Released January 6, 2015 Recorded 2014 Length 3:10 | Format Digital download Genre Electro-R&B | |
Label Universal Republic
International Music Group | ||
"Somebody" is the debut single from Dutch singer Natalie La Rose featuring American singer Jeremih. The song was written by La Rose and produced by The Futuristics and Cook Classics. It was released for digital download on January 6, 2015.
Contents
Musically, "Somebody" is an electro-R&B song which makes use of synthesizers and heavy drum instrumentation. Both La Rose and Jeremih's vocals make use of auto-tune. The song features snippets of "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" by Whitney Houston, "Do You Really Wanna Know" by Lillix written by Marcel Albert, and Shots by LMFAO and Lil Jon.
The single reached the number one position on Billboard's Rhythmic Airplay chart in its April 4, 2015 issue. On the Billboard Hot 100, the song peaked at number ten, making it Jeremih's fourth top-ten hit and La Rose's first. The single was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales exceeding 2,000,000 copies. It also charted at number two on the UK Singles Chart, and was awarded Silver certification by the British Phonographic Industry. In Australia, the song peaked at number 12 and was certified platinum, denoting sales exceeding 70,000 copies.
The accompanying music video, directed by Luke Gilford, was uploaded to La Rose's Vevo account on February 13, 2015. It features La Rose leading her dancers in front of an old mansion while also singing the song in a garden with a rose-covered fence and statues with strange lighting, with intercut scenes of Jeremih singing his part. The video received over 130 million views on Youtube/Vevo.
Background and composition
The song contains interpolations of Whitney Houston's 1987 hit "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)", "Do You Really Wanna Know" by Lillix written by Marcel Albert, and Shots by LMFAO and Lil Jon. La Rose explained how the song came about: "We had the whole song except for the hook. Hours later, Flo all of a sudden was like, 'I wanna rock with somebody!' And we were like, 'Yes! That's the moment we've been waiting for, it all makes sense.'" She also said: "We had this idea to base a song around Whitney’s first big hit, I Wanna Dance With Somebody. Getting permission to use a sample was pretty difficult. We were in the process of creating the song in Miami when Jeremih was there doing a Big Dreams for Kids Back to School event. Flo invited him to add a rap to the track and he nailed it on the first take. There was no grand plan to get Jeremih involved. He just happened to be in Miami at the right time. His rap adds that extra something which makes the track really special."
"Somebody" is written in the key of A minor.
Remix
The official remix was released on April 8, 2015. It features original collaborator Jeremih and new verses from rappers Fetty Wap, Sage the Gemini and Troy Ave. There is also another remix, called the "Young California Remix", that features original vocals from singer Jeremih and the vocals of rapper Sage the Gemini and The Kid Ryan.
Certifications
Since May 2013 RIAA certifications for digital singles include on-demand audio and/or video song streams in addition to downloads.