| "I See You (Theme from Avatar)" | |
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"I See You (Theme from Avatar)" cover |
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| Song by Leona Lewis from the album Avatar: Music from the Motion Picture | |
| Released | December 3, 2009 |
| Format | Digital download, airplay |
| Recorded | 2009 |
| Genre | Pop, electronic |
| Length | 4:20 (Album Version) 3:36 (Radio Edit) |
| Label | Atlantic, Syco |
| Writer | James Horner, Kuk Harrell, Simon Franglen |
| Producer | James Horner, Simon Franglen |
"I See You (Theme from Avatar)" (also shortened as "I See You") is a pop ballad performed by British singer Leona Lewis. It was written and produced by composer James Horner, Simon Franglen and Kuk Harrell for the soundtrack album to the highest-grossing film of all time by James Cameron, Avatar. Horner and Franglen composed the music, and Horner, Franglen, and Harrell wrote the lyrics.[1] It was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Original Song at the 67th Golden Globe Awards in 2010, and Grammy Awards for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media at the 53rd Grammy Awards in 2011,[2] but lost to "The Weary Kind" from Crazy Heart.
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James Horner composed the score for James Cameron's big screen project Avatar and recruited Lewis to perform "I See You (Theme from Avatar)" which is played during the closing credits of the film. The song's producers James Horner and Simon Franglen were responsible for Celine Dion's Grammy-winning single "My Heart Will Go On" from the film Titanic, for which Horner also composed the film score.[3] Lewis recorded the song after being invited to watch the making of Avatar; afterwards, she declared about the film and recording the song that,
I hope aliens are like the Na'vi. I really like them. They care about the things I'm passionate about - nature, the planet, the environment. This song required a powerful performance so I had to find an emotional connection. I found one to them.[4]
James Cameron intended to release the song as a single, thinking it would match the success of Dion's 1998 song, although Lewis was reluctant, as she had just released her second album, Echo.[5] The Sun reported from a source that, "Leona was delighted to be part of Avatar but the song was never supposed to be released. But her cover of 'Run' wasn't meant to be released either—and look how well that did."[5]
"I See You" is composed as a mid-tempo ballad, with a metronome marking of 68 beats per minute. The time signature of the music is common time, and it is played in the key of B-flat minor, with a piano for the background music.[6] The song employs a B♭m—A♭—E♭ chord progression. The vocal part ranges from F#3 to F5. The piece begins with a distorted vocal section sung by Lewis, using voice-altering techniques.[6]
The phrase "I see you" is a reference to a greeting repeatedly used by the Na'vi in the film. As Jake learns to speak Na'vi, Norm explains to him that while the phrase literally means "I see you", it is being used figuratively to mean "I see into you", and essentially "I understand you".
The song has been given mixed reviews. Brian Linder from IGN called the song a "solid pop ballad", although was unsure if it "will become as annoyingly ubiquitous" as Dion's "My Heart Will Go On".[7] An unfavorable review came from James Christopher Monger of Allmusic, who claimed that "the torch ballad 'I See You', a forgettable piece of grocery store balladry that (unlike the schmaltzy, but appropriate 'My Heart Will Go On') feels ridiculously out of place, especially in a film about 10 foot tall blue aliens".[8] As part of its review of the movie, The Village Voice criticized the "Celine Dion clone singing in Na'vi" over the end credits.[9] It was nominated at the 2010 World Soundtrack Awards in the category of Best Original Song Written Directly for a Film.[10]
Lewis appeared on So You Think You Can Dance on December 16, 2009 to perform the song[11] and on The Today Show on January 16, 2010, where Lewis also gave an interview.[12]
The music video was released on December 15, 2009,[13] the same day as the soundtrack's release. It was directed by Jake Nava.[14] The video shows upclose footage of Lewis, combined with scenes from Avatar.
| Charts (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Irish Singles Chart[15] | 47 |
| UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)[16] | 106 |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[17] | 24 |
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