E.T. (song)
Encyclopedia
"E.T." is a song by American recording artist Katy Perry
taken from her third studio album Teenage Dream
(2010). The song was written by Katy Perry, Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin
, and Joshua Coleman, while the production was handled by Gottwald under his stage name Dr. Luke, Martin and Ammo
. "E.T." was originally released as the album's third promotional single on August 17, 2010. However, on February 16, 2011, it was released as the fourth official single from Teenage Dream. The single version features rap verses by American rapper Kanye West
.
Played over a "stomp-stomp-clap" beat similar to Queen
's "We Will Rock You
" (1977), "E.T." is an electronic
ballad
that tells of "falling in love with a foreigner". Extraterrestrial
metaphors are used throughout, and West continues these metaphors in his two verses, making heavy use of Auto-Tune
at times. The song is set in slow tempo with 76 beats per minute. Some critics find its composition similar to several artists including Rihanna
, Evanescence
, t.A.T.u.
and Queen
.
The song peaked at number one in the United States, Canada, New Zealand and Poland as well as within the top five in Australia, Ireland and the United Kingdom and the top 20 in ten other European countries. "E.T" received mostly positive reviews from music critics who complimented Perry's vocals throughout the song, noting that the song was different for Perry, having a darker, deeper, and more mature tone. West's vocals during the song received mixed to positive reviews from critics who were divided in their opinions.
An accompanying music video was directed by Floria Sigismondi
. The video shows Perry and West singing in outer space
. Upon its release on MTV.com on March 31, 2011 the video received positive reviews from critics. Katy Perry performed the song during her California Dreams Tour
(2011) and on some television appearances such as American Idol
. Just like previous Teenage Dream singles, "E.T." has been widely used as a cover song.
"E.T." was written by Katy Perry
, Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin
and Joshua Coleman. The production of the song was handled by Gottwald under his stage name Dr. Luke, Martin, Ammo
and Kanye West
. Perry started to write and record material for her third studio album Teenage Dream
in May, 2009. In an interview with Rolling Stone
, regarding then upcoming album, she stated that she doesn't want to "alienate" people with different new styles, indeed she wanted to keep her old sounds to the new tracks. Perry also stated that when she was writing the songs for the album, her goal was to create "a different movie" for every song. The decision to write "E.T." came after its beats were accidentally played when Perry had a recording session together with Gottwald, Martin and Ammo. The song was originally intended for American hip hop group Three 6 Mafia. However, after hearing it, Perry chose to work with the track. In an interview with MTV
she stated:
After the release of the album, Perry, alongside with the official single "Teenage Dream
, released a series of promotional singles. The album version of "E.T." was released as the third and final promotional single on August 17, 2010. In December 2010, via her official Twitter
account, Perry asked fans to help her select her next single, following the release of "Firework
" (2010) as a third official single of Teenage Dream. On December 13, 2011, she tweeted, "Thanks for all your great suggestions for the next single today! ... "Your voice has been heard! We're on the same page...". Speculation arose that "Peacock
" would be its next single. However, in early January, 2011, via Facebook
, she announced that "E.T." would be record's fourth single. The announcement was accompanied with the single's artwork, which features Perry with "cat eye make-up, bangs, and a sequined top". Unlike the original, the single version features rap verses by American rapper Kanye West, who also co-produced this version. It was released for digital download on February 16, 2011, worldwide. "E.T." was released as a CD single on March 17, 2011 in the United Kingdom. On April 12, 2011, the song was sent for airplay on US Urban radio.
song, with elements of teen pop
. BBC Music described the song as a "rave
-influenced quasi ballad". According to the digital sheet music published by Sony/ATV Music Publishing
, the song is written in the key of F minor
and follows a slow tempo
of 76 beats per minute in common time
. Perry's vocal range spans from Eb4
to Db5
. According to Ann Powers
of the Los Angeles Times
, "E.T." carries influences from Barbadian singer Rihanna
and features Perry using a "hip-hop diva's stutter". Matthew Perpetua of Rolling Stone
felt the song was similar in sound to hard rock
ballads by Evanescence
. The song's instrumentals have been described as "a mishmash and bleeps and blips with a driving drum track". Darryl Sterdan of the QMI Agency noted the song uses the "stomp-stomp-clap" beat
from Queen
's "We Will Rock You
" (1977), while Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine
noted similarities to productions held by Ryan Tedder
.
According to Katy Perry, the song is about "falling in love with a foreigner". James Montgomery from MTV, also noted that Perry sings about a "lover from different dimension". For its single release, the song was reworked to feature two verses from Kanye West, in which he raps about "extraterrestriality". "E.T." opens with the first rap verse by West containing the lines "I got a dirty mind / I got filthy ways"/ I’m trying to bathe my egg in your milky way / They callin' me an alien / A big-headed astronaut". Then, using metaphors about extraterrestrials
, Perry sings, "You're not like the others / Futuristic lover / Different DNA
".> The chorus
has Perry addressing her lover: "Kiss me, kiss me / Infect me with your love and / Fill me with your poison", claiming to be "ready for abduction". West contributes a second verse to the track, before Perry's final refrain, with heavily auto-tune
d vocals: "I know a bar out in Mars
/ Where they driving spaceships instead of cars". He finishes with a reference to the fictional animated character Shrek
and lyrics about "alien sex": "Imma disrobe you then imma probe you / See, I abducted you so I tell you what to do." The National Post
Ben Kaplan noted West's presence on the track was similar to the work on his fourth studio album, 808s & Heartbreak
(2008).
felt that Perry shows strength on the song, comparing its sound to a combination of American rock musicians Lita Ford
and Trent Reznor
. Kerri Mason from Billboard
felt that "E.T." together with some other tracks from the albums is heavier sonically and lyrically, with a boom-boom-pow electro punch and Perry discussing more toxic relationships." Even though, he stated that West's contribution on the track was "needless", Robert Copsey from Digital Spy
agreed that the track "is a quirky and assured slice of state-of-the-art pop". Bill Lamb from About.com
praised the song and noted that the catchy chorus and drama lyrics will "please" Perry's fans. Oppose of Copsey, he observed that West's verses are "an interesting perspective turning the song into a tense duet about an intense sexual encounter". Ben Kaplan from The National Post lauded the track as a "great duet", praising the vocals of both performers. Speaking for West's contribution on the track Brad Wete from Entertainment Weekly noted that the song was improved from a male perspective. Stephen Thomas Erlewine from Allmusic commented that Perry "replicates Ryan Tedder’s glassy robotic alienation on 'E.T.', but tellingly avoids ripping off Lady Gaga
".
Matthew Cole of Slant Magazine
disliked the track's inscrutability and said that "E.T."s backing track
was reminiscent of t.A.T.u.
's "All the Things She Said
" (2002). Ann Powers from Los Angeles Times
stated that "[Perry] can feign a hip-hop diva’s stutter on the Rihanna
-influenced 'E.T.,' and convince you that it fits her perfectly. No tailoring required! Whatever person exists beneath Perry’s wigs and costumes is irrelevant to her music. Her process of self-creation is the purpose and sum of her art". Now
Jason Richards called the song "awkward" and Sputnikmusic
's Rudy Clapper dismissed its attempt at a more mature sound, calling it "cheesy". Bill Lamb, writing for About.com
, gave a three-and-a-half star review out of five: he was disappointed with the lack of a defined hook
, remarking the song could have had more potential and that its "edginess builds without release." In his review, PopMatters
' staff writer Steve Leftridge wrote: "Plus, songs like 'E.T.' or 'Circle the Drain
' are neither strong nor edgy nor clever nor sonically interesting enough to lend any genuine credibility to Perry as a serious artist with anything to actually say." Reviewing the remix, critics were divided over West's appearance. Kaplan lauded the track as a "great duet", praising the vocals of both performers, a statement echoed by Lamb, who felt West's verses intensified the song. Further, Entertainment Weekly Brad Wete felt the song was improved with a male perspective. Digital Spy
's Robert Copsey gave a review of four stars out of five, but felt, on the other hand, that the rapper's contribution added nothing to the track. Amos Barshad of New York
felt West's alien metaphors went into jarring, misogynistic directions.
following its release as a promotional single, selling 64,000 digital copies. It debuted the same week on the Canadian Hot 100
at number 13. In Australia, the song debuted at number 12 and peaked at number five for two weeks in February 2011. Since then "E.T." has been certified
double platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association
. One week after debuting at number 17, "E.T." topped the New Zealand Singles Chart on January 31, 2011, becoming her sixth number-one in the country, and has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
for sales of 15,000. As of July 20, 2011, it also became Perry's third single to be on New Zealand's Best Singles of All Time, just behind "Firework
" and "California Gurls
". On February 26, 2011, the solo version of the song entered Billboard
Hot Dance Club Songs chart at number 36, and later topped it, becoming her sixth number-one on the chart.
Following its single release featuring West, the song re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 on March 5, 2011 at number 28 with 110,000 copies sold. "E.T." topped the chart in its seventh week on April 9, 2011, giving Perry her fifth number-one and West his fourth. It ended the six-week run of Lady Gaga
's "Born This Way
" and made Teenage Dream the ninth album in history to yield four number-one singles. The song stayed at number-one for three consecutive weeks and returned for an additional two due to high airplay and digital sales. It topped Billboard Hot Digital Songs
chart for seven weeks, the longest since Eminem
's "Love the Way You Lie
" in 2010.
On Billboard Mainstream Top 40 (Pop Songs)
, "E.T." set a record for most weekly plays in the 18-year history of the chart: for the tracking week of April 25 – May 1, 2011, Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems
registered 12,330 plays over its 131 stations—an average of 94 plays per station. This figure rewrote Perry's previous record held with "California Gurls" in July 2010 (12,159). That record was later broken yet again by Perry, when her single "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)
" registered 12,468 plays for the week dated August 13, 2011. Meanwhile, on the Rhythmic Airplay Chart
, she achieved her first number-one hit, a rare feat for female pop artists considering she was the third to ever do so.
In other Billboard charts, "E.T." reached number two on the Adult Pop Songs chart, and the top 20 on the Adult Contemporary and Latin Pop Songs charts. Its highest sales week according to Nielsen SoundScan
came in its fourth week at the summit of the Billboard Hot 100, where it sold 344,000 copies following its American Idol
performance. The song sold over 300,000 digital copies in a week four times, becoming one of four songs in history to achieve this. "E.T." was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
on April 28, 2011. As of November 2011, "E.T." has sold 4,838,000 digital copies in the US alone and is the highest selling track for the first half of 2011. This is Perry's fifth and West's second song to reach the 4 million range which, for Perry is more than any other female artist in digital history and for West, is also more than any other male artist in digital history.
The song re-entered the Canadian Hot 100
at number 18 following its single release and topped the chart in its 12th week, on May 7, 2011. "E.T." has charted in Ireland at number five, and has become a top ten hit in Austria, Germany and Italy, a top 20 hit in Belgium (Wallonia), Denmark, France, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland, and a top 40 hit in Belgium (Flanders). On the UK Singles Chart
, the single peaked at number three in its eighth week, becoming her eighth top ten hit there. It has since been certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry
(BPI) for sales of 200,000 units. Elsewhere in Europe, the song charted in its solo version at number 18 on the Slovak airplay chart, 20 on the Czech airplay chart, 27 on the Dutch Top 40
, and 28 on the Greek airplay chart.
was released; it was 19 seconds long and showed clips of an unidentified flying object
. Its music video was directed by Floria Sigismondi
, known for her "dark, feminine" work for artists including Christina Aguilera
and Marilyn Manson
. In an interview with NRJ's French radio show Le 6/9 on March 10, 2011, Perry revealed she was satisfied with her decision to collaborate with Sigismondi, after having previewed a 30-second clip. During another interview she said: "I'm looking forward to making music videos on this new album. There's a story to the songs. [...] I'm really excited about ... making those music videos that are going to be larger than life."
The video begins with the song "Where in the World Can My Lover Be?" by Midge Williams
& Her Jazz Jesters playing in the background. As the music begins, West is shown in a Sputnik like spacecraft revealing pictures before zooming out of the craft. In the video, Perry, as an alien, drifts through outer space
while slowly evolving into a humanoid appearance before landing on an abandoned Earth
covered with litter. Clips are interspersed of large felids hunting game
. She comes across a broken robot (resembling a spaceman), which upon her kiss turns into a naked male, played by Shaun Ross. It is eventually revealed that Perry's legs are in fact those of a gazelle
. Meanwhile, West is featured in the video floating in a travelling spacecraft.
The video also alludes to a presumable future, as Katy finds a box containing a skeleton of a Pigeon (a species said to have gone extinct
in 2030) and a pair of Vogue sunglasses, which she later wears.
Throughout the video, Perry wears heavy cosmetics and extravagant outfits, including blue and pink make-up, cat- and reptile-like eyes, and Medusa
-esque braids. New York
Willa Paskin compared her looks to "detailed, outlandish, [and] semi-gorgeous rainbow-kabuki
". She has also received comparisons to Lady Gaga's look in the music video for "Born This Way", the Queen of Sheba, Ziggy Stardust, the alter ego
of English musician David Bowie
, and fictional characters Lara Croft
, Padmé Amidala
, the aliens from Battlefield Earth
, and Jadzia Dax
. the video itself has been described as "a sequel to Avatar or a Katy Perry video game". In June 2011, Fuse
ranked the video at number 96 on the top 100 sexiest videos of all time. At the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards
, Perry's video for "E.T." was nominated in five categories, winning awards in MTV Video Music Award for Best Collaboration
and Best Special Effects.
in Manhattan
on December 10, 2010 for Z100
's Jingle Ball. The song has also been included on the set list of the California Dreams Tour
, Perry's second concert tour. The song was released as a free track on Katy Perry Revenge 2, a game for the iOS application Tap Tap
. A lyrics video for the single was posted on Perry's website on March 16, 2011. After playing "We Will Rock You", West performed "E.T." without Perry at the 2011 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
. Perry performed the single with West for the first time on the tenth season
of American Idol
on April 21, 2011. Carried by background dancers, she wore a flickering outfit and was joined by West, who was previously unannounced.
Like other singles from Teenage Dream, "E.T." has been covered by a number of other artists and celebrities. An acoustic version was performed by VersaEmerge
in May 2011 at the The Fueled By Ramen Studios. One month later, celebrity personality
members of the Kardashian and Jenner family posted a video of themselves covering "E.T." while on a Mexico vacation. A journalist for the Huffington Post called their cover "actually pretty awesome". That same month, Wynter Gordon
sang the song on Australia's Dancing With the Stars
; she instead performed "E.T." as a slow love ballad. A surprised Idolator
writer said Gordon turned in "gravity-defying vocals that probably surpass those on the original." In July, a girl-group called Vida put what The Sun called a "fun twist" into their own cover of Perry's song. On The X Factor
, Amelia Lily sang the song in judges houses, and group Little Mix (formerly Rhythmix) performed the song during Halloween Fright Night. On November 12, 2011 West performed the mashed
"E.T." with "We Will Rock You
" during the SWU Music & Arts Festival 2011.
Credits adapted from Teenage Dream album liner notes.
Katy Perry
Katy Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...
taken from her third studio album Teenage Dream
Teenage Dream (Katy Perry album)
Teenage Dream is the third studio album by American recording artist Katy Perry. It was released on August 24, 2010, through Capitol Records. The album's inspiration came from dance, pop, and rock by 1980s artists, including ABBA and The Cardigans. Perry worked with several writers and producers on...
(2010). The song was written by Katy Perry, Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin
Max Martin
Martin Karl Sandberg, known professionally as Max Martin, is a Swedish music producer and songwriter. Raised in Stenhamra, a suburb of Stockholm, Sweden, he broke through as a producer and songwriter in the mid to late 1990s after crafting a string of hits for pop artists like the Backstreet Boys,...
, and Joshua Coleman, while the production was handled by Gottwald under his stage name Dr. Luke, Martin and Ammo
Ammo (musician)
Ammo is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. In November 2008, Ammo was signed to producer Dr. Luke's publishing company Prescription Songs as an exclusive producer and songwriter...
. "E.T." was originally released as the album's third promotional single on August 17, 2010. However, on February 16, 2011, it was released as the fourth official single from Teenage Dream. The single version features rap verses by American rapper Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
.
Played over a "stomp-stomp-clap" beat similar to Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
's "We Will Rock You
We Will Rock You
"We Will Rock You" is a song written by Brian May and recorded and performed by Queen for their 1977 album News of the World. Rolling Stone ranked it #330 of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2004, and the RIAA placed it at #146 on its list of Songs of the Century...
" (1977), "E.T." is an electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
that tells of "falling in love with a foreigner". Extraterrestrial
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
metaphors are used throughout, and West continues these metaphors in his two verses, making heavy use of 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...
at times. The song is set in slow tempo with 76 beats per minute. Some critics find its composition similar to several artists including Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
, Evanescence
Evanescence
Evanescence is an American rock band founded in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1995 by singer/pianist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody. After recording private albums, the band released their first full-length album, Fallen, on Wind-up Records in 2003. Fallen sold more than 17 million copies worldwide...
, t.A.T.u.
T.A.T.u.
t.A.T.u. was a duo formed in Moscow, Russia in 1999 by Ivan Shapovalov. The group consisted of Lena Katina and Yulia Volkova.Their debut single "Ya Soshla S Uma" was released in December 2000. The single had a huge success in Russia and Eastern Europe...
and Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
.
The song peaked at number one in the United States, Canada, New Zealand and Poland as well as within the top five in Australia, Ireland and the United Kingdom and the top 20 in ten other European countries. "E.T" received mostly positive reviews from music critics who complimented Perry's vocals throughout the song, noting that the song was different for Perry, having a darker, deeper, and more mature tone. West's vocals during the song received mixed to positive reviews from critics who were divided in their opinions.
An accompanying music video was directed by Floria Sigismondi
Floria Sigismondi
Floria Sigismondi is an Italian, naturalised Canadian, photographer and director.Apart from her art exhibitions, she is best known for writing and directing The Runaways, starring Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning...
. The video shows Perry and West singing in outer space
Outer space
Outer space is the void that exists between celestial bodies, including the Earth. It is not completely empty, but consists of a hard vacuum containing a low density of particles: predominantly a plasma of hydrogen and helium, as well as electromagnetic radiation, magnetic fields, and neutrinos....
. Upon its release on MTV.com on March 31, 2011 the video received positive reviews from critics. Katy Perry performed the song during her California Dreams Tour
California Dreams Tour
California Dreams Tour is the second concert tour by American pop singer Katy Perry, in support of her third studio album Teenage Dream. Beginning February 2011, the tour will visit Europe, Australasia, Asia and the Americas...
(2011) and on some television appearances such as American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
. Just like previous Teenage Dream singles, "E.T." has been widely used as a cover song.
Background and release
Katy Perry
Katy Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...
, Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin
Max Martin
Martin Karl Sandberg, known professionally as Max Martin, is a Swedish music producer and songwriter. Raised in Stenhamra, a suburb of Stockholm, Sweden, he broke through as a producer and songwriter in the mid to late 1990s after crafting a string of hits for pop artists like the Backstreet Boys,...
and Joshua Coleman. The production of the song was handled by Gottwald under his stage name Dr. Luke, Martin, Ammo
Ammo (musician)
Ammo is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. In November 2008, Ammo was signed to producer Dr. Luke's publishing company Prescription Songs as an exclusive producer and songwriter...
and Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
. Perry started to write and record material for her third studio album Teenage Dream
Teenage Dream (Katy Perry album)
Teenage Dream is the third studio album by American recording artist Katy Perry. It was released on August 24, 2010, through Capitol Records. The album's inspiration came from dance, pop, and rock by 1980s artists, including ABBA and The Cardigans. Perry worked with several writers and producers on...
in May, 2009. In an interview with Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
, regarding then upcoming album, she stated that she doesn't want to "alienate" people with different new styles, indeed she wanted to keep her old sounds to the new tracks. Perry also stated that when she was writing the songs for the album, her goal was to create "a different movie" for every song. The decision to write "E.T." came after its beats were accidentally played when Perry had a recording session together with Gottwald, Martin and Ammo. The song was originally intended for American hip hop group Three 6 Mafia. However, after hearing it, Perry chose to work with the track. In an interview with MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
she stated:
After the release of the album, Perry, alongside with the official single "Teenage Dream
Teenage Dream (Katy Perry song)
"Teenage Dream" is a song by American recording artist Katy Perry. It was released as the second single from her third studio album of the same name on July 23, 2010 through digital distribution. Perry and Bonnie McKee wrote many songs with a youthful theme in mind, but they were rejected by...
, released a series of promotional singles. The album version of "E.T." was released as the third and final promotional single on August 17, 2010. In December 2010, via her official Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
account, Perry asked fans to help her select her next single, following the release of "Firework
Firework (song)
"Firework" is a song by American recording artist Katy Perry. The song was written by Katy Perry, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Sandy Wilhelm, Ester Dean, and produced by Stargate and Sandy Vee for Perry's third studio album, Teenage Dream...
" (2010) as a third official single of Teenage Dream. On December 13, 2011, she tweeted, "Thanks for all your great suggestions for the next single today! ... "Your voice has been heard! We're on the same page...". Speculation arose that "Peacock
Peacock (song)
"Peacock" is a song by American recording artist Katy Perry, taken from her third studio album, Teenage Dream . Filled with suggestive lyrics pertaining to male genitalia, Perry's record label initially went against the idea of including it on her record. Similar to what happened with another song...
" would be its next single. However, in early January, 2011, via Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
, she announced that "E.T." would be record's fourth single. The announcement was accompanied with the single's artwork, which features Perry with "cat eye make-up, bangs, and a sequined top". Unlike the original, the single version features rap verses by American rapper Kanye West, who also co-produced this version. It was released for digital download on February 16, 2011, worldwide. "E.T." was released as a CD single on March 17, 2011 in the United Kingdom. On April 12, 2011, the song was sent for airplay on US Urban radio.
Composition
"E.T." is an electropop and hip hopHip 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...
song, with elements of teen pop
Teen pop
Teen pop is a subgenre of pop music that is created, marketed and oriented towards teenagers. Teen pop copies genres and styles such as pop, dance, R&B, hip hop, country and rock....
. BBC Music described the song as a "rave
Rave music
Rave music may either refer the late 1980s genre or any genre of electronic dance music that may be played at an electronic dance party such as a rave. Very rarely, the term is used to refer to less electronic related genres glam, powerpop, psychedelic rock and dub music parties...
-influenced quasi ballad". According to the digital sheet music published by Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Sony/ATV Music Publishing is a music publishing company co-owned by The Michael Jackson Family Trust and Sony. The organisation was originally founded as Associated TeleVision in 1955 by Lew Grade. In 1957, ATV acquired Pye Records as a wholly owned subsidiary...
, the song is written in the key of F minor
F minor
F minor is a minor scale based on F, consisting of the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. The harmonic minor raises the E to E. Its key signature has four flats ....
and follows a slow tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
of 76 beats per minute in common time
Common Time
"Common Time" is a science fiction short story written by James Blish. It first appeared in the August 1953 issue of Science Fiction Quarterly and has been reprinted several times: in the 1959 short-story collection Galactic Cluster; in The Testament of Andros ; in The Penguin Science Fiction...
. Perry's vocal range spans from Eb4
E (musical note)
E or mi is the third note of the solfège.When calculated in equal temperament with a reference of A above middle C as 440 Hz, the frequency of Middle E is approximately 329.628 Hz. See pitch for a discussion of historical variations in frequency.-Designation by octave:...
to Db5
D (musical note)
D is a musical note a whole tone above C, and is known as Re within the solfege system.When calculated in equal temperament with a reference of A above middle C as 440 Hz, the frequency of middle D is approximately 293.665 Hz. See pitch for a discussion of historical variations in...
. According to Ann Powers
Ann Powers
Ann Powers is an American writer and pop music critic.Powers has been writing about popular music and society since the early 1980s...
of the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, "E.T." carries influences from Barbadian singer Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
and features Perry using a "hip-hop diva's stutter". Matthew Perpetua of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
felt the song was similar in sound to hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
ballads by Evanescence
Evanescence
Evanescence is an American rock band founded in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1995 by singer/pianist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody. After recording private albums, the band released their first full-length album, Fallen, on Wind-up Records in 2003. Fallen sold more than 17 million copies worldwide...
. The song's instrumentals have been described as "a mishmash and bleeps and blips with a driving drum track". Darryl Sterdan of the QMI Agency noted the song uses the "stomp-stomp-clap" beat
Drum beat
A drum beat or drum pattern is a rhythmic pattern, or repeated rhythm establishing the meter and groove through the pulse and subdivision, played on drum kits and other percussion instruments...
from Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
's "We Will Rock You
We Will Rock You
"We Will Rock You" is a song written by Brian May and recorded and performed by Queen for their 1977 album News of the World. Rolling Stone ranked it #330 of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2004, and the RIAA placed it at #146 on its list of Songs of the Century...
" (1977), while Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
noted similarities to productions held by Ryan Tedder
Ryan Tedder
Ryan Benjamin Tedder is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the frontman of the pop rock band, OneRepublic, though he has an independent career as songwriter and producer for various artists such as Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson, Far East Movement, Jordin Sparks, Leona...
.
According to Katy Perry, the song is about "falling in love with a foreigner". James Montgomery from MTV, also noted that Perry sings about a "lover from different dimension". For its single release, the song was reworked to feature two verses from Kanye West, in which he raps about "extraterrestriality". "E.T." opens with the first rap verse by West containing the lines "I got a dirty mind / I got filthy ways"/ I’m trying to bathe my egg in your milky way / They callin' me an alien / A big-headed astronaut". Then, using metaphors about extraterrestrials
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
, Perry sings, "You're not like the others / Futuristic lover / Different DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
".> The chorus
Refrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
has Perry addressing her lover: "Kiss me, kiss me / Infect me with your love and / Fill me with your poison", claiming to be "ready for abduction". West contributes a second verse to the track, before Perry's final refrain, with heavily 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...
d vocals: "I know a bar out in Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
/ Where they driving spaceships instead of cars". He finishes with a reference to the fictional animated character Shrek
Shrek (character)
Shrek is a fictional character from the children's book Shrek! and the Shrek films. He is the main protagonist of both the book and the films...
and lyrics about "alien sex": "Imma disrobe you then imma probe you / See, I abducted you so I tell you what to do." The National Post
National Post
The National Post is a Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, a district of Toronto. The paper is owned by Postmedia Network Inc. and is published Mondays through Saturdays...
Ben Kaplan noted West's presence on the track was similar to the work on his fourth studio album, 808s & Heartbreak
808s & Heartbreak
808s & Heartbreak is the fourth studio album by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released November 24, 2008 on Roc-A-Fella Records in the United States. Recording sessions for the album took place at Glenwood Studios in Burbank, California and Avex Recording Studio in Honolulu, Hawaii during...
(2008).
Critical reception
"E.T." has received mixed reviews from contemporary music critics. Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
felt that Perry shows strength on the song, comparing its sound to a combination of American rock musicians Lita Ford
Lita Ford
Lita Ford is a British-born, American rock musician and singer who was the lead guitarist for The Runaways and achieved popularity for her solo career between the 1980s and late 2000s.-Early life:...
and Trent Reznor
Trent Reznor
Michael Trent Reznor is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, record producer, and leader of industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. Reznor is also a member of How to Destroy Angels alongside his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, and Atticus Ross. He was previously associated with bands Option 30,...
. Kerri Mason from Billboard
Billboard (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...
felt that "E.T." together with some other tracks from the albums is heavier sonically and lyrically, with a boom-boom-pow electro punch and Perry discussing more toxic relationships." Even though, he stated that West's contribution on the track was "needless", Robert Copsey from Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
agreed that the track "is a quirky and assured slice of state-of-the-art pop". Bill Lamb from About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
praised the song and noted that the catchy chorus and drama lyrics will "please" Perry's fans. Oppose of Copsey, he observed that West's verses are "an interesting perspective turning the song into a tense duet about an intense sexual encounter". Ben Kaplan from The National Post lauded the track as a "great duet", praising the vocals of both performers. Speaking for West's contribution on the track Brad Wete from Entertainment Weekly noted that the song was improved from a male perspective. Stephen Thomas Erlewine from Allmusic commented that Perry "replicates Ryan Tedder’s glassy robotic alienation on 'E.T.', but tellingly avoids ripping off Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
".
Matthew Cole of Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
disliked the track's inscrutability and said that "E.T."s backing track
Backing track
A backing track is an audio or MIDI recording that musicians play or sing along to in order to add parts to their music which would be impractical to perform live.-Uses:...
was reminiscent of t.A.T.u.
T.A.T.u.
t.A.T.u. was a duo formed in Moscow, Russia in 1999 by Ivan Shapovalov. The group consisted of Lena Katina and Yulia Volkova.Their debut single "Ya Soshla S Uma" was released in December 2000. The single had a huge success in Russia and Eastern Europe...
's "All the Things She Said
All the Things She Said
"All the Things She Said" is a song by Russian recording duo t.A.T.u., which was for their first English-language studio album 200 km/h in the Wrong Lane . The song was written by Sergio Galoyan, Trevor Horn, Martin Kierszenbaum, Elena Kiper and Valeriy Polienko, while produced by Horn...
" (2002). Ann Powers from Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
stated that "[Perry] can feign a hip-hop diva’s stutter on the Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
-influenced 'E.T.,' and convince you that it fits her perfectly. No tailoring required! Whatever person exists beneath Perry’s wigs and costumes is irrelevant to her music. Her process of self-creation is the purpose and sum of her art". Now
NOW (magazine)
Now is a free weekly newspaper in Toronto, Canada. It was first printed on September 10, 1981 by Michael Hollett and Alice Klein. Now is an alternative weekly mixing arts and entertainment news with political coverage....
Jason Richards called the song "awkward" and Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic, or simply Sputnik, is a music website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites...
's Rudy Clapper dismissed its attempt at a more mature sound, calling it "cheesy". Bill Lamb, writing for About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
, gave a three-and-a-half star review out of five: he was disappointed with the lack of a defined hook
Hook (music)
A hook is a musical idea, often a short riff, passage, or phrase, that is used in popular music to make a song appealing and to "catch the ear of the listener". The term generally applies to popular music, especially rock music, hip hop, dance music, and pop. In these genres, the hook is often...
, remarking the song could have had more potential and that its "edginess builds without release." In his review, PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
' staff writer Steve Leftridge wrote: "Plus, songs like 'E.T.' or 'Circle the Drain
Circle the Drain (song)
"Circle the Drain" is a song by American singer Katy Perry, from her third studio album, Teenage Dream . It was written by Perry, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and Monte Neuble. Lyrically, "Circle the Drain" candidly focusses on a former lover's drug-addiction and the strains it put on both of them...
' are neither strong nor edgy nor clever nor sonically interesting enough to lend any genuine credibility to Perry as a serious artist with anything to actually say." Reviewing the remix, critics were divided over West's appearance. Kaplan lauded the track as a "great duet", praising the vocals of both performers, a statement echoed by Lamb, who felt West's verses intensified the song. Further, Entertainment Weekly Brad Wete felt the song was improved with a male perspective. Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
's Robert Copsey gave a review of four stars out of five, but felt, on the other hand, that the rapper's contribution added nothing to the track. Amos Barshad of New York
New York (magazine)
New York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New...
felt West's alien metaphors went into jarring, misogynistic directions.
Commercial performance
The solo version of the song charted at number 42 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...
following its release as a promotional single, selling 64,000 digital copies. It debuted the same week 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...
at number 13. In Australia, the song debuted at number 12 and peaked at number five for two weeks in February 2011. Since then "E.T." has been certified
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
double platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association
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...
. One week after debuting at number 17, "E.T." topped the New Zealand Singles Chart on January 31, 2011, becoming her sixth number-one in the country, and has been certified platinum by 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...
for sales of 15,000. As of July 20, 2011, it also became Perry's third single to be on New Zealand's Best Singles of All Time, just behind "Firework
Firework (song)
"Firework" is a song by American recording artist Katy Perry. The song was written by Katy Perry, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Sandy Wilhelm, Ester Dean, and produced by Stargate and Sandy Vee for Perry's third studio album, Teenage Dream...
" and "California Gurls
California Gurls
"California Gurls" is an electropop song by American singer-songwriter Katy Perry and is the lead single of her third studio album, Teenage Dream. The song features rapper Snoop Dogg, and was produced by Dr. Luke, Max Martin, and Benny Blanco. According to Perry, the song is an answer song to...
". On February 26, 2011, the solo version of the song entered Billboard
Billboard (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...
Hot Dance Club Songs chart at number 36, and later topped it, becoming her sixth number-one on the chart.
Following its single release featuring West, the song re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 on March 5, 2011 at number 28 with 110,000 copies sold. "E.T." topped the chart in its seventh week on April 9, 2011, giving Perry her fifth number-one and West his fourth. It ended the six-week run of Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
's "Born This Way
Born This Way (song)
"Born This Way" is a song by American recording artist Lady Gaga, from her second studio album, Born This Way. Written and produced by Gaga, Fernando Garibay, Jeppe Laursen and DJ White Shadow, "Born This Way" was developed while Gaga was on the road with The Monster Ball Tour...
" and made Teenage Dream the ninth album in history to yield four number-one singles. The song stayed at number-one for three consecutive weeks and returned for an additional two due to high airplay and digital sales. It topped Billboard Hot 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...
chart for seven weeks, the longest since Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
's "Love the Way You Lie
Love the Way You Lie
"Love the Way You Lie" is a song by American rapper Eminem from his seventh studio album, Recovery . It was released as the album's second single on August 9, 2010, by Interscope-Geffen-A&M. The song features vocals by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna. According to her, its theme...
" in 2010.
On Billboard Mainstream Top 40 (Pop Songs)
Mainstream Top 40 (Pop Songs)
The Mainstream Top 40 is an airplay chart from Billboard magazine, and is also known as Pop Songs on billboard.com. It was often mistaken for and confused with the now discontinued Pop 100 Airplay chart...
, "E.T." set a record for most weekly plays in the 18-year history of the chart: for the tracking week of April 25 – May 1, 2011, Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems
Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems
Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems, better known as BDS, is a service that tracks monitored radio, television and internet airplay of songs based on the number of spins and detections...
registered 12,330 plays over its 131 stations—an average of 94 plays per station. This figure rewrote Perry's previous record held with "California Gurls" in July 2010 (12,159). That record was later broken yet again by Perry, when her single "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)
Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)
"Last Friday Night " is a song by American recording artist Katy Perry. The song was produced by Lukasz Gottwald and Max Martin, who also co-wrote the song with Perry and Bonnie McKee for Perry's third studio album, Teenage Dream. Perry stated that she was inspired to write the track after a night...
" registered 12,468 plays for the week dated August 13, 2011. Meanwhile, on the Rhythmic Airplay Chart
Rhythmic Airplay Chart
The Rhythmic Airplay Chart is an airplay chart that is featured weekly in Billboard Magazine. The chart tracks and measures the airplay of songs played on Rhythmic stations, whose playlist includes mostly hit-driven R&B/Hip-Hop, Rhythmic pop, and some Dance tracks...
, she achieved her first number-one hit, a rare feat for female pop artists considering she was the third to ever do so.
In other Billboard charts, "E.T." reached number two on the Adult Pop Songs chart, and the top 20 on the Adult Contemporary and Latin Pop Songs charts. Its highest sales week according to Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
came in its fourth week at the summit of the Billboard Hot 100, where it sold 344,000 copies following its American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
performance. The song sold over 300,000 digital copies in a week four times, becoming one of four songs in history to achieve this. "E.T." was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
on April 28, 2011. As of November 2011, "E.T." has sold 4,838,000 digital copies in the US alone and is the highest selling track for the first half of 2011. This is Perry's fifth and West's second song to reach the 4 million range which, for Perry is more than any other female artist in digital history and for West, is also more than any other male artist in digital history.
The song re-entered 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...
at number 18 following its single release and topped the chart in its 12th week, on May 7, 2011. "E.T." has charted in Ireland at number five, and has become a top ten hit in Austria, Germany and Italy, a top 20 hit in Belgium (Wallonia), Denmark, France, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland, and a top 40 hit in Belgium (Flanders). 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 ...
, the single peaked at number three in its eighth week, becoming her eighth top ten hit there. It has since been certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry
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...
(BPI) for sales of 200,000 units. Elsewhere in Europe, the song charted in its solo version at number 18 on the Slovak airplay chart, 20 on the Czech airplay chart, 27 on the Dutch Top 40
Dutch Top 40
The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting...
, and 28 on the Greek airplay chart.
Music video
The video was filmed in February 2011. It was released on March 31, 2011, premiering on MTV.com. A backstage picture of West wearing street clothes along with Perry in a pastel-colored makeup and a giant braided headpiece was shown on MTV. On March 21, a teaser trailerTeaser trailer
A teaser campaign is an advertising campaign which typically consists of a series of small, cryptic, challenging advertisements that anticipate a larger, full-blown campaign for a product launch or otherwise important event. These advertisements are called "teasers" or "teaser ads"...
was released; it was 19 seconds long and showed clips of an unidentified flying object
Unidentified flying object
A term originally coined by the military, an unidentified flying object is an unusual apparent anomaly in the sky that is not readily identifiable to the observer as any known object...
. Its music video was directed by Floria Sigismondi
Floria Sigismondi
Floria Sigismondi is an Italian, naturalised Canadian, photographer and director.Apart from her art exhibitions, she is best known for writing and directing The Runaways, starring Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning...
, known for her "dark, feminine" work for artists including Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
and Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson (band)
Marilyn Manson is an American metal band from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Formed in 1989 by Brian Warner and Scott Putesky, the group was originally named Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids with their uniquely theatrical performances gathering a local cult following in the early '90s. This attention...
. In an interview with NRJ's French radio show Le 6/9 on March 10, 2011, Perry revealed she was satisfied with her decision to collaborate with Sigismondi, after having previewed a 30-second clip. During another interview she said: "I'm looking forward to making music videos on this new album. There's a story to the songs. [...] I'm really excited about ... making those music videos that are going to be larger than life."
The video begins with the song "Where in the World Can My Lover Be?" by Midge Williams
Midge Williams
Midge Williams was an African American swing and jazz vocalist during the 1930s and 1940s. Although not as famous as other jazz recording artists, Williams was a respected singer and her group, Midge Williams and Her Jazz Jesters, made several well-received recordings during the late 1930s.-Early...
& Her Jazz Jesters playing in the background. As the music begins, West is shown in a Sputnik like spacecraft revealing pictures before zooming out of the craft. In the video, Perry, as an alien, drifts through outer space
Outer space
Outer space is the void that exists between celestial bodies, including the Earth. It is not completely empty, but consists of a hard vacuum containing a low density of particles: predominantly a plasma of hydrogen and helium, as well as electromagnetic radiation, magnetic fields, and neutrinos....
while slowly evolving into a humanoid appearance before landing on an abandoned Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
covered with litter. Clips are interspersed of large felids hunting game
Game (food)
Game is any animal hunted for food or not normally domesticated. Game animals are also hunted for sport.The type and range of animals hunted for food varies in different parts of the world. This will be influenced by climate, animal diversity, local taste and locally accepted view about what can or...
. She comes across a broken robot (resembling a spaceman), which upon her kiss turns into a naked male, played by Shaun Ross. It is eventually revealed that Perry's legs are in fact those of a gazelle
Gazelle
A gazelle is any of many antelope species in the genus Gazella, or formerly considered to belong to it. Six species are included in two genera, Eudorcas and Nanger, which were formerly considered subgenera...
. Meanwhile, West is featured in the video floating in a travelling spacecraft.
The video also alludes to a presumable future, as Katy finds a box containing a skeleton of a Pigeon (a species said to have gone extinct
Extinction
In biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms , normally a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point...
in 2030) and a pair of Vogue sunglasses, which she later wears.
Throughout the video, Perry wears heavy cosmetics and extravagant outfits, including blue and pink make-up, cat- and reptile-like eyes, and Medusa
Medusa
In Greek mythology Medusa , " guardian, protectress") was a Gorgon, a chthonic monster, and a daughter of Phorcys and Ceto. The author Hyginus, interposes a generation and gives Medusa another chthonic pair as parents. Gazing directly upon her would turn onlookers to stone...
-esque braids. New York
New York (magazine)
New York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New...
Willa Paskin compared her looks to "detailed, outlandish, [and] semi-gorgeous rainbow-kabuki
Kabuki
is classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.The individual kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing , dance , and skill...
". She has also received comparisons to Lady Gaga's look in the music video for "Born This Way", the Queen of Sheba, Ziggy Stardust, the alter ego
Alter ego
An alter ego is a second self, which is believe to be distinct from a person's normal or original personality. The term was coined in the early nineteenth century when dissociative identity disorder was first described by psychologists...
of English musician David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, and fictional characters Lara Croft
Lara Croft
Lara Croft is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Square Enix video game series Tomb Raider. She is presented as a beautiful, intelligent, and athletic British archaeologist-adventurer who ventures into ancient, hazardous tombs and ruins around the world...
, Padmé Amidala
Padmé Amidala
Padmé Amidala is a fictional character in the Star Wars science fiction franchise. She first appeared on film in the 1999 feature film, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, as the young queen of the planet Naboo. In subsequent prequel trilogy films, Padmé represents Naboo in the Galactic Senate...
, the aliens from Battlefield Earth
Battlefield Earth (film)
Battlefield Earth is a 2000 American science fiction film adapted from L. Ron Hubbard's novel of the same name. It was directed by Roger Christian, and stars John Travolta, Forest Whitaker, and Barry Pepper...
, and Jadzia Dax
Jadzia Dax
Jadzia Dax , played by Terry Farrell, was a main character during the first six seasons of the science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine....
. the video itself has been described as "a sequel to Avatar or a Katy Perry video game". In June 2011, Fuse
Fuse TV
Fuse is an American national television network dedicated exclusively to music. It features original series and specials, exclusive interviews, live concerts and video blocks....
ranked the video at number 96 on the top 100 sexiest videos of all time. At the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards
2011 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2011 MTV Video Music Awards took place on August 28, at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, honoring the best music videos from the previous year. On July 20, the nominees were announced...
, Perry's video for "E.T." was nominated in five categories, winning awards in MTV Video Music Award for Best Collaboration
MTV Video Music Award for Best Collaboration
The MTV Video Music Award for Best Collaboration was first introduced to the MTV Video Music Awards in 2007 under the name Most Earthshattering Collaboration, as the VMAs were revamped and a few new categories were added to the show. When MTV brought the VMAs back to their old format in 2008,...
and Best Special Effects.
Live performances and cover versions
Perry has performed "E.T." at several venues, including as a bonus song for her Walmart Soundcheck set, and at Madison Square GardenMadison 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...
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
on December 10, 2010 for 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 Jingle Ball. The song has also been included on the set list of the California Dreams Tour
California Dreams Tour
California Dreams Tour is the second concert tour by American pop singer Katy Perry, in support of her third studio album Teenage Dream. Beginning February 2011, the tour will visit Europe, Australasia, Asia and the Americas...
, Perry's second concert tour. The song was released as a free track on Katy Perry Revenge 2, a game for the iOS application Tap Tap
Tap Tap
Tap Tap is a series of rhythm games by Tapulous available for the iOS of which several versions, both purchasable and free, have been produced. The goal of the game is to tap each of the colored balls when they reach a line at the bottom of the screen. If the ball is hit on the beat, the player...
. A lyrics video for the single was posted on Perry's website on March 16, 2011. After playing "We Will Rock You", West performed "E.T." without Perry at the 2011 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is a three-day annual music and arts festival, organized by Goldenvoice and held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Inland Empire's Coachella Valley...
. Perry performed the single with West for the first time on the tenth season
American Idol (season 10)
The tenth season of American Idol premiered on January 19, 2011 and concluded on May 25, 2011, on Fox. The show underwent a number of changes from season nine, including the reduction of the judging panel to its original number of just three judges , a returning executive producer, a new music...
of American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
on April 21, 2011. Carried by background dancers, she wore a flickering outfit and was joined by West, who was previously unannounced.
Like other singles from Teenage Dream, "E.T." has been covered by a number of other artists and celebrities. An acoustic version was performed by VersaEmerge
VersaEmerge
VersaEmerge is an American rock band consisting of Sierra Kusterbeck and Blake Harnage, originating from Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA, currently signed to the label Fueled by Ramen. They have three EPs - Cities Built on Sand, Perceptions, and the self-titled release. Their debut album, Fixed at...
in May 2011 at the The Fueled By Ramen Studios. One month later, celebrity personality
Cult of personality
A cult of personality arises when an individual uses mass media, propaganda, or other methods, to create an idealized and heroic public image, often through unquestioning flattery and praise. Cults of personality are usually associated with dictatorships...
members of the Kardashian and Jenner family posted a video of themselves covering "E.T." while on a Mexico vacation. A journalist for the Huffington Post called their cover "actually pretty awesome". That same month, Wynter Gordon
Wynter Gordon
Diana "Wynter" Gordon is an American pop/dance singer-songwriter. She began as a writer for other artists, later signing with Atlantic Records where she began working on an album while continuing to write songs for other acts and providing vocals on songs...
sang the song on Australia's Dancing With the Stars
Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars is the name of several international television series based on the format of the British TV series Strictly Come Dancing, which is distributed by BBC Worldwide – the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the format has been licensed to over 35 countries...
; she instead performed "E.T." as a slow love ballad. A surprised Idolator
Idolator (website)
Idolator is a music blog. Created by the blog network Gawker Media in August 2006, Idolator was later sold to rival blog network Buzz Media, which also owns music blog Stereogum. From the 2007 departure of original head writer Brian Raftery until November 2009, the blog's head writer was Maura...
writer said Gordon turned in "gravity-defying vocals that probably surpass those on the original." In July, a girl-group called Vida put what The Sun called a "fun twist" into their own cover of Perry's song. On The X Factor
The X Factor (UK series 8)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. The eighth series began airing on ITV on 20 August 2011. Louis Walsh is the only judge from the previous series to return, as the other three, Simon Cowell, Dannii Minogue and Cheryl Cole, all left to join other...
, Amelia Lily sang the song in judges houses, and group Little Mix (formerly Rhythmix) performed the song during Halloween Fright Night. On November 12, 2011 West performed the mashed
Mashed
Mashed is a video game published by Empire Interactive for the Xbox and PlayStation 2 as well as PC. It was developed by Supersonic Software on the RenderWare engine. It is a top-down racing/vehicular combat game, similar in style to Micro Machines, Circuit Breakers and Super Sprint.Each race...
"E.T." with "We Will Rock You
We Will Rock You
"We Will Rock You" is a song written by Brian May and recorded and performed by Queen for their 1977 album News of the World. Rolling Stone ranked it #330 of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2004, and the RIAA placed it at #146 on its list of Songs of the Century...
" during the SWU Music & Arts Festival 2011.
Track listings and formats
- Digital download
- "E.T." (featuring Kanye WestKanye WestKanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
) – 3:51 - "E.T." – 3:26
- Remix EP – digital download
- "E.T." (TiëstoTiëstoTijs Michiel Verwest, , known as Tiësto , is a Dutch musician, DJ and record producer of electronic dance music. Although he has used many aliases in the past, he is best known for his work as DJ Tiësto...
Remix – Club Edit) – 7:10 - "E.T." (Benny BenassiBenny BenassiMarco Benassi , better known as Benny Benassi, is a Grammy Award winning Italian disc jockey and record producer of electro house music. He is best known for his 2002 summer club hit "Satisfaction"...
Radio Edit) – 3:20 - "E.T." (Dave AudéDave AudéDave Audé is a Grammy nominated producer, house DJ, and remixer. He has done production for musicians such as KoЯn, t.A.T.u., DJ Keoki, Barenaked Ladies, Faith No More, Cause and Effect, Hilary Duff, Wanessa, Ashley Tisdale, The Pussycat Dolls, Lady Gaga, Lunascape, Madonna, Britney Spears, CeCe...
Remix – Radio Edit) – 3:38 - "E.T." (NoisiaNoisiaNoisia, stylized as NOISIΛ , is a Dutch Electronic music trio consisting of members Nik Roos, Martijn van Sonderen and Thijs de Vlieger from Groningen, The Netherlands. They now produce a wide variety of music including drum and bass, dubstep, breakbeat and house music...
Remix) – 3:53 - "E.T." (Johnson Somerset & John Monkman Remix) – 9:49
- German CD single
- "E.T." (featuring Kanye West) – 3:49
- "E.T." (Tiësto Radio Edit) – 4:03
- German remix EP – digital download
- "E.T." (featuring Kanye West) – 3:51
- "E.T." (Tiësto Remix – Club) – 7:10
- "E.T." (Benny Benassi Radio Edit) – 3:20
- "E.T." (Dave Audé Remix – Radio Edit) – 3:38
- "E.T." (Noisia Remix) – 3:53
- "E.T." (Johnson Somerset & John Monkman Remix) – 9:49
Credits and personnel
- AmmoAmmo (musician)Ammo is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. In November 2008, Ammo was signed to producer Dr. Luke's publishing company Prescription Songs as an exclusive producer and songwriter...
– composerSongwriterA songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, drumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s, keyboardsMusical keyboardA musical keyboard is the set of adjacent depressible levers or keys on a musical instrument, particularly the piano. Keyboards typically contain keys for playing the twelve notes of the Western musical scale, with a combination of larger, longer keys and smaller, shorter keys that repeats at the...
, programmingProgramming (music)Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in modern pop and rock...
, producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Megan Dennis – production coordination
- Serban GheneaSerban GheneaSerban Ghenea is a four-time Grammy Award and three-time Latin Grammy Award-winning mixer. He has mixed songs for such artists as Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood, Jewel, Santana, Ozomatli, Shakira, Jill Scott, R. Kelly, Rod Stewart, and Dave Matthews Band...
– mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may... - Jon Hanes – mix engineer
- Sam Holland – engineerAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
- Dr. LukeDr. LukeLukasz Gottwald , better known as Dr. Luke, is an American songwriter, record producer, and remixer. Luke performed with the Saturday Night Live Band for ten seasons until 2007. He has co-written and co-produced a string of commercially successful songs...
– composer, drums, keyboards, programming, producer - Max MartinMax MartinMartin Karl Sandberg, known professionally as Max Martin, is a Swedish music producer and songwriter. Raised in Stenhamra, a suburb of Stockholm, Sweden, he broke through as a producer and songwriter in the mid to late 1990s after crafting a string of hits for pop artists like the Backstreet Boys,...
– composer, drums, keyboards, programming, producer - Katy PerryKaty PerryKaty Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...
– composer, vocals - Irene Richter – production coordination
- Bundinha Sarada – assistant mix engineer
- Vanessa Silberman – production coordination
- Emily Wright – engineer
Credits adapted from Teenage Dream album liner notes.
Weekly charts
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Billboard (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... 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... Solo version |
42 |
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
| Brazil (Billboard Hot 100 Airplay Brasil Hot 100 Airplay Brasil Hot 100 Airplay is the official music singles charts in Brazil. It has been compiled by Crowley Broadcast Analysis and published monthly by Billboard Brasil since the release of the magazine, in October 2009.... ) Solo version |
2 |
| Canada (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... ) |
1 |
| German Airplay Chart | 1 |
| Greece (IFPI Greece IFPI Greece International Federation of the Phonographic Industry Greece or IFPI Greece is the Greek branch of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and is the official charts provider and recording sales certification body for Greece. Currently two charts are compiled, one for sales of... ) Solo version |
28 |
| Poland (ZPAV Polish Music Charts The Polish Music Charts are two official album charts and seven singles charts in Poland, provided by ZPAV, the Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry . The first, the Top 100, is a monthly chart based on data received from the album companies... ) Solo version |
1 |
| Romania (Romanian Top 100 Romanian Top 100 The Romanian Top 100 is the national airplay-based singles chart of Romania. It is weekly and it started running in 1996. It is recognized as an official chart by the European division of Billboard, Music & Media.... ) |
1 |
| UK Singles (The Official Charts Company 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 ... ) |
3 |
| US Billboard Billboard (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... 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... |
1 |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard Billboard (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... ) Solo version |
1 |
| US Adult Pop Songs (Billboard Billboard (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... ) Solo version |
2 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... (Billboard Billboard (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... ) |
89 |
| US Latin Pop Songs (Billboard Billboard (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... ) |
1 |
| US Pop Songs Mainstream Top 40 (Pop Songs) The Mainstream Top 40 is an airplay chart from Billboard magazine, and is also known as Pop Songs on billboard.com. It was often mistaken for and confused with the now discontinued Pop 100 Airplay chart... (Billboard Billboard (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... ) |
1 |
Certifications
| Country | Provider | Certification |
|---|---|---|
| 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... |
3× Platinum |
| Austria | IFPI IFPI The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a not-for-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland... |
Gold |
| Canada | CRIA Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada... |
3× Platinum |
| Germany | BVMI Bundesverband Musikindustrie The Bundesverband Musikindustrie or simply BVMI represents the music industry in Germany. The association represents the interests of nearly 350 labels and music industry related enterprises.... |
Gold |
| Italy | FIMI | Gold |
| New Zealand | RIANZ 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... |
Platinum |
| 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 |
| United States | RIAA Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
4× Platinum |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Version | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | August 17, 2010 | Promotional single – 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... |
Album Version | Capitol Records Capitol Records Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine... |
| Australia | January 10, 2011 | Contemporary Hit Radio Contemporary hit radio Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts... |
||
| Worldwide | February 16, 2011 | Digital download | Remix Version | |
| United States | March 1, 2011 | Mainstream Contemporary hit radio Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts... and rhythmic radio Rhythmic Contemporary Rhythmic contemporary, also known as rhythmic top 40, rhythmic contemporary hit radio or rhythmic crossover, is a music radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip-hop and R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary rarely uses rock music or country music in its airplay, but it may... |
||
| Australia | March 4, 2011 | Remix EP Extended play An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact... – digital download |
||
| Belgium | ||||
| New Zealand | ||||
| United States | March 8, 2011 | |||
| United Kingdom | March 14, 2011 | |||
| Germany | March 18, 2011 | CD single CD single A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s... |
||
| Remix EP – digital download | ||||
| United Kingdom | April 3, 2011 | CD single | ||
| United States | April 12, 2011 | Urban Urban Urban means "related to cities." It may refer to:*Urban, California, former town in El Dorado County*Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas*Urban , given name and surname*Urban , Danish free daily newspaper... , Urban AC, AC Adult contemporary music Adult contemporary music is a broad style of popular music that ranges from lush 1950s and 1960s vocal music to predominantly ballad-heavy music with varying degrees of rock influence, as well as a radio format that plays such music.... , and Hot AC radio |
See also
- List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 2011 (Canada)
- List of number-one singles from the 2010s (New Zealand)
- List of number-one singles of 2011 (Poland)
- List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 2011 (U.S.)
- List of number-one digital songs of 2011 (U.S.)
- List of number-one dance singles of 2011 (U.S.)
- List of number-one dance airplay hits of 2011 (U.S.)
- List of Mainstream Top 40 number-one hits of 2011 (U.S.)
- List of Hot 100 Airplay number-one singles of 2011 (U.S.)
- List of Rhythmic Top 40 number-one singles of 2011 (U.S.)
External links
- Music video for "E.T." at YoutubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....