"Circles" | ||||
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Single by Post Malone | ||||
from the album Hollywood's Bleeding | ||||
Released | August 30, 2019 | |||
Recorded | August 8, 2018 | |||
Genre | Soft rock | |||
Length | 3:35 | |||
Label | Republic | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) |
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Post Malone singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Circles" on YouTube |
"Circles" is a song by American rapper Post Malone. It was released through Republic Records on August 30, 2019, as the third single from Malone's third studio album Hollywood's Bleeding (2019). It reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 for the week of November 30, 2019, topping the chart for three weeks, marking Post Malone's fourth number-one song, as well as his first solo effort to top the chart. The song also reached number one in Iceland, Malaysia, and New Zealand, as well as the top ten in 20 additional countries. It was the most played song of 2020 on adult contemporary radio in the US and was also the second-bestselling song in 2020 in the country. It is also certified Diamond in the US and Canada, 16× Platinum in Australia, and Gold or higher in 11 additional countries. It was also nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year at the 2021 Grammy Awards. [1]
Post Malone premiered the song live during his Bud Light Dive Bar Tour show in New York City on August 5, where he claimed it would be released the following week. [2] A snippet of the track was posted to Malone's YouTube channel the same day. [3] He previewed the song in August 2019 on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon . [4]
"Circles" is a downtempo soft rock song that draws from elements of pop rock and consists of a "bouncy, melancholy" melody, alongside a "gentle acoustic groove". The chorus has been described as "compulsory singalong". [5] [6] It is written in the key of C major, in common time, at a tempo of 120 beats per minute. It follows a chord structure of Cmaj7–Em/B–Fmaj7–Fm, followed by Cmaj7–Em/B–Fmaj7–G6. [7]
The song received critical acclaim. Billboard described it as being "backed by sunny acoustic guitars, swirling percussion, and infectious melodies", [8] and that while it has a "funky feel, the meaning is a bit more somber, detailing a relationship gone cold". [9]
R Dub, Z90.3 director of programming, told Billboard, "For me, the staying power of 'Circles' is due to a combination of an absolutely addicting, fun, emotional, and at the same time, non-fatiguing hook, combined with relatable lyrics. Who can't relate to going in circles in so many aspects of life? Young, old, rich, poor, black, white… We're all going through it". [10]
The song's musical backing has been frequently compared to that of Tame Impala – so much so, that Tame Impala's Kevin Parker was originally believed to be one of the song's co-writers prior to the song's release. [11]
On the chart dated November 30, 2019, "Circles" became Post Malone's fourth number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and his first unaccompanied by another artist. [12] It also marked his second Hot 100 number one of 2019, following "Sunflower" with Swae Lee, which led the chart in January. [12] On the chart dated May 2, 2020, "Circles" broke the record for the most weeks spent in the Hot 100's top 10; 34 weeks – surpassing his own song, "Sunflower" (2019), Maroon 5 and Cardi B's "Girls Like You" (2018), and Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You" (2017), which all logged 33 weeks each in that region. [10] It simultaneously passed the latter for the most weeks spent in the top 10 from a song's debut. [10] It later extended its record to 39 weeks. [13] "Circles" would keep the record for five more months before The Weeknd's "Blinding Lights" broke the record by reaching 40 weeks (and then 57 in total); it would later be surpassed again in 2021 by Dua Lipa's "Levitating," which spent a total of 41 weeks in the top 10. "Circles" spent 61 weeks on the chart before leaving in November 2020. It was also the most-played radio song of 2020. [14]
Additionally, it became the first song to spend 30 weeks in the top 10 of Billboard's Mainstream Top 40 radio airplay chart, where it also ranked at number one for 10 weeks, [10] becoming the first single by a solo male artist (no features) to achieve double-digit frames at number one on that chart. [15]
Elsewhere, the song also peaked at number one in Iceland, Malaysia, and New Zealand, number two in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Norway, Singapore, and Slovakia, number three in Czech Republic, Denmark, Lithuania, Slovenia, and the UK, while reaching the top 10 in several other nations.
Malone filed a lawsuit against songwriter Tyler Armes for "falsely claiming that he is a co-author of the musical composition contained in the 'Circles' track". According to the complaint from Malone, he continued to work with songwriters Walsh, Gunesberk, and Bell in subsequent sessions after August 8, while Armes wasn't present in either of those sessions. [16] The issue was settled out of court in 2023. [17]
The music video, directed by Colin Tilley, was released on September 3, 2019. As of September 2024, it has over 700 million views on YouTube. It is a medieval-style metaphor of the main theme of the song, "running in circles" in a relationship and failing to put an end to it, thus ending up getting hurt. Post Malone plays a knight in armor who has to rescue a princess locked up in a tower (but endowed with magical powers). The princess, seeing the future through a magic mirror, discovers that Post will be defeated by the enemies and burned alive. Meanwhile, Post has a hallucination in which he sees the same future and is then buried alive by zombies, but the princess awakens him with a magic blue rose (which symbolizes the unattainable). Post goes to rescue her, succeeding. But the director's choice to show again, at the end of the video, Post staring at that tragic future during the hallucination, suggests that it is bound to happen.
Credits adapted from Tidal. [18]
Musicians
Production
Technical
Weekly charts | Monthly charts
Year-end charts
All-time charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Australia (ARIA) [140] | 16× Platinum | 1,120,000‡ |
Austria (IFPI Austria) [141] | Platinum | 30,000‡ |
Belgium (BEA) [142] | Platinum | 40,000‡ |
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [143] | 4× Diamond | 640,000‡ |
Canada (Music Canada) [144] | Diamond | 800,000‡ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [145] | 3× Platinum | 270,000‡ |
France (SNEP) [146] | Platinum | 200,000‡ |
Germany (BVMI) [147] | Gold | 200,000‡ |
Italy (FIMI) [148] | 2× Platinum | 140,000‡ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [149] | 6× Platinum | 180,000‡ |
Poland (ZPAV) [150] | 3× Platinum | 150,000‡ |
Portugal (AFP) [151] | 4× Platinum | 40,000‡ |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [152] | 2× Platinum | 120,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [153] | 3× Platinum | 1,800,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [154] | Diamond | 10,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
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Various | August 30, 2019 | Republic | [9] | |
United States | September 3, 2019 | Contemporary hit radio | [155] | |
September 16, 2019 | Hot adult contemporary | [156] | ||
Various | November 7, 2019 | [157] [158] [159] |
Sheryl Crow covered the song in 2022, with it getting airplay on Pat Monahan's Train Tracks program on SiriusXM's The Pulse.
Of Monsters And Men covered the song in 2020 under Republic Records.
Goose (American band) covered the song during night 2 of Goosemas X on December 9, 2023, at Hampton Coliseum.
The discography of Post Malone, an American rapper and singer, consists of six studio albums, one mixtape, one compilation album, 43 singles, and 46 music videos. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), he has sold 13 million albums in the United States and 95 million digital singles, making him the eighth best-selling digital artist of all time. Malone was ranked by Billboard as the tenth top artist of the 2010s. Following the release of August 26 (2016), Malone's debut studio album, Stoney (2016), had reached at number 4 on the US Billboard 200. It also produced the top-10 single, "Congratulations", a single of which had reached at number 8 on the US Billboard Hot 100; the album also includes the top-20 single, "White Iverson", the track of which reached at number 14 on the Hot 100.
"Congratulations" is a song by American rapper Post Malone featuring fellow American rapper Quavo. The song, at first released as a promotional single from Malone's debut studio album Stoney (2016) on November 4, 2016, was released on January 31, 2017, as the fifth official single from the album. Malone and Quavo wrote the song with Carl Rosen and producers Metro Boomin, Frank Dukes, and Louis Bell. A remix, which includes an additional feature from fellow American rapper Future, was released on June 16, 2017.
"I Fall Apart" is a song by American rapper and singer Post Malone. It was sent to rhythmic contemporary radio through Republic Records on October 17, 2017, as the sixth and final single from his debut studio album, Stoney (2016). Malone wrote the song with producer Illangelo alongside Billy Walsh. A viral performance was released on social media.
"Rockstar" is a song by American rapper Post Malone featuring British-American rapper 21 Savage. It was released on September 15, 2017, by Republic Records as the lead single from Malone's second studio album Beerbongs & Bentleys (2018). The song was written alongside Carl Rosen, Joey Bada$$, and producers Louis Bell & Tank God.
"10,000 Hours" is a song by American country music duo Dan + Shay and Canadian singer Justin Bieber. It was released on October 4, 2019, as the lead single from Dan + Shay's fourth studio album, Good Things (2021). Released four days after Justin and Hailey Bieber's wedding in South Carolina on September 30, the song was written by duo members Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney, Justin Bieber, Poo Bear, Jessie Jo Dillon, and Jordan Reynolds, and produced solely by Smyers. The song was named Best Country Duo/Group Performance at the 2021 Grammy Awards.
"Psycho" is a song by American rapper Post Malone featuring American singer Ty Dolla $ign. It was released through Republic Records on February 23, 2018, as the third single from Malone's second studio album, Beerbongs & Bentleys (2018). The artists wrote the song with Louis Bell, who produced it with Malone. Lyrically, the song discusses the artists' lifestyle and explores the theme of excessive fame and trust issues. The song entered at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 behind Drake's "God's Plan", and reached number one in June 2018, becoming Malone's second and Ty's first chart-topper.
"Better Now" is a song by American rapper and singer Post Malone from his second studio album, Beerbongs & Bentleys (2018). It was written by Malone, Billy Walsh, Louis Bell and Frank Dukes, with production handled by the latter two. The song was released to UK contemporary hit radio on May 25, 2018, and US contemporary hit radio on June 5, 2018, as the album's fifth and final single.
"Jackie Chan" is a song by Canadian rapper Preme featuring American rapper and singer Post Malone. The track was originally featured on the former's debut full-length album, Light of Day, released on May 4, 2018. Upon hearing the vocal in the studio, Dutch DJ Tiësto and Canadian DJ Dzeko decided to produce an alternate version with crossover club appeal, for release as a single.
"Sunflower" is a song by American rappers and singers Post Malone and Swae Lee. It was released on October 18, 2018, as a single from the soundtrack to the 2018 animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and was later included on Post Malone's third studio album Hollywood's Bleeding (2019). An official remix features fellow American singers Nicky Jam and Prince Royce.
"Wow" is a song by American rapper and singer Post Malone, released as the lead single from his third studio album, Hollywood's Bleeding (2019), via Republic Records on December 24, 2018. The song was written by Malone alongside Billy Walsh, Anthoine Walters, Carl Rosen, and producers Louis Bell and Frank Dukes.
"Dance Monkey" is a song by Australian singer Tones and I, released on 10 May 2019 as the second single from Tones and I's debut EP, The Kids Are Coming. The song was produced and mixed by Konstantin Kersting.
"Goodbyes" is a song by American rapper and singer Post Malone featuring fellow American rapper Young Thug. It was released as the second single from Malone's third studio album, Hollywood's Bleeding, via Republic Records on July 5, 2019, one day after Malone's 24th birthday. The song was written by the artists, Billy Walsh, Val Blavatnik, Jessie Foutz, and producers Brian Lee & Louis Bell It became Malone's seventh top 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100, as well as his sixth number-one on Billboard's Rhythmic chart. Along with "Sunflower" and "Wow", Malone achieved three consecutive US Rhythmic No. 1s to come from one album, and was the first time the feat was achieved after Drake's Scorpion spawned three chart leaders in 2018.
"Post Malone" is a song by Dutch DJ Sam Feldt featuring singer Rani. It was released on 24 May 2019 through Spinnin' Records as a single from Feldt's Magnets EP. The music video was directed by Deni Kukura and features drag queens Ma'maQueen, Abby Omg and Inga Shubskaya.
"Good as Hell" is a song recorded by American rapper and singer Lizzo. Written by Lizzo and producer Ricky Reed, it was released on March 8, 2016, by Atlantic Records and Nice Life Recording Company as the lead single from her first extended play, Coconut Oil, and subsequently was the namesake for her 2017 Good as Hell Tour. It was re-released in 2019 as a radio single, when it became a sleeper hit like her first hit, "Truth Hurts". The song was later included as a bonus track on the super deluxe edition of her third studio album, Cuz I Love You (2019), alongside its remix.
"Enemies" is a song by American rapper and singer Post Malone, featuring fellow American rapper DaBaby. It was sent to rhythmic contemporary radio as the fourth single from Post Malone's third studio album, Hollywood's Bleeding on September 17, 2019. The song was written by the artists, along with Billy Walsh and producer Louis Bell. The track became Malone's seventh number one and DaBaby's first on Billboard's Rhythmic Songs Chart in November 2019.
"Take What You Want" is a song by American rapper and singer Post Malone featuring British singer Ozzy Osbourne and fellow American rapper and singer Travis Scott. Written alongside Billy Walsh and producers Louis Bell & Andrew Watt, the song appears on the former's third studio album, Hollywood's Bleeding (2019), later appearing as a bonus track on Osbourne's twelfth studio album Ordinary Man (2020). The song was serviced to US contemporary hit radio on October 15, 2019, as the sixth single from the aforementioned album.
"Ritmo" is a song by American group Black Eyed Peas and Colombian singer J Balvin, released by Epic Records on October 11, 2019, as the first single from the soundtrack of the 2020 film Bad Boys for Life. It is also included on the group's eighth studio album Translation.
"Golden" is a song by English singer-songwriter Harry Styles from his second studio album Fine Line (2019). The song was written by Styles alongside Mitch Rowland, Tyler Johnson and Kid Harpoon, with Johnson and Harpoon handling the production and co-production, respectively. The song was serviced to contemporary hit radio formats in the United Kingdom on 23 October 2020 as the album's fifth single. In the US, the song was serviced to adult contemporary and contemporary hit radio formats on 26 and 27 October 2020 respectively. This song peaked at number 26 on the UK Singles Chart and at number 57 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
"One Right Now" is a song by American rapper and singer Post Malone and Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd. It was released through Republic Records on November 5, 2021, as the lead single from Malone's fourth studio album, Twelve Carat Toothache (2022). The artists wrote the song with Billy Walsh and producers Louis Bell, Brian Lee, and Andrew Bolooki. "One Right Now" is a synth-pop song that is set in the key of D♭ major.
"I Like You (A Happier Song)" is a song by American rapper and singer Post Malone featuring fellow American rapper and singer Doja Cat. The song was written by the artists alongside Billy Walsh and producers Louis Bell and Jasper Harris. It was sent to US contemporary hit radio as the third single from Malone's fourth studio album, Twelve Carat Toothache, on June 3, 2022. The song reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Malone his eleventh top-10 hit on the chart and Doja her sixth. It was also nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 65th Grammy Awards.