Same Old Love

Background and release

"Same Old Love" was first in part composed by English singer Charli XCX and Norwegian production team Stargate. During a session for Selena Gomez's 2015 studio album Revival, Stargate presented the track to Gomez who acceded and subsequently recorded it. XCX was not at the session, although her manager was present throughout the song's recording process. The final composition featured additional writing from Ross Golan, and Benny Blanco who produced the song with Stargate.

Gomez was drawn to the song as she was a fan of XCX's music and cited an emotional connection with its lyrics. She believed "Same Old Love" represented her strained relationship with her father and how his relationship with her reflected on her subsequent romantic relationships. "I think that's where it started, and all the actions that happened are almost similar to what I was going through," she explained. The song's recording sessions took place at Westlake Studios in Los Angeles, and Dreamlab Studios in Studio City, California. It has been suggested that "Same Old Love" was initially intended for Barbadian singer Rihanna who shared the track's "I'm so sick of that same old love" line on Twitter in June 2014.

Gomez first unveiled and announced "Same Old Love" as the second single from Revival on August 5, 2015, at the iHeartMedia summit—a forum for labels to preview their upcoming material to radio management. She teased the song's opening piano chord progression in a clip shared on Instagram on September 4, 2015. "Same Old Love" premiered on Vevo on September 9, 2015. The single was released on September 10, 2015, as an instant gratification track to accompany digital pre-orders of Revival. In the US, "Same Old Love" impacted contemporary hit radio on October 6, 2015, and rhythmic contemporary radio on October 20, 2015. A digital remix bundle was released on November 20, 2015; it featured a remix by Israeli DJ Borgore. An official remix featuring rapper Fetty Wap was digitally released on January 8, 2016. It features Wap sing-rapping two new verses (and eight bars combined) at the beginning and near the end of the track. The remix was well received by reviewers for Complex, Rolling Stone, The Fader, and XXL.

Composition and lyrical interpretation

"Same Old Love" is an electropop and synthpop song. It contains elements of jazz, snap and trap music, as well as Italo disco synths. "Same Old Love" was composed using 4
4 common time in the key of B minor, with a moderate tempo of 96–100 beats per minute. The song's verses are resigned and have a quaint 1960s sound, laden with a simple, wonky piano loop and a sparse, finger-click beat. The loop alternates between sequences of Bm–A and Em–D in the first verse, while in the second verse it changes to the three-chord progression of Bm–Em-F♯.

A bassline snaps at the chorus, pertaining to a more dance-indebted sound, with a four-chord sequence of Bm–G–Em–A. Using an uncharacteristically forceful, emotive tone and raspy delivery, Gomez belts the hook, "I'm so sick of that same old love / That shit it tears me up / I'm so sick of that same old love / My body's had enough." On the choral comedown, XCX prominently accompanies Gomez with gritty background vocals, "Oh / Oh / Oh". Their vocals range between the notes A₃ and D₅.

Lyrically, "Same Old Love" is a torch song. According to Gomez, the lyrics are a representation of various stages of different relationships and are about getting rid of everything toxic in her life. The lyrics also express a sense of growth, "Take away your things and go / You can't take back what you said... / I'm not spending any time, wasting tonight on you."

Critical reception

Joe Levy of Rolling Stone suggested that the track "may be carving out a role for [Gomez] as a pop torch singer", describing it as "moody and catchy without being obvious". In comparison with Gomez's previous single "Good for You", Joe Coscarelli of The New York Times viewed "Same Old Love" as the more obvious single choice. Nolan Feeney of Time magazine quipped, "'Same old' pop song this is not". Emily Mackay from The Observer found the song's understated sound "most surprising [...], despite the hit-making co-writers", deeming it a winning collaboration. Kevin O'Donnell of Entertainment Weekly said the song's "simple approach shines through". AllMusic's Tim Sendra praised the "snappy, sassy" sound of "Same Old Love", and felt it did "a fine job" at straying from a formula he felt was common in most of Gomez's music. In a review for ABC News, Allan Raible opined that the song "gets better with each repeated listen" and complimented Gomez's "convincing level of sincerity". Stereogum called it "the best Gwen Stefani song of 2015" and placed it at number 41 on their list of The 50 Best Pop Songs of 2015.

Some reviewers were ambivalent. USA Today critic Elysa Gardner viewed the track as "crisp but generic". Dave Hanratty of Drowned in Sound found the song engaging, but was critical of XCX "[dominating it] entirely", calling it a leftover from XCX's 2014 album Sucker. Similarly, Slant Magazine's Sal Cinquemani felt the track lacked originality, noting that it was "dominated by the unmistakable presence of Charli XCX". Mikael Wood from the Los Angeles Times opined that "Same Old Love" was a bold borrowing from XCX's music. Conversely, Michael Cragg of The Guardian said, "Regardless of its history, and who may or may not be singing what, 'Same Old Love' is ludicrously catchy and oddly brutal."

Chart performance

"Same Old Love" debuted at number 43 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart issued for October 3, 2015. Following Gomez's performance of the song at the 2015 American Music Awards on November 22, 2015, it rose from number 13 to number 11, selling 81,000 copies with a 74% increase in sales. It was the single that benefited the most sales-wise from a performance at the ceremony, according to Billboard. "Same Old Love" climbed to a new peak of number six on the chart dated January 2, 2016. It marked Gomez's fourth US top 10 single, consequently making Revival her first album to spawn multiple top 10 singles. On the chart issue dated January 30, 2016, the song moved to a new peak of number five, becoming the singer's highest charting song, along with previous single "Good for You", which peaked at the same position. "Same Old Love" also became Gomez's sixth top-ten and second number one single on the US Mainstream Top 40 chart, and third top-five single on the US Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart where it peaked at number four. After spending nine weeks in the top ten of the chart the song dropped 8–15 on the chart issue dated February 20, 2016.

"Same Old Love" debuted at number 36 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart for the week ending October 3, 2015. In its fourteenth charting week, the song moved to its peak spot at number six, and was subsequently certified gold by Music Canada for sales of over 40,000 copies. In Australia, "Same Old Love" entered at number 42 on the ARIA Singles Chart dated September 27, 2015, and later reached a peak of number 33. The song peaked at number 81, and spent 6 weeks on the UK Singles Chart, under performing in this region compared to its successor and proceeder. Elsewhere, "Same Old Love" reached the top 10 in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Background

The accompanying music video for "Same Old Love" was directed by Michael Haussman and filmed in the Broadway Theater District of Los Angeles. Filming took place during the evenings of September 15–16, 2015. According to Gomez, the concept was to portray her interpretation of the song's lyrics; a representation of various stages of different relationships. For this reason, she wanted Haussman to translate emotion and cinematography in a fluid storyline. Regarding the video's inspiration, Haussman explained, "I think that [Gomez's] inspiration is kind of seeing that and all of humanity and feel like, 'OK, I'm not the only one'". He initially planned for Gomez's scenes to be shot entirely in a car, but later felt this would disconnect from her intended interpretation and found inspiration from singer Tony Bennett who was known for walking to his concerts.

Gomez invited 800 fans to the district's Palace Theater for a special Revival event where they were surprised by also being cast in the final stage performance scene of the video. She wanted this scene to emulate what inspires and motivates her in life. In an interview for Billboard magazine, Gomez explained, "The number one priority when it comes to anything I do is my fans...we wanted this ending to be really cool and interactive in a way". Haussman initially planned to omit the scenes with fans and use it as a bonus video instead, but liked how the scene came out in the end. The fans' reactions were filmed the day after Gomez's stage performance so Haussman could shoot close-ups of Gomez without obstructing their view. Haussman used a sequinned stage curtain to resemble the rain-soaked car window segment. He began the film editing, but had to travel to Europe, subsequently completing the final in the US. The music video was premiered as an Apple Music exclusive on September 22, 2015. It was released on YouTube on October 7, 2015.

Synopsis

The video begins with Gomez donning a little black dress underneath an oversize ivory sweater, leaving a hotel and climbing into the backseat of a black car. Driving through the streets of Los Angeles, she looks out from the car's rain-soaked window. Gomez briefly witnesses several public vignettes: including a distressed mother and her son, an infuriated man venting his anger, and a couple kissing.

The car then stops at a theater where Gomez sneaks into a nightclub to escape the paparazzi and her management who search for her. She then walks around the city where she encounters more public vignettes: a gay couple and their baby, and a daughter staring into a fish tank near her sleeping father. Seemingly inspired by the vignettes, she makes her way to the theater to perform a live show. Gomez appears on stage after a curtain lifts, greeted by hundreds of fans. The video ends with Gomez performing the rest of the song for the audience.

Reception

Karen Mizoguchi of People magazine quipped, "'Same Old Love' but definitely not the same 'ole gal!", concluding: "Gomez's two careers collide as a bit of old Hollywood movie magic and her sultry voice make for one glamorous video." Madeline Roth from MTV News deemed the music video "sexy" and "sophisticated", highlighting its themes of Hollywood glamour and suspense. Similarly, Glamour magazine writer Lynsey Eidell commented: "The video for 'Same Old Love' continues to show off Gomez's sophisticated and sultry side—but it also comes with a pretty awesome backstory." Colin Stutz of Billboard magazine felt it was inspired by "all the world's love and heartache". InStyle's Kelsey Glein praised the visual's "emotional" and "moody vibe", as well as Gomez's "simply stunning" appearance. Zach Dionne of Fuse opined that the music video showcased Gomez "in a new light". Alyssa Bailey from Elle magazine viewed it as "a pretty, lonely, vaguely Britney Spears 'Lucky'-ish look into the world of a pop star".

Live performances

Gomez gave her first televised performance of "Same Old Love" on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on October 9, 2015. On October 12, 2015, she performed "Same Old Love" on The Today Show, along with "Good for You" and a medley of "Come & Get It" and "Me & the Rhythm". She also performed the song on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on October 14, 2015. Gomez gave a live rendition of the track for BBC's Children in Need telethon on November 14, 2015.

On November 22, 2015, Gomez performed "Same Old Love" at the American Music Awards flanked by a bevy of tuxedo-clad male dancers on a cabaret-themed stage with an illuminated staircase and disco balls. Billboard magazine wrote, "Gomez's set offered the night's most eye candy", while Entertainment Weekly said "Gomez delivered what might have been the sultriest performance of the night". Brittany Spanos of Rolling Stone called it a "stylish performance". The song was included as part of Gomez's set list for iHeartRadio's Jingle Ball Tour throughout December 2015. As the musical guest on Saturday Night Live on January 23, 2016, Gomez performed a medley of "Good for You" and "Same Old Love".

Cover versions and usage in media

On October 21, 2015, Spencer Sutherland covered "Same Old Love" in a video shot and produced by Emblem3's Keaton Stromberg. Sam Tsui, Alyson Stoner and Kurt Schneider released a one-take choreographed cover video of the song on October 22, 2015. In January 2016, Alessia Cara performed an acoustic version on Elvis Duran and the Morning Show. "Same Old Love" is featured in the dance video game Just Dance 2016.

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.