"All I Ask" | |
---|---|
Song by Adele | |
from the album 25 | |
Released | 20 November 2015 |
Studio | Glenwood Recording Studios, Burbank, California |
Genre | Pop |
Length | 4:31 |
Label | XL |
Songwriter(s) |
|
Producer(s) | The Smeezingtons |
"All I Ask" is a song recorded by English singer-songwriter Adele for her third studio album, 25 (2015). The song was written by Adele, Bruno Mars, Philip Lawrence and Christopher Brody Brown, with production by The Smeezingtons. Backed by a piano, the pop torch ballad describes the singer looking for one last night with her partner, before the couple separate.
"All I Ask" received critical acclaim, with critics praising its lyrics, production, and Adele's vocal performance. Despite not being released as a single, the song peaked at number 41 on the UK Singles Chart and at number 77 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song also charted at numbers 17, 21, 66, and 65 in South Korea, Finland, France, and Australia, respectively. It was certified platinum by Music Canada (MC) and gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). Adele performed it during several shows, including The Ellen DeGeneres Show and the 58th Annual Grammy Awards, both in February 2016. It was performed on selected dates during her Adele Live 2016 tour.
Though Bruno Mars had a "big, diva, ballad thing" in mind, [1] he and Adele began conducting sessions for her third studio album, 25 (2015), initially attempting to create an uptempo song. [2] When the duo began writing, Adele kept saying, "I don't want to do this, I don't like that", until they played a few chords that she liked and "All I Ask" was created. [3] According to Mars, like a scene from the 1993 film Jurassic Park , Adele made water vibrate while recording the song in a studio booth. [3] On a similar note, according to the song's engineer, Charles Moniz, Adele's vocals caused an assistant to drop a cup of tea during the recording, saying that "he thought it was done and she belted out a note". [4] Adele considers the vocals on "All I Ask" her most "showoff-y". [2] Adele and Mars disagreed over the lyric, "Take me by the hand while we do what lovers do", but Mars later changed his mind and said that "lovers" is "this grand word that makes the song bigger because no one says it. Because nobody talks like that, it pops out". [1] They completed the song in two sessions. [1] Adele has remarked, "[C]an you imagine the fun me and Bruno had making that?" [5]
"All I Ask" was written by Adkins, Mars, Philip Lawrence and Christopher Brody Brown, with production by The Smeezingtons. Brown and Greg Phillinganes played the piano on the song, while Moniz, with engineering assistant Jacob Dennis, engineered the track. Tom Elmhirst mixed "All I Ask" at Electric Lady Studios in Greenwich Village, with Joe Visciano serving as the mix assistant. It was mastered by Tom Coyne and Randy Merrill, with Ryan Smith mastering the vinyl version. [6]
Inspired by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel, piano is the song's only instrumentation, despite its genre. [7] [8] The pop song is a sentimental love ballad which discusses the theme of melancholia, making use of "tidy, fast piano patterns". [9] [10] The singer ask her lover to spend a final night with her before they part ways. [11] She processes the end of the relationship "in what feels like slow motion" according to Rolling Stone 's Jon Dolan. [12] "All I Ask" is written in the key of E Major (and changes to F major at the third chorus) with a tempo of 71 beats per minute in common time, and follows a chord progression of E–G♯m–Asus2–B in the verses with her vocals spanning from E3 to D5. [13] Paste 's Holly Gleason described "All I Ask" as a "'last time we make love' song", adding that it is "pure torch" and serves as an invitation to progress beyond, but "stay in the moment and enjoy it completely" for a while. [14]
Neil McCormick of The Telegraph described the song as a "deep, resonant piano ballad". [15] Mic's Liz Rowley wrote that the song leaves the listener with "a solid sense of accepting love lost, and clears up the dreadful finality that resignation brings with it" adding that it "arrives at an emotional plane that's devastating yet utterly relatable". [16] Tom Breihan of Stereogum called "All I Ask" a "weeper" and likened it to the work of American singer Barbra Streisand. [17] Writing for Entertainment Weekly , Leah Greenblatt described the song as a "palatial piano ballad" and as a "classic vehicle soaked in stately production and minor-key melancholy". [18]
"All I Ask" was well received by most music critics. Sarah Rodman of The Boston Globe called it a "whopper of an 11 o'clock number" that transitions from "plaintive" to "soaring". [19] Writing for PopMatters , Chris Gerard called the song a "showstopping highlight" and a "gorgeous ballad", describing Adele's vocal performance as "absolutely thrilling", but noted that it "[has] a little of that sappiness that often infects love ballads". [20] The New York Times ' Jon Caramanica listed "All I Ask" as the fifth best song of 2015. [21] In a rave review, he observed a palpable gear shift and called the song a "masterpiece", adding that it is "even bigger than the legend". [22] Natalie Finn of E! felt its lyric, "It matters how this ends / cause what if I never love again?", was the most emotional on 25. [23]
Vanity Fair 's Josh Duboff opined that a listener was most likely to sing "All I Ask" "in [their] shower again and again". [24] Christina Garibaldi of MTV called it a "song of desperation", adding that it is "so emotional" that the listener can "feel Adele's heart break into a million pieces". [25] Writing for Entertainment Weekly , Leah Greenblatt felt the song was a "classic ... soaked in stately production and minor-key melancholy" that affirmed Adele is not the same as on her previous album "pouring out the pain of her pulverized heart", but someone who can connect with "tender emotions". [18] In May 2018, Chuck Arnold ranked the song as Adele's eighth best for Billboard , calling it a "killer ballad" saying Adele is a "vocal beast all over it". [26]
Following the release of 25, "All I Ask" debuted at its peak of number 66 on the French Singles Chart. [27] It also debuted at number 60 on the Scottish Singles Chart and at number 77 on the Billboard Hot 100. [28] [29] Following her Carpool Karaoke performance in January 2016, [30] the song entered at number 65 on the Australian Singles Chart, [31] number 21 on the Finnish Download Chart, number 93 on the Irish Singles Chart and number 41 on the UK Singles Chart. [32] [33] [34] It subsequently rose to a new peak on the Scottish Singles Chart, reaching number 12. [35] On Canadian Digital Songs, "All I Ask" managed to reach number 34 in March 2016. [36] The song peaked at number eight on the Netherlands Digital Songs chart. On Sweden Digital Songs, it reached number nine. [37] "All I Ask" subsequently reached number five on the UK Indie Songs chart issue dated 22 January 2016. [38] It was certified platinum by Music Canada (MC) and gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). [39] [40]
Adele first performed the song on Adele Live in New York City , which was recorded at Radio City Music Hall on 17 November 2015 and broadcast on NBC on 14 December 2015. [41] [42] In a positive review, Lily Karlin of the Huffington Post referred to it as "honestly unreal" and a performance "for the ages". [41] Elle 's Alyssa Bailey described the performance as "breathtaking" and said the listener would be "blown away" by Adele's voice. [42] During an episode of The Late Late Show with James Corden in January 2016, Adele included "All I Ask" on the Carpool Karaoke segment. [30]
She performed the song at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony on 15 February 2016, experiencing technical issues with the sound caused by the piano microphones. [43] In response to the incident, she posted an explanation on Twitter: "The piano mics fell on to the piano strings, that's what the guitar sound was. It made it sound out of tune". [44] Neil Portnow, president of The Recording Academy, claimed responsibility for the problem, stating "that was all an issue on our behalf". [45] Two days later, Adele performed "All I Ask" on The Ellen DeGeneres Show . [46] This performance was well received. Rappler wrote that Adele "slay[ed]" the song on Ellen. [47] Ella Ceron of Teen Vogue shared that opinion, writing that "she slays it, naturally", and adding that she performed the song with all the power and emotion "we've come to expect" from her. [48] The Wall Street Journal 's Sarene Leeds wrote that the singer "redeem[ed]" herself in the eyes of the public with the "stunning rendition". [49]
Adele performed "All I Ask" on selected dates during her Adele Live 2016 tour. [50] [51] Bruno Mars and his band, The Hooligans, covered the song during the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge on 2 November 2016. [52] The latter performance was nominated for Best Cover Song at the 2017 iHeartRadio Music Awards. [53]
Credits adapted from the liner notes of 25 [6]
Locations
Personnel
|
|
Chart (2015–16) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [31] | 65 |
Canada (Hot Canadian Digital Songs) [36] | 34 |
Finland Download (Latauslista) [32] | 21 |
France (SNEP) [27] | 66 |
Ireland (IRMA) [33] | 93 |
Netherlands Digital Songs ( Billboard ) [37] | 8 |
Scotland (OCC) [35] | 12 |
South Korea International Chart (Gaon) [54] | 17 |
Sweden Digital Songs ( Billboard ) [37] | 9 |
UK Singles (OCC) [34] | 41 |
UK Indie (OCC) [38] | 5 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [29] | 77 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada) [39] | Platinum | 80,000 |
United Kingdom (BPI) [40] | Gold | 400,000 |
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Peter Gene Hernandez, known professionally as Bruno Mars, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, musician, and dancer. He is known for his stage performances, retro showmanship, and for performing in a wide range of musical styles, including pop, R&B, funk, soul, reggae, hip hop, disco and rock. Mars is accompanied by his band, the Hooligans, who play a variety of instruments, such as electric guitar, bass, piano, keyboards, drums, and horns, and also serve as backup singers and dancers.
"Just the Way You Are" is the debut solo single by American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars. It is the lead single from his debut studio album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans (2010). The song was written by Mars, Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine, Khalil Walton and Needlz and produced by the former three, under their alias, the Smeezingtons along with Needlz. It was released in the United States to contemporary hit radio on August 10, 2010. The track was released in the United Kingdom on September 19, 2010, as "Just the Way You Are (Amazing)". The song's lyrics compliment a woman's beauty.
Doo-Wops & Hooligans is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars. It was released on October 4, 2010, by Atlantic and Elektra Records. After the release of the EP It's Better If You Don't Understand (2010), Mars's writing and production team, the Smeezingtons, began working on the album with Needlz, Supa Dups and Jeff Bhasker as producers. Doo-Wops & Hooligans draws on a variety of influences. Lyrically, the album visualizes carefree optimism along with failed relationships, pain and loneliness. It was promoted primarily through the Doo-Wops & Hooligans Tour (2010–2012) and a co-headline tour with Janelle Monáe, called Hooligans in Wondaland Tour (2011), along with a number of television appearances. The album title was chosen to reflect simplicity and appeal to males and females.
"The Lazy Song" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars for his debut studio album Doo-Wops & Hooligans (2010). It was serviced to contemporary hit radios in the United States on February 15, 2011 as the album's third single by Atlantic and Elektra. Development of "The Lazy Song" began while Mars, Philip Lawrence and Ari Levine were hanging around the studio and didn't feel like working. The trio, produced the track under their alias, the Smeezingtons, and wrote the song in collaboration with singer-songwriter K'naan. Musically, "The Lazy Song" has been described as borrowing "heavily from roots reggae" and has been compared to the reggae style of Jason Mraz, while lyrically it is an anthem to laziness.
"Marry You" is a song by American singer and songwriter Bruno Mars from his debut studio album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans (2010). Written and produced by the Smeezingtons, it serves as the record's sixth track and was released as a single outside of the United States. "Marry You" is a pop, doo-wop and soul song. The recording focuses on spontaneous marriage and therefore, since its release, has frequently been used as a proposal song. "Marry You" received generally positive reviews from music critics, with some complimenting its production and its reminiscence of 1960s pop style. Some criticized a perceived lack of creativity.
"Grenade" is a song by American singer and songwriter Bruno Mars from his debut studio album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans (2010). The pop ballad, was written and produced by the Smeezingtons with additional songwriting by Brody Brown, Claude Kelly, and Andrew Wyatt. The song was developed from an unreleased track with similar lyrical themes played by record producer Benny Blanco to Mars. "Grenade" was completely rearranged and re‑recorded two days before the album's release. The lyrics carry a message of unrequited love and how Mars's heart was broken, despite his best efforts to show her his love. Elektra Records released the song as the second promotional single and as the second official single, to contemporary hit and rhythmic contemporary stations in the United States in October 2010.
"Someone like You" is a song recorded by English singer-songwriter Adele. It was written and produced by Adele and Dan Wilson for her second studio album, 21 (2011). It is the second single and final track on the album. The song was inspired by a broken relationship with one's life partner, and lyrically speaks of Adele's coming to terms with it. XL Recordings released the song as the second single from the album on 24 January 2011 in the United Kingdom and on 9 August 2011 in the United States. Accompanied only by a piano in the song, Adele sings about the end of the relationship with her ex-partner.
"Talking to the Moon" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars from his debut studio album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans (2010). The song was first unveiled on Mars's debut extended play, It's Better If You Don't Understand (2010), as its last track. It was written by Mars, Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine, Albert Winkler, and Jeff Bhasker, while production was handled by the Smeezingtons in collaboration with Bhasker. "Talking to the Moon" is a pop and R&B power ballad about a failed relationship, solitude, and sadness. Instrumentally, the track relies on drum percussion and piano.
"It Will Rain" is a song by American singer and songwriter Bruno Mars. It was released on September 27, 2011 by Atlantic Records as the lead single from the soundtrack of the film The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1. Mars composed the song with his production team the Smeezingtons, and it was partially written during the Hooligans in Wondaland Tour in the United States, being finished after the singer watched an early version of the movie which inspired him. The soundtrack for The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 was a much expected release and Mars's song was chosen as the lead single by the album's executive producer, Alexandra Patsavas, to promote it. Musically, "It Will Rain" is a pop and pop-soul ballad. Its lyrics tell the agony and torment of a heartbreak and its various stages.
Unorthodox Jukebox is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Bruno Mars. It was released on December 7, 2012, by Atlantic Records. It serves as the follow-up to Mars's debut record Doo-Wops & Hooligans (2010). The album was initially planned to be more "energetic" than his previous work, but ended up presenting a wide range of styles such as reggae rock, disco, and soul music.
"Young Girls" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars. It was composed by Mars, Philip Lawrence and Ari Levine, a songwriting and record production trio known as the Smeezingtons, as well as Jeff Bhasker, and Emile Haynie, with additional songwriter credits by Mac Davis, for Mars's second studio album Unorthodox Jukebox (2012). It is a midtempo, doo-wop-influenced pop ballad that garnered comparisons to Mars's "It Will Rain" and Lana Del Rey's music. Its instrumentation includes drums, synths, piano and elements of electro music. The song was released as the first promotional single and later as the fifth overall single from Unorthodox Jukebox, being first serviced to contemporary hit radio in Australia on November 26, 2013.
"When I Was Your Man" is a song by American singer and songwriter Bruno Mars for his second studio album, Unorthodox Jukebox (2012). Atlantic Records released the song as the third promotional single and as the second official single, taken from the album, to mainstream radio in the United States on January 15, 2013. "When I Was Your Man" was written by Mars, Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine and Andrew Wyatt. The former three produced the track under the name the Smeezingtons. The track was inspired by the time Mars was worried about losing his girlfriend, Jessica Caban.
"Gorilla" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars from his second studio album Unorthodox Jukebox (2012). The song was written by Mars, Philip Lawrence, and Ari Levine, who produced the song under the name of the Smeezingtons, with Emile Haynie, Jeff Bhasker and Mark Ronson. Atlantic Records serviced the track to Contemporary hit radio in the United States on September 10, 2013, as the fourth single from Unorthodox Jukebox. Its official remix (G-Mix) features American singers Pharrell Williams and R. Kelly, and was released in Canada and US on November 12. "Gorilla" is a midtempo arena-rock, rock and soft rock song with a power pop hook, "epic" guitars and a Phil Collins-esque synth/percussion combination. Its style has drawn comparisons to Prince's 1984 single "Purple Rain".
"Uptown Funk" is a song by British-American record producer Mark Ronson from his fourth studio album, Uptown Special (2015), featuring American singer and songwriter Bruno Mars. It was released as the album's lead single on 10 November 2014 via download in several countries. "Uptown Funk" was written by Ronson, Mars, Philip Lawrence and Jeff Bhasker; produced by the former two, and Bhasker, its composition began during a freestyle studio session when they worked on a jam Mars and his band played on tour. Copyright controversies arose after the song's release resulting in multiple lawsuits and amendments to its songwriting credits.
25 is the third studio album by English singer-songwriter Adele, released on 20 November 2015 by XL Recordings and Columbia Records. The album is titled as a reflection of her life and frame of mind at 25 years old and is termed a "make-up record". Its lyrical content features themes of Adele "yearning for her old self, her nostalgia", and "melancholia about the passage of time" according to an interview with the singer by Rolling Stone, as well as themes of motherhood and regret. In contrast to Adele's previous works, the production of 25 incorporated the use of electronic elements and creative rhythmic patterns, with elements of 1980s R&B and organs. Like when recording 21, Adele worked with producer and songwriter Paul Epworth and Ryan Tedder, along with new collaborations with Max Martin and Shellback, Greg Kurstin, Danger Mouse, the Smeezingtons, Samuel Dixon, and Tobias Jesso Jr.
"Hello" is a song recorded by English singer-songwriter Adele, released on 23 October 2015 by XL Recordings as the lead single from her third studio album, 25 (2015). Written by Adele with its producer, Greg Kurstin, "Hello" is a piano ballad with soul influences, and lyrics that discuss themes of nostalgia and regret. Upon release, the song garnered critical acclaim, with reviewers comparing it favourably to Adele's previous works and praised its lyrics, production and Adele's vocal performance. It was recorded in Metropolis Studios, London.
"When We Were Young" is a song recorded by English singer-songwriter Adele. It was released on 22 January 2016 by XL Recordings as the second single from her third studio album, 25 (2015). Adele co-wrote the song with Tobias Jesso Jr., while production of the track was provided by Ariel Rechtshaid. "When We Were Young" is a soul ballad, with lyrics that talk about reminiscing memories with a loved one. The song received universal acclaim, with critics praising its lyrics, understated production and Adele's vocal performance.
24K Magic is the third studio album recorded by American singer and songwriter Bruno Mars. It was released by Atlantic Records on November 18, 2016. Mars reunited with Philip Lawrence and Christopher Brody Brown, who composed the album under their joint alias Shampoo Press & Curl. Mars enlisted new composers including the Stereotypes and James Fauntleroy. Recording sessions for 24K Magic took place between late 2015 and September 2016 at Glenwood Place Studios in Burbank, California.
"Versace on the Floor" is a song by American singer Bruno Mars from his third studio album, 24K Magic (2016). Atlantic Records released the song as the only promotional single and the third official single from the album to Hot AC radio in the United States on June 12, 2017. "Versace on the Floor" was written by Mars, Philip Lawrence, Christopher Brody Brown and James Fauntleroy. Mars, Lawrence and Brown handled the track's production under the name Shampoo Press & Curl. A remix by French DJ David Guetta was released on June 27, 2017, for digital download and streaming in various countries. "Versace on the Floor" is an R&B song reminiscent of the slow jams from the 1990s, and resembles the early works of Michael Jackson. The song's lyrics address romance, intimacy and Gianni Versace's clothing line.
"That's What I Like" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars from his third studio album, 24K Magic (2016). The song was written by Mars, Philip Lawrence, Christopher Brody Brown, James Fauntleroy, Johnathan Yip, Ray Romulus, Jeremy Reeves, and Ray McCullough II. The former three produced the song under the name of Shampoo Press & Curl with the latter four, as the Stereotypes, co-producing it. Atlantic Records released the song to Hot AC radio in the United States on January 30, 2017, as the second single from the album. The song is a hip hop soul, new jack swing, R&B and funk track. Vulture's Craig Jenkins wrote that the production resembles that of "Kitty Kat" (2006) by Beyoncé. The song's lyrics address extravagance, a luxurious lifestyle, and love.