Won't Back Down (Eminem song)

Last updated

"Won't Back Down"
Song by Eminem featuring Pink
from the album Recovery
ReleasedJune 18, 2010
Recorded
Genre
Length4:25
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) DJ Khalil

"Won't Back Down" is a song by American rapper Eminem featuring singer Pink. It is the fourth track on his seventh studio album Recovery (2010). The track features production from Aftermath Entertainment producer DJ Khalil, who helped write the song along with Eminem, Erik Alcock, and Columbus "Rahki" Smith.

Contents

Upon the release of Recovery, the song received generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised its aggressive nature and production. "Won't Back Down" charted at numbers 62, 65, 82, and 87 in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia respectively. It was used in the video game Call of Duty: Black Ops and its trailer as well as the trailers for the films Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol and Hitman: Agent 47 . Eminem performed the song on Saturday Night Live and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon .

It was later included on Eminem's second greatest hits album, Curtain Call 2 , through Shady Records, Aftermath Entertainment, and Interscope Records.

Background and composition

"Won't Back Down" was written by Eminem, DJ Khalil, Erik Alcock and Columbus "Rahki" Smith. Along with most of the songs from Recovery, "Won't Back Down" was recorded at 54 Sound and Effigy Studios in Ferndale, Michigan, with recording carried out by Mike Strange. [1] The song is one of the few Eminem songs not in a 4:4 time signature, along with "Untitled" (also from Recovery), "Need Me" (from Revival ), "Leaving Heaven" (from Music to be Murdered By ), "Underground" (from Relapse ), and "We Made You" (also from Relapse). Originally, the song was set to be a solo record, with Eminem singing the chorus himself. [2] Later, Liz Rodriguez, who is also featured on Recovery's "25 to Life" and "Almost Famous", recorded the song's chorus. [3] Eminem however, explained in an interview that after recording his vocals for the song, he decided to include Pink on the song as he "felt like she would really smash this record." [2] Rahki co-produced the song with Khalil. [3]

On September 12, 2022, a lyric video for Won't Back Down was released on Eminem's YouTube channel.

Critical reception

Upon its release, "Won't Back Down" received generally positive reviews from most music critics. David Jeffries of Allmusic wrote positively of the song, describing it as a "lurching heavy metal monster" that "could be used as the lead-in to 'Lose Yourself' on any ego-boosting mixtape", but wrote more critically of the lyrics, denouncing the pop culture jokes featured throughout the song, particularly ones aimed at Michael J. Fox, calling the line "Make like Michael J. Fox in your drawers, playin' with an Etch-A-Sketch" "less effective" than other jokes aimed at him. [4] Steve Jones of USA Today described it as "rock-tinged" and stated that Pink's appearance provides "outside star power". [5]

Chart performance

"Won't Back Down" charted on four national charts worldwide due to digital sales on the release of Recovery. The song reached its highest position on the US Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at number 62 on the chart for the week ending of July 10, 2010, although it fell off the chart the following week. [6] The song also charted in Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom, peaking at number 87, 65 and 82 on their respective national charts, although on all three the song again only appeared for one week. [7] [8] [9]

Appearances in media

A remixed version of the ESPN trailer of the video game Call of Duty: Black Ops featuring "Won't Back Down" was released on June 14, [10] prior to the E3 Activision conference, for which he also performed. [11] The song was also featured in the game's credits and Zombies mode map "Five" as an easter egg. [12] The official trailer for the 2011 action film, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol , features "Won't Back Down". [13] The song is also featured in TV spots for the 2015 movie Hitman: Agent 47 .

Eminem has performed the song on live sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live accompanied by Lil Wayne and hypeman and D12 member Mr. Porter. [14] Eminem wore a black jacket and a skull cap. [14] Idolator reacted positively to Eminem's performance, stating that he proved "once again what a dynamic and energetic live performer he is on this exceptionally angry tune (even by Slim Shady standards)." [15] He also performed the song on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon . [16]

Credits and personnel

Recording
Personnel
Notes

Charts

Chart (2010)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA) [7] 87
Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [8] 65
UK Singles (Official Charts Company) [9] 82
US Billboard Hot 100 [6] 62

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [17] Silver200,000‡
United States (RIAA) [18] Platinum1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Jonsin</span> American record producer (born 1970)

James Gregory Scheffer, known professionally as Jim Jonsin, is an American record producer from South Florida. He has produced for numerous musical artists, including Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, Usher, Lil Wayne, Kid Cudi, Eminem, Pitbull, Yelawolf, Nelly, Mary J. Blige, Wiz Khalifa, Danity Kane and Jamie Foxx, among others. He won a Grammy Award for his work on Lil Wayne's 2008 single "Lollipop," and received a nomination for Best Rap Album for his work on "Whatever You Like" by T.I. that same year. Furthermore, both songs peaked the Billboard Hot 100.

Pranam "Chin" Injeti is a Canadian singer, musician, and music producer. He got his start as a founding member of Juno Award-winning group Bass is Base. He frequently collaborates with producer DJ Khalil; together they have written and produced songs for Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Drake, Clipse, Eminem and P!nk. Injeti's work with Eminem and Lecrae has garnered 3 Grammy Awards, as well as Grammy nominations for Aloe Blacc's Lift Your Spirit and P!nk's The Truth About Love.

Young Money Entertainment is an American record label founded by rapper Lil Wayne in 2005. It was launched as an imprint of Cash Money Records — a joint venture colloquially branded as Young Money Cash Money Billionaires — and Republic Records until 2018, after which the label operated severally as an imprint of latter. Wayne's longtime affiliate, rapper Mack Maine was appointed the company's president in 2009.

Khalil Abdul-Rahman Hazzard, professionally known as DJ Khalil, is an American music producer and DJ from Los Angeles. He is the instrumental half of the hip hop duo Self Scientific and a member of the group The New Royales, which also includes Liz Rodrigues, Erik Alcock and Pranam Chin Injeti. He produced the albums Recovery and The Marshall Mathers LP 2 by the rapper Eminem, as well as the multi-platinum single "The Man" by Aloe Blacc. He is the third born son of former UCLA player and coach and NBA player Walt Hazzard.

This article summarizes the events, album releases, and album release dates in hip hop music for the year 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Life (The Game song)</span> 2008 single by The Game featuring Lil Wayne

"My Life" is the third single from The Game's third studio album, LAX which was released on July 22, 2008. The song, produced by Cool & Dre, features Lil Wayne.

<i>Recovery</i> (Eminem album) 2010 studio album by Eminem

Recovery is the seventh studio album by the American rapper Eminem. It was released on June 18, 2010, by Aftermath Entertainment, Shady Records, and Interscope Records. The album serves as a follow-up to Relapse (2009). Production of the album took place during 2009 to 2010 at several recording studios and was handled by various record producers, including Alex da Kid, Just Blaze, Boi-1da, Jim Jonsin, DJ Khalil, Mr. Porter, and Dr. Dre. Eminem also collaborated with artists such as Pink, Lil Wayne, Rihanna, and Slaughterhouse for the album.

Jermaine Anthony Preyan, better known by his stage name Mack Maine, is an American record executive, songwriter, and rapper from New Orleans, Louisiana. He was appointed as the president of hometown native Lil Wayne's record label Young Money Entertainment in 2009, having known the rapper since childhood. Preyan is also known as a co-writer on many of Wayne's singles, including "How to Love", "Got Money", "No Worries" and "It's Good", among others. Furthermore, he has co-written severally for other artists or Wayne's collaborators, often in tandem with record producer Ke'noe; his credits include "Dreams and Nightmares" by Meek Mill and "So Sophisticated" by Rick Ross.

<i>Beam Me Up Scotty</i> (mixtape) 2009 mixtape by Nicki Minaj

Beam Me Up Scotty is the third mixtape by rapper Nicki Minaj. It was released on April 18, 2009 by Young Money and Aphilliates. The mixtape features guest appearances from rappers Brinx, Busta Rhymes, Drake, Gucci Mane, Mack Maine, Gudda Gudda, Jae Millz, Lil Wayne, Red Café, Rocko and Ron Browz, as well as vocals from singers Ricky Blaze, Bobby V, Shanell. Its production was overseen by DJ Holiday and the Trap-a-Holics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forever (Drake, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and Eminem song)</span> 2009 single by Drake, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and Eminem

"Forever" is a song by Canadian rapper Drake, and American rappers Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and Eminem. Written alongside producer Boi-1da, the song was originally released on August 27, 2009, as the third single from the soundtrack to LeBron James's More than a Game documentary, and was placed on the Refill re-release of Eminem's album Relapse (2009).

This article summarizes the events, album releases and album release dates in hip hop music for the year 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Not Afraid</span> 2010 single by Eminem

"Not Afraid" is a song by American rapper Eminem from his seventh studio album Recovery (2010). It was released as the album's lead single on April 27, 2010, by Interscope Records. "Not Afraid" was first revealed as a single by Eminem via Twitter, after which the song debuted on radio. To promote the single's release, a freestyle rap, "Despicable", was released on the Internet and received attention for its tone and lyrical content. "Not Afraid" was written and produced by Eminem, Boi-1da, Jordan Evans and Matthew Burnett; keyboardist Luis Resto was also attributed with songwriting credit. According to Eminem's manager Paul Rosenberg and music critics, "Not Afraid" carries a positive message and depicts Eminem's change in direction from drugs and violence. The hip hop song features a choir that assists Eminem in a heavily layered chorus and vocals are sung over a guitar, synthesizer and piano; no Auto-Tune was used on the sung vocals, but many reverberation tools were.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No Love</span> 2010 single by Eminem

"No Love" is a song by American rapper Eminem, featuring fellow American rapper Lil Wayne, from Eminem's seventh studio album Recovery (2010). It was released as the third official single from the album. It impacted radio on October 5, 2010. "No Love" was produced by American hip hop record producer Just Blaze. The song samples "What Is Love" by Haddaway. It features the chorus of the song as the backing vocals. "No Love" reached number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100. It has sold more than a million digital downloads in the United States. It was ranked the 8th best song of 2010 by Complex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman's Revenge</span> 2010 song by Nicki Minaj

"Roman's Revenge" is a song by Trinidadian-born rapper Nicki Minaj featuring American rapper Eminem, performing as their respective alter egos Roman Zolanski and Slim Shady. Taken from her debut studio album Pink Friday (2010), written alongside producer Swizz Beatz. It was released exclusively on October 30, 2010 through the United States iTunes Store, as a promotional release preceding the album's release.

Christopher Lynn Moore, better known by his stage name Lil Twist, is an American rapper from Dallas, Texas. He signed to Lil Wayne's Young Money Entertainment, an imprint of Republic Records in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Survival (Eminem song)</span> 2013 single by Eminem

"Survival" is a song by American rapper Eminem. It premiered on August 14, 2013, to promote the multiplayer trailer for the video game Call of Duty: Ghosts, and was initially released as a pre-order bonus when pre-ordering the game. The song was officially released as the second single from The Marshall Mathers LP 2 on October 8, 2013. It features uncredited vocals in the chorus from Liz Rodrigues of the New Royales. Upon its single release, the song debuted at number 17 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and upon the album's release, it climbed to a new peak of number 16.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DVLP</span> American record producer and songwriter

Bigram John Zayas, professionally known as DVLP or Develop, is an American record producer, songwriter and disc jockey (DJ). Hailing from New York City, DVLP initially embarked on his career in music as one-half of the production team Doe Boys, alongside his cousin Matthew "Filthy" Delgiorno. Working primarily in the hip hop, pop, and Latin genres, he has produced over 25 songs for American rapper Lil Wayne, including the songs "Fireman" (2005) and "Blunt Blowin" (2011). In 2013, he gained major recognition when he produced the Eminem single "Rap God", which went on to reach number seven on the US ’’Billboard’’ Hot 100 chart.

The New Royales are a four-person music group consisting of members DJ Khalil, Chin Injeti, Liz Rodrigues, and Erik Alcock. Since forming in 2007, they have worked together as producers and songwriters for artists such as Eminem, Pitbull, Pink, Bishop Lamont, Jay Electronica and more. The group is known for incorporating musical styles from multiple genres, drawing influence from hip hop and soul, Brazilian and Portuguese music, to rock and pop music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turn Down for What</span> 2013 single by DJ Snake and Lil Jon

"Turn Down for What" is a song by French DJ and record producer DJ Snake and American rapper Lil Jon. It was released on December 18, 2013 as DJ Snake's debut single. The song and its viral music video popularized the use of the phrase. The song was particularly successful in North America, where it has earned eight platinum certifications in the United States. In late 2020, seven years after it was released, the video passed 1 billion views on YouTube.

Brian Honeycutt, best known by his stage name Kobe or Kobe Honeycutt, is an American R&B singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, he is perhaps best known for his collaborations with American rapper Eminem, including 2010's "Talkin' 2 Myself" and "Cinderella Man", as well as 2014's "Die Alone". He often provides guest vocals for songs produced by DJ Khalil.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Recovery (CD liner). Eminem. United States: Interscope Records. 2010. 2739452.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. 1 2 "Eminem Talks Rihanna, Pink, and Lil Wayne Collaborations". Rap-Up . Devin Lazerine. June 1, 2010. Retrieved August 27, 2011.
  3. 1 2 "DJ Khalil Exclusive Interview". Hit Talk. ModernBeats. April 11, 2011. Retrieved July 8, 2012.
  4. ↑ Jeffries, David. "Recovery – Eminem". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation . Retrieved July 25, 2011.
  5. ↑ Jones, Steve (June 21, 2010). "Eminem's 'Recovery' is an addictive hip-hop comeback". USA Today . Mclean, Virginia: Gannett Company . Retrieved July 25, 2011.
  6. 1 2 "Billboard Hot 100: Week of July 10, 2010 (Biggest Jump)". Billboard . Prometheus Global Media . Retrieved July 7, 2011.
  7. 1 2 "Chartifacts – Week Commencing: 28th June 2010". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on September 17, 2010. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
  8. 1 2 "Canadian Hot 100: Week of July 10, 2010 (Biggest Jump)". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
  9. 1 2 "Chart Log UK: E-40 – E-Z Rollers". Zobbel.de. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
  10. ↑ Activision (June 14, 2010). "Call of Duty: Black Ops Remix – Eminem "Won't Back Down"". YouTube. Archived from the original on July 15, 2010. Retrieved June 20, 2010.
  11. ↑ Mike Fahey (June 16, 2010). "Activision's Night Of Far Too Many Stars". Game Stooge. Retrieved June 20, 2010.
  12. ↑ Treyarch (November 9, 2010). Call of Duty: Black Ops (Microsoft Windows). Activision.
  13. ↑ "Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol – Trailer #1". IGN . News Corporation . Retrieved July 8, 2012.
  14. 1 2 Crosley, Hillary (December 19, 2010). "Eminem and Lil Wayne Rock 'SNL': Fans Hope For Duet LP". MTV News . New York City: Viacom International. Archived from the original on December 21, 2010. Retrieved July 25, 2011.
  15. ↑ "Eminem And Lil Wayne Dominate 'SNL'". Idolator . Buzz Media. December 19, 2010. Retrieved July 25, 2011.
  16. ↑ Verse (June 26, 2010). "Eminem x The Roots Perform "Won't Back Down" On Late Night With Jimmy Fallon". Soul Culture. Retrieved July 25, 2011.
  17. ↑ "British single certifications – Eminem Ft Pink – Won't Back Down". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  18. ↑ "American single certifications – Eminem – Won't Back Down". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved March 2, 2018.
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.