"Earned It" | ||||
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Single by the Weeknd | ||||
from the album Fifty Shades of Grey: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | ||||
B-side | "Where You Belong" | |||
Released | December 23, 2014 | |||
Recorded | 2014 | |||
Studio | Maison de Musique (Santa Monica, California) [1] | |||
Genre | ||||
Length |
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Label | Republic | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) |
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The Weeknd singles chronology | ||||
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Fifty Shades soundtrack singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Earned It" on YouTube |
"Earned It",alternatively titled "Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)", [2] is a song by the Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd. The song was released as the lead single from the soundtrack to the 2015 film Fifty Shades of Grey and was included on the Weeknd's second studio album Beauty Behind the Madness (2015).
"Earned It" was lauded by critics upon release,and peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100,becoming the Weeknd's first top five single. The song's popularity earned the soundtrack to Fifty Shades of Grey two concurrent top-ten singles,with Ellie Goulding's "Love Me like You Do" also peaking at number three. Its music video was directed by the film's director,Sam Taylor-Johnson,features the film's lead actress,Dakota Johnson,and has the same BDSM theme. The song was nominated for Best Original Song at the 88th Academy Awards and won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards. On February 16,2023,it was certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling more than ten million copies in the United States.
The Weeknd was involved in the project very early on. Tom Mackay,a manager at Republic Records,explained:"He worked on a number of songs for a number of scenes. Some were working and some weren't,but he just kept at it,and kept at it,and kept at it. In the end,he wrote 'Earned It' and it's the biggest song of his career to date. It's the only song that's in the movie twice". [3] Director Sam Taylor-Johnson said the Weeknd's voice is instantly seductive,which fit the film perfectly. The singer agreed saying the film and his music is like "a match made in heaven". [4] An alternative version of the single,with a new slightly long intro,was later included in the Weeknd's album Beauty Behind the Madness (2015).
"Earned It" is a chamber pop and R&B song. [5] It is written in the key of D minor with a slow tempo of 40 beats per minute (Largo) in 6
8 time. There is an alternation between the chords Gm7 and Dm7,and Tesfaye's vocals span two octaves from D3 to D5. [6]
Critics praised "Earned It" upon release,with Mitchell Bozzetto of Renowned for Sound writing,"Tesfaye definitely has one of the best modern day R&B voices and it certainly shows in this track,his pitch and tone are spot on which makes this a soothing listen." [7] Tom Breihan of Stereogum wrote,"With its streaking,soundtracky strings,"Earned It" almost sounds like it could come from one of the '80s erotic thrillers that clearly inspired Fifty Shades. It's not a great Weeknd song,but it's a pretty interesting career move. [8]
Andrew Ryce of Pitchfork praised the Weeknd's vocals but said that the song is "kind of icky". [9] Kitty Empire of The Guardian called the song "a genre curveball that nevertheless sat comfortably with the Weeknd’s depraved brand identity,cultivated over three mixtapes." [10]
Rolling Stone ranked the song at number 39 on its "50 best songs of 2015" list:"The 50 Shades of Grey soundtrack proved Abel Tesfaye's ideal entree into the pop mainstream,though here he eschewed S&M to instead focus on the bottom line,lending his liquid falsetto to the role of affectionate sugar daddy." [11]
The song won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards,while also being nominated for Best R&B Song,and Best Song Written for Visual Media. [12] The song also received a nomination for Best Original Song at the 88th Academy Awards. [13]
In the Weeknd's native Canada, "Earned It" peaked at number eight on the Canadian Hot 100. "Earned It" peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100, the second single from the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack to enter the top 10, after Ellie Goulding 's "Love Me like You Do", which also peaked at number three. It became the Weeknd's second top-ten hit, after his collaboration with Ariana Grande on the number seven peaking hit, "Love Me Harder" and his highest-selling song on the chart at the time. [14] The song has also been a commercial success overseas, reaching the top ten in 10 other countries, including the United Kingdom and New Zealand, while attaining a top twenty position in countries that include Australia, Germany, and Ireland.
The music video, directed by the film's director Sam Taylor-Johnson, [15] was shot at the Palace Theater in Los Angeles. [16] It was released on Vevo and YouTube on January 21, 2015. It includes the BDSM theme as seen in the film. The video shows The Weeknd performing on stage as a group of topless women with black tape over their breasts perform a BDSM-themed burlesque routine behind him. Dakota Johnson makes a cameo appearance in the video.
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)" | 4:11 |
2. | "Where You Belong" | 4:56 |
Weekly charts | Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [89] | 6× Platinum | 420,000‡ |
Belgium (BEA) [90] | Gold | 10,000‡ |
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [91] | 2× Diamond | 500,000‡ |
Canada (Music Canada) [92] | 6× Platinum | 480,000‡ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [93] | 2× Platinum | 120,000^ |
France (SNEP) [94] | Gold | 75,000* |
Germany (BVMI) [95] | Platinum | 400,000‡ |
Italy (FIMI) [96] | Platinum | 50,000‡ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [97] | Platinum | 15,000* |
Norway (IFPI Norway) [98] | 2× Platinum | 20,000‡ |
Poland (ZPAV) [99] | 2× Platinum | 40,000‡ |
Portugal (AFP) [100] | 2× Platinum | 40,000‡ |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [101] | 2× Platinum | 120,000‡ |
Sweden (GLF) [102] | 3× Platinum | 120,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [103] | 2× Platinum | 1,280,000 [104] |
United States (RIAA) [105] | Diamond | 10,000,000‡ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
United States | December 23, 2014 | Digital download | Republic | [106] |
January 13, 2015 | Rhythmic contemporary radio | [107] | ||
February 24, 2015 | Contemporary hit radio | [108] | ||
Austria, Germany, Switzerland | April 10, 2015 | CD | [17] | |
The discography of Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd consists of five studio albums, nine extended plays, three mixtapes, three compilation albums, one soundtrack album, one live album, 75 single releases, and 13 promotional singles. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the Weeknd has accumulated 18.5 million certified album units and 113 million certified digital single units in the US, based on sales and on-demand streaming, as of January 2024.
"Love Me like You Do" is a song recorded by English singer Ellie Goulding for the soundtrack to the film Fifty Shades of Grey (2015). The song was written by Savan Kotecha, Ilya Salmanzadeh, Tove Lo, Max Martin and Ali Payami; the latter two also produced it. Goulding was selected to provide vocals to the track. It was released on 7 January 2015 as the second single from the soundtrack. The song was also included on Goulding's third studio album, Delirium (2015).
Fifty Shades of Grey (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack to the film of the same name adapted from E. L. James's eponymous novel that was released through Republic Records on February 10, 2015. It was the seventh best-selling album of 2015 with 2.2 million copies sold worldwide.
"I Know You" is a song recorded by American recording artist and songwriter Skylar Grey for the soundtrack to the film Fifty Shades of Grey (2015). The song was written by Grey and Canadian composer/producer Stephan Moccio and was co-produced by Moccio and Dan Heath. It was released as the second promotional single from the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack on February 3, 2015.
"The Hills" is a song by the Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd. It was released on May 27, 2015, as the second single from his second studio album, Beauty Behind the Madness (2015). The song was written by the Weeknd alongside producers Emmanuel "Mano" Nickerson and Illangelo, with Belly receiving additional writing credits.
"Can't Feel My Face" is a song by the Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd from his second studio album, Beauty Behind the Madness (2015). The song was released on June 8, 2015, as the album's third single. It was written by Max Martin, Peter Svensson, Ali Payami, Savan Kotecha and the Weeknd, and produced by Martin and Payami.
Beauty Behind the Madness is the second studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd. It was released on August 28, 2015, through XO and Republic Records. It features guest appearances from Labrinth, Ed Sheeran and Lana Del Rey. The album was executive produced by the Weeknd, DaHeala and Illangelo, and includes production from Kanye West, Stephan Moccio, Ben Billions, DannyBoyStyles, Max Martin, and Ali Payami, among others.
"Often" is a song by the Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd. It was released on July 31, 2014, as the lead single from his second studio album, Beauty Behind the Madness (2015). The song contains a sample from "Ben Sana Vurgunum" by Turkish singer Nükhet Duru.
"In the Night" is a song by the Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd, from his second studio album, Beauty Behind the Madness (2015). The song was written by the Weeknd, Max Martin, Ali Payami, Savan Kotecha, Peter Svensson, and Belly. Martin and Payami produced the song with co-production from the Weeknd. The song was serviced to contemporary hit radio through XO and Republic Records on November 17, 2015, as the album's fourth single.
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"Die for You" is a song by the Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd, from his third studio album, Starboy (2016). The song was sent to US rhythmic contemporary radio on September 19, 2017 as the seventh single from the album. It was written by the Weeknd, Doc McKinney, Cirkut, Prince 85, Cashmere Cat, Dylan Wiggins, and Billy Walsh, and produced by the former five.
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