"This Is What You Came For" | ||||
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Single by Calvin Harris and Rihanna | ||||
Released | 29 April 2016 | |||
Recorded | 2015 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:42 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) |
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Calvin Harris singles chronology | ||||
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Rihanna singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"This Is What You Came For" on YouTube |
"This Is What You Came For" is a song by Scottish DJ Calvin Harris and Barbadian singer Rihanna. It was released on 29 April 2016,through Columbia Records and Westbury Road and included on Harris' first compilation album, 96 Months (2024). American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift,initially credited with the pseudonym Nils Sjöberg,wrote the song;Harris then produced with Kuk Harrell. Rihanna and Harris had previously collaborated on her sixth studio album, Talk That Talk ,which included the international chart-topper "We Found Love" and US top five single "Where Have You Been",the former of which was written and produced by Harris. He played the final version for Rihanna at the 2016 Coachella Music Festival. It was also played at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Final after the conclusion of the match.
The single debuted at number two on the UK Singles Chart. It peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100,becoming Rihanna's 21st top-five song and Harris's second;the song is currently Harris's highest-peaking single as a lead artist in the US. It became Rihanna's 25th and Harris's fourth chart-topper on the Dance Club Songs and also reached number one on the US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs;the single became the 12th number one for Rihanna and Harris's tenth on the sister chart Dance/Mix Show Airplay. It topped the charts in 12 countries including Australia,Canada and Ireland,and peaked within the top ten in France,Finland,the Netherlands,Belgium,Germany,New Zealand and Switzerland. A music video for the song premiered on 17 June 2016 and features Rihanna in an open cube with images projected on the inside walls.
Calvin Harris presented the final recording to Rihanna,two weeks prior to its release. During his performance at Coachella,Harris shared the song with Rihanna and her manager in her trailer. Harris stated that he was "nervous" to play her the song because he had "changed so many bits from when she first heard it." [3] The song was released on 29 April 2016. The song marks the pair's third collaboration,following the global chart-topper "We Found Love" and the Billboard Hot 100 top-five single "Where Have You Been",which are both featured on Rihanna's sixth studio album, Talk That Talk (2011). [4]
I think, when a pseudonym comes in is when you still have a love for making the work and you don't want the work to become overshadowed by this thing that's been built around you, based on what people know about you. And that's when it's really fun to create fake names and write under them. I wrote under the name Nils Sjöberg because those are two of the most popular names of Swedish males. I wrote this song called "This Is What You Came For" that Rihanna ended up singing. And nobody knew for a while. I remembered always hearing that when Prince wrote "Manic Monday", they didn't reveal it for a couple of months.
Harris and Nils Sjöberg were credited as songwriters and producers. On 13 July 2016 however, TMZ reported that the track was written by Harris's then-girlfriend, American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, who used the pseudonym Nils Sjöberg because they did not want their relationship to overshadow the song. [6] [7] The track became a point of contention upon its release when Harris—in response to being asked about the possibility of collaborating with Swift during an interview with Ryan Seacrest—said that he "can't see it happening." [6] Harris eventually confirmed on his Twitter account that Swift wrote the lyrics and contributed some background vocals, while he "wrote the music, produced the song, arranged it and cut [Rihanna's] vocals". He also confirmed Swift's previous request for secrecy as co-writer. [8] The credit has since been officially changed to "Taylor Swift" in BMI's and ASCAP's entry for the song. [9] [10]
On 1 March 2023, various unreleased songs of Swift's leaked online, including her full original demo recording of "This Is What You Came For". [11]
"This Is What You Came For" is an EDM, dance-pop, house and eurodance song. [4] [12] [13] Gil Kaufman of Billboard stated that the song is "a chilled-out, joyful club track that nods to classic Chicago house from the late 1980s and early 1990s, but with a modern, poppier flavor." [4] The song is written in the key of A minor with a tempo of 124 beats per minute. The song follows a chord progression of Am–Fmaj7–G–C, and Rihanna's vocals span from G3 to E5, amounting to 2 different octaves. [14]
"This Is What You Came For" received mixed reviews. Lary Barleet from NME stated that "As it builds to a climax, he pulls it right back, eschewing the EDM drop in favour of voguish and mellow tropical house. It will definitely be a hit, however by manipulating her voice so much he's stripped away the personality that made 'We Found Love' such a standout, and her latest album Anti so compelling. The result is surprisingly soulless." [15] Robbie Daw from the Idolator gave the song a positive review, stating, "The song is pretty decent Euro-centric dance floor fodder. It's just a bit subdued-which might have been the correct decision; why attempt to top a pop classic and fail when you can zig left, aiming for other territory altogether?" [13]
"This Is What You Came For" debuted at number two on the UK Singles Chart. The single debuted at number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100 and later peaked at number three on the chart, becoming Rihanna's 28th top ten hit in the US, Harris's fourth, while on the magazine's Dance/Mix Show Airplay it extended Rihanna's number-one streak on that chart to 12 (the most of any artist on that chart) and gave Harris his tenth (the most among male artists, but at the same time extended his most weeks at number one on the chart among artists to 73). [16] "This Is What You Came For" became Rihanna's 25th and Harris's fourth number one on the Hot Dance Club Songs Chart, where it became the first song since 2013's "Wake Me Up" to stay at number one for two weeks. [17] As of October 2016, the single has sold 1.2 million copies in the United States. [18]
"This Is What You Came For" debuted at number one on the Scottish Singles Chart, and peaked at number one in Australia, Canada and Ireland. The song also reached the top 10 in Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Switzerland, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and Slovakia. The song has reached the top 10 in all except three of the countries it has charted in.
The official music video for the song directed by Emil Nava with Director of Photography Martin Coppen, edited by Ellie Johnson and produced and projection mapped by Matt Brown, was released to YouTube on 16 June 2016. In it, a giant white box is shown sitting in a variety of places, such as a misty field and a forest. The scene then cuts to Rihanna, dressed in a sparkly blue jumpsuit, singing while standing and dancing inside the box. While she performs, graphics are projected onto all 5 sides around her. Lasers were the only other effects used with the video projections, and were provided by Dynamic FX. These include a variety of video effects and designs, footage of a crowd partying and running horses, and a drawing of a mountain with lightning over it. The video technology used for projections blended all angles of the backing video, so it would be displayed without skewing the image and allowing it to play back in a 3D environment. This new technology was being used for the first time on this video. This video also had many scenes and different cube designs cut from it, as the filming was cut short due to time constrains. Calvin Harris makes a brief cameo appearance in the video, driving a sports car (Lamborghini Aventador). [19] As the video ends, Rihanna walks outside, revealing the box has been set up on a dark, deserted soundstage. Two months after its release, the video reached 500 million views, and on 29 November 2016, the video reached one billion views. As of September 2022, it has reached 2.6 billion views, and is the site's 35th most viewed video. [20]
Swift performed "This is What You Came For" on the piano for the first time live at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, on 22 October 2016. [21] She sang the track with an acoustic guitar at the DirecTV Super Saturday Night in Houston, Texas, on 4 February 2017. [22] Swift performed it as part of a mashup with her song "Gold Rush" (2020) at Liverpool of her Eras Tour on 14 June 2024. [23]
Credits adapted from Tidal. [24]
Weekly charts | Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [118] | 12× Platinum | 840,000‡ |
Austria (IFPI Austria) [119] | Platinum | 30,000‡ |
Belgium (BEA) [120] | 2× Platinum | 40,000‡ |
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [121] | 3× Diamond | 750,000‡ |
Canada (Music Canada) [122] | 4× Platinum | 320,000‡ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [123] | 3× Platinum | 270,000‡ |
France (SNEP) [124] | Diamond | 233,333‡ |
Germany (BVMI) [125] | 3× Gold | 600,000‡ |
Italy (FIMI) [126] | 5× Platinum | 250,000‡ |
Mexico (AMPROFON) [127] | 2× Diamond | 600,000‡ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [128] | 6× Platinum | 180,000‡ |
Poland (ZPAV) [129] | 2× Diamond | 200,000‡ |
Portugal (AFP) [130] | 2× Platinum | 20,000‡ |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [131] | 3× Platinum | 180,000‡ |
Sweden (GLF) [132] | 4× Platinum | 160,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [133] | 4× Platinum | 2,400,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [134] | 8× Platinum | 8,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format | Version | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Various | April 29, 2016 | Original | [25] | ||
Italy | Radio airplay | Columbia | [135] | ||
United States | May 3, 2016 | Contemporary hit radio | [136] | ||
Various | August 2, 2016 |
| Remixes |
| [26] |
Dance/Mix Show Airplay is a monitored electronic dance music radio chart that is published weekly by Billboard magazine. The chart came about as a result of the small but influential impact of electronic dance music on the radio in the United States and the stations that program it. The current number-one song on the chart is "Get Busy" by Anabel Englund.
Adam Richard Wiles, known professionally as Calvin Harris, is a Scottish DJ, record producer, singer, and songwriter. His debut studio album, I Created Disco (2007) was preceded by the singles "Acceptable in the 80s" and "The Girls", both of which peaked within the top ten of the UK singles chart. His second album, Ready for the Weekend (2009), debuted atop the UK Albums Chart; its lead single, "I'm Not Alone", became his first song to peak the UK Singles Chart.
Scottish DJ Calvin Harris has released six studio albums, one mix album, one compilation album, nine extended plays, 57 singles, 12 promotional singles and 47 music videos. As of November 2014, Harris had sold 8,176,180 singles and tracks in the United Kingdom.
"We Found Love" is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna from her sixth studio album, Talk That Talk (2011). The song features Scottish DJ Calvin Harris, whose 2012 album 18 Months also includes the track. "We Found Love" premiered on September 22, 2011, on the Capital FM radio station in the United Kingdom, and was made available to download on the same day as the lead single from Talk That Talk. "We Found Love" is an uptempo electro house song, with elements of dance-pop, techno and Europop. The song's lyrics speak of a couple who "found love in a hopeless place".
"Let's Go" is a song written and performed by Scottish DJ Calvin Harris, featuring vocals from American singer Ne-Yo. The track was released in the United Kingdom on 30 March 2012 as the third single from Harris' third studio album, 18 Months (2012). On 29 April 2012, precisely a week after its release, "Let's Go" debuted at number two on the UK Singles Chart for the week ending dated 5 May 2012— marking Harris' third consecutive number two hit. As of July 2012, the song has sold 376,000 downloads in the United States. It also appeared on the deluxe version of Ne-Yo's fifth studio album, R.E.D. The song received a nomination for Best Dance Recording at the 55th Grammy Awards held in February 2013.
"Sweet Nothing" is a song by Scottish DJ Calvin Harris from his third studio album, 18 Months (2012). It features vocals from Florence and the Machine singer Florence Welch. Harris previously worked with the band in a remix of their single, "Spectrum" (2012). While recording 18 Months, Harris expressed interest in working with Welch. He mentioned that it was not easy and he had to chase her, due to schedule conflicts. Welch accepted his invitation and the two recorded "Sweet Nothing". The track premiered on The Chris Moyles Show on BBC Radio 1 on 28 August 2012 and was later released as the fifth single from the album on 12 October 2012.
"Drinking from the Bottle" is a song by Scottish DJ and record producer Calvin Harris from his third studio album, 18 Months. The song features British Nigerian rapper Tinie Tempah. The song was released as a single on 27 January 2013 and later peaked at number five on the UK Singles Chart.
"I Need Your Love" is a song by Scottish producer and DJ Calvin Harris from his third studio album, 18 Months (2012). The song features vocals from English singer Ellie Goulding and was released on 2 April 2013 as the album's seventh single. "I Need Your Love" is also included as a bonus track on Goulding's second studio album, Halcyon (2012). The accompanying music video, directed by Emil Nava, depicts Harris and Goulding as a romantic couple on a trip to Miami.
"Thinking About You" is a song by Scottish DJ and record producer Calvin Harris, featuring Jordanian singer Ayah Marar. It was released on 2 August 2013 as the eighth and final single from Harris' third studio album, 18 Months (2012). The song was written by Harris and Marar, who previously worked together on Harris's promotional single, "Let Me Know" (2004) and "Flashback" (2009), the third single from his second studio album, Ready for the Weekend.
"Blame" is a song by Scottish DJ and record producer Calvin Harris from his fourth studio album, Motion (2014). It was released as the album's third single on 5 September 2014. The song features the vocals of English singer John Newman and is included on the deluxe edition of Newman's second studio album, Revolve. Newman's brother James Newman assisted the artists in writing the song, with Harris serving as the producer.
"Outside" is a song by Scottish DJ and record producer Calvin Harris, featuring English singer Ellie Goulding, from Harris's fourth studio album, Motion (2014). It was released on 20 October 2014 as the album's fourth single. The song also appears on the deluxe edition of Goulding's third studio album, Delirium (2015). "Outside" marks the second collaboration between Harris and Goulding, following the single "I Need Your Love" (2013).
"Pray to God" is a song by Scottish DJ and record producer Calvin Harris, featuring vocals from American rock band Haim. It was released on 6 March 2015 as the sixth and final single from Harris's fourth studio album, Motion (2014). The song attained moderate commercial success, reaching the top 10 in Australia, whilst claiming a top-40 position in the United Kingdom—his second single to miss the top 10 since 2010. The song is co-produced and co-written by Haim's regular producer Ariel Rechtshaid.
"How Deep Is Your Love" is a song by Scottish DJ and record producer Calvin Harris and British production trio Disciples. It was released on 17 July 2015 and included on Harris' first compilation album, 96 Months (2024). It features uncredited vocals by Norwegian singer and songwriter Ina Wroldsen. The single received generally positive reviews, and was commercially successful, reaching the top ten in 22 countries, including number two on the UK Singles Chart and number one in Australia, Belgium, Greece, the Netherlands and Russia.
"Work" is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna featuring Canadian rapper Drake, from Rihanna's eighth studio album Anti (2016). It was released on January 27, 2016, by Westbury Road and Roc Nation as the lead single from the album. The song was written by Rihanna, Drake, Jahron Brathwaite, Monte Moir, Rupert Thomas, Allen Ritter, and Matthew "Boi-1da" Samuels, the latter of which produced the track while Kuk Harrell and Noah "40" Shebib were additional producers. Incorporating elements of dancehall, reggae, pop, and R&B, "Work" contains an interpolation of Alexander O'Neal's "If You Were Here Tonight" (1985). Written in the English-based creole languages of Jamaica and Barbados, its lyrics are about fragile relationships and yearning for intimacy.
"Too Good" is a song by Canadian rapper Drake, featuring Barbadian singer Rihanna, released in the United Kingdom on May 15, 2016, as the fourth single from his fourth studio album Views (2016), before later being serviced to US contemporary hit radio on July 26, 2016, as the fifth and final single from the album. It samples the dancehall song "Love Yuh Bad" performed by Popcaan and uses samples from wavrly.com. The song was co-written by Drake and Rihanna alongside Andrew Hershey, Andre Sutherland, Atom Martin, and the track's producers Nineteen85, Maneesh Bidaye, and Dwayne Chin-Quee.
"Slide" is a song by Scottish DJ Calvin Harris featuring American musicians Frank Ocean and Migos as the lead single from the former's fifth studio album, Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1, released on 23 February 2017 through Sony Music.
"Wild Thoughts" is a song by American DJ and record producer DJ Khaled featuring Barbadian singer Rihanna and American singer Bryson Tiller. It was released on June 16, 2017, by We the Best and Epic Records as the third single from Khaled's tenth studio album, Grateful (2017). Canadian singer PartyNextDoor assisted the artists in writing the song. A mid-tempo pop song, "Wild Thoughts" consists of Latin percussion, acoustic guitar lines and riffs that interpolate the 1999 hit single "Maria Maria" by Santana. Lyrically, the song praises a lover who inspires sexual thoughts.
"Feels" is a song produced by Scottish DJ Calvin Harris featuring American musicians Pharrell Williams, Katy Perry, and Big Sean. It was released on 15 June 2017 through Columbia Records as the fourth single from his fifth studio album, Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1 (2017), after "Slide", "Heatstroke" and "Rollin". Starrah assisted the artists in writing the song.
"Faking It" is a song written and performed by Scottish DJ and record producer Calvin Harris featuring American singer Kehlani and American rapper Lil Yachty. It was released as the fifth and final single from Harris's fifth studio album, Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1 (2017). It was written by Harris, Lil Yachty, and Jessie Reyez, being produced by Harris himself, and was released to contemporary hit radio in the US on 17 October 2017 through Columbia Records. It was sent to radio in Italy on 24 November 2017 through Sony.
Barbadian singer Rihanna has released 53 singles as lead artist, 17 singles as a featured artist, two charity singles, and four promotional singles. One of the best-selling artists of all time, her albums and singles sales as of 2018 stood at 250 million. In the United States, Rihanna has amassed 14 number-one songs and 32 top-ten songs on the Billboard Hot 100. She has tallied 60 weeks at number one and is the artist with the most weeks in the top ten (360). The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) recognized Rihanna as the top-selling female digital singles artist, with 183 million certified units as of May 2024. Furthermore, she has earned seven singles certified Diamond by RIAA, thus becoming the female artist with the most Diamond singles and Diamond certified titles.
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