"Here" is Alessia Cara's debut single. It's also the lead single and second track from her extended play (EP) Four Pink Walls (2015) and her debut album Know-It-All (2015). It was released on April 30, 2015 through Def Jam Recordings.[2] Created around a sample of "Ike's Rap II" by Isaac Hayes from the album Black Moses, "Here" is about people who secretly hate parties.[3][4] The song slowly gained popularity, and became Cara's first US Billboard Hot 100 chart entry debuting at number 95 for the week of August 22, 2015.[5] It later became her first top five single on the chart and reached the top of the US Pop Songs chart after a historic 26-week climb. "Here" has charted in the top 40 in Australia, Canada, Netherlands, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. The official remix features American rapper Logic. The song was featured on the third season of the comedy-drama television series Younger.
Background and composition[]
While working on her debut album in 2014, Cara attended a house party. She told NME, "Everyone seemed to know each other, but not me. It was sweaty, there was a guy and girl passed out with vomit all over her, people were just stepping over them."[6] The party caused her so much discomfort that she called her mother asking to take her home. Cara discussed the party with co-writer Sebastian Kole who then came up with the first line of the song.[7] Her record label, Def Jam, initially persuaded her to release another song that was more friendly for radio, but Cara pushed for the release of "Here" as she felt the other song would not have made her stand out from other singers.[8]
"Here" samples "Ike's Rap II" by Isaac Hayes from the album Black Moses, which had also been sampled in Portishead's "Glory Box" and Tricky's "Hell Is Round the Corner".[9] Oak Felder and Pop Wansel argued about wanting a Portishead or Hayes sample for the song, both unaware it was the same one.[10]
Lyrics[]
(I guess right now you've got the last laugh)
I'm sorry if I seem uninterested
Oh I'm not listenin', oh I'm indifferent
Truly I ain't got no business here
But since my friends are here, I just came to kick it
But really I would rather be at home all by myself
Not in this room with people who don't even care about my well being
I don't dance, don't ask, I don't need a boyfriend
So you can, go back, please enjoy your party
I'll be here, somewhere in the corner
Under clouds of marijuana with this boy who's hollerin'
And I can hardly hear
Over this music I don't listen to
And I don't wanna get with you
So tell my friends that I'll be over here
Oh oh oh here, oh oh oh here
Oh oh oh I asked myself, what am I doin' here?
Oh oh oh here, oh oh oh here
And I can't wait 'til we can break up out of here
Excuse me if I seem a little unimpressed with this
An antisocial pessimist, but usually I don't mess with this
And I know you mean only the best and your
Intentions aren't to bother me, but honestly I'd rather be
Somewhere with my people, we can kick it and just listen to
Some music with a message, (like we usually do)
And we'll discuss our big dreams, how we plan, to take over the planet
So pardon my manners, I hope you'll understand that I'll be here (ooh)
Not there in the kitchen
With the girl who's always gossipin' about her friends
Oh tell them I'll be here
(Ooh) right next to the boy who's throwin' up
'Cause he can't take what's in his cup no more
Oh God why am I here?
Oh oh oh here, oh oh oh here
Oh oh oh I asked myself, what am I doin' here?
Oh oh oh here, oh oh oh here
And I can't wait 'til we can break up out of here
Hours later congregatin' next to the refrigerator
Some girl's talkin' 'bout a hater, she ain't got none
How did it ever come to this? I should've never come to this
So holla at me, I'll be in the car when you're done
I'm stand-offish, don't want what you're offerin'
And I'm done talkin', awfully sad it had to be that way
So tell my people when they're ready that I'm ready
And I'm standin' by the TV with my beanie low
Yo I'll be over here
Oh oh oh here, oh oh oh here
Oh oh oh I asked myself, what am I doin' here?
Oh oh oh here, oh oh oh here
And I can't wait 'til we can break up out of here (oh oh, oh oh)
Music video[]
An official lyric video of the song was released on her YouTube page on May 7, 2015.[11] The official video was directed by Aaron A[12] and was released on her YouTube page on May 26, 2015. The video uses the inspiration of how Cara wrote the song by having her at a party and being the only one moving while the party is frozen in time,[13] while she's next to crowds of girls and guys drinking beer and gossiping.The visual effect of the frozen partygoers predated the viral Internet phenomenon [[Wikipedia:Mannequin Challenge]|Mannequin Challenge]].
Critical reception[]
"Here" was met with critical acclaim by music critics, who praised the song's concept and lyrics. Rolling Stone ranked "Here" at number 21 on its year-end list of the 50 best songs of 2015.[14] Billboard ranked "Here" at number six on its year-end list: "If Lorde's 'Royals' was a rallying cry for those who felt isolated by the rampart materialism in pop culture, then Alessia Cara's 'Here' is the anthem for those fed up with the glut of pop songs about partying and drinking. Thanks to the teenage R&B singer, being an introvert is finally cool again."[15] The prestigious Village Voice voted "Here" the 18th-best single released in 2015 on their annual year-end critics' poll, Pazz & Jop; the song is tied with Courtney Barnett's "Depreston".[16]
Video[]
Here (2:00 AM Version)[]
"Here (2:00 AM Version)" is the eleventh track of the Target Deluxe Edition of Alessia Cara's debut studio album, Know-It-All. It was released on November 13, 2015 through Def Jam Recordings and Universal Music Group.
Lyrics[]
I, I'm sorry if I seem uninterested
Or I'm not listenin', or I'm indifferent
Truly, I ain't got no business here
But, since my friends are here, I just came to kick it
But, really I would rather be at
Home all by myself, not in this room with people who don't even care about my well-being
I don't dance, don't ask, I don't need a boyfriend
So you can, go back, please enjoy your party
I'll be here
Somewhere in the corner, under
Clouds of marijuana, with this
Boy who's hollering, I can hardly hear
Over this music I don't listen to
And I don't wanna get with you
So tell my friends that I'll be over here
Oh-oh-oh here, oh-oh-oh here
Oh-oh-oh I ask myself, what am I doin' here?
Oh-oh-oh here, oh here
And I can't wait 'til we can break up out—
Excuse me if I seem a little unimpressed with this
An anti-social pessimist, but usually I don't mess with this
And I know you mean only the best
And your intentions aren't to bother me
But honestly I'd rather be
Somewhere with my people
We can kick it and just listen to
Some music with a message, like we usually do
And we'll discuss our big dreams
How we plan to take over the planet
So pardon my manners
I hope you'll understand that I'll be here
Not there in the kitchen with the
Girl who's always gossiping about her friends
So tell them I'll be here
Right next to the boy who's throwin' up
Cause he can't take what's in his cup no more
Oh God why am I here?
Oh-oh-oh here, oh-oh-oh here
Oh-oh-oh I ask myself, what am I doin' here?
Oh-oh-oh here, oh here
And I can't wait 'til we can break up out—
Hours later congregatin' next to the refrigerator
Some girl talkin' 'bout her haters, she ain't got none
How did it ever come to this? I shoulda never come to this
So holla at me, I'll be in the car when you're done
I'm stand-offish, don't want what you're offerin'
And I'm done talkin', awfully sad it had to be that way
So tell my people when they're ready that I'm ready
And I'm standin' by the TV with my beanie low
Yo, I'll be over here
Oh-oh-oh here, oh-oh-oh here
Oh-oh-oh I ask myself, what am I doin' here?
Oh-oh-oh here, oh here
And I can't wait 'til we can break up out of here
If you're ready then I'm ready, yeah
If you're ready then I'm ready, yeah, yeah
If you're ready then I'm ready, yeah, yeah
If you're ready then I'm ready, yeah, yeah
Trivia[]
- When recording the song, Cara did not write down any lyrics. Instead she tried to memorize them as she recorded.
- It was the producer Pop who decided to sample the “I guess for now you’ve got the last laugh” in the beginning.
- As soon as the song was done, Cara played it for her mother and told her, “Mom, this is the song thats gonna make me somebody.” Because she had a gut feeling something big was going to happen. Her mom hated it at first.
- Alessia's mom's foot is in the music video.
References
- ↑ https://www.songfacts.com/facts/alessia-cara/here
- ↑ Alessia Cara - Here
- ↑ New Songs: Alessia Cara - Here
- ↑ Every Introvert Needs To Hear This Song
- ↑ Hot 100 Chart Moves: Drake Ties James Brown's Record
- ↑ Radar New Act Of The Week – Alessia Cara Is Pop’s Latest Superstar In Waiting
- ↑ Sebastian Kole Dishes on Writing for Jennifer Lopez, 'Grey's Anatomy' Success & New His New EP
- ↑ Alessia Cara Speaks Up for the Outsiders on ‘Here’
- ↑ Alessia Cara flips Portishead’s ‘Glory Box’
- ↑ Interview with Oak Felder, Hit Writer/Producer for Alessia Cara, Demi Lovato, Nicki Minaj And Other Artists
- ↑ Alessia Cara - Here (Lyric Video)
- ↑ Alessia Cara Transcends a Party in the 'Here' Video
- ↑ Alessia Cara - Here (Behind The Scenes)
- ↑ 50 Best Songs of 2015
- ↑ Billboard 25 Best Songs of 2015: Critics' Picks
- ↑ Pazz & Jop Statistics
- ↑ https://twitter.com/alessiacara/status/666026209101246465
- ↑ https://alessiastumblah.tumblr.com/post/132474210972/amp?__twitter_impression=true
- ↑ https://twitter.com/alessiacara/status/666026209101246465
| Four Pink Walls | ||
|---|---|---|
| Singles | Here | |
| Songs | Seventeen • Here • Outlaws • I'm Yours • Four Pink Walls | |
| Artists | Alessia Cara | |
Credits | Certifications | Charts
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