Stereo Hearts

"Stereo Hearts"
Single by Gym Class Heroes featuring Adam Levine
from the album The Papercut Chronicles II
Released June 14, 2011
Format Digital Download
Recorded 2011
Genre Pop rap, alternative hip hop
Length 3:31
Label Decaydance, Fueled by Ramen
Writer(s) Travie McCoy, Adam Levine, Benjamin Levin, Sterling Fox, Ammar Malik, Dan Omelio[1]
Producer(s) Benny Blanco, Robopop
Certification

3x Platinum (RIAA)

Gym Class Heroes singles chronology
"Guilty as Charged"
(2008)		 "Stereo Hearts"
(2011)		 "Ass Back Home"
(2011)
Adam Levine singles chronology
"Say It Again"
(2007)		 "Stereo Hearts"
(2011)		 "My Life"
(2012)

"Stereo Hearts" is a song by American group Gym Class Heroes featuring Adam Levine, lead singer of band Maroon 5. The song was released on June 14, 2011.[2] as the lead single from the group's fifth studio album, The Papercut Chronicles II (2011).

Composition and recording

"Stereo Hearts", produced by Benny Blanco and Robopop begins with Maroon 5's Adam Levine singing the hook: "My heart's a stereo / It beats for you, so listen close/ Hear my thoughts in every note. / Make me your radio / Turn me up when you feel low / This melody was meant for you / So sing along to my stereo."[3] McCoy then raps about serenading his ideal girl and picking love over animosity, all the while relaying the message using music-based metaphors.[4][5] Additional Fender Rhodes was played by Austin Bis at Chalice Recording Studios in Los Angeles, CA.[6]

Music video

Gym Class Heroes drummer Matt McGinley explained that the song's music video "basically plays on the idea that we're sort of just being casual, hanging out, being ourselves and our shadows get wild and get loose. The video shows the band playing in the city of New York and their shadows are playing on the ground."[7]

The video (directed by Hiro Murai) has the feel of a 1980s setting, with a breakdancer and several payphones seen, though the actual setting is modern as evidenced by the Mini Cooper in one scene. It prominently features a pawn shop with a stack of old-fashioned boomboxes and TV sets, on which Adam Levine appears when he is singing the chorus.

Lyric video

The lyric video for the song received millions of views in the first month of its release. This is one of the first lyric videos to incorporate a live action story line, showing a man and a woman in split-screen as they get dressed for the day and go outdoors carrying boom-boxes, until they finally meet in a park. The video stars actress Breana McDow and was directed by music video director Djay Brawner.

Critical reception

The song received positive reviews. MTV's Jenna Hally Rubenstein complimented the band's new direction on "Stereo Hearts", writing that it is "a little more slickly produced than we're used to, but, we're still solidly behind the experimental new song."[8] MTV's James Montgomery described it as a "prime-time slab of genre-mashing, sweat-inducing pop, the kind of song that may very well push GCH to summertime superstardom."[7] Becky Bain of Idolator called it a "head-nodding jam" and "an instantly memorable signal that Gym Class is back in session."[9]

Track listing

  1. "Stereo Hearts (feat. Adam Levine)" – 3:31
  1. "Stereo Hearts (feat. Adam Levine)" – 3:31
  2. "Stereo Hearts (feat. Adam Levine)" – Soul Seekers Retronica Extended Mix – 6:17

Covers

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Chart (2011–12) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[12] 4
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[13] 28
Belgium (Ultratip Flanders)[14] 4
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[15] 35
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[16] 7
Czech Republic (Rádio Top 100)[17] 28
Denmark (Tracklisten)[18] 16
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[19] 16
France (SNEP)[20] 19
Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[21] 3
Ireland (IRMA)[22] 4
Israel (Media Forest)[23] 1
Italy (FIMI)[24] 12
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[25] 8
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[26] 3
Norway (VG-lista)[27] 4
Romania (Romanian Top 100)[28] 47
Scotland (Official Charts Company)[29] 2
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[30] 11
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[31] 6
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[32] 28
UK R&B (Official Charts Company)[33] 1
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[34] 3
US Billboard Hot 100[35] 4
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[36] 7
US Dance/Mix Show Airplay (Billboard)[37] 9
US Hot Latin Songs (Billboard)[38] 50
US Latin Pop Songs (Billboard)[39] 21
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[40] 1
US Rhythmic (Billboard)[41] 7

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
Australia (ARIA)[42] 3× Platinum 210,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[43] 2× Platinum 160,000^
Italy (FIMI)[44] Gold 15,000*
New Zealand (RMNZ)[45] Platinum 15,000*
United States (RIAA)[46] 3× Platinum 3,000,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification alone

Year-end charts

Chart (2011) Position
Australia (ARIA)[47] 29
New Zealand (RIANZ)[48] 26
US Billboard Hot 100[49] 36
Chart (2012) Position
Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[50] 90
US Billboard Hot 100[51] 61

References

  1. ↑ "BMI Repertoire – Stereo Hearts". BMI. Retrieved 2011-07-12.
  2. ↑ Lamb, Bill (June 4, 2011). "Gym Class Heroes' "Stereo Hearts" Single Will Feature Adam Levine". About.com. Retrieved 2011-06-22.
  3. ↑ Cheung, Nadine (June 10, 2011). "Gym Class Heroes, 'Stereo Hearts' Feat. Adam Levine – New Song". AOL Radio. Retrieved 2011-06-22.
  4. ↑ "Billboard Bits: Xtina & Adam Levine Duet, Chris Colfer to Pen Young Adult Novels". Billboard (Nielsen Company). June 9, 2011. Retrieved 2011-06-22.
  5. ↑ "Robopop Discography". Pilot Creative Services. June 1, 2011. Retrieved 2011-06-28.
  6. ↑ "Virginia News Network – The Papercut Chronicles, Vol. 2". Virginia News Network. Retrieved 2012-04-25.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Montgomery, James (June 22, 2011). "Gym Class Heroes Get Shady In 'Stereo Hearts' Video". MTV. Retrieved 2011-06-22.
  8. ↑ Rubenstein, Jenna Hally (June 9, 2011). "New Song: Gym Class Heroes, Featuring Adam Levine, 'Stereo Hearts'". MTV. Retrieved 2011-06-22.
  9. ↑ Bain, Becky (June 9, 2011). "Hear Gym Class Heroes’ 'Stereo Hearts' With Adam Levine (Idolator Premiere)". Idolator (Buzz Media). Retrieved 2011-06-22.
  10. ↑ "Stereo Hearts (feat. Adam Levine) – Single". iTunes Store. 2011.
  11. ↑ "Gym Class Heroes – Stereo Hearts (2-Track) (feat. Adam Levine)". Amazon. 2011.
  12. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Gym Class Heroes feat. Adam Levine – Stereo Hearts". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  13. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Gym Class Heroes feat. Adam Levine – Stereo Hearts" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  14. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Gym Class Heroes feat. Adam Levine – Stereo Hearts" (in Dutch). Ultratip.
  15. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Gym Class Heroes feat. Adam Levine – Stereo Hearts" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  16. ↑ "Gym Class Heroes Album & Song Chart History" Canadian Hot 100 for Gym Class Heroes.
  17. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 201213 into search.
  18. ↑ "Danishcharts.com – Gym Class Heroes feat. Adam Levine – Stereo Hearts". Tracklisten.
  19. ↑ "Gym Class Heroes feat. Adam Levine: Stereo Hearts" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
  20. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Gym Class Heroes feat. Adam Levine – Stereo Hearts" (in French). Les classement single.
  21. ↑ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége.
  22. ↑ "Chart Track: Week 41, 2011". Irish Singles Chart.
  23. ↑ "Gym Class Heroes feat. Adam Levine – Stereo Hearts Media Forest". Israeli Airplay Chart. Media Forest.
  24. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – Gym Class Heroes feat. Adam Levine – Stereo Hearts". Top Digital Download.
  25. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Gym Class Heroes feat. Adam Levine search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40.
  26. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Gym Class Heroes feat. Adam Levine – Stereo Hearts". Top 40 Singles.
  27. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Gym Class Heroes feat. Adam Levine – Stereo Hearts". VG-lista.
  28. ↑ "Official Rumania chart". Retrieved October 23, 2011.
  29. ↑ "Archive Chart: October 22, 2011". Scottish Singles Top 40.
  30. ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – Gym Class Heroes feat. Adam Levine – Stereo Hearts" Canciones Top 50.
  31. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Gym Class Heroes feat. Adam Levine – Stereo Hearts". Singles Top 60.
  32. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Gym Class Heroes feat. Adam Levine – Stereo Hearts". Swiss Singles Chart.
  33. ↑ "22, 2011/ Archive Chart: October 22, 2011" UK R&B Chart.
  34. ↑ "22, 2011/ Archive Chart: October 22, 2011" UK Singles Chart.
  35. ↑ "Gym Class Heroes Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Hot 100 for Gym Class Heroes.
  36. ↑ "Gym Class Heroes Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Adult Pop Songs for Gym Class Heroes.
  37. ↑ "Gym Class Heroes Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Dance/Mix Show Airplay for Gym Class Heroes.
  38. ↑ "Gym Class Heroes Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Hot Latin Songs for Gym Class Heroes.
  39. ↑ "Gym Class Heroes Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Latin Pop Songs for Gym Class Heroes.
  40. ↑ "Gym Class Heroes Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Pop Songs for Gym Class Heroes.
  41. ↑ "Gym Class Heroes Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Rhythmic Songs for Gym Class Heroes.
  42. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2012 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved May 6, 2012.
  43. ↑ "Canadian single certifications – Gym Class Heroes – Stereo Hearts". Music Canada. Retrieved May 6, 2012.
  44. ↑ "Italian single certifications – Gym Class Heroes feat. Adam Levine – Stereo Hearts" (in Italian). Federation of the Italian Music Industry. Retrieved May 6, 2012. Select Online in the field Sezione. Enter Gym Class Heroes feat. Adam Levine in the field Filtra. The certification will load automatically
  45. ↑ "New Zealand single certifications – Gym Class Heroes feat. Adam Levine – Stereo Hearts". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved May 6, 2012.
  46. ↑ "American single certifications – Gym Class Heroes feat. Adam Levine – Stereo Hearts". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved May 6, 2012. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH
  47. ↑ http://www.ariacharts.com.au/chart/top-100-singles-chart---2011/469
  48. ↑ http://nztop40.co.nz/chart/?chart=1862
  49. ↑ "Best of 2011 – Hot 100 Songs". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2011-12-19.
  50. ↑ "MAHASZ Rádiós TOP 100 2012" (in Hungarian). Mahasz. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  51. ↑ "Best of 2012 – Hot 100 Songs". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2012-12-14.

External links