Released September 25, 2012 Label XO
Republic | Format Digital download | |
Recorded Site Sound Studios, Toronto Genre Alternative R&B
quiet storm Length 4:41 (radio edit)
5:24 (album version) | ||
"Wicked Games" is the debut single by Canadian singer The Weeknd. It was recorded at Site Sound Studios and mixed at Liberty Studios in Toronto. Producers Doc McKinney and Illangelo co-wrote the song and performed all instrumentation. Originally recorded for The Weeknd's 2011 mixtape House of Balloons, the song was remastered and released as the lead single for his 2012 album Trilogy. It was released as a digital single on October 22, 2012, by XO and Republic Records. Upon release, the single received widespread acclaim from music critics. On May 9, 2013, "Wicked Games" was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for shipments of 1,000,000 units in the United States. This song is also featured on the soundtrack for the movie Southpaw, the soundtrack's executive producer being American rapper Eminem who went on to produce a remix with The Weeknd on his later song "The Hills".
Contents
Music video
The music video for "Wicked Games" premiered on October 18, 2012 on The Weeknd's YouTube account on Vevo. Since its release, the music video has received over 90 million views on YouTube.
Personnel
Credits adapted from liner notes for Trilogy.