DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love

"DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love" is a song by recording artist Usher and features guest vocals from American rapper Pitbull. It was written by Savan Kotecha, Pitbull, Shellback and Max Martin, with the latter two producing it. It is the first single from Usher's EP, Versus. The song was released as a digital download on July 13, 2010, and sent to radio on on July 20, 2010.^[1][2]

The song is a synthpop and Europop song, and contains elements of dance-pop and electronic. It received very positive reviews among critics, with praises going towards the songs chorus and energetic melody. The song became one of the most successful singles of Usher's career, becoming his sixteenth top-ten hit, with a peak of number-four on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and an international success with a top-ten peak within a total of nineteen charts worldwide. DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love was covered by the post-hardcore band Forget Tomorrow.

Composition

"DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love" is a synthpop and Europop song, originally written for Rihanna's fifth studio album, Loud, but didn't make the cut and was subsequently sent to Usher^[3], ^[4][5] with dance beats and electronic influences.^[6][7] According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love" is written in the key of G Minor and has a tempo of 120 beats per minute. It follows the chord progression of Gm-F-E♭, and Usher's vocal range spans from the low note of G₃ to the high note of B♭₄.^[8]

Critical reception

The song received positive reviews. Andy Kellman noted it as a standout track from Versus.^[5] Bill Lamb from About.com awarded the song three-and-a-half out of five stars. While calling he it "a smooth, easy club tune", he wrote that it did not compare well to "OMG". He further named Pitbull's rap "a commercial gimmick", and said that "'DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love' may bring [Usher] another hit single, but it contains no revelations or deepening of our understanding of Usher the artist".^[4] Billboard reviewer Michael Menachem gave the song a positive review, calling it a "potential No. 1 hit". He praised Usher's high vocal register for complementing the song's dance beats, and called Pitbull's verse "energizing".^[6] Fraser McAlpine of BBC Radio 1 gave the song three out of five stars, lauding its melodic chorus, but criticizing the verses' repetitive lyrics and disparaging Pitbull's addition.^[9] The Los Angeles Times review, say that: "The Pitbull-propelled “DJ Got Us Fallin in Love” finds Usher singing generic paeans to a paramour’s eyes over a Eurovision-like Max Martin production".^[10] Sarah Roston from The Boston Globe said that: "The current hit, dance thumper “DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love’’ exhorting listeners in the most inviting way to lose themselves in the music".^[11] In contrast, Eric Henderson from Slant Magazine say, negatively, that: "And "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love" is, while indistinguishable from any other overdriving club banger, one of the only songs in which Usher Raymond acknowledges an aphrodisiac more powerful than his own ab musk".^[12]

Chart performance

The song debuted at number nineteen on the Billboard Hot 100 on the week dated July 21, 2010, becoming Usher's second top-20 debut of the year after "OMG".^[13] The song rose up to number-twelve in its second week, reached number-nine in its third week and became the first time Usher has had two top-ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100 simultaneously (with "OMG" at number-ten) since his 2004 album, Confessions.^[14] It also became Usher's sixteenth Hot 100 top-ten hit of his career. It reached a peak of number-four on the Billboard Hot 100.

Since its release, the song has gained international success, debuting in the top 10 and 20 in several countries. It eventually became an international success, peaking in the top-ten in a total of nineteen charts worldwide, becoming one of Usher's most successful singles to date. As of February 2011, the single has sold 3,000,000 digital units, making it the second single for both artists to do so (Usher's "OMG" has sold 3,957,000 units, Enrique Iglesias' I Like It, featuring Pitbull, sold 3,197,000 units).^[15] The song is also his first entry on the adult contemporary chart.

Music video

The music video premiered on August 25, 2010.^[16] It shows Usher dancing in a club. Utilizing a bevy of stop-start moves in synch with a synth beat, Usher walks through the club and the crowds of its dancing patrons while singing. Throughout the video, the surrounding dancers are periodically frozen in time or slowed while Usher continues to krump at normal speed. Featured artist Pitbull also appears in the music video.

Live performances

On August 20, 2010 Usher performed "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love" live on Good Morning America and on The Early Show. Usher also performed the song at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards as part of a medley with "OMG". He performed it a couple days later live on the Ellen Degeneres Show. He performed his top 5 hit "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love" on the season finale of America's Got Talent Season 5. He also performed the song on the seventh series of The X Factor along with "OMG".

Tracklist

Personnel

• Songwriting – Max Martin, Shellback, Savan Kotecha, Armando C. Pérez
• Production and instruments – Max Martin, Shellback
• Recording – Sam Holland, Emily Wright
• Pitbull vocal recording – Al Burna
• Mixing – Serban Ghenea
• Mix engineer – John Hanes
• Photography – Walid Azami
• Assistant mix engineer – Tim Roberts

Source:^[21]

Charts and certifications

Release history

References

External links

• Video on YouTube