Love the Way You Lie
"Love the Way You Lie" | |
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Song |
"Love the Way You Lie" is a song by American rapper Eminem, released as the second single from his seventh studio album, Recovery. The song features vocals from Barbadian singer Rihanna and is produced by British hip-hop producer Alex da Kid. Additional vocal production on Rihanna's vocals were provided by Makeba Riddick.[1] It claimed the top spot on 23 charts. "Love the Way You Lie" was number one on the Hot 100 for seven consecutive weeks giving Eminem his fourth US Billboard Hot 100 number-one hit and Rihanna her seventh.[2]
The song won the Best Rap/Hip-Hop Track award at the Teen Choice Awards 2010.[3] As of December 2010 the single had sold over four million copies in the United States alone,[4] and was the best-selling single of 2010 in the United Kingdom even though it did not reach number 1 there, the first time this has happened in the UK since 1969. [5] As of January 2011 the song had sold 4.25 million downloads in the United States alone[6] and 9.3 million worldwide.[7]
Critical reception
The song has received a very positive reception from critics. Michael Menachem from Billboard stated, "Rihanna's chorus is exquisitely melodic and surprisingly hopeful, complementing the turmoil of Eminem's dark, introspective rant. Producer Alex da Kid has a knack for mainstreaming classical instrumentation, and here he cements the story with a slick, midtempo percussive punch that showcases both performers on equal planes."[8] Nick Levine of Digital Spy awarded the song four out of five stars.[9] BBC Radio 1 also gave the song four out of five stars stating, "This is not an autobiographical lyric [...] It's one of Eminem's flights of fancy, albeit one into a very real situation. Clearly he understands the psychology well, and can express the feelings with enormous clarity. Rihanna's role in all of this is interesting though."[10]
Chart performance
For the week of July 10, 2010, "Love the Way You Lie" made its first chart appearance, debuting on the US Billboard Hot 100 at number two. The song also debuted at number one on the Billboard Digital Songs chart, selling 338,000 downloads in its first week.[11] The song topped the chart without the benefit of a video,[12] becoming Eminem's fourth Hot 100 number one following "Not Afraid". For Rihanna, the track became her seventh number one since the start of her career in 2005.[13] Also in the fourth week, the song rose from number 13 to eight on the Billboard Pop Songs chart, becoming Eminem's ninth and Rihanna's 15th top ten on that chart.[14] The song was atop the Digital Songs chart for six consecutive weeks, before falling off the top spot for one week. For the chart week of August 28, 2010, the song regained its number one position again on the chart, selling 254,000 copies for the week.[15] In its latest week it sold 207,000 digital copies.[16] In the week of August 14, 2010, the song made US digital chart history after selling 300,000 digital copies or more of the single for five consecutive weeks. It also held the "Airplay Gainer" award for five straight weeks. In the same week, it reached new peaks on the Pop Songs and Radio Songs charts, both at number two.[17] The song reached number one on the Pop Songs chart on August 21, 2010. It gave Eminem his fourth number one on the chart and Rihanna her sixth, tying her with Mariah Carey, Beyoncé and Lady Gaga for the artists with the most number ones in the charts history.[18][19] Moreover, the song also reached number one on the US Radio Songs and Digital Songs charts.[20] In the same week, it debuted on the Hot Latin Songs chart at number 48 and the Hot Latin Pop Songs chart at number 34.[21] It has since climbed to number 35[22] and 30,[23] respectively. For the week of September 4, 2010, the song debuted on the Adult Pop Songs chart at number 36. It also finally rose to number one on the Rap Songs chart also being the greatest gainer of that week.[24] The total number of digital sales in the US, as of December 2010, stood at 4,003,000.[25]
In the United Kingdom, the song entered the UK Singles Chart on July 4, 2010, at seven[26] and three on the UK R&B Chart.[27] It has since climbed to number two on the singles chart[28] and number one on the R&B chart on downloads alone.[29] By year's end, "Love the Way You Lie" had sold 854,000 copies in Britain despite not having reached the top spot, making it the biggest selling song of 2010 in the United Kingdom.[30]
"Love the Way You Lie" reached number one in Australia for six weeks,[31] Canada for seven weeks,[32] Denmark for seven weeks,[33] Ireland for three non-consecutive weeks,[34] New Zealand for four weeks,[35] Norway for four weeks,[36] Sweden for four weeks,[37] and the US for seven straight weeks. In addition, the song reached within the top ten on 26 various charts. The song has been certified five times platinum in Australia[38] and platinum in New Zealand.[39]
In Germany, "Love the Way You Lie" debuted at number 18, though it hadn't yet been released as a single,[40] due to digital downloads. In its second week, it rose to number seven and when it got released as a single, it jumped to number three. There it stayed another week before it reached number two for another two weeks.[41] In its seventh week on the German Singles Chart, it finally reached number one.[42] For Rihanna, the song was her third number one single there (after "Umbrella" and "Don't Stop The Music") and for Eminem it's also his third number one single and the first one in eight years (after "Stan" and "Without Me").[43][44]
"Love the Way You Lie" debuted at number four on Russian Download Chart after being released as ring-tone/ring-back tone in that country.[45] After two weeks it topped the chart.[46]
Live performances
Eminem performed the song at the Oxegen 2010 festival in Ireland[47] and T in the Park festival in Scotland.[48] The rapper made a surprise appearance on Rihanna's Last Girl on Earth Tour when he sang with her on July 21, 2010, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.[49] The duo also performed the song at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards.[50] The performance was voted the best of those performed on the show.[51][52] Rihanna was shooting for her new film, Battleship and therefore originally could not perform but Eminem managed to persuade the singer to leave the set for the performance.[53]
Music video
The video depicts a couple (portrayed by actors Dominic Monaghan and Megan Fox) in a love-hate relationship. The couple repeatedly fight, break things, steal, and make up again, with scenes flashing back to happier times in their relationship.[54] Other scenes include the two celebrities on top of a liquor store, inside the store and "at a seedy dive bar next door" to it.[55] Towards the end of the video, both Fox and Monaghan's characters are engulfed by flames.[56]
Shots of Rihanna in front of a house that bursts into flames are featured while she sings the chorus, with Eminem rapping his verses in a field, as well as joining Rihanna in front of the burning house toward the end of the video.[57][54][58] The video became an online phenomenon, gaining 6.6 million hits in its first 24 hours on VEVO, and 18 million views in five days.[59] It broke a YouTube record for having the most views in 24 hours.[60] By January 2011, the video had received over 280 million views.[61]
Cover versions
Taylor Momsen's band The Pretty Reckless covered the song in August 2010 for BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge. It was mixed with "Islands" by The xx.[62] Yomo, a reggaeton singer from Puerto Rico, made a remix of this song. Cher Lloyd from the seventh series of The X Factor performed this song in the final 5. Ariana Grande, teen singer and actress from the Nickelodeon show Victorious and the original production of the musical 13, recorded a cover of "Love the Way You Lie Part II" (see more on "Part II" below) and uploaded it to YouTube in December 2010.[63]
Sequel
Eminem and Rihanna recorded a sequel to "Love the Way You Lie", this time with Rihanna as the lead vocalist, viewing things from the female perspective.[64] Rihanna said in an interview with MTV.com that initially she was "very against" recording a sequel and "felt like the original couldn't be beaten". [65] However, she later agreed to record "Love the Way You Lie Part II". She also said in the same interview that "Part II" is rather stripped down relative to the original with the singers accompanied simply by piano and drums.[65] The sequel appears on Rihanna's fifth studio album, Loud. A piano version, excluding Eminem's part of the song, appears as a bonus track on the iTunes edition of Loud.[66] Rihanna performed the song during the American Music Awards of 2010 together with her US number-one singles "Only Girl (In the World)" and "What's My Name".[67]
Awards and nominations
The song won the Best Rap/Hip-Hop Track award at the Teen Choice Awards 2010.[68] The song won the Favorite Song and Favorite Music Video award at the People's Choice Awards.[69] The song has also been nominated for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, Best Short Form Music Video and Best Rap Song in the 2010 Grammy Awards.[70]
Year | Awards | Category | Result |
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2010 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Music: Rap/Hip-Hop Track[68] | Won |
MTV Europe Music Awards | Best Video | Nominated | |
Best Song | Nominated | ||
Soul Train Music Awards | Hip-Hop Song Of The Year | Won | |
Fuse TV | Video Of The Year | Won|style="background: #9EFF9E; color: #000; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="yes table-yes2 notheme"|Won | |
Grammy Awards[70] | Record Of The Year | Pending | |
Song Of The Year | Pending | ||
Best Rap Song | Pending | ||
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration | Pending | ||
Best Short Form Music Video | Pending | ||
NRJ Music Awards | International Song Of The Year | Nominated | |
Video Of The Year | Nominated |
Charts and certifications
Chart precession and succession
Order of precedence | ||
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Preceded by | Canadian Hot 100 number-one single July 31, 2010 – September 11, 2010 |
Succeeded by |
Preceded by | Norwegian VG-Lista number-one single August 17, 2010 – September 6, 2010 |
Succeeded by "Freaky Like Me" by Madcon feat. Ameerah
|
Preceded by "California Gurls" by Katy Perry feat. Snoop Dogg
"Club Can't Handle Me" by Flo Rida feat. David Guetta |
Irish IRMA number-one single July 22, 2010 – July 29, 2010 August 12, 2010 – August 26, 2010 |
Succeeded by |
Preceded by | UK R&B hits Singles Chart number-one single July 25, 2010 – August 1, 2010 August 15, 2010 – August 22, 2010 |
Succeeded by |
Preceded by | Swedish number-one single August 20, 2010 – September 10, 2010 |
Succeeded by "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" by Shakira feat. Freshlyground
|
Preceded by "California Gurls" by Katy Perry feat. Snoop Dogg
|
New Zealand RIANZ number-one single July 19, 2010 – August 16, 2010 |
Succeeded by "Dynamite" by Taio Cruz
|
Preceded by "California Gurls" by Katy Perry feat. Snoop Dogg
|
ARIA (Australia) number-one single July 19, 2010 – August 23, 2010 |
Succeeded by "Dynamite" by Taio Cruz
|
Preceded by "We No Speak Americano" by Yolanda Be Cool vs DCUP
|
German number-one single September 24, 2010 – October 1, 2010 |
Succeeded by |
Preceded by "Legändä & Heldä" by Bligg
|
Swiss Singles Chart number-one single September 19, 2010 – October 17, 2010 |
Succeeded by "Heaven" by Gotthard
|
Preceded by "Legändä & Heldä" by Bligg
"Juurta Jaksain" by Mokoma |
Finnish Singles Chart number-one single August 25, 2010 – September 8, 2010 September 15, 2010 – September 22, 2010 |
Succeeded by "Juurta Jaksain" by Mokoma
|
Preceded by "We No Speak Americano" by Yolanda Be Cool vs DCUP
|
French Digital Singles Chart number-one single September 12, 2010 – September 26, 2010 |
Succeeded by "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" by Shakira feat. Freshlyground
|
Preceded by "California Gurls" by Katy Perry feat. Snoop Dogg
|
Billboard Hot 100 number-one single July 31, 2010 – September 11, 2010 |
Succeeded by "Teenage Dream" by Katy Perry
|
Preceded by "California Gurls" by Katy Perry feat. Snoop Dogg
|
US Mainstream Top 40 (Pop Songs) number-one single August 21, 2010 – September 4, 2010 |
Succeeded by "Dynamite" by Taio Cruz
|
Preceded by "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" by Shakira feat. Freshlyground
"White Knuckle Ride" by Jamiroquai |
Italian Singles Chart number-one single September 6, 2010 – September 13, 2010 September 20, 2010 – September 27, 2010 |
Succeeded by |
Preceded by "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" by Shakira feat. Freshlyground
|
Danish Singles Chart number-one single August 13, 2010 – October 8, 2010 |
Succeeded by |
Preceded by "Club Can't Handle Me " by Flo Rida feat. David Guetta
|
Polish Airplay Charts number-one single October 16, 2010 – October 22, 2010 |
Succeeded by "Wonderful Life" by Hurt
|
Release history
Country | Date | Format | Label |
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United States[116] | August 17, 2010 | CD single | Shady, Aftermath, Interscope |
Germany[117] | August 20, 2010
See also
References
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- 2010 singles
- Eminem songs
- Rihanna songs
- Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles
- Billboard Rhythmic Airplay number-one singles
- Canadian Hot 100 number-one singles
- European Hot 100 Singles number-one singles
- Irish Singles Chart number-one singles
- Number-one singles in Australia
- Number-one singles in Austria
- Number-one singles in Denmark
- Number-one singles in Finland
- Number-one singles in Italy
- Number-one singles in New Zealand
- Number-one singles in Sweden
- Songs written by Eminem
- UK R&B Singles Chart number-one singles
- Music videos directed by Joseph Kahn
- Songs produced by Alex da Kid
- Rhythm and blues ballads