Pray for Me (The Weeknd and Kendrick Lamar song)

Last updated

"Pray for Me"
Pray for Me by The Weeknd and Kendrick Lamar single cover.jpg
Single by the Weeknd and Kendrick Lamar
from the album Black Panther: The Album
ReleasedFebruary 2, 2018 (2018-02-02)
Genre Pop-rap [1]
Length3:31
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
the Weeknd singles chronology
"Secrets"
(2017)		"Pray for Me"
(2018)		"Call Out My Name"
(2018)
Kendrick Lamar singles chronology
"King's Dead"
(2018)		"Pray for Me"
(2018)		"The Mantra"
(2018)
Music video
"Pray for Me (Lyric Video)" on YouTube

"Pray for Me" is a song by Canadian singer the Weeknd and American rapper Kendrick Lamar from the soundtrack album of the Marvel Studios superhero film Black Panther . The song was released by Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment, and Interscope Records on February 2, 2018, as the album's third and final single. It serves as the second overall collaboration between the two artists. [3] The song appears in the movie during the scene where the titular hero along with his allies, Nakia and Okoye, enter a secret casino in Busan. [4]

Contents

Background and release

The Weeknd first hinted at his involvement with the Black Panther soundtrack album with an Instagram post that he made on January 19, 2018, which contained an illustration of the Marvel superhero Black Panther perched on a tree in front of the moon. [5] On January 26, 2018, the Weeknd then further hinted at his involvement with the soundtrack when he uploaded an official trailer for the Black Panther film to his Instagram account. [6] Then on January 31, 2018, Lamar confirmed the Weeknd's involvement with the soundtrack when he uploaded to his Twitter account the complete tracklist of the soundtrack, which contained the song "Pray for Me". [7] On February 1, 2018, the Weeknd uploaded to his Twitter account a video teasing the release date for "Pray for Me" as the soundtrack's third single. [8]

Composition

"Pray for Me" is composed in the key of E minor. [9]

Reception

Alex Robert Ross of Noisey praised the song, calling it "short, punchy, and self-lacerating." [10]

In February 2020, Tesfaye and Lamar were sued by now-split American experimental rock band Yeasayer for alleged plagiarism due to vocal similarities with their 2007 song "Sunrise". [11] According to the lawsuit, the part allegedly stolen from the song includes "the recording of a distinctive choral performance, which Plaintiffs [Yeasayer] created and recorded using their own voices". [12] [13] Furthermore, Yeasayer claims that "Defendants extracted Plaintiffs’ choral performance from a recording of 'Sunrise,' slightly modified it, including, on information and belief, via postprocessing to alter its pitch, among other qualities" and then subsequently used the modified audio in their own song. [12] The accused party have denied the accusation. The lawsuit later reached its conclusion in July 2020, after Yeasayer dropped it. [14]

Credits and personnel

Credits and personnel adapted from digital booklet. [15]

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [66] Platinum70,000Double-dagger-14-plain.png
Canada (Music Canada) [67] 3× Platinum240,000Double-dagger-14-plain.png
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [68] Gold45,000Double-dagger-14-plain.png
France (SNEP) [69] Gold100,000Double-dagger-14-plain.png
New Zealand (RMNZ) [70] Gold15,000Double-dagger-14-plain.png
Sweden (GLF) [71] Platinum8,000,000Dagger-14-plain.png
United Kingdom (BPI) [72] Gold400,000Double-dagger-14-plain.png
United States (RIAA) [73] 2× Platinum2,000,000Double-dagger-14-plain.png

Double-dagger-14-plain.png Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
Dagger-14-plain.png Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.

Release history

RegionDateFormatLabel(s)Ref.
United StatesFebruary 2, 2018 [74]
United Kingdom Rhythmic contemporary
[75]
United StatesFebruary 6, 2018 [76]
Contemporary hit radio [77]
United KingdomFebruary 9, 2018 [78]
ItalyMarch 2, 2018 Universal [79]

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References

  1. ↑ Pearce, Sheldon (February 2, 2018). ""Pray for Me" [ft. The Weeknd] by Kendrick Lamar / The Weeknd Review". Pitchork . Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Black Panther OST #prayforme #seasons". February 1, 2018. Retrieved February 2, 2018– via Instagram.
  3. ↑ Madden, Sidney (February 2, 2018). "Kendrick Lamar produced the soundtrack for Black Panther". npr.org. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  4. ↑ Alexander, Julia (March 14, 2018). "Modern culture paradoxes can be explained by a popular Friends question". Polygon. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
  5. ↑ Bonomolo, Cameron (January 22, 2018). "Kendrick Lamar produced the soundtrack for Black Panther". comicbook.com. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
  6. ↑ "Marvel Studios' Black Panther - War TV Spot". January 26, 2018. Retrieved February 1, 2018– via Instagram.[ permanent dead link ]
  7. ↑ Dumaraog, Ana (February 1, 2018). "Kendrick Lamar Unveils Black Panther Album Tracklist & Cover Art". screenrant.com. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
  8. ↑ "Pray For Me". February 1, 2018. Retrieved February 1, 2018– via Twitter.
  9. ↑ The Weeknd "Pray for Me" Sheet Music
  10. ↑ Ross, Alex Robert (February 2, 2018). "Kendrick Lamar Teams with The Weeknd on "Pray for Me"". Noisey . Vice . Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  11. ↑ Berthelot, Théau (February 26, 2020). ""Pray for Me" : Kendrick Lamar et The Weeknd accusés de plagiat". Purebreak Charts. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  12. 1 2 "Yeasayer, LLC et al v. Tesfaye et al". Scribd . Retrieved February 27, 2020.
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  14. ↑ "Yeasayer's Lawsuit Against The Weeknd Over 'Black Panther' Song "Pray for Me" Has Been Dropped". Complex . Retrieved July 22, 2020.
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