Down (Jay Sean song)
Encyclopedia
"Down" is an R&B
-electropop
song by British artist Jay Sean. The song was released in North America as his debut single from his first album there, All or Nothing
. In other markets, including the UK, the song serves as Jay Sean's lead single from his third studio album. The single features American rapper and label mate Lil Wayne
and is produced by J remy and Bobby Bass. "Down" is the seventh-best selling single of 2009, having sold more than three million digital copies in the United States alone, and has been certified Platinum in several countries. The song went on to sell four million copies in the United States and six million copies worldwide, and also received a large airplay
of two billion listener impressions on radio worldwide.
The track was released to US radio on 31 May 2009, and digital retailers on 30 June 2009. "Down" hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100
chart in the issue dated 17 October 2009, knocking The Black Eyed Peas
off the top of the chart after their 26 week reign at number one. This made Jay Sean the first British act to score a Billboard Hot 100 number-one single since Coldplay
's "Viva la Vida" in 2008, and the fourth British act overall this decade. The song has also made him "the first UK Urban act ever to top Billboard' s Hot 100", the ninth (second British) male solo performer to top the US charts with his debut single in the US, and the first British act to have reached #1 in the US and not in the UK with a song since Seal
's "Kiss From a Rose
" in 1995. It is also the best-selling single by a British/European male artist in North America since Elton John
's "Candle in the Wind
" in 1997, and the first by a British Asian
artist since Freddie Mercury
in 1980.
, Jay Sean announced that he had signed with the American hip hop
record label Cash Money Records
. He explained, “It’s always been a dream for me to sign to an American label. And it’s great to be accepted by the best in the game.”
It was rumoured that his first single in the US would be a remix of the single, "Tonight
" featuring Lil Wayne. In fact, a remix had not been produced but the song "Down" which was originally recorded in December 2008. The song was written by Jay Sean with Jared Cotter
, J Perkins and producers J remy and Bobby Bass. The track was originally for My Own Way: Deluxe Edition
without Lil Wayne, alongside "War". The CEO of Cash Money Ronald "Slim" Williams liked the track, played it to Wayne and wanted Wayne to be on the track; Wayne loved it and added a new verse on the track.
Sean told MTV News that he recorded this song in 90 minutes, after which he received a call from Ronald "Slim" Williams. He recalled: "Slim called me up and was like, 'Yo, man, there's something wrong on the second verse that just doesn't sound right.' I was like, 'Really? What?' He played the song. All of a sudden I heard Wayne's Auto-Tune
stuff, and I'm like, 'OK. What's going on? Right! That's Lil Wayne on my song right now!' That day was brilliant."
"The news was on, everything was depressing and we were like 'look at this man — everything's so down in the dumps. Why don't we write a song to take everyone's mind away from being down?'" explains Sean about how the track came about during a late night recording session in Miami's Hit Factory studio. According to Sean, "Wayne heard it, fell in love and dropped a verse on it," which resulted in the up-tempo summer record peppered with Wayne's gritty pipes.
Of the song, Jay Sean said, "I'm a very positive, optimistic person and thought let me write a song about the idea that if you've got someone special in your life then nothing else really matters, how you need to appreciate the little things. The title is a play on the word 'down.' That's why Lil Wayne says, 'Are you down like the economy.' It's a fun, very easy track something to pump in your car".
Lil Wayne said, "Everybody is used to what Cash Money is, and that’s why he has a new sound. It’s for the ladies. We’re used to getting in your face... and now we are getting more mature here".
. As long as you work hard and strive to do you best and make good music, and of course with a bit of luck, it is possible," Jay told the BBC. The success of "Down" has also led to Sean being considered the most successful European urban artist in North America.
When the track topped the Billboard Hot 100
, Jay Sean was on stage with labelmate Lil Wayne, on the first night of the US rapper's London concert tour. Before he returned to the US, Jay Sean was asked, "How does it feel to have the top song of the week?", and replied, "This is insane. It's just incredible to have reached #1 with my first release in America. It's difficult for me to put into words. My head is spinning. I've been grinding hard for the last seven years releasing records independently and now to have the biggest record in the USA this week. It's just a dream come true." The second time the song hit #1, he was performing at "The Justin Timberlake and Friends Concert Benefiting Shriners Hospitals For Children" on 17 October 2009 with Justin Timberlake
.
". The "Down" video was first shot in London on 24 April 2009, with Cash Money crew without Lil Wayne. The video was shot over two days. The Buckinghamshire mansion featured is Hedsor House
, an enormous private mansion and park where Mark Ronson
hosted his 33rd birthday and where scenes for the feature film The Golden Compass were filmed. The video was completed in Miami, with Jay Sean heading to the US to finish the video with Lil Wayne on 20 May 2009. The video features Hispanic American
model Korrina Rico as the lead lady, dancers, bright blue lights and bottles. The video was produced by Shurwin Beckford and directed by Richard Pengelley for Jayded Entertainment/Guerilla Hype/Hey Buddy and edited by Jamie Mac and Adam Wood. During the rap break, Lil Wayne is seen wearing a red t-shirt with the word 'COMMUNIST' in white capitalized letters. The prelude of his previous single "Ride It
" can be heard in the music video as the introduction to this song.
On 23 July 2009, the video premiered on Jay Sean's YouTube page; it was the #1 most viewed music video on YouTube for its first two weeks and had over 5 million views as of 24 December 2009. During the week of 10 August 2009, the music video was featured as iTunes
' Free Music Video of the Week. The video was added to MTV's rotation on 5 August 2009 include MTV Hits and MTV America. The video was also added to the Universal Music Group's channel where the video had more than 20 million views as of 23 November 2009. The video was added to the Island Records channel where his UK fans can see the video, which had around 5 million views as of 20 December 2009. The video was also added to the Jay Sean Vevo
channel, where it has more than 96 million views as of 2 May 2010. Chipmunk
and Tinie Tempah
make cameo appearances in the video.
gave the song a positive review, stating that Jay Sean's "melodic vocals [...] resonate with impressive tonal clarity". Billboard gave the song a score of 91/100. Alex MacGregor of UK Mix gave the song 4 out of 5 stars, stating that it "is actually a creditable offering of world beating R&B pop that reminds the listener of some of the better moments in Usher
's back catalogue."
(US), which debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200
. It has also been included in Now That's What I Call Music! 74
(UK), Clubland 16
and the Australian compilation So Fresh: The Hits of Summer 2010 & The Best Of 2009
. The song has also been featured in the "Canon" episode of Melrose Place
. "Weird Al" Yankovic
covered "Down" as part of "Polka Face," the polka medley from his 2011 album Alpocalypse
.
According to data released by Google
, "Down" is one of the top five most searched-for songs of 2009 on the internet. "Down" has been used and covered in numerous user videos on YouTube, including a breast cancer awareness video by the Providence St. Vincent Medical Center
. A cover version of the song was also performed on Episode 2 of The Sing-Off
by the a cappella
group Nota
. After Nota went on to win the contest during the finale, Sean himself made an appearance, performing "Down" with the group in the show's ending. DJ Bikram Keith and DJ Vix made a "Desi Remix" to "Down". The single was also include on DJ Earworm's mash-up of all the Top 25 Billboard hits of the year. The title "Urban Desi Boy of 2009" was given to Jay Sean by DesiHits
. On Grammy Awards 2010
where Jay Sean was, told Taylor Swift
that "Down" was her favorite song of 2009. The electronica
band Breathe Carolina
covered this song for the compilation album Punk Goes Pop 3
that will be released on 2 November 2010.
In early December 2009, the song appeared at #20 on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 2009
and at #14 on the Billboard Year-End Pop Songs of 2009. Later in the month, it appeared at #4 on Z100
's Top 100 Songs of 2009. It also appeared on VH1's Top 40 Music Videos of 2009 List at #20. Having sold more than three million digital copies in the United States alone, "Down" is the seventh-best selling single of 2009, in a year noted for having the highest record sales of all time. To date, it has sold six million copies worldwide.
The song has been made into a playable track on the Kinect game Dance Central
for the Xbox 360
which was released on 4 November 2010.
. He has also performed the track on Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
, in Toronto
, on Jimmy Kimmel Live
, on Madison Square Garden
, alongside "Do You Remember
", on The Wendy Williams Show
, on BBC 1Xtra Live 2009, a "Acoustic version" for Billboard.com and Yahoo! Music
, and the "Candle Light Remix" for BBC Radio 1
. On 21 December 2009, he performed the song on The Sing-Off
with the winning group Nota
.
for the chart week of 6 August 2009, and stayed at number two for three weeks. After fourteen weeks on the chart, the song reached number one for the chart week ending 17 October 2009, making Jay Sean the first India
n-origin solo artist to achieve a number-one single in the US. "Down" ended The Black Eyed Peas
' 26-week reign at the number-one spot on the Hot 100. Furthermore, "Down" had managed to top one of the most competitive weeks in the US charts this decade, with the top five titles (Sean's "Down", Miley Cyrus
' "Party in the U.S.A.
", Jay-Z
's "Run This Town
", Jason DeRulo
's "Whatcha Say
", and Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling
") being "separated by the tightest point margin in more than six years." After spending a week at the top spot, "Down" was succeeded by Britney Spears
' "3
", but the following week, it returned to number one. On the Canadian Hot 100
, it debuted at number 40 for the week of 17 August 2009, and peaked at number three for the week of 15 October 2009. The song also peaked at number one on Billboards Pop Songs, Radio Songs (airplay), and Rhythmic Top 40 charts, and number two on the Digital Songs
(sales) chart. Since its release, it has sold over 4,000,000 downloads.
On the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
singles chart, "Down" debuted at number 18, and after six weeks the song peaked at number two (where it spent four weeks) for the week of 5 November 2009. On Sverigetopplistan
, "Down" debuted at number 52 and, in its second week, peaked at number 29 beginning 5 November 2009, where it spent ten weeks at that position. In Switzerland, for the week of 8 October 2009, the song debuted on the Swiss Music Charts
at number 65 and peaked at number 57 five weeks later. The single debuted at number nine on 22 October 2009, on the Norwegian Singles Chart and peaked at number five two weeks later. In the UK, "Down" entered and peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart
and spent one week at number one on the UK R&B Chart
. It is his highest charting single in the UK since "Stolen
" charted at number four in 2004.
On the Austrian Singles Chart
, "Down" debuted at number 70 for the week beginning of 5 November 2009, and peaked at number 52. On the Australian ARIA Charts
, the song debuted at number nine that same week and peaked at number two three weeks later. On the Belgian Singles Chart
, the song peaked at number two. The song debuted at number nine on the European Hot 100 and number 94 on the Japan Hot 100
during the week dated 9 November 2009, and peaked at number 79 on the week dated 6 March 2010. The song debuted on the French SNEP
chart at number 19 on 27 February 2010.
Promo US CD
UK Single CD
and Universal Music Group
(and his American-debut single) became his first number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and first single to sell more than two million copies in America, and the second for featured artist Lil Wayne who first led for five weeks last year with "Lollipop
" on the Hot 100.
"Down" entered the UK Singles Chart
on 1 November 2009 at #3, and #1 on the R&B Chart
becoming Sean's highest charting positions on both charts.
pop punk
band Destine
released a cover version of "Down" as a stand alone single on 1 October 2010 and as an iTunes
download on 4 October. The official music video was meant to debut on EFM on 8 October, but was released through the band official YouTube
page three days earlier on 5 October 2010, although it was deleted the next day. Their debut album Lightspeed
was released on 3 August 2011 in Japan, and included "Down" as a bonus track. It's their first single to officially chart on the Netherlands iTunes Top 100, even though charting at 112.
covered the track for the compilation album
Punk Goes Pop 3
, which was released on 2 November 2010. It was available for Digital download
on 16 September. A music video including live footage of the band performing the song was released on 2 February 2011.
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
-electropop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
song by British artist Jay Sean. The song was released in North America as his debut single from his first album there, All or Nothing
All or Nothing (Jay Sean album)
All or Nothing is the third studio album by British R&B singer Jay Sean, released 23 November 2009 in the United States as the singer's international debut album with Cash Money Records and Universal Republic and a week later on 30 November 2009 with Jayded Records and 2Point9 Records...
. In other markets, including the UK, the song serves as Jay Sean's lead single from his third studio album. The single features American rapper and label mate Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included...
and is produced by J remy and Bobby Bass. "Down" is the seventh-best selling single of 2009, having sold more than three million digital copies in the United States alone, and has been certified Platinum in several countries. The song went on to sell four million copies in the United States and six million copies worldwide, and also received a large airplay
Airplay
* Airplay is the amount of time a song is played on the radio.It may also refer to:* AirPlay, an audio & video streaming technology from Apple Inc.* Airplay , Foster & Graydon music project from 1980* Citroën C1, Citroën C1 Airplay...
of two billion listener impressions on radio worldwide.
The track was released to US radio on 31 May 2009, and digital retailers on 30 June 2009. "Down" hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart in the issue dated 17 October 2009, knocking The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
off the top of the chart after their 26 week reign at number one. This made Jay Sean the first British act to score a Billboard Hot 100 number-one single since Coldplay
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
's "Viva la Vida" in 2008, and the fourth British act overall this decade. The song has also made him "the first UK Urban act ever to top Billboard
Seal (musician)
Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel , known simply as Seal, is a British soul and R&B singer-songwriter, of Nigerian and Brazilian background. Seal has won numerous music awards throughout his career, including three Brit Awards—winning Best British Male in 1992, four Grammy Awards, and an...
's "Kiss From a Rose
Kiss from a Rose
"Kiss from a Rose" is a song from Seal's second eponymous album Seal . The song was first released as a single in July 1994. Re-released in 1995, it was included on the Batman Forever film soundtrack, helping it top the charts in the U.S. and Australia. It took the 1996 Grammy Awards for both...
" in 1995. It is also the best-selling single by a British/European male artist in North America since Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
's "Candle in the Wind
Candle in the Wind 1997
"Candle in the Wind 1997" is a rewritten and rerecorded version of Elton John's own 1973 hit "Candle in the Wind" that was released as a tribute single to the late Diana, Princess of Wales....
" in 1997, and the first by a British Asian
British Asian
British Asian is a term used to describe British citizens who descended from mainly South Asia, also known as South Asians in the United Kingdom...
artist since Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury was a British musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a performer, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and powerful vocals over a four-octave range...
in 1980.
Development
On 15 October 2008, at the MOBO AwardsMOBO Awards
The Music of Black Origin Awards, established in 1995 by Kanya King MBE and Andy Ruffell, are held annually in the United Kingdom to recognise artists of any ethnicity or nationality performing black music....
, Jay Sean announced that he had signed with the American hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
record label Cash Money Records
Cash Money Records
Cash Money Records is a record label founded by brothers Bryan "Birdman" Williams and Ronald "Slim" Williams. Today it operates as a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, and is distributed by Universal Republic Records as of 2011...
. He explained, “It’s always been a dream for me to sign to an American label. And it’s great to be accepted by the best in the game.”
It was rumoured that his first single in the US would be a remix of the single, "Tonight
Tonight (Jay Sean song)
"Tonight" is a single by British R&B artist Jay Sean. The single was released on 18 January 2009 and 26 January 2009 , but the music video for the single was released much earlier, on 17 November 2008...
" featuring Lil Wayne. In fact, a remix had not been produced but the song "Down" which was originally recorded in December 2008. The song was written by Jay Sean with Jared Cotter
Jared Cotter
Jared Lincoln Cotter is an American pop/R&B singer, songwriter and model. He has hosted a number of TV shows, and he co-wrote the number 1 song "Down" by Jay Sean.-Biography:...
, J Perkins and producers J remy and Bobby Bass. The track was originally for My Own Way: Deluxe Edition
My Own Way (album)
My Own Way is the second studio album by British Contemporary R&B singer Jay Sean, released May 12, 2008 on Jayded Records and 2Point9 Records. Recording sessions took place from 2006 to 2009. Production was handled by Jay Sean and several other recording producers, including Jared Cotter, J remy,...
without Lil Wayne, alongside "War". The CEO of Cash Money Ronald "Slim" Williams liked the track, played it to Wayne and wanted Wayne to be on the track; Wayne loved it and added a new verse on the track.
Sean told MTV News that he recorded this song in 90 minutes, after which he received a call from Ronald "Slim" Williams. He recalled: "Slim called me up and was like, 'Yo, man, there's something wrong on the second verse that just doesn't sound right.' I was like, 'Really? What?' He played the song. All of a sudden I heard Wayne's Auto-Tune
Auto-Tune
Auto-Tune is a proprietary audio processor created by Antares Audio Technologies. Auto-Tune uses a phase vocoder to correct pitch in vocal and instrumental performances. It is used to disguise off-key inaccuracies and mistakes, and has allowed singers to perform apparently perfectly tuned vocal...
stuff, and I'm like, 'OK. What's going on? Right! That's Lil Wayne on my song right now!' That day was brilliant."
"The news was on, everything was depressing and we were like 'look at this man — everything's so down in the dumps. Why don't we write a song to take everyone's mind away from being down?'" explains Sean about how the track came about during a late night recording session in Miami's Hit Factory studio. According to Sean, "Wayne heard it, fell in love and dropped a verse on it," which resulted in the up-tempo summer record peppered with Wayne's gritty pipes.
Of the song, Jay Sean said, "I'm a very positive, optimistic person and thought let me write a song about the idea that if you've got someone special in your life then nothing else really matters, how you need to appreciate the little things. The title is a play on the word 'down.' That's why Lil Wayne says, 'Are you down like the economy.' It's a fun, very easy track something to pump in your car".
Lil Wayne said, "Everybody is used to what Cash Money is, and that’s why he has a new sound. It’s for the ladies. We’re used to getting in your face... and now we are getting more mature here".
After the release
The BBC reports that Jay Sean is "The Most Successful Male U.K. Urban artist in U.S chart history". "I want to do my best to represent the UK in America and let people really understand that it doesn't matter if we're from a little place called HounslowHounslow
Hounslow is the principal town in the London Borough of Hounslow. It is a suburban development situated 10.6 miles west south-west of Charing Cross. It forms a post town in the TW postcode area.-Etymology:...
. As long as you work hard and strive to do you best and make good music, and of course with a bit of luck, it is possible," Jay told the BBC. The success of "Down" has also led to Sean being considered the most successful European urban artist in North America.
When the track topped the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, Jay Sean was on stage with labelmate Lil Wayne, on the first night of the US rapper's London concert tour. Before he returned to the US, Jay Sean was asked, "How does it feel to have the top song of the week?", and replied, "This is insane. It's just incredible to have reached #1 with my first release in America. It's difficult for me to put into words. My head is spinning. I've been grinding hard for the last seven years releasing records independently and now to have the biggest record in the USA this week. It's just a dream come true." The second time the song hit #1, he was performing at "The Justin Timberlake and Friends Concert Benefiting Shriners Hospitals For Children" on 17 October 2009 with Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
.
Music video
The music video for "Down" was produced alongside the video for "Written On HerWritten on Her
"Written on Her" is the second single off rapper Birdman’s fourth studio album, Priceless. It was released officially on iTunes on 23 June 2009. The song features British Indian R&B artist Jay Sean, the newest member of Cash Money Records, and is produced by Oddz N Endz...
". The "Down" video was first shot in London on 24 April 2009, with Cash Money crew without Lil Wayne. The video was shot over two days. The Buckinghamshire mansion featured is Hedsor House
Hedsor House
Hedsor House is a Georgian style mansion in England in the southern most point of Buckinghamshire in the village of Hedsor, Taplow. Perched overlooking the River Thames, a Manor house at Hedsor can be dated back to 1166 when the estate was owned by the de Hedsor Family...
, an enormous private mansion and park where Mark Ronson
Mark Ronson
Mark Daniel Ronson is an English DJ, guitarist, music producer, artist and co-founder of Allido Records. He currently works with his band under the music alias of Mark Ronson & The Business Intl....
hosted his 33rd birthday and where scenes for the feature film The Golden Compass were filmed. The video was completed in Miami, with Jay Sean heading to the US to finish the video with Lil Wayne on 20 May 2009. The video features Hispanic American
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
model Korrina Rico as the lead lady, dancers, bright blue lights and bottles. The video was produced by Shurwin Beckford and directed by Richard Pengelley for Jayded Entertainment/Guerilla Hype/Hey Buddy and edited by Jamie Mac and Adam Wood. During the rap break, Lil Wayne is seen wearing a red t-shirt with the word 'COMMUNIST' in white capitalized letters. The prelude of his previous single "Ride It
Ride It (Jay Sean song)
"Ride It" is the first single from Jay Sean's second album My Own Way. It was written by Jay Sean himself and Alan Sampson. It was released on 21 January 2008. The song reached the Top 20 in the UK Singles Chart, peaking at #11...
" can be heard in the music video as the introduction to this song.
On 23 July 2009, the video premiered on Jay Sean's YouTube page; it was the #1 most viewed music video on YouTube for its first two weeks and had over 5 million views as of 24 December 2009. During the week of 10 August 2009, the music video was featured as iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
' Free Music Video of the Week. The video was added to MTV's rotation on 5 August 2009 include MTV Hits and MTV America. The video was also added to the Universal Music Group's channel where the video had more than 20 million views as of 23 November 2009. The video was added to the Island Records channel where his UK fans can see the video, which had around 5 million views as of 20 December 2009. The video was also added to the Jay Sean Vevo
Vevo
Vevo is a music video website. It is a joint venture among Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Abu Dhabi Media with EMI licensing its content to the group without taking an ownership stake. The service was launched officially on December 8, 2009...
channel, where it has more than 96 million views as of 2 May 2010. Chipmunk
Chipmunk (rapper)
Jahmaal Noel Fyffe known by his stage name Chipmunk, is a British hip hop rapper and songwriter from Tottenham, London....
and Tinie Tempah
Tinie Tempah
Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu , better known by his stage name Tinie Tempah, is a British rapper. He made his first mixtape in 2007 with 28 songs, freestyles and remixes, the album features Mz Bratt, Chipmunk and G-Unit...
make cameo appearances in the video.
Critical reception
Ginger Clements from BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
gave the song a positive review, stating that Jay Sean's "melodic vocals [...] resonate with impressive tonal clarity". Billboard gave the song a score of 91/100. Alex MacGregor of UK Mix gave the song 4 out of 5 stars, stating that it "is actually a creditable offering of world beating R&B pop that reminds the listener of some of the better moments in Usher
Usher (entertainer)
Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
's back catalogue."
Popularity
"Down" has been included in various compilation albums, including Now That's What I Call Music! 32Now That's What I Call Music! 32 (U.S. series)
-Downloadable content:Until November 4, 2010, Now! 32 offers free downloadable MP3s for those purchasing the CD. Included in this volume are the following artists and songs:# The Cataracs – "Club Love"# Tyrone Wells – "More"...
(US), which debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. It has also been included in Now That's What I Call Music! 74
Now That's What I Call Music! 74 (UK series)
Now That's What I Call Music! 74 or Now! 74 is a double-disc compilation album which was released in Ireland on 20 November 2009, and in the United Kingdom on 23 November...
(UK), Clubland 16
Clubland (brand)
Clubland is a brand created by the UK dance record labels All Around the World and Universal Music TV. Since 2002 Clubland has made many dance compilation albums, including the popular Clubland series, which is currently up to Volume 20...
and the Australian compilation So Fresh: The Hits of Summer 2010 & The Best Of 2009
So Fresh: The Hits of Summer 2010 & the Best of 2009
"So Fresh: The Hits of Summer 2010 & The Best of 2009" is a compilation of songs which were popular on the ARIA Charts of Australia in 2009, and are hits in summer 2010.-Disc 1:# Vanessa Amorosi - This Is Who I Am# The Black Eyed Peas - Meet Me Halfway...
. The song has also been featured in the "Canon" episode of Melrose Place
Melrose Place (2009 TV series)
Melrose Place is an American television series broadcast on The CW Television Network from September 8, 2009 to April 13, 2010. The fifth series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise, it is an updated version of the 1990s Fox prime time drama of the same name, featuring a group of young adults...
. "Weird Al" Yankovic
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
covered "Down" as part of "Polka Face," the polka medley from his 2011 album Alpocalypse
Alpocalypse
Alpocalypse is the thirteenth studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on June 21, 2011. It is his first studio release in almost five years, following the release of Straight Outta Lynwood in 2006. It is also his first studio album since 1989's UHF – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and...
.
According to data released by Google
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
, "Down" is one of the top five most searched-for songs of 2009 on the internet. "Down" has been used and covered in numerous user videos on YouTube, including a breast cancer awareness video by the Providence St. Vincent Medical Center
Providence St. Vincent Medical Center
Providence St. Vincent Medical Center, is a non-profit, acute care hospital in the Portland metropolitan area of the U.S. state of Oregon. The center is Providence Health & Services’s largest Oregon hospital. St...
. A cover version of the song was also performed on Episode 2 of The Sing-Off
The Sing-Off
The Sing-Off is an American television singing competition featuring a cappella groups. It premiered on NBC on December 14, 2009, and is produced by Sony Pictures Television....
by the a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
group Nota
Nota (group)
Nota is an a cappella group of six male vocalists from San Juan, Puerto Rico. The group met in 1994 and started singing together occasionally. The group won the first season of the musical competition The Sing-Off.-Biography:...
. After Nota went on to win the contest during the finale, Sean himself made an appearance, performing "Down" with the group in the show's ending. DJ Bikram Keith and DJ Vix made a "Desi Remix" to "Down". The single was also include on DJ Earworm's mash-up of all the Top 25 Billboard hits of the year. The title "Urban Desi Boy of 2009" was given to Jay Sean by DesiHits
DesiHits
-Background:DesiHits! is a multi-platform media company that produces and distributes fusion entertainment content aimed at the South Asian diaspora. The Company was founded in 2006 by Anjula Acharia-Bath, Ranj Bath and Arun Sandhu, and is headquartered in New York...
. On Grammy Awards 2010
52nd Grammy Awards
The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards took place on January 31, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Neil Young was honored as the 2010 MusiCares Person of the Year on January 29, two days prior to the Grammy telecast. Only ten of the 109 awards were received during the broadcast...
where Jay Sean was, told Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
that "Down" was her favorite song of 2009. The electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
band Breathe Carolina
Breathe Carolina
Breathe Carolina is an American electronic rock musical duo from Denver, Colorado, composed of David Schmitt and Kyle Even. Breathe Carolina have released three albums, one EP, and five music videos to date.-Beginnings :...
covered this song for the compilation album Punk Goes Pop 3
Punk Goes Pop 3
Punk Goes Pop 3 is the tenth compilation album released from the Punk Goes... series created by Fearless Records to feature covers by various artists of pop songs, and is the tenth album in the series overall...
that will be released on 2 November 2010.
In early December 2009, the song appeared at #20 on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 2009
Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 2009
Billboard magazine each year releases a Top Hot 100 songs of the year, counted from the first week of November to the final week in October. The 2009 list was dominated by The Black Eyed Peas and Lady Gaga, who shared the top four spots...
and at #14 on the Billboard Year-End Pop Songs of 2009. Later in the month, it appeared at #4 on Z100
WHTZ
WHTZ — branded Z100 — is a commercial pop/contemporary hit radio radio station licensed to Newark, New Jersey serving the New York metropolitan area. The station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications...
's Top 100 Songs of 2009. It also appeared on VH1's Top 40 Music Videos of 2009 List at #20. Having sold more than three million digital copies in the United States alone, "Down" is the seventh-best selling single of 2009, in a year noted for having the highest record sales of all time. To date, it has sold six million copies worldwide.
The song has been made into a playable track on the Kinect game Dance Central
Dance Central
Dance Central is a music video game for the Xbox 360 that utilizes the Kinect motion peripheral. The game was developed by Harmonix, creators of the Guitar Hero and Rock Band franchises, and is a launch title for Kinect...
for the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
which was released on 4 November 2010.
Live performance
After the track leaked on web 21 May 2009 did Jay Sean perform the "Without Rap" version of the track for the first time live in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. He has also performed the track on Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, often shortened to Macy's Day Parade, is an annual parade presented by Macy's. The tradition started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States along with America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit, and four years younger than...
, in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, on Jimmy Kimmel Live
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Jimmy Kimmel Live! is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and broadcast on ABC.The nightly hour-long show made its debut on January 26, 2003, following Super Bowl XXXVII. Jimmy Kimmel Live! is produced by Jackhole Productions in association with ABC Studios...
, on Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
, alongside "Do You Remember
Do You Remember (Jay Sean song)
"Do You Remember" is the second single by British R&B artist Jay Sean from his American-debut album, All or Nothing. The song features Jamaican dancehall musician Sean Paul and American crunk rapper Lil Jon. The song was produced by J remy and Bobby Bass....
", on The Wendy Williams Show
The Wendy Williams Show
The Wendy Williams Show is a syndicated talk show hosted by Wendy Williams that premiered on July 14, 2008, as six-week sneak peek, in Detroit, Dallas, Los Angeles, and New York City. The test run was picked up for a full season that began its run on July 13, 2009 in over 70% of the country in...
, on BBC 1Xtra Live 2009, a "Acoustic version" for Billboard.com and Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music, owned by Yahoo!, is the provider of a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming...
, and the "Candle Light Remix" for BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
. On 21 December 2009, he performed the song on The Sing-Off
The Sing-Off
The Sing-Off is an American television singing competition featuring a cappella groups. It premiered on NBC on December 14, 2009, and is produced by Sony Pictures Television....
with the winning group Nota
Nota (group)
Nota is an a cappella group of six male vocalists from San Juan, Puerto Rico. The group met in 1994 and started singing together occasionally. The group won the first season of the musical competition The Sing-Off.-Biography:...
.
Chart performance
"Down" debuted at number 72 on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
for the chart week of 6 August 2009, and stayed at number two for three weeks. After fourteen weeks on the chart, the song reached number one for the chart week ending 17 October 2009, making Jay Sean the first India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n-origin solo artist to achieve a number-one single in the US. "Down" ended The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
' 26-week reign at the number-one spot on the Hot 100. Furthermore, "Down" had managed to top one of the most competitive weeks in the US charts this decade, with the top five titles (Sean's "Down", Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus is an American actress and pop singer-songwriter. She achieved wide fame for her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana....
' "Party in the U.S.A.
Party in the U.S.A.
"Party in the U.S.A." is a pop song performed by American recording artist Miley Cyrus. The song was written by Dr. Luke, Claude Kelly, and Jessie J and produced by Dr. Luke. It was released on August 11, 2009, by Hollywood Records, as the lead single from Cyrus' first extended play The Time of Our...
", Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
's "Run This Town
Run This Town
"Run This Town" is a 2009 song performed by American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West. The song features Rihanna. The track was produced by Kanye West alongside No I.D. It is released as the second single of Jay-Z's eleventh studio album The Blueprint 3...
", Jason DeRulo
Jason Derulo
Jason Joel Desrouleaux , better known by his stage name Jason Derülo, is an American singer-songwriter, actor and dancer. After producing records for several artists and writing songs for Cash Money Records, co-founder of the label Birdman, Young Money Entertainment owner Lil Wayne and rapper...
's "Whatcha Say
Whatcha Say
"Whatcha Say" is the debut single by American recording artist Jason Derülo. It was produced by J. R. Rotem with additional production by German producer Fuego and samples the song "Hide and Seek" by Imogen Heap. "Whatcha Say" topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in the United States.Derülo recorded a...
", and Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling
I Gotta Feeling
"I Gotta Feeling" is the second single from The Black Eyed Peas' fifth studio album The E.N.D., produced by the French DJ David Guetta. The song was released on May 21, 2009 and debuted at number two on the Canadian and Billboard Hot 100 on the week of June 27, 2009, behind the group's "Boom Boom...
") being "separated by the tightest point margin in more than six years." After spending a week at the top spot, "Down" was succeeded by Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
' "3
3 (song)
"3" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, from her second greatest hits compilation The Singles Collection. It was released on September 29, 2009, as the only single of the album by Jive Records. The song was produced by long-time collaborator Max Martin and Shellback, and recorded...
", but the following week, it returned to number one. On the Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
, it debuted at number 40 for the week of 17 August 2009, and peaked at number three for the week of 15 October 2009. The song also peaked at number one on Billboards Pop Songs, Radio Songs (airplay), and Rhythmic Top 40 charts, and number two on the Digital Songs
Hot Digital Songs
The Hot Digital Songs chart ranks the best-selling digital singles in the United States, according to Billboard.Beginning in February 2005, digital sales have been incorporated into many of Billboards music single charts. It was decided to do so mainly because of the dramatic rise in popularity of...
(sales) chart. Since its release, it has sold over 4,000,000 downloads.
On the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...
singles chart, "Down" debuted at number 18, and after six weeks the song peaked at number two (where it spent four weeks) for the week of 5 November 2009. On Sverigetopplistan
Sverigetopplistan
Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association ....
, "Down" debuted at number 52 and, in its second week, peaked at number 29 beginning 5 November 2009, where it spent ten weeks at that position. In Switzerland, for the week of 8 October 2009, the song debuted on the Swiss Music Charts
Swiss Music Charts
The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75...
at number 65 and peaked at number 57 five weeks later. The single debuted at number nine on 22 October 2009, on the Norwegian Singles Chart and peaked at number five two weeks later. In the UK, "Down" entered and peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
and spent one week at number one on the UK R&B Chart
UK R&B Chart
The Official UK R&B Chart is a forty-position R&B/Hip-Hop chart compiled by The Official UK Charts Company. Although the chart does not receive any airplay, its compilation is viewed on BBC Radio 1's website and publications such as ChartsPlus and Music Week...
. It is his highest charting single in the UK since "Stolen
Stolen (Jay Sean song)
"Stolen" is the second and last single from Jay Sean's debut album Me Against Myself. It was released on October 25, 2004 and debuted at #4 on the UK Singles Chart, making it his highest charting UK single until "Down." It sold over 39,000 copies in the United Kingdom...
" charted at number four in 2004.
On the Austrian Singles Chart
Ö3 Austria Top 40
Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann...
, "Down" debuted at number 70 for the week beginning of 5 November 2009, and peaked at number 52. On the Australian ARIA Charts
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
, the song debuted at number nine that same week and peaked at number two three weeks later. On the Belgian Singles Chart
Ultratop 50
Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995...
, the song peaked at number two. The song debuted at number nine on the European Hot 100 and number 94 on the Japan Hot 100
Japan Hot 100
The Japan Hot 100 is a music singles chart in Japan. It is compiled by Billboard and Hanshin Contents Link ever since February 2008. The chart is updated every Wednesday at billboard-japan.com and every Thursday at billboard.com ....
during the week dated 9 November 2009, and peaked at number 79 on the week dated 6 March 2010. The song debuted on the French SNEP
Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique
The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry...
chart at number 19 on 27 February 2010.
Track listing
iTunes Digital download- "Down" (feat. Lil WayneLil WayneDwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included...
) - 3:32
Promo US CD
- "Down" (Clean featuring Lil Wayne) - 3:32
- "Down" (Clean without Rap) - 3:15
- "Down" (Instrumental) - 3:32
- "Down" (Bobbybass Dance Remix) - 4:00
UK Single CD
- "Down" (featuring Lil Wayne) - 3:32
- "Down" (Jason NevinsJason NevinsJason Nevins is an American DJ, producer and remixer, who is most widely known for his pop dance productions.-Career:In the early 1990s, Nevins began releasing singles under various monikers through various dance labels, but achieved global recognition in 1998 with his production of Run-DMC's...
Edit) - 3:39 - "Down" (Roll DeepRoll DeepRoll Deep are an Urban Music Awards-winning London-based grime music collective. They were founded in 2002, by a group of MCs including Wiley. Roll Deep were also closely associated with Boy Better Know with members in both. Their debut album, In at the Deep End, was released in June 2005...
Mix) - 4:05 - "Down" (K-Warren Remix) - 5:45
- "Down" (Chasing Pluto Remix) - 3:47
Charts, sales and certifications
Jay Seasn's first single with Cash Money RecordsCash Money Records
Cash Money Records is a record label founded by brothers Bryan "Birdman" Williams and Ronald "Slim" Williams. Today it operates as a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, and is distributed by Universal Republic Records as of 2011...
and Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
(and his American-debut single) became his first number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and first single to sell more than two million copies in America, and the second for featured artist Lil Wayne who first led for five weeks last year with "Lollipop
Lollipop (Lil Wayne song)
"Lollipop" is the first single from Lil Wayne's sixth studio album, Tha Carter III. The track features the late R&B artist Static Major and is produced by Deezle and Jim Jonsin. The song was released digitally on March 13, 2008. The song is Lil Wayne's & Static Major's most successful to date,...
" on the Hot 100.
"Down" entered the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
on 1 November 2009 at #3, and #1 on the R&B Chart
UK R&B Chart
The Official UK R&B Chart is a forty-position R&B/Hip-Hop chart compiled by The Official UK Charts Company. Although the chart does not receive any airplay, its compilation is viewed on BBC Radio 1's website and publications such as ChartsPlus and Music Week...
becoming Sean's highest charting positions on both charts.
Charts
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Urban Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
1 |
| Germany (Media Control AG Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... ) |
9 |
| UK R&B Singles Chart UK R&B Chart The Official UK R&B Chart is a forty-position R&B/Hip-Hop chart compiled by The Official UK Charts Company. Although the chart does not receive any airplay, its compilation is viewed on BBC Radio 1's website and publications such as ChartsPlus and Music Week... (Official Charts Company) |
1 |
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
Year-end charts
| Charts (2009) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 34 |
| Canada | 40 |
| Hungarian Singles Chart | 153 |
| New Zealand | 12 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
64 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 2009 Billboard magazine each year releases a Top Hot 100 songs of the year, counted from the first week of November to the final week in October. The 2009 list was dominated by The Black Eyed Peas and Lady Gaga, who shared the top four spots... |
20 |
| U.S. Billboard Pop 100 | 14 |
| U.S. Billboard Digital Songs Hot Digital Songs The Hot Digital Songs chart ranks the best-selling digital singles in the United States, according to Billboard.Beginning in February 2005, digital sales have been incorporated into many of Billboards music single charts. It was decided to do so mainly because of the dramatic rise in popularity of... |
7 |
Year-end charts
| Charts (2010) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 66 |
Sales and certifications
The song has sold 6,000,000 copies worldwide.| Country | Provider | Certification(s) | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | ARIA Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... |
2× Platinum | 140,000+ |
| New Zealand | RIANZ | Platinum | 15,000+ |
| United Kingdom | BPI British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... |
Silver | 250,000+ |
| United States | RIAA | 4× Platinum | 4,000,000+ |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 31 May 2009 | Airplay Airplay * Airplay is the amount of time a song is played on the radio.It may also refer to:* AirPlay, an audio & video streaming technology from Apple Inc.* Airplay , Foster & Graydon music project from 1980* Citroën C1, Citroën C1 Airplay... |
Cash Money Records Cash Money Records Cash Money Records is a record label founded by brothers Bryan "Birdman" Williams and Ronald "Slim" Williams. Today it operates as a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, and is distributed by Universal Republic Records as of 2011... , Universal Republic Universal Republic Universal Republic Records is a record label, owned by Universal Music Group. It is based on the now-defunct Republic Records label founded by brothers Monte and Avery Lipman... |
| United States | 30 June 2009 | Digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
|
| Canada | |||
| Norway | 18 August 2009 | Airplay | Universal Music Group Universal Music Group Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations... |
| Belgium | 24 August 2009 | Digital | |
| France | |||
| Sweden | |||
| New Zealand | |||
| United Kingdom | 10 September 2009 | Airplay | Jayded Records, 2Point9 Records 2Point9 Records 2Point9 Records is an independent record label, a subsidiary of an all-in-one entertainment company called 2Point9, that was started in 2003 when Telstar Records A&R manager Billy Grant and Promotions manager Rob Stuart decided to leave the company to set up their own little independent... |
| Switzerland | 23 September 2009 | Digital | Universal Music Group |
| Norway | 13 October 2009 | ||
| United Kingdom | 25 October 2009 | Digital, CD Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... |
Jayded Records, 2Point9 Records |
| Worldwide | 31 October 2009 | Digital | Universal Music Group |
Destine version
The DutchNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
pop punk
Pop punk
Pop punk is a fusion music genre that combines elements of punk rock with pop music, to varying degrees. Allmusic describes the genre as a strand of alternative rock, which typically merges pop melodies with speedy punk tempos, chord changes and loud guitars...
band Destine
Destine
Destine is a rock band that formed in Tilburg, the Netherlands in 2006.-History:Originally from the Netherlands, Destine has a sound which is similar to bands like Fall Out Boy, Paramore and Simple Plan....
released a cover version of "Down" as a stand alone single on 1 October 2010 and as an iTunes
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
download on 4 October. The official music video was meant to debut on EFM on 8 October, but was released through the band official YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
page three days earlier on 5 October 2010, although it was deleted the next day. Their debut album Lightspeed
Lightspeed (Destine album)
Lightspeed is the debut album by the Dutch rock band Destine. It was released February 1, 2010, and January 29, 2010 on iTunes. Prior to the release of the album, seven of the twelve songs were released on the singles "Stars" and " In Your Arms"....
was released on 3 August 2011 in Japan, and included "Down" as a bonus track. It's their first single to officially chart on the Netherlands iTunes Top 100, even though charting at 112.
Digital single
Charts
| Country | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | Top 100 | 78 |
| Netherlands | iTunes Top 100 | 112 |
Breathe Carolina version
American electropop band Breathe CarolinaBreathe Carolina
Breathe Carolina is an American electronic rock musical duo from Denver, Colorado, composed of David Schmitt and Kyle Even. Breathe Carolina have released three albums, one EP, and five music videos to date.-Beginnings :...
covered the track for the compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
Punk Goes Pop 3
Punk Goes Pop 3
Punk Goes Pop 3 is the tenth compilation album released from the Punk Goes... series created by Fearless Records to feature covers by various artists of pop songs, and is the tenth album in the series overall...
, which was released on 2 November 2010. It was available for Digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
on 16 September. A music video including live footage of the band performing the song was released on 2 February 2011.
See also
- List of number-one R&B hits of 2009 (UK)
- List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 2009 (U.S.)
- List of Mainstream Top 40 number-one hits of 2009 (U.S.)
- List of Rhythmic Top 40 number-one singles of 2009 (U.S.)