Closer (Ne-Yo song)

"Closer"
Single by Ne-Yo
from the album Year of the Gentleman
Released	April 15, 2008
Format	CD single, digital download
Recorded	2008
Genre	Dance-pop, R&B
Length	3:54
Label	Def Jam
Writer(s)	Magnus Beite, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Bernt Rune Stray, Shaffer Smith
Producer(s)	Stargate, Ne-Yo
Certification	Platinum (RIAA), (RIANZ)[1] Silver(BPI)[2]
Ne-Yo singles chronology
"Finer Things" (2008) "Closer" (2008) "Miss Independent" (2008)

"Closer" is a 2008 Single by American pop/R&B singer Ne-Yo. The song was produced by Stargate.^[3]

The song was released as the first single from his third album Year of the Gentleman. It reached No. 1 in the UK, scoring Ne-Yo his second UK No.1 following 2006's "So Sick". "Closer" became the fifteenth biggest selling single in the UK in 2008 according to BBC Radio 1's chart of the year.

The song and its music video were used in a commercial for Overstock.com in early 2008. The commercial was also used as promotional tool for Year of the Gentleman.

Song information

"Closer" marks a musical departure for Ne-Yo, taking on a dance pop style over the more rhythmic and urban sound his songs usually possess. In the song, Ne-Yo sings of having an urging attraction to a woman he sees, having the desire to "come closer" to her. His attraction to her becomes stronger, and almost hypnotic, as he sings "And I just can't pull myself away, under a spell I can't break/I just can't stop." The song was featured in episodes of the CW shows Gossip Girl and 90210.

Background

Speaking in May 2008 to noted UK R&B writer Pete Lewis of the award-winning Blues & Soul, Ne-Yo explained the inspiration behind the song: "It was very much inspired by just the vibe of some of these house and techno clubs we went to while we were in London. You know, kinda smoky, kinda dark and mysterious... With just that constant, four-on-the-floor house beat that just really gets bashed into your skull the whole time you're there, by the way the music makes you feel. I basically tried to capture that energy and put the Ne-Yo spin on it. And 'Closer' was the end result."^[4]

Awards and nominations

This song was number 60 on Rolling Stone‍ '​s list of the 100 Best Songs of 2008.^[5] The song was nominated for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, while the Stonebridge Radio Edit was nominated for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical^[6] for the 51st Grammy Awards, which were held on February 8, 2009.

Music video

The video was filmed at Santa Clara Studios, California.^[7] It was directed by Melina Matsoukas who also directed his "Because of You" and "Do You" video. Ne-Yo wore a "gentleman-looking" suit dancing with a woman. Other shots also show him alone in the center of the spotlight being backed up with four dancers, or with a Matchless motorcycle. A number of on-set pictures from the video leaked over the Internet.

The video premiered on BET on April 25, playing every hour of the day with the last airing being at 7 pm.^[8] It features Ne-Yo performing dance moves, with lyrics from the song occasionally appearing on-screen.

The video was nominated in the "Best Dancing in a Video" category at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, but it lost to Pussycat Dolls's "When I Grow Up" which would appear in Dance Dance Revolution a year later.

Track listing

• UK CD Single

1. "Closer" – 3:54
2. "Closer" (Agent X Bassline Remix) – 5:22
3. "Closer" (Instrumental) – 3:54
4. "Closer" (Video)

Remixes

1. "Closer" (StoneBridge Club Remix) – 7:36
2. "Closer" (Subkulcha House Remix) – 7:22
3. "Closer" (Cotto's Club Mix) – 7:56
4. "Closer" (Cotto's Can't Stop Remix) – 7:25
5. "Closer" (StoneBridge Dub) – 6:37
6. "Closer" (G Music Remix)
7. "Closer" (Tha Bizness)
8. "Closer" (X-Mix Remix)

Cover versions

• Los Angeles based modern rock/pop band, Ice Cream Fire covered the song on their 6-song demo, released via their websites in 2011.
• Las Vegas pop rock band The Higher covered the song on their June 2009 release It's Only Natural.
• UK-based rock band Kenai have covered the song as a download-only release. Michigan band Call It Karma and Colorado band Blue Dog And Sponge Cake have also covered the song.^[9]
• Laura White covered the song in the summer of 2009 at festivals she was playing at.
• Australian Idol 2008 finalist Madam Parker covered this song on the Top 12 Idol's Idols night and was safe on the following verdict show. Parker recorded a cover for that season's Top 10 Cast Album.
• Romy Madley Croft of UK Mercury Music Prize winning band The xx covered the song in 2009. The cover was produced by UK electronic pop producers Kwes and Micachu and is featured in the two producer's collaborative mixtape – Kwesachu Vol.1.

Chart performance

"Closer" is Ne-Yo's most successful single in Europe, and in general. It debuted at number twenty-two on the UK Singles Chart, and managed a peak of number one based on downloads alone after seven weeks on the chart. Upon the release of the physical CD single, "Closer" climbed to number-one, becoming his second UK number one, following "So Sick", "Closer" spent 11 weeks in the UK Top 10. In Ireland, "Closer" initially peaked at number-twelve for four weeks before jumping to number-three. It has peaked at number four on the German Singles Chart, becoming his highest charting single there. It recently debuted at No. 37 in Italy. In addition it has peaked in the top ten or top twenty in Austria, Denmark, Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland.

In the United States "Closer" peaked at number-seven, becoming his seventh top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100. While having a relatively weak peak on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop songs for a Ne-Yo song, peaking outside of the top twenty at No. 21, "Closer" has instead had surprising success on Top 40 radio. After losing its bullet and falling down the charts on CHR/Top 40, suddenly the track exploded and frequently had the biggest bullet on pop radio, at times with over +1000. It has become his biggest U.S. radio hit, despite the lack of Urban airplay, becoming his first song to top the Hot 100 Airplay chart. As of August 2011, "Closer" has sold nearly 2,000,000 digital downloads in the US alone, making it Ne-Yo's best-selling song as a lead artist.^[10]

The song jumped fifteen spots from number-twenty to number five on the New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart and reached a peak of number-three, it has also been certified Platinum with sales of over 15,000.^[1] In Australia, "Closer" debuted at number-seventeen on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart and has thus far peaked at 8, and is his second top ten single after "So Sick".

Charts

Chart (2008–09) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[11] 8 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[12] 9 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[13] 24 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[14] 28 Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[15] 19 Czech Republic (Rádio Top 100)[16] 6 Denmark (Tracklisten)[17] 12 Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[18] 4 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[19] 9 Germany (Media Control Charts)[20] 4 Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[21] 15 Hungary (Dance Top 40)[22] 25 Ireland (IRMA)[23] 3 Italy (FIMI)[24] 10 Japan (Japan Hot 100)[25] 85 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[26] 12 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[27] 3 Norway (VG-lista)[28] 17 Slovakia (Rádio Top 100)[29] 6 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[30] 40 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[31] 17 UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[32] 1 US Billboard Hot 100[33] 7 US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[34] 40 US Hot Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[35] 1 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[36] 21 US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[37] 2

Year-end charts Charts (2008–09) Position Australian Singles Chart[38] 28 Austrian Singles Chart[39] 54 Belgian Singles Chart (Flanders)[40] 89 Dutch Top 40[41] 45 European Hot 100 Singles[42] 28 German Singles Chart[43] 29 Hungarian Singles Chart (2008)[44] 81 Hungarian Singles Chart (2009)[45] 53 New Zealand Singles Chart[46] 20 Swiss Singles Chart[47] 78 UK Singles Chart[48] 15 US Billboard Hot 100[49] 20 US Billboard Pop Songs[50] 14 Certifications Country Certifications (sales thresholds) Australia Platinum[51] Denmark Gold[52] New Zealand Platinum[1] United States Platinum[53]

See also

• List of number-one dance singles of 2008 (U.S.)

References

External links

• Full lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

Ne-Yo Discography Awards and nominations Studio albums In My Own Words Because of You Year of the Gentleman Libra Scale R.E.D. Non-Fiction Compilation albums Ne-Yo: The Collection Singles "Stay" "So Sick" "When You're Mad" "Sexy Love" "Because of You" "Do You" "Can We Chill" "Go On Girl" "Closer" "Miss Independent" "Mad" "Part of the List" "Never Knew I Needed" "Beautiful Monster" "Champagne Life" "One in a Million" "Think Like a Man" "Lazy Love" "Let Me Love You (Until You Learn to Love Yourself)" "Don't Make Em Like You" "Forever Now" "Money Can't Buy" "She Knows" "Coming with You" "Religious" "Every Day with Love" Featured singles "Back Like That" "Sexual Healing" "Make Me Better" "Hate That I Love You" "Bust It Baby (Part 2)" "Finer Things" "Single" "Camera Phone" "She Got Her Own" "By My Side" "Knock You Down" "Be on You" "Baby by Me" "Angels Cry (Remix)" "Super High" "Give Me Everything" "Turn All the Lights On" "Leave You Alone" "Let's Go" "Hands in the Air" "Turn Around" "Play Hard" "Tonight" "Incredible" "Time of Our Lives" Promotional singles "The Way You Move" Filmography "Save the Last Dance 2" "Stomp the yard" "Battle: Los Angeles" "Red Tails" "Good Deeds"