Love Me Harder

"Love Me Harder"
Single by Ariana Grande and The Weeknd
from the album My Everything
Released September 30, 2014 (2014-09-30)
Format Digital download
Recorded
  • 2014
  • Conway Recording Studios, Los Angeles, CA
  • Studio at the Palms, NV (The Weeknd vocals)
Genre Synthpop[1]
Length 3:56
Label Republic
Writer(s)
Producer(s)
Ariana Grande singles chronology
"Bang Bang"
(2014)		 "Love Me Harder"
(2014)		 "Santa Tell Me"
(2014)
The Weeknd singles chronology
"Often"
(2014)		 "Love Me Harder"
(2014)		 "Earned It"
(2014)
Music video
"Love Me Harder" on YouTube

"Love Me Harder" is a song recorded by American singer Ariana Grande and Canadian singer The Weeknd. It was released by Republic Records on September 30, 2014 as the fourth single from Grande's second studio album, My Everything (2014).[2] The Weeknd co-wrote the song along with Max Martin, Savan Kotecha, Ahmad Balshe, Peter Svensson, and Ali Payami; the latter two also co-produced it with Carolina Liar drummer Peter Carlsson.

"Love Me Harder" was hailed by critics, praising its mature sound and the pairing between Grande and The Weeknd. It was called the best song from My Everything by several critics. The song peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Ariana Grande's fifth overall top 10 single and fourth from My Everything. By becoming her fourth top ten single, Grande has the most top 10 singles in 2014. The song is also The Weeknd's first top 10 single on the chart, as well as his first top 40 entry.

Background
"Love Me Harder"
A 23-second sample of "Love Me Harder" by Ariana Grande, where the chorus is heard.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

The collaboration between Grande and The Weeknd was pushed by their mutual label, Republic Records.[3] Grande and The Weeknd were up-and-coming artists in 2013, with both releasing their debut albums that year. In an interview with Billboard, Republic Records EVP Charlie Walk stated, "The Weeknd is positioned to be best new artist of 2014. He is that guy."[4] In October 2014, Walk admitted that the collaboration was part of a plan to promote The Weeknd, saying, "It's no accident that the new Ariana track features The Weeknd. That's strategic, because he's about to blow up with his own record."[5]

Live performances

Grande and The Weeknd performed the song together live for the first time on the season 40 premiere of Saturday Night Live on September 27, 2014 and for a second time at the American Music Awards on November 23, 2014.[6][7] Grande also performed part of the song as part of a medley at the 2014 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, which aired on December 9, 2014 on CBS, and again at the 2015 NBA All-Star Game on February 15, 2015.[8][9]

Music video

On October 1, 2014, Grande confirmed she was working on the music video for "Love Me Harder"[10] and Grande's manager Scooter Braun posted a picture on Instagram of the set.[11] In the following days, Grande teased fans by posting photos from the video shoot.[12][13][14] The music video was directed by Hannah Lux Davis who also directed Grande's joint single "Bang Bang."[15]

The lyric video for "Love Me Harder" was released on October 18, 2014.[16][17][18] A behind-the-scenes video was released on October 28, 2014.[19] The official music video premiered on Vevo on November 3, 2014,[20][21] and surpassed 100 million views on January 11, 2015, making it Grande's fifth Vevo-certified music video, following "The Way", "Problem", "Break Free", as well as her joint single with Jessie J and Nicki Minaj, "Bang Bang".[22]

As of February 2016, the video has received over 360 million views, being Ariana's fourth most viewed video, behind "Break Free", "Bang Bang" and "Problem", which have received over 560 million views, 580 million views and 740 million views respectively, and The Weeknd's third, behind "The Hills" and Can't Feel My Face, which have received over 590 million views and 400 million views respectively.

Critical reception

The Weeknd co-wrote "Love Me Harder".

The song received critical acclaim, praising its dark sound and Grande's vocals. Mikael Wood from the Los Angeles Times wrote that "Love Me Harder" is a "darker (and more fully realized) R&B jam than anyone probably expected from a 21-year-old singer once known for her endless supply of pastel princess dresses." He also wrote that the song explored adult themes and is "filled with double entendres about rough sex; that one also has a single entendre – delivered by her reliably creepy duet partner, the Weeknd – about feeling "the pressure between your hips.""[23] Jason Lipshutz from Billboard stated that the pairing of Grande and The Weeknd made sense, despite the two being completely different. He went on to say that, the "driving guitar riff in the chorus is delicious 80's cheese, and the Weeknd's ultra-sincere crooning works well while serving as callbacks to Grande's demands for romantic satisfaction."[24] The Guardian wrote that the song's "saturated, mid-tempo atmospherics" stand out.[25]

Commercial performance

After spending a couple weeks on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart, "Love Me Harder" officially debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 79.[26] The following week it moved to No. 57 and on its third week it jumped to No. 37, becoming the Weeknd's first top-40 single on the chart.[27] On the fifth week, after the music video's official release, it jumped to its peak of No. 7,[28] becoming Ariana Grande's 5th overall top ten single and 4th overall from her album My Everything. By becoming her 4th top ten single, Ariana Grande has the most top ten singles of 2014, along with her past top ten singles "Problem", "Break Free", and "Bang Bang". "Love Me Harder" is also The Weeknd's first top ten single on the Billboard Hot 100. The single was top 20 in many countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, Finland and the Netherlands.

Track listing

  1. "Love Me Harder" (with The Weeknd) – 3:56
  2. "Cadillac Song" – 2:52
  3. "Too Close" – 3:35

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of My Everything.[30]

Recording locations

Vocal credits

Technical credits

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2014–15) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[31] 19
Australia Urban (ARIA)[32] 4
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[33] 29
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[34] 45
Belgium Urban (Ultratop Flanders)[35] 7
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[36] 43
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[37] 10
Canada CHR/Top 40 (Billboard)[38] 4
Canada Hot AC (Billboard)[39] 25
Croatia (Airplay Radio Chart)[40] 64
Czech Republic (Rádio Top 100)[41] 78
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[42] 13
Denmark (Tracklisten)[43] 18
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[44] 13
France (SNEP)[45] 27
Germany (Official German Charts)[46] 35
Ireland (IRMA)[47] 33
Italy (FIMI)[48] 17
Israel (Media Forest TV Airplay)[49] 1
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[50] 7
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[51] 12
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[52] 28
Norway (VG-lista)[53] 22
Slovakia (Rádio Top 100)[54] 41
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[55] 9
South Africa (EMA)[56] 7
South Korea International Chart (GAON)[57] 15
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[58] 27
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[59] 40
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[60] 36
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[61] 48
US Billboard Hot 100[62] 7
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[63] 20
US Dance/Mix Show Airplay (Billboard)[64] 1
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[65] 20
US Latin Pop Songs (Billboard)[66] 20
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[67] 3
US Rhythmic (Billboard)[68] 1
Venezuela (Top Pop General)[69] 31
Venezuela (Top Anglo)[70] 23

Year-end charts

Chart (2015) Position
Belgium Urban (Ultratop Flanders)[71] 35
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[72] 61
Italy (FIMI)[73] 93
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[74] 79
US Billboard Hot 100[75] 56
US Dance/Mix Show Airplay (Billboard)[76] 12
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[77] 32
US Rhythmic Songs (Billboard)[78] 16

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
Australia (ARIA)[79] Platinum 70,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[80] Platinum 80,000^
Denmark (IFPI Denmark)[81] Platinum 60,000^
Italy (FIMI)[82] Platinum 50,000double-dagger
Norway (IFPI Norway)[83] Platinum 10,000*
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[84] Gold 20,000^
Sweden (GLF)[85] Platinum 40,000x
United Kingdom (BPI)[86] Silver 200,000double-dagger
United States (RIAA)[87] 3× Platinumdagger 3,000,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification alone
double-daggersales/streaming figures based on certification alone

dagger Since May 2013 RIAA certifications for digital singles include on-demand audio and/or video song streams in addition to downloads.[88]

Release history

Country Date Format Label Ref.
United States September 30, 2014 Rhythmic crossover radio Republic [2]
October 7, 2014 Contemporary hit radio [89]
November 10, 2014 Hot adult contemporary radio [90]
Australia November 21, 2014 Digital download (EP edition) [29]
New Zealand [91]
Italy December 5, 2014 Contemporary hit radio Universal [92]

References

  1. ↑ Ortiz, Edwin (December 8, 2014). "Ariana Grande f/ the Weeknd "Love Me Harder" – The 50 Best Songs of 2014". Complex. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Top 40 Rhythmic Future Releases". All Access Music Group. Archived from the original on September 30, 2014. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  3. ↑ Yang, Xixi. "Ariana Grande Records a New Track With The Weeknd!". PopstopTv.com. Popstop TV.
  4. ↑ Gallo, Phil. "Q&A: Charlie Walk, Republic's New EVP, on Returning to a Major, Long-Term Strategy". billboard.com. Billboard. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
  5. ↑ "Republic's Radio Rampage". Hits Daily Double. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  6. ↑ Shipley, Kelci (September 28, 2014). "Ariana Grande Brought Her Cat Ears And The Weeknd To 'SNL'". MTV.
  7. ↑ "Ariana Grande Will Perform at 2014 American Music Awards". Billboard.
  8. ↑ Szubiak, Ali. "Ariana Grande Performs Medley of Hits at 2014 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show Read More: Ariana Grande Performs Medley at the 2014 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show [VIDEO]". Popcrush. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  9. ↑ Lipshutz, Jazon. "Ariana Grande Brings Out Nicki Minaj During NBA All-Star Halftime Show". Billboard. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  10. ↑ Peel, Sarah. "Ariana Grande Working Hard on New Projects". BSCkids. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
  11. ↑ "Ariana Grande & The Weeknd Working on Music Video for "Love Me Harder"". Fanlala. October 1, 2014.
  12. ↑ "Ariana Grande and The Weeknd Team Up In 'Love Me Harder' Video". Rap-Up. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
  13. ↑ Rosshi, Megan (October 3, 2014). "Ariana Grande Teases Music Video For 'Love Me Harder' In Sexy New Pics". Hollywood Life.
  14. ↑ Vena, Jocelyn (October 4, 2014). "Ariana Grande, The Weeknd Hit The Set for 'Love Me Harder' Video: See Pics". Billboard.
  15. ↑ ArianaGrandeVevo (October 28, 2014). "Ariana Grande, The Weeknd – Love Me Harder (Behind The Scenes)". Youtube.
  16. ↑ "Ariana Grande". Billboard.
  17. ↑ Lee, Christina. "Ariana Grande's "Love Me Harder" Lyric Video: Watch". Idolator. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  18. ↑ Hyndman, Jessica. "Ariana Grande Just Dropped A Sultry Lyric Video For 'Love Me Harder'". MTV. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  19. ↑ Wendy Michaels. "Ariana Grande: Behind the Scenes of 'Love Me Harder' Music Video". Cambio.
  20. ↑ "Ariana Grande Is a Sexy Kitty in "Love Me Harder" Music Video: Photos – Us Weekly". usmagazine.com. 3 November 2014.
  21. ↑ "Ariana Grande & The Weeknd Release 'Love Me Harder' Video". Billboard.
  22. ↑ Ariana Grande conquista quarto VEVO Certified com “Love Me Harder” [Ariana Grande's music video "Love Me Harder" becomes VEVO Certified] (in Portuguese). Retrieved November 14, 2015.
  23. ↑ Wood, Mikael (August 29, 2014). "Review: Ariana Grande makes big things happen on 'My Everything'". Los Angeles Times.
  24. ↑ Lipshutz, Jason (25 August 2014). "Ariana Grande Expands on 'My Everything': Track-By-Track Review". Billboard.
  25. ↑ Empire, Kitty (August 23, 2014). "Ariana Grande: My Everything review – every so often a little shard of personality pierces the sheen". The Guardian.
  26. ↑ Trust, Gary (October 17, 2014). "Hot 100 Chart Moves: Ed Sheeran, Ariana Grande, Fergie Debut". Billboard.
  27. ↑ Cantor, Brian (October 30, 2014). "Hot 100: Ariana Grande, Big Sean Both Reach The Top 40". Headline Planet.
  28. ↑ Trust, Gary (November 5, 2014). "Taylor Swift's 'Shake It Off' Returns to No. 1 on Hot 100". Billboard.
  29. 1 2 "Love Me Harder – EP by Ariana Grande". iTunes Store. Apple. Archived from the original on November 7, 2014. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
  30. ↑ Ariana Grande – My Everything. Album booklet. Republic Records (Universal Music Group).
  31. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Ariana Grande & The Weeknd – Love Me Harder". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved January 3, 2015.
  32. ↑ "ARIA Urban Singles Chart – 1/12/14". ARIA Charts. November 30, 2014. Archived from the original on December 3, 2014.
  33. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Ariana Grande & The Weeknd – Love Me Harder" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
  34. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Ariana Grande & The Weeknd – Love Me Harder" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  35. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Ariana Grande & The Weeknd – Love Me Harder" (in Dutch). Ultratop Urban. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  36. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Ariana Grande & The Weeknd – Love Me Harder" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  37. ↑ "Ariana Grande – Chart history" Canadian Hot 100 for Ariana Grande. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
  38. ↑ "Ariana Grande – Chart history" Billboard Canada CHR/Top 40 for Ariana Grande. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  39. ↑ "Ariana Grande – Chart history" Billboard Canada Hot AC for Ariana Grande. Retrieved December 11, 2014.
  40. ↑ "ARC 100 – datum izlaska: 1. prosinca 2014" (in Croatian). HRT. December 1, 2014. Archived from the original on December 1, 2014.
  41. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 201450 into search. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
  42. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 201450 into search. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
  43. ↑ "Danishcharts.com – Ariana Grande & The Weeknd – Love Me Harder". Tracklisten. Retrieved December 11, 2014.
  44. ↑ "The Weeknd,Ariana Grande: Love Me Harder" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved December 21, 2014.
  45. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Ariana Grande & The Weeknd – Love Me Harder" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
  46. ↑ "Officialcharts.de – Ariana Grande & The Weeknd – Love Me Harder". GfK Entertainment. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
  47. ↑ "Chart Track: Week 49, 2014". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved December 5, 2014.
  48. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – Ariana Grande & The Weeknd – Love Me Harder". Top Digital Download. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
  49. ↑ "מדיה פורסט - לדעת שאתה באוויר". Mediaforest.biz. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
  50. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Ariana Grande search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
  51. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Ariana Grande & The Weeknd – Love Me Harder" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
  52. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Ariana Grande & The Weeknd – Love Me Harder". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
  53. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Ariana Grande & The Weeknd – Love Me Harder". VG-lista. Retrieved December 5, 2014.
  54. ↑ "SNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 201449 into search. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
  55. ↑ "SNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 201449 into search. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
  56. ↑ "EMA Top 10 Airplay: Week Ending 2015-03-10". Entertainment Monitoring Africa. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
  57. ↑ "2014년 51주차 Digital Chart" (in Korean). GAON. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  58. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Ariana Grande & The Weeknd – Love Me Harder". Singles Top 100. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
  59. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Ariana Grande & The Weeknd – Love Me Harder". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
  60. ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – Ariana Grande & The Weeknd – Love Me Harder" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
  61. ↑ "Archive Chart: 2015-01-25" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved November 14, 2015.
  62. ↑ "Ariana Grande – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Ariana Grande. Retrieved November 13, 2014.
  63. ↑ "Ariana Grande – Chart history" Billboard Adult Pop Songs for Ariana Grande. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
  64. ↑ "Ariana Grande – Chart history" Billboard Dance/Mix Show Airplay for Ariana Grande. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  65. ↑ "Ariana Grande – Chart history" Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs for Ariana Grande. Retrieved December 27, 2014.
  66. ↑ "Ariana Grande – Chart history" Billboard Latin Pop Songs for Ariana Grande. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
  67. ↑ "Ariana Grande – Chart history" Billboard Pop Songs for Ariana Grande. Retrieved December 11, 2014.
  68. ↑ "Ariana Grande – Chart history" Billboard Rhythmic Songs for Ariana Grande. Retrieved December 11, 2014.
  69. ↑ "Pop General - Record Report" (in Spanish). Record Report. Archived from the original on April 16, 2015. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
  70. ↑ "Top Anglo - Record Report" (in Spanish). Record Report. Archived from the original on April 9, 2015. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
  71. ↑ "JAAROVERZICHTEN 2015: Urban" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  72. ↑ "Canadian Hot 100 Year End 2015". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
  73. ↑ "FIMI – CLASSIFICHE "TOP OF THE MUSIC" 2015 FIMI-GfK: LA MUSICA ITALIANA" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  74. ↑ "JAAROVERZICHTEN - SINGLE 2015" (in Dutch). dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  75. ↑ "Hot 100: Year End 2015". Billboard. Prometheus Media Group. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
  76. ↑ "Hot 100: Year End 2015". Billboard. Prometheus Media Group. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  77. ↑ "Pop Songs Year End 2015". Billboard. Prometheus Media Group. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
  78. ↑ "Rhythmic Songs Year End 2015". Billboard. Prometheus Media Group. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  79. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2015 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
  80. ↑ "Canadian single certifications – Ariana Grande – Love Me Harder". Music Canada. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  81. ↑ "Ariana Grande & The Weeknd "Love Me Harder"" (in Danish). IFPI Denmark. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
  82. ↑ "Italian single certifications – Ariana Grande & The Weeknd – Love Me Harder" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved January 9, 2015. Select Online in the field Sezione. Enter Ariana Grande & The Weeknd in the field Filtra. Select 2015 in the field Anno. The certification will load automatically
  83. ↑ "Norwegian single certifications – Ariana Grande – Love Me Harder" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway.
  84. ↑ "Top 100 Canciones - Semana 20: del 11.5.2015 al 17.5.2015" (PDF) (in Spanish). PROMUSICAE. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
  85. ↑ "Ariana Grande & The Weeknd – Love Me Harder" (in Swedish). Grammofon Leverantörernas Förening. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  86. ↑ "British single certifications – Ariana Grande and The Weeknd – Love Me Harder". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 4, 2015. Enter Love Me Harder in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Silver in the field By Award. Click Search
  87. ↑ "American single certifications – Ariana Grande and The Weeknd – Love Me Harder". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 27, 2016. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH
  88. ↑ "RIAA Adds Digital Streams To Historic Gold & Platinum Awards". Recording Industry Association of America. May 9, 2013. Retrieved May 9, 2013.
  89. ↑ "Top 40/M Future Releases". All Access Music Group. Archived from the original on October 7, 2014. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  90. ↑ "Hot AC | Genres | Republic Playbook". Republic Records. Archived from the original on October 30, 2014. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  91. ↑ "Love Me Harder – EP by Ariana Grande". iTunes Store. Apple. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
  92. ↑ Mompellio, Gabriel. "Ariana Grande – Love Me Harder (feat. The Weeknd) (Universal)" (in Italian). Radio Airplay SRL. Retrieved December 2, 2014.

External links

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