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==Critical reception==
==Critical reception==
Chuck Taylor of ''Billboard'' called "Say" a "lilting, bittersweet ballad" and said that it "is bound to be another staple for the [<nowiki/>[[Adult contemporary music|AC]]<nowiki/>] format."<ref>Taylor, Chuck (2008-01-05), "Say". ''Billboard''. '''120''' (1):48</ref>
Chuck Taylor of ''Billboard'' called "Say" a "lilting, bittersweet ballad" and said that it "is bound to be another staple for the [<nowiki/>[[Adult contemporary music|AC]]<nowiki/>] format."<ref>Taylor, Chuck (2008-01-05), "Say". ''Billboard''. '''120''' (1):48</ref>
In 2009, the song won a [[Grammy Award]] for [[Best Male Pop Vocal Performance]] at the [[51st Grammy Awards]]. It was also nominated for [[Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media|Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media]].<ref>http://www.grammy.com/Grammy_awards/51st_show/list.aspx{{dead link|date=July 2012}}</ref> The song is known to be horribly annoying, overplayed, and repetitive, a hallmark of whiney mid-2000s songs made for lonely 40-something women and grocery store playlists, with the same line "Say what you need to say" repeated 48 times in a row during the duration of the song.
In 2009, the song won a [[Grammy Award]] for [[Best Male Pop Vocal Performance]] at the [[51st Grammy Awards]]. It was also nominated for [[Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media|Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media]].<ref>http://www.grammy.com/Grammy_awards/51st_show/list.aspx{{dead link|date=July 2012}}</ref>


==Commercial and chart performance==
==Commercial and chart performance==

Revision as of 15:50, 4 October 2014

"Say"
Song

"Say" is a song by John Mayer written for the Rob Reiner film The Bucket List in 2007. It was released as a single on November 20 and is the first commercial single in Mayer's career that was not originally released on one of his albums but added to the special edition re-release of his album, Continuum. In the U.S., it has become the artist's highest charting single to date, reaching number twelve on the Billboard Hot 100 in May, 2008.[1] The song earned Mayer another Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, his fourth win on the category.

Overview

The music video for "Say" was directed by music video director Vem. The song is also referred to as "Say (What You Need to Say)" as this is the main line from the chorus of the song.[2][3][4] The song was also the first "assignment" song that Mayer had ever written. He felt a little soul-less in the initial composition, writing just a terribly simple song. He notes that when writing the song "I don't know how much harder it gets than to see a beautiful, bittersweet movie and then have to write a song that matches the tone."[5] Mayer posted the song on his official blog on November 16.[2]

Critical reception

Chuck Taylor of Billboard called "Say" a "lilting, bittersweet ballad" and said that it "is bound to be another staple for the [AC] format."[6] In 2009, the song won a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 51st Grammy Awards. It was also nominated for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media.[7]

Commercial and chart performance

In the U.S., "Say" peaked at number twelve in May, 2008[1] on the Billboard Hot 100 chart[8] and number eight on the Hot Digital Songs chart,[9] surpassing his debut single, "No Such Thing", as his highest-peaking Hot 100 single.[citation needed] It was certified platinum by the RIAA,[10] and has sold over 2 million copies in the US.[11] It also peaked at number seventeen on the Pop 100 chart[12] and number six on the Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks chart.[13]

"Say" debuted on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart at number fifty-six, and climbed to its peak of number forty-seven the following week.[14] On the Canadian Hot 100, it peaked at number twenty-seven.

Chart positions

Chart (2007–08) Peak
position
Australian Singles Chart 47
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[15] 27
US Billboard Hot 100 12[8]
US Billboard Pop Songs[12] 25
US Billboard Adult Pop Songs[13] 6
US Billboard Adult Contemporary[13] 3
  • This song was used in a series of commercials for Hallmark Cards throughout 2009.
  • It was used in a 2009 PSA.
  • It was played during the opening credits of the 2010 film The Karate Kid.
  • It was featured in the credits of the 2008 film The Bucket List.
  • It was played in commercials for the 2011 movie 50/50
  • It was covered by the cast of Glee (TV Series) in the episode "Shooting Star"

References

  1. ^ a b http://books.google.com/books?id=8hIEAAAAMBAJ&printsec=frontcover&lr=&rview=1#v=onepage&q&f=false
  2. ^ a b Mayer, John (2007-11-15). "Say" JohnMayer.com Retrieved 2007-11-19
  3. ^ Scott, Laure (2007-10-03). "BOOKED: John Mayer - Vem, director". Video Static. Retrieved 2007-10-19.
  4. ^ "Continuum (special edition) to be released on November 20; includes 6 live tracks and new single, "Say"". www.johnmayer.com. 2007-11-14. Retrieved 2007-11-17.[dead link]
  5. ^ Mayer, John *(2007-09-02). Untitled JohnMayer.com Retrieved 2007-11-15
  6. ^ Taylor, Chuck (2008-01-05), "Say". Billboard. 120 (1):48
  7. ^ http://www.grammy.com/Grammy_awards/51st_show/list.aspx[dead link]
  8. ^ a b The Billboard Hot 100: Say. Billboard. July 26, 2008. Retrieved July 21, 2008.
  9. ^ Hot Digital Songs: Say. Billboard. July 12, 2008. Retrieved July 21, 2008.
  10. ^ "American single certifications – Mayer". Recording Industry Association of America.
  11. ^ Paul Grein (July 27, 2010). "Week Ending July 25, 2010: It's Every Rapper For Himself". Yahoo Music (Chart Watch). Retrieved March 24, 2013.
  12. ^ a b Pop 100: Say. Billboard. July 26, 2008. Retrieved July 21, 2008.
  13. ^ a b c Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks. Billboard. May 24, 2008. Retrieved July 21, 2008.
  14. ^ Top 50 Singles Chart - Australian Record Industry Association
  15. ^ Canadian Hot 100: Say. Billboard. May 24, 2008. Retrieved July 21, 2008.