If We Ever Meet Again
Encyclopedia
"If We Ever Meet Again" is the fourth single from American rapper
Timbaland
's third studio album
Shock Value II
. The song features pop singer Katy Perry
and served as the album's second worldwide single. Timbaland's brother Sebastian
is also featured at the end of the song, but is uncredited.
told MTV
that will.i.am
's work on "I Gotta Feeling
" by the Black Eyed Peas
inspired him to make "If We Ever Meet Again": "When I did this song, I was in love with this record called ... you're gonna be surprised. The record didn't have anything to do with ['If We Ever Meet Again'], but when I heard [the Black Eyed Peas'] "I Gotta Feeling", I said, 'I want a record just like that on my album.' I said, 'I gotta do me a "I Gotta Feeling" record.' Me and one of my producers, Jim Beanz
, we came up with this concept. I said, '["I Gotta Feeling"] is happy, but I like it.' It gives a good feeling". On the record, Timbaland sings, instead of raps: "It's not like it's incredible singing, but it made sense for me and it fits my voice," he explained. "To get somebody else to sing it, it might sound too overdone. I like it better with mistakes — I make mistakes. With me singing it, it gives it a different kind of swagger to it". Katy Perry
sang the second verse, while Timbaland sang the first verse. In the chorus, both of them sang together. The last rap verse is performed by Timbaland's brother Sebastian
, but he is uncredited.
” and “Say Something
”. Timbaland
told MTV
that he wanted the video to be serious and maybe have Perry playing his guardian angel: "I wanna make something deep, I don't know if I wanna make it like a relationship. I wanna make it like she saved my life with whatever depression I was going through, whether it be drug depression, weight-loss depression — something. ... Will she be around if I go through this again?". The video premiered on January 18, 2010 and from January 19 is showing on UK music channels, charting at number one on many of the music channel video charts. The video, rather than focusing on a serious relationship, as mentioned above, focuses on the love story between a jewel thief (Julian Graham) and an art thief (Nadine Heimann
), interspersed with performance pieces from Perry and Timbaland. In the original video Katy Perry appears in black girdle
and black leather as in underwear, while Timbaland in the whole part of the clip was in a brown Jacket
and with a flat cap
on his head. The video ends with a group of thieves stealing all the artworks and jewels that the jewel thief and the art thief have taken.
UK digital download E.P.
US digital download E.P.
Similarly, in the United Kingdom, the single entered at number 17 on January 31, 2010, and one week later jumped to its peak of number three. The single reached number one in New Zealand on February 15, 2010, ending Stan Walker
's 10 week number one reign with "Black Box
". The song was at number one for 4 weeks, before it was replaced at number one by J.Williams with "You Got Me
". The song originally peaked on the Billboard Hot 100
at number 98, but then re-entered at number 96 on the issue date April 10, 2010. It has so far peaked at number 37 in the United States, making it the third highest-charting single on the album.
were both released to the US iTunes store on December 1, 2009 as promotional singles prior to the release of the album. "If We Ever Meet Again" later debuted at 98 on the Billboard Hot 100
on the week ending December 19, 2009.
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
Timbaland
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
's third studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
Shock Value II
Shock Value II
Shock Value II is the third solo studio album, from American record producer Timbaland serving as the second volume of the platinum-selling Shock Value which topped charts worldwide and received 16 platinum certifications....
. The song features pop singer Katy Perry
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...
and served as the album's second worldwide single. Timbaland's brother Sebastian
Sebastian (rapper)
Garland Mosley , commonly known by his stage name Sebastian, is an American rapper and songwriter...
is also featured at the end of the song, but is uncredited.
Background
TimbalandTimbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
told 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....
that will.i.am
Will.i.am
William James Adams, Jr. , better known by his stage name will.i.am and occasionally by his other stage name Zuper Blahq, is an American rapper, musician, songwriter, singer, actor and producer...
's work on "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...
" by 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...
inspired him to make "If We Ever Meet Again": "When I did this song, I was in love with this record called ... you're gonna be surprised. The record didn't have anything to do with ['If We Ever Meet Again'], but when I heard [the Black Eyed Peas'] "I Gotta Feeling", I said, 'I want a record just like that on my album.' I said, 'I gotta do me a "I Gotta Feeling" record.' Me and one of my producers, Jim Beanz
Jim Beanz
James David Washington, better known under his stage name Jim Beanz, is an American vocal producer, songwriter, musician, singer and record producer from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, now working out of Philadelphia, signed to Timbaland Productions and Sunset Entertainment Group...
, we came up with this concept. I said, '["I Gotta Feeling"] is happy, but I like it.' It gives a good feeling". On the record, Timbaland sings, instead of raps: "It's not like it's incredible singing, but it made sense for me and it fits my voice," he explained. "To get somebody else to sing it, it might sound too overdone. I like it better with mistakes — I make mistakes. With me singing it, it gives it a different kind of swagger to it". Katy Perry
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...
sang the second verse, while Timbaland sang the first verse. In the chorus, both of them sang together. The last rap verse is performed by Timbaland's brother Sebastian
Sebastian (rapper)
Garland Mosley , commonly known by his stage name Sebastian, is an American rapper and songwriter...
, but he is uncredited.
Music video
The music video was filmed in December 2009. It was directed by Paul "Coy" Allen, who directed “Morning After DarkMorning After Dark
"Morning After Dark" is a song by American hip-hop record producer and rapper, Timbaland taken from his third studio album, Timbaland Presents Shock Value II. The song features French singer SoShy and was released as the first single from the album on October 26, 2009...
” and “Say Something
Say Something (Timbaland song)
"Say Something" is the second single from American rapper Timbaland's third studio album, Timbaland Presents Shock Value II. The song features additional vocals from Canadian rapper/singer Drake. The single was released digitally on November 2, 2009. The single featured a remix featuring American...
”. Timbaland
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
told 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....
that he wanted the video to be serious and maybe have Perry playing his guardian angel: "I wanna make something deep, I don't know if I wanna make it like a relationship. I wanna make it like she saved my life with whatever depression I was going through, whether it be drug depression, weight-loss depression — something. ... Will she be around if I go through this again?". The video premiered on January 18, 2010 and from January 19 is showing on UK music channels, charting at number one on many of the music channel video charts. The video, rather than focusing on a serious relationship, as mentioned above, focuses on the love story between a jewel thief (Julian Graham) and an art thief (Nadine Heimann
Nadine Heimann
Nadine Heimann was born in Rochester, Michigan. Then Went to college at Fordham in New York City for 2 years, then moved to Los Angeles. She is perhaps best known as one of the primary characters of here!'s LGBT horror series Dante's Cove, where she played Van, a lesbian holding supernatural,...
), interspersed with performance pieces from Perry and Timbaland. In the original video Katy Perry appears in black girdle
Girdle
A girdle is a garment that encircles the lower torso, perhaps extending below the hips, and worn often for support. The word girdle originally meant a belt. In modern English, the term girdle is most commonly used for a form of women's foundation wear that replaced the corset in popularity...
and black leather as in underwear, while Timbaland in the whole part of the clip was in a brown Jacket
Jacket
A jacket is a hip- or waist-length garment for the upper body. A jacket typically has sleeves, and fastens in the front. A jacket is generally lighter, tighter-fitting, and less insulating than a coat, which is outerwear...
and with a flat cap
Flat cap
A flat cap is a rounded men or women's cap with a small stiff brim in front. Cloths used to make the cap include original wool, tweed , and cotton. Less common materials may include leather. Cord flat caps are also worn in various colours. The inside of the cap is usually lined with silk for...
on his head. The video ends with a group of thieves stealing all the artworks and jewels that the jewel thief and the art thief have taken.
Track listing
CD single (UK & Europe)- "If We Ever Meet Again" (international radio edit) - 3:58
- "If We Ever Meet Again" (Digital Dog radio remix) - 3:35
UK digital download E.P.
- "If We Ever Meet Again" (international radio edit) - 3:58
- "If We Ever Meet Again" (Digital Dog radio remix) - 3:26
- "If We Ever Meet Again" (Chew Fu Deja fix) - 5:07
- "If We Ever Meet Again" (Starsmith remix) - 5:21
US digital download E.P.
- "If We Ever Meet Again" (radio edit) - 3:58
- "If We Ever Meet Again" (album version) - 4:53
- "If We Ever Meet Again" (instrumental) - 4:21
Chart performance, certifications and procession
In the Republic of Ireland, "If We Ever Meet Again" entered at number 15 on January 28, 2010, and week later rose to a current peak of number three.Similarly, in the United Kingdom, the single entered at number 17 on January 31, 2010, and one week later jumped to its peak of number three. The single reached number one in New Zealand on February 15, 2010, ending Stan Walker
Stan Walker
Stan Walker , is an Australian recording artist and actor. In 2009, Walker was the winner on the seventh season of Australian Idol. He subsequently signed a recording contract with Sony Music Australia....
's 10 week number one reign with "Black Box
Black Box (song)
"Black Box" is the debut single by season seven winner of Australian Idol, Stan Walker. It was released digitally on 22 November 2009, as the lead single from his debut studio album, Introducing.....
". The song was at number one for 4 weeks, before it was replaced at number one by J.Williams with "You Got Me
You Got Me (J.Williams song)
"You Got Me" is a single by New Zealand R&B singer J.Williams featuring Scribe, released in February 2010. Young Love features the track. The single went to number one in New Zealand five weeks after its debut, and was certified gold the week after.-Music video:The music video was directed by...
". The song originally peaked 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...
at number 98, but then re-entered at number 96 on the issue date April 10, 2010. It has so far peaked at number 37 in the United States, making it the third highest-charting single on the album.
Chart performance
| Chart (2009/2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| 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... ) |
3 |
| Russia (EMI Russian Music Charts The Russian Music Charts are Russian music industry standard popularity rankings compiled weekly by 2M and Tophit . Albums and tracks rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through retail data captured electronically each week from Russian music retailers... ) |
2 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2010) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 58 |
| Austrian Singles Chart (Ö3 Austria Top 75) | 49 |
| Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart | 80 |
| Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart | 53 |
| Canadian Hot 100 | 29 |
| European Hot 100 Singles | 31 |
| 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... ) |
70 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 18 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 37 |
| Netherlands (Mega Single Top 100 Mega Single Top 100 The Single Top 100 is a Dutch chart, based on official physical single sales and legal downloads and composed by MegaCharts. It is one of the three official charts, the other two being the Dutch Top 40 and the Mega Top 50. The difference is that these charts also include airplay data.The list is... ) |
52 |
| 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.... ) |
98 |
| Spanish Singles Chart | 48 |
| UK Singles (The Official Charts Company) | 32 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification 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,... |
|---|---|
| Australia 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... |
Platinum |
| Italy | Gold |
| 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... |
Platinum |
| Spain PROMUSICAE Spanish Music Producers is a trade group representing the Spanish recording industry... |
Gold |
Chart procession and succession
Release history
| Date | Country |
|---|---|
| December 1, 2009 | United States (promo) |
| February 15, 2010 | United Kingdom |
| February 16, 2010 | United States |
| February 22, 2010 | France |
| February 26, 2010 | Germany |
Promo release
"If We Ever Meet Again" along with "We Belong to the Music" featuring Miley CyrusMiley 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....
were both released to the US iTunes store on December 1, 2009 as promotional singles prior to the release of the album. "If We Ever Meet Again" later debuted at 98 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...
on the week ending December 19, 2009.