)
When the Sun Goes Down is the third studio album by American band Selena Gomez & the Scene, released on June 28, 2011, by Hollywood Records...

(2011). At first Gomez intended to wait until the release of the album, but wanted to put the album together after hearing "Who Says".

According to Gomez, the song was intended to inspire people, and fire back at the "haters", particularly those involved in cyberbullying. Several critics said that Gomez alluded to the hate she received online, specifically on Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...

, after she began dating singer Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber
Justin 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...

. "Who Says" marks a distinct departure in sound for the band, as it has an acoustic and organic feel, compared to their dance-pop and club-oriented previous singles. The song is a teen pop
Teen pop
Teen pop is a subgenre of pop music that is created, marketed and oriented towards teenagers. Teen pop copies genres and styles such as pop, dance, R&B, hip hop, country and rock....

 number with inspirational lyrics about embracing yourself and not letting anyone bring you down. "Who Says" received generally positive reviews from critics, who appreciated its message and the change of pace for the band.

"Who Says" was certified 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...

. The song charted in the top thirty in the United States, Canada and New Zealand, and it became their highest charting single on these charts. It also reached the lower regions of numerous other European charts. The song's music video features Gomez frolicking around a city, removing makeup, and performing with the band on a beach. Gomez performed the song on a variety occasions including at the 2011 MuchMusic Video Awards
MuchMusic Video Awards
The MuchMusic Video Awards are annual awards presented by the Canadian music video channel MuchMusic to honour the year's best music videos....

, on Dancing with the Stars, and So Random!
So Random!
So Random! is an American Disney Channel sketch comedy series that premiered on June 5, 2011. It was announced as an independent series after Demi Lovato left the parent series, Sonny with a Chance...

.

Background and inspiration

In 2009, the band released their debut album, Kiss & Tell
Kiss & Tell (Selena Gomez & the Scene album)
Kiss & Tell is the debut studio album by American band Selena Gomez & the Scene. It was released on September 29, 2009 by Hollywood Records. Gomez formed the band as she stated she did not want to become a solo artist quite yet. The band worked with several writers and producers on the album...

, and quickly followed-up with 2010's A Year Without Rain
A Year Without Rain
A Year Without Rain is the second studio album by American band Selena Gomez & the Scene. The album was released on September 17, 2010 via Hollywood Records. The band once again worked with writers and producers from their debut, Kiss & Tell such as Rock Mafia duo Tim James, and Antonina Armato, as...

. After the release of the latter Gomez said that she was not in a rush to release another album, but after hearing "Who Says", she decided to begin another release, calling the song "amazing" and crediting it for inspiring her. Gomez would later call the song "fun and empowering," commenting "Every time I sing this song, I'm like, 'I feel better already!" When talking about the song's message, Gomez commented that she thought of it as "sweet," going on to say, "with bullying, with cyberbullying, with all the negativity that is in high school and dealing with things, you're already trying to figure out who you are; it doesn't help when people are constantly trying to tear you down." She then said that she was "dealing with it, of course" and was "going through it as well." After debuting the single on On Air with Ryan Seacrest
On Air with Ryan Seacrest
On Air with Ryan Seacrest is an American syndicated television talk show, which ran from January 12, 2004, through September 17, 2004. It was distributed in the United States and Canada by Twentieth Television.-Series background:...

, Gomez mentioned the criticism received on Twitter and Facebook due to being a celebrity, and critics such as Nardine Saad 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....

inferred this as firing back at the hate received after she started dating Canadian recording artist Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber
Justin 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...

 earlier in the year.
The single follows in succession of other self-empowerment singles such as "Firework
Firework (song)
"Firework" is a song by American recording artist Katy Perry. The song was written by Katy Perry, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Sandy Wilhelm, Ester Dean, and produced by Stargate and Sandy Vee for Perry's third studio album, Teenage Dream...

" by Katy Perry
Katy Perry
Katy Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...

, "Perfect
Fuckin' Perfect
"Fuckin' Perfect" is a song by American singer-songwriter Pink. It was released as the second and final single from her first greatest hits album, Greatest Hits... So Far!!! on December 14, 2010...

" by Pink
Pink (singer)
Alecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress....

, "We R Who We R
We R Who We R
"We R Who We R" is a song by American recording artist and songwriter Kesha from her first extended play , Cannibal . The song was released as the EP's lead single on October 22, 2010. It was written by Kesha, with Jacob Kasher Hindlin, Dr. Luke, Benny Blanco and Ammo. Production of the song was...

" by Ke$ha, and "Born This Way
Born This Way (song)
"Born This Way" is a song by American recording artist Lady Gaga, from her second studio album, Born This Way. Written and produced by Gaga, Fernando Garibay, Jeppe Laursen and DJ White Shadow, "Born This Way" was developed while Gaga was on the road with The Monster Ball Tour...

" by Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani 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...

. Gomez herself stated "I am so happy [about recent empowerment songs], 'cause music is a universal language, and it's a quick way to get to everybody. The fact that all these artists are doing that, it's really good. I'm really happy." The song was released on iTunes in the United States and Canada on March 14, 2011. It was released as a CD single in Germany on March 15, 2011, with the B-side of "Ghost of You" from her second studio album A Year Without Rain
A Year Without Rain
A Year Without Rain is the second studio album by American band Selena Gomez & the Scene. The album was released on September 17, 2010 via Hollywood Records. The band once again worked with writers and producers from their debut, Kiss & Tell such as Rock Mafia duo Tim James, and Antonina Armato, as...

.

As part of the iTunes Countdown to When The Sun Goes Down, a Spanish language version of the song, called "Dices" was available for download on Monday June 13, following the release of "Bang Bang Bang
Bang Bang Bang (Selena Gomez & the Scene song)
"Bang Bang Bang" is a song performed by American band Selena Gomez & the Scene, from their third studio album, When the Sun Goes Down . It was written by Meleni Smith and Priscilla Hamilton, and the song's producer, Toby Gad. The song was released exclusively to the iTunes Store on June 7, 2011, as...

" the week before. The song was produced by Edgar Cortazar.

Composition

The song is a departure in her previous singles such as "Round & Round
Round & Round (Selena Gomez & the Scene song)
"Round & Round" is a song by American band Selena Gomez & the Scene. The song was written and produced by Kevin Rudolf, Andrew Bolooki, and Jeff Halavacs, and co-written by Jacob Kasher and Fefe Dobson. It was released on June 22, 2010 as the lead single from the band's second album, A Year Without...

" and "Naturally
Naturally (Selena Gomez & the Scene song)
"Naturally" is a song performed by American band Selena Gomez & the Scene from their debut album, Kiss & Tell. The song serves as the album's second single in the United States and a few other countries, and as the album's lead single in most European markets. It was produced by Antonina Armato and...

", as in whereas the previous were 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...

 and club-oriented, "Who Says" draws from the teen pop
Teen pop
Teen pop is a subgenre of pop music that is created, marketed and oriented towards teenagers. Teen pop copies genres and styles such as pop, dance, R&B, hip hop, country and rock....

 genre, and has an "organic" and "acoustic" feel. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Alfred Publishing Co., Inc., "Who Says" is set in common time in a "moderate" tempo of 100 beats per minute. It is composed in the key of E major
E major
E major is a major scale based on E, with the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has four sharps .Its relative minor is C-sharp minor, and its parallel minor is E minor....

 with Gomez's vocal range spanning from the low-note of G#3 to the high-note of C#5. The song contains string
Strings (music)
A string is the vibrating element that produces sound in string instruments, such as the guitar, harp, piano, and members of the violin family. Strings are lengths of a flexible material kept under tension so that they may vibrate freely, but controllably. Strings may be "plain"...

 accents which are said to be "sympathetic, but not overpowering." Described as a "jangly pop tune", having an "overarching feel-good vibe", lyrically, the song speaks of "embracing who you are and not letting your critics get you down." Gomez sings of insecurities, and people telling her she is not good enough, before asserting "I'm sure you got some things/ You'd like to change about yourself/ But when it comes to me/ I wouldn't want to be anybody else."

According to Brian Voerding of AOL Radio Blog, "Gomez sings about staying true to herself, particularly in the face of doubt that comes from others telling her she can't live up to her dreams." In the song she refers to her criticisms as "the price of beauty." Bill Lamb of About.com said the song's positive message is "all about recognizing yourself as a beautiful person despite what others might say or think."

Critical reception

Jocelyn Vena 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...

 complimented the song, commenting that "Top 40
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...

 has a new empowerment anthem." Bill Lamb of About.com
About.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....

 said Gomez "has become the most consistent Disney pop hitmaker in recent years" and that "she has not reached these achievements through gimmickry or pandering to an audience. She has succeeded with quality, straightforward pop songs." Lamb went on to say that "Who Says" was no exception, complimenting Gomez's "winning vocals," and the song's "bright, catchy instrumental arrangement" and the "irresistible chorus." However, Lamb commented that the song was lacking in originality, and said that it was another pop song with a theme of self-esteem. Although a writer from The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...

called the song "superfluous" and like many feel-good anthems, "a little bit tepid," the writer said it was "cute" and an "ode to self worth" which "exudes bubblegum confidence in the manner of her man (boy) Bieber's tune "Never Say Never
Never Say Never (Justin Bieber song)
"Never Say Never" is a song by Canadian recording artist Justin Bieber. The song serves as the theme song for The Karate Kid , and features rap interludes from the film's star, Jaden Smith. It was originally a risque demo with sexual lyrics performed by American singer Travis Garland, it was...

.'"

Chart performance

"Who Says" debuted 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...

 at number twenty-four, becoming the band's fourth consecutive debut within the top forty of the chart. The charting matched the debut of "Round & Round
Round & Round (Selena Gomez & the Scene song)
"Round & Round" is a song by American band Selena Gomez & the Scene. The song was written and produced by Kevin Rudolf, Andrew Bolooki, and Jeff Halavacs, and co-written by Jacob Kasher and Fefe Dobson. It was released on June 22, 2010 as the lead single from the band's second album, A Year Without...

" the lead single from A Year Without Rain. The song managed to peak at number twenty-one on the chart dated June 29, marking the band's highest charting effort to date. Additionally the song has reached number seventeen on the US Pop Songs chart and the top position on the US Hot Dance Club Play
Hot Dance Club Play
The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...

 chart "Who Says" also appeared on the Billboard component charts Adult Pop Songs and Adult Contemporary, the band's first appearance on those charts. It charted at number thirty-seven on the previous and twenty-seven on the latter. The song debuted at number seventeen 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...

, becoming their highest charting single on the chart. It also reached number fifteen on the New Zealand Singles Chart, becoming their highest charting single on that chart, beating the peak of "Naturally" which reached number twenty there. The song charted in the top fifty in Germany and Ireland, and appeared on the main charts in the United Kingdom, Australia, and Austria.

Music video and live performances

The song's music video was directed by Chris Applebaum
Chris Applebaum
Chris Applebaum is an American music video director, who has worked with a diverse range of artists, among them Rihanna, Hilary Duff, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Mandy Moore, Natasha Bedingfield, Fountains of Wayne and Britney Spears...

. An eight second teaser of the video was released on March 2, 2011, and the full video premiered on VEVO
Vevo
Vevo is a music video website. It is a joint venture among Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Abu Dhabi Media with EMI licensing its content to the group without taking an ownership stake. The service was launched officially on December 8, 2009...

 on March 11, 2011. The video starts off with Gomez at a photoshoot where she starts singing the first verse. She then removes her earrings and shoes and exits the studio. She is seen singing while walking through a city, riding in a cab, and eventually walking on the outskirts of the city, with several lyrics appearing in various locations including a theatre marquee, the side of a building, and written in the sky. Eventually she enters a public restroom, throws on a casual outfit and removes her make-up. After this, Gomez makes her way to a beach, where she is seen singing with her band, surrounded by fans. The video ends as the crowd runs into the water, and the waves wash away the words 'THE END' written in the sand.

Gomez appeared on both The Late Show with David Letterman on March 16, 2011, and The Seven
The Seven
"The Seven" is the 123rd episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 13th episode for the 7th season. It aired on February 1, 1996.-Plot:...

on March 18, 2011 to promote the single. The band performed the song for the first time at the 3rd annual Concert For Hope on March 20, 2011. Later, they performed the song on The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, often shortened to Ellen, is an American television talk show hosted by comedian/actress Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it is produced by Telepictures and airs in syndication, including stations owned by NBC Universal. For its first five seasons, the show...

on March 22, 2011, and on Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars is the name of several international television series based on the format of the British TV series Strictly Come Dancing, which is distributed by BBC Worldwide – the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the format has been licensed to over 35 countries...

on April 5, 2011. The band also performed the song on a episode of So Random!
So Random!
So Random! is an American Disney Channel sketch comedy series that premiered on June 5, 2011. It was announced as an independent series after Demi Lovato left the parent series, Sonny with a Chance...

. The band also performed the song on Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...

on June 17, 2011,. On June 19, 2011, the band performed the song on the 2011 MuchMusic Video Awards
MuchMusic Video Awards
The MuchMusic Video Awards are annual awards presented by the Canadian music video channel MuchMusic to honour the year's best music videos....

, whereas they performed it on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon on NBC. The show premiered on March 2, 2009, as the third incarnation of the Late Night franchise originated by David Letterman....

and Live with Regis and Kelly
Live with Regis and Kelly
Live! with Kelly is a syndicated American television morning talk show, hosted by Kelly Ripa. The show has aired since 1983 in New York City and 1988 nationwide. Tony Pigg has been the show's announcer since its inception...

on June 24, 2011 and June 29, 2011, respectively.

Track listing

  • CD single
  1. "Who Says" - 3:15
  2. "Ghost of You" - 3:23

  • UK iTunes single / UK Promo CD single
  1. "Who Says" - 3:15
  2. "Who Says" (Instrumental) - 3:15

  • AUS Remix Single
  1. "Who Says" (Bimbo Jones
    Bimbo Jones
    Bimbo Jones is a UK dance music group comprising producers Lee Dagger and Marc JB and vocalist Katherine Ellis. Known for their remix work and white label releases, they produced a remix of Meck's 2006 UK number-one single "Thunder in My Heart Again"...

     Radio Remix) - 2:49
  2. "Who Says" (Dave Aude
    Dave Audé
    Dave Audé is a Grammy nominated producer, house DJ, and remixer. He has done production for musicians such as KoЯn, t.A.T.u., DJ Keoki, Barenaked Ladies, Faith No More, Cause and Effect, Hilary Duff, Wanessa, Ashley Tisdale, The Pussycat Dolls, Lady Gaga, Lunascape, Madonna, Britney Spears, CeCe...

     Radio Remix) - 3:33
  3. "Who Says" (Tony Moran
    Tony Moran
    Anthony "Tony" Moran is a remixer/producer and DJ known for remixing popular songs. In 2007, he hit number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart with "Walk Away" featuring Kristine W.-Career:...

     and Warren Rigg Radio Remix) - 3:38

  • UK Remix Single
  1. "Who Says" (Dave Aude Club Mix) - 7:07
  2. "Who Says" (Bimbo Jones Club Mix) - 5:46
  3. "Who Says" (Tony Moran & Warren Rigg Club Mix) - 7:24
  4. "Who Says" (Joe Bermudez-Chico Club Remix) - 6:51
  5. "Who Says" (SmashMode Extended Remix) - 5:41

Charts

> > > > > > > >
Chart (2011) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...

)
51
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...

21
US Adult Contemporary (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...

)
27
US Adult Pop Songs (Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...

)
37
US Hot Dance Club Songs (Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...

)
1
US Pop Songs
Mainstream Top 40 (Pop Songs)
The Mainstream Top 40 is an airplay chart from Billboard magazine, and is also known as Pop Songs on billboard.com. It was often mistaken for and confused with the now discontinued Pop 100 Airplay chart...

 (Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...

)
17


Certifications

Country Certification
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...


(sales thresholds)
United States Platinum
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