"Little Things" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by One Direction | ||||
from the album Take Me Home | ||||
B-side | "Kiss You" | |||
Released | 12 November 2012 | |||
Studio | Sticky (Windlesham, Surrey) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:39 | |||
Label | Syco | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Jake Gosling | |||
One Direction singles chronology | ||||
|
"Little Things" is a song by English-Irish boy band One Direction from their second studio album, Take Me Home (2012). It was released by Syco Music on 12 November 2012 as the record's second single. The song was written by Fiona Bevan and Ed Sheeran, and produced by Jake Gosling. Bevan brought the song to Sheeran's attention while he was in studio with the group in 2012, resulting in the band recording it. "Little Things" is a mid-tempo pop and folk ballad about the insistence that flaws are what make a person unique.
The track received mixed reviews from contemporary music critics, many of whom felt that the song was not tailored to the group. The song became the group's second number-one hit in the United Kingdom, while reaching the top ten in Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand. In addition, it attained top forty positions in Belgium (Wallonia), Canada, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States. The single has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of 1,000,000 copies.
Directed by Vaughan Arnell, the accompanying music video was shot in black-and-white and consists of a simplistic concept – One Direction recording the song. Upon release, it received positive reviews from reviewers, who noted that it was a perfect accompaniment for the song. The band performed the track on both the UK and US versions of The X Factor and during their 3 major concert tours: Take Me Home Tour (2013), Where We Are Tour (2014) and On the Road Again Tour (2015).
"Little Things" was written by British singer-songwriters Ed Sheeran and Fiona Bevan, and produced by Jake Gosling. [1] In February 2012, One Direction expressed interest in working with Sheeran for their second studio album. [2] In June 2012, Sheeran disclosed that One Direction would be recording two of his songs. [3] In October 2012, Sheeran acknowledged Bevan's songwriting credit in an interview with British radio network Capital FM: "The great thing about it is I wrote that song with a girl called Fiona Bevan when I was 17 and we lost the song. I've kept in touch with Fiona, we've done gigs and stuff and about two months ago she sent me the tune and was like, 'Oh, do you remember this?' I was like, 'Yeah, I do remember that', and I was in the studio with the One Direction boys at the time and I was playing it and they were like, 'We really like that'. It's got one of my favourite lines that I've ever written in a song." [4] On 15 October 2012, Louis Tomlinson confirmed via social networking website Twitter that "Little Things" would serve as the second single of their second studio album Take Me Home . [5]
"Little Things" is a mid-tempo pop and folk ballad which runs for 3:39 (3 minutes, 39 seconds). [1] [6] Written in the key of G major, [7] the beat is set in common time and moves at a moderate 110 beats per minute. [7] One Direction's vocal range in the song span from the note of A3 to D5. [7] Instrumentation includes guitar strings, piano lines and vocals. [7] The song utilises an acoustic guitar riff and a rotation of lead vocals. [8] [9] The song's lyrics revolve around the insistence that flaws are what make a person unique. [9] In a September 2012 interview with MTV News, Sheeran quipped that the song "is about the best things about someone, kind of like the things you wouldn't expect." [10] He described "Little Things" as an "appreciation song," and concluded: "Seventeen-year-old Ed just wrote a lot of love songs". [10]
"Little Things" received mixed reviews from music critics. Grady Smith for Entertainment Weekly described its lyricism as "terribly misguided" for One Direction's target audience. [11] Melinda Newman of HitFix, polarised by its lyrical content, wrote that women want men to pretend their flaws do not exist and not see them. [12] Both Kate Wills of The Independent and Rolling Stone writer Jon Dolan criticised the lyrical content as jarring. [13] [14] Although Bill Lamb of Dotdash shared Smith's sentiment, he favoured Gosling's "beautiful" production of the song and the group's "top notch" vocal performance. [9] Al Fox of BBC Music, who noted a "pursuit for credibility", felt that One Direction were "handing in their identity" with "Little Things". [15] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times dismissed Sheeran's songwriting as "unusually lumpy in the hands of such a polished group". [6] In contrast, Alexis Petridis for The Guardian described the track as "noticeably more sophisticated lyrically and emotionally than anything else on the album." [16] The Boston Globe editor Sarah Rodman selected the "essential" song as the album's "best" attribute, [17] and Matt Collar from AllMusic considered the ballad "an air of maturity to One Direction's admittedly squeaky-fresh sound." [18] Robert Copsey of Digital Spy felt that "Little Things" can be interpreted as "minor signs of growth" for the boy band. [8]
"Little Things" made its Irish Singles Chart debut at number two in the week ending 15 November 2012, marking One Direction's fifth top-ten hit in Ireland. [19] [20] The track debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart on 18 November 2012, becoming One Direction's second number-one hit in the United Kingdom. [21] Their second studio album Take Me Home and the single both debuted simultaneously at number one in the UK, making One Direction the youngest act in British chart history to achieve the feat. [22] In addition, the song became a top forty hit in Belgium (Wallonia), [23] Denmark, [24] Sweden, [25] and Switzerland. [26] It became their third song to attain a top-forty position in both Sweden and Belgium (Wallonia). [23] [27] Elsewhere in Europe, the song charted in lower regions on the singles charts of Austria, [28] Belgium (Flanders), [29] France, [30] Germany, [31] and Slovakia. [32]
The single bowed at number nine on the Australian Singles Chart of 25 November 2012, marking its peak position and the group's fourth top ten hit in Australia. [33] [34] It held that position for a second week and has been certified quadruple platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), denoting shipments of 280,000 copies. [33] [35] The track made its New Zealand Singles Chart debut at number two on 19 November 2012, denoting its highest charting position and the quintet's third top five appearance in New Zealand. [36] [37] "Little Things" has received a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ), indicating sales of 7,500 copies. [38]
The ballad became One Direction's fourth top forty hit on the Canadian Hot 100, peaking at number 20. [39] In the week ending 18 November 2012, "Little Things" debuted on the United States Billboard Hot 100 at number 41, selling 91,000 copies in its first week. [40] As a result of an "end-of-year download rush" in the week ending 30 December 2012, the single's weekly sales rose 189% from the previous week to 153,000 copies sold. The sales rise signified a new peak of number 33 on the Hot 100 by the single's seventh charting week. [41] The track marks the boy band's fourth top forty hit on the Hot 100 and also attained positions on the Pop Songs and Hot 100 Airplay charts, peaking at numbers 18 and 61, respectively. [42] [43] "Little Things" had sold 502,000 copies in the United States by 7 January 2013. [44] The single was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on 9 May 2013, denoting shipments of 1,000,000 copies. [45]
A 2020 survey by OnBuy found that couples that chose Little Things as the song for the first dance at their wedding were the least likely to stay together, with 75% of respondents who chose the song later ending their marriage. [46]
The music video for "Little Things" was shot entirely in black-and-white and directed by Vaughan Arnell, who had previously directed the band's music video for their previous single "Live While We're Young". [47] Tomlinson disclosed via social networking website Twitter that an accompanying music video for "Little Things" was in production on 15 October 2012. [5] Band member Zayn Malik confirmed that they had finished filming the video the following day. [48] On each of the five days preceding the video's premiere, One Direction posted a teaser trailer of the video online. Each teaser showed footage from the video and behind the scenes, and one member of the band announcing how many days were left until the video premiere. [49] The official video was uploaded to their Vevo account on YouTube on 2 November 2012. [47]
The music video consists of a simplistic concept – a One Direction recording session. [47] In a November 2012 interview with MTV News, Arnell said he did not want to make it about anything more than that, "When I first heard the track, the mix on it was so simple and so pure and you could hear all the qualities of the voices on the track, I just wanted to come up with something that when the viewer watched it, it was almost like sitting there listening to the boys sing the track." [50] Arnell subsequently developed the idea of a recording studio setting, thinking that it was "the most pure way to do it". [50] He wanted to make the music video as "uncontrived as possible" without "any other bullsh-- or effects in the way of it." [50] While Arnell conceded that music video may seem like a simple concept, the shoot itself took over twelve hours to complete and said that it was "one of the hardest things I've ever done." The group performed it "over and over again because I was just trying to get different shots, different angles, different qualities." [50] As for the decision to shoot the video in black-and-white, Arnell felt it best captured the essence of the ballad. He also noted that was his intention to give the music video the feeling as if One Direction are singing it right to you, "It's purely about the clarity of it. When you sit there watching it, it's almost like these little bits of eye contact [and] you really feel like the guys are singing it to you." [50]
Upon release, '#LittleThingsOnVEVO' became the number-one trending topic worldwide on social networking website Twitter. [51] Following the release of the music video for "Little Things" and its accompanying teaser videos, One Direction posted a 138% increase in Vevo plays and a 159% increase in Facebook reaction in the United States. [52] As a result of the video schedule, the group topped Billboard's Social 50 chart for the first time in their 52nd week on the chart, rising 10–1 from the previous week. [52] Jocelyn Vena of MTV News characterised it as a straightforward video, which has a "quiet tone" that "complements the ballad's sentimental lyrics." [47] Sam Lanksy for Idolator called it "sweet and subdued" and noted that the video is a significant transition from the "over-the-top jubilance" of their "Live While We're Young" video, writing that the contrast "is nice – even if the ultimate effect is a little sleepy." [53] A reviewer of The Huffington Post favoured "the low-key, laid-back" approach to the video and concluded that the "intimate feel of the video perfectly accompanies the songs' sweet lyrics". [51] An editor for Capital FM highlighted sequences in which the boy band "share individual emotionally charged scenes." [54]
One Direction performed "Little Things" and "Live While We're Young" on The X Factor USA (8 November), [55] and "Little Things" on The X Factor UK (11 November). [56] The band performed the song along with "What Makes You Beautiful", "Live While We're Young", and "Kiss You" on The Today Show at the Rockefeller Center (13 November).[ citation needed ] They performed "Live While We're Young" and "Little Things" on the BBC's Children in Need 2012 telethon (16 November). [57] In addition, they performed "Little Things" on British television series Surprise, Surprise (18 November – Recorded 21 October), [58] at the 2012 Royal Variety Performance (19 November), in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II, [59] and on The X Factor Australia (20 November). [60] "Little Things" was included on the set list of the group's headlining sold-out show at Madison Square Garden (3 December). [61] They also performed 3 major concert tours: Take Me Home Tour (2013), Where We Are Tour (2014) & On the Road Again Tour (2015).
Credits are adapted from the liner notes for Take Me Home. [1]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [35] | 4× Platinum | 280,000‡ |
Canada (Music Canada) [80] | 2× Platinum | 160,000‡ |
Italy (FIMI) [81] | Gold | 25,000‡ |
Mexico (AMPROFON) [82] | Platinum+Gold | 90,000‡ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [38] | Gold | 7,500* |
Norway (IFPI Norway) [83] | 2× Platinum | 20,000* |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [84] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
Sweden (GLF) [85] | Platinum | 40,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [86] | 2× Platinum | 1,250,000 [87] |
United States (RIAA) [88] | Platinum | 1,138,000 [89] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format | Label |
---|---|---|---|
Italy [90] | 3 December 2012 | Contemporary hit radio | Sony |
The discography of American singer-songwriter and guitarist John Mayer consists of eight studio albums, seven live albums, three compilation albums, two video albums, four extended plays, twenty-five singles and seventeen music videos. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Mayer moved to Atlanta, Georgia and began playing in local clubs in 1998. He released the extended play Inside Wants Out in September of the following year. Inside Wants Out, as well as continued performances, brought Mayer to the attention of independent record label Aware Records. Aware later signed Mayer and released his full-length debut studio album, Room for Squares, in June 2001. When Columbia Records acquired Aware, the album was re-released in September and promoted as a major label release. Following its re-release, Room for Squares peaked at number eight on the United States Billboard 200. The album has since sold over five million copies in the United States, and was certified five times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Three singles were released from Room for Squares, two of which became top 40 hits on the US Billboard Hot 100: "No Such Thing" and "Your Body Is a Wonderland". Heavier Things, Mayer's second studio album, was released in September 2003. It topped the Billboard 200 and attained a double platinum certification from the RIAA. Heavier Things produced three singles: "Bigger Than My Body", "Clarity" and "Daughters". "Daughters" later won the award for Song of the Year at the 47th Grammy Awards.
Edward Christopher Sheeran is an English singer-songwriter. Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, he began writing songs around the age of eleven. In early 2011, Sheeran independently released the extended play No. 5 Collaborations Project. He signed with Asylum Records the same year.
Jake Nathan Gosling is an English record producer and songwriter. Best known for his production work for English singer Ed Sheeran, he has also been credited on releases for acts including Lady Gaga, The Libertines, James Bay, Shawn Mendes, All Time Low, One Direction, Major Lazer, Christina Perri, Shania Twain, 5 Seconds of Summer, Paloma Faith, and Wiley.
"The A Team" is the debut single by English singer Ed Sheeran. It was released as a digital download in the United Kingdom on 10 June 2011, serving as the lead single from his debut album, + (2011). "The A Team" is a folk ballad about a sex worker addicted to crack cocaine, a Class A drug. It was written after Sheeran visited a homeless shelter and heard some of the stories of the lives people had been living. He wrote the song following a last-minute performance at an event for the homeless. The chorus of "The A Team" was also used by Sheeran in the track "Little Lady", which features Mikill Pane. "Little Lady" is available on the EP No. 5 Collaborations Project.
The discography of English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran consists of seven studio albums, two compilation albums, seventeen extended plays, one video album, sixty-five singles, eight promotional singles, one box set, and seventy-one music videos. As of October 2021, Sheeran has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists in history. According to RIAA, Sheeran is the 13th best-selling digital singles artist in the United States with certified sales of 80.5 million.
"What Makes You Beautiful" is the debut single by the British-Irish boy band One Direction. It was the lead single from their debut album, Up All Night (2011). Written by Savan Kotecha and producer Rami Yacoub, the song was released by Syco Records on 11 September 2011. The uptempo power pop track features a prominent guitar-based chorus and riff. The middle eight consists of a "na na na" hook.
"Lego House" is a song by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. It was released on 11 November 2011 as the third single lifted from his debut studio album + of 2011. It was released as the second single in the US on 11 February 2013. It was written by Sheeran, Jake Gosling and Chris Leonard, and produced by Jake Gosling.
English-Irish boy band One Direction have released five studio albums, ten extended plays, seventeen singles, two video albums, and seventeen music videos. They signed with Simon Cowell's record label Syco Records after being formed and finishing third in the seventh series of British television singing competition The X Factor in 2010. They subsequently signed in North America with Columbia Records. One Direction: This Is Us, a 3D documentary concert film was released on 29 August 2013 in the United Kingdom and 30 August 2013 in the United States. The film captures the band on the road during the Take Me Home Tour and documents their origins and rise to fame.
"Drunk" is a song by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. It was released as the fourth single lifted from the debut studio album + on 17 February 2012. The song was written by Ed Sheeran and Jake Gosling and produced by Gosling. The single entered the UK Singles Chart at number 63. The week after, it climbed to number 29. Later on, it climbed to number 9, making it his fourth top ten single.
Take Me Home is the second studio album by British-Irish boy band One Direction, released on November 9, 2012 by Syco Music and Columbia Records. As a follow-up to One Direction's internationally successful debut album Up All Night (2011), Take Me Home was written in groups and has an average of just under five songwriters per track. Largely recorded and composed in Sweden during 2012, Savan Kotecha, Rami Yacoub and Carl Falk, who composed One Direction's hits, "What Makes You Beautiful" and "One Thing", spent six months in Stockholm developing songs for the album, and were able to shape melodies around the members' tones.
"Live While We're Young" is a song by English-Irish boy band One Direction, released as the lead single from their second studio album, Take Me Home (2012). Written by Savan Kotecha and its producers, Rami Yacoub and Carl Falk, the number was released by Syco Records on 28 September 2012. Falk, Kotecha, and Yacoub had collaboratively helmed One Direction's previous hits, "What Makes You Beautiful" and "One Thing". The track is an uptempo, upbeat bubblegum pop song which features rock undertones, vocal harmonies, hand claps, prominent electric guitar riffs, and repetitive synthesizers. The chorus of the song is predominantly featured alongside the bridge and is backed by wordless chants. Its opening guitar riff bears similarities with the Clash's 1982 single, "Should I Stay or Should I Go".
"Kiss You" is a song recorded by English-Irish boy band One Direction for their second studio album, Take Me Home (2012). It was released as the record's second single in Germany and the third and final single on 7 January 2013. The song was composed by Kristoffer Fogelmark, Kristian Lundin, Albin Nedler, Savan Kotecha, Shellback and its producers, Carl Falk and Rami Yacoub. "Kiss You" is an upbeat power pop song with electronic effects; the lyrics detail the narrator's infatuation with a significant other. Critics praised the song for its production, calling it a stand-out track on Take Me Home.
"Give Me Love" is a song by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. It was released as the sixth and final single from his debut studio album, +, on 21 November 2012. The song was written by Sheeran, Jake Gosling and Chris Leonard. The single peaked at number 18 on the UK Singles Chart. On the album, Sheeran's cover of the traditional Irish folk song "The Parting Glass" is included at the end as a hidden track. A cover of the song recorded live at the Capital FM Studios in London on 30 May 2014, is featured on the deluxe version of American singer Demi Lovato's fourth album, Demi.
"Story of My Life" is a song recorded by English-Irish boy band One Direction. It was released on 28 October 2013 by Syco Music and Columbia Records as the second single from the group's third studio album, Midnight Memories (2013). The song was written by band members Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Liam Payne, and Louis Tomlinson, along with Julian Bunetta, Jamie Scott and John Ryan. The lyrics speak of a tumultuous relationship leading to lament and heartbreak.
"Thinking Out Loud" is a song by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran recorded for his second studio album, × (2014). It was written by Ed Sheeran and Amy Wadge, and produced by frequent collaborator Jake Gosling. It was released in the US on 14 August 2014 as the album's third single.
"Lay It All on Me" is a song by British drum and bass band Rudimental, featuring guest vocals from British singer Ed Sheeran. The song was released as a single for Rudimental's second album, We the Generation (2015). On 24 September 2015, the band debuted the song on BBC Radio 1. It became available on streaming and downloading services the following day.
"Shape of You" is a song by English singer Ed Sheeran. It was released on 6 January 2017 as one of the double lead singles from his third studio album ÷ (2017), along with "Castle on the Hill". The Dance Hall & R&B infused song was written by Sheeran, Steve Mac and Johnny McDaid. Due to its interpolation of "No Scrubs" by TLC, Kandi Burruss, Tameka "Tiny" Cottle, and Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs are also credited as writers. The song was produced by Sheeran and Steve Mac.
"Perfect" is a song by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran from his third studio album, ÷ (2017). After the album's release, it charted at number four on the UK Singles Chart. On 21 August 2017, Billboard announced that "Perfect" would be the fourth single from the album. The song was serviced to pop radio on 26 September 2017 as the third single from the album in the United States. The second version of the single, titled "Perfect Duet", with American singer Beyoncé, was released on 1 December 2017. Another duet with Italian singer Andrea Bocelli, titled "Perfect Symphony", was released on 15 December 2017.
"Woman Like Me" is a song by British girl group Little Mix featuring rapper Nicki Minaj. It was released on 12 October 2018, by Syco Music, as the lead single from the group's fifth studio album LM5. The song was co written by Jess Glynne, Ed Sheeran, Minaj and the song's producer Steve Mac.
"Bad Habits" is a song by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. It was released on 25 June 2021, through Asylum and Atlantic Records, as the lead single from his fourth studio album, = ("Equals"). The song marked his first solo release from an album in over four years. A limited edition CD and cassette single were also released. The song received mixed reviews from music critics, who compared its sound and style to the works of the Weeknd, as well as Bronski Beat.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)