Pursuit of Happiness (Kid Cudi song)
Encyclopedia
"Pursuit of Happiness" is the third official single of Kid Cudi
's debut studio album Man on the Moon: The End of Day, it features vocals by neo-psychedelic act MGMT
. The song was produced by Ratatat
. The final version of the song was premiered on September 4, 2009 on the DJ Semtex
BBC Radio 1
show. The song made its US debut on the Late Show with David Letterman
on September 11, 2009. It was released as a single on January 25, 2010. The album version of the track is titled "Pursuit of Happiness (Nightmare)".
is not in the video, but MGMT
member Ben Goldwasser does make an appearance, as well as Cudi's former G.O.O.D. Music labelmate Consequence
and Canadian rapper Drake
. The video is directed by Brody Baker and produced by Josh Hartnett
.
The second music video shows Kid Cudi waking up and interacting with a swiveling couch, and a party scene. The members of Ratatat are featured. It was directed by Megaforce.
of the Miami Heat
narrates and stars in. In 2010, it was also covered by folk-rock, singer-songwriter Lissie
in concert. Her cover earned praise from Kid Cudi, who posted the video on his official website, commenting that Lissie did a "great job" and that it was "just really beautiful and extremely flattering." Electro-house DJ Steve Aoki made a popular remix of this song, which is a staple of his live performances.
Kid Cudi
Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi , better known by his stage name Kid Cudi , sometimes stylized KiD CuDi, is an American rapper, singer and actor. He first gained major attention after the release of his debut mixtape A Kid Named Cudi. In 2009, his single "Day 'n' Nite" reached the top five of the...
's debut studio album Man on the Moon: The End of Day, it features vocals by neo-psychedelic act MGMT
MGMT
MGMT is an American alternative rock band founded by Benjamin Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden. After the release of their first album, the members of their live band, Matthew Asti, James Richardson and Will Berman, joined the core band in the studio...
. The song was produced by Ratatat
Ratatat
Ratatat is a New York City electronic music duo consisting of Mike Stroud and producer Evan Mast .-History:Evan Mast and Mike Stroud first met as students at Skidmore College, but they did not work together until 2001, when they recorded several songs under the name "Cherry"...
. The final version of the song was premiered on September 4, 2009 on the DJ Semtex
DJ Semtex
DJ Semtex is a disc jockey and presenter for BBC Radio 1Xtra digital radio station, presenting the flagship hip-hop shows, the Friday and Saturday Night Mixtapes from 19:00-22:00 on Friday and Saturday nights.-Biography:...
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
show. The song made its US debut on the Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
on September 11, 2009. It was released as a single on January 25, 2010. The album version of the track is titled "Pursuit of Happiness (Nightmare)".
Charts and certifications
"Pursuit of Happiness" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at #59 on the week ending October 3, 2009. The following week, it fell 41 spots to #100. Interestingly, the song recharted on the Billboard at #95 on the week ending January 8, 2011; over a year since it fell off the chart. It has now sold over 1,000,000 downloads since its release.Charts positions
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
41 |
| U.S. 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... |
59 |
| 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... |
76 |
| UK R&B Chart UK R&B Chart The Official UK R&B Chart is a forty-position R&B/Hip-Hop chart compiled by The Official UK Charts Company. Although the chart does not receive any airplay, its compilation is viewed on BBC Radio 1's website and publications such as ChartsPlus and Music Week... |
3 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification |
|---|---|
| United States 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... |
Platinum |
Music video
The original video displays Kid Cudi at a party. While everyone is having a good time, the whole party goes into a slow-motion state. RatatatRatatat
Ratatat is a New York City electronic music duo consisting of Mike Stroud and producer Evan Mast .-History:Evan Mast and Mike Stroud first met as students at Skidmore College, but they did not work together until 2001, when they recorded several songs under the name "Cherry"...
is not in the video, but MGMT
MGMT
MGMT is an American alternative rock band founded by Benjamin Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden. After the release of their first album, the members of their live band, Matthew Asti, James Richardson and Will Berman, joined the core band in the studio...
member Ben Goldwasser does make an appearance, as well as Cudi's former G.O.O.D. Music labelmate Consequence
Consequence (rapper)
Dexter Mills , better known as Consequence, is an American rapper. He is the cousin of rapper Q-Tip of the hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, and was formerly an affiliate of Kanye West's GOOD Music family. Consequence debuted in 1996 on A Tribe Called Quest's album Beats, Rhymes, and Life...
and Canadian rapper Drake
Drake (entertainer)
Aubrey Drake Graham , who records under the mononym Drake, is a Canadian recording artist and actor. He originally became known for playing Jimmy Brooks on the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation....
. The video is directed by Brody Baker and produced by Josh Hartnett
Josh Hartnett
Joshua Daniel "Josh" Hartnett is an American actor and aspiring producer. He first came to audiences' attention in 1997 as "Michael Fitzgerald" in the television series Cracker. He made his feature film debut in 1998, co-starring with Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween H20: 20 Years Later for Miramax...
.
The second music video shows Kid Cudi waking up and interacting with a swiveling couch, and a party scene. The members of Ratatat are featured. It was directed by Megaforce.
Other versions
The song was featured on a Vitamin Water commercial in 2010 which LeBron JamesLeBron James
LeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James", he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar while a...
of the Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
narrates and stars in. In 2010, it was also covered by folk-rock, singer-songwriter Lissie
Lissie
Elisabeth Maurus , known by her stage name Lissie, is an American folk rock artist and Paste Magazine's #1 best new solo artist of 2010. She released her debut EP, "Why You Runnin'", in November 2009. Her debut album, Catching a Tiger, was released in June 2010.-Early life and career:Lissie was...
in concert. Her cover earned praise from Kid Cudi, who posted the video on his official website, commenting that Lissie did a "great job" and that it was "just really beautiful and extremely flattering." Electro-house DJ Steve Aoki made a popular remix of this song, which is a staple of his live performances.