Tighten Up (The Black Keys song)

Last updated

"Tighten Up"
The Black Keys - Tighten Up.jpg
Single by the Black Keys
from the album Brothers
B-side "Howlin' for You"
ReleasedApril 23, 2010
Studio The Bunker (Brooklyn, New York)
Genre
Length3:34
Label Nonesuch
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Danger Mouse
The Black Keys singles chronology
"Same Old Thing"
(2008)		"Tighten Up"
(2010)		"Next Girl"
(2010)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]

"Tighten Up" is a song by American rock band the Black Keys. It is the third track on their 2010 album Brothers and was released as the record's first single on April 23, 2010. [3] [4]

Contents

The song has become one of the most successful Black Keys singles in the United States, being their first song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 and reaching number one on the Alternative Songs and Rock Songs charts. [5] At the 53rd Grammy Awards in 2011, the song won Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal (the last song to receive the award), [6] while also receiving a nomination for Best Rock Song. Musically, the song is in the key of F sharp minor.

Music video

The original music video for the song was a low-budget clip starring a puppet dinosaur named Frank who is standing beside a plant. The video shows him dancing and miming the words a little, whilst subtitles go on saying different facts about the video, the band, and Frank; e.g. "Frank has a profile on eHarmony..." "He is a puppet, not a real dinosaur." This goes along the same direction of using sort of "obvious" or "simple" ways to say things like the album cover does; e.g. "This is a song by the Black Keys", "It's from an album called Brothers", etc. The video was made by director Chris Marrs Piliero as the label asked them to do a placeholder video for "Tighten Up" as a teaser for Brothers. Piliero was inspired by both "stupid kid shit that could still be for adults, like Yo Gabba Gabba! and "all these weird and sometimes creepy old-school puppet stuff from the 50s, 60s, 70s.", considering at first an ALF doll before settling on the dinosaur. He later made a similar teaser video for "Next Girl", where Frank interacts with bikini-clad models. [7]

The official music video, also directed by Piliero, was released on May 18, 2010. [8] [9] It shows Auerbach and his fictional son walking to the park. Auerbach sits next to Carney on a bench while their fictional sons play with toy trucks. Auerbach's son looks up on the playground to see a little girl, after which he starts to lip sync to the song. He climbs up on the playground and goes in to kiss her but then he opens his eyes to realize Carney's son has lured her away. After he attempts to kiss her, the two boys begin to fight. After Auerbach and Carney attempt in vain to break up the fight, they see the mother of the girl, played by Spanish actress Carlotta Elektra Bosch, [10] [11] and begin to fight like their sons. They hit each other using mostly Carney's drum kit and after the woman sees them fighting, she walks away in disgust. Their boys come to them and shake their heads at them with disappointment.

The official music video won the 2010 MTV Video Music Award for Breakthrough Video, [12] and it appears on Pitchfork's top music videos of 2010.

Reception

"Tighten Up" is widely considered to be one of the Black Keys' greatest songs. In 2012, Complex ranked the song number one on their list of the 15 greatest Black Keys songs, [13] and in 2019, Paste ranked the song number three on their list of the 10 greatest Black Keys songs. [14] In 2011, Rolling Stone put the song on its list of the 15 Best Whistling Songs of All Time. [15]

Track listing

All songs were written by the Black Keys.

  1. "Tighten Up" – 3:30
  2. "Howlin' for You" – 3:11 [16]

Personnel

The Black Keys

Additional musicians

Technical personnel

Chart performance

On the week ending November 6, 2010, "Tighten Up" debuted at number 93 on the Billboard Hot 100. [17] It re-entered at number 87 on the week ending January 22, 2011. The single also achieved early success on rock radio, hitting number one on both the Alternative Songs chart (for 10 weeks) and the Rock Songs chart (for 12 weeks).

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [28] Gold40,000*
United Kingdom (BPI) [29] Silver200,000‡
United States (RIAA) [30] Platinum1,000,000‡

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Usage in media

"Tighten Up" has been licensed to appear in EA Sports game FIFA 11 , the musical video games Rocksmith , Rock Band 3 (as downloadable content for both) and Guitar Hero Live, the TV series Gossip Girl , a Subaru commercial, a Molson commercial, and the films I Am Number Four , Bad Teacher , and Spring Breakers .

In 2015, a cover by Justin Young was used in the sci-fi TV series The Expanse , in the first episode of season 1, "Dulcinea". [31] The lyrics of the song were translated to the Belter Creole, a constructed language made for the TV series by Nick Farmer, that was spoken in the show by Belters, the inhabitants of the asteroid belt and outer planets. [32] The full version of the song was later song was placed on the TV series The Collector's Edition version of the soundtrack, that was realized on December 13, 2019. [31]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Black Keys</span> American rock duo

The Black Keys are an American rock duo formed in Akron, Ohio in 2001. The group consists of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney (drums). The duo began as an independent act, recording music in basements and self-producing their records, before they eventually emerged as one of the most popular garage rock artists during a second wave of the genre's revival in the 2000s. The band's raw blues rock sound draws heavily from Auerbach's blues influences, including Junior Kimbrough, R.L. Burnside, Howlin' Wolf, and Robert Johnson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Auerbach</span> American singer-songwriter and producer

Daniel Quine Auerbach is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and record producer, best known as the guitarist and vocalist of The Black Keys, a blues rock band from Akron, Ohio. As a member of the group, Auerbach has recorded and co-produced twelve studio albums with his bandmate Patrick Carney. Auerbach has also released two solo albums, Keep It Hid (2009) and Waiting on a Song (2017), and formed a side project, the Arcs, which released the albums Yours, Dreamily, (2015) and Electrophonic Chronic (2023).

<i>Rubber Factory</i> 2004 studio album by the Black Keys

Rubber Factory is the third studio album by American rock duo the Black Keys. It was self-produced by the band and was released on September 7, 2004, on Fat Possum Records. The album was recorded in an abandoned tire-manufacturing factory in the group's hometown of Akron, Ohio. Rubber Factory received positive reviews and was the band's first album to chart on the Billboard 200 in the United States, reaching number 143.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Black Keys discography</span>

American rock band The Black Keys have released 12 studio albums, two EPs, a live album, 21 singles, and 22 music videos.

<i>Brothers</i> (The Black Keys album) 2010 studio album by The Black Keys

Brothers is the sixth studio album by American rock duo The Black Keys. Co-produced by the group, Mark Neill, and Danger Mouse, it was released on May 18, 2010, on Nonesuch Records. Brothers was the band's commercial breakthrough, as it sold over 73,000 copies in the United States in its first week and peaked at number three on the Billboard 200, their best performance on the chart to that point.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Set You Free (The Black Keys song)</span> 2003 single by The Black Keys

"Set You Free" is a single by American blues rock duo The Black Keys from their second album, Thickfreakness. It was recorded in Patrick Carney's basement at his old house in Akron, Ohio. The song appears in the film School of Rock (2003) and the soundtrack album, as well as in the film I Love You, Man.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warrior (Disturbed song)</span> 2011 single by Disturbed

"Warrior" is a song by American heavy metal band Disturbed. It was released on 3 March 2011, as the fourth single from their album Asylum.

"Howlin' for You" is a song by The Black Keys from the band's sixth album, Brothers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Wanna Go</span> 2011 single by Britney Spears

"I Wanna Go" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her seventh studio album, Femme Fatale (2011). It was written and produced by Max Martin and Shellback, with additional writing by Savan Kotecha. Spears first posted on her Twitter account a link to a clip of the song in February 2011, a month prior to the album's release. Following a poll on her official website, "I Wanna Go" was chosen as the third single of the album, and Jive Records released it on June 14, 2011.

<i>El Camino</i> (The Black Keys album) 2011 studio album by the Black Keys

El Camino is the seventh studio album by American rock duo the Black Keys. Co-produced by Danger Mouse and the duo, the album was released on Nonesuch Records on December 6, 2011. It is the band's follow-up to their commercial breakthrough, Brothers (2010), and was their third collaboration with Danger Mouse. El Camino draws from popular genres of the 1950s to the 1970s, such as rock and roll, glam rock, rockabilly, surf rock and soul. Danger Mouse contributed as a co-writer on each of the 11 songs alongside guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lonely Boy (The Black Keys song)</span> 2011 single by the Black Keys

"Lonely Boy" is a song by American rock band the Black Keys. It is the opening track from their 2011 studio album El Camino and was released as the record's lead single on October 26, 2011. The song is also the A-side of a promotional 12-inch single that was released in commemoration of Record Store Day's "Back to Black" Friday event. The single was accompanied by a popular one-shot music video of a man dancing and lip-synching the lyrics.

Chris Marrs Piliero is an American actor, writer, producer, and director of short films and music videos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gold on the Ceiling</span> 2012 single by The Black Keys

"Gold on the Ceiling" is the third track from El Camino, the seventh studio album by American rock band the Black Keys. It was released as the record's second single on February 25, 2012. The song was certified platinum in Australia and Canada, and is tied with "Fever" as the band's highest-charting song in the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Black Submarines</span> 2012 single by the Black Keys

"Little Black Submarines" is a song by American rock band the Black Keys. It is the fourth track from their 2011 studio album, El Camino, and was released as the album's fourth single on October 8, 2012. The song begins as a quiet acoustic ballad before transitioning to a loud, hard rock arrangement in the second half. Critics praised the song and called it one of the highlights from El Camino. The song was a success on rock radio, reaching number two on the Alternative Songs chart in the US and the Alternative Rock and Active Rock charts in Canada. The group filmed a music video with director Danny Clinch at the Springwater Supper Club and Lounge, a dive bar in Nashville, Tennessee. "Little Black Submarines" was certified platinum in America.

<i>Turn Blue</i> (album) 2014 studio album by the Black Keys

Turn Blue is the eighth studio album by American rock duo the Black Keys. It was released through Nonesuch Records on May 12, 2014, and co-produced by Danger Mouse and the duo. The record was their fourth collaboration with Danger Mouse, following their previous studio album, El Camino (2011), which was their biggest commercial and critical success to that point. For Turn Blue, Danger Mouse reprised his role from El Camino as an equal songwriting partner alongside guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fever (The Black Keys song)</span> 2014 single by the Black Keys

"Fever" is a song by American rock band the Black Keys. It was released on March 24, 2014, as the lead single from their eighth studio album, Turn Blue. On April 15, 2014, the song was released on CD with the album's title track as a B-side, along with a credit applicable to purchases of the physical formats of the album. For the 57th Annual Grammy Awards, "Fever" was nominated for Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gotta Get Away (The Black Keys song)</span> 2014 single by the Black Keys

"Gotta Get Away" is a song by American rock band the Black Keys. It was released as the fourth single from their eighth studio album, Turn Blue, on August 19, 2014. Rolling Stone ranked the song number 24 on its list of the "50 Best Songs of 2014".

"Trouble" is a song by American alternative rock band Cage the Elephant, released as the second single from the band's fourth studio album Tell Me I'm Pretty on April 26, 2016. Produced and co-written by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys, it topped the Billboard Alternative Songs chart in the United States, becoming the band's seventh overall chart-topper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lo/Hi</span> 2019 single by The Black Keys

"Lo/Hi" is a song by the American rock band the Black Keys. It was released as the lead single from their ninth album, Let's Rock, on March 7, 2019. The song topped Billboard's Mainstream Rock, Adult Alternative Songs, Rock Airplay, and Alternative Songs charts in the United States simultaneously, making it the first song ever to do so.

<i>Lets Rock</i> (The Black Keys album) 2019 studio album by the Black Keys

Let's Rock is the ninth studio album by American rock duo the Black Keys. It was released on June 28, 2019, through Easy Eye Sound/Nonesuch Records. It was their first release since Turn Blue (2014), marking the longest gap between studio albums in their career. After collaborating with producer Danger Mouse for their previous four records, the duo decided to self-produce Let's Rock and to eschew keyboards in favor of a basic recording approach of guitar, drums, and vocals. Drummer Patrick Carney called the album "an homage to electric guitar".

References

  1. ↑ Nattress, Katrina (November 22, 2019). "30 Alternative Rock Songs That Defined the 2010s". iHeartMedia . Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  2. ↑ O'Donnell, Kevin (April 8, 2010). "The Black Keys "Tighten Up"". Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 13, 2015. Retrieved February 21, 2012.
  3. ↑ "The Black Keys Official Website — Track News". Theblackkeys.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  4. ↑ "The Black Keys Official Website — Album News". Theblackkeys.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  5. 1 2 Tighten Up - The Black Keys - Chart history. Billboard.com.
  6. ↑ "Winners: Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal". Grammy.com. Retrieved November 21, 2018.
  7. ↑ Dombal, Ryan (June 22, 2010). "Director's Cut: Black Keys: "Next Girl"". Pitchfork Media . Retrieved April 6, 2013.
  8. ↑ "The Black Keys - Tighten Up (Official Music Video)". YouTube . May 20, 2010. Archived from the original on December 15, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
  9. ↑ "The Black Keys' Myspace video". Archived from the original on May 23, 2010. Retrieved May 18, 2010.
  10. ↑ "Carlotta Bosch | Actress | Model | Screenwriter". www.carlottabosch.com. Archived from the original on December 5, 2008. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Carlotta Elektra Bosch". IMDb.com. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  12. ↑ "VMA Playlist: All-Time Best Breakthrough Videos". MTV . 2010. Archived from the original on July 9, 2010. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
  13. ↑ Diep, Eric (November 20, 2012). "The 15 Best Black Keys Songs". Complex . Retrieved April 27, 2023.
  14. ↑ Johnson, Ellen; Edelstone, Steven; Schramm, Molly (June 28, 2019). "The 10 Best Black Keys Songs". Paste . Retrieved April 27, 2023.
  15. ↑ Murphy, Kate (September 30, 2011). "The 15 Best Whistling Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone . Retrieved January 21, 2012.
  16. ↑ "Nonesuch Records Albums by Release Date". Nonesuch Records Official Website. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  17. ↑ The Black Keys Album & Song Chart History - Hot 100 Billboard.com.
  18. ↑ "The Black Keys – Tighten Up" (in Dutch). Ultratip.
  19. ↑ "The Black Keys Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard.
  20. ↑ "The Black Keys Chart History (Canada Rock)". Billboard.
  21. ↑ "The Black Keys – Tighten Up" (in Danish). Tracklisten.
  22. ↑ "The Black Keys Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  23. ↑ "The Black Keys Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard.
  24. ↑ "The Black Keys Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard.
  25. ↑ "Hot Rock Songs – Year-End 2010". Billboard. January 2, 2013. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
  26. ↑ "Hot Rock Songs – Year-End 2011". Billboard. January 2, 2013. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
  27. ↑ "Decade-End Charts: Hot Rock Songs". Billboard. October 31, 2019. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
  28. ↑ "Canadian single certifications – The Black Keys – Tighten Up". Music Canada . Retrieved December 25, 2023.
  29. ↑ "British single certifications – Black Keys – Tighten Up". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  30. ↑ "American single certifications – The Black Keys – Tighten Up". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved December 25, 2023.
  31. 1 2 "The Expanse - The Collector's Edition". Open.spotify.com. December 13, 2019. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  32. ↑ Dreyfuss, Emily. "That Cool Dialect on The Expanse Mashes Up 6 Languages". Wired.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.